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From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Synchronicity" (10/11)
Date: 01 Aug 1997 13:54:39 -0400

We're almost done!  Please see Introduction for warnings, etc.
No infringement of any sort is intended with the following.  Please
send any comments or requests to: [e-mail].

                     Synchronicity, Part 10
                      by Katherine Gilbert

  "What exactly are we here to see?" Giles inquired, once they had
returned to the library.
  Sydney studied the room.  "When we were in VR," she said finally,
"those bookcases along the wall weren't there.  The wall itself was
missing."  She pointed up to part of the stacks.
  "Is that significant?" Giles questioned.
  Willow thought for a second.  "Xander, isn't that the area those
workmen were tearing up last year?"
  "What, you're asking me?" Xander replied.  "The first time I set
foot in this place was a few months ago."
  Oliver looked at the wall and then walked up to Willow, looking
closely at her.  "That was where the construction workers were when
Crater disappeared?"
  "I think so," Willow nodded.
  Oliver exchanged a look with Samantha and then started up the small
set of stairs toward the wall.  "Duncan, help me move these bookcases,"
he instructed.
  Giles looked at them both quickly.  "N-now hold on a minute," he said,
gesturing.  "You can't just go disarranging my whole library."
  "Isn't it *the school's* library?" Buffy asked.
  Giles looked at her with his hands on his hips.  "Well, then, they'll
be thrilled when they find it torn apart, won't they?"
  Oliver and Duncan, with some difficulty, had managed to move one
bookshelf partway.  Oliver stopped before trying to move it further
and looked at Giles.  "We'll undo any damage we cause.  Right now,
however, our best hint of Crater may be back here."  He looked closely
at Giles.  "Do you want to give up a possible clue about the Master's
plans because of an obsession about neatness?"
  Giles didn't look very pleased.  "Very well," he relented, "but be
sure you restore its order before you leave."
  Oliver nodded and returned to moving shelves.
  Giles sighed and looked briefly at Xander.  "Let's go help them,
shall we?" he said, heading toward the stairs.
  The women watched their progress.  Buffy perched herself on a table.
  "Not going to help them?" Sam asked Buffy.
  "Nah," she replied, smiling slightly.  "Let them do the work for
once."
  Once the shelves were moved out, Oliver began to closely examine the
wall.  "The plaster here is newer than the rest of the wall," he
observed.  He looked at Giles.  "Do you have an axe?"
  Willow laughed.  "Does he ever."
  "Axes, swords, staffs, crossbows, you name it," Buffy agreed.  "Giles
is like your helpful weaponry man."
  "You want to tear out the wall?" Giles asked, incredulously.
  "Do you know of any other way of finding out what's behind it?" Oliver
responded.
  Duncan pondered.  "Know any diviners?" he asked Giles.
  Giles looked at him.  "Not right offhand," he replied, raising an
eyebrow.
  Oliver rolled his eyes.  "We'll replaster it when we're done."
  Giles relented.  "I'll go find something to get in it," he agreed,
turning to go back down to his weaponry cabinet.
  "I'll get it," Buffy shrugged, hopping off the table.  "Wanna see a
really cool crossbow?" she turned around to ask Sam.
  "Uh, no, that's alright," Giles broke in, trying to prevent Buffy
from looking too closely anywhere in the direction of his office, the
direction Buffy had just turned in.  He wasn't sure if Angel was still
around, but he didn't want to take any chances.  "I'll get it."
  "Don't be weird," Buffy replied.  "I know where they are."  As she
turned toward Samantha again, something caught her eye.  "Giles, didn't
you turn the light off in your office when we left?"  She began to
approach the room, weapons forgotten.
  "Buffy, don't," Giles whispered, but Buffy had already reached the
office's door.
  "Angel," she whispered, as she opened it.
  "Buffy."  He gave her a half-smile.
  "What are you doing in here?" she asked him, then turned back to
Giles.
  "Angel is our . . . informant," Giles admitted.
  Buffy looked back at Angel briefly before returning her attention to
Giles.  "You mean I was crawling around in *his* head?  He was in mine?"
  "Yes," Giles replied unhappily.
  Buffy looked at the rest of the group.  "You all knew, didn't you?"
She thought for a second.  "That's what you were hiding from me here
earlier."
  "Don't blame them," Angel told her softly.  "I asked them to."
  Buffy sighed.  She didn't feel particularly angry, although she
thought she should.  She almost felt that she had been through this
before.  "So, what'd you learn about us?" Buffy asked Sydney.
  "Nothing much," Sydney lied to them again.  There were some things,
she decided, which were better not brought into the light of reality.
  "So, how'd you know Crater?" Buffy asked Angel.
  "Could we save this for another time?" Oliver broke in after having
looked at his watch.  "It's getting late, and, assuming you children
actually have parents, they'll probably be worrying about you soon.  We
need to see what's behind this wall."
  "You're right," Giles nodded, going to procure the axe, while Angel
filled Buffy in on his background with Crater.
  "So, did this wall thing they're searching come out of your head?"
Buffy asked, when Angel had finished.
  "I suppose so," Angel replied, looking at the wall.  "I came here once,
after I'd tried to scare Crater off, to see if he'd gone, but they
were redecorating, and no one was here.  They had that whole side of
the room torn up."  He looked back at Buffy.  "I don't actually remember
anything from that computer trip we got taken on, though."
  Buffy smiled.  "I know how you feel."
  Oliver, who was oblivious to this conversation, tapped on the wall
and listened.  "It's hollow," he noted.
  Giles returned with the axe, and Oliver prepared to attack the wall.
  "Hold on," Buffy said, coming up the stairs toward them.  "It took
you guys, like, 15 minutes to get those shelves out of the way.  Let
me handle this."  She took the axe.
  "You think you can do this more quickly?" Oliver asked.
  "I'm the Slayer, remember?" Buffy replied.  "I eat walls for lunch."
  Oliver shook his head.  He wasn't sure he could ever really get used
to exposing someone this young to the kind of danger and strain Buffy
faced regularly.  He sighed.  "Start around the edges," he instructed,
pointing to the line where the older and newer plaster met.
  "Sure," Buffy shrugged and began chopping.
  Sydney, Sam, and Willow joined the others near the wall.
  "I'll help," Angel said, coming to stand at the opposite end of the
newer plaster.  He looked at his fist for a second, sighed, and then
punched a hole in the wall.  Willow, Sydney, and Duncan looked
surprised.  Angel shrugged.  "I'm useful for some things," he noted.
  Between the two of them, Buffy and Angel had the wall down in about
a minute.
  What was behind it was rather gruesome.  Willow turned away, while
Sydney looked at the floor; Giles looked horrified.  The rest looked
sickened.
  "Is that Crater?" Buffy asked, looking at the decaying body stuffed
in the wall.
  "It looks like him," Sam noted.  "As much as I can tell."
  "It's him," Angel nodded.  The others looked at him.  "I've had a
bit of experience with the dead," he shrugged.
  "Why would they do that to him?" Sydney asked, not able to look up.
  "It's very Poe," Duncan noted.  Oliver, Sam, and Buffy looked at
him.  "But I guess it wasn't meant as a macabre literary tribute,"
he cocked his head.
  "Why kill him?" Sam asked.  "Did he fail in reaching the Master?"
  Oliver shook his head.  "Maybe he knew too much?" he theorized.
  Giles, with disgust, held a handkerchief over his face and looked
more closely at the body.  "It almost looks like a sacrifice of some
kind," he noted.  "But why leave it in the library?"
  Everyone shook their heads.
  "Maybe they figured no one would find it here," Buffy suggested.
  "That doesn't make sense," Oliver contended.  "If the Committee
wants to hide or bury a body, it can do it with far less expense
and trouble than this."  He motioned toward the wall.
  Willow, who had been studying the opposite side of the library
to avoid turning around, looked over at Giles.  "What are we going
to do about him?" she asked, her back still to the body.  "I mean,
we can't just leave him there."
  Giles looked confused.  "I don't know.  I don't really have much
experience of disposing of bodies."
  "Should we call the police?" Willow continued.
  "No," Oliver answered her quickly.  When she looked over at him,
he explained.  "At best, they'd have a hundred questions we couldn't
possibly answer.  They might suspect us, as well."
  "And at worst?" she asked, incredulously.
  "At worst, they might know the answers already," Oliver continued.
"The Committee has extensive roots."
  "So, we just dig a hole and dump him in?" Buffy grimaced.
  Oliver sighed.  He had never enjoyed this sort of thing.  "No, you
go home . . . We'll take care of it."  He looked back at the body.
  "That's not neccessary," Angel suggested.  He looked at Oliver.
"I'll get rid of him.  I'm in a lot less danger doing it than any of
you would be."
  Everyone else looked at each other.  They couldn't really argue.
  "And you'll take care of the plaster?" Giles asked.
  Angel smiled.  "I'll move the shelves back in front of it.  I'm
not really much of a mason."
  Giles nodded and tried to fight his desire for order.  As Angel was
doing so much for them, he couldn't see asking him to decorate as well.
  Angel looked at Crater again for a second and then back at Giles.
"Do you think he got to the Master?"
  "I hope not," Giles replied.

  The rest of the group left Angel to his morbid task and emerged into
the night air.  "Would you like a ride back to your motel?" Giles asked.
  "No," Oliver replied.  "It's fairly close.  We can walk."
  "So, you're leaving now?" Willow wondered.
  "There's not much left we can do here," Sydney told her.
  "Crater's dead," Sam continued.
  "The trail's cold," Buffy nodded.
  "Yeah," Sydney agreed.  "And, unless this Master has a phone for us
to dial up, we can't get much more from him."
  "You're probably better off," Giles opined.
  The others nodded.
  Oliver sighed and looked at the ground.  "We appreciate your help,"
he began, "but I'm afraid there might be a price to pay for it."
  "What do you mean?" Willow inquired.
  Oliver looked up at her.  "The Committee's been tracking us.  Sometimes,
they've come into a place where we've been very close behind us."  He
looked at them all.  "All they'll have are rumors and vague reports to go
by.  If they honestly believe that you're ignorant, they'll leave you
alone to keep from causing a scene.  If they suspect, though, for even a
single second, that you have some knowledge which could help them, they
won't hesitate in . . ."  He paused, not wanting to frighten them
unneccessarily.  " . . . in doing whatever it takes to get that
information."  He looked deeply at the teenagers.  "You *must* act as
completely ignorant as possible, if they come."
  "Hey, that's not a problem," Xander assured him.
  Buffy smiled.  "We'll manage."
  "Yeah," Willow threw in, "clueless we can do."
  "Good," Oliver nodded.  He allowed the teenagers to say goodbye to
their new friends, while he motioned with his eyes to have a private
word with Giles.  When they were a bit away, he said, "You'll probably
have the hardest time.  You'll *have* to convince them not only that
you don't know me but that you *aren't* me."
  Giles nodded.  "I'll handle it."  He smiled slightly.
  Oliver smiled slightly as well and held out his hand.  "Goodbye,
Rupert."  He shook Giles' hand and then looked over at the teenagers.
"Look after them."  He assessed the group for a second.  "They care
a great deal about you, you know."
  Giles smiled and looked over at Oliver's companions.  "As yours
do for you," he agreed.
  The teenagers began to part from their friends and walked toward
Giles' car.
  Oliver and Giles gave each other one final, assessing look, nodded,
and left with their respective friends.
[End of Part 10]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Synchronicity" (11a/11)
Date: 01 Aug 1997 13:58:33 -0400

Please see Introduction for warnings, etc.  No infringement of
any sort is intended with the following.  Please send any
comments or requests to:  [e-mail].  Please
note, as well, that I'll be out of town for a couple of weeks
after Monday, so, if you write, and I don't respond, that's why.

                   Synchronicity, Part 11a
                     by Katherine Gilbert

  The next day at school, Buffy was dumping some books in her locker,
preparing to go home, when Xander caught up with her.
  "Hey," he said, running his hand through his hair to block his face
from a portion of the hallway.  "Have you checked out the new, uh,
students?"  He motioned down the hall with his eyes.
  "You mean the suit patrol?" Buffy asked, pretending to be concerned
with which books to take home.  "Yeah, . . . they seem familiar."
  "Do you think it's *them*?" Xander pressed, a bit nervous.
  "Probably," Buffy agreed, "but--don't they look familiar?"  She
held up a mirror as though she were examining her reflection but
angled it instead to give Xander a view of the men lurking at the
other end of the hall.  The corridor was beginning to clear out, as
students packed up and went home.
  "Cordelia's `bodyguards'?" he pondered.  "The ones who led away
Marcie?"
  "Looks like their friends, at least," Buffy half-smiled, returning
the mirror to her locker.
  "Is there anything these guys *aren't* into?" Xander questioned.
  "World peace?" Buffy shrugged, as one of the men began to approach
them.  She sighed.  "Here goes," she whispered.
  "May I have a word with you?" the man in the suit asked them.
  Buffy turned around.  She was sucking on a lollipop she had just
pulled out.  "Oh God--you're not another guidance counselor, are you?"
she asked in a confused tone.
  "No," the man smiled.
  "This isn't about that library book I've had overdue for a couple
of months, is it?" Xander looked startled.  "Because, if it is, I can
take it back."
  "I just want to ask you a few questions," the man smiled at them, not
very reassuringly.
  "Okay," Buffy shrugged.
  The man took out pictures of Sydney, Samantha, Oliver, and Duncan.
"Have you seen any of these people before?"
  Xander and Buffy looked bemused.  "Nope," Xander said.
  "Uh uh," Buffy concurred.
  "You've never seen them around here?" the man asked.
  "What--are they, like, teachers or something?" Xander inquired.
  "No," the man answered.
  "Well, they aren't students," Buffy observed.  "I mean," she pointed
her lollipop at the picture of Oliver, "this guy's ancient."  She
looked at the other pictures.  "And they aren't exactly prom queen
material either."  Her lollipop grazed the pictures, as she pointed at
them, leaving a sticky residue.  "Oops, sorry," Buffy said sheepishly.
  The man was beginning to become a bit annoyed.  He singled out the
picture of Oliver and thrust it at them.  "And this man doesn't look
familiar to you?"
  Buffy and Xander stared at it blankly.
  "He doesn't remind you of Mr. Giles?" the man inquired, raising an
eyebrow.
  "Who?" Buffy asked.
  "You know," Xander threw in, "the librarian."
  "The creepy guy with the books?" Buffy wondered.
  The man in the suit sighed.
  "I think," Xander nodded.  He looked back at the man.  "Unless you
mean that weird physics teacher who got fired for building his own
prototype nuclear bomb."
  "What?" the man asked, getting confused himself.  "No--the librarian
--does he look like the librarian to you?"
  Buffy looked at the picture again and started pointing at it with
her lollipop.  The man drew it out of the candy's reach.  "I guess he
looks a bit like him," Buffy agreed, "but this guy," she was pointing
at the picture the besuited man was holding well away from her,
"actually knows how to dress.  That creepy guy," she pointed down the
hall with her lollipop, and, seemingly obliviously, almost hit Xander
in the head with it, "well, his fashion sense is from, like, another
century."
  Xander nodded.
  The man was growing increasingly frustrated.  "So, you've never seen
these people before?"
  Buffy and Xander shook their heads.
  The man tried a new technique.  "What do you know about computers?"
  "I can turn one on pretty well," Xander said proudly.
  The man shook his head and looked at Buffy.  "And you?"
  She pondered, sucking her lollipop.  "I might be able to, if you
showed me where the switch was," she said finally, waving her candy
carelessly.
  The man sighed.  "Aren't you curious why I'm asking you these things?"
he asked them, exasperated.
  "Why?  Are we in trouble?" Xander questioned, worriedly.
  "Is there gonna be, like, a quiz or something?" Buffy asked.  "`Cause,
if so, I want to see the pictures again."  She pointed her candy at the
man's chest and watched it stick to his suit.  "Oops," she said,
unsticking it. "Sorry."
  The man made a noise under his breath which sounded a bit like
"grr-arrgh" and abandoned the two annoying teenagers.
  Buffy smiled just slightly, as the man left, and whispered, "Slayer
and slayerettes--87, Committee goons--0."

  Around the same time that Buffy and Xander were being questioned,
Willow was tucked away in the computer lab, searching a couple of
supernatural web pages for Giles.
  "Pardon me," a man's voice said from behind her, "are you Miss Willow
Rosenberg?"
  Willow jumped slightly and turned around.  "Uh, yes," she admitted.
  "I'd like to have a word with you," a man in a suit, a different
one than Buffy and Xander had encountered, said, as he sat in a chair
he had pulled up close to her.
  "Uh, okay," she said.  "Is something wrong?  Is somebody hurt or
something?"
  "It's nothing like that," he assured her.
  "Am I in trouble?" she asked.  "I mean, if it's about the computer
changing the lunch schedules around last week, I can explain that."
  The man smiled.  "No," he said.  "I simply need information."  He
took out four pictures--the same shots her friends had been shown.
"Do you recognize these people?"
  "No," she said, looking over the pictures but lingering on Oliver's.
  "Even this one?" the man pointed to the picture she was staring at.
"He doesn't remind you of anyone?"
  "Well, he looks a bit like our librarian," Willow pondered.  "Wait
a minute," she looked up at the man brightly.  "Are you one of those
researchers from shows where they reunite long-lost families or
something?"
  "No," the man shook his head.  He held up Oliver's picture.  "Do
you think this could be the librarian--in a different outfit, perhaps?"
  Willow shook her head.  "No," she pondered.  "The eyes are wrong."
  "They're the same color, aren't they?" the man looked back at the
picture himself, suddenly confused.
  "Yeah, but they aren't the same eyes," Willow explained.  "I mean,
does that guy," she pointed at the picture, "look like he'd spend a
lot of time hanging out in libraries?"
  The man in the suit shook his head, still examining the picture.
"Not really," he agreed.  He looked up again--over at Willow's computer.
"What are you working on?" he asked.
  "Oh," Willow looked very excited but a little embarrassed.  "I'm
doing research for this horror novel I want to write.  It's got all
these monsters and stuff."
  "So, you've met up with monsters before?" the man asked her, curiously.
  "You mean, other than the weird women from the cafeteria?" she
answered.  "No."  She shook her head.
  The man in the suit leaned forward.  "Don't you think they could be
real?"
  Willow rolled her eyes.  "Please," she said, "if they were real, we'd
know about them by now, right?  We wouldn't need to read about them."
She was looking at him as though he were slightly insane.
  At that point, a message appeared on her screen, indicating new mail.
  "Can I see your email?" the man smiled at her.
  "Why do you want to?" she asked.
  "Just curious," he answered.
  Willow shook her head.  "It'll all be pretty dull to you."
  The man's smile widened.  "Indulge me."
  Willow shrugged.  She opened up the letter to reveal a lengthy chat
about "that cute boy in geometry."  The man's eyes began to glaze.  "Do
you want to see any others?" Willow asked.
  "No, that's fine," the man agreed, sighing and getting up.  "Thank
you for your time," he said, before he left.
  Willow smiled and turned back to the computer.  She looked again at
the rambling letter and then began deleting everything except the first
letter of every third word.  When she had finished, she smiled at the
screen:
    W--
        Thanks.  Away safely.
               Take care, :D
                    S. B.
[End of Part 11a; 11b (the final part) is coming!]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Synchronicity" (11b/11)
Date: 01 Aug 1997 14:00:38 -0400

The final part!  Please see Introduction for warnings, etc.
No infringement of any sort is intended with the following.
Please send any comments to:  [e-mail].  If
this part seems to have a rather downbeat ending, as well,
remember that it ends just a few hours before the events of
"Prophecy Girl" begin, so everything works out in the end. :)

                   Synchronicity, Part 11b
                     by Katherine Gilbert

  At around this same time, Giles was reshelving a few books, when two
men in suits came into the library.  "May I help you?" Giles asked
inoffensively.
  The two men looked at each other, used a bar one of them was carrying
to bar the doors, and then came up to Giles.  One of them put a gun to
his head.  "Is this what your life has become, Sampson?" one of them
asked.  "Shelving books for high schoolers?"
  Giles closed his eyes tightly and tried to breathe.  He didn't have
to fake his fear.
  "Does lack of courage go with this position?" the other man asked.
"Lose your nerve on the road?"
  "Please," Giles said softly.  "If you want my money, you can have it."
  The men looked at each other, a little confused.  "What?" one asked.
  "I said, `if you want my money, you can have it,'" Giles repeated.
  The men exchanged another look before one of them instructed, "Open
your eyes, Sampson."
  Giles did so, reluctantly.  "May I ask a question?" he said quietly.
  "Alright," one agreed.
  "W-why are you callilng me `Sampson'?" he inquired.
  "That's your name," one informed him.
  "N-no," Giles disagreed.
  The man holding the gun cocked the hammer.
  "O-of course, if you'd rather I be called Sampson, I'll do my best,"
Giles stammered quickly.  "Just *please* tell me what you want."
  The men exchanged looks once more, and then the man with the guy
uncocked it and took it down, although he didn't put it away.  "Sit
down," he instructed.  Giles did.
  "Let me see your wallet," the other man ordered.
  Giles, shaking slightly, retrieved his wallet and gave it to him.
  The man looked through it.  "Where are your passport and visa?"
  "I-is that what this is about?" Giles asked.  "They're in order, I
assure you."  He looked at the two men.  "I didn't realize I was
supposed to come show them to immigration on a regular basis."
  The men rolled their eyes at each other, and then the man threw
Giles' wallet back to him.  Giles fumbled and dropped it before picking
it up and returning it to his pocket.
  One of the men got another idea.  He took out a gun, unloaded the
cartridges, and handed it to Giles.  "Shoot it," he said.
  Giles was holding the gun as though it were a dead rat.  "I might
hurt someone!" Giles objected, looking up at the man.
  "I took the bullets out," the man replied disgustedly.
  "Oh," Giles said, looking at the weapon again.  Then, he examined
the gun and tried, very awkwardly, to aim it.  When he tried to pull
the trigger, nothing happened.
  The man who had given him the gun sighed loudly.  "You have to take
the safety off first," he informed him.
  "The what?" Giles inquired, looking at him.
  The man shook his head and grabbed back the gun.  "Never mind."
  The first man put away his gun as well and then pulled out four
pictures.  "Do you know any of these people?"
  Giles shook his head but took the picture of Oliver to look at it
more closely.  "What a terrible hairstyle," he noted.  "Appalling
taste in clothes, as well."  He looked up at the two men.  "I've
never dressed like this," he informed them.
  "Obviously," one said, retrieving the picture from him, deciding
that Giles had a curious definition of "appalling."
  "What do you know about computers?" the other asked.
  "What--that dread machine over there?" Giles pointed.  "I refuse to
touch them."
  The two men looked at each other again.  "Go turn it on," one said
menacingly.
  Giles got up and went over to it.  After looking around it tentatively,
he looked up and said, "All I see is a switch with a line on one side and
an `O' on the other."
  "Try it," one of the men suggested disgustedly.
  Giles did, timidly.  It made a noise.  He pressed a letter key.
"Nothing seems to be happening."
  "Try turning on the screen," one suggested.
  Giles looked at him, genuinely confused.  "That isn't what I just
did?"
  The men in suits looked at each other, shook their heads, and turned
toward the door.  "By the way," one said, turning back toward Giles,
"we were never here."
  Giles swallowed.  "Whatever you say."
  The men removed the bar from the door and left.
  Giles sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a second.  Then, slightly
pleased with himself for getting rid of the men but still trying to
regain his composure, he walked slowly to his office and made himself
a cup of tea.  He had had the Codex for two days now, without yet
getting a chance to study it.  "Maybe now," he thought, "things will
slow down enough to let me examine it."

EPILOGUE
  Later that same day, one of the men in suits worked his way down
into the tunnels underneath Sunnydale.
  "He's here," a little boy's voice echoed eeriely, as the Committee
man entered the Master's lair.
  "What news do you have for me?" the Master asked.
  "We thought we had a problem--that some . . . renegade members might
be warning the townspeople," the Committee man said, "but it was a
false alarm."
  "So, they're still unaware of our plan?" the Master inquired.
  "The library has been cleansed for your arrival with a sacrifice--
one of our own," the Committee man smiled.
  "Good," the Master smiled in return and rubbed his hands.  "My rise
to the surface is fast approaching."
  The Committee man looked at the little boy, who was sitting on a
pile of rubble, watching him.  "So, how is the Anointed One doing?"
  The Master smiled back at the child.  "Colin was an excellent choice,"
he observed.  "You were right--the Committee bloodline was just what
was needed."  The Master looked back at the man.  "Did his mother ever
wonder why they came here?"
  The Committee man shook his head.  "Her company transferred her;
that's all she needed to know."
  "I assume that you're satisfied with our service so far?" the Master
smiled at the man.
  "Your . . . converts have served admirably," the man agreed.  "Along
with some . . . less visible assassins we've added of late, yours have
been very successful.  Did Colin `convert' the men I sent earlier?"
  "Yes," the Master agreed.  "They've gone out for their first hunt."
  "Our groups work well together," the Committee man observed, looking
over at Colin, who smiled malevolently.
  "Then, I will see you again when I rise," the Master agreed, turning
back to return to his chair.
  The Committee man almost turned to go but looked back again.  "By
the way, I've always wanted to ask.  Just what is that leather you wear
made out of?"
  The Master smiled back at him.  "Well," he responded, "I don't wear
cow."
  The Committee man smiled and then left The Master to wait for the
prophecy to take hold.
[The End]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Slayer Fanfic Archive UP!
Date: 01 Aug 1997 19:17:47 -0400

Hey all, just heard from Biohaz, one of the Archive's maintainers.  It ha
risen from the dead!  Let the Archive be live once more!
MWA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

--Viashino, Feelin' Maniacal--
"Ewwwwwwww!!"




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Weapon: Part VII/?
Date: 03 Aug 1997 22:45:50 -0400

Title:  The Weapon
Rating:  PG-13 here.  In the words of Carl "Oldie" Olsen, "Violence!
Glorious violence!"  Some language to.
Disclaimer:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Angel are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox.  The rest is mine.  Touch it
and I'll break yo' fingers.
*****

"NO!!!" screamed Angel, as Buffy vanished.
"Oh shit," said Xander, as Angel raged, "that was Hound!"
"A what?" Willow asked, as her anger began to bubble.
"The Hounds are Karakis' hunters and guard beasts!  If we ran into one of
them, he knows we're here."
"Oh gre-" Willow was cut off by a deep growl.  Willow and Xander turned to
see Angel, and watched as his features twisted, changing into the horrible
visage of a vampire.  Throwing his head back, Angel unleashed a deafening
primal roar, sharing his rage with the universe.  Then, with uncanny speed
and grace, he leapt, and plunged beneath the sands.
"What's he doing?!" shrieked Willow.
"What he always does," replied Xander, "he's following Buffy."
"Shouldn't we do the same?"
"I plan on it.  Stand back!"

Willow stepped away as Xander pointed the sphere at the ground.  He paused,
inhaling deeply.

"GIVE US PASSAGE TO THE SLAYER!" he shouted.  Acknowledging its other's
command, the sphere began to glow.  The glow spread over Xander, until his
entire body was encased in a green luminescence.  Then, suddenly,
violently, the glow shot through the sphere and was released as a massive
energy pulse, blasting into the sand.  Xander collapsed to his knees,
nearly tumbling into the searing hole he had created.
"Xander!" shouted Willow, rushing to his side, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." he gasped, "just... took... a lot... outta me."
"What did you..."
"The sphere blasted us a passage." said Xander, as he caught his breath,
"C'mon, lets go."

*****

As Xander and Willow exited the tunnel, they came face to face with a scene
out of a nightmare.

A massive white creature, one which seemed to be nothing more than a mass
of tentacles and a huge, gaping, maw, was trying to eat Buffy.  The Slayer
was surviving only by keeping the creature's jaw open with her legs.  Angel
attacked the creature again and again with his sword, again and again it
lashed out a tentacle, slamming him into the walls or floor of the cave.
The vampire rose after each attack, ignoring his injuries.  The creature
slammed Angel into the wall once more.  He rose, snapped his shoulder back
into place with a sickeningly wet crack, and attacked once more.

"SAVE HER!" shouted Xander, as he charged, holding the sphere in front of
him.  Instantly, a mass of silver tendrils leapt from the sphere, attacking
the creature.  The liquid metal sliced and hacked away, fighting off the
creature's many tentacles.  Finally, it fought its way through to the
tentacle holding the Slayer.  Changing from a mass of tendrils to two large
razor-sharp extensions, the sphere quickly severed the limb, and Buffy
leapt away.

"Blades." said Xander, as the creature howled in pain.  The sphere returned
to its natural shape, then split, coating each of Xander's arms with its
liquid metal essence.  The liquid quickly hardened and shaped, forming
wickedly sharp blades over his appendages.  He watched as a new tentacle
sprung to life in the place of the lost one.  Silently, grimly, Xander
attacked.

"You OK?" growled Angel, as he helped Buffy off the floor.
"Fine," she panted, "you?"
"Fine."
"Good.  Then we'd better help Xander."
Angel silently nodded his agreement, and they attacked.

The three hacked and sliced away at the creature, but each severed limb was
replaced by another.  Soon blood, monster, vampire, and human, covered all
four combatants.  They battled on, hopeful they would find some weakness,
some path to victory.

During the battle, Willow stayed back, watching, looking for some weak
spot, something they could use against that... that *thing*.  Then she saw.
 It only lasted a moment but it was enough.  The creature blinked.  It
blinked, its single tough, leathery eyelid unveiling a mass of slimy
eyeballs.  Acting on instinct alone, she lined up her shot, and fired.  The
creature screamed in agony as hundreds of sensitive eyeballs burst,
spraying blood and other fluids everywhere.  Willow walked forward, pumped
the shotgun, and fired again.  And again.  And again and again and again.
The creature lowered its guard, writhing in agony as more and more eyeballs
exploded.  Taking advantage of the opening, Buffy, Xander, and Angel
charged, and began slicing hunks of the thing's corpulent spheroid body
away.  Drawing strength from the sphere, Xander thrust forward, driving his
blades deep into the creature's brain, forcing his arms into the creature
all the way up to his shoulders.  Green lightning shot through Xander's
body as the Hound's lifeforce was drained through the sphere.  Several
violent seconds later, the creature released its death howl, and crumbled
to dust.

*****

"Wow," said Buffy, as she wiped some of the gore off her body, "good
shootin' Will!"
Willow simply nodded, a grim expression fixed on her visage.
"So," asked Angel, "what do we do now?"
"We should rest here for a while," replied Xander, "heal.  Then, once we're
ready, we follow these caves and tunnels.  With the sphere guiding us, they
should take us right to Karakis Central."
"Oh good," said Buffy tiredly, as she slumped against the cave wall, "out
of the frying pan--and straight into hell."

*****

The end is near
My friends my friends,
But the tale is not yet through.
The battle nears,
My friends my friends,
We shall see what the slay squad can do!

MWA-HAHA-HAHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

--Viashino the Maniacally Evil--




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Weapon: Part VII/?
Date: 04 Aug 1997 02:45:50 -0400

Title:  The Weapon
Rating:  PG-13 here.  In the words of Carl "Oldie" Olsen, "Violence!
Glorious violence!"  Some language to.
Disclaimer:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Angel are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox.  The rest is mine.  Touch it
and I'll break yo' fingers.
*****

"NO!!!" screamed Angel, as Buffy vanished.
"Oh shit," said Xander, as Angel raged, "that was Hound!"
"A what?" Willow asked, as her anger began to bubble.
"The Hounds are Karakis' hunters and guard beasts!  If we ran into one of
them, he knows we're here."
"Oh gre-" Willow was cut off by a deep growl.  Willow and Xander turned to
see Angel, and watched as his features twisted, changing into the horrible
visage of a vampire.  Throwing his head back, Angel unleashed a deafening
primal roar, sharing his rage with the universe.  Then, with uncanny speed
and grace, he leapt, and plunged beneath the sands.
"What's he doing?!" shrieked Willow.
"What he always does," replied Xander, "he's following Buffy."
"Shouldn't we do the same?"
"I plan on it.  Stand back!"

Willow stepped away as Xander pointed the sphere at the ground.  He paused,
inhaling deeply.

"GIVE US PASSAGE TO THE SLAYER!" he shouted.  Acknowledging its other's
command, the sphere began to glow.  The glow spread over Xander, until his
entire body was encased in a green luminescence.  Then, suddenly,
violently, the glow shot through the sphere and was released as a massive
energy pulse, blasting into the sand.  Xander collapsed to his knees,
nearly tumbling into the searing hole he had created.
"Xander!" shouted Willow, rushing to his side, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah..." he gasped, "just... took... a lot... outta me."
"What did you..."
"The sphere blasted us a passage." said Xander, as he caught his breath,
"C'mon, lets go."

*****

As Xander and Willow exited the tunnel, they came face to face with a scene
out of a nightmare.

A massive white creature, one which seemed to be nothing more than a mass
of tentacles and a huge, gaping, maw, was trying to eat Buffy.  The Slayer
was surviving only by keeping the creature's jaw open with her legs.  Angel
attacked the creature again and again with his sword, again and again it
lashed out a tentacle, slamming him into the walls or floor of the cave.
The vampire rose after each attack, ignoring his injuries.  The creature
slammed Angel into the wall once more.  He rose, snapped his shoulder back
into place with a sickeningly wet crack, and attacked once more.

"SAVE HER!" shouted Xander, as he charged, holding the sphere in front of
him.  Instantly, a mass of silver tendrils leapt from the sphere, attacking
the creature.  The liquid metal sliced and hacked away, fighting off the
creature's many tentacles.  Finally, it fought its way through to the
tentacle holding the Slayer.  Changing from a mass of tendrils to two large
razor-sharp extensions, the sphere quickly severed the limb, and Buffy
leapt away.

"Blades." said Xander, as the creature howled in pain.  The sphere returned
to its natural shape, then split, coating each of Xander's arms with its
liquid metal essence.  The liquid quickly hardened and shaped, forming
wickedly sharp blades over his appendages.  He watched as a new tentacle
sprung to life in the place of the lost one.  Silently, grimly, Xander
attacked.

"You OK?" growled Angel, as he helped Buffy off the floor.
"Fine," she panted, "you?"
"Fine."
"Good.  Then we'd better help Xander."
Angel silently nodded his agreement, and they attacked.

The three hacked and sliced away at the creature, but each severed limb was
replaced by another.  Soon blood, monster, vampire, and human, covered all
four combatants.  They battled on, hopeful they would find some weakness,
some path to victory.

During the battle, Willow stayed back, watching, looking for some weak
spot, something they could use against that... that *thing*.  Then she saw.
 It only lasted a moment but it was enough.  The creature blinked.  It
blinked, its single tough, leathery eyelid unveiling a mass of slimy
eyeballs.  Acting on instinct alone, she lined up her shot, and fired.  The
creature screamed in agony as hundreds of sensitive eyeballs burst,
spraying blood and other fluids everywhere.  Willow walked forward, pumped
the shotgun, and fired again.  And again.  And again and again and again.
The creature lowered its guard, writhing in agony as more and more eyeballs
exploded.  Taking advantage of the opening, Buffy, Xander, and Angel
charged, and began slicing hunks of the thing's corpulent spheroid body
away.  Drawing strength from the sphere, Xander thrust forward, driving his
blades deep into the creature's brain, forcing his arms into the creature
all the way up to his shoulders.  Green lightning shot through Xander's
body as the Hound's lifeforce was drained through the sphere.  Several
violent seconds later, the creature released its death howl, and crumbled
to dust.

*****

"Wow," said Buffy, as she wiped some of the gore off her body, "good
shootin' Will!"
Willow simply nodded, a grim expression fixed on her visage.
"So," asked Angel, "what do we do now?"
"We should rest here for a while," replied Xander, "heal.  Then, once we're
ready, we follow these caves and tunnels.  With the sphere guiding us, they
should take us right to Karakis Central."
"Oh good," said Buffy tiredly, as she slumped against the cave wall, "out
of the frying pan--and straight into hell."

*****

The end is near
My friends my friends,
But the tale is not yet through.
The battle nears,
My friends my friends,
We shall see what the slay squad can do!

MWA-HAHA-HAHAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!

--Viashino the Maniacally Evil--




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Mailer problems
Date: 04 Aug 1997 11:05:46 -0400

Sorry to post this here, but our server went down over the
weekend and lost all of our mail.  If anyone sent me anything,
therefore, since early Friday, could you please resend it?
Also, if another digest has come out during this time, is
there anyway for me to get a copy?

Whining,
Katherine Gilbert



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Secret World of Willow (00/?)
Date: 04 Aug 1997 16:18:14 -0400 (EDT)

This is my first attempt at a Buffy fanfic, so please be kind. (The
response from the folks on the buffy-beta list gave me the courage
to post it here.) It's a crossover with show about another teenage
girl with a big secret and special powers, "The Secret World of Alex
Mack." If you have never heard of it, you might want to look for
"The Secret World of Alex Mack Unofficial WWW Page" by Zack Bennett
at <http://www.hotcc.com/users/bennettd/alexmack/> (if it's still
there) for an explanation of the series. I hope you like it.

                         *   *   *   *   *

TITLE: The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "The Secret World of Alex Mack"
SUMMARY: The new girl at Sunnydale has a weird secret all her own -
    one that Willow will soon share.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Alex Mack, her
    family, Danielle Atron and all other characters who have
    appeared in the series "The Secret World of Alex Mack" together
    with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright
    property of Viacom International, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon
    Television Network, Nickelodeon Productions, Hallmark
    Entertainment, and Lynch Entertainment. No copyright
    infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.
    All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are
    the sole property of the author. I'm too broke to be sued,
    anyway. (But if anybody thinks my literary skill presents that
    much a risk, feel free to *HIRE* me!)

                         *   *   *   *   *

                The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
                      (a BtVS/SWAM crossover)
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

         "I guess I'm not so ordinary anymore." - Alex Mack

*Prologue*

The security system of Paradise Valley Chemical's new Sunnydale
research facility was state of the art, designed to prevent any
unauthorized personnel from slipping into the laboratories unnoticed
and escaping with company secrets. This included an array of special
electromagnetic and chemical sensors designed to detect the unusual
characteristics of one particular intruder, who had been a thorn in
the company's side for the last few years. But every security system
has its weak spot, and this one was no exception.

About twenty feet north of the main lab complex was a small building
used to store various materials and equipment not immediately needed
for the experiments being conducted next door. Since no records were
kept there it was considered a low-security area, and the usual
precautions of regular outside patrols, video surveillance and
electronic door locks were considered sufficient. In theory, anyone
trying to sneak in would be spotted and challenged.

Nobody thought about the sewers.

                         *   *   *   *   *

The quiet of the deserted building was shattered as a manhole cover
went flying through the air to smash into the main electrical panel,
knocking out all the lights and alarms and automatically locking all
the doors. The guard in the security office immediately called for
backup, silently cursing the fact his partner had just stepped
outside for a smoke. No one would getting in or out through the
doors until the power was restored, so he was on his own against one
or more intruders of unknown nature or intent. Rather than confront
them, he chose to remain where he was until help arrived, a wise
decision that undoubtedly saved his life.

Unseen, two silent figures in tattered filthy clothes quickly
scrambled out of the hole, then turned to help a third female figure
emerge. Her feet had not quite cleared the edge when a beam of light
illuminated her back, and she spasmed as a crossbow bolt from below
ripped through her heart, turning her to dust in her friend's arms.
The two remaining vampires (for that's what they were) quickly
recovered, and split up to hide from their pursuers in the maze of
wooden equipment crates and steel chemical drums.

There was brief pause, then a blond teenage girl holding a crossbow
with a large flashlight attached emerged from below, and carefully
scanned the area for any signs of movement. She was followed by
another girl with long red hair holding a large high pressure water
rifle filled with holy water, and a dark haired young man carrying a
large silver cross and satchel filled with wooden stakes.

"Well, this is fun," murmured Xander as looked at the stacks and
shelves of goods with disgust. "Did I ever tell you how much I
loathed hide and seek as a kid?"

Buffy smiled slightly at her friends. Usually, she handled this sort
of thing by herself, but this time her friends refused to let her go
alone. "You're the ones who wanted to come slaying with me," she
reminded him. "If you wanted fun, you should have gone to the mall."

Willow's response was unusually grim for her. "It stopped being fun
when they decided to attack our families. Now, it's personal." She
had seen a lot of things, and lost a lot of friends, but when they
had put her mother in the hospital, something had snapped. Before,
she had been mostly scared; now, she was just angry. This was a
Willow none of them had ever seen before, and the transformation
scared Xander almost as much as the vampires did.

Remembering how she had felt when *her* mother had been attacked,
Buffy just nodded, then motioned to the others to spread out. Buffy
took the point, with her friends each taking one side of the wide
aisle, making sure they kept each other in sight at all times. Even
so, one of the vampires managed to surprise them, jumping off the
top level of shelves and knocking Buffy down before she could get
off a shot. Moving to finish off the stunned Slayer, he was stopped
in his tracks by an excruciating burning sensation in the middle of
his back. He quickly turned, only to get a face full of holy water
from an enraged Willow. His howl of pain ended abruptly as the
recovering Buffy thrust a stake though his heart.

The first hint Xander had that the remaining vampire had managed to
sneak up behind him during the commotion was his short but painful
flight across the aisle. As Buffy snatched up her fallen crossbow to
dispatch their last enemy, Willow noticed that Xander's impact had
dislodged the topmost of a tall stack of steel barrels, which was
now plummeting towards his head. With a flying tackle that would
have been the envy of anyone on Sunnydale High's football team,
Willow knocked Xander behind a wooden crate just as the barrel
smashed at her feet, drenching her in a strange golden chemical.

As Xander struggled to his feet dazed from the impacts, Buffy rushed
over to her friends. "Willow, are you alright?" she asked anxiously.

Willow, still shaken from her close call, nodded slowly. "I guess
so, depending on what this stuff is," she added.

Xander stumbled over to the remains of the barrel. "It says GC-161,
whatever that means," he said, then moved the wreckage with his foot
to get a better view. His mouth tightened into a grim line. "There's
a bio-hazard symbol." He quickly picked up Willow's dropped water
gun, and ignoring her protests proceeded to wash her down. However,
Willow had already used most of the gun's "ammo," so he only managed
a few squirts before he ran dry.

Just then they heard a small explosion, and the sound of the large
loading dock door on the other side of the building being rolled up.
Not wanting to answer a lot of questions, they scrambled back down
the manhole, leaving behind three piles of ashes, a broken steel
drum, and a wooden stake that fallen from Xander's bag. None of them
noticed the shapeless silvery mass that slid out from behind some
crates to follow them.

                         *   *   *   *   *
                         <end of prologue>

What do think?
--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (1/6)
Date: 04 Aug 1997 22:58:27, -0500

This has already been posted to the Sunnydale Slayers list; and it's going
to be posted on the SunS page.  Buffy, Ms. Calender, the Slayerettes and
most of Sunnydale belong to their creator Joss Whedon, who I am imitating
in the most sincere and profound admiration, without any hope for financial
gain.... although I sure won't turn it down, if Joss feels like paying me!
WB, Sandstone, 20th Century Fox and Mutant Enemy have some rights in here somewhere.

Major thank-you-kindly's to my betareaders: Lizbet, Perri and Dianne, who
kept the grammar straight and went "hunh?" when I vagued things up.

Comments welcomed with enthusiasm!      -       CLK

"Mad Moon in Scorpio"
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997

        *       >       1       ~       {}      @

        I knew the situation had gotten seriously weird when the first
thing to happen that morning was my computer crashing during my on-line
Tarot reading.

        Don't get me wrong. Usually I just check the position of the moon
when I get up, to find out if it's a day to stay in bed or play the
lottery.  It's saved me a lot of headaches to know what kind of course the
planets are following on any given day.  But since I'm never awake until
after the first cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain, I figure why force my brain
to process information it's not ready for? Anything more complex, I almost
always delay until after lunch.  Early morning psychic readings are for
people who like the sound of morning DJ's and dawn traffic.

        Not that many citizens of Sunnydale are checking their horoscopes
with a serious idea of what they mean.  There are possibly six practicing
Pagans in our little berg, and none of us are of the same Craft, and some
of the others ignore horoscopic influences completely.  Sunnydale may be in
California, but it's a lot closer to L.A. than San Francisco,
metaphysically speaking.  At least, I used to think so. Now I think it
might be a lot closer to somewhere.... hotter.

        Anyway.  Tarot cards, Runes, scrying---higher divination requires
concentration and preparation, and at least a general idea of what you need
to know.  The only reason I did the reading as soon as I woke up that
morning was because of the nightmare I'd had; one which I couldn't even
remember once I was fully awake. Just the general feeling of impending
doom, disaster, ruin.... And the Net had been acting so *weird* all week,
that I was hoping an impromptu Q&A would shed some light on the dark vibes
I was getting.  Nothing like tapping into the mind of the God(ess) to get
some answers.

        So on the morning when my fears first crystallized I yawned,
stumbled over to my PC, then called up the Astarte site on the Web.  I
selected the Queen of Swords for myself--- because let's face it, I may
want to be the Empress, or the Priestess, but who has the time?---and asked
the reader, "What does the day hold?" //Much too vague, Nikki,// I realized
after I hit the ENTER button. There was no way the cards could give me a
useful answer with that kind of query. The images on the screen flipped,
coalesced, and then resolved into three cards. I gulped.

        The Tower. The Chariot. Death. Or, in simpler terms: destruction.
Opposing forces fighting it out. Major changes of life-altering proportions.

        "Ohhhh, boy." Now, _that's_ a wake-up call. //Maybe I shouldn't
have asked...//

        Which was exactly when Henry spluttered, fizzed, then popped, and
the monitor went *boom* in a wash of white snow.  I stared at it for a full
minute, knowing it couldn't be a coincidence, but without the faintest idea
what I was supposed to do about it. Other than reboot Henry and say a
prayer that the portents were mocking me.

        Maybe they were. I certainly didn't expect anything like what
started happening in Sunnydale after that....

*

Christina       [e-mail]     Merc : PWFC : DueSer : SunS
        Comments wanted!   }|{



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (2/6)
Date: 04 Aug 1997 23:00:18, -0500

"Mad Moon in Scorpio" (2/6)
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997

        *       <       o       @       ^       2

        Sunnydale High, Home of the Razorbacks, bastion of education,
signer of my paychecks. Not exactly CalTech, but most of the time that's a
good thing. As I drove up to the teacher's parking lot I gave thanks that
my position as resident computer specialist was still low-key enough to
allow me time to contemplate recent nasty developments on the Net, and the
implications they contained.

        Dave, Fritz, and Willow---my advanced class students---were
probably already on-line and typing away, happy hackers all, possibly
creating new ways to use on-line software or, in Fritz's case, become one
*with* the software. Fritz needed a little more distance from the
computers... like, say, a trip to Bermuda.  I had to restrain the urge to
tell him to go outside and play sometimes. It wouldn't have done any good.
Dave, his partner in crime, seemed to have a better handle on how to
balance his inner life and his outer life, but that just might have been
Dave's easier-going personality. Anyone would look laid-back next to Fritz
"Jacked-In" Desmond.

        None of my students were going to be "geeks" if I could help it;
there's no reason why they should be. Non-virtual life has value too. Fritz
and Dave had a ways to go before they passed that part of my class, even
though both of them were taking college computer design courses during the
afternoon sessions.

        Willow Rosenberg, on the other hand, was progressing nicely,
although I couldn't really take credit for that.

        "No, wait, I'm good at these," I heard as I approached the Lab.
"Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"

        "We met on-line." My star female hacker---correction, star hacker,
period---was logging onto her account with a big smile on her face, her
eyes lit up as she glanced from the monitor to her friend.

        "On line for what?" Her blonde companion asked, then followed her
friend's smile to the computer, and blinked in surprise. "Oh!" The contrast
between Buffy Summers and Willow was more than just that of different
tastes in clothing, and Buffy's vivacious good looks compared to her
friend's more restrained prettiness. Willow Rosenberg was a straight A
student, a shy, quiet girl always on the verge of blushing in embarrassment
or babbling with self-consciousness; and Buffy Summers had a reputation as
a trouble-maker, as a possible gang member (//In Sunnydale?// I'd thought
when I first heard the story), of having gotten kicked out of several
schools and burning down the gym at the last place.

        I suspected that like Willow, Buffy's image was only half-true. I'd
seen Willow stick up for her friends despite her shyness, and from what I
knew of her, Buffy was a loyal pal to Willow, and had never shown signs of
being anything like the rumors painted her.

        "Morning, kids.  Buffy, are you supposed to be somewhere?" I asked,
settling in behind my desk as I began leafing through printouts.

        "No, I have a free."

        "Cool. But this is lab time, so let's make it a nice short visit,
okay?" As long as she wasn't getting in the others' way, I wasn't about to
chase her out. She'd been good for Willow's self-image, from what I could
see. And maybe Miss Rosenberg had had a good influence on her, too.

        "Sure."  She sat down next to Willow as the other girl squealed
with delight.

        "It's him!" The slim redhead was reading email, practically
vibrating with excitement, and I grinned behind my paperwork. "He's so _sweet_!"

        "He's a sweetie," Buffy agreed uncertainly.

        "What should I write back?"  Willow's online romance was only about
a week old, and she was still in the first throes of excitement. I thought
it was kind of cute, and a good ego-booster for her, even though it
probably wouldn't come to anything in the real world. Unless.... I glanced
at Dave, who _seemed_ oblivious to the exchange between Willow and Buffy.
But it was hard to be sure, since he was hunched over his monitor so
closely. //C'mon, Dave. If it's you, you're going to have to say something *sometime*....//

        "Willow, I think that it's really great that you have this cool
pen-pal and all," Buffy's careful words didn't disguise her doubtful tone,
"but don't you think you're kinda rushing into this? You know what I mean?"

        "I'm thinking of you too!" Willow exclaimed, still concentrating on
her email correspondent. Then her shoulders slumped. "No. That's incredibly
stupid!"

        "Will. Down, girl!" Buffy took a deep breath, and continued on in a
firm voice. "Let's focus here. What do you actually know about this guy?"

        Willow turned a disappointed face to Buffy, drawing away a little.
I frowned, only half-paying attention to the rest of their conversation.
"Oh, see... I knew you'd react like this."

        "Like what?"

        //Like the average person unfamiliar with email,// I mentally
supplied. The odds of Willow actually getting to meet her email pal were
fairly good, from what I could see; but then, the odds that she'd already
met him, and he was too scared to come forward, were pretty high too.
Either way, it wasn't the risk that Buffy probably thought it. I snorted,
thinking of recent HARD COPY reports of on-line criminals and obsessive
romances, and underscored an error on one of my students' assignments with
extra force. //Trust the media to blow up one or two small incidents into
Internet stalking... Goddess, why can't they emphasize the positive? It's
that kind of journalism that has people like Rupert Giles so paranoid.//

        Our resident librarian was a perfect example of the type of person
who would never make use of Net resources except on pain of death.  Or
possibly worse. I'd gotten the impression during the book-scanning project
the previous week that Mr. Giles would have happily withstood a firing
squad, if it would have meant keeping *his* library free of *my* technical
interference.  Quiet, aloof, contained, conservative, distrustful of
everything he didn't want to understand... it was really hard to argue with
someone who refused to talk to you.

        I'd tried to get our new Oxford-educated academic to actually
_look_ at the computer scanning system, but he'd barely listened to me when
I'd explained it, preferring to let me and the students do the work that he
obviously considered a waste of time.  Frustrating. There was so much more
he could do with the new system, but he'd probably just let it sit there
and go to waste....

        I snagged my wandering thoughts away from this week's pet peeve,
and refigured the numbers on Dave and Fritz's log-in time that week as
Buffy and Willow were wrapping up their conversation.

        "Well, no! He doesn't talk like someone who would have a hairy
back." //What? How did you two get onto hairy backs as a topic of
interest...?// "Anyways, that stuff doesn't matter when you really care
about someone. I mean, maybe I'm not his ideal, either," Willow concluded
softly. I hid a sympathetic smile, as Buffy quickly cut into her friend's
temporary attack of insecurity with warm reassurance.

        "Hey! I'm just trying to make sure he's good enough for you. That's
all." Buffy's supportive grin lent weight to her words, and Willow grinned
shyly and relaxed again. I smiled to myself, then finished totalling up the
computer hours for Dave and Fritz and frowned, tapping the large number at
the bottom of the page.

        "Hey Fritz," I tried to gently get the attention of the computer
sciences most devoted acolyte, despite the recurring urge to shake him out
of his complacency. Fritz barely glanced up at me as I walked over to his
monitor. "I'm looking at the logs here, and you and Dave are clocking a
fairly scary amount of computer time."

        "New project." Monosyllables and short sentences only for Mr.
Desmond. Except when he was telling someone off.

        "Ooooo. Will I be excited?" I teased, hoping for details.

        "You'll die," Fritz responded, then returned to his project with
complacent satisfaction.  Someday, someone was going to jolt Fritz out of
his smugness. I only wished I was going to be there to see it. Nodding
carefully, I went back to my desk and paper grading, waving good-bye to
Buffy as she bounced out of the room. Willow was back to mooning over her
email, sighing happily as she composed another note.

        At least one of my students was approaching reality with a wish for
something more than unlimited Internet access. I shot a quick glance over
at Dave, and smiled to myself. //Okay. Maybe two of them.//

        >       <       >       <       >        <      >

        "Ms. Calender, I'm freaking! You gotta help me," Trent Robey
demanded, plunking his laptop down on my desk during my lunch hour. "My
history paper is due in like, half an hour, and someone messed with it."

        I swallowed the bite of sandwich in my mouth, put down the rest,
and said, "Yes, by all means, come on in and request assistance, Trent."

        "I'm sorry, but this is an emergency!" The junior was practically
tearing his hair out, and he pointed at his Macintosh accusingly, his face
contorted in panic. He'd taken a few of my computer classes the year
before, and while no wizard had seemed to have a fairly good grasp of the
basics. Whatever had been done would have to be fairly sophisticated to
force him to ask a teacher for help. I nodded carefully to keep from
upsetting him further, then found myself staring at the screen.

        "'Nazi Germany as an Example of a Well-Ordered Society?'" I asked,
glancing askance at the disgruntled student.

        "This is *not* my paper! I wrote on why the Third Reich was
inherently unstable! It's my midterm report, it's worth a third of my
grade, you have to help me prove I didn't write this---"

        "Calm down, okay? Let me just do a quick search---" I brought up
the file index and paged down through the entries by date, finding what I
suspected would be there. "See? Here it is. Somehow, it was converted into
a temp file, and this paper replaced it at the same time. Luckily, whoever
did this didn't bother to erase the original."

        "It's still there?" Trent collapsed against my desk in relief. "Oh,
man, thanks Ms. Calender. You've really saved my neck."

        "Do you know who would want to do this to you? Or how? Did you
download any information off the Net recently, and leave your account
open?" I concealed my growing sense of dis-ease from Trent, not wanting to
let him know how badly this had disturbed me. Someone had a really sick
sense of humor --- a familiar sick sense of humor.

        "No! I mean, I downloaded some stuff from the Holocaust Archives
yesterday.... but that was it." He sighed, then grinned and took the laptop
back. "I don't care how they did it, as long as it's fixed. Thanks again."

        "Be more careful on those downloads next time," I cautioned. "Use
the virus protection software. And change your passwords!" I called after
him as he walked down the hall.

        "Sure thing!"

        I slumped back into my chair, thinking furiously. For the second
time that day, something within the high school had tampered with the
on-line systems. I'd been called into Principal Snyder's office in between
third and fourth periods in order to clean up his voice mail. It seemed
that not only had someone changed the user password, making it impossible
for Mr. Snyder to retrieve his mail, but that the outgoing greeting had
been altered to an obscene proposition "for all you hot PTA mamas out
there." The voice had sounded a lot like our new principal's, but going by
how little humor he found in the situation, I was willing to bet that it
wasn't his idea of an extremely complicated practical joke.

        Chewing thoughtfully on my sandwich, I started making a list.

1)      Online power surges during readings.
2)      Altered research paper.
3)      Tampered Audix messaging.
4)      General online shutdowns for last week.

        I tapped a pencil against the desk, thinking. //Bad juju. I don't
like it. It feels... weird.// The complexity of the pranks and their
bad-natured humor hinted at more than a virus, or one person getting into
nearby systems. There was an active, malicious intelligence behind the
attacks; someone with a nasty interest in Sunnydale High. Of course, the
power surges and shutdowns couldn't be connected to the software pranks.

        Could they?

        //I need a second opinion.// I tapped out a number on the phone,
hoping my best friend and fellow local Pagan would be in.  She wasn't in
the same discipline, but if I was right about what was going on, she might
be able to give me some perspective on the situation.

        "Cameo's Psychic Health Store, for all your spiritual needs,"
chirped into my ear. "Today, we're running a special on protective spells
and cleansing bath salts. What can I help you with?"

        "Hi, it's Nikki, Cami."

        "I know. Want some calming bubble beads?"

        I laughed. "Maybe later. Listen, do you have time tomorrow to give
me a reading after work?" Aside from the ginseng tea and beeswax candles,
Cameo also did a very profitable business in Tarot card reading. Right at
the moment, I didn't trust my own ability to pull up the information I
wanted. Not without it coming back with three jokers on the screen, anyway.

        "Sure. Are you positive you can wait that long?"

        "What do you know that I don't?" I asked in concern.

        "Just that you're surrounded by turmoil and conflict."

        "I work at the high school, Cameo. I'm *always* surrounded by
turmoil and conflict."

        "Not like this." Cameo's usually happy, upbeat voice had scaled
down into a strained version of itself. "I mean it, Nikki. I was going to
call you tonight, if you hadn't called me first---you really ought to come
over here as soon as you can---"

        "Which is tomorrow. I've got a faculty meeting tonight. I'll see
you right after school tomorrow, though. Okay?"

        A huge dramatic sigh. "Okayyyyy. I guess it can wait. The signs are
urgent but not catastrophic."

        "Good."

        "Yet."

        I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, Cameo, for your comfort in my time of
trouble. I'll see you soon." I hung up the phone and stared at it moodily,
then glanced around the room at the computer screens and shivered.

        For a second, I'd gotten the weird sensation that someone was...
watching me.

*
 Christina      [e-mail]     Merc : PWFC : DueSer : SunS
        }|{



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (3/6)
Date: 04 Aug 1997 23:01:42, -0500

"Man Moon in Scorpio" (3/6)
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997

        #       ^       /       []      3       *       V

        Thursday was a universally frustrating day. More on-line shutdowns,
more students coming in with unforeseen technical problems; and more
weirdness with no visible cause showing up all over the Net.  I kept
getting warnings from paranormal guru Brother Luca and several of my other
cyberspace sources about widespread chaos across the world, all of it
escalating in tandem to its own demented beat.

        Since I couldn't do anything about that---or at least, I couldn't
think of any action to take, and my brain-storming session with Cameo
wasn't until later that evening---I decided to deal with a smaller scale
non-problem just to make myself feel better. Dave and Fritz were up to
something, and my curiosity had grown to where I didn't want to accept
their evasive answers any longer. Besides, I was hoping for the chance to
give Dave a little advice, or maybe point him in the right direction
regarding Willow and her on-line romance. If Malcolm really was Dave, now
was the time to reveal his identity.  Of course, if he wasn't, then it was
probably too late for him to do anything---assuming he even wanted to.

        "So, the project is going well?" I casually asked Dave during the
Advanced Programming Session he helped with after lunch.

        "Project?" Dave's expression was hunted, his eyes rapidly flipping
between me and the computer screen in front of him. "You know about that?"

        "Sure." I smiled, trying to put him at ease. "Fritz explained the
extra hours you guys were eating up. Is it connected to your internship?" I
sat down on the edge of the computer desk, projecting as much approval and
interest as I could. Dave really had a hard time articulating non-technical
concepts, and tended to stress with little encouragement. "How is that
going, by the way? You never did say who it was with."

        "Great." He nodded earnestly, and swallowed hard, searching for
words. "It's great. Very... complex. Multi-layered. I'm really happy there."

        "Good." Dave stared back at me, seeming to have run out of words,
so I prompted him. "The project? What is it?"

        "Oh!" His pale eyes blinked rapidly, and he opened and shut his
mouth several times. "It's... classified. We're getting into a totally new
area. Completely. I'm not supposed to talk about it." Dave glanced from the
monitor to me, then back again, clearly wishing I would drop the subject.
"Ummmm... CRD is hoping to start up again, based on the new product." He
smiled in relief, glad to have explained it to his own satisfaction, if not
mine. "That's it. We can't tell you until after it's finished."

        "Oh." Slightly disappointed, I shrugged philosophically. "Well, I
hope you'll let me know the details when it's done. I'd love to hear about it."

        "Sure! No problem." He bobbed his head in determination, still
seeming nervous, and I smiled and went back to my desk, taking a few
minutes to rearrange some papers before casually bringing up another
subject of not-so-casual interest.

        "Speaking of secrets... you wouldn't have any acquaintance with
Willow's on-line boyfriend, would you?"

        Dave's keyboard went clattering off the desktop as my question made
him jerk in shock. "What? Why are you asking that?" His voice was sharp,
guilty---and fearful.

        "No reason, Dave," I soothed him. "I was just curious. Forget I
asked---" //I wouldn't tell her, you silly kid. Relax!// I thought in
amazment, studying his white, stricken face.

        "It's not me," he said hastily, then added in a rush, "But I'm sure
he's good guy. Willow likes him, and that's what's important, right?"

        "Right." I blinked, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared at
Dave. He was upset out of all proportion to my off-the-cuff inquiry. "Is
there something bothering you? Something about this little romance of
Willow's that I should know about?"

        "No!" Dave responded explosively. He stood up and began gathering
his books as the end-of-class bell rang. "I mean, I don't know anything.
Anything at all. I gotta go---"

        "Dave---" But he'd already rushed out the door ahead of the
Beginning Students, his shoulders hunched and eyes averted as if afraid I'd
drag him back into the room.  I stared after him as the rest of the class
filed out, trying to get a handle on what was going on with Dave.
Something major, obviously; but what? Was it Willow and her penpal? Or was
he just keyed up about the CRD project?

        The room emptied, and I frowned. CRD, hunh? I should have heard if
they were trying to start up production again, and I hadn't. Absently, I
turned off all the computers, gathered up my papers and slowly made my way
to the parking lot. When had CRD decided to make a comeback? The last I
knew, they were completely bankrupt, the main designers working for Silicon
Valley companies, the assets scattered to different debtholders. The more I
thought about Dave the less I liked the implications of his and Fritz's
little 'project'. And why had he freaked so badly when I asked him about
Willow's Malcolm?

                >       <       >       <       >       <

        "Got any ideas of what you're going to ask about? 'Cause I'm
telling you Nikki, the portents are *so* conflicting, we'll just get gloom
and doom if you don't give me something to focus on," Cameo said doubtfully
as she dimmed the lights and got out her cards. I lit a single large candle
and made myself comfortable at the table. Cami's face looked pale in the
unsteady light, either from tiredness or worry.  It was late, and we'd
analyzed the recent on-line and real life events at the school nearly to
death before agreeing that I needed more information. Using the Web for a
reading was no guarantee of true information right now; so we were doing it
the old-fashioned way.

        "Standard spread, I guess. Forces opposing, aiding, surrounding." I
cut the cards, and gave them to Cameo as the reader. She nodded and cut
them again, then I cut them, then she spread them out on the table, her
small hands with their close-bitten nails flicking the cards down with the
speed of long practice. I'd already picked out the card representing me -
the Queen of Swords, whose weapons are thoughts and words - and it only
took a minute for Cameo to go into a light trance and deal out the other
nine cards. It's not quite witchcraft; it's just Cami. She's got a gift for
getting answers, either from cards or people. Most of it is years of
practice---and maybe the gods of chance just like to let her in on some
secrets because she never tells any.

        I turned over the three cards for the forces surrounding me, hoping
it would clarify what the heck was going on. "Perfect. I got these
yesterday morning," I said in frustration. Cameo leaned her chin on her
hands, blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes as she studied the
triangle of Tower, Death, and Chariot. "Not much help there. Chaos,
destruction, change... I *knew* this already."

        "I don't like that this is the second time you've gotten them,
though," Cami murmured. "Let's see what the forces opposing you are---" She
flipped the triangle of cards over with a light sweep of her fingers, and I
stared. Cameo stared. Then she looked at me, her eyes huge. "You're in
biiiig trouble, girlfriend."

        "Oh, yeah."

        The Ace of Swords: pure mental power. The Emperor: the urge to
rule, to control, to conquer. The Devil: sometimes good, sometimes bad,
always concerning hidden secrets, urges, desires left uncontrolled. I heard
Cameo swallow before she tentatively said, "Ummm, if this is what's
opposing you, they're a lot more motivated and scary than you thought. If
this is what's causing the shutdowns and rampant weirdness... it's not
going to stop here. Someone is *making* it happen. Someone with a lot of juice."

        I nodded grimly, then steeled myself and turned over the cards
representing the forces on my side of the balance. "The Hierophant.
Justice. The Page of Wands."

        "That's a lot more specific. Do they ring any bells?" Cameo asked,
gesturing to the faces on the cards. "You know the meanings as well as I
do. The Teacher, Nemesis, and an apprentice knight. I always thought that
version of Justice looked more like an amazon than she does in most decks..."

        "No, no bells ringing...." I blinked, then grimaced. "Although..."

        "What?"

        "Nothing. I just have my fellow teachers on the brain."

        My friend grinned like a happy chipmunk. "Mr. Giles again, hunh?"

        "What again? I mentioned him only one time tonight---" Cameo's
smile widened, and I cursed under my breath, realizing I'd confirmed her
guess. That's the price of letting off steam to your best friend; she gets
to read your mind later.  "Okay, so? The Hierophant's giving out knowledge
from on high, he's usually secluded, yeah, it reminded me of Rupert. Big deal---"

        "You know that might be right, though."

        "Hunh?" I gasped, then chortled. "Rupert Giles is supposed to help
me fight a malevolent force on the Internet? I don't *think* so. No. No,
it's got to have another meaning." I sighed. "This is getting us nowhere. I
need to _do_ something. I can't wait around until 'all is revealed'! So far
no one's gotten hurt--- as far as I know. I'm positive this thing has an
interest in Sunnydale High, there've been too many coincidences and
accidents there. I'm on the spot, I can use that to my advantage---"

        "You could narrow down where the problem is, maybe, and do a
cleansing?" Cameo offered thoughtfully.

        "Hmmmm." I narrowed my eyes, Cami's words giving me an idea. "That
might be a start. And maybe a protection or two---"

        "That'd be more helpful for the students than for the computers. I
can get you some supplies." Cameo pushed her chair back, then trotted off
to her store closet. "I'll be right back!"

        I gazed down at the cards, then gathered them up, reshuffling them
as I pondered my hypothetical allies. The Hierophant. Justice. Page of
Wands... Dave? Nahhhh. Dave wasn't anything like the Page of Wands was
supposed to be, changeable and quick, talkative and fiery. No. I slammed
the cards down on the table in frustration.

        A single card shot out of the deck, skimming across the table and
flipping face-up when it hit the candle. Picking it up carefully, I felt a
tingle up my spine, something I couldn't explain; a feeling of recognition.
It was the Page of Cups; a young page stood in the forest, staring into a
pool of water, beneath a drooping tree....

        "Willow?"

*
Christina       [e-mail]     Merc : PWFC : DueSer : SunS



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (6/6)
Date: 05 Aug 1997 15:59:52, -0500

"Mad Moon in Scorpio"
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997

        6       ^       >       <       =       ()      0

        Ten minutes after Moloch's last shriek had echoed through the
library, Giles and I were still trying to figure out what to do next. Well,
okay, so, it was more like fighting than actually trying to agree on
anything. Rupert wanted to drive straight over to CRD and find the kids,
while I was trying to persuade him that calling in the police would be a
good idea about then. He would have left immediately if I hadn't been
sitting on the car keys he was searching for; and I would have already
notified the authorities, if Giles hadn't taken the receiver cord off the
phone and stuffed it in his pocket.

        When the phone finally rang, he had to fish the cord out of his
jacket pocket and reconnect it, looking somewhat chagrined, before he could
answer the call. "Yes?" His eyes closed and he smiled in relief, and I
sagged bonelessly, not needing to hear anything more to know they were all
okay. "Splendid. We're very glad to hear that. Is Willow...." He frowned,
nodding, glanced at me and looked away, his lips setting into a resigned
line, then said, "I think that *is* the best course of action. We'll wait
for you here.... Yes. Tell Willow we're relieved she's well... Good-bye."

        I ran trembling fingers through my hair, and smiled a little
giddily at the librarian as he hung up the phone. "They're really okay?"

        "I didn't get a great deal of information---Buffy tends to be
rather minimalist in her phone conversation skills---but I gather that all
three of them are out of danger, and Moloch has been neutralized, at least
for the time being. Buffy will be here shortly to clear up the last
details." Giles sank into one of the library chairs, weariness and the
remnants of worry giving his face an unfocused expression. "Xander will be
staying with Willow until her parents return from the theatre, as moral
support. None of them were physically hurt, but I can't imagine that she's
not... umm, upset."

        "For starters," I commented, not having the energy to needle him
any further. Poor Willow. She'd been so thrilled to have an admirer, and to
have him turn out to be a demon... well, it was definitely going to mess
with her head. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her for the next few
days, possibly offer her some discreet moral support as the furor died
down. Which reminded me of Dave; and all the grief to come for his parents
when they found out he was dead. "Did any of you contact the police about
Dave, yet?"

        "Umm... no. We were rather busy---" Giles said apologetically.

        "It's okay, I know, I wasn't criticizing," I interrupted, waving
his explanation away. "I was just thinking that maybe I should be the one
to call it in and deal with the police's questions. The students have been
through enough already, and there's no reason why you would be looking for
him. Where is he, again?" I swallowed hard, steeling myself for the sight
of Dave's lifeless body.

        "The computer lab. He's been hanged. We should probably wait until
after Buffy has left before we call the authorities." Rupert shot me a
grave look, then said quietly, "I'll go with you, and stay until the police
arrive. There's no reason you should have to do this alone."

        I opened my mouth to object, then nodded without speaking, grateful
and surprised again by Giles's unexpected perception. I'd liked Dave; had
hoped for good things for him... and now all those hopes had been cut off.

        We didn't speak again until Buffy arrived, both of us withdrawing a
little to try and deal with what had happened, I think. I know I was
startled when the library doors were pushed open, to reveal Buffy Summers
carrying what first appeared to be a metallic box.

        "Whoa," I muttered when she dropped it on the table. It wasn't a
box, it was a head; made of sheet metal, with wiring trailing from where
the neck should be, and two flickering LED lights for eyes---and curling
horns. "Is that what I think it is?"

        "Good... heavens." Giles looked ill. "Moloch?"

        "What's left of him," Buffy said, perching on the table next to the
gruesome trophy. "He had the zomboids at CRD make him a robot body, and
when you guys finished the ritual---you have absolutely *awesome* timing,
did I mention that?---he got stuck in it. Didn't exactly make his day." She
swung her legs nonchalantly, smiling at the two of us, much less bothered
by the bizarre circumstances than either of the adults in the room, from
what I could see.

        "So how did you get the head?" I asked, my fingers reaching out
toward it. I couldn't force myself to touch it; there was still something
vaguely malevolent about that dead-eyed gaze.

        "Well, he kinda lost it when he realized he was bound in the body,
and not in cyberspace anymore. So he was trying to kill the three of us---"
Giles made a sound of distress, halfway between a cough and groan, and
Buffy swiftly turned to reassure him, shooting me an uncomfortable look in
the process. "It's cool, Mr. Giles. Really! Nobody got hurt, and Willow
even got in some good shots at him; remind me not to get her mad at _me_."
She grinned, then grimaced at the head. "But he was so freaked that he
didn't really look where he was punching, and when he was swinging at me he
missed and hit a fuse box. *Completely* whacked out his circuits. You
should've seen it, Giles, sparks and fireworks and the whole body just came
apart like exploding Legos! It was great."

        "I'm glad to hear it." Rupert crossed his arms, some of the
stuffiness coming back into his manner; but it still couldn't disguise how
relieved he was. I found myself grinning at him too, now that I knew his
pompousity was at least partly an act. He hadn't even corrected Buffy's
slip into the casual use of his last name; I guessed that he'd given up
trying at some point in the past. "But perhaps you'll explain why you
brought us the head?"

        "It gave me the creeps." At the librarian's raised eyebrows, Buffy
rolled her eyes, her voice becoming *extremely* patient. "Look, I didn't
think bringing the whole body would be a good idea, and the voicebox was on
the torso part, but... I was wondering..." She stared nervously at the
android head sitting next to her. "I was wondering if he was still in
there, maybe."

        Giles blinked once, twice, then his gaze sharpened on the remains
of Moloch. "Yes, of course.  Excellent work, Buffy."

        "Very excellent work," I added, impressed that she'd thought of it.
"You're right. Since demons can't be destroyed---"

        "They can't?"

        "No." The Brit was paging through his book of rituals again, his
voice grim. "They can only be banished from our world, or bound. And since
banishment takes considerably more power and knowledge than we have
available to us, our only recourse is to bind him. At least until I can
find a reliable banishing ceremony." He drew a deep breath of relief.
"Yes. Quite. *Now* we can bind it back into the book."

        "Are you sure that's a smart idea?"

        "We can't leave it in this form, Miss Calender. I think you'll
agree that there's still some risk---suppose one of his minions from CRD
decided to try to reassemble him?"

        "Good point," I murmured. I picked up one of the lighters and began
lighting the candles again. We really didn't have any options. It wasn't
the best solution, but it was better than leaving Moloch as a decorative
doorstop. "What happened to all of them, anyway?"

        "Well, Xander and I... kinda took care of some of them." I stared
at Buffy's petite form, then remembered her reputation, and suddenly
wondered exactly how much of it *was* only rumor. "They'll be waking up
around now, I guess. But CRD's a mess, and with Moloch gone I don't think
they'll know what to do right away." She looked at me for a second, then at
Giles, and said tentatively, "Fritz, though... Willow said Moloch killed
him, to make some point. She wasn't really clear about it, she was pretty
shook up...."

        I stared at the lifeless head, wishing I could inflict some pain on
it, wishing that there was more I could do to exact justice. "Poor Fritz,"
I whispered. "Never had a clue about real life. I know he might have been
the one to kill Dave, but..." I shook my head. "He never had a chance." I
looked up to surprise an expression of sympathy on Rupert's face, and I
forced a small smile. "How is Willow coping with this?"

        "She'll be okay," Buffy said. "She's stronger than she looks, you
know. And Xander's with her; he'll help her deal. I think she was feeling
more humiliated that she got fooled by Malcolm than anything else. She was
too mad to stay scared the whole time."

        "Well, that's something."

        "She had a very close call," Giles observed soberly. "But in time,
she will recover. For now, we have to make certain that Moloch can't cause
any future harm. I'll keep the book under lock and key in my office, until
I can find an alternative." He rubbed at his eyes, looking exhausted.
"We'll need to re-enact the binding ceremony---it's fortunate that you're
here, Buffy. The Circle requires no less than three people to be effective,
so I'm afraid you'll have to participate."

        "Cool. Let's do it." Buffy was amazingly calm about all of this. I
couldn't decide if it was teen-age resilience or innate strength of
character, but I resolved  _never_ to underestimate Willow's friend again.
She might not be passing all of her classes, but Buffy Summers kept cooler
in a crisis in a way that you would expect of someone years older.

        We formed the Circle of Kayless again, with Giles leading the
ceremony as before. The magician qualities about Giles seemed more muted
this time, but they were still there, jarring at all my preconceptions of
him one more time. Power gathered in the room slowly, the candles
flickered, the eyes of the head seemed to glow, the wind started
screaming--- then *ZAP*!

        Darkness abruptly rose from the metal cranium, swirling through the
room briefly, until it was sucked into the book. As we watched, characters
and then words were forming on the page... filling up the folio faster and
faster, until all the candles went out simultaneously, and the wind died
down. The chilling sense of presence was gone, utterly and completely.
Giles shut the book very carefully, then collapsed against the table. "I'm
glad that's over... it takes a lot out of one." His voice was husky with
fatigue, and Buffy patted him on the shoulder.

        "Get some rest, Giles. You too, Miss Calender. I'm going back over
to Willow's. Call us there if anything comes up, okay?"

        "Yes, of course. Thank you again, Buffy. Give Willow our regards."

        Buffy was still energetic enough to nearly skip out of the library
as she left. //Oh, to be young and bright and fearless.// I joined Giles at
the table, feeling like I needed about twenty-four hours of sleep and a hot
shower to feel human again. But there was still Dave's death to be dealt
with, and all the police procedures that went with it. "What a night."

        "Miss Calender, your help has been invaluable."

        "No sweat." I patted him on the shoulder, as Buffy had done.

        "Perhaps not. But I... I owe you an apology, I think, for my
attitude earlier this week, and the most heartfelt thanks for your
assistance in this matter."  Giles really does have a sweet smile,
especially when he's being sincere. "I can honestly say I couldn't have
done it without you."

        Shrugging, I smiled back, feeling *really* self-conscious with him
looking at me like that.  "You're welcome. Are you going to explain about
how you knew what was going on?"

        "Oh. Um...." Flustered again, Giles started stammering as he stood
up, gathering some of the books together.  "Well, you see, I recognized the
book---"

        "How?"

        "Could we discuss this at another time?" The genuinely worn
expression and pleading tone wouldn't have put me off, if it weren't for
the fact that I was too tired to pursue it. Besides. It's not like I'm not
going to get it out of Rupert someday....

        "Okay. Another time, when you're not so trashed."

        "Indeed." He finished cleaning up the books, put the Moloch volume
in his office, then locked the office doors and ushered me out of the
library, turning off the lights as we exited... then we slowly turned to
walk toward the computer lab.


        -      >       <       >       <       >       <       +

        The next day couldn't actually be called typical; there was a
teacher's meeting to discuss Dave's "suicide" and the discovery of Fritz's
body in a ditch just outside of town.  Giles and I avoided looking each
other in the eye as the details were discussed and theories put forth.
Principal Snyder was predictably unhappy about all of it. I kept my mouth
shut, except to mention that both had been working at CRD. A fire at their
main research lab had destroyed half the site, and a handful of workers had
disappeared at the same time. The police were as satisfied as they could
be, having decided that Dave and Fritz had run across something illegal at
the lab and were possibly killed because of it. I was glad that the police
hadn't believed Dave's death was a suicide, either; at least his parents
didn't have to cope with that kind of guilt.

        The Net had settled down again, with only routine glitches and
problems occurring since Moloch's binding. It was relief on a cosmic scale
for me to realize that he was gone, to know he wasn't contaminating and
corrupting other systems---and people. I'd called Cameo the night before,
told her what had happened, then booted up Henry to find he was in perfect
shape again. I had to explain some of what happened to my group, all of
whom were praising me more than I deserved for helping rid the Net of the interloper.

        Willow wasn't in lab that morning, but she did make it to her
afternoon class, where she thanked me for helping out Mr. Giles with the
"virus" in the library system. She didn't seem to want to talk about
Malcolm/Moloch, or Dave, and I didn't push her. Seeing her sad eyes and
muted enthusiasm gave me a pang of sympathy for her, and anger toward
Moloch, even though he was still bound. I told her that if she wanted to
talk, I'd be willing to listen, and she smiled shyly before shaking her
head. I was glad to see Buffy and Xander waiting outside of class for her,
obviously looking out for their friend, and hoped that time would erase
most of the bad memories.

        It wasn't until nearly the end of the day that I saw Giles alone
again. "Well, look who's here." I smiled, pleased to see him hovering in my
doorway. "Welcome to my world. You scared?" I asked challengingly, noting
the nervous glances he kept shooting at the computers.

        "I'm... remaining calm, thank you. I just wanted to return this."
He held out one of my corkscrew dangles, smiling ironically, but without
the former edge of combativeness that had been between us. "I found it
among the new books, and naturally, I thought of you."

        "Cool. Thanks." I took it and grinned at him, noticing that he
seemed to have become a lot more attractive since the night before. Or
maybe it was just that without the usual irritation he'd inspired, I could
see what had always been there.

        "Well, I'll see you anon." Giles started backing towards the door,
mission accomplished, ready to escape.

        "Can't get out of here fast enough, can you?"

        He stopped, then sighed. "Truthfully? I'm even less anxious to be
around computers than usual."

        "Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, _not_ a
computer." Giles looked away, slightly rueful. I sharpened my attention on
him, wanting a straight answer for once. "Honestly, what is it about them
that bothers you so much?"

        He pondered for a moment, then firmly said, "The smell."

        "Computers don't smell, Rupert."

        "I know." He took off his glasses, getting caught up in verbalizing
his thoughts, stuttering a little with the same enthusiasm I'd surprised
out of him when we'd talked about computers before.  "Smell is one of the
most powerful triggers to memory there is.  A flower, or whiff of smoke,
can bring up experiences long forgotten. Books smell.... Musty, and
rich.... Knowledge gained from a computer has no texture, no context! It's
there, and then it's gone." Giles grimaced, then shook his head with
determination. "If it's to last, the getting of knowledge should be
tangible. It should be... smelly."

        I'd never noticed what a great voice he had before, either. "Well,
you really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?"

        He put his glasses back on, a little embarassed, but definitely
amused, smiling at me wryly. "Well I don't dangle a corkscrew from my ear,
if that's what you mean."

        Okay, so I'm evil. Sue me.

        "That's... *not* where I dangle it." I said with a completely
straight face, then turned away to hide my smile.

        Priceless. The look on his face, the glimpse I caught of it anyway,
all British and stunned and fascinated... absolutely *priceless*.

        Rupert can have whatever secrets he wants. But I'm just going to
keep him wondering about mine....


>>END OF LINE
                Comments hoped for!
Christina    [e-mail]     SunS : DueSer : Merc : PWFC : HC
        ^       @       *       ~       )       +       =       }|{



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (5/6)
Date: 05 Aug 1997 15:56:32, -0500

"Mad Moon in Scorpio"
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997

        *       @       %       !       ~       =       5

        There was no sign of a worried Brit in the main stacks, but I could
hear the radio in the office when I entered the library. I rapped lightly
on the heavy oak door as I walked in. "Hi. I got your message. What's so urgent?"

        Giles was at his desk, one lamp casting a dim glow around the
stacks of papers and books, but he hurriedly stood and turned off the radio
when I entered, leaning back against his desk and seeming flustered as I
shut the door.  "Ahhh... thank you for coming. Um... I need your help."  I
blinked both at the bald statement of fact and at the anxious, desperate
manner in which he uttered it.  No more pride here; Rupert was way too
keyed up to care about either that or his professional image. His
expression begged me for understanding as he stuttered on. "But before
that, um...  I need you to believe something that, um... you may not want
to." It was almost painful to watch him try to work up the nerve to
explain. "Uhhhmmm, something's got into the um... inside, ummm...." He
visibly braced himself for my reaction, then blurted out, "There's a demon
in the Internet."

        "I know," I said, trying to calm him down with matter-of-fact
acceptance of his statement. //The cards were right... and so was my first
reaction. I should have trusted my gut instinct---//

        "You already know ... Uhm. How exactly is that?" Stunned disbelief
combined with defensiveness and something like fear to put Giles even
*more* on edge than he'd been when I walked in. He was watching me like he
was afraid I was going to attack, or laugh, or suddenly cast a spell; I'd
have loved to know how *he* knew what was going on, but there wasn't time
for that. I had to get him calm enough to explain the problem, and he
wasn't going to until he believed that *I* believed him.

        "C'mon, there've been portents for days. I mean, power surges,
on-line shut-downs.... You should see the bones I've been casting."  I
sighed in frustration, wishing I'd shared my information with him two days
ago, after the Tarot reading at Cameo's. "I *knew* this would happen sooner
or later. I mean it's probably a mischief demon, you know, like Kelkor or---"

        "It's Moloch." Giles' voice was very low as he turned away from me,
his face hidden in the shadows.

        "The Corrupter?" I felt like I'd taken a punch to the gut. Mischief
demon? Was that what I'd thought this might be?  That would've been a piece
of cake compared to one of the oldest and most seductive diabolicols in the
Netherworld.  "Oh boy. I should've remembered, I just didn't---" //He's
gotten to Fritz, and Dave, and maybe Willow,// I realized. //That's why
they've been so weird---oh, God, oh Goddess---//

        "You don't seem exactly surprised by all... Who are you?" The
almost accusatory tone in which Rupert asked this had me blinking again,
slightly amused and distracted from thoughts of Moloch.

        "I teach computer science at the local high school," I reminded
him. What, was he expecting me to be the Queen of Faerie?

        "A profession that hardly lends itself to the casting of bones."
Giles had backed into a corner was watching me narrowly, clearly not
convinced that I was on his side yet. His face was hard to read, light
reflecting off the lenses of his glasses and hiding his eyes.

        I snorted. "Wrong and wrong, Snobby. You think the realm of the
mystical is limited to ancient texts and relics? Did bad old Science make
the magic go away?" A little laugh escaped me, part exasperation, part pity
for his obtuseness. "The divine exists in cyberspace, same as out here."

        "Are you a witch?" He leaned forward, the fear still present but
mixed with fascination.

        I shook my head. "I don't have that kind of power. Technopagan is
the term." Shrugging, I smiled a very little bit, feeling self-conscious,
watching his reaction carefully. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing I told
everyone; I could just *imagine* Principal Snyder's reaction, if he knew.
Hopefully Giles would keep it to himself.  If he didn't weird out on me
now, we might be able to get through this.... "There are more of us than
you think."

        Giles swallowed, and his face cleared into relief bordering on
delight. "Well, umm, you can definitely help me. Uhm... what's in
cyberspace at the moment is less than divine." He'd gathered up several
books and was hurrying out into the main library, holding the door for me
for a second then striding urgently over to the computer. "I have the
binding rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my idiom."

        "Well, I can help. I think. Well, this is my first real--- Do you
know how he got in?" I was feeling a little panicked as it hit me that we
were about to do a real live major-league spellcasting against one of the
Top Ten Demons Not to Invite to Dinner. //And where did he get *binding
rituals*, anyway?// Something to freak about later, that Rupert Giles,
who'd I'd pegged as a materialist skeptic without a second thought, not
only believed in demons but knew how to banish them.

        "He was ... scanned, I believe is the term." The dry tone wasn't
insulting or combative, at least not when leavened with the ironic glance
he shot me.

        I rolled my eyes at the gibe, then asked, "And you want him back in
the book?"

        Before Giles could answer, the phone rang, and he turned to answer
it before it rang a second time. "Buffy?" I blinked, trying to figure out
why Buffy would be calling--and then my unarticulated question was answered
before I completed it.  "Willow?" //Dave. Fritz. Willow? What's
happening---// "Where are you?" I booted up the computer, biting my lip to
keep from interrupting. "Miss Calender and I are working to get Moloch
off-line." A pause, and then Rupert hung up without saying good-bye, and
hurried back over to my side.

       "What's up with Buffy and Willow?" I asked, pulling up the chat
program and checking to see if I was setting off any electronic trip wires.
Nothing objected; which was good. Moloch was too cocky, or too
inexperienced with some portions of cyberspace to have realized what could
still be done to bind him.

        "Willow's disappeared." My fingers froze on the keyboard at
Rupert's strained tone, and I looked up to see him fighting to hide tense
worry from me, and not succeeding very well. "Apparently Moloch has been
masquerading as Malcolm, her on-line pen-pal---"

        "Oh, no..." //She'll be devastated when she finds out... But what
could have happened to her?//

        Giles was still speaking, his voice sounding tight and unhappy.
"Buffy and Xander are at CRD, where Fritz and ... Dave, were working. We
believe Willow may be there, possibly against her will." He took off his
glasses and polished them, then put them back on, gripping the back of my
chair as his voice softened. "I should tell you---I'm very sorry to have to
be the one to tell you... David is dead. Buffy found his body in the
computer room less than an hour ago, which precipitated our search for Willow."

        I stared numbly at the computer screen as it accessed the program I
needed, feeling like I'd failed Dave somehow. Even knowing what I was up
against didn't help. Moloch had been corrupting and killing for a millenia;
Dave would be far from his first victim. But it still hurt to know that the
fortune I'd guessed from Dave's flame was true; and that the shy kid with
the brilliant insights was gone. "How?" I whispered.

        "It's possible that one of the employees at CRD killed him... it
looked like a suicide, but a rather unconvincing one." //Or Fritz? It would
have been easier for him...// I wondered bleakly, remembering the hints
he'd dropped that week as I could feel myself droop with grief and pain.
The hand gripping the back of my chair was suddenly laid comfortingly on my
shoulder, and I swallowed and nodded my understanding, strangely reassured
by so small a gesture. I looked up at Rupert and forced a grim smile. At
least neither of us were in this alone.

        "Then we'd better get to work." I turned back to the computer,
blinking hard. "We don't want Willow to be next, do we?"

        "Exactly." He squeezed my shoulder briefly, then walked away,
opening drawers in one of the cabinets and taking out several handfuls of
white candles, along with two small butane lighters. I finished setting up
the program, then moved to help him form the pattern we needed. I still had
a lot of questions---like why Buffy and Xander were off trying to retrieve
Willow; how they'd put the pieces together to form Moloch---but it didn't
matter. I could feel the time slipping away from us as we placed the last
of the candles and I returned to the computer. Willow, Buffy and Xander
were counting on us.  Explanations could wait.

        "The first thing we have to do is form the Circle of Kayless. Right?"

        "Circle... but there's only two of us. It's really more of a line."
It really was a good thing that Giles had asked for my help. 'Out of his
idiom' was, in this case, just another British understatement.

        "You're not getting it, Rupert," I said patiently. "We have to form
the Circle *inside*. I'm putting out a flash, I just hope enough of my
group responds."

        "Won't Moloch just shut you down?"

        Valid question. But not one I wanted to think about. "I'm betting
he won't notice until it's too late."

        "Hoping and betting, is that what we're reduced to..." Rupert's
tone was approaching despair. He was nearly frantic in a restrained,
British way that I hadn't expected and couldn't blame him for; the fear in
his face made me think of Willow again, and what Moloch usually did to
those who disappointed or rejected him.

        Anxiety made my voice a little sharper than I meant it to be. "You
want to throw in praying? Be my guest."

        Answers were coming back from my group, and I let out a silent
breath of relief.  Julio in Mexico City, Catherine in San Diego, Petra in
Hawaii, Fox in Vancouver, and Kiki in Denver were all up and willing to
enact the ceremony; more, they were willing to do it without asking why.
//I love you guys... // I started the link to CRD and between my fellow
Circle members, and set up the chat board. "Almost there."

        "Couldn't you just upload a computer virus?" Giles asked hopefully.

        //Giles, we have *got* to talk about a beginner's class for
you...// "You've seen way too many movies." A couple more commands and
squared my shoulders. "Okay, we're up.  You read, I type. Ready?"

        "Oh! Yes. I am..." He opened the book, and read the first phrase of
the invocation. "By the power of the Divine; by the Essence of the Word; I
command you."

        Something - a sharpening of attention, or an intensifying of
perception - immediately kicked in as I started to type. I could feel it,
the magic, in a way I'd never felt or heard or sensed it before. With every
word, it grew in strength, started to shape itself in the air around me, in
Giles's voice, and became centered on the computer. I forced my fingers not
to tremble as I fed the keyboard the commands while Rupert's voice continued.

       "By the Power of the Circle of Kayless, I command you." Giles looked
over my shoulder and diffidently pointed out, "That's Kayless with a K." I
nodded and backspaced even as I frivolously wondered about Klingon
connections to the underworld. //Later. Freaking is for later. Type, Nikki.
Type.//

        "Demon, come!" Maybe it was my imagination, or maybe it was the
rising tide of magic, but Giles's voice was sounding clearer, more vivid by
the second. I could actually *feel* the power building in the room as my
group repeated the commands, and each time the librarian spoke a new phrase
his confidence and sense of authority seemed to increase. It was more than
a little scary; and if I hadn't been so busy typing, I would have been
gaping at the new Giles in total awe-struck stupefication.  "*I command you!*"

        Tension crackling through the room, my fingers flying as fast as
they could----hurry, hurry, hurry, have to save Willow, can't let her be
lost like Dave, like Fritz, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon----

        "*Demon, COME!*"

        No one, no entity in this world, could refuse that command. I hit
the ENTER key, and the gathering force exploded.  A howling wind whipped
through the library, and lights flickered on and off as an electronic
scream--- unholy, inhuman, and terrifying--- rose from the computer,
reaching an ear-shattering pitch as Giles joined me next to the terminal.
"Whoa!" Sparks flew out of the monitor and smoke curled upward, with a
smell that was stronger than that simply of fried circuitry. I gulped.
//Damn. Now, *that's* what I call impressive....//

        The power dissipated; the wind died down, the lights steadied, and
the computer stayed very, very dead. "He's out of the Net. He's bound."

        Giles picked up the old volume and paged through it, his face a
study of worry and confusion. "He's not in the book."

        Blinking, I joined him to stare at the blank pages. "He's not in
the book." I shivered, glancing around the library, wondering what had gone
wrong. "Where *is* he?" I only had to look in Giles's eyes to realize that
he had no idea, either.

        "I'm afraid..." Giles rubbed his eyes, took off his glasses again,
then let out a long breath. "That it's now up to Buffy and Xander. And
Willow." He looked at me bleakly, and slowly put the book down on the
library table with shaky fingers.

*

Christina       [e-mail]     Comments wanted!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (MS CHRISTINA L KAMNIKAR)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: "Mad Moon in Scorpio" (4/6)
Date: 05 Aug 1997 16:03:43, -0500

"Mad Moon in Scorpio"
by Christina Kamnikar
copyright 1997


        *       >       =       4       #       @       \

        Friday dawned, and I woke from vague dreams that left a cold sheen
of sweat on my skin, but no concrete memories behind. The feeling that
today was important, and that events had telescoped into an immediate
danger, was backed up by the day's horoscope: moon coming out of retrograde
into Scorpio, a warning of madness, passions flaring out of control, and
psychic awareness going haywire. //Great. More power to the enemy, whoever
that is...//

        Before I left for school I did two things; set the protections for
the students I was most worried about---Dave, Fritz, and Willow---and cast
a handful of bones on my laptop. It had remained off-line since before the
previous week and was probably still uncorrupted from contact with the Net,
so any reading from it *should* be trustworthy. The three candles I lit for
my advanced students blazed bright but hazy, with a strange gold ring
around Willow's, a relentless flickering of Dave's, and dark smoke rising
from Fritz's. I tried not to interpret any signs from their glow; as long
as the flames were alight, and as long as my students didn't come in direct
contact with the force causing the mischief, they *should* be okay. Fears
that it might already be too late were stifled and shoved in my sock drawer.

        The runes, when cast, sent me speeding for my car keys and out the
door, completely unwilling to stare at the video representations of the
stones for very long.

        //Hail. Thorn. Struggle. Destiny.//

        Like the Tarot cards I'd flipped over, they represented dark forces
closing in. The scary thing about the "struggle" stone was that it
suggested that the conflict had to be won before the battle; that I had to
go into it having learned some lesson, knowing how to win before engaging
the enemy.

        How could I do that, if I had no idea who the enemy was? Or what
they wanted?

        >       <      >        <       )       (       ^

        More problems awaited me at school. It looked like every major
computer system had been tampered with, and most of the minor ones too. The
shop class thermostat refused to fall below 93 degrees; meanwhile, the gym
was set at a toasty 51.  Both were on the main computer's environmental
system. The cafeteria cash registers were ringing up $1000 purchases and
giving $666 refunds; an order of 67 copies of the Necronomicon arrived at
Principal Snyder's office with a computerized receipt; and the public
address system took to playing spurts of Run D.M.C. and KISS during the
dismissal bells.

        Actually, I like Run D.M.C. But the rest of the faculty wasn't as amused.

        The Necronomicon delivery was what tipped me off to the demonic
nature of my enemy; it's a silly book, totally and completely unconnected
with true demon-summoning, but it has the reputation required to strike
fear into the hearts of P.T.A. and school board members. And from what I
know about malevolent entities, it would appeal to someone with a...
_perverse_ sense of humor.  Principal Snyder's eyes bugged out several
inches (okay, several inches *more*) when he saw what had been unloaded
into his office during third period, inspiring him to strongly 'request' an
audit of all school computer systems before the end of the day.

        //Thanks a lot, whoever you are,// I grumped silently, checking
over the school environmental systems program again, debugging as I went.
//Enough nuisance junk that I can't find the source of the trouble---
there's *got* to be something! Some way to track you down, you diabolical
little monster!// A mischief demon could wreak untold havoc without even
trying, setting off several Rube Goldbergs of cascading mayhem at once. The
news reports had confirmed what was happening on the way to work, with more
break-ins and Network crashes all over the globe.

        Maybe I could figure out where the problem wasn't, and work my way
backward from there. I was convinced that whoever-it-was that was visiting
from the Lower Depths of Bad Jokes had to have their stronghold in
Sunnydale, and probably the high school. Somewhere in the school's system,
there was a corner where an imp was giggling and planning new chaos while I
tried to clean up the messes.

        //Start with the only place that *hasn't* reported problems yet:
the library.// I grimaced as I squared my shoulders in front of the sanctum
sanctorum of Rupert Giles. //Possibly because our esteemed librarian hasn't
looked at the system since it was installed...//

        Giles was lecturing two of the students as I came in: "...*not*
suggest that you illegally enter... the data into the file, so that the
books would be listed by both the title and the author." Dressed in tweed
and layers despite the California heat, he sounded self-conscious and
guilty to me; and the looks that Buffy Summers and her friend Xander Harris
exchanged when I spoke a moment later confirmed my gut instinct.  //He's
getting them to do all the record-keeping work for him! He's probably got
Willow doing it too!//

        Why they would do Giles' work for him was fairly easy to guess:
given Buffy's reputation as a troublemaker, and Xander's equally widespread
status as class goof, he was probably one of the only teachers in the
entire school to cut them any slack. Which would have been admirable if he
weren't using it as a way to wiggle out of working with the brand-new
database I'd gone to so much trouble to install. Thoughts of the demon went
right out the window as I slowly approached an adversary every bit as
tenacious as the hypothetical demon inhabiting the Net.

        "I just came by to check on the new database, make sure your
cross-reference table isn't glitching... because I'm guessing _you_ haven't
gone anywhere near it." I smiled sweetly at the librarian, who returned my
sunny accusation with irritation flashing from behind his rimless spectacles.

        "I'm still sorting through the chaos you left behind you," Giles
retorted resentfully, as Xander and Buffy tried to hide identical
expressions of guilt. I wondered how many classes he'd written excuse notes
for in exchange for their help, then dismissed the question in favor of
grilling them before they escaped.

        "Hmmmm." I zeroed in on the students, pretending surprise. "You're
here again? You kids really dig the library, don't you?"

        "We're literary!" Buffy responded brightly with a determined smile.

        Xander swallowed, his dark eyes hunted, then blurted out, "To read
makes our speaking English good."

        I choked back a giggle at his comment as Buffy's blue eyes widened
in panic. "We'll be going now!" she jumped in, tugging on her friend's arm.

        "We'll continue this discussion at another time," Giles stated in a
significant manner, stuttering slightly as he emphasized the words, but his
tone didn't seem to have any impact on Buffy, at least. Xander appeared to
be still in shock from his own untimely comment.

        "I think we're done," Buffy answered Giles in a firm voice,
dragging Xander away, and muttering in an whisper that was obviously not
meant to be overheard: "'To read makes our speaking English good?!'"

        "I panicked, okay?" was his only response.

        Giles had already distanced himself from me before the two students
had exited the library. He thumbed through some of the over-sized folios,
ignoring me completely, appearing oblivious of my continued presence.

        I sat down at the computer and brought up the cross-reference
table. "This will only take a minute. I just have to check the coding,
we've been having some problems throughout the school---"

        "Quite," Giles responded dryly, not even looking up from his book.
"Do whatever is necessary as quickly as possible, Miss Calender. I need to
complete today's research without outside interference."

        I glared at him.  How could a completely inoffensive sentence
contain so much disdain? And how could a man who wasn't being an aggressive
jerk seem to invite a smacking on the head with one of his books?  I don't
know how he does it; it's just a gift.

        There's something about being overlooked that brings out the worst
in me, especially when it's by a hidebound conservative like Giles. "Why,
of course, Rupert." He stiffened at being called by his given name, and I
chortled inwardly. I don't think he likes his first name... he always calls
the rest of the faculty by their last names, and most of the teachers
return the favor.  I've never seen any reason to do so, since I happen to
like my first name.

        And okay, I'll admit it; I was a little gleeful at the opportunity
to remind him that we were colleagues, and he couldn't dismiss me as easily
as his students. "Far be it from me to show you an easier way to track down
the information you're seeking. I'll just verify that everything's
peachy-keen here, and leave you to do things the old-fashioned way. Sloooooow."

        "Accomplishing tasks with deliberation guarantees they're being
done correctly," Giles responded, sounding slightly nettled but still
condescending. "I see no reason to complete sixteen new projects only to
find that they must all be re-done in order to fix some 'computer error.'"

        //Points to you.// I grimaced, some of my annoyance with Giles
lessening as I thought of recent developments. The truth was, aside from
his universal dislike for all computers, Rupert Giles was a more than
adequate librarian; I don't know how he *did* keep all of the books
organized prior to the computer system. Of course, I doubt he'd tell me if
I asked....

        I didn't dislike Giles personally. It was just his attitude that
got to me. That head-in-the-sand, ignore-it-and-it'll-go-away reaction to
computers is such an elitist position to take, especially from someone who
I'd always suspected was one of the brighter members of Sunnydale's
teaching staff. How could he possibly hang on to those preconceptions
without even giving the new technology a chance?

        "Frankly, I do not see the point of having this database,
especially since the library possesses a complete card catalog, and an
up-to-date periodical index---"

        "Oh, you have *got* to be kidding me!"

        "No, I am not," he peered at me over his glasses, that stuffy
British voice becoming crisper by the moment. "All of the data has been
present long before the invention of that calculating device---"

        "Rupert, it is so much _easier_ for the students to access the
library records using the database as it's set up now." I finished my
double-check, pleased and angry to find that yes, it was fine; and no,
Rupert Giles hadn't made a single modification to it in a week. //I know
librarians who would _kill_ for a set-up like this, and he blows it off
like it's an unwanted imposition on his domain....// I was starting to get steamed.

        "I wasn't aware that we were here to make life *easy* for them."
Giles closed his book and went on to another without looking up at me.
"Surely we're here to force them to learn new things---"

        "You're a snob." So, I lost it. Just a little. I wasn't yelling or
anything, but he couldn't miss the fac that I was peeved.

        "I am no such thing." Giles stood up and stalked away from his
current stack of books sounding startled and defensive, which only made me
happier, and set me off on a bigger tear.

        "Oh, you're a *big* snob. You think knowledge should be kept in
these carefully guarded repositories where only a handful of white guys can
get at it!"

        "Nonsense!" Amazingly, Rupert was actually responding to personal
insults instead of ignoring me. I'd been sure that he'd stay patronizing
and distant; but attacking his personality got a reaction that challenging
his views didn't. "I simply don't subscribe to a knee-jerk assumption that
because something is new it's better!"

        Rupert was annoyed with me, but at least he wasn't blowing me off.
You can reason with someone if they're willing to listen, and I finally had
Giles' attention about something that really mattered to me. I can forgive
a lot when I'm being given a chance to tell my side of a story.  "This
isn't a fad, Rupert. We're building a new society here."

        I was so caught up in the specifics of the argument that I totally
missed seeing what was coming. Rupert came back out of his office with the
most intense expression I'd ever seen on him; more immediate attention and
emotion than I'd had any clue he was capable of.

        "Yes, a society in which human interaction is all but obsolete?" he
challenged me, his voice stuttering a little again from high emotion. "A
society where people can be completely manipulated by technology?" Giles
looked very slightly ill, very, *very* angry, totally stubborn, and still
civilized. "Well... thank you, I'll pass."

        //Whoa.// You know how it is, when you realize you've made a big
mistake about someone?  I was blinking, just... floored.  And now I
couldn't give up on the fight when I'd *finally* made some connection to
him, especially a deeply-felt one.

        Of all the objections I'd thought Giles would have, I hadn't
dreamed they'd be such humanistic, well-thought-out concerns about the
effects of computers; especially from someone who avoided them like the
plague. The cold, conservative, distant mental picture I'd had of Rupert
Giles looked to be way, way off-base.  //Have to keep him talking.// I
couldn't for the life of me remember what my next point had been, so I
settled for, "Well. I think you'll be very happy here with your musty old
books."   I tried to re-group and come up with a better comeback while
perching on the table next to some of the new volumes and flipping through
them idly, hoping for inspiration.

        "These musty old books have a great deal more to say than any of
your 'fabulous web pages'."  Rupert was back to sounding resentful as he
paged through some of the newer books; and the glare he sent me was full of
dislike. Great.

        "This one doesn't have a whole lot to say. What is it, like a
diary?" I asked, not wanting him to walk away,  needing to keep his
attention. Even with such a lame distraction as a blank book; besides, I
was genuinely curious---it was pretty old to have been kept untouched for
as long as it had been.

        I hate losing fights. Especially when I'm right. Especially when I
finally find someone who's willing to fight back.

        Giles frowned, seeming perplexed. "How odd." He blinked, gathering
his dignity as he took the folio from me. "I haven't looked through all the
new volumes.. umm... yet..." He flipped through it a moment, then closed
the book and looked at the cover---and that was when I saw the worry and
fear freeze his expression, his eyes fixed on the unfamiliar script on the front.

        "What is it?"

        I swear, he barely knew I was still in the room. "Nothing. A
diary... yes. I imagine that's what it is." I stared at him, but Rupert
completely missed it; he was already *gone*, and I continued to stare as he
just turned away from me and walked toward his inner office, taking the
book with him. "Well, it's been so nice talking with you."  All the
impassioned interest was gone, and his voice had become neutral, pleasant
and polite again.

        "We were fighting," I reminded him, caught between amusement and
total confusion at his about-face.

        "Must do it again sometime. Bye now," Giles called over his shoulder.

         //*What* was that?// I stood gaping like an idiot at the door he'd
retreated through, trying to figure out if Rupert just didn't like losing
arguments, or if he'd been embarrassed, or if the book had reminded him of
something he had to do, or.... //I don't believe this!//

        I gave up in frustration, abruptly remembering that I'd had another
purpose when I'd entered the library: to check on the reference table, and
find some trace of the demon. I left the library with renewed purpose, and
put all thoughts of Rupert Giles and his weird behavior out of my head...
after some effort. //How could I be so wrong about him? Why did I buy into
that uptight Brit routine, and totally miss the rest of it?... Later.
Things to figure out later, Nikki. Now we have to deal with a demon.//

        It got worse; the demon had gotten into the school medical files,
and monkeyed with the allergy records. Two kids were down sick because of
misapplied medication by the end of the day. Several parents were
contacted, given false alarms about their kids, scared out of their minds
for no reason when the phone system acted up again. And the Art Department
had to be evacuated when the sprinkler system went off, ruining several
months worth of the junior class's work and flooding the basement.

        Worse, I couldn't find Dave, or Willow, or Fritz; I'd been too busy
all day to have half a second to talk to them, maybe find out more about
what they'd been doing the last week or so. I had a horrible suspicion that
one of my students might have started this whole thing by accident. How, I
had no idea; but it fit in with their strange behavior of the last few
days... and the omens I didn't want to read in their candles.

        By the time I got home that night I was exhausted.  Henry V
stubbornly refused to reboot, so I cast bones over and over again on the
laptop.... getting darker and darker portents every time. I couldn't think
of a damn thing to do. It was the most horrible, helpless feeling----

        And then Dave's candle went out.

        "Oh, no. No, please---" I tried to re-light it, but every time I
did the wick would burn my fingers, and the smoke from Fritz's candle would
smother the light... I sat down, sick at heart, unable to believe that what
I was seeing could possibly be true. Willow's candle was slowly guttering
in a non-existent breeze too, while Fritz's blazed higher and higher.... I
ignored my ringing phone, swallowing back tears and anger. Putting out
Fritz's candle wouldn't save Willow; it was just a symbol, as Dave's had
been, until it was snuffed out. What was going on? //Goddess---//  The
answering machine finally kicked in.

        "Miss Calender? Miss Calender, are you there? This is Mr Giles."  I
closed my eyes, listening to Rupert's cut-crystal accent with weary
disinterest. "I'm afraid---I have an emergency on the computer here.
It's... rather terribly urgent." I stood up slowly, blinking at the
candlelight, remembering Cameo's cards: Hierophant. Justice. Page of Wands.
//What if they *were* right?// Hope started to rise again as I listened to
Rupert's voice. "Could you please come to the school as soon as you get
this? I'll be in my office." A pause, then, with a note of desperation,
"Please hurry."

        The bones still said struggle, hail, destiny, thorn; maybe Giles
had some of the answers I'd need, to cut through the hedge....

*
Christina       [e-mail]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jill Kirby <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: IMPORTANT:  New Sub Holds
Date: 06 Aug 1997 21:36:12 -0500 (CDT)

We are temporarily putting a hold on <all> new s*bscriptions to both Buffy
lists for anyone who has an AOL mailing address.

We are sorry to have to do this, but we have had a number of problems on and
off-list (which we won't detail here) that have led to this decision.  This
is not permanent, and new AOL s*bscription requests will be held and
processed sometime next week.

The exception to this rule is anyone who we've had to uns*b because of
bounced mail; if those people reapply and we know they've been on the list
before we will process their sub requests.

If anyone has any questions, please contact one of us offlist.  Thanks.

Jill & Sharon
***
Jill Kirby ~~  [e-mail] ~~ www.geocities.com/SoHo/Lofts/4107
 NatPack ~~ ABotCoS ~~ NP4 ~~ Dreamer/Minstrel ~~ Cool HR Chick
It's a big enough umbrella, but it's always me that ends up getting wet.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Tina <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Solstice Blues (1/1)
Date: 08 Aug 1997 22:43:24 -0500 (CDT)


Nikki Calendar would *not* shut up til I wrote this.  I couldn't sleep!
She's extremely insistient.  Ok, here goes--no plot, sappy, and short.  No
plot whatsoever.  Calendar/Giles romance.  It's all character stuff.

All rights go to Joss Whedon, the WB, and Mutant Enemy or something like
that.

Thanks to the Sunnydale Slayers list for the comments and the
encouragement.  No thanks to deb for putting ideas in my head on
continuations that I now pretty much *have* to write. <g>  Give me some
time to get moved, deb, and then we'll see about that continuation...

Do not archive or distribute without my permission (the story will be on
the net at the Sunnydale Slayers page and Ms. Calendar's Domain).  All
feedback is welcome, and you know, I'd love to get some chocolate,
actually...

Solstice Blues (1/1)
Tina Cooling
copyright 1997

It was Yule, and Nikki Calendar was sitting alone in her house.  She had a
glass of eggnog, but sipping eggnog and staring at the liquid when it was
swirled in the glass was just *not* her idea of a fun time.

"Well, isn't this just a treat," she said, looking around the room.  The
lights she'd put up in the window sparkled fitfully, and the holly and
mistletoe spread around the room was beginning to look a bit worn.  Her
candle was burning nicely, though, she mused.  It was a pillar candle
she'd found at a thrift shop, all embossed with vines and trees--perfect
for the solstice, really.  It started out on one quarter with all its
leaves, and ended up on the other side as bare as could be.

The phone rang, startling Nikki out of her reverie, and she looked around
for it.

"Calendar residence," she said once she had located it and pressed the
"talk" button.

"Hello, dear," said a familiar--and somewhat dreaded--voice.

"Hi, Mom," said Nikki, a sigh echoing from her.

"I was just calling to find out when you were coming home for Christmas,
honey.   Your father and I were looking forward to seeing you again."

"I'm not coming home for Christmas, Mom.  You *know* that."

"Now, Nikki" Her mom was about to start on one of her "this means a lot to
your father and I" lectures again.  Nikki rolled her eyes and stepped in
as her mom took a breath.

"Mom, I've got programming I could get done that day.  Remember?  I'll be
able to get it done if I work the whole day on it.  Besides, it's not my
holiday."  It'd be best to head off this tangent before it even got
started.  "Not only that, but I'll be home in three weeks for Dad's
birthday."

"Well," said her mother just as the doorbell rang.  Nikki sent a silent
message of thanks to whichever Goddess was looking out for her tonight.

"Mom, can we argue about this another time?  I have company."

"Well, all right, dear," said her mother, censure evident in her voice.
"I"ll call you tomorrow."

"Love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Nikki."  She hung up the phone, and Nikki followed suit,
also setting her eggnog on the table.

"Just a minute," she called to the door.  Nikki scrambled off the sofa and
over to the door, checking the peephole.  A puzzled look crossed her face,
and she opened the door.

A slightly embarrassed looking Giles stood on her doorstep.  He had a box
in one hand, and a bottle of wine in the other.

"Giles," said Nikki, slightly puzzled.

"Um, hello," he said, half-waving at her with the hand that held the
bottle.

"Nice to see you too, Giles."  She smiled slightly and stepped back to
give him room.  "Come on in."

"Thank you," he said, handing Nikki the wine and proceeding to slip out of
his coat.

"Over here," said Nikki when Giles looked puzzled as to the location of
the coat rack.  Honestly, the man could pinpoint a monster at 500 yards
but he couldn't find the simplest mundane efficiency if his life depended
on it.  "The world doesn't need saving again, does it?"  Nikki asked
warily.

"No, uh"  She saw Giles smile at the look of relief on her face.

"Well, good--if at least one day can go by without the Apocalypse needing
to be averted, I'm happy.  So, what brings you to this area of town?"

"Well, you see," Giles stammered as he followed Nikki into the living
room.  "It's, ah, the solstice, as I'm sure you know, and, well, it's
rather difficult to find someone to celebrate with in Sunnydale."

"Tell me about it," muttered Ms. Calendar as she put the wine down on her
coffee table.  "Want some eggnog?"  She glanced up at Giles as she asked,
amused at the uneasiness on his face as he watched her reach for the
carton and a new glass.

"Um--yes, thank you," said Giles, glancing around the room.  "And, since I
knew you celebrated the solstice as well, I thought that perhaps I would
visit and see if you, ah, wanted company.  So," said Giles nervously,
handing the small box to her.  "Happy Solstice."

"Rupert, you didn't have to," said Nikki, inspecting the box and its
celestial wrapping paper.  "Appropriate paper, even.  Nice."

"Well, I--I wanted to," he said.  "I saw it and it made me think of you,"
he said, sipping his eggnog.  Nikki began tearing the paper open, and
eventually pulled it off the box.  Opening it, she saw a small silver
pendant--a sun with silver firebursts coming from it, and a tiny moonstone
carved into a face at the center.

"Giles, it's beautiful," she said, lifting it and clasping the delicate
box chain around her neck.  "Thank you."  She smiled at him, softly at
first, but it grew to an almost predatory grin.

"Giles," she said, amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Hm?" he asked, discomfited by the mischeviousness in her eyes.

"You're standing under the mistletoe," Nikki said, taking a step towards
him.  Giles glanced up, taking in the white berries dangling a foot above
him.  A small smile crept across his face.

"Yes, I suppose I am," he said as Nikki took another step towards him.

"Whatever will we do about that?"  She pulled Giles to her,wrapping her
arms around his neck and giving him a long, slow kiss


END  (Let's just draw the curtain on that scene right now...)







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Secret World of Willow (01/?) by D.Spence
Date: 11 Aug 1997 17:34:51 -0400 (EDT)

Well, the Alex Mack link I mentioned is apparently dead, as are most
of the other ones that the search engines came up with. If anyone
out there knows of a good Alex Mack site (as opposed to a Larisa
Oleynik site), preferably with fanfic and a complete episode guide,
I would appreciate it very much if you would send me the URL. I'd
hate my xover to have YASWAMIs (Yet Another SWAM Inconsistency)
since I'm more familiar with Buffy canon at the moment.

                         *   *   *   *   *

TITLE: The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "The Secret World of Alex Mack"
SUMMARY: The new girl at Sunnydale has a weird secret all her own -
    one that Willow will soon share.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Alex Mack, her
    family, Danielle Atron and all other characters who have
    appeared in the series "The Secret World of Alex Mack" together
    with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright
    property of Viacom International, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon
    Television Network, Nickelodeon Productions, Hallmark
    Entertainment, and Lynch Entertainment. No copyright
    infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.
    All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are
    the sole property of the author. I'm too broke to be sued,
    anyway. (But if anybody thinks my literary skill presents that
    much a risk, feel free to *HIRE* me!)

                         *   *   *   *   *

                The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
                      (a BtVS/SWAM crossover)
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

         "I guess I'm not so ordinary anymore." - Alex Mack

*Part 1*

They came out of the sewer system in an alley about a block away
from the lab. While Buffy went across the street to call Giles from
a pay phone to pick them up, Willow stayed in the alley to take care
of a still semi-stunned Xander. The rage she had been feeling ever
since the attack on her mother had vanished the instant she had seen
Xander in danger. Now all she was left with was a feeling of guilt.
Neither of them saw the translucent mass that had been following
them slither into a shadowed corner, then solidify into a human form
that remained hidden there, silently listening.

"Ow! That hurts!" moaned Xander as he tried to get comfortable
leaning against a wall. Not seeing his friend's distress, he tried
to make a joke of it. "Really Will, couldn't you have knocked me
into something a little -- *ow* -- softer?"

Willow couldn't see the humor. "God, Xander, I'm sorry!" she
exclaimed as tears filled her eyes. "You were right. I should have
let Buffy handle it herself. She's the Slayer, not me. Instead, I
dragged you along on this stupid vendetta and almost got you
*KILLED!*"

"Hey!" he protested, finally cluing in to her mood, "Nobody dragged
me anywhere. I volunteered, remember? Besides, even though you're my
best bud, *no way* was I going to let you have all the fun." He
would have put his arm around her to comfort her, but his shoulder
was too banged up to move.

"He's on his way," interrupted Buffy who had returned unnoticed,
"and should here in a few minutes. Are you okay, Willow?"

"Fine," she answered, not really sure if this was true. She'd been
feeling a little odd ever since her chemical bath, but it was
nothing she could put her finger on, so she dismissed it as the
aftermath of shock. "At least I will be as soon as I can get out of
these clothes and have a shower. This stuff reeks! It's a good thing
Dad is staying in the hospital with Mom; otherwise he might not let
me in the door."

Just then a car pulled up in front of the alley and stopped, and the
driver (a good looking man in his forties) jumped out and looked
around. Without saying another word, the three teenagers scrambled
over to the car. After carefully placing the injured Xander in
the back seat, the girls joined him and they drove away.

                         *   *   *   *   *

//I must be nuts! There is really *NO* other explanation,// thought
the young lady who was currently hiding in the trunk of Rupert
Giles' car. //One minute I'm erasing incriminating files from the
PVC mainframe through the shipping terminal, and the next I'm
following a bunch of crazies who were *KILLING* people that turned
to dust. And I thought Sunnydale would be boring. What am I *DOING
HERE?!?*//

Of course, she knew the answer to that question. Two years ago,
Alexandra Louise Mack (Alex to her family and friends) had been the
one dripping with GC-161, and knowing what that girl was about go
through made her determined to be on hand if help was needed. //I
wish Annie was here. Then again, if she saw what happened tonight
she would probably go into deep and total denial.// Alex already had
a pretty good idea what going on -- she'd watched enough late night
TV with her sister to recognize a vampire when she saw one -- but
for the life of her she couldn't figure out why three teenagers
would go around hunting monsters in the middle of the night.

Her evesdropping hadn't clarified matters much, except that Buffy
//now isn't that a name for a vampire hunter (excuse me, Slayer)//
seemed to the leader and usually hunted alone, and that Willow was
in love with Xander and blamed herself for his injuries. Who this
Giles character was she hadn't a clue, except he needed a new car
(with a bigger trunk). //Ow! Or at least new shocks,// she thought
as they went over another bump.

                         *   *   *   *   *

The ride back was uneventful, except once when the radio came on
full blast all by itself. No one (except for Alex in the trunk) paid
any attention to the fact that this happened at the same time Willow
sneezed. There was only time to give Giles a very brief description
of the night's events before they arrived at Willow's house. It had
already been decided before tonight's "mission" that rather than
return to the library (which was still under repair) for the usual
debriefing, they would go to there because her parents were not at
home. According to plan, Giles let them off in front of the house,
then drove around the block, parked the car in the alley behind the
house and went in through the back gate.

"You know," he said as Xander led him to the living room, "I'll
never get used to the cloak-and-dagger aspect of being a Watcher.
Research and training a Slayer is one thing, but this skulking
around in dark corners makes me nervous." Noticing Buffy and Willow
were nowhere in sight, he asked Xander, "Where are they?"

"Upstairs taking a shower. Will I mean, not Buffy." After pausing
for a second to savor the latter image, he explained. "Will said she
was feeling a little woozy, so Buffy volunteered to keep an eye on
her so she wouldn't have an accide..." Suddenly a loud scream
sounded from upstairs, and both men rushed up the stairs and pounded
on the bathroom door. "What's going on in there?!?" Xander yelled.

Buffy opened the door, looking shocked and dismayed. "She's gone!"

"NOOOO!!! She *CAN'T* be!" cried Xander as pushed past Buffy into
the bathroom. Fear for his lifelong friend quickly turned to
confusion as he could find no trace of her in the small room. "Where
is she? What happened to her?" he asked the still shaking Slayer.

"She just ... melted!"

"WHAT?!?" yelled Xander.

"Everybody, calm down," Giles said, trying to get the situation
under control. "Buffy, tell us exactly what happened in there."

Buffy took a deep breath, then explained. "She was taking a shower,
trying to wash off that gunk from the warehouse, when suddenly she
said `Oh God! What's happening to me?' I opened the shower door,
and there she was standing there, transparent, like a statue made
out of glass. Then she just ... sort of lost her shape and went down
the drain."

Thinking quickly, he asked Xander, "Where does that pipe lead?"

"The basement I guess, but why?"

Ignoring his question, Giles grabbed Xander's arm and dragged him
down the stairs, demanding "Show me!" Xander complied, pointing to a
door in the downstairs hall. Without another word, Giles jerked it
open and, taking just a moment to find and flip the light switch,
rushed down the basement steps. A sudden triumphant shout of "SHE'S
HERE!!!" spurred the others to quickly follow.

Below they found damp and shaking Willow, covered only by Giles'
tweed jacket and a large towel taken from a nearby laundry hamper,
crying silently on his shoulder. The librarian looked distinctly
uncomfortable with the situation, but both Buffy and Xander were so
grateful at seeing their friend alive and in one piece, they made no
comment about the odd looking tableau. Instead they rushed forward,
engaging the distraught hacker in a silent group hug that went on
for almost a minute.

Xander was the first to speak. "God, Willow! I thought I'd lost you!
Don't ever do that to me again!" Looking at Giles, he asked, "How
did you know?"

"I didn't," admitted the Watcher, "I only hoped. If she was still
alive and had some control of her movement, this was where she'd be.
Otherwise..." He paused, unable to continue.

"Never mind," interrupted Buffy, grimacing, "we get the picture."

"It was *HORRIBLE!*" gasped Willow. "I was sliding around, not
knowing which way to go, terrified I'd end up in the sewer with the
vampires. Somehow I managed to find my way here and pull myself
together. Literally. What's happening to me?" she asked Giles.

Giles had no answer. "My specialty is the occult, not science. This
is way beyond my ken. Only the people who made that chemical have
any idea as to its nature or properties. We may have to make up some
story, and ask them for help..."

"NO!!! You mustn't!" cried an unexpected voice from the stairs. They
turned to see a teenage girl standing at the bottom of the stairs
with panicked expression on her face. "Never mind YOUR secrets, Ms.
Atron will have you locked up in a lab so fast you won't have time
twitch, much less morph."

"Who are you," demanded Giles, "and how did you get in here?"

"My name is Alex Mack," she answered after a moments pause, "and I
got here the same way your friend got to the basement. You see, I
know what she's going through. What happened to her happened to me a
couple of years ago. Believe me, morphing is only part of it."

"How do you know what happened to me?" asked Willow fearfully.

"I was there," she answered, "I saw it." Turning to Buffy, she
confirmed their worst fears. "ALL of it. Don't worry, if there is
anything I know how to do, it's how to keep a secret. I've kept mine
for almost two years, even from my parents. And THAT is NOT easy!"

"Tell me about it," muttered Buffy, thinking about her own problems
with her mother. "What did you mean when you said `morphing is only
the beginning'?"

"Lets make a deal." Alex said. "I tell you all I know about exposure
to GC-161, and you tell me all about the vampires."

"It's a deal!" said Buffy without hesitation. It looked like life
was just about to get a little weirder.

--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Reflections: W.I.F. (01/?) by D.Spence
Date: 11 Aug 1997 17:34:45 -0400 (EDT)

TITLE: Reflections: Warrior...Innocent...Fool
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl"
RATING: R - Restricted
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath, and a strong love relationship between two consenting
    adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of
    story is illegal in the state or country in which you live,
    please do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you,
    you may wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with Xena: Warrior Princess
SUMMARY: When an evil goddess is accidently released from millennia
    of captivity, she uses her powers to torment the descendants of
    her enemies -- Buffy, Willow and Xander. Giles must use an
    ancient Greek artifact to summon the ancestors who defeated her
    before -- Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the WB Network. Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and all other
    characters who have appeared in the syndicated series "Xena:
    Warrior Princess," together with the names, titles and backstory
    are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance
    Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing
    of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and
    the story itself are the sole property of the author.

                Reflections: Warrior...Innocent...Fool
                       (a BtVS/X:WP crossover)
             by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>
                               Part 1/?

*The Master's Lair, 13:00h PST*

Fortunately, there was no need to wait for sunset to get Angel's
help. Using his apartment's underground access, he was waiting for
the others when they arrived.

"What a lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon, deep in the bowels
of subterranean Sunnydale," grumbled Xander as he re-entered the one
place he'd hoped never to see again. He was by no means alone in his
revulsion; both Buffy and Angel looked very uncomfortable with the
memories this place evoked. Willow and Giles didn't like the place
either, but for different reasons; Willow because of her natural
fastidiousness, and Giles because of embarrassment at not deducing
its location before last night.

"So where is it?" Xander asked, impatient to get this over with.
When Angel didn't respond immediately, he looked around the chamber
until his eyes came to rest on an unusual object. "Don't tell me,
let me guess," he said, smiling. "The entrance is underneath that
cross, and you need our help to open it."

//I've *got* to stop underestimating this guy!// thought Angel as he
allowed his surprise to show. "How did you figure it out?"

"Super Villains 101: `In your own headquarters, the greatest danger
is *NOT* from your enemies, but from ambitious underlings. Thus
protect your treasures primarily from them.' After all, any super
villain worth his black hat *never* believes that the heros can find
find his secret headquarters, or if they do that they won't be
destroyed immediately." Noting the amazed expressions on his
companions faces, Xander smugly added, "Having the best comic book
collection in the tri-state area *does* have its advantages."

"Apparently," Giles comment dryly. "Did that inestimable literary
source happen to mention how the Master opened it?"

Xander seemed a bit stumped by this, so Angel decided to help him
out. "Force of will, basically. That cross is an old heirloom of
his. In the old days, he would grab it and hold it tightly to show
that by facing your fear and conquering it, it could no longer harm
you." He grimaced at the memory. "Of course, he saved this bit of
wisdom for his innermost circle, not wanting the others to get out
of line. Using a symbol of holiness to safeguard his unholy relics
would have appealed to his sense of irony."

Buffy stepped up to the cross, examined the base for a moment, then
said, "I think I got it." She gripped the cross with both hands, and
using her Slayer strength twisted it to the left. As she quickly
stepped away, a three foot section of the floor at the base rose up
and slid back, revealing a carved stone staircase the led down into a
lightless chamber.

"That's it?" asked Willow, sounding a little disappointed. "No
cryptic riddles, no hidden booby traps? Just turn the cross and
you're in? Seems ... too easy."

"Not really," explained Giles as he took a lantern out of the bag he
carried and lit it. "That cross took the strength of a vampire (or a
Slayer) to turn it, and not many vampires would try. As for booby
traps, the powers contained in the things down there are dangerous
enough to be their own protections." Giles turned to the assembled
group and said in the most serious tones, "Everybody remember this:
*DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING* until we know exactly what we're dealing
with. I left a message for a friend of mine in Chicago asking advice
about how to deal with heavily cursed objects, but until I hear from
him, we are just going to catalogue what's down there then seal the
place as tightly as we can. Treat everything you see, no matter how
lovely it looks, as if it were covered in the most virulent poison
imaginable."

Angel nodded at this. "Even the Master treated these things with the
utmost respect, which with him meant he considered them at least a
dangerous as he was. I'll stay up here to guard your backs against
unwelcome company." He could see that Xander wanted to make some
sort of comment, but to his credit he refrained.

Buffy led the way, with Giles following, then Xander and Willow. As
Giles shone the lantern around the chamber, the others gasped in
amazement. Surronding them was an indescribable conglomeration of
treasures and apparent junk. "Wow!" exclaimed Xander, for once truly
impressed. "It looks like the world's biggest garage sale."

"Only if we're talking about Satan's garage," said Giles, shivering.

Buffy also shuddered."I've never been so wigged in my life. You can
feel the evil coming off this stuff in waves!"

Giles nodded. "I haven't felt like this since that friend I told you
about took me on a tour of his special vault. I'm sure Jack would
recognize some of these things from his manifest."

"Huh?" said Willow.

"I'll explain later. Right now we have to identify as many of these
items as possible."

And so they did. Over the next two hours a routine was established;
Buffy took the lead, shining the lantern on each item in turn, Giles
identified the item, and Willow took notes. This left Xander with
nothing to do. At first it was interesting enough, with Giles
describing the history of each piece in great detail. But as time
wore on his descriptions became shorter and shorter, until they
weren't much more than a name, a date, and a country of origin.
Contrary to his original fears, the bulk of the Master's collection
constituted of metaphysical hand grenades as opposed to the nukes
he'd been expecting. Yes, there were some truly terrifying artifacts
discovered, but most were merely disgusting and of only moderate
power, their main utility being that a technological society had no
defenses in place against them.

Eventually, after Willow had marked down the fifteenth `Hand of
Glory', Xander decided he'd had enough. "Listen guys, you obviously
don't need me here. I'll go back and keep Angel company."

"You're sure yo know the way back?" Giles asked. "You don't want to
get lost down here."

"Straight down this aisle to the back wall, then left until I hit
the stairs. Simple."

"All right then," agreed Giles reluctantly, "but remember..."

"I know, I know, *DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!* Don't worry, I'll be
careful. Turning into a frog would really hurt my social life."

"*WHAT* social life?" teased Willow as her friend began to walk
away.

He turned around quickly, and clasping his hands over his heart
he cried out dramatically, "Et tu, Willow? Then die, Xander!"

Unfortunately, he continued to walk backward while saying this, and
began to stumble on some unseen gravel in his path. His hands
flailed out for a moment as he tried to regain his balance, so that
for a brief moment before he fell the tip of one finger touched the
hand of an ancient statue that Giles had been unable to identify. A
butterfly could not have made a lighter contact.

But it was enough.

As the girls giggled at Xander sitting forlorn on the floor, a
load crack startled them to silence. Stone flakes began to fall from
the statue's hand, revealing a human hand beneath. The whole statue
began to shake, and an explosion of stone fragments showered the
group. When the dust cleared, where a stone figure had been only a
moment before stood a beautiful woman warrior wearing abbreviated
armor and a savage expression of joy on her face. "*I'M FREE!!!*"
rose a triumphant shout that shook the cave, "*AFTER THREE THOUSAND
YEARS, I'M FINALLY FREE!*" There was a brilliant flash of light, and
she was gone, leaving behind only the fading echos of maniacal
laughter to mark her passage.

"Oh dear," said Giles with characteristic british understatement, "I
don't like the look of this at all." He looked at Buffy, and was
alarmed to see her looking as pale and shocked as she had been two
nights ago, when she had learned of the Codex prophecy of her death.
Her expression was mirrored on the faces of her friends. "Buffy," he
asked gently, "I have the oddest feeling I may be the only one here
who doesn't know what's going on. Would you care to enlighten me?"

Buffy took a deep breath to calm herself. "When I was little, I had
this great aunt -- she really was great, in both senses of the word
-- who was the black sheep of my family long before I took that job.
She was an archeologist in a time when the profession was considered
unladylike. Maybe you've heard of her -- Janice Covington?"

"I think so," Giles said, remembering some late night conversations
with his former boss at the British Museum while cataloging newly
arrived exhibits. "Wasn't she involved with the Xena Scrolls scandal
in the 1940's? It was long before my time, of course, but my first
supervisor was particularly interested in stories of academic fraud.
Apparently, with the aid of another woman she tried to vindicate her
father's wild theories by presenting the Royal Society with scrolls
proportedly dating from the time of Hercules describing the heroic
adventures of two women in Ancient Greece. The hoax was exposed when
they refused to divulge exactly where they supposedly discovered
them." Noticing Buffy's annoyed expression, he added, "Of course, I
only have one side of the story. I take it her version was somewhat
different?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm probably the only one she trusted with the whole
story, and I'm ashamed to admit that as I grew older I stopped
believing her. I thought the tales she told me about Gabrielle and
Xena were just bedtime stories, meant to entertain. That was before
I knew anything about vampires and slayers and hellmouths and
prophecies. Now I realize she was probably telling the truth."

"Which was?" prompted Giles, who then changed his mind. "Never mind,
unless it relates to the woman we saw. Was she ... Xena?"

"I doubt it. There were many referances to her as a dark haired
beauty. Her companion Gabrielle was called a `small bright flame
which burned fiercely to light her friend's way to redemption.'"

Willow spoke up. "I think we can agree there was nothing small about
that woman -- *DON'T SAY IT, XANDER!* -- though she could be said to
`burn fiercely.'"

"That only leaves Callisto, self made goddess and Xena's mortal
enemy. She fits the description perfectly. If I'm right, we are in
*MONDO* trouble."

"How so?" inquired an increasingly worried Giles.

"According to legend, Callisto is completely and utterly mad."
                      <-- to be continued -->
--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Reflections: W.I.F. (00/?) by D.Spence
Date: 11 Aug 1997 17:34:42 -0400 (EDT)

TITLE: Reflections: Warrior...Innocent...Fool
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only
    or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but must
    include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl"
RATING: R - Restricted
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath, and a strong love relationship between two consenting
    adult women. If you are under 18 years of age or if this type of
    story is illegal in the state or country in which you live, please
    do not read it. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with Xena: Warrior Princess
SUMMARY: When an evil goddess is accidently released from millennia of
    captivity, she uses her powers to torment the descendants of her
    enemies -- Buffy, Willow and Xander. Giles must use an ancient
    Greek artifact to summon the ancestors who defeated her before --
    Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters who
    have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" together
    with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright
    property of Joss Wheadon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui Enterprises,
    Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television and the Warner
    Brothers Television Network. Xena, Gabrielle, Joxer and all other
    characters who have appeared in the syndicated series "Xena:
    Warrior Princess," together with the names, titles and backstory
    are the sole copyright property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance
    Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of
    this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the
    story itself are the sole property of the author.

                Reflections: Warrior...Innocent...Fool
                       (a BtVS/X:WP crossover)
             by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>
                               PROLOGUE

*The morning after...*

Principal Snyder looked on in dismay as a team of workers tried to
clear the wreckage from what had once been one of the finest high
school libraries in California (due mainly to an unnamed benefactor
who kept mysteriously donating rare and valuable works). //Thank *GOD*
this school year is almost over! I really don't think I can take much
more of this.// he thought, mentally subtracting the cost of the
repairs from the already shaky school budget. "I don't suppose you
could tell me just what happened here?" he asked the nervous librarian
who stood beside him.

"I sincerely wish I could," replied Giles, imagining the little
dictator's expression if he learned exactly what had transpired last
night. "I came in this morning and found it like this." Which was true
... after the dance, he had sent Buffy and Angel back to remove and
hide the Master's skeleton, and hadn't returned until this morning. "I
suppose there was some strange geological phenomena last night that
was connected to the earthquake earlier this week." This was also
true; the Master and the Hellmouth were responsible for both. "Look on
the bright side. Although there was some structural damage, none of
the books were harmed. I think we were quite lucky, considering how
irreplacable some them are."

The harrassed principal glared at him. "YOU don't have to justify the
expense before the board of trustees."

Giles looked at him, puzzled. "Surely, the insurance ..."

"*DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT INSURANCE!*" Snyder took a deep breath,
trying to calm down. "After the year this school has just had, what
insurance company do you thing would be crazy enough to cover us? Oh,
they couldn't cancel our policy outright, but they could, and did,
demand we either renegotiate the terms so that we had the absolute
*minimum* coverage required by law, or pay a hefty increase in
premiums. Why do you think I keep telling everybody not to sue us for
every little accident? Our liability coverage is pitiful, and natural
disasters or `Acts of God' aren't covered at all!"

//What about *un*natural disasters or 'Acts of Satan'?// Giles almost
added, but wisely kept silent. Right now he was wondering if he could
get the Watchers group to insure the books they sent him.

"Which reminds me..." Snyder added, pulling a piece of paper out of
his pocket and handing it to Giles, "this is official notification
that the employees group life policy will no longer cover death by
unexplained exsanguination, animal attacks or murder by students. Have
a nice day." As he wandered back to his office, he wondered if this
might be a good time to take up his twin brother's standing
invitation. //His `place' in New York might be cold, damp, and a bit
noisy, but at least it would be peaceful -- and *safe*. I could use
the sound of rattling pipes about now,// he thought nostalgically.

"I suppose this means I'll have be easy on you during practice,"
chirped a cheerful voice behind him. "I wouldn't want to put my
favorite Watcher in the charity ward." Giles turned to see Buffy, who
was looking much too chipper for someone who had literally `come back
from the dead' the night before. Before he could respond, her
expression suddenly became serious. "Giles, we have to talk. Angel
thought of something important last night that we have to take care of
right away."

Giles, intrigued (and a bit disturbed), led the way to his office,
only to find Xander and Willow already waiting for them there. "So,
what seems to be the problem? I trust you managed to dispose of the
Master's remains without trouble?"

"We put the bones in a box, and hid them underneath the altar at St.
Timothy's. Angel figures they should be safe on holy ground until we
can figure out a more permanent solution."

"Like the man said, what's the problem?" interrupted an annoyed
Xander. He'd been planning on sleeping in today, and was in the middle
of the best dream he'd had in months when Buffy had called insisting
on this meeting. "The good guys won, the bad guys lost, Apocalypse was
averted. Surely we get some down time now, right?"

Buffy shrugged. "Apparently not. Angel says the Master collected a
number of very powerful magical artifacts to use after he rose, to
make the job of conquering the world that much easier. In the wrong
hands, they could cause almost as much trouble as an open Hellmouth
would."

"I see," said Giles, "so he thinks we should get them before the
Annointed One and his friends do?" Buffy nodded. "Right then. I trust
Angel knows where to look for these items?"

"The Master's lair. He wasn't a very trusting, so they are probably
hidden within the boundary of the Hellmouth seal, in a secret chamber
underneath the main cavern." She reached into her purse and gave a
folded sheet of paper from it to Giles. "This is a list of all the
Master's souvenirs, at least those Angel could remember. The ones he
actually saw in the Master's possession are underlined, the others he
heard about either second or third hand. He said he'd meet us at the
entrance tonight."

Giles briefly scanned the list, shuddering in horror at the few names
he recognized. "You would think that opening the gates of Hell would
be enough for any villain, but this ... defies description. If he had
actually used *half* these things ... let's just say that a vacation
on the other side of the Hellmouth would start to look very
attractive." He turned to the others and said, "I don't think we can
afford to wait until sunset."

                         *   *   *   *   *

*Greece, the "Age of Heros"*

The battle was over, and the mad goddess Callisto had finally been
defeated. It had taken the combined efforts of several other gods to
lay the trap that Xena had planned so carefully, and that Gabrielle
had so courageously baited, but it was Joxer's last second foolish
bravery that had allowed them to shut the trap with nobody getting
killed. Xena laughed, remembering the look of disbelieving fury on
Callisto's face in that split second before the spell of the gods had
turned her to stone, when she realized exactly *WHO* was responsible
for her downfall.

"Joxer, a real hero! I saw it, and I still can't believe it," muttered
Gabrielle as she bound his wounded arm. Apparently she wasn't the only
one. For once, Joxer had a perfectly legitimate heroic deed to boast
about, but instead he was remaining sullen and silent. It was as if he
was angry about something. Suddenly he got up, and walked quickly out
of the door of the cave. //What's his problem?// she wondered, then
quickly forgot about it as she tried to put into words the amazing
adventure that had happened today.

Xena could have told her if she had asked. Instead, she followed Joxer
outside into a moonlit clearing, only to see him stop, turn and listen
to some unseen speaker. She stayed hidden at the edge of the clearing,
silently listening to the one-sided conversation.

Joxer shook his head violently. "NO!" he said emphatically, then as if
remembering his manners, quickly added, "Thank you very much for the
offer. It's tempting, I will admit that. But if I can't have her love
without magic, I'd rather not have it at all. It wouldn't be -- real
-- you see, and I'd be taking something that rightfully belonged to
someone else. ... No, I'm not being noble. I just want her to be
happy. Isn't that what love's about?" Suddenly his head jerked as if
he'd been ... kissed? ... on the cheek, and the corners of his mouth
turned up in a bashful smile as he waved goodbye to the invisible
presence. Xena knew he was probably blushing, but in the moonlight who
could tell. She was surprised when he said, "You can come out now,
Xena."

"How did you know I was there?" she asked him as she stepped into the
clearing.

"I didn't," he admitted. "I was just playing the odds. It was a toss
up whether you or Gabrielle would have witnessed that, and I was
feeling lucky tonight."

Xena smiled at his feeble joke. "I take that was Aphrodite?" When he
nodded, she continued. "I can play the odds too. With all that talk of
love it was either her or her son ... and we both know Cupid's arrow
isn't bent that way!"

"Give his fashion sense, one could be forgiven for wondering," said a
third unexpected voice, one that Xena recognized immediately. She
stiffened, then forced herself to relax as turned to face Ares.

"I suppose I should thank you for your help in destroying Callisto,"
she admitted grudgingly.

"What, you think the few drops of Hinds blood you mixed with the
Medusa venom actually *killed* her? Sadly, the effect will only be
temporary, and it's all *HIS* fault!" he replied, pointing at Joxer.

"*TEMPORARY?!?*" Xena yelled, striding angrily up to the God of War.
"Just how temporary is it, and has Joxer to do with it?"

"Oh, a couple of thousand years or so, and he bled on her." Noticing
their confusion, Ares explained. "When Joxer knocked Gabrielle out of
the path of your chakram, he was cut by the unpoisoned side you'd used
to hold it. A couple of drops of his blood spun around to the poisoned
side, contaminating and diluting the spell. Now it has an escape
clause; should any of his descendants ever touch her again, the spell
will be broken."

Joxer swallowed nervously, then bravely faced the Olympian. "The
answer's simple then. I just won't have children."

Ares laughed at this. "A noble sacrifice I'm sure, but one that's not
only unnecessary but dangerous. The spell will break anyway after
enough time has passed, and the only one who has a chance of
reinstating it is one of your blood. So you see, damned if you do,
more damned if you don't."

Joxer looked only moderately relieved at this. "Let me get this
straight. Thousands of years from now, a descendant of mine has to
find Callisto, wake her up and put her back to sleep again? Have I
missed anything important?"

Unnoticed, Gabrielle had arrived in the clearing just in time to hear
Joxer's summation. //Wow, a real live god-given prophecy!// she
thought, //What a great story this will make.// Like the others, she
waited beathlessly for the answer.

"No, basically that's it." admitted Ares.

"Well, all I can say is he had better have friends like mine, or he
won't stand a chance in Hades, even *with* my blood in him."

Ares smile turned mysterious. "Don't worry, he will. In fact, *his*
friends will be directly descended from yours." With that stunning
pronouncement, the God of War vanished as quickly as he came.
--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Elizabeth Ann Lewis)
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Hold On (1/1)
Date: 13 Aug 1997 19:53:25 -0700

Yes, the author's notes are always too long.  Writers by nature can't shut
up, right? <g>

Comments, disclaimers, and blamage:  This one's Perri's fault.  She's the
one who first mentioned that Sarah McLachlan's Possession was the perfect
Buffy/Angel song.  Of course, Buffy and Angel decided halfway through
writing this story that *they*, personally, wanted Hold On instead this
time around (both songs on Sarah's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy album, and if
any of you don't have it, GO GET IT!)  Who am I to argue with a vampire and
a vampire slayer?

Buffy and Angel belong, of course, to Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox,
etc, etc.  I'm not using them for profit, please don't sue.

Molto grazie to the SunS for cooing.  Thankfully, I didn't send anyone into
insulin shock with this story.  <g>  Take that as a fair warning.  Thanks
to Perri and Kiki for dragging me into this &%$#@! fandom to begin with!
<grrr, arugh>

Comments, praise, flames, chocolate, and tall, dark, undead angsty guys to
[e-mail]
-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*-~*~-
Hold On
by Elizabeth Ann Lewis

*       Hold on,
*       Hold on to yourself,
*       For this is gonna hurt like hell.

        The wind stirred a small pile of dust.  It shimmered, faintly
otherworldly in the moonlight.  Then, drifting lazily along the ground, it
thinned into a shadow and disappeared.
        Buffy slid down the rough brick wall of the alley.  That had been
just too close.  She hadn't been expecting a second one.  To have
encountered two in one night... it meant things she didn't want to think
about.  It would have frightened her if she had the strength to be
frightened.  Right now, all she could do was watch the blood run out from
the gash on her upper arm, black in the moonlight, and wish like a child
for her mother.  For Giles to find her and patch her up while lecturing her
on her duty as a Slayer to protect herself.  For Willow to fuss and Xander
to vow to go out and avenge her.  For help that she wasn't going to get.
        The vampires were getting smarter.  This one had carried a knife.
        Slowly, Buffy got to her feet, pushing herself up the wall like a
climber rappelling up a cliff.  It took every ounce of her strength and
will to do it.  On her feet, swaying, she knew her first step away from the
support behind her would have her on the ground again.  Closing her eyes,
she felt the blood seep down her arm, soaking her blouse, and waited for
her strength to fail her.

********

*       Hold on,
*       Hold on to yourself.
*       You know that only time will tell.

        Angel really didn't know what had driven him out that night.  He'd
been holed up in his apartment except for necessary forays into the outside
world.  He was avoiding the Bronze, knowing that his self-control was
unlikely to hold if he tortured himself by seeing her.
        So what was he doing in this stinking alley instead of home waiting
for the sun to rise and set and rise again?
        He caught the scent of blood before he heard her faint moan.  Buffy
lay in a boneless sprawl, curled on the concrete, her lashes fluttering on
sheet-white cheeks, stubbornly clinging to a tattered shred of
consciousness.  Her eyes opened once as Angel knelt beside her and gathered
her body up in his arms.  "Oh, good," she murmured with a vague smile.
        Without another word she dropped into a dead faint.

********

        She was warm and cozy when she woke up, tucked into a bed with a
down comforter over her.  The vague memory of a burning pain in her arm was
replaced with the gentle throb that lingered there now.  Opening her eyes,
she blinked for a minute, trying to get her bearings.
        It was a large room, white cinderblock walls, black furniture.
Buffy supposed that it should look fairly bare, but here and there,
scattered, were things that caught the light and the eye, striking against
the starkness of the room.
        Not very good at sitting still, Buffy threw back the covers and
swung her feet to the floor.  She nearly ended up on her face when she
stood up, and it took a few moments for her head to stop bouncing around
the room and return to its accustomed perch on her neck.
        There was an arm around her shoulders, a hand at her elbow, keeping
her on her feet when she couldn't have managed it herself.  Already knowing
where she was, she looked up into Angel's worried eyes.

*       What is it in me that refuses to believe
*       This isn't easier than the real thing?

        "Easy.  Lie down again."
        Buffy shook her head.  "No, I'm fine.  Um... I'll sit down,
though."  With his help, she made it to a deep chair and sank down
gratefully.  Her fingers brushed a bandage on her upper arm, and she
realized she was wearing one of his shirts.  "Thanks."
        Angel shrugged slightly.  "It's nothing.  You lost a lot of blood.
I would have taken you to the hospital, but--"
        ~But then we'd have a lot of 'splaining to do,~ Buffy filled in
silently.  "Good move."
        "Do you want me to call anyone?"
        "Giles," she whispered.  Swallowing, she tried to put more strength
in her voice.  "Call Giles, tell him I'm okay.  With any luck, my mom
hasn't figured out that I snuck out of my room.  I don't want to worry
her."

*       My love,
*       You know that you're my best friend.
*       You know I'd do anything for you.

        She fed Angel the library's phone number, then closed her eyes and
drifted, listening to the short, one-sided conversation, smiling a little
as she imagined Giles' half.  When she opened her eyes again, Angel was
crouched beside her chair, his gaze dark and intense.  His lashes dropped,
shielding his eyes almost immediately, but she knew she had seen more than
he wanted her to.
        "No."  She put her hand out to touch him.  He evaded her before she
could do much more than brush his hair with the tips of her fingers.
        Rising, he started to turn away.  "Rest.  I'll take you home before
the sun rises."
        "Angel?"  Her voice stopped him in his tracks.  "Don't go.  Please."

*       My love,
*       Let nothing come between us.
*       My love for you is strong and true.

        He couldn't face her, couldn't touch her.  Couldn't leave her.
"I'm not going anywhere," he told her softly.
        "I was so scared tonight."  Defenses crumbled by worry, pain and
fear, she couldn't stop herself.  "I saw the knife a split second before it
cut me.  And I had one crystal-clear moment when I thought, 'I'm going to
die.'  Just that.  There wasn't any life passing before my eyes, just
*knowing* it was over."
        "But it wasn't.  You're alive."
        Buffy swallowed, nodded.  "Yeah.   And *now* I'm getting the whole
flashing life bit."  She waited, but Angel didn't move, didn't turn back to
her.  "I guess... I guess I realized a lot of things.  What's important.
Angel... look at me."
        "I can't."  The words sounded torn out of him.
        "I'm in love with you."  Then she took a deep breath, knowing the
phrase was cowardly.  "I love you."

*       Am I in heaven here or am I...
*       At the crossroads I am standing.

        "Don't do this."
        Buffy felt her heart twist inside her at the starkness of his
voice.  "I can't help it.  It's *done*.  I know it's dumb, I know we can't
be together, but I can't stop it.  And I don't want to.  I--"
        She didn't realize she was crying until Angel finally broke.
Turning back around, he knelt by her chair, pulling her close.  Her arms
wrapped around his neck, his nearly cracked her ribs with the force of his
grip.  She rested her head on his shoulder, and his face was buried in her
hair.

*       So now you're sleeping peaceful.
*       I lie awake and pray
*       That you'll be strong tomorrow, and we'll
*       See another day, and we will praise it,
*       And love the light that brings a smile
*       Across your face.

        They stayed that way, clinging to each other, drawing strength from
a bond that was destroying them.  Finally, Angel pulled back slightly.
"It's almost dawn.  I'll take you home."
        Buffy nodded, let him help her to her feet.  When she wavered, he
picked her up again.  She turned her face into his shoulder and closed her
eyes, sighing.
        A few minutes later, he set her on her feet on her front porch.
Brushing a wisp of hair out of her eyes, he asked, "Are you going to be
able to make it up to your room okay?  I'd take you up, but..."
        Remembering her bitter words that barred him from her house, Buffy
started to invite him in again.  But reality intruded.  Sighing, she said,
"Yeah.  Although I'm going to suddenly become very sick and stay home today
to rest."  Her mouth crooked into a smile and she took a step back to her
door.

*       Oh God, if you're out there,
*       Won't you hear me?
*       I know that we've never talked before.
*       Oh God, the man I love is leaving.
*       Won't you take him
*       When he comes to your door?

        "Good.  Buffy, I...."
        The smile remained, but turned sad and much older than any smile a
girl her age should have.  "I know."
        "I love you."  She deserved the words.  They'd have nothing else
out of this.  They might as well take the scraps they could get.
        And he needed to say them.  Something was coming... and he'd be
truly damned if he let her go without know how he felt.  He could match her
courage to tell the truth.
        After a moment, she nodded, tears in her eyes shining in the waning
moonlight but clinging stubbornly, refusing to fall.  Without taking her
gaze from his, she stepped back over the threshold she had denied him.

*       Hold on,
*       Hold on to yourself,
*       For this is gonna hurt like hell.

THE END

High Priestess Lizbet of the Cult of Joss  -~*~- {{>AGA<}}
[e-mail] ~*~ [e-mail]
SunS List Co-Mummy:  "If the Apocalypse comes, beep me."
Keeper of Joss's Evil Brain
http://www.primenet.com/~lizbet/





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Weapon:  Part VIIIa
Date: 14 Aug 1997 23:54:23 -0400

Title:  The Weapon
Rating:  R.  Detailed descriptions of acts of violence.
Summary:  Xander disappeared into a shimmering portal, to be replaced by an
older version of himself from another dimension.  This older version wields
a powerful weapon that is desired by the Demon Lord Karakis.  Buffy, Angel,
Willow, and Xander have gone to Purgatory (where young Xander was taken and
where older Xander comes from) to rescue Xander.  After a battle to the
death with one of Karakis' Demon Hounds, the group took time to rest before
heading off to attack Karakis' home...
Disclaimer:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Angel are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox.  The rest is mine.  Touch it
and I'll break yo' fingers.
*****

Dark.  Dark and wet.  Those were the only sensations young Alexander
Harris' weakened and overloaded mind could process, the darkness and the
wetness that sent a horrible chill up his spine.  Was it mere minutes he
had been here, or weeks?  He couldn't fathom that.  Was he hanging from the
wall, or chained to the floor?  He didn't know.  What was the light like....

He didn't remember.  And it was then that it happened.  A flash... a burst
of sharp bright whiteness... a light!  Yes, that's what it was!  And
suddenly, he wasn't where he was.  This place was new... there was still
the darkness, but there was dryness, not wetness.  And there was life.
Whose voice was that...

"Xander?"

Xander jerked away at the voice, at the feeling of the hand on his
shoulder.  Spinning he saw... Buffy?

"Buffy?" he half whispered, reaching out, wanting to touch her, to know she
was real... then his vision exploded, shattered and burst into light again.
 As if nothing had changed he was returned, immersed and buried again in
the darkness... the wetness...

"NO!" screamed Xander, thrashing against the bonds that held him, "NO!
BUFFY COME BACK!!  COME BAAAAACK!!"

Thrashing and screaming, the boy fought against his bonds, and against the
darkness that threatened to consume him whole.
*****

Marak grinned as he watched the child whip and thrash, screaming his
pathetic little mortal lungs out as he tried to break the bonds that held
him.  Marak chuckled at the simplicity of the mortal's mind.  There were no
bonds.  The boy lay on a simple sandy floor, inside a simple white circle.
But the circle was so much more than that.  The circle was one of the most
powerful and insidious forms of torture that any mind, mortal or otherwise,
had ever devised.  With the proper invocations, it became a endless pit of
despair.  It took the fears, the desperation, the hatred, that sat within
the mind of the victim, and amplified it, made it, at least for the
entrapped, real.  And as the victim fell further and further into their
fears, the spell grew stronger and stronger, until, finally, the victim
became trapped within his own mind.  It was a thing of beauty, of
perfection.  Which was why Marak was slightly disturbed by its current use.
 Why was such an excellent tool of darkness being wasted on this mere
stripling of a boy?

"Do you doubt me Marak?"

Marak turned quickly and faced the being that entered the chamber.  It was
a massive and horribly muscled creature, of vaguely humanoid form.  Very
little covered its leathery ebon skin, as it wore little more than a
loincloth, large, furred boots, and a long, flowing, red cape.  Each of its
fingers ended in a long, jagged, talon.  Its face was a thing of
nightmares, with glowing red eyes, and a grin which revealed rows of sharp,
thirsty, fangs.  Rows of bony spikes covered its head where hair should've
been.  And from the sides of that head, protruded two large, thick,
twisted, stark white horns.  Two demon attendants stood at its side.

"Never Lord Karakis," said Marak as he kneeled before his master, "I could
never doubt you."

Karakis kneeled in front of his servant and looked into his eyes.  Then he
smiled.

"You lie." he said, in a voice dark and powerful... yet soft, seductive.
"No Lord Karakis I--"
"Your thoughts betray you," continued Karakis, "you are loyal, but not
loyal enough."

With that Karakis' arm shot out, his hand locking a vise-like grip onto
Marak's wrist.  Marak screamed in agony as the bones began to break.

"And you will be punished."  Suddenly, Karakis tightened his grip on
Marak's arm, then twisted violently, and pulled.  With a sickening snapping
of bone and tearing of flesh, Marak's forearm separated from the rest of
his limb, spraying blood, bone chips, and other bodily fluids as Karakis
pulled it away.

"Take him away," said Karakis to one of his attendants, "see that his wound
is dealt with, and that he is kept alive.  He's learned not to doubt me."

The attendant grabbed Marak's unconscious form and dragged him out of the
chamber, while the other attendant simply stood and watched.  Munching on
the severed limb, Karakis turned to gaze at Xander, thrashing about and
screaming within the circle.

Karakis turned to the remaining attendant.  "Have him brought to my throne
room," said the Demon Lord, as he tore another chunk of flesh off with his
teeth, "make sure he is clapped in our heaviest irons.  And prepare the
hordes.  We're expecting company."

The attendant bowed tersely, and rushed off to begin its work.

"Soon, Alexander," said the Demon Lord, tossing what was left of the arm
away, "soon."
*****

"Xander!" shouted Buffy, as the man dropped to his knees, clutching his
head.  Slowly, dizzily, he returned to his feet.
"Are you okay?" asked the Slayer.
"I'm... ugh.. fine," responded Xander, as he shook the cobwebs from his
head, "just as soul slip."
"A what?" she asked.
"A soul slip." he repeated.  "Sometimes, when two versions of the same
person are in the same time and plane, their souls, since they're the same
soul, at the core, form sort of a link, and slip from one body to the
other.  It's brief usually, and always painful."
"So... that was *our* Xander just a second ago?"
"Yeah, and I was in his body.  When I was inside him, I saw a stone
ceiling, and I could feel sand under me.  There was nothing physically
holding me down... so I have to assume he's being held mystically."
"Oh good," quipped the Slayer, "more black magic to deal with."
"Hey!" shouted Willow, who was far ahead of the rest of the group, "I've
found the end of the tunnel!"

The two quickly picked up their pace rushing to catch up with Willow and
Angel.  Soon they saw the spot of light at the end of the tunnel.  The
rushed even faster, wanting to reach it as soon as possible.  When they
came to the mouth of the cave, there stood Angel and Willow, gazing
outward.  The two followed the other's gazes, and saw what they were
looking at.  Xander inhaled sharply.

"Well," he said, "there it is.  Karakis central."
*****

I know, I know, I'm evil for breaking it here, but my brain needs a rest.
Part 8b will be out either later tonight or early tomorrow!

FEEDBACK ME SEYMOUR!

--Viashino the Hungry--







-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The "Site"
Date: 15 Aug 1997 18:25:23 -0400

Hello!

This is blatant self promotion for the Slayer's Fanfic Archive, but in
effort to stay ON topic...I wrote it into a story!  Enjoy!
*********************************************************************

The "Site"
by Anya ([e-mail])

Buffy walked into the library whistling softly to herself.  Her
backpack slung casually across her left shoulder, and her right arm
swinging jauntily at her side.

"Hey Will, Xander!  How come you guys got here so fast?" She
called jovially to her two friends.  They jumped, rather guiltily,
from the computer screen they had been glued to.

"Buffy!"  Xander smiled widely as he rushed around the table to the
Slayer's side.  Draping a friendly arm around her shoulders, he tried
to steer her away from the computer.  "How was the slaying last
night?"

Buffy arched one perfect eyebrow at the male Slayerette, and then
turned her head to look at a very flushed Willow.  "The Slaying was
fine, but you knew that since you asked just this morning that same
question.  And since the dictator frowns upon school-time
homicides, suicides and slaying...I haven't slain anything since last
night."  She paused, pinning Willow with a look.  "What are you
two trying to hide from me?"

Willow swallowed hard, and faster than Buffy had ever imagined,
her hand darted to the computer monitor and flicked it off.  "Uh..up
to?  N-n-nothing...really.  Quite absolutely nothing...I..we...we were
just..."

"Willow was just showing me how to surf the net."  Xander
interjected smoothly.

"Uh huh."  Buffy jerked herself free of Xander and marched over to
the computer.  Willow rather hastily beat a retreat.

With surprising familiarity, Buffy flicked the monitor back on, and
waited for the screen to clear.

"Fanfiction?"  She said, dumbfounded.

The Slayerettes exchanged a glance.  "Um yeah."

Buffy ignored them, reading on.  "Fanfiction about ME?"

Willow sighed, and reached around Buffy to the keyboard.  "No,
Fanfiction about ALL of us.  It's the Slayer's Fanfic Archive."

"The WHAT?!"

"The Slayer's Fanfic Archive...it's...a place where people have put
their fanfictions."  Willow explained.  "There's really a lot of good
fiction on the site...over 100 fictions on it!   And some of it's
romantic stuff..y'know..you and Angel.."

"You and Me!" Xander piped up, blatantly ignoring the green color
appearing on Buffy's face.  "There's even one that looks like it's a
Willow and Angel..."

Buffy directed a stern look at Willow.  "Don't even THINK about
it!"

"Never."  The redhead avowed.  "Anyway..Xander and I were
thinking about adding our own story!"

Buffy's jaw dropped.  "You know, my identity is SUPPOSED to be
secret.  If Giles found out...."

"Oh hey..that reminds me...there's one where you get really frisky
with Giles..."  Xander volunteered.

Buffy paled, "I don't want to hear these things."

Willow patted her shoulder comfortably.  "They're just fictions...they
aren't real.  Relax.  And no one knows that YOU are real too!  So, your
identity is safe!"

Buffy mulled this over silently, absently pulling a stake from under
her short skirt, and toying with it in her fingers.  "You're sure?"

"Yup."

"Okay..so how do we submit a fic...and what kind of fic are WE
writing?"

Willow flashed Xander a brilliant victory smile.  "It's easy!  If
you're on the fanfic mailing list, you can just give the Archivist of
the site, Anya,  an okay in the disclaimer...or she'll take
submissions that are emailed to either of her two addresses!"   She
bent forward and typed a few keys.

"Look...if you go here http://SlayerFanfic.alz.com/submit.html
...there's more precise directions here!"

Buffy's eyes lit up.  "Kewlness.  I think we should write a romantic
piece....another Angel and me story!"

Willow grinned, even as Xander frowned in displeasure.  Before he
could protest, though, Willow pulled up a chair and sat down.  She
seized control of the keyboard and loaded in a text editor.  "Okay,
Buffy...let's begin!  You dictate, I'll type, and Xander can do his
math homework!"

     ****************** The End*****************************

Ahem.  This story contained actual submission facts for the Slayer's
Fanfic Archive, if anyone was interested! -_^

Cheers!
-Anya



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cagey <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC:  Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer 1/2
Date: 15 Aug 1997 22:16:53 -0700 (PDT)

Buffy Summers SuperSlayer
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer filk
by Cagey
August 1997


Legalese:  Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all its characters
and fashion accessories belong to Joss Whedon and various
production companies.  Jesus Christ Superstar belongs to
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.  No copyright
infringement is intended.

For Susan on the occasion of her birthday (which is not
today, but what can you do).


Buffy Summers SuperSlayer:  A Filk Opera

Act One
Opening Medley--Slayin On Their Minds, What's the Buzz
Then We Are Decided
The Bronze Trilogy--Everything's Alright, I Don't Know How
to Slay Him, Damned For All Time (and then some)

Act Two
The Last Study Hall
Snyder and Luke
The Master's Song
Could We Start Again, Please?
SuperSlayer



The curtain opens on the library of Sunnydale High School.
The librarian, wearing a ghastly green and white checked
shirt, ponders an ancient text.  He removes his spectacles
tiredly and sighs.

GILES:
My mind is clearer now.
At last all too well I can see where we all soon will be.
If you strip away the myth from the town,
You will see where we all soon will be.

In H--

[He is cut off as happy cheery bouncy Sunnydale High School
students pour out from the stacks, singing]

STUDENTS:
What's the buzz?  Tell us what's a-happening.
What's the buzz?  Tell us what's a-happening.
What's the buzz?  Tell us what's a-happening.

[They pause, realizing that they're in a library.
Horrified, and fearing that they might inadvertantly absorb
some knowledge from the books by osmosis, most scramble out
of the library.  Only two are left.]

XANDER:
Now I got to cut loose!  Footloose!  Kick off the Sunday
shoes!

[He stops playing air guitar as Willow pokes him in the side]

WILLOW and XANDER:
What's the buzz?  Tell us what's a-happening.

GILES:
Why should you want to know?
You don't care about the future.
You don't try to think ahead.
You 're sights are always set upon tomorrow.
Think about the millenium instead.

XANDER:
Whoa.  I *am* ready to be a Jedi, Yoda.

[Giles pauses to stare at the boy blankly before continuing]

GILES:
I could give you signs and portents.
Even give you prophecies and omens.
I could tell you where we're going.

XANDER:
Where we going Mr. Librarian?
Are we going to kick some butt Mr. Librarian?
Where we going Mr. Librarian?

GILES:
Why should you want to know?
Why are you obsessed with fighting--
You know without the Slayer you'd get fried.
If you knew the prophecy I'd been reading,
You'd understand why it's time to hide.

XANDER:
What's going on, why won't you tell me?

WILLOW:
Let me guess, the Master's coming.
Let me guess, let me guess the Master's coming.

GILES:
Willow you're so smart
While he plays air guitar and daydreams
About who and when and where and how
You alone have guessed the problem.
We've got to find the Slayer now!

[The three of them run from the library in search of Buffy]


***

[In the caverns below Sunnydale, a gruesome pair confer.]

LUKE:
We've been sitting in this cave for far too long.

DARLA:
Why let her upset us?
Luke, let her be.
Any imbecile can see,
She really doesn't matter.

[Luke wonders if he's being insulted, but lets the comment
pass]

LUKE:
The Slayer is important,
I've tangled with one before.
And this newest girl is far more
Than a bubble-headed chatterer.

DARLA:
She's just another teenage girl, she couldn't fight a flea.

LUKE:
The difference is those four inch heels,
Those boots sure frighten me!

What about the Master?
When he hears another Slayer's in town,
Do you think he'll stand around,
Cheering and applauding?

What about our other vamps?
If they start to drop like flies,
Don't you think they'll realize,
She's something more forboding?

DARLA:
Then we better do something about her,
Before the Master starts to complain.
Get rid of her now, or we'll suffer the pain.

LUKE:
Then we are decided?

DARLA:
We are decided.


***

[Meanwhile, Xander, Willow, and Giles approach the Bronze]

WILLOW:
Try not to get worried, try not to think about
Problems that upset you.
Don't you know
Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine.
Cause Buffy'll save our hides tonight.
Yes she'll save the whole world tonight.
Vamps will die, they will die, so forget all about them
tonight.

XANDER:
Everything's alirght, yes, everything's alright.

GILES:
Willow your good sentiments, happy and cheerful
May prove useless I fear.
Haven't you noticed Buffy?  She's hasn't been slaying,
Not since she started seeing HIM here.
Angel, that vampire, Angel, that demon
In clinging leather jeans and oiled-up hair!

XANDER:
Everything's not alright, no, everything's not alright grrrrr.


[In the Bronze, Buffy and Angel sit in opposite corners of
the room, staring at one another.]

BUFFY:
I don't know how to slay him.
What to do, how not to love him.
He can change, yes really change.
Just last night, I saw it for myself,
He seemed like someone else.

I don't know how to take this.
I don't see why he moves me.
He's a vamp.  He's just a vamp.
And I've killed so many vamps before,
In very many ways.
He's just one more.

Should I bring him down?
Make him scream and shout?
Should I cause him pain,
Really draw it out?
I never thought it'd come to this.
How will it work out?

Don't you think it's rather funny,
I should be in this position.
I'm the one who's always been
So calm, so cool, a deadly slayin' tool,
Running every vampire through.
He scares me so.

I never thought it'd come to this.
How will it work out?


ANGEL:
Now if I help her, I cannot let her see
How much she's coming to mean to me.
I've lived a long time without this kind of stew.
I've never fallen for a Slayer like her, it's true.
I musn't ever give her sign that I am torn,
We cannot be together, and she must be warned
She must know I'm
Damned for all time.

I help because I have to; I'm the one who knows
The Master is too close to getting what he wants.
The other vampires also think that this is true.
And they will stop at nothing to be sure that they come
through.
I musn't ever give her sign that I am torn,
We cannot be together, and she must be warned
She must know I'm
Damned for all time.


[Giles, Willow and Xander enter the Bronze]

XANDER:
Cut the goopy faces, forget the heavy breathing.
We've got to get Slaying.  Get off the dance floor.

GILES:
We have the prophecies we need to overcome him.
You do the Slaying.  We'll cover the door.

BUFFY:
I've got important matters that need sorting.

WILLOW:
There's no time for arguing, the future is grim.
We just need to find vamps so you can zap them.

GILES and XANDER [both glowering]:
Then you can come back here
And gaze at HIM.


***




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Cagey <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC:  Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer 2/2
Date: 15 Aug 1997 22:19:06 -0700 (PDT)

Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer Filk
by Cagey
August 1997


ACT TWO:

In the Sunnydale High School gym, all cast members congregate.

STUDENTS:
Look at all our trials and tribulations
Teachers telling us to use our minds.
Don't disturb us now, we can see the answer
We'll be vampires with no need to do that grind.

VAMPIRES:
We always hoped that you'd become our dinner,
Knew that you'd be happy if we lied.
If you let us bite, you won't have another pimple.
(Acne doesn't bother those who've died).

BUFFY:
Does no one have a working brain cell?
Cordelia?  Shannon?  Heather?
Do none of you have a working brain cell?
Cordelia?  Shannon?  Heather?


[Principal Snyder marches forth onto the gym floor, annoyed
to see vampires chomping on his senior class.  He
approaches Luke.]

SNYDER:
Who is this juvenile delinquent, cluttering up my hallway?
Who is this reprobate?

VAMPED STUDENT, drooling over Luke's leather pants:
Vampire Luke, he's so cool.

SNYDER:
Oh, so he is cool?  I am really quite surprised.
He is so pale,
Looks thick and dull.
We all know that black is in,
But does that make him cool?  More than a fool?

LUKE:
Grrrrrrr.

SNYDER:
What do you mean by that?
Is that a threat, you creep?
You're deep in trouble friend.
Report for detention immediately!

[Snyder slaps Luke with a detention slip, the threat of
which causes Luke to disintegrate.]

CHEERLEADERS:
Snyder Snyder Bobyder!
Bananafanafofyder!
Memymomyder!
Snyder!


[The Master descends from a rotating disco ball which has
inexplicably appeared in the gym]

MASTER:
Buffy, I am overjoyed to meet you face to face.
You've been getting quite a name all around the place.
Beating up on vampires, raised from the dead.
And now I understand you're the Slayer,
At least, that's what Giles said.

So, you are the Slayer, you're the great Buffy Slayer.
Prove to me that you can slay; make dear Darla D.O.A.
That's all you need do, then I'll know it's all true.
Come on, Buffy the Slayer.

Buffy, you just won't believe the stir you've made around
here.
You are who we plot against, the enemy of the year.
Oh what a pity that our plans never work.
(Take that Moloch, for example; he was such a jerk!)

So if you are the Slayer, yes the great Buffy Slayer,
Prove to me that you're a winner, save old Flutie before
he's dinner.
If you do that for me, then I'll give you a rating PG.
Come on, Buffy the Slayer.

I only ask what I'd ask any SuperSlayer.
What fashion tips have you got for me down in my lair?
What number is your hair, where do you get those skirts?
How about those boots, my dear, don't they really hurt?

So, if you are the Slayer--

[The Master's solo is tragically cut short when Buffy stabs
him with her four-inch heel.]

BUFFY:
Why *yes*, they do hurt.


[Darla approaches Buffy with a dramatic plea]

DARLA:
I've been dying to kill you.
Dying to chomp you, but it shouldn't be like this.
This was unexpected,
Could you please not kill me?
Could we start again please?

I was very hopeful, until now.
Now for the first time,
I think that I'm in trouble.
How 'bout if we forget this,
Pretend it's a bad dream.
Oh could we start again please?

I think you've made your point now.
You've even gone a bit too far--we've got so much in common.
Angel, for example, used to be my--

[Darla's solo is tragically cut short when Buffy stabs her
with her four-inch heel]

BUFFY:
*Now* I've made my point, I think.

[Angel, Giles, Willow and Xander gather around Buffy]

ANGEL:
Everytime I look at you I don't understand
How you manage to kill vampires with just one handstand.
You couldn't have managed better if you'd had it planned.
And how the heck do you do those backflips and always
managed to land?
If you come to my place we could try it again.
I've got some real cool toys including a jungle gym.
Don't you get me wrong.
Don't you get me wrong.
I only want to be friends.

STUDENTS:
Buffy Summers, Buffy Summers,
Who are you? Who have you slayed today?
Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer,
Do you think you'll see your next birthday?

GILES:
Tell me have you practiced the crossbow and the lance?
I bought you some more garlic cloves and holy water
straight from France.
Have you done your homework?  We've got to get some
training in.
Why don't you come to the library and I'll teach you more
Latin.

XANDER:
Don't listen to them Buffy, they're both a bad influence.
Come on over to my place and we'll listen to country music.
Don't you get me wrong.
Don't you get me wrong.
I only want to be friends.

BUFFY:
Buffy Summer, Buffy Summers,
Who are you?  Who have you slayed today?
Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer,
Do you think you'll have fun on any day?

WILLOW:
Buffy, forgive them.  They don't know what they're saying.
They're guys, they're guys, forget them all.
We'll hang out together and we'll have a ball.

ALL:
Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer,
The future's not so grim after all.
Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer,
Market those boots, you'll make a pile!


[And thus endeth the lesson.  The moral of the story is:
boots are more than just keen fashion accessories.]


*end*





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC:  Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer
Date: 16 Aug 1997 02:29:11 -0400

Okay, that's just plain funny!  Which is why I can't stop laughing and I
think I'm about to seriously injure myself doind so.  LOL!!!

--Viashino--




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: MiB: Hellmouth (Prologue) by D.Spence
Date: 17 Aug 1997 18:40:33 -0400 (EDT)

Yes, yet ANOTHER xover! I just saw the movie, and couldn't resist.
If you haven't seen it yet, be advised that the Rosenberg who was
murdered in the movie was an alien in disguise, and just could not
*possibly* be related to our Willow (I think).

TITLE: MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl" and IMMEDIATELY after
    the movie "Men in Black"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "Men in Black"
SUMMARY: Reports of the possible presence of an unregistered time-
    space anomaly bring Jay and Elle to Sunnydale, California where
    they discover there are things even MiBs find hard to believe.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Wheadon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Jay, Elle, Zed and
    all other characters who have appeared in the motion picture
    "Men in Black" together with the names, titles and backstory are
    the sole copyright property of Columbia Pictures, Amblin
    Entertainment, MacDonald/Parkes Productions, and Malibu Comics.
    No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this
    fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story
    itself are the sole property of the author.

                    MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
                  a "BtVS/Men in Black" crossover
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

*Prologue*

Even though his job as a school librarian was mostly a cover for his
watcher activities, Rupert Giles prided himself on doing *both* jobs
well. Thus when he wasn't training Buffy to more efficiently destroy
vampires or groping his way through ancient texts researching the
latest prophecy, one could usually find him either in the stacks
sorting and shelving books, or in his office filling out the many
forms that Principal Snyder insisted were essential to the smooth
running of the school. While he rather enjoyed the former (each book
replaced representing a student who actually *read* something), the
latter seemed at times to be a particularly fiendish torment that
had him speculating on his superior's possible demonic antecedents.

It was not surprising that he found himself greeting an interruption
of this task with a certain degree of enthusiasm. Particularly when
the interruption came in the form of the lovely Ms. Calendar. They
had established a rather cordial relationship since the resealing of
the Hellmouth, one that contained subtle hints of developing into
something more. However, his smile quickly faded when he heard her
first ominous words; "Rupert, I think we have a problem." With she
entered his office, shut the door, and dropped what appeared to be a
supermarket tabloid on his desk.

He picked it up gingerly. *MAN AWAKENS FROM THIRTY YEAR COMA!!*
shouted the headline. "Someone you know?" he asked, confused.

"Check page eight," she said, obviously perturbed, "bottom of the
page."

Giles hesitantly turned to the page, and immediately saw the article
that had her so upset.

                *VAMPIRE KILLINGS ROCK CALIFORNIA TOWN*
                  //Is Sunnydale the Mouth of Hell?//

    "The  small  town  of Sunnydale, California was shocked this
    spring by the unexplained  deaths  of  several  high  school
    students  from  extreme  blood loss. According to witnesses,
    the first death was discovered when the body of student fell
    out  of  a locker, drained of blood with two puncture wounds
    on his neck. Later that week, a school dance being held at a
    local  night  spot  was invaded by vampires who murdered the
    bouncer and two students by biting them on  the  neck.  They
    were  driven  off  by an unknown teenage girl who distracted
    them with acrobatics and martial arts moves until she  could
    get  close  enough  stab them with wooden stakes. Upon being
    impaled, the alleged vampires dissolved into dust.

    The local police have suggested that these deaths,  as  well
    as  several  other mysterious deaths and disappearances that
    occurred later, may but the work of a cult that uses airborn
    drugs  to  cause vivid hallucinations. This town, once known
    to the Spanish as `Boca Del Infierno' or the Mouth of  Hell,
    has  thoughout  its  history  been a place where strange and
    horrific things happen,  but  1997  has  seen  a  tremendous
    upsurge in paranormal activity."

The article went on to describe in amazing detail the deaths of
Principal Flutie and Dr. Gregory, the `accidents' suffered by the
cheerleading squad, and the `disappearance' and revenge of Marcie
Ross. About the only thing that reporter *hadn't* discovered was
the role of Buffy and the team in all these incidents. He'd even
tracked the disruption Moloch had caused on the Internet to C.R.D.,
but blamed that and the murders on a government conspiracy.

"Well, what do you think?" asked Ms. Calendar after Giles had chance
to read the article twice. "Has someone been talking? Should we be
worried?"

"No to both questions, I think," he answered after considering it
for a moment. "Most of the information here is a matter of public
record, and the rest is logical speculation given the premise that
such things are possible. Besides, no one ever takes these things
seriously anyway."

                         *   *   *   *   *

*Meyer's Delicatessen, New York City*

"You know," said Elle as she had another bite of her blintz, "I
can't get over how much like a regular job this is."

"It *IS* a regular job!" protested Jay, "We get full medical and
dental coverage, three weeks paid vacation a year, and use of the
company car. Only thing is, since we don't officially exist, we
don't pay taxes."

"But what about..."

"The clientele? Sure, they can seem a little weird at first, but
it's really just a matter of perspective. Underneath all the
differences they're just people, like you and me."

Just then his cell phone rang. "Excuse me," he said and answered it.
"Yes sir? Yes, I saw it, page eight. I didn't think it had anything
to do with us."

"Ordinarily, you would be right," the voice on the other end of the
line said. "but a couple of residents in the area are concerned.
They're afraid they'll get bit and blow their cover. Poke around and
make sure there's nothing to it. And while your there, check out
this Hellmouth thing. A T-S survey of the area registered a definite
anomaly, and the last thing we need is a spacial rift that close to
Vandenberg. No hurry, though. Finish your lunch first." <Click>

While Jay had been talking to Zed, Elle had been leafing through the
"hotsheet" to see where they were going next. "Wait, let me guess
... Passaic, right?"

Jay shook his head. "Try California," he said, taking a bite of his
corned beef on rye.

Elle looked at the page again, and her jaw dropped (only for a
moment though, she *was* learning). "Vampires?!? What has that got
to do with the price of glorp on Alpha Centauri?"

"Nothing. It was fixed the last I heard," he deadpanned. Seeing his
partner's annoyance, he relented. "Look, all I know is that we have
a couple of clients scared they'll give a bloodsucker indigestion,
and a time-space anomaly to investigate. Shouldn't take more than a
day, two tops. Piece of cake. Which reminds me ... waiter!"

Knowing she wouldn't get any more out Jay until he was ready, Elle
went back to reading the article. It was surprisingly well written,
with more names and dates than usually found in such a piece. This
was a good indication that the writer had made sure of his facts,
since the smaller tabloids were becoming allergic to getting sued.
Of course there was great deal of gratuitous speculation, but that
was to be expected. She checked the byline to see if she knew the
author, but it turned out to be the pseudonym the paper used for its
anonymous contributors.

She laughed at his conclusion that Marcie Ross's disappearance was
an alien abduction just because the alleged FBI agents investigating
it wore dark suits; the MiB certainly had no exclusive copyright on
"sanctioned attire" (a fact that peeved Zed greatly). If there had
been operatives already in the area, Zed woundn't have called them
in. Unfortunately, almost every black ops unit in the world used the
suits for the same reason they did -- to reduce witness credibility.
Being a modern myth had its advantanges, but there was a down side;
you got blamed for everything. Too bad the world wasn't ready for
the truth yet. It would be nice to get some credit for once.

"Ahem!" Elle looked up to see Jay had finished his dessert and was
watching her expectantly. //Oh yes, that's right. It's my turn to
pay, isn't it. No one can say that Jay isn't liberated about these
things.// With an inward sigh, she motioned to the waiter and asked
for the check.

To her surprise their waiter, a stout white man apparently in his
fifties, refused to take her money. "Please," he said with a smile,
"for you, everything is on the house, forever!" Looking around to
see that no one was watching, he pulled an alien residence card out
of his sleeve, which contained a holographic likeness of his true
unearthly appearence. "The Baltan, Rosenberg, was my friend," he
explained quietly, "and you, who avenged him, are welcome here
always as my guest." Without another word he replaced the card and
walked away.

"You knew!" she said as she followed Jay out to the car, a black '86
Ford LTD with some very special modifications, "You knew what was
going to happen in there."

Jay admitted as much as he got behind the wheel. "You looked like
you were in need of some professional appreciation. Lord knows we
don't get a lot of it in this job."

"What I don't get is how he recognized me, or even knew about what I
did. I mean, *I* wouldn't even know who Rosenberg was if you hadn't
told me." When Elle had joined the Black, Jay had gone against
company policy and told her about their first meeting (the one that
Kay had erased from her memory) so she knew who the waiter had been
referring to.

Jay just handed her the paper again. "You've got to learn to read
between the lines. Put on your shades and check it out." She did so,
and watched as the headline changed from *MAN AWAKENS FROM THIRTY
YEAR COMA!!* to *VETERAN MiB RETIRES AFTER DISTINGUISHED CAREER!*
Kay's picture remained the same, but the article inside, which
before had described his disappearance and the cover story that had
been cooked up to explain it, now related the highlights of Kay's
career with the Black, including details of his final mission which
had resulted in Elle's recruitment. There were file pictures of her
and Jay too, with a caption declaring them "MiBs of the Month".

"Are they all like that?" she asked, thinking she had finally found
the secret of the hotsheets.

Jay shook his head. "Sorry. The main distributor for this and
several other major tabloids is a client, and he lets us overprint
one issue a month with a special ink that the optics used by most of
our clients can see. *We* have to use shades, which we supply to our
other clients for a small fee. It's our way of keeping in touch."

//Oh well, so much for that idea.// "So, are we going to drive to
California or what?"

Jay smiled. "Remember the red button I told you not to touch ..."

                         *   *   *   *   *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The "secret newspaper" idea is completely mine.

--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: MiB: Hellmouth (01/?) by D.Spence
Date: 17 Aug 1997 18:40:34 -0400 (EDT)

Author's Note: I'm sorry if some of you thought I was spoiling the
movie with my last preface, but since you discover the character's
nature almost as soon as his name, I didn't spoil much.

TITLE: MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl" and IMMEDIATELY after
    the movie "Men in Black"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "Men in Black"
SUMMARY: Reports of the possible presence of an unregistered time-
    space anomaly bring Jay and Elle to Sunnydale, California where
    they discover there are things even MiBs find hard to believe.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Wheadon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Jay, Elle, Zed and
    all other characters who have appeared in the motion picture
    "Men in Black" together with the names, titles and backstory are
    the sole copyright property of Columbia Pictures, Amblin
    Entertainment, MacDonald/Parkes Productions, and Malibu Comics.
    No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this
    fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story
    itself are the sole property of the author.

                    MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
                  a "BtVS/Men in Black" crossover
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

*Part 1*

"Oooff!"

"Sorry, Giles. Are you all right?"

"Nothing a good chiropractor couldn't put right. And don't apologize
for doing what I taught you. If you couldn't take *me* down ..."

"I know, I know, the vamps would have me for lunch. Don't worry,
I've got it covered."

"Worrying is part of my job, Buffy. I'm not likely to stop any time
soon. Anyway, I think that's enough practice for today," Giles said
as he stripped off his protective gear. "Something has come up I
think we should talk about."

"This isn't going to be about Angel again, is it? If it is ..."

Giles sighed and shook his head. "I think I've already made my
feelings on that issue quite clear," he said sadly as he led Buffy
into his office. "If you choose to ignore me, there really isn't a
lot I can do, is there?"

"Right," she said, quickly squelching the slight feeling of guilt
these little confrontations inevitably generated. "So what's the
problem."

"Not a problem, exactly," he answered, sitting down behind his
cluttered desk. "I'd just like your opinion on something." He
opened a drawer and pulled out the tabloid Ms. Calendar had given
him that morning, open to page eight.

Buffy cringed. She had expected this ever since the rumors about the
article started circulating this morning. "I didn't say anything, I
swear!" she protested, "And neither did Willow or Xander."

"I know that. In fact, that's what I told Ms. Calendar when she
showed me the article this morning and Principal Snyder when he came
in here this afternoon demanding an explanation."

"Principal Snyder?!?" Of all the people they *didn't* need knowing
about their little club, he was at the top of the list.

"Oh, they were just the first. Mr. Johnston, Mrs. Edelson and Ms.
Torelli all came by. They were much more polite than the little
dictator, but their question was the same; `What do you know about
the article?' I must say I'm rather disappointed that so many of my
colleagues actually admit to reading such trash."

"Do you think they really know something, or are they just fishing?"

"The latter, I think. Apparently news of my academic credentials
have made the rounds, and thus I've become the resident expert on
strange occurrences. It might even be rather flattering if it wasn't
so blasted inconvenient."

"You know," Buffy mused, "this might not be a totally bad thing. I
mean, we can't be everywhere in Sunnydale all the time, and if
people come to you with reports of weird stuff, we can check it out
and take care of it if we have to." Warming to the idea, she didn't
notice Giles' growing agitation. "You could make it semi-official.
Principal Snyder would probably be very pleased if you volunteered
to look into these matters for him. He might even allow you to
recruit a few students as research assistants, to be rewarded with
academic credit. He would demand it be done discretely, of course,
but at least he would be working with us rather than against us."

"Now just wait one minute!" objected Giles loudly. "My training was
*not* designed to make me into some sort of psychic investigator,
even by proxy. Do you think for one second that he would let me set
up an amateur X-Files without trying to out-Skinner Skinner by
demanding detailed reports every step of the way? Let alone risk his
career by putting students in the line of fire? And that would be
exactly how he'd see it; too many students have died or disappeared
this year for him to take any sort of risk. Even suggesting the idea
to him would be painting big *WATCH US CLOSELY!* signs on our backs.
Particularly after that article."

Seeing Buffy's hurt expression as he torpedoed her idea, he softened
his tone. "Please understand, waiting here passively for people to
bring me tips is one thing; it in no way obligates me to take any
action, provide an explanation or even make a comment. Already we
are under far too much scrutiny; recently I've noticed that certain
conversations tend to halt when I enter the staff room. Frankly, I'm
amazed that your mother hasn't come storming in here demanding an
explanation of our association."

"Uh, well," she said uncomfortably, "she *has* been curious about
why I'm spending so much time here with Xander and Willow. I told
her we were helping you with a research project comparing the study
habits of British and American teenagers. If she knew we were here
alone she would probably freak."

"Well then," a familiar voice sounded from the door, startling them
both, "it's a good thing we both showed up now, isn't it? Just to
preserve the proprieties, you understand." Pleased that he had
managed to surprise them for once, Xander walked in, with Willow
following behind. "I hope we didn't interrupt anything ...
interesting?"

"Just the side effects of the latest triumph of yellow journalism,"
Giles responded dryly, "The orgy is scheduled for next week."

"Remind me to reserve a ticket," chuckled Willow as she wandered
over to the desk. Seeing the tabloid, she sobered. "Are we in
trouble?"

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed eyes. "This morning I would
have said no, but now ... it appears that seeing the story in print
has the effect of reviving suppressed memories. Not that anyone
actually believes them yet, but they are starting to wonder exactly
what *did* happen. What disturbs me most is the timing."

"What do you mean?" asked Xander, puzzled.

"None of the events described here can really be classified as news
... the latest one is well over a month old. Why wait until now?"

"It was probably snail-mailed by the anonymous contributor," said
Willow. "A lot of these things are submitted on spec by respected
professionals who discover things no one else will print. If the
piece is accepted, they use a stock nom-de-plume from the paper's
list of `stringers' to protect the author's identity. Except for
celebrity gossip which has to stay ahead of ET and HARD COPY, none
of these exposes actually has to be current -- in fact, the added
`research' time can increase their credibility."

Xander looked at his friend suspiciously. "And you know this ...
how?" he asked.

"Let's just say my family has a small interest in such things, and
leave it at that. A girl has to have a *few* secrets." Willow smiled
mysteriously.

                         *   *   *   *   *

A few miles outside of Sunnydale, the quiet night was shattered by
an abrupt explosion of sound as a sleek black shape roared down a
deserted road at two-hundred fifty miles per hour. As it approached
the town, the strange machine slowed down, changing shape as it did
so, so that when reached the edge of town it had acquired both the
legal speed limit and the shape of a black 1986 Ford LTD. The driver
turned to his passenger (who was a little green around the gills)
and said, "You know, I hardly ever get to open her up all the way."

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Elle replied, "Next time
you do, there had better be an Arquillian battle cruiser on our
tail!" When Jay had promised to show her what the red button could
do once they got to California, she had thought he was just stalling
her. Now she understood; there was no way you could let anyone see
what this car could do. "Geez, if we could have driven straight
through we might have been here an hour ago."

"Yeah," laughed Jay, "and I would have had a coronary half way here!
The red button can only be taken in small doses. Maybe a jet jock or
an astronaut could take that kind of speed for ten hours, but I
can't. I'm just a ..."

"... street cop," finished Elle for him. "Yeah, I know. Still, when
you think about it, we *are* astronauts now, aren't we?"

"If want to be technical about it," he shrugged, "I guess a
suborbital flit from New York to L.A. *does* count since we *did*
leave the atmosphere. To me it was just a fast commuter flight."

"Oh, I'm counting it all right. Jay, the next time I call this a
`regular job' remind me of this, will you."

Jay nodded cheerfully. "Okay. Now where is this school we're
supposed to meet our contact at?"

"Let's see." Elle took out her pocket GPS mapbook (which was slated
to hit the market sometime next year) that doubled as a tracking
device for registered alien residents. On the device's LCD screen a
detailed street map of Sunnydale appeared, with their position noted
as a blinking white dot. As Elle keyed in the target's name, a red
line appeared marking the most efficient route between them and the
school.

They were only a few blocks away, and were there in a couple of
minutes. As the turned into the faculty parking lot where they were
to meet their contact, their headlights illuminated a chilling
tableau; a body in a floral print dress was lying on the ground next
to a beat up old Chevy, with a man in a tweed coat bending over her
apparently attempting to help. About ten feet away from them, a
blond teenage girl holding a sharp stick was fighting with a tall
bearded man with long greasy hair and a strangely deformed face.
Just as Jay stopped the car, the fight ended as the tall man leaped
at the girl and disappeared in a cloud of dust. //So much for `a
piece of cake'// thought Elle as they got out of the car.

Ignoring the new arrivals, the girl raced over the man and the
prone woman and asked, "Giles, is she ..."

"She's alive, but just barely," said `Giles', relieved but also a
bit dismayed. "There's something very strange here though."

Elle, realizing that this must be their contact, rushed forward
saying, "Make way, we're doctors!" The two made way instinctively,
and Elle and Jay got their first clear look at the third figure.

When Elle turned to her partner to ask his advice, she was stunned
to see a look of absolute horror on his face. With a barely audible,
"God no! It can't be!" his eyes rolled back in his head and he
keeled over in a dead faint.
--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Shari L Ramseur)
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC:  Buffy Summers, SuperSlayer 1/2
Date: 17 Aug 1997 14:38:28 -0700

Hilarious, Cagey!  Very well done!

Willow:  "How'd it go?"
Xander:  "On a scale of 1 to 10, it sucked."

[e-mail]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Games (1/1)
Date: 18 Aug 1997 05:20:05 -0500 (CDT)

TITLE: Games (1/1)
AUTHOR: Samantha McCullah
EMAIL: [e-mail]
DISTRIBUTION: You like, put it up as long as I get my credit.
RATING: PG
CONTENT: Romance, Willow/Xander
CLASSIFICATION: Story, Romance
SUMMARY: Willow and Xander play a game.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the story. Joss own everything else.

Games (1/1)
by: Samantha McCullah

Xander was sprawled unceremoniously on Willow's floor, pulling an
assortment of things from under her bed. They were supposed to be
studying, but Xander had an annoying way of getting out of it
everytime.

"Xander, we really should finish this homework," she told him. He
suddenly straightened up from under her bed, holding something in
his hands. He turned to face her with a smile.

"Hey, Will. Bet I can still beat you at this," Xander replied. Willow
looked at his hands. He held the one game that she could never beat
him at: Twister.
                  _________________________

An hour later...

Xander was doing a rather spectacular back bend under Willow, while
she was in a position that looked rather painful. He reached to the
pointer and managed to flick it.

"Right hand blue," He proclaimed. Willow looked to the blue circles
which were on the other side of Xander from where her hands currently
were. The only way she could make it work and not look obscene, was to
turn so that she was face down on top of him.

As she turned Xander caught a faint scent of perfume. <When did she
start wearing perfume?> he thought. Willow reached for the pointer
and gave it a good turn.

"Right foot red," she smiled at him. Give him credit, Xander tried.
Unfortunately, unlike Willow, he hadn't taken gymnastics for four
years. He collapsed in a heap and took Willow with him. The two
friends laughed until it hurt.

"I win," Willow stated. They lay there, Willow on top of him, for
several minutes while Xander took the time to actually look at his
best friend. Her hair was longer than he remembered and a
beautiful shade of auburn. She didn't wear her glasses anymore.
<When did that change?> he thought.

"Will, when did you stop wearing glasses?" he asked out loud.

"Two years ago, remember. I got contacts," she replied. That
moment the realized they were in a position that could look
suspicious, especially to Willow's father. Both of them
pushed away from each other, Xander back against her bed,
Willow back in her chair.

<What's going on here? How could I miss so many changes?>
Xander questioned himself. She was his best friend, and he
had missed so much. But most of all he had missed the moment
his feelings for her had changed. Suddenly he realized he
needed a cold shower, and fast.

"Will, I -," Xander began.
"Xander, I-," Willow, in unison. She stopped and laughed,"You
first."

Xander stopped and considered what he was about to say. Then
decided against it. She couldn't possibly feel the same way,
could she? "Will, I ... think I need to go home." It sounded lame,
he knew that, but he couldn't be in the same room with her, not
without doing something. He stood up and asked, "What were you going
to say?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied, disappointed. As Xander left, she got out
of the chair and laid down on the Twister mat. Willow closed her eyes
and daydreamed. <Someday...,> she thought.

The end
---------------------------

Anyone want a sequel?
Send comment, flames, constructive critisim to [e-mail]

Samantha McCullah
*Diviant, Cousin, Ravenette, evil XeKnight, AGA, GASPer*
"I don't recall my staff reporting discovering a decapitated
            corpse in the beer fridge."
                   -LaCroix, "Forever Knight"




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (Shari L Ramseur)
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Games (1/1)
Date: 18 Aug 1997 19:22:36 -0700

Very good beginning.  Yes, I'd like a sequel, please.  :)


Willow:  "How'd it go?"
Xander:  "On a scale of 1 to 10, it sucked."
Willow:  "Oh."

[e-mail]



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Weapon:  Part 8b
Date: 18 Aug 1997 23:30:20 -0400

Title:  The Weapon
Rating:  R.  Graphic descriptions of acts of violence.
Summary:  It is a dark time for the Rebellion...  no wait, that's Star
Wars.  When we last left our heros, Xander had gone through a rather
disturbing psychological experience, the Demon Lord Karakis munched on one
of his lackeys, and the Team arrived at Karakis Central.
Disclaimer:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Angel are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox.  The rest is mine.  Touch it
and I'll break yo' fingers.
*****

"That," said Buffy, an edge of disappointment and sarcasm seeping into her
tone, "is it?"

Buffy took another look at Karakis' palace.  It was big, she could give him
that, but its design seemed all wrong.  It was a large, stone,
medieval-looking castle.  That was it.  No basalt towers of doom, no lakes
of fire, no walls of bone and writhing flesh.  Just a castle, like ones
that could be found in Europe.  To Buffy, it just seemed... wrong.

"What were you expecting," Xander asked, "basalt towers of doom, a lake of
fire, walls of bone and writhing flesh?"
"Well..." she replied, "yeah!"
"The castle's not Karakis', at least, not originally.  It belonged to a
mage who summoned Karakis and tried to bind him to his will.  The mage
wasn't very good though, and he botched the spell, accidentally bringing
himself, and the entire castle, here.  Karakis killed him, ate him, and
took his pad."
"Whoa... backtrack.  *Ate* him?"
"Yeah.  Karakis has a bit of a fondness for human flesh."
"Ick.  No, strike that.  Ick *squared*."
"Uh guys," interjected Angel, who had remained silent throughout much of
the trip, "Willow's gone."
"What?!" shouted Buffy and Xander simultaneously, as the spun around to
look at the spot where the hacker had stood.  She was gone.
"Where did she go?" shouted Buffy, as she frantically scanned the horizon.
"I don't know." replied Angel.  "You two were talking, I went off to scout
the area, and when I came back, she was gone."
"There!" shouted Xander, pointing out towards the sands.  There, making its
way determinedly towards Karakis' fortress, was a small red-headed figure
that could only be Willow Rosenburg.

*****

"Let them sit and chat," thought Willow, "I'll save Xander without 'em if I
have to."

Willow was continuing to march determinedly accross the sands when a hand
clamped down on her shoulder.  Spinning, Willow drew one of her Barettas
with chilling speed, and rammed it into the face of her unknown assailant.

Into the face of a sweaty and out of breath Buffy Summers.  Willow sighed,
rolled her eyes, and lowered the weapon.

"Y'know," said Buffy, as Angel and Xander came running after her, "you're
pretty quick.  If I wasn't me, I probably never woulda caught up with you."
"Well you better stay caught up with me," snapped Willow, "I'd like to have
you at my back when I storm this place."
"Whoa Will, slow down!" said Buffy, exasperated.  "This 'Terminator' bit
you've been doing has been fun and all, but we've gotta stop and think
here.  Barging right up to their front door is *not* a good thing!"
"No time for stealth," responded Willow, "every second we waste is another
second Xander suffers.  And I'm not going to let him suffer Buffy.  If I
have to rip every monster in that place apart with my bare hands, I'm
*going* to save him.  Besides, I checked the place out from where we were.
No other entrances or exits besides the main one.  Direct frontal assault
is the *only* way."
"No way Will, there has *got* to be a--"
"She's right."

All eyes turned to Angel as he spoke.

"The only way into our out of that place," said the vampire, "is through
that iron gate."
"How do you--" Angel cut Xander off.
"I told you, I scouted around."  Angel smirked.  "I'm a vampire," he said,
"I can *do* sneaky."
"All right," said Buffy, sighing in defeat, "so it's crash n' bash.  Now
how do we get in there?"
"Let me handle that." said Xander, grinning.
"C'mon," said Willow, the agitation obvious in her voice as she began to
march towards the castle once more, "lets go."

*****

Several minutes later, they arrived at the gate.

"Strange..." muttered Angel, "no guards on the perimeter..."
"Ok Xander," said Buffy, "do your thing."
"Before I do this," said the nomad, "everybody better make sure they're
ready."

Almost as if on cue, Angel's "game face" rippled into place, and he drew
his saber.  Willow checked the barettas at her hips one last time, and
cocked her shotgun.  Buffy quickly pulled her hair back into a ponytail,
and unsheathed her katana.

"We're ready Xander," said the Slayer, "do it."

Lifting the sphere high above his head, Xander paused, as if he were
looking up through the ebon clouds, perhaps expecting to see a spot of
blue.  Then his eyes and will hardened, and he allowed a single word to
slip past his lips.

"Merge."

The sphere burst like a ruptured balloon, pouring down over Xander, almost
instantly coating his entire body with its silvery essence.  Almost
instantly, the liquid hardened, taking on a new and definite shape.  As
suddenly as it began, it was done.

"Xander," asked Buffy, hesitantly, "are you--"  Buffy stopped mid-sentence
as he turned to face her.  His entire body was encased in an almost
insect-like metal carapace.  The light gleamed off of the razor-sharp
blades which protruded from various locations about his body.  He looked
different.  He looked powerful, imposing.  In short, he looked ruthlessly
deadly.
"I'm fine." he said, his voice holding a new, almost metallic resonance to
it.  "Remember," Xander's fists began to glow green as he spoke, "once
we're in there, no hesitation, no mercy, no quarter, no regret.  Give
anything in there a second of weakness, and it'll rip you into shreds.  Now
step back."

Xander's hands were glowing with a brilliant green flame, and it continued
to increase, in both size and luminescence.  Soon, it was as if he held
twin emerald suns within his clenched fists.  The man inhaled deeply, and
swung his arms forward, loosing a devastating blast.  The fireball roared
forth smashing through the gate, and exploding inside the courtyard of the
castle, incinerating many of the soldiers that had lain in wait.  With a
silent command, Xander led the group as they charged inside.

*****

Immediately they met with resistance.  The hordes seemed to be pouring out
of nowhere, as if they came straight from the abyssal pits of hell itself.
But the four fought on.  Xander leapt directly into the middle of the
masses, his armored second skin making him virtually impervious to all harm
they could inflict upon him.  He fought with reckless abandon and
relentless force, slashing and gashing his way through anything and
everything that crossed his path.  The symbiote, on occasion, seemed to act
of its own accord, loosing a silver tendril to slash a throat or sever a
head.  Buffy and Angel were doing well also, fighting in tandem, their
supernatural strength and speed propelling their blades through countless
enemies.  Even Willow was holding her own, as demon after demon was
virtually blown apart when it ended up on the bad end of her shotgun.  The
girl fought on, as every blast soaked her in the blood and entrails of the
unholy.  The bloody carnage continued as the four slaughtered anything that
came their way.  Minutes, perhaps hours, passed as the battle raged on, and
slowly, the numbers of the enemy dwindled.  Soon only a handful of the
force remained.  As Xander tore one of the demons to shreds, his
compatriots broke and ran.  Willow caught two of them with consecutive
blasts from her shotgun, but the rest escaped.  Weary and blood-soaked, the
four burst into the main hall of the castle.

"Ok," said Xander his, his voice taking on an authoritative tone, "the
dungeons are that way," he pointed to his right, "you three go get Xander."
"What about you?" asked Angel, as he wiped off his blade.
"I," said the metal-clad warrior, "have a score to settle."
"But--" Buffy was silenced by Angel as Xander rushed off down the hall.
"He has to do this," said the vampire, "he has to face his demons."

Buffy nodded understandingly, and she, Angel, and Willow, rushed off
towards the dungeon.

*****

"Karakis," thought Xander, as he marched towards the Demon Lord's throne
room, "here I come."

*****

End part 8.

We're coming up to the major showdown, and the end of "The Weapon"
friends... tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock... and I ain't anywhere *near*
the really good stuff yet *wicked grin*.

--Viashino--




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (1/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:26:35 -0400 (EDT)

Hi everybody..I posted this to the Buffy-beat list but I didn't want you guys
to miss out :)
This is the sequel to The Sighing Game..but it's not necessary to read that
story to understand this one.


TITLE: Nights Like These
AUTHOR: Rebecca Carefoot
EMAIL ADDRESS: Lady [e-mail]
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Keep my name on it and you can put it up wherever you
want
SPOILER WARNING: there are some spoilers for my story The Sighing Game since
this is a sequel.  Also I've sort of departed from canon..this is two weeks
and two days after the Angel episode.  Up until Angel it's canon...after
Angel it departs although the Master IS dead and Colin has taken over.
Confused? me too
RATING:PG-13 (maybe R in parts 6 and 10)
CONTENT WARNING:Buffy/Angel romance, a little cursing, kissing, VIOLENCE..and
talk of sex.
CLASSIFICATION:S/R
SUMMARY:This is a sequel to my previous story The Sighing Game.  You don't
really have to read it to get this story.  You just have to know that in it
Buffy and Angel decided that their love was too strong to be ignored.
 Despite the difficulties, they would try to make it work...well this is the
difficulties and the making it work part.
If you want to read the Sighing Game you can e-mail me and I'll send it to
you. (Or you can look it up at Anya's Fanfic site)
DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Sometimes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I did
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to
Joss Wheadon.
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)


Part 1
##########
The vampire rushed toward Buffy, mouth agape, fangs glinting in the
moonlight.  As it leapt through the air it growled  mencingly.  It knocked
Buffy to the ground and pulled her head to the side exposing her neck for a
bite.  Buffy calmly tucked her legs up and kicked with all her strength
sending the vampire flying backwards.  Before the vampire had time to react,
Buffy was on top of him.  She pulled a stake from the small sheath strapped
inside her sleeve and plunged it into his heart.  Then she dusted off her
hands and turned towards Giles, who was watching from behind a large memorial
statue.

"That's four Giles.   I think I've fulfilled my quota for the night" Buffy
said picking up her bag of vampire slaying supplies.  A girl should never
leave home without a few stakes and some holy water.

"Right," said Giles.  "Why are you in such a hurry?" Buffy smiled into the
darkness.  She was meeting Angel tonight.  She wanted to sing it from the
rooftops, but the sleeping residents of Sunnydale would most likely not
appreciate a midnight serenade.

"I'm meeting someone at the Bronze," Buffy answered.

"Oh, is this another one of your dates?" asked Giles.

"Giles, I am not in the mood for another one of your..you are the Slayer, you
can't have a life lectures."

"I..I suppose not," Giles stuttered, wondering how she had known he was
planning on giving her that lecture.  Not that it ever did any good.

"Besides, Angel knows all about me being the Slayer and he can take care of
himself." She swung her purse full of vampire deterrents onto her shoulder
and turned to walk away.  Giles grabbed her arm and swung her around to face
him.

"Angel?" he asked.  "You're dating Angel?"

"Yeah, so?" Buffy asked belligerantly.

"SO!So? He's  vampire!"

"Thanks for the newsflash, Giles.  I can take care of myself too you know."

"Buffy, you can't become personally involved with a vampire.  It's against
all the rules.  What if he loses control? Will you be able to kill him?"
Giles was beginning to work himself into a frenzy and Buffy was getting
angrier by the second.

"Giles, don't treat me like a little girl! I am in love.  Do you even know
what that feels like? Angel  understands me and he loves me too." She jerked
her arm out of his grasp. "I am going to meet him and there is nothing you
can do to stop me."  She walked away, refusing to look back.

"She's sixteen," muttered Giles.  "She doesn't even know what love is."

"I do too," Buffy shouted resisting the urge to stick out her tongue.  Giles
sighed, sometimes that excellent Slayer hearing was a pain in the ass.
 Actually, sometimes the Slayer herself was a pain in the ass.  Well there
was nothing he could really do about it, besides give her another lecture
tomorrow.

Buffy was determined not to let an old party pooper like Giles ruin her
night.  The farther she got from the graveyard the more her spirits rose.
 She was going to see him tonight.  Laughter bubbled up inside her, and the
world seemed perfect. Once she got to the Bronze, Buffy waited anxiously for
Angel. It had been two days since that magical night on the hill when they
had decided that love couldn't be denied.  Thinking of that night still sent
shivers up and down her spine.   She closed her eyes letting herself remember
the moment, the kisses.  Her blissful thoughts were interrupted by a familiar
voice.

"Hey Buffy, asleep on your feet?" the voice asked.  It was Xander.  Suddenly
Buffy was glad that Angel wasn't here yet.  She still felt a little guilty
when Xander saw her with Angel.  She didn't want to hurt him, but sometimes
he was such a moron.  Willow was right there pining away for him and he was
too dense to notice her.  Why couldn't he see that he would never have Buffy?
Why couldn't he see that she loved Angel more than she could even understand?
She opened her eyes to look directly into Xander's face.

"Not sleeping, I was just thinking."

"About what?" Buffy considered telling him the truth but she wasn't that
cruel.

"About Willow..where is she?"

"Ahh the Willster.  Don't know.  Haven't seen her since I tried to cheat off
her in bio." Buffy slapped Xander lightly.

"Bad Xander, bad.  Did she let you?"

"This is Willow we're talking about.  She does not cheat, ever, not even for
me."  They both looked up as Willow approached.

"Hi Will," Buffy greeted her friend.  "We were just talking about you behind
your back.  Xander was saying the most terrible things."  She smiled.

"Yes, I was" Xander admitted solemnly.  "I was practicing for my career as a
tabloid reporter."

"Your mother will be so proud" Willow said laughingly.  "So are we going in?"
 Buffy shook her head.

"You two go on ahead, I'm waiting for someone."

"That someone wouldn't happen to be a particularly gorgeous vampire with a
soul would he?" Willow asked teasingly.  Buffy blushed a little, thankful for
the dark lighting.

"Maybe," she finally answered.  "I mean yes I'm meeting Angel here, or I'm
supposed to; he's a little late."

"Maybe he stood you up," Xander suggested.  Willow elbowed him hard in the
ribs.

"He just probably got caught up in something and forgot the time.  Anyway
Xander and I are going to go in now.  Aren't we Xander?" Xander didn't
answer, so Willow grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.  Buffy watched
them enter the Bronze.  It was starting to get a little chilly.  She huddled
deeper in her leather jacket and wished she was inside too.  What if he _had_
stood her up?  They hadn't talked since the night on the hill.  What if he
had changed his mind about the whole thing and he just didn't want to tell
her?  What if...she quashed the thoughts. Buffy, she ordered herself, have a
little faith.  The guy was a couple minutes late and she had him practically
skipping town.  Sometimes too much imagination could be curse. She stood
alone in the streetlight with her doubts.  They crowded her mind, until she
wanted to scream.  That would definitely not be a good idea.  Her reputation
as a total weirdo did not need new fodder.  She decided to give it five more
minutes and then go in.  He could always find her there if he ever came.

Five minutes came and went so she decided to go join her friends.  As she
turned towards the door, Angel appeared suddenly in front of her.  She rushed
to him,jumping into his arms.  Their lips met in a passionate kiss.  When
they finally parted.  Buffy pulled away from him.  She was angry because he
was late, she reminded herself.  But just seeing his face was almost enough
to send her flying into his arms again.

"You were late" she said accusingly.

"I know" he admitted.

"Why?" she asked.

"I had a little distraction to take care of.  I was on my way over here when
I was jumped by a couple of ugly monsters.  So I had to take care of them."
 All Buffy's anger melted away in a rush of worry.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"Nothing permanent."

"Don't give me that macho crap.  Are you hurt and how badly, Mr. Cryptic
Man?"  She stared into his eyes.  "I care about you, ok?  Did you kill them?"

"It's not bad really.  They were pretty young and stupid.  I killed them, it
was messy though."

"Show me."  Angel sighed as he stripped off his jacket.  Buffy examined the
bite and scratch marks on his neck and arms.  She kissed the nasty scratch on
his neck and smiled mischeiviously up at him.  "Does that make it all
better?"

"It's a start," he answered lifting her easily into the air until her eyes
were level with his.  She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck
kissing his nose and mouth.

"So what do you want to do?" she asked.  "Dancing, or something else.  Since
you're injured and all."

"How would you like to take a stroll in the park?"

"Just as long as it's not a stroll in the graveyard, I'm up for it.  I only
have two stakes on me so I'd rather not do any more heavy-duty slaying
tonight."  Angel nodded, in approval for her carrying stakes.  Or maybe just
agreeing that any more slaying tonight would be a pain and a half.  "I'm
gonna go in and tell Willow and Xander that I'm outta here. You wanna come."

"I don't think Xander would be too thrilled to see me."

"Xander? Xander loves you."  Angel did not look fooled.  "Well ok, so maybe
he doesn't love you.  But he wouldn't try to stake you or anything." she
amended.  Angel still looked a little skeptical.  "Never mind, you stay
here."  She ran inside and said her good-byes.  Then came running back to
where Angel stood.  "So where are we walking?" she asked.

"Right now we are walking along what is commonly know as a sidewalk" Angel
answered.

"Oh, wow.  Why don't they teach us useful stuff like that in school instead
of all that stupid biology?  But where is this sidewalk taking us?"

"You'll see."

"Oh goodie, you've gone cryptic on me again.  I thought we were passed that
stage." Angel just smiled.  Buffy couldn't help but smile back.  Her insides
felt all melty when he smiled at her. Angel reached out and took her hand.
 They walked slowly side by side staring at the stars and each other.

Finally they reached a small lake glittering with moonlight, like a dark
jewel.  It sat hidden in a small glade, surrounded by trees and the fresh
smell of green grass.

"It's so beautiful," Buffy breathed, staring at the captured moonlight that
lay on the lake's surface.

"Like you," Angel said quietly.  He stared at her face as intently as she
stared at the lake.  "It's my special place,' he explained.  "That sounds
stupid. It's where I come when things get too hard.  When I need to be
alone." He paused then slowly added. "When the temptation becomes too great."
 Buffy looked into his eyes.

"The temptation to feed on a live human?" He nodded.

"You have no idea how hard it is to control.  If I ever let down my guard.
 If I ever give in and let myself feed on a live human.  I'm afraid I'll
never be able to control it again.  The urges would become too strong.  When
I'm in a crowd, I can feel the heat...of the blood, the life around me."  He
glanced at Buffy trying to judge her reaction.  Would she recoil in horror?
 "I'm telling you this because I need you to know.  I know I'm a danger to
you, and I need you to realize what you're getting into."

Buffy smiled weakly but encouragingly.  "It's better we talk about it.  You
feel so human, you look so human." Buffy shrugged.  "It's easy to forget the
vampire side of you." She nodded, trying to reassure herself.  "It's better
that we talk about it."  But she wasan't sure she wanted to.  It would be so
easy to ignore his demon half.  She looked up at his gorgeous face.  The face
of an Angel, it was too easy to forget that he was a vampire.

"Does it disgust you to hear about the bloodlust?" Angel asked uncertainly.
 Buffy thought about it for a moment.

"A little," she admitted.  His face fell.   She had hurt his feelings.  Guilt
filled her mind, but she had one more awful question she had to ask.  She
took a deep breath and asked.  "Do you ever want to feed on me?"  Angel
looked away, staring at the water.  He dropped his gaze to his hands and
answered softly, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Sometimes."  It was not the answer Buffy had wanted to hear.  Angel glanced
at her, trying to judge her reaction.  He must've seen some of her doubts in
her face for he quickly added.  "I can control it."

"I know." Buffy answered.  She softly stroked his face with the back of her
hand.  "I trust you." Angel trapped the hand in his own and kissed it
lightly.  "I love you." Buffy added softly.  The light that blossomed in
Angel's eyes was answer enough, he reached for her face and whispered into
her ear.

"I love you too."


continues



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Beach Blanket Buffy Part 10 by JJ
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:42:56 -0400

Hello everyone!  This is my first post to the xmission fanfic list.  I
don't know how many of you are also on the BBETA list, but if you are, you
probably already know this story.  If you aren't, please email PRIVATELY
and I will send you the previous parts, or if it's okay with the list moms
and enough people ask, I will repost the previous parts here.  I must warn
you, if you don't know this story, this part will make little sense and I
would recommend reading the other parts first.  If you want to know what
this story is about read the summary below.  It's pretty self-explanatory.

Any and all comments and feedback will
Title:  Beach Blanket Buffy
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  The events for this take place after Prophecy Girl and
references are made to events in the past season.
Rating: PG
Warnings:  Violence
Classification: TB
Summary:

There's trouble in store when Buffy and the gang visit the beach!  Hey,
watch out for that vampire!

There's action!   "Buffy!  There he is!"  "Quick, grab the jet ski!"
Romance!  "I didn't think I'd ever know what it was like to love a boy!  A
human boy!"
Thrills!  "Ms. Calendar, we are not in the south of France!"
Chills!  "It's kind of shaped like Elvis.  Old Elvis."
and lots of Rock 'N Roll!!  "Auhuhuhuh...wipe out!"

Can Buffy stop the vampires from ruining the End-of-Summer luau?
Will Xander find happiness with a girl from a different area code?
What mischief are Willow and Cordelia up to?
And what's with the girl with the tiger's head?

Yes, there's fun and merriment in store when the gang plays...Beach Blanket
Buffy!

Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Beach Blanket Buffy Part 10

The lifeguard had lived in a bungalow-type house only a few blocks off the
beach, in a quiet residential neighborhood.  When they got within a couple
houses of the address, Buffy felt the nervous wiggins in her stomach.
There were Undead nearby.

Her suspicion was confirmed when she spotted five men lurking about the
lifeguard's premises.  Four of them were dressed like uniformed police
offers, but there were no squad cars around and their leader appeared to be
a short man in bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian print button-down.  Buffy
grabbed Xander and Marie and dragged them behind a row of cars about 40
yards away.  "Gah!  Check out Hawaii Five-O.  He's dressed like Giles!"
Buffy whispered, remembering the grotesque ensemble Giles had worn that
first day on the beach.

"So what do we do?"  Xander asked, thirsty for action.

Buffy shook her head.  "This doesn't make sense.  Here are five
tough-looking vampires in a residential neighborhood chockfull of easy
pickings.  So why aren't they going wild on Grandma Moses over there?"  She
nodded towards a neighboring house with a little woman sitting on a porch
swing.  "They don't look like they're hunting.  They look like they're
searching for something.  I  thought the lifeguard was a random kill, but
what if he wasn't?  What if he was killed for guilty knowledge?"

"Like the location of their hideout, perhaps?" Marie suggested ingenuously.

"Good idea, Marie,"  Buffy complimented her.  "Let's see if they'll lead us
back to Crimson Sand HQ."
----
One of the advantages of being young, beautiful, and rich is that your
probability of finding a hairdresser in the LA area willing to make a house
call is very high.  Cordelia exploited this truism now to locate her
mother's hairdresser, Mr. Wong of LA, a burly Chinese-American man of
middle years known for his great sensitivity to hair-related issues.  Even
now he ran his hands sensually through Willow's abruptly shorn locks, as if
massaging away their abuse.

In a husky baritone, Mr. Wong had interjected "That bitch!" in appropriate
places to indicate his sympathetic outrage as Cordelia explained the
extenuating circumstances that had drawn him away from a cutthroat game of
mah jong . "What can be done, Mr. Wong?"  Cordelia finally asked, clutching
Willow's hand despite the girl's repeated requests to be released.

"No," Cordelia had argued, "In times of crisis, sisterhood demands solidarity!"

Willow had only sighed helplessly.  When Cordelia had found her, she had
crushed Willow to her bosom and repeated over and over, "It's okay; it'll
grow back!"  In reality, Willow was only  mildly traumatized by the loss of
her hair; Marie's threat of real violence had been of greater concern.
Looking at herself in the mirror now, she realized that Marie had left an
appreciable length that hung just below her ear.

Mr. Wong grew tired of Cordelia's haranguing and finally whispered to
Willow, "That girl!  She thinks the sun doesn't rise until she wakes up in
the morning!" then asked with a paternal smile, "What would *you* like me
to do?"

Willow looked at the man's reflection in the mirror and smiled back.
----
The vamps had given up waiting for whatever was supposed to happen at the
lifeguard's house and began to patrol the boardwalk.  Buffy and all
followed closely behind, trying to blend into the evening crowd patronizing
the restaurants and the fairway.  Buffy grew more and more confused.  These
vampires had done nothing, despite the numerous opportunities for chaos
that had presented themselves.  Whatever they were looking for was clearly
paramount in their minds.  Marie lingered behind with Xander, holding his
hand.  Buffy had noticed the gesture and the rather oblivious expression on
Xander's face.  She wondered if he even realized he was holding hands with
the other girl.  She had also noticed the fawning expression on Marie's
face.  "Criminey, it's not just Willow; he ignores *any* girl who acts
interested in him," Buffy thought, remembering his quixotic declaration of
love just before the Hellmouth.  "That boy has issues."

The vampires headed down a flight of stone stairs leading from the
promenade to the beach below.  From their position on the walk, the kids
could see the vampires disappear underneath a pier that stretched out onto
the ocean.

"Come on,"  Buffy said, authoritatively, as they followed the vampires onto
the deserted beach.
----
The tide had rolled in under the pier and Annette waited patiently for
Frankie.  He had told her that he was meeting some of the gang and then
they would all go out for a night on the town.  Annette didn't remember the
last time Frankie had taken her out on the town, but tonight she had combed
her hair special, and put on the bright red hairband with the big bow in
the middle.  As she waited for her boyfriend to pick her up, she heard a
voice call out behind her.

"Excuse me!"  the new girl said.  "You shouldn't be under here alone."  The
pretty blonde girl was with two other people.  A cute boy
and...something...Annette could quite make out the other girl out in the
shadows, but her silhouette was curvy.  They were all dressed very
differently from Annette.  They must be foreigners,  Annette decided.

"It's okay!"  Annette said, speaking loudly and enunciating every syllable,
"I'm waiting for my boyfriend!"
----
Buffy was horrified.  "Your boyfriend told you to wait for him under a dark
pier?"   The Gidget look-a-like nodded, smiling broadly.  "Did he also tell
you that you were hunting snipe?"  Buffy couldn't resist throwing the last
in, although from the girl's confused expression It was clear that she
didn't understand that she was being teased.  Badly in need of a visit from
the clue fairy, Buffy decided, a contention supported by the aggressively
retro outfit and vacant smile.

Xander, who heretofore hadn't realized Marie was holding his hand, suddenly
recognized the action when she began to crush it.  He was about to ask her
to let go when he noticed the tension in her jaw and the hardness in her
eyes as she watched Buffy talk to the girl.

"Okay,"  Buffy said, smiling warmly. "Let's get you away from here.  I
thought I saw some gang members come under here and I don't..."

Suddenly the sand underneath them exploded as Frankie and the other four
vampires burst through.  Buffy threw up her hands to shield her face from
the flying sand and felt herself being grabbed by one of the vampires.
Behind her she could hear Xander and Marie's struggle with the other three.

"Frankie!"  Annette screamed.  "What are you doing?!   Why are Johnny,
Moonpuppy, Digger, and Benny dressed like the fuzz?!"

"Stay out of this, Annette!"  Frankie barked, as the vampire attacking
Buffy, Johnny, wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up the air,
pinning her hands against her chest.  He was strong and she couldn't find
the leverage to break his grip.  "Bring them here!"

"But, Frankie,"  Annette pleaded, watching her friends Johnny "The Iceman"
Spring, Will "Moonpuppy" Summer, Jack "Digger" Fall, and Benny "The Jet"
Winter rough up her new friends, "They were being nice to me!  What are you
gonna do to them?!"

Frankie backhanded her and Annette fell to the ground with a cry.  "I told
you to stay out of this!"  Frankie turned towards his captives and stood
akimbo as the four vampires brought the three teens forward.

"Well, well,"  Frankie sneered, his Italian good looks masked by distorted
vampire features.  "The rakshasha will be pleased.  Three more sacrifices
for tomorrow's Rising, and one of them, the Emissary!"  he gloated,
indicating for Moonpuppy and Digger to bring the girl forward.  He wagged a
finger at her.  "You should have chosen more skilled allies," he said,
indicating Buffy and Xander.

"They shouldn't have sent such a young one to warn the humans!"  he taunted
her.  The other vampires laughed heartily.  Marie, her eyes glowering,
suddenly snapped her head forward and in the next instant, Frankie pulled
his hand away with a howl.  She had bitten off the wagging finger up to the
second joint.  Xander's eyes grew wide.  What the hell?!

The other vampires were startled by the terrible violence and Frankie
staggered about, clutching his mutilated hand.

"Kill her!"  Frankie shouted through the pain.  "Damn the rakshasha!  Just
kill her!"

Meanwhile, Annette had stopped sobbing and looked at Frankie with eyes
filled with acid petulance.  "Franklin Delano DeCesario,"  she shouted,
pulling herself off the ground, "Don't you *ever* hit me again!  I'm not
that kind of girl!"  She rushed him and began to beat her fists against his
back.

Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall were confused by the domestic tableau long
enough for Buffy to work her hands around the thumbs of the goon holding
her.  With a sharp crack, she snapped them back.  Johnny released her
immediately and she fell to the ground, simultaneously kicking her foot
into the air and getting him in the groin as she hit the sand.  The vampire
bent forward and grimaced in soundless agony, as she quickly rolled away
and stood up, pulling a stake out from the sleeve of her sweatshirt.  She
kicked him in the head and the vampire snapped back into an upright
position , and with a decisive thrust, she dusted him.

The other vampires, seeing their brother fall, set about the task of
killing the other two kids.  Xander struggled forcefully against his
captor, Benny, avoiding the sharp teeth as they snapped at his throat,
while the two vampires holding Marie began to drag her to the water's edge
as the tide rolled further in under the pier.  Meanwhile Annette was
screaming "You jerk!" furiously and repeatedly as her unrelenting and
merciless beating on Frankie continued.

Buffy assessed the situation:  Xander was in mortal danger as Benny slowly
crushed the breath out of him,  Moonpuppy and Digger were holding Marie's
head underwater, and Annette was slapping Frankie.  She ran over and swept
the legs out from under "the Jet" and Xander  stumbled back onto the sand.
Benny popped back up, emitting a menacing growl.  Remembering a move she
had once seen on a female wrestling program, Buffy flipped into the air,
landing with a foot on each of the vampire's shoulders, facing behind him.
As the vampire watched, startled, she jumped into the air spinning 180
degrees in place and landed  again on his shoulders, this time facing
forward.  In one seamless move, she stepped off and let her legs slide
under Benny's arms as she rolled forward, flipping the vampire over with
her.

Xander rushed to help Marie and one of the fiends trying to drown her broke
away and faced him.  What was he going to do?  He didn't have a stake.
Then he noticed the piece of driftwood laying next to his foot.  It wasn't
pointed enough to pierce anything, but it was large enough and thick enough
to use as a bat.  He ducked down and grabbed it as the vampire swung at
him, bringing the stick up and smashing it into the vampire's face.
Moonpuppy was unphased.  "Oh, boy," Xander swore under his breath, looking
around as the vampire slowly walked towards him.  Out of the corner of his
eye he could see Buffy and Benny rolling around in the sand,  trying to
strangle each other.

"Buffy!"  he shouted running towards her, holding the stick in front of
him.   Moonpuppy started to run after him, but Buffy, who had managed to
straddle Benny, saw what Xander was trying to do and reached out and
grabbed an end as Xander came near.  With a grunt, she broke Benny's
stranglehold and crawled over him, her knee crushing his nose as she broke
the stick in two with her free hand.  Xander spun around with his end just
as the vampire charged him.  Moonpuppy's eyes grew wide with surprise as he
impaled himself on the broken end.  Buffy meanwhile took her half of the
stick and finished off the vampire squirming underneath her.

They both rushed over to Marie, but it was too late.  Her body floated
gently in the water, the long strands of her golden hair reaching out in
all directions, as the vampire who killed her stepped forward and said
triumphantly, "The Emissary is dead!  Now the Rising is inevitable!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, buddy,"  Buffy said threateningly,
assuming a fighting stance.  Suddenly, there was a rush in the water as
Marie rose up and grabbed Digger from behind, but this was a Marie that
neither Buffy nor Xander recognized.  Her eyes glowed a brilliant blue as
her wet hair hung limply around her face.  Her fingers had become talons
that sank deeply into the vampire's shoulders.  She opened her mouth to
reveal a row of gleaming razor-like teeth that tore into the vampire's neck
as Digger's face contorted with terror.  He  screamed as she dragged him
into the water and both Xander and Buffy gasped as they saw the long
fishtail flip through the air behind her.

Buffy looked away as Marie mauled the vampire and noticed Annette on the
ground crying softly.  Frankie had disappeared.

When she turned back, Digger floated in the water, a rapidly decomposing
corpse, and Marie dragged herself onto the sand.

"Xander, please,"  the mermaid requested simply, her mouth wet with blood
and pieces of rotting flesh, "Help me."
----
end Part 10





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (4/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:54:24 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Sometimes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I did
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to
Joss Wheadon.
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)

Part 4
############

Buffy stood in front of her mirror staring at herself.  She smoothed the
light blue dress she had finally decided on and pulled on her boots.  She
moved closer to the mirror and checked her make-up.  Her body turned back and
forth in front of the mirror, the dress swaying slightly against her legs.
 Finally she tore herself away from the almost hypnotizing image in the
mirror.  She grabbed the jacket he had given her, slipped two stakes into her
wrist sheaths and put on her cross.  She tucked the cross into her dress,
locked her door in case her mom came looking for her and slipped out the
window.

The night air lightly kissed her face as the moon shone like a beacon.  The
world was unreal, empty.  For a moment Buffy felt utterly alone.  But only
for a moment.  She jumped down from the roof and walked along the sidewalk.
She was meeting Angel in the park that sat quietly about a block from her
house.  The park was peaceful, deserted; there was no sign of Angel yet, so
Buffy sat on one of the benches drinking in the velvet darkness of night.
 The branches whispered softly above her head and through the dark stode a
figure who could only be Angel. Everytime she saw him it sent a thrill
through her heart and a shiver up her spine.  He was so gorgeous, so smart,
she could barely believe that he could love someone like her.  Someone who
was so immature compared with him.  Someone so inexperienced.

She rose from her seat and walked to meet him.  As soon as she was within
reach he grabbed her around the waist and drew her to him.  She traced the
line of his cheekbone as he pulled her in for a kiss.  Everytime their lips
met,  it was like an electric shock.  Everytime their eyes met, the world
disappeared.  Buffy sighed a little and put her arms around his powerful
chest.  He held her close, as if he was afraid she would be ripped from his
arms.  She relaxed against his chest, resting her head over his heart.
 Safety, comfort, love; inside the circle of his arms she had it all.   He
bowed his head, lightly kissing her hair.  Her love warmed him, and he
would've given anything to keep her safe; to protect her from the threats the
vampires had brought him, the threats that he had to tell her about.  If only
time would stop, if only they could spend eternity wrapped in each others
arms.  Buffy stared up at Angel's face, her eyes glittering with unshed tears
and was surprised to see a single tear roll down his cheek.  She caught the
tear on her finger, entranced for a moment by the bead of salty blood tinged
water.  Then she absently shook it away.

"What's wrong?" she asked.  Angel looked down at her innocent eyes.  She had
seen so much horror, yet she retained an innocence that he wanted to protect.
 An innocence that he knew would dissappear slowly, a little piece vanishing
with each terror she faced.

"Let's sit down for a second." he said.  The pair walked back to the bench
that Buffy had vacated.  Buffy sat, holding Angel's hand in hers and rested
her head on his shoulder.  "Last night I had a little visit." Angel started.

"What kind of visit?" asked Buffy.

"The blood-sucking kind."

"So you met up with some of the fang gang.  What else is new?"

"You don't understand." Angel said, shaking his head.  "This is different.
 They came into my apartment and they gave me a warning."

"What do you mean?" Bufffy asked turning to look at Angel's face as he
finished the story.

"I mean, the Annointed One sent a couple of baddies to tell me that I have to
deliver your dead body to him in three days."

"Or what?"

"Or they'll hunt me down and kill me."

"We can handle it.  We've fought together before."

"And we barely survived," interrupted Angel. "That was three vamps, we're
talking about every vampire in the city hunting me  until I am dead.  It's a
totally different story.  And there's something else, one of the vampires who
brought the message, she was incredibly powerful.  I'm talking about power
that could rival the Master's."

"Yeah well, I killed the Master remember.  I can take care of her too." Angel
would've chuckled at her bravado if he wasn't so worried.

"You don't understand what I'm saying yet.  She's as strong as the Master was
and yet she serves the Annointed One.  Don't you see what that means? He must
be incredibly powerful."

"He's just a kid though."  Angel shook his head at Buffy's comment.

"No, he looks like a kid.  But he's not, he is pure evil.  Powerful evil."

"Ok I get your point," Buffy agreed.  "Come on."  She stood up and pulled on
Angel's hand.

" Where are we going?" he asked.

"We need some advice and I know the expert on advice."

**********
The insistent knocking on his front door woke Giles from his couch where he
lay, glasses askew, an ancient tome knocked carelessly to the floor.
"I'm bloody coming already!" he yelled as he staggered to the door.  He
peered out the peephole and cursed under his breath when he saw Buffy with
Angel.  He opened the door and Buffy breezed past him with Angel in tow.
"Buffy, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Way past your bedtime Giles, I know." Buffy said.  "But you're going to have
to give up your sleepy-time.  This is WAY more important."

"Is the Hellmouth reopening?" asked Giles, as panic chased the last edges of
slumber away.

"Sit down GIles," Buffy ordered.  Obediently Giles sat down on the couch.
 "Tell Giles what you told me," said Buffy to Angel.  GIles turned his
attention to Angel as the vampire began his story again.

"Last night two vampires came to my apartment with a warning from the
Annointed One.  They said I have three days to deliver Buffy's dead body to
him or else all the vampire's in the city will hunt me down and kill me."
Giles opened his mouth to interrupt but silenced himself at a glance from
Angel. "One of the vampires is as powerful as the Master was but serves
Colin."

"Good God!" Giles exclaimed.  "That boy must have immense power."

"He's not a boy," interjected Buffy.  GIles stared at her.  "Well he's not.
 He's pure evil."  Angel smiled silently to himself.

"Right Buffy," said Giles.  "You mustn't lose sight of that.  It may be hard
for you to kill s..something that looks like a little boy.  But he's a
monster like all the other vampires." Giles glanced over at Angel.
"Pr..present company excepted of course." Angel just nodded in response.

"Giles, focus!" said Buffy.  "What can we do about this?"

"First we find out more about this powerful vampire.  We need to find out who
he is." answered Giles.

"She," corrected Angel.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Giles.

"It was a woman, kind of short.  Close cropped hair, pretty face."  Buffy
turned at his description, jealous in spite of herself.

"You thought she was pretty?" she asked. Giles rolled his eyes and left the
room to collect the Watcher diaries.

"Buffy, she had a pretty face.  You on the other hand are beautiful."  Angel
grimaced, trying to explain himself and diffuse the situation while Buffy
glared.  "When I close my eyes I picture the most beautiful thing in the
world and it's your face.  You have nothing to be jealous about."  A wide
grin settled onto Buffy's face and she leapt into Angel's arms, showering him
with tiny kisses.

"You are impossible," she said as her lips met his. GIles re-entered the
room, softly clearing his throat.

"In case you've forgotten, we do actually have a serious problem here," he
said impatiently.

"Right, big problem" said Buffy as she reluctantly pulled away. "Very
important."  Giles pulled out several large leather-bound book and handed one
to Buffy.  Then he gave Angel a stack of five large books.

"Look for any descriptions that fit the woman you saw.  Pictures are even
better." Giles commanded the vampire.  The group slowly worked their way
through book after book until finally Giles found one of the older Watcher
diaries. As he read, an awful suspicion entered his mind.  "Is this her?" he
asked, showing Angel an old portrait.  A growl built up in Angel's throat
when he recognized the woman from his apartment.

"That's her."

"Let me see." Buffy commanded.  Angel handed her the book and she peered at
the picture.  "She's not so pretty."  Angel laughed and kissed her hand
gently.

"That isn't really important right now," said Giles.  "Did you look at what
it says about her?"

"No, what's so special about her?" asked Buffy.

"She was a Slayer," answered Giles.  Buffy felt a chill run down her spine
and she shivered in her seat. "That explains the power."

"But how, how did she become a vampire?" asked Buffy.

"It says that she fought the Master at that time.  It was a different Master,
one of the most powerful vampires in history.  She had no chance.  He decided
to make her a vampire as a joke.  But his blood, combined with her powers as
the Slayer created something beyond his wildest dreams.  She killed him and
became the new Master. Then the record stops."

"but if she's this powerful, why would she obey the Annointed One?" asked
Angel.

"The only thing I can think of is that he has something she wants.  Or he has
offered her something.  If this book is correct.  She could kill him easily."
 The trio stared at the picture.  The portrait had been done before she
became a vampire. She was smiling, eyes twinkiling with swallowed laughter.
 It was a picture of a young woman filled with life.  It was a beautiful
portrait, but looking at the smiling woman struck dread into each of their
hearts.


continues



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (2/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:54:35 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Sometimes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I did
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to
Joss Wheadon.
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)

###########
Part 2

The moon began its descent into day and Angel walked Buffy home.  They kissed
under the light of the moon, their lips passionately declaring devotion.
 They promised to meet the next night and Buffy slipped inside.  As she
headed for the stairs she found her path blocked by the bathrobe clad form of
her mother.  Her mother's face was a study of displeasure.  Her mouth pulled
down in to a scowl, and her arms crossed angrily in front of her.

"Where have you been?" her mother asked.

"I was out," answered Buffy tiredly, in no mood for a fight.

"I have been worried sick.  You have a curfew you know."

"Well I'm sorry. I don't have a watch.  I  lost track of time.  It won't
happen again." Buffy turned to climb up the stairs, but stopped when her
mother's angry tirade began.

"Don't you DARE go upstairs, Buffy Summers.  I am NOT through with you yet.
 You will turn and face me when I talk to you and you will show a little
respect.  I am sick and tired of dealing with your teenage angst.  You are
going to shape up or pay the price.  And you are going to stop sneaking
around behind my back."  Buffy opened her mouth to protest but her mother cut
her off.  "I saw you with that boy, the one you said goes to the college.
 Angel.  I saw you kiss him on the doorstep.  What is wrong with you? He is
WAY too old for you."  Buffy briefly considered telling her mother exactly
how much older Angel was but decided against that kamikazi plan.

"I am old enough to take care of myself, Mother.  I will date whoever I want.
 Besides you don't even know Angel.  He's a very sweet, kind person."

"You are not old enough to take care of yourself.  As long as you live under
my roof, you'll do as I say. And I forbid you to date that boy."  The pair's
voices were getting louder and louder as tempers flared.

"You can't stop me." screamed Buffy.  "I love him and he loves me!"

"You are being childish .  You don't even know what love is.  You're too
young to know."

"Why is everyone telling me that today?  How do you know what I feel?  You
make me sick! Get out of my way.  I'm going to my room." Buffy roughly pushed
past her mother and entered her room, slamming the door behind her.  She
could hear her mother scream from behind the door.

"You are SO grounded young lady.  You are to come home straight from school
every day for a week.  And no phone!  No going out with your friends, and no
Bronze!"  Buffy threw a pillow as hard as she could against the wall, sending
feathers flying.  It just wasn't fair.  She flung herself down on the bed,
grown-ups don't understand anything.  She hugged her stuffed teddy bear to
her chest and wallowed for a while in self-pity.  She had to spend all her
time fighting the most horrible things the world could offer, then she had to
go to school, try to act like a normal kid.  It wan't fair.  "Nobody
understands me," she pouted.  She almost let out a hysterical giggle thinking
that if her mom got this mad because she thought that Angel waas a couple
years older, just imagine what she would do if she found out Angel was a
vampire.  The giggle died on her lips and she began to sob.  She hated
fighting with her mom.  Everyday it was a temptation to tell her mom all
about being a slayer.  She wanted to trust her mom with all her secrets.  But
that wouldn't be fair either.  She knew her mom couldn't handle it, so she
protected her as much as she could.  Holding it all inside, rather than hurt
her mom.

It was just so hard. Buffy lay on her bed, and finally fell into exhausted
sleep on her tear-dampened pillow.

*****************
After Angel dropped Buffy off at her house, he trudged home.  He knew that
they had to talk about his vampire side.  But it would be so easy to just try
to ignore it.  Of course he could never really forget it.  Every second of
every night it tormented him.  But he would rather she not think about it.
 He would rather she could just pretend that she was dating a normal human.
 He shook his head angrily.  That was no good either.  They had to talk about
it. She had to understand the danger that always prickled right beneath his
skin.

But it had hurt to tell her those things tonight, to let her see the
bloodlust.  He had been so afraid when she mentioned lusting after her blood.
 So afraid that his answer would disgust her.  But she hadn't turned away.
 He had seen the spark of doubt in her eyes, but she had swallowed it.  She
would stick with him through anything, he could see it in her eyes.  Just
knowing that she loved him sent him spinning. That she could accept him, care
about him.  It was unbelievable.  It was amazing.  It was what made his life
worth living.

Angel reached his apartment and unlocked the door.  Dawn was coming soon.
 Time to sleep.  Not that he had a coffin or anything to get into.  In fact
he didn't even have to sleep during the day.  Vampires didn't need much sleep
at all actually.  But sleeping was a great way to kill the boredom of being
stuck inside all day.  Reading was good too, but sleeping was best.  The
hours simply melted away when you slept.  He slipped inside his aptment and
froze.  There was someone here.   At least one vampire, maybe more.  He could
sense them.  It had been awhile since any vamps had attacked him in his home.
 Actually since Darla, no one had entered the apartment.  He wracked his
brain. Darla was dead, so who could it be?  Angel felt his face transform as
his anger rose. A deep growl rumbled from his throat.

"You know what I hate?" he asked loudly.  "When monsters invade my personal
space; I REALLY hate that."  Two vampires drifted from the shadows in answer
to his voice.
"Only two?" he asked.  Keeping his back to the wall and a nonchalant grin on
his face, Angel prepared  himself for a fight.

"We did not come to kill you Angelus." said one of the vampires, a tall man
with jet black hair curling down around his shoulders.  He was muscular, not
muscle-bound but powerful looking.

"This time," hissed the other vampire, moving in closer to Angel.  The
vampire was smaller, light brown hair cut short in a pixie cut.  But the look
in her eyes was anything but enchanting.  Angel swallowed a gasp as he stared
into eyes that were pure evil.  She ran her hand down his cheek and he
shuddered, pulling away from her.  "The Annointed One wants us to give you a
message," she said.

"What, my answering machine wasn't working?" Angel asked flippantly.   His
mind worked feverishly.  He thought he could take the big guy, and normally
the woman would have been a breeze.  But her touch had scared him.  It made
his skin crawl with fear.  She wasn't very impressive looking, but he could
feel the power rolling off her.  She could have rivaled the Master.  He
looked into her eyes, they were completely empty of emotion.  Dead eyes.
 "Why are you taking orders from anyone?" he asked.

She hissed at him.  It seemed to be a sore point.  "I'll take orders for now.
 But things may change in the future." She stared at the tall man.  "Give him
the message" she ordered.

The tall man grabbed Angel's hair before he had a chance to react and banged
his head against the wall.  Stars exploded in Angel's vision but he had the
prescence of mind to kick out with one leg while he jabbed the man as hard as
he could in the throat.  The man gasped, loosening his grip on Angel's hair.
 Angel's vision had begun to clear but he knew he would have a nasty headache
all day.  He was beginning to get severely  pissed.   He threw the man
against the wall and was about to do the same to the smaller woman.  Before
he could throw her, she raised her hands and he felt himself frozen.
 "Enough!" she screamed.  "Put me down."  Angel obeyed.  He had no choice, he
had lost control of her body.  "Forgive Daniel," she said nodding towards the
man who was picking himself up  off the floor.  "This was not supposed to
happen.  I will give you the message and we will leave you in peace.  The
Annointed One says that your relationship with the Slayer is an abomination.
 You are forbidden to continue this relationship and in penance for this sin
you must bring her dead body to the Annointed One within three days.  If you
fail, every vampire in this city will hunt you down until you have been
annihalated."

With that the two vampires slipped away into the sewer system that ran
beneath the apartment.  Angel stared at the wall for a moment.  Just what he
needed, threats from his fellow vampires, ultimatums.  This was just great,
as if being in a relationship wasn't bad enough.


continues



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (3/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:54:36 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Sometimes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I did
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to
Joss Wheadon.
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)

#############
Part 3
Buffy woke up to the blaring of her alarm.  She groaned and hit the snooze
button.  When the alarm rang again five minutes later, she sat up in her bed.
 She had fallen asleep fully dressed.  She struggled to remember last nights
events as she stared at her wildly knotted hair in the mirror.  It came back
to her in a rush.  Angel, the beautiful little lake, and a huge fight with
her mom.  She decided she would rather not have remembered the last part.

She dragged herself through the motions of getting ready for school and rode
silently with her mom  towards another exciting day at Sunnydale High.  She
was almost late for her first class so she didn't get to see Willow and
Xander until they met in the library for their free third period.

"Hi Buffy," Willow chirped as Buffy entered the dark confines of the library.
She motioned for Buffy to sit down next to her and began pumping her for
details. "So? How was your date with Angel?"  Buffy glanced round the
library, but didn't see the menfolk anywhere.   She sighed happily
remembering the feel of his arms around her.

"It was so wonderful.  He took me to his secret place and we sat and
talked..and kissed.  He told me that he loves me."

"It's so romantic," Willow sighed.

"Yeah, well it gets less romantic." Buffy said bitterly.  "When I got home my
mom had seen us kissing out on the porch and she totally wigged out.  She
thinks Angel's too old for me. So now I'm grounded."

"Parents just don't understand." said Willow.

'You know what my mom really won't understand is if she finds out what he
is."

"How would she find out?"

"She won't if I can help it.  But for now I have to sneak out to see Angel."

"What's this about sneaking?" Xander asked as he walked out of the stacks.
 "I can sneak."

"Nothing much," said Buffy.  "I'm just going to have to sneak out to meet
Angel tonight, that's all...it's a whole being grounded thing."

"You're seeing Angel again tonight?!" Xander demanded.

"Yeah, so?"

"It's nothing."  Xander said.  Then he corrected himself.  "I mean just how
close are you going to get to this guy?!  Because soul or not, he's still a
vampire."

"I know that Xander," Buffy said angrily.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you," replied Xander.  But everyone in the
room knew that wasn't the whole truth.  It was more jealousy than anything.
 Buffy glared at Xander and he hated himself a little for doing this but he
couldn't stop.  "Are you going to sleep with him?" he asked.

"Xander!" Willow exclaimed.

"That is SO none of your business," Buffy retorted angrily.

"Well, have you thought about it? He's an older man, that's what older men
want.  You already kissed a corpse. Would you have sex with one too?"

"SHUT UP, just shut up," Buffy yelled.  "You don't know him.  He's not like
that at all."  She picked up a book and threw it at Xander with all her
strength.  It flew just wide of his face.  "You're supposed to be my friend,"
she hissed.

"God Xander, what's wrong with you?" asked Willow angrily.

"I'm sorry that I don't feel for you the way you feel for me," Buffy
continued.  "But don't take your jealousy out on me or Angel.  If you can't
handle it then you aren't really my friend and I don't want you around," she
screamed.  Xander took a step towards Buffy, who was shaking with anger.  He
reached out a hand to touch her but she pulled away.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.  "I didn't mean it.  I'm sorry," he whispered as
he walked out of the library.  Willow stood shocked, unable to believe that
her two best friends had practically torn each other's heads off right in
front of her.  She walked over to Buffy and hugged her tightly as Buffy
cried. At that moment Giles walked in.

"Wh..What's wrong with Xander?" he asked.  He stared for a moment at Buffy
sobbing in Willow's arms.  "I take it there was a fight?"

"You could say that," answered Willow,  "if you were really into
understatement."  Giles reached behind his desk and pulled out a box of
tissues.

"I'm going to make some coffee," he said.  "Does anyone want a cup?"  Buffy
shook her head while blowing her nose, and Willow didn't drink coffee.
 WIllow led Buffy over to  chair and gave her a fresh Kleenex.

"I'm sorry Will, I usually don't fall apart like this."

"You haven't been getting enough sleep lately and Xander was being a total
jerk.  He's usully not like that," Willow answered.

"I know, I have to meet with Angel at night but I don't get to sleep during
the day." She smiled weakly.  "Just another benefit of dating a local vampire
boy."  She touched Willow's hand gently and looked into her friend's eyes.
 "Am I doing the right thing Willow?  Everyone else seems to think I'm crazy
for doing this." Willow squeezed Buffy's hand gently and smiled
encouragingly.

"If Xander loved me, then nothing could keep me way from him. If he was a
vampire I would still love him." Willow said.  Buffy almost sighed with
relief.  At least one person understood how she felt.  But poor Willow, it
must be so hard for her to carry that secret.

"Willow, I think you should tell Xander how you feel." Buffy was beginning to
shake off her sadness in her eagerness to help her friend.  Willow shook her
head firmly, negatively.

"After all this?  Not a good idea.  You think I want to screw up our
friendships even more."

"One day?" Buffy asked.

"Maybe," answered Willow doubtfully.  Buffy shook her head,grabbed Willow's
hand and squeezed it encouragingly. Buffy knew that Willow was in pain too.
 She thanked  her lucky stars that she and Angel were together.  No matter
how hard being together was, she knew that unrequited love would be worse.
 She couldn't imagine trying to live without Angel.  They had tried to stay
apart, but love was too strong.  It drew them together, and neither of them
could resist because being together felt so right.  Soul mates, Buffy and
Angel.  Buffy sighed, she knew they were meant for each other.  Poor Willow.

"Willow?" Buffy asked.  "Have you ever thought that maybe you aren't meant
for Xander?  That maybe he's not the guy for you. Because there _are_ other
guys out there."  Willow shook her head slowly.

"It doesn't matter if Xander doesn't feel the same way I do.  I'll love him
until the end of time.  If  Angel wasn't in love with you would you just give
up on him?"

"Touche" Buffy conceded.  "Come on, we have to go to class.  I don't think I
can handle getting detention today."  The girls walked toward class, talking
of boys.

"Do they ever talk of anything else?" GIles wondered to himself as he watched
them go.


continues



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (5/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:55:11 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Sometimes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I did
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to
Joss Wheadon.
Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)

Part 5
###########
Buffy shivered as she walked next to Angel on her way home.  This was really
creeping her out.  The fact that this vampire was a former Slayer changed
everything.  She had know it was possible, she had even had nightmares about
it.  But this made it all too real.  She could feel herself starting to pity
the vampire, and she quickly banished the thought.  Giles had said her name
was Lily.  It was a pretty name.  No! She stopped herself.  She's not a
Slayer anymore, she's one of the monsters.  Buffy was scared.  How could she
possibly defeat something that had double her power?  If Lily had been a
Slayer gone bad, then the fight would've been equal.  But she had the power
of a Slayer and a Master vampire combined.

Buffy held tightly to Angel's hand, glad he was here with her.  But the sense
of safety that she had felt just a few hours before was gone.  Her confidence
was gone with it.   A normal vamp she knew she could handle.  But she had
 feeling Lily would kick her ass from here to L.A.  Their only hope was that
Giles could find some way out of this, some slight edge, anything at all.

"Angel?" she said quietly.  "What are we going to do?"  He thought for a
moment about lying, saying he had a plan, or telling her that it would all be
ok.  But it was too late for lies, there was too much at stake.

"I don't know," he finally answered.

"I don't understand why this is happening now.  If Colin wants me dead, why
do you have to be the one to kill me?"

"I didn't tell you this before," Angel said.  "I wanted to protect you.  The
other vampires say it's an abomintion, me being with you.  I have to kill you
as a penance."  He looked down at the sidewalk as it passed beneath their
slowly moving feet.

"It's my fault."  Buffy's heartbroken comment made Angel stare at her in
shock.

"No it's not.  How could it be your fault?"

"If we weren't dating then they wouldn't be trying to kill you." Angel
laughed.

"I kill them, so they try to kill me.  I think you are just a convenient
excuse.  Or one last effort to draw me back into that world."  He glared into
the night.  "I would rather die than go back."  They turned the corner onto
Buffy's street.

"You have to stay back," said Buffy.  "Just in case. I mean I'll get in
trouble if my mom sees me 'cause I'm grounded but if she sees me with you
then we're talking ax murder."  She kissed Angel lightly on the lips and
turned to go, but he grabbed her arm stopping her retreat.

"If Giles doesn't find anything to help us.." he started.  Buffy raised a
hand to his mouth to silence him but he removed it gently.  "I won't let them
kill you, they'll take me first."

"And I won't let them take you.  We die together, if we die at all.  Like
Romeo and Juliet."

"Death isn't romantic Buffy.  I don't want you to give up your life for me.
 I may not be a full vampire anymore, but I still have the monster in me.
 I've done so many evil deeds.  I deserve to die." He reached out a finger
and entwined a lock of hair on it.  "You don't."

"Don't talk like that.  At least wait until we know if Giles finds
something." Buffy covered his finger with her hand. "Please don't give up
yet.  I'd much rather have you alive than throwing your life away."

"Good-night."

"Promise me something."

"What?"

"Promise you won't decide to do it alone.  Whatever happens, we'll go through
it together."  The night was suddenly filled with silence as Angel thought
about what she was asking.   It meant he couldn't keep her safe, away from
all the dangers.  It meant he couldn't run off into the night to give his
life alone.  But being her protector was an illusion anyway, they were almost
equal in power.  And much as he knew he deserved death, he no longer craved
it.  She had given him reason to live.

"I promise." She flashed him one of her beautiful smiles and dashed home.  He
watched her go with a heavy heart.  If she was killed because of him, he
would stake himself.  If she died his life was over. He didn't have a clue
about how to get out of this mess, but for her he would try anything, he
would come up with something.  Because the alternative was unthinkable.

******
Buffy staggered into the library.  She felt like she had been beaten with a
very large stick.  She had fallen asleep in math, and in science.  Just
enough sleep to make her body crave more.  Just enough so that she felt every
nerve screaming for rest.  She slumped at one of the tables and put her head
down on her arms.  Within a few seconds she had drifted off again.  Giles
emerged from his office, looking about as awful as he felt.  He ran his hand
through already rumpled hair.  He had spent the entire night looking for
something, anything that could give them an edge.  All he had to show for it
was a pounding headache and a weariness that felt imbedded in his bones.  He
saw Buffy sleeping in her seat and decided not to wake her until he had
something good to tell her.

The doors to the library burst open to reveal Xander and Willow talking  and
laughing as they entered the dim room.  They immediately lowered their voices
when they saw Buffy's exhausted state.

"Another late night?" Willow asked Giles. He nodded distantly.

"A little more than that.  We have a serious problem."

"What is it this time?  Werewolves? Mummies? I don't think we've had any of
those yet." said Xander.  Giles' serious expression didn't change and a touch
of worry began to worm it's way through Xander's mind.

"I wish it were just that." As Giles explained the situation, Xander and
Willow could feel fear creeping up their spines.

"So what you're saying is that this thing has more than double Buffy's
power?" asked Willow.

"Buffy is the strongest Slayer I have ever heard of, but this Lily creature
is at least twice as strong, yes."  Willow shook her head in confusion.

"Why would she obey the Annointed One?  He can't possibly have that kind of
power.  If he did he would have killed the Master and taken over," she asked.

"Not necessarily." Giles contradicted.  "He may have decided to let Buffy do
the dirty work for him.  However, I think that the key to this puzzle lies in
exactly the question you've raised.  If we can figure out why Lily is
following Colin we may be able to do something to break the alliance."

"C'mon Willow," said Xander.  "I feel the urge to do some reading." He tossed
her a book and grabbed one for himself.  He threw himself into the research
willingly for once.  Guilt was tearing him apart for what he had said to
Buffy the other day.  He had hurt her, he had deliberately hurt her.  He had
let petty jealousy get the better of him, and if he could make it up to her
in any way he would've done it.  He didn't know how to stop loving her, but
for the sake of their friendship he would try.  He would step aside and let
her have her happiness.  She loved Angel.  He could see that.  Nothing he did
would change that. He sighed dragging his attention to the book in his hands.
 Here he was, actually fighting to save his rival. Here he was, actually
*reading.*

Willow watched Xander out of the corner of her eyes as he slowly flipped the
page.  From the set of his jaw she had the feeling that he was thinking.
 Probably about Buffy.  She watched him as he chewed on his lip in
concentration.  Deep longing filled her being and she wished with all her
heart that she could just shout out his name. That he would turn and see her
love for him.  That she could declare it to his face, that she could look
into his eyes and see love for her echo out of them. She brought herself back
to the task at hand.  Carefully looking for any reference to Lily.  This
wasn't the time to indulge her fantasies, Buffy needed them.

Buffy woke to see her friends skimming over page after page with their eyes.
She felt a wash of affection roll over her.  Her buds.  Her glance faltered
when it fell on Xander.  She hoped he wasn't still mad.  She had said some
pretty bad things.  He had deserved it, but she felt a little guilty  because
she knew that it was jealousy that led him to be hurtful.  Jealousy that was
her fault.  Xander looked up from his book to see Buffy staring at him.

"Hey look who's up," he retorted.  "Maybe now you'll stop slacking, and give
us a hand here."  Buffy almost sighed with relief, this sounded like normal
Xander.

"Wow, Xander, reading.  Is that voluntary, or have you been threatened into
it?"

"No threats.  I've been meaning to read," he turned the book over to look at
the title," _The Blood Rituals_.  It's a real heart stopper."  He grinned at
Buffy.  He seemed to have been forgiven.  Buffy grinned back.  Maybe they
would talk about the fight later, but for now things were back to normal.
 She grabbed a book and sat down to read.

continues



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (7/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:56:06 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.
Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return
them as good as new.  And I never make any money off them.
(That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to
the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Wheadon.
Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!



Part 7
#######

"So Giles, what's this great idea you have?" asked Buffy as they
settled into chairs at Giles' house.  Giles stared at the four different
pairs of eyes that were turned trustingly to him for help.  Buffy and
Angel sat together on the couch, holding hands.  Again.  They
seemed to be physically unable to separate themselves, he thought
uncharitably.  Willow sitting in one of the overstuffed armchairs was
joined by Xander who had hurled several cushions on the floor near
her feet, and then flung himself down on top of them.  He wished he
had more to give them, a plan that would give them confidence.
What he did have was risky at best.

"W..well," he stammered to a start. "Within the vampire community
there are several very sacred rituals.  They're like laws, only if one of
them breaks a law they are hunted,  burned alive and then their ashes
are scattered to the winds."

"In other words: you break the law, you get fried." said Xander.

"To put it plainly.  But that's not what I'm getting at.  My point is that
one of these rituals is the right to challenge a fellow vampire to a duel."
 Angel nodded at Giles' explaination.

"That's true," said Angel. "The custom isn't used much anymore.  But
it is still valid.  No vampire can lawfully resist a challenge."

"So you're saying that I should challenge Lily to hand to hand combat?"
asked Buffy.

"Actually, no." answered Giles.

"What are you talking about? I'm the Slayer remember.  I slay the
vampires." said Buffy.  "Is this ringing any bells Giles?"

"Buffy, you can't fight Lily.  You aren't strong enough." said Giles
placatingly.

"Gee, thanks Mr. I'm a big help to your self-esteem,"answered Buffy.

"Well if Buffy's not going to do it, who is?" asked Willow.

"Yeah, I mean I've been working out..but I don't think any of us are as
powerful as she is" quipped Xander.

"You've been working out?" asked Willow.  "I thought you were looking
a lot more buff."

"Really? I wasn't sure it was helping that much," Xander trailed off
under Giles' reproving stare.  "Ok, we'll talk about my muscles later."

"If we could focus what's important right now," chided Giles."I was
actually thinking that Angel would challenge her."  Buffy's eyes
widened in surprise.

"Angel?" she asked. "Giles, you've been inhaling too much newsprint.
Angel isn't any more powerful than I am."

"I'm willing to try," said Angel.  The announcement had caught him by
surprise as well, but he would much rather fight Lily himself than
watch Buffy get slaughtered.

"That's a noble gesture, but there is more to my plan," said Giles
exasperated by all the interruptions.  "If everybody would just shut up
for three bloody minutes until I could finish telling you the WHOLE plan,
then maybe you would understand." The teenagers snapped their
mouths closed and put their questions on hold.  "Thank you, as I
was trying to say...you're right Buffy, right now Angel is only as
powerful as you are.  However, he can become more powerful.  Whereas
you can't."

"I don't understand," said Buffy.  She glanced at Angel, who was
beginning to get a sneaking suspicion of what Giles was driving at.

"If he drinks of your blood Buffy, his power will increase until it is almost

equal with Lily.  It will only be a temporary increase in power, but
because it is Slayer blood it may be enough to give Angel the edge

he will need to beat her." explained Giles. Angel shook his head as
Giles' words confirmed his suspicions.  He rose from the couch and
turned his back to the room.

"No, I can't do it," he said with only a slight tremor in his voice.  "I'll
fight
her on my own."

"But you'll die, and Buffy will be next." argued Giles.  "This is our
only chance."

"You don't understand, there is a reason that I haven't fed on a
live human in almost a century.  It goes beyond guilt.  I have no
idea if I'll be able to control myself once I get a taste of warm blood."

"I think I see the problem," said Giles thoughtfully.

"Do you?" asked Angel, as he turned to face the group.  "I don't
trust myself  to do this.  I would rather fight and die, then take
the chance that I might kill Buffy because I couldn't control myself."
His voice began to rise as he continued to talk. "None of you know
what it's like to feel the blood lust, none of you know how hard I
have to fight to keep the demon in check, pray God none of you ever
know."

"Angel," whispered Buffy as she joined him standing in front of
the group. She reached to touch his face but he shyed away.
"My sweet Angelus." She reached out again and lightly touched
his chest.  "You're right, none of us know what it's like.  None of us
have any idea.  But none of that matters to me.  You may not trust
yourself but I do.  I trust you with my life, my heart, my soul."  Her
arm slid around his body and he tensed at her touch,  relaxing only
a little as she continued to speak.  "You are my Angel, and I will not
lose you becuase we were too afraid to try.  You think I'm not afraid
too? Well I am, I am more scared than I have ever been in my life.
But I can stand fear, I cannot stand by and watch you go into a battle
that you can't win by yourself.  You need my blood.  I understand
the risks and I am willing to take them.  You have to do the same.
This is our only chance."  She rested her head gently on his chest,
holding him in her arms, wishing with all her heart that she could
take him away from all this.  Wishing that she could take some
of his pain into herself.

"It's too much to ask," he whispered.  "If I lose control once, I may
never regain control again."

"I know, but I ask it anyway.  For us." she whispered back.
He nodded silently, grimly.

"I'll do it."  He wrapped Buffy in his arms, hanging onto her body
like a life-line, as if she was the last thing in the world.  As if only
she could keep him sane.  God he hoped she was enough.

Xander glanced up at Willow, then at Giles.  His eyes traveled the
room, resting on anything but the pair of them in each other's arms.
It wasn't just the jealousy either, really it wasn't! He felt like he was
intruding on them, or spying on their most intimate moment.
Willow's uncomfortable expression proved that she felt the same
way. They didn't belong here.  This was private, and there was
nothing they could do to help plan at the moment.  They looked at
each other, and as one they crept over to Giles. Tomorrow was
Saturday, the moment of truth was tomorrow night.  They would be
there as Buffy and Angel prepared.  Even if they couldn't help, they
wanted to show their support.  Besides, if Angel did go out of
control..there was no way Giles could stop him by himself.  He
would probably faint, if Angel touched him with a feather.  Neither of
them wanted to think about that much.  If Angel did lose control,
there really wasn't much any of them could do about it.  But they
would be there none the less.

Buffy heard them say their good-byes and go as if she was
in a haze.  All she wanted right now was to stay right here in
Angel's arms.  To never let go, to never see the sun rise and
then set on them.  She could feel his fear, though he controlled
it well.  He was right, it was too much to ask.  But there was too
much at stake not to ask.  If they lost, they would lose each other.
Buffy refused to let that happen.  If it meant being a blood donor,
well that was what it meant.

Angel sighed softly, loving the feel of her body in his hands.
The heat of her arms as they encircled his waist.  He would
rather die, than risk killing her.  But he had agreed.  He had
agreed to feed on a living human.  Even as he dreaded the moment,
he could feel anticipation well inside him.  It had been more than 80
years.  He fought the hunger as it rose.  Tomorrow, he would face
the ultimate test.  He would face his biggest fear.  And he wasn't
at all sure that he would win.

They decided it would be safer for Angel to walk Buffy home so they
told Giles they were leaving and began to stroll the streets of
Sunnydale, heading towards Buffy's house.

"I meant to tell you earlier that you're re-invited into my house,"
said Buffy. "It just sort of slipped my mind."  Angel's lips stretched
into a smile.

"Buffy," he said soberly.  "I'm very scared."

"I think we all are," she answered.

"I don't think any of you are as scared as I am."

"Probably not, you win the prize for having the most to worry about."

"Thanks," he said wryly as another grin threatened to break his
grim facade.

"I think I saw a quarter smile," said Buffy triumphantly.  "Besides,
you know if this doesn't work Lily will kill us, so it's not you that I'm
worried is going to go homicidal."  She stopped walking and looked
him directly in the eye.  "I know you're going out of your skull with
worry, I am too.  I know you don't feel like laughing.  I don't much
either.  But it's either laugh, cry or go insane so for now I'll laugh."

"You are so amazing," said Angel leaning closer to her face.  Buffy
stood on her toes to help him reach her lips.

"Oh SHIT!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"Ohmigod, Ohmigod." Buffy said, beginning to hyperventilate.
"I totally forgot that I'm grounded and I was supposed to go home
right after school.  My mom is going to be beyond pissed, I'm
probably grounded for three lifetimes.  I really have to go."  Her
words ran together in her panic, and she turned to run to her house.
Then she turned back, gave Angel a hard kiss on the lips.  He watched
as she ran down the street with a bemused expression on his face.

"She is the strangest girl."

continues




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (6/10)
Date: 19 Aug 1997 22:56:18 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.  Someti=
mes
I steal them like I am doing now but I always return them as good as new.
 And I never make any money off them.  (That would make me a pimp if I di=
d
wouldn't it?) They belong to the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course=
 to
Joss Wheadon.
Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!
Also thanks to my fabulous beta reader: Dare the Great :)=20


Part 6
########
When the bell rang, the three teenagers were forced to go to class.
 Listening to a history lecture seemed extremely insignificant at a time=20
like this.  But they agreed to check back with Giles as soon as possible=20
and left for an hour of forced learning. Once again alone in the library,=
=20
Giles called Angel in hopes that they could come up with a new angle on=20
the situation.

As soon as school was over Buffy, Willow and Xander met once more in the =
dark
confines of the library. =20

"Giles?" Buffy called into the silent room. =20

"Ah, you're here," was Giles' answer as he popped up from behind one of t=
he
shelves.

"So what's the word?" asked Xander  anxiously.

"Well, we may have the beginnings of a plan," answered Giles.

"Tell," said Buffy.

"I was talking to Angel and we've decided that we have to figure out how =
the
Anointed One is controlling Lily."

"Um, great plan Giles." said Xander sarcastically.  "We already knew that.
 Any idea on how you're going to figure this out."

"We have one possibility.  Angel has apprehended a vampire that he found
lurking in his house," continued Giles.  "We all have to head over there =
and
see if
we can get any information from the beast."

"Is this any particular vamp, or is it just one of the miscellaneous
loiterers?" asked Buffy.

"It's the other half of the pair that invaded Angel's home before.  It's =
name
is Daniel I believe."

"So what are we waiting around here for?" asked Willow.  "Let's go kick s=
ome
ass."  Every eye in the room settled on her and she squirmed under the
scrutiny. "Well we are going to aren't we?" she asked. Buffy grinned at h=
er
and Xander gave her a high five.=20

"Let's go." said Buffy as she breezed through the library doors with the
other three close behind.

************
Angel met them at the door of his apartment.  He stood behind the door,
hidden in shadows.  Heavy blinds were closed tight against the painful=20
light of the sun, creating an artificial night.

"He's over there," he said nodding in the direction of a large figure slu=
mped
against the wall.  "He came after me, said I had shamed him.  So=20
I knocked him out and chained him up."  Xander approached the still=20
unconscious vampire cautiously.   He resisted the urge to poke the man's
body.

"So how are we going to get him to tell us anything.  I seriously doubt t=
hat
he's just going to spill his guts.  He looks pretty tough."

"There are ways," said Angel ominously, flashing a fang filled grin.  He
strolled over to the unconscious vampire and grabbed a hand full of=20
the man's long hair.  He casually slapped Daniel's face.  The vampire's=20
head rocked slightly with the force of the blow, but Angel's hold on his=20
hair kept his neck from snapping backwards. He came to with a low=20
growl and pulled against his chains.  Keeping his face completely calm,=20
Angel bent Daniel's pinky back until the brittle bone snapped.=20
Daniel screamed in pain and Willow=92s face paled. =20

"Don't worry," said Angel.  "He'll heal."  He turned his attention back t=
o
the vampire before him.  "We need a little information," he said politely.
 "You
can either cooperate, or you can be tortured until you cooperate."  Danie=
l
only
hissed in response and spit in Angel's face.  "I was hoping you'd say tha=
t,"
Angel
said, and licked his lips in anticipation.  "But with less spit."  He tur=
ned
to look at
the four humans, who seemed less than thrilled at the show.  "It's
necessary," he
said.  "His Master will punish him if he tells, so we have to make him mo=
re=20
afraid of us than he is of his Master." Their heads nodded, but their fac=
es=20
evidenced their horror at the proceedings.  "You don't have to watch,"=20
Angel offered.  Willow nodded once and left the room.  Xander glanced=20
after her, but decided to stay.

"I think it's best I stay, to hear what he says," said Giles nervously.
 Buffy stared at the sullen vampire before her, the two slightly queasy
humans, and finally at Angel. She could stand the gore, she'd seen worse.
 But she wasn't sure she wanted to witness the brutality Angel was capabl=
e
of.  Finally she decided that it would be cowardly to try to pretend this
wasn't happening.  She stood her ground and Angel turned back to his vict=
im.

"We want to know why Lily follows the Anointed one," he hissed.  His leg
flashed out so quickly that Buffy almost didn't notice it move. A dry=20
crunch filled the room as Daniel's knee broke.  He choked back a scream. =
=20
Angel shrugged and stalked from one side of the vampire to the other.  Hi=
s
fist flashed out and when he pulled it back Daniel's nose was smashed,=20
streaming blood.  Xander silently turned away and walked out of the=20
apartment to join Willow.  "If you tell us what we want to know,
we'll let you go free," Angel said tantalizingly. =20

"You don't understand," said Daniel, choking on the blood streaming from =
his
nose. "She'll kill me."

"So will we," said Angel, "if you don't tell."  He reached in to his pock=
et
and brought out a blue jewelry box.  He popped it open and showed the=20
contents to Daniel who's eyes jumped suddenly with fear.  Angel pulled=20
the cross out of the box by it's chain.  He swung it gently in front of=20
Daniel's face.  Daniel began whimpering with panic.  "Tell us why Lily=20
is following the Anointed One.  We know she's powerful enough to kill him=
."=20
Angel brought the cross closer to Daniel's face and lightly touched his=20
forehead with it. The flesh sizzled where it touched the vampire and he=20
opened his mouth to scream.  Angel grabbed the cross itself, ignoring
the pain as it ate into his hand.  He pressed the cross firmly to Daniel'=
s=20
mouth, until the vampire's lips were black and his screams had devolved=20
into frantic, futile cowering.  Then he grabbed the chain again.

"You don't understand," whispered Daniel.

"Then help us understand," threatened Angel, or I will burn out your tong=
ue."

"She's not following him!" Daniel screamed.  "She's just using him," he b=
egan
to laugh hysterically.  "Using him as a figurehead." He dropped his voice=
 to
a
whisper.  "Sometimes, she feeds off him.  She thinks it's funny.  The oth=
er
vampires are too afraid to do anything. Eventually she'll tire of him, th=
en
she's going to kill him."  Angel looked at Giles, who nodded carefully.  =
It
was possible, more than possible.  With a quick motion Angel unchained hi=
s
prisoner.  The ravaged vampire ran at Buffy, attacking in an impossible
situation.  Her instinct took over, and she staked him before she even
realized what was happening. =20

"Ooops," she said, looking down at the stake in her hand.

"He wanted to die," said Angel.  "He betrayed his Master, Lily."  Angel
turned to Giles.  "So now we know who's pulling the strings, does that=20
help us at all?"

"It may," said Giles.  "There's only one thing I can think of to do.  It =
may
not work, but it's better than facing all the vampires in the city at onc=
e. =20
The sun's gone down, let's get out of here."  He walked out of the room=20
to tell Willow and Xander what they had found out. =20

"Are you ok?" asked Angel, lightly touching Buffy on the shoulder.  She
jumped a little at his touch.=20

"How can you be so gentle with me, and yet be able to brutally torture th=
at
vampire?" she asked.

"If one of your friends was in trouble and the only way you could save th=
em
was to torture your enemy, would you do it?" he asked.

"Yes, I would" she answered.  But I don't think I would enjoy it as much =
as
you did, she thought to herself.  Some of her thought must have shown on =
her
face, because Angel's face hardened.  She could tell that her disgust hur=
t
him,
deepened his own self-hatred.=20

"Buffy, the beast is part of who I am.  But believe me, if there had been=
 any
other way, I wouldn't have tortured him."

"I know," said Buffy.  She understood the reason for what had been done. =
 In
his place she would have done the same thing.  But watching him do it was
something she wished she hadn't seen.  She was suddenly very glad that=20
Angel was on their side and that he was strong enough to keep his demons =
in
check.  She grabbed his hand and together they went to look for the rest =
of
the group. =20

continues






-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (8/10)
Date: 23 Aug 1997 16:42:32 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse.
Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return
them as good as new.  And I never make any money off them.
(That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to
the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Wheadon.
Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!


###################
Part 8
###################

Buffy ran down the street with the speed born of panic.  Her
mom was going to kill her.  How could she have been so
stupid?  Especially now, why was it that she always got
grounded right when the world most needed saving?  Her
heart thudded loudly in her chest as she cautiously opened
the front door.  She briefly considered sneaking up the stairs
to her room and saying she'd been there the whole time.
But even HER mom, the queen of cluelessness, wouldn't fall
for that one.  She decided the best thing to do at the moment
was just to announce herself and face the consequences.

"Mom?" she called loudly.

"Buffy, is that you?" her mom answered. No, it's your other
daughter, Buffy thought sarcastically.  But she restrained
herself from saying it out loud.  She was in enough trouble
without giving her mom an attitude.  "I'm in the kitchen,"
continued her mother. So Buffy slowly trudged to the kitchen
to meet her doom.

"Buffy, you do realize that when I said you were grounded I
meant you weren't supposed to go out?" said her mother.
"I almost called the police, but then I realized that you were
probably just playing out your teenage rebelliousness.  You
had me woriied sick!"

"Oh Mom, I'm REALLY sorry.  I swear I just totally forgot.  As
soon as I remembered I ran all the way home.  It's just that
there's a sort of crisis and it totally slipped my mind."

"What kind of crisis?"

"Um, I can't really tell you the details of it.  It involves Xander
and WIllow though."

"Are they in trouble?" asked Buffy's mom, beginning to feel
worried for her daughter's friends.

"No, no...mom that's not the point.  The point is I'm sorry and
it won't happen again." Buffy kissed her mom on the cheek
and turned to go upstairs.

"You mean you're not going to argue?"

"It doesn't do any good," siad Buffy bitterly.  "You don't listen to
what I say.  You think I'm too young to know what I'm talking about.
So I'd rather not scream into a vacuum again tonight, if you don't
mind.  I'm too tired to fight."  Buffy's mom began to feel the stirrings
of guilt.  She had doubted herself since the moment she lost her
temper and grounded Buffy.  She was being awfully quick to judge
that poor boy.  She had barely even met him.

"Buffy, wait" she finally said.  "I know, it was kind of unfair of
me to ground you, just because I don't like your boyfriend.  But
can't you find a boy your own age?"

"I could find a boy, but I wouldn't be in love with him like I am
with Angel."

"I guess," her mom began," I guess I should really meet him before
I decide whether I  should forbid you to see him."  Buffy kept her
mouth from dropping by a supreme effort of will.

"Who are you and what have you done with my mother?" she
asked teasingly. Then she rushed at her mother and squeezed
her tight in a huge hug.  "Thanks Mom.  You'll really like him,"
she said enthusisticlly.

"So you'll bring him over tomorrow?" asked her mother.

"Umm, tomorrow's no good.  But the next day I promise."

"Go to bed."

"Mom? Am I still grounded?"

"You're on probation, now get outta here."  Buffy bounced
up the stairs.  She had no idea what had come over her
mother, but if this worked out then things were looking up.
Provided of course that they managed to kill the extremely
strong, evil vampire, which was a big if.

**************
Buffy woke early the next morning.  This was it, the last
day before the big showdown.  Doubts began to pound
against her skull, as she lay in her bed staring at the ceiling.
There was so much that could go wrong.  There were so many
holes in their plan that she could barely believe that she had
agreed to it.  Angel was going to suck her blood, how much
blood? Giles had neglected to mention that, and she had
been too caught up in getting Angel to agree to the plan that
she had forgotten to ask.  What if he did lose control? What
if the demon took over and she died in his arms? Well, there
were a lot of worse ways to die, but she didn't want to die at all.
And then say that the sucking part worked, what if it didn't
give Angel enough of a boost and he lost the battle.  She
sat up and walked to the bathroom to throw cold water on
her face.

This was not a good attitude, she decided.  She'd just have
to believe that everything would turn out all right.  She'd just
have to have a little faith.  It would have been easier if she
had been the one going into the fight.  Then she would've
known what to do.  She might have lost the fight, but at
least it was something she was slightly in control of.
Waiting for someone else to fight and letting them suck
her blood, that wasn't her style.  She needed the pumping
of adrenaline, the use of her own strength to beat back the
evils of the world.  But this time someone else would be using
her strength.  She shivered a little.  She never would have
guessed that she would one day willingly let a vampire suck
her blood.  Her very nature screamed against it.  But then
she never would've guessed she'd fall in love with a vampire either.

She hopped into the shower and then dressed herself in a pale
green dress.  It shimmered in the dim morning light of her bedroom,
and her eyes suddenly filled with tears.  She didn't want to do
this. She didn't want to let him bite her.  She quickly blinked the
tears away and grabbed the leather jacket.  She pressed it to her
face, letting the rich smell of the leather calm her.  She would do
it because she had to.  If it didn't work they were all dead anyway.
So it had to work, it would work.  Angel loved her, he wouldn't hurt
her.  She had to believe that.

************
Angel felt the dawn under his skin as the sun rose.  He was safely
hidden from the sun's rays but he could still feel them as they fell
against the blinds in his apartment.  When they were ready Giles
would call.  Until then, he would wait.  The waiting was the worst,
the doubts became more and more real as each minute passed.
He had promised to do it, he had to do it.  Buffy's face invaded his
mind and he closed his eyes tightly, thinking of her.  She had
asked him to do it, and he would.  He would do it for her.

But his soul screamed against it, even as the hunger beat in his
veins.  His mind knew that if he didn't try they would both die.
His soul refused to respond to the logic.  She trusted him, but
she didn't know how close to the edge he could get.  Only he
knew how dangerous this was.  Only he knew how loudly the
demon roared in the locked vault of his mind.  He was alone.
And never alone.  His demon had him trapped and he knew it
would take everything he had not to kill her.

He put on the tiny gold cross that he sometimes wore to tame
the urges, and to remind him of what he was.  He would need
all the help he could get. Faith and love, he had both; and he
knew that she had faith in him too.  They all did.  He could feel
the urges calm as the cross touched his chest.  The pain was
nothing, she was everything.  He would fight to save her.  It
wasn't Lily he worried about.  If they got that far, he thought he
could win.  It was himself that he feared more than anything.

***********
Buffy, Xander and  Willow were all gathered at Giles' house
again.  It was beginning to be their new center of operations.
They talked softly, the mood subdued as the day wore on.
Giles had explained more of the details of the blood transfer.
All that was really needed was a taste.  Less than the pint that
they took from you in the bloodmobile.  She would feel weak,
he explained.  But her regenerative powers made it a relatively
riskless procedure.  Relatively riskless until you factored in
Angel's demon.  If all went acording to plan, she would be fine
within half an hour.  If Angel lost control she would probably die.

Finally the sun began to sink below  in the afternoon sky.
Giles called Angel.  They were ready.  He would meet them
at the old mauseleum in the graveyard.  He could reach it
without facing sunlight by using the sewers.  Most likely
the rest of the vampires would be resting or readying themselves
for the confrontation tonight.  No doubt Colin and Lily would
bring a large number of the other vampires with them to meet
Angel in case he failed to deliver Buffy's body.  It seemed so
long ago that Daniel and Lily had delivered the warning to him.
Could it really be only three days?

The little group was already there when he finally reached
the mauseleum. Their faces were as grim as he felt.  Xander
and WIllow stood a little apart.  They weren't part of this.
But they each had a stake hidden in their pockets.  If things
got out of hand there might not be much they could do, but
they would try.  Giles stood next to Buffy his hand on her
shoulder.  His face was a stoic mask, hiding the fear that
this might not work.  That his plan would be the death of
both Buffy and Angel. He sighed, they had to try.

Buffy looked up as Angel entered the mauseleum.  He was
so beautiful, she felt a rush of love and trust.  She walked
over to him and whispered the words "I love you." Then she
wrapped her arms around his waist and exposed the side
of her neck to him.  He stared at the flesh, feeling his hunger
take control.   He felt the vampire face emerge and he didn't
fight it.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, and kissed the top of Buffy's head.
This was it, no stalling, no waiting.  Just him and her, and her
warm blood.  He bent his face to her neck, kissed it lightly and
sunk his fangs into her vein.

continues





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (9/10)
Date: 23 Aug 1997 16:42:53 -0400 (EDT)

 DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse. =20
 Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return=20
 them as good as new.  And I never make any money off them. =20
 (That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to=20
 the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Wheadon.
 Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!
 And before I forget..thanks Dare.  You rock!
=20
 ###############=20
 Part 9
=20
 Buffy gasped as Angel=92s fangs sank into her neck.  The sharp pain=20
 brought tears to her eyes.  But soon the pain faded and reality began=20
 to shred.  She was suddenly completely focused on his ear.  Each=20
 tiny detail assaulted her senses.  Her vision swam and she began to=20
 panic.  This wasn=92t right, he needed to stop.  Her fist beat futilely=20
 against him but she had no strength behind the blows.  She could
 feel her life drifting away, drifting into him and there was nothing=20
 she could do to stop it.  Calmly, dreamily she realized that she was=20
 going to die.  =93Angel,=94 was her last thought as she slipped into=20
 unconsciousness.
=20
 Angel tasted the sweet coppery blood as it entered his mouth. =20
 The raw power electrified him with an overwhelming burst of pleasure. =20
 Vainly he fought against the hunger and was swept underneath it. =20
 The pleasure, the hunger, the demon took over.  He silently screamed=20
 her name as he felt himself overwhelmed.  The power surged=20
 through him, causing each nerve ending to explode with feeling. =20
 He felt her heart beat weaken as his grew stronger.  He felt her life,=20
 her strength seeping into him.  He felt them become one and he=20
 felt her begin to die.  With each drop of blood the hunger grew stronger=
. =20
 With each heart beat the power flowed though him like a giant wave,=20
 dragging him underneath.  He wanted more than anything to give in to it.=
 =20
 To let the power, the pleasure sweep him away.  He held on to her=20
 name like a drowning man, repeating it over and over to himself. =20
=20
 The blood throbbed through his body, filling his ears with a dull roarin=
g.=20
 Dimly, as if from a great distance he could hear voices.  Screams.
 Slowly he fought to regain control.  Her name echoed in his mind=20
 like an accusation. It took all his strength to pull his teeth from her=20
 neck.  He grimaced in pain as he denied himself the satisfaction=20
 of her blood.  Before he could lose control again, he laid her on=20
 the ground and turned away.  The hunger beat against his brain,=20
 the power sang through each of his veins, setting each nerve-ending=20
 on fire.  He smashed his fist against the wall until the wall crumbled a=
=20
 little, until the pain began to drive away the haze of hunger.  He shook=
=20
 his head trying to clear the last vestiges of the demon's control=20
 from his body. When he was sure that he could keep from attacking,=20
 he turned to face the others.  They were crowded around Buffy's body,=20
 and his heart stopped.  He hadn't regained control in time.
=20
 "Is she dead?" he asked, his voice breaking with anguish.
=20
 "Actually, she's not," said Giles a little warily.  "Are you sure you=20
 are under control?"  Angel nodded silently.  "She's lost a lot of=20
 blood.  If she were anyone but the Slayer...she would be dead."
=20
 "I lost it," said Angel,"when I felt that blood on my tongue, in my vein=
s.=20
 It's like no other feeling on earth.  I was so close to killing her."  H=
e=20
 covered his face with his hands, feeling the ridges.  Feeling the shame=20
 of his beast,
=20
 "But you didn't," said Giles.  "That's the important thing.  Right now=20
 you need to focus on the fight.  You need to be able to concentrate.
 You need all your strength."
=20
 "Did it work, though?" asked Xander peering at Angel for some=20
 evidence of change.  Angel could still feel the power as it flowed=20
 through his veins, as it swept him along on a wave of energy.
=20
 "Oh yeah, it worked," he said.  "We'll just have to see if it's enough."
=20
 "You don't look any different," said Xander.
=20
 "A vampire's strength doesn't come from muscles.  Our strength is=20
 in direct relation to our power.  It's the same for a Slayer.  Buffy=20
 doesn't look that strong, but she has enough power to tear you apart."
=20
 "So can you beat Lily?" asked Willow, looking up from where she sat=20
 on the floor, cradling Buffy's head on her hands.
=20
 "I don't know."  Angel answered dully, his eyes locked to Buffy's still
 form.  He inhaled sharply as her eyelids fluttered and she worked her=20
 way back into consciousness.  She groaned and opened her eys.
=20
 "Is Angel..?" she began to ask.
=20
 "I'm here," he said, wanting to hold her but afraid that she would rathe=
r
 he stay as far away from her as possible.
=20
 "Come here," she whispered.   He slowly approched her body as she=20
 lay on the floor.  He hovered uncertainly over her body, unsure of what=20
 she wanted from him.  "Hold me," she said.  He knelt beside her and=20
 lifted her easily in his arms.  She rested her head in the curve of his=20
 shoulder and draped one arm weakly around his neck.  "Take me with=20
 you?" she asked.
=20
 "Buffy, you're too weak.  If I lose.."
=20
 "If you lose they'll hunt me down, Lily's not one to mess around. =20
 And she's not trapped underground like the Master was. If you win,=20
 they won't threaten me tonight."  She tilted her head up to look into=20
 his face.  "Please?" she asked.
=20
 "All right, " he sighed.  He wanted her near him, wanted to reassure=20
 himself that she was alive.  That he hadn't killed her after all.  "I lo=
ve=20
 you," he whispered softly into her ear. =20
=20
 "I know," she whispered back.
=20
 Angel looked at Giles, and the librarian nodded.  It was time. =20
 Gently Angel carried Buffy through the graveyard, as gently as a=20
 husband carrying his wife to bed for the first time.  Lily and Colin=20
 were waiting in the center of the graveyard.   A dozen vampires=20
 formed a half-circle behind them. =20
=20
 "I'm surprised you came, Angelus.  I didn't think you'd be able to=20
 kill her. I thought your feelings would get in the way." said=20
 Colin mockingly.
=20
 "Isn't it past your bedtime?" Angel asked. "I didn't come for you,=20
 little boy.  And I didn't come to bring the Slayer to you." He pointed=20
 to Lily.  "I came for her."  Lily responded with a hiss, but Angel=20
 wasn't finished.  "I challenge you, by my right to fair combat," he=20
 screamed.  Lily growled deep in her throat.
=20
 "You don't know what you're getting into," she spat.  "You're not=20
 ready to take me on."=20
=20
 "Do you refuse the challenge?" he asked.
=20
 "I accept," she hissed angrily.  He nodded grimly in respose, and lay=20
 Buffy's body down under a conveniant tree.  Then he turned to face=20
 his opponent.
=20
 continues=20




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Nights Like These (10/10)
Date: 23 Aug 1997 16:43:16 -0400 (EDT)

DISCLAIMER:I don't own any of the characters from the buffyverse. =20
Sometimes I steal them like I am doing now but I always return=20
them as good as new.  And I never make any money off them. =20
(That would make me a pimp if I did wouldn't it?) They belong to=20
the nice people at Fox, the WB and of course to Joss Wheadon.
Lily is mine, mine I tell you!!
And before I forget..thanks Dare.  You rock!

#############
Part 10

Angel watched Lily warily, as they circled each other, testing=20
each other.  The other vampires backed out of the way.  Once=20
the battle was begun they could not interfere.  Not that they=20
would want to anyway.  The power rolled off the two warriors,=20
electrifying the air around them.  Where their aura=92s met,=20
sparks flew.

Angel moved suddenly, faster than sight and struck at Lily=92s=20
chest with his foot.  She felt him coming and side stepped=20
easily, returning with a kick of her own that forced him to=20
scramble back.  They circled each other once more.  She=20
leapt at him, arm outstretched.  He dodged out of the way,=20
grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her.  She struggled=20
against his grasp and swept his feet out form under him.  As=20
he fell to the ground he threw her away from him.   They both=20
jumped up and began to circle again, feinting at each other. =20
Lily sent a bolt of power flying, as she tried to entrap Angel=92s=20
mind.  Her power was a crushing  weight against his will and=20
he felt her thought, her commands invade his brain.  He warded=20
off her mental attacks with an attack of his own.  He sent her=20
power flying back at her with a bolt of his own.  She staggered=20
slightly and he used his advantage, pressing forward to leave a=20
long scratch along the length of her face.  She shrieked in anger.

=93You can=92t be this powerful,=94 she screamed. =20

=93Says who?=94 asked Angel as he leapt at her again.  This time=20
she was ready and she turned his blow aside, answering=20
with a blow of her own.  Her fist sent him reeling as stars=20
exploded in his vision.  He blinked once to clear his eyes=20
and rolled out of the way of her kicking foot.  He rose to his feet=20
in one smooth motion, grabbing her foot and sending her=20
flying through the air to land on her back.  He licked the blood=20
from the lip she had split with her fist.  She growled and dove=20
through the air.  He tried to side-step her attack but she caught=20
him in the shoulder, driving him to the ground with her.  They=20
rolled on the floor, biting and scratching at each other.  Lily=20
attempted to gouge out Angel=92s eyes but he quickly moved=20
his head out of the way while using their momentum to end=20
up on top of her, straddling her struggling form.  He pulled his=20
fist back and smashed it into her face with all his strength. =20
Bones snapped but she clung to consciousness, using her legs=20
to throw him off her.  Dripping blood she came at him, grabbing=20
his throat and squeezing as hard as she could.  He laughed=20
weakly.  Vampires didn=92t breathe.  Understanding her mistake=20
she changed her grip to tear out his throat.  Realizing her=20
intentions, Angel punched through her chest with his claws. =20
His hand emerged from her chest, holding her heart.  Blood=20
sprayed in every direction, coating Angel in gore.  Lily stared=20
in disbelief at Angel=92s hand, still squeezing her heart.  Blood=20
burbled up her throat and she sank to the ground.  With a casual=20
movement, Angel tore out her throat. =20

He had won. He stood over her, and watched as her body=20
exploded into dust, adrenaline still surging through his system. =20
Without thinking he licked the blood from his hand.  His lip=20
curled in distaste.  There was power in it, but evil too. =20
Overwhelming evil.  He could still feel the battle rage, the heat=20
of combat.  He shook slightly as he forced himself to slow his=20
heart.   As he forced his body under control.  Then he looked=20
out at the world.  The other vampires had run, and Colin was=20
gone with them.  A sudden wave of panic broke over him and=20
he searched frantically for Buffy.  She was still right where he=20
had  laid her, leaning against the tree=92s supportive trunk.  He=20
limped over to her, shaken by an irrational burst of fear that=20
somehow she had died.

She lay against the tree, her eyes closed.  He sat down beside=20
her and tenderly moved an errant strand of hair from out of her=20
face.  Slowly responding to his touch, she opened her eyes. =20
She smiled when she saw him sitting beside her, staring worriedly
into her face.

=93I=92m fine," she said.  He smiled in response and she reached=20
up to touch his face.  =93We=92re a fine looking pair, you=92re completel=
y=20
covered in blood, and I=92m sitting here with barely any left.=94

=93Do you feel any better?=94

=93Actually I kind of do.  I guess we won, huh?=94

=93I=92d say so.   Did you sleep through the whole fight?=94 he asked=20
teasingly.

=93Just the boring parts,=94 she said grinning.  =93To tell you the truth=
,=20
I felt like I was fighting too.  I felt like I was a part  of you.=94

=93You are,=94 said Angel softly, leaning towards her to kiss her=20
mouth softly.  She returned the kiss, tangling her fingers in=20
his hair.  Then she lay her head on his shoulder.

=93I got blood on my dress,=94 she said.  =93I really liked this dress.=94

=93I=92m sorry.=94=20

=93I was worth it,=94 she said with a grin.  =93It was worth it all for t=
hat=20
kiss and the look on Lily=92s face.=94

=93Which look?=94

=93The one where she saw you holding her heart in your hand.=94

=93You saw that?=94 Angel asked cringing. =20

=93I saw.=94 Buffy answered simply.  She thought about the bloodlust=20
she had felt during the fight, the joy of battle, the viciousness. =20
The feelings that she had shared with him as if they were her=20
own.  That could wait, she=92d tell him later.

=93Can you walk?=94 he asked, standing up slowly.

=93Yeah, no problem.=94 She pushed herself up off the floor. =20
=93Witness me walking.  The great  vampire slayer thinking=20
being able to walk by myself is a huge accomplishment. =20
What=92s wrong with that picture?=94  Angel smiled at her=20
lighthearted comments and swept her up into his arms.=20
=93Put me down,=94 she said.  =93You=92re not in any shape to carry=20
any one.=94

=93Hey it=92s my fault you can barely walk and you=92re the=20
reason why I won. Besides it=92s so much faster this way.=94

=93Okay, just this once.=94 Buffy relaxed in his arms, hugging him=20
around the neck.  He bent his head to kiss her and began to=20
carry her to Giles=92 house where the Slayerettes were waiting.=20
=93Oh I almost forgot,=94 Buffy said suddenly.  =93You have to come=20
over to the house tomorrow and meet my mom.=94

=93Oh God,=94 groaned Angel.  =93And I thought it couldn=92t get any=20
worse than facing the most powerful vampire alive and almost=20
killing my girlfriend in the process. =93

=93Just try not to let the vamp pop out while you=92re talking to her.=94

=93Gee, thanks for the advice.=94 Laughing, they continued down the=20
street.

**********************
Giles winced as the loud music that filled the Bronze=20
assaulted his ears.  He had agreed to come in a fit of=20
joy over their triumph.  Now he was beginning to regret=20
that decision.  He should have stayed home and re-read=20
one of his favorite books.  That was more his kind of=20
celebration. He sat down at a table, drink in hand.  He would=20
need several more to get through the night.  He stared out=20
at the dance floor, searching the gyrating bodies for a familiar=20
face.  His gaze finally settled on Xander and Willow, dancing=20
together.  He smiled at the look of rapture on Willow=92s face. =20
It was almost worth it just to see her so happy.

Watching Xander dance, Willow giggled a little.  It was kind=20
of endearing how he threw himself into the dance, not caring=20
what anybody else thought.  She felt a sudden rush of affection=20
for his total lack of rhythm.

=93C=92mon Will,=94 he screamed over the music.  =93Cut loose. =20
We saved the world remember, so boogie down.=94  Willow=20
shook her head doubtfully.  She would feel too ridiculous.  =20
She watched as his face fell slightly at her refusal, and she=20
immediately regretted her decision.  The guy of her dreams=20
was asking her to dance and she refused because she was=20
afraid of a little embarrassment.  Well not tonight, she decided. =20
Tonight she just wouldn=92t care what the rest of the world thought.

=93All right!=94 she yelled.  =93Let=92s get funky!=94 She abandoned=20
her traditional dance, which consisted of bouncing from=20
one leg to the other, and began to gyrate wildly.

=93Whoo hoo!=94 Xander replied grinning, and the two shook and=20
shimmied to the music.

Buffy laughed as she watched the pair=92s wildly flailing limbs.=20
=93I can=92t believe it,=94 Buffy said to Angel. =93Willow has never=20
danced like that in her life.  She looks like she=92s having a=20
seizure...I mean in a good way.=94  Angel glanced over at the=20
pair and chuckled.

=93That=92s what love=92ll do to you,=94 he said.   They were sitting=20
at one of the many tables that filled the Bronze.  They=20
had cleaned themselves up as much as possible.  Angel=92s=20
jacket had been completely ruined so he was wearing=20
one of Giles=92 tweed numbers.  It was amazing, Buffy thought,=20
he even managed to make Giles=92 clothes look good. =20
They had washed her dress in the sink, but it hadn=92t dried in=20
time; so she was wearing an over size T-shirt and boxers. =20
She covered the outfit with the leather jacket Angel had given=20
her.  It wasn=92t her best look, but right now she couldn=92t care less=20
about fashion. =20

=93Tell me again why we can=92t dance too.=94 She whined.

=93Mainly because we both almost died tonight.=94

=93Oh yeah,=94 Buffy said.  =93But I feel so much better.=94  Angel=20
shook his head forbiddingly, just as Jewel=92s Foolish Games=20
came on.  =93Oh, please!=94 she begged.  =93Slow dancing is=20
just swaying anyway, there=92s no exertion involved.=94  Angel=20
looked into her pleading eyes and couldn=92t resist.

=93Just one.=94  They walked to the dance floor and wrapped=20
their arms around each other.    Buffy lay her head against=20
his chest.  Feeling his strength; drinking in his heat, his=20
smell.  She looked up as she felt him shift in her arms. =20
He kissed her forehead lightly and she raised her face. =20
Their lips met tenderly, then again more passionately.  She=20
ran her hand up his back, inside his jacket and he shuddered=20
a little.  He twisted a strand of her hair on his finger, and drew=20
her closer. Buffy knew that they still had issues to work through. =20
She had felt his blood lust during the fight, and it scared her. =20
And there was still the sex thing.  Xander had been cruel when=20
he brought it up, but it was a valid point.  She let all their=20
problems slip to the back of her mind. There would be plenty=20
of time for problems later.  Right now they were together and=20
tomorrow would never come.  She smiled up into his beautiful=20
eyes.  Tonight problems didn=92t matter.  All that mattered was=20
being in his arms.  Xander caught her eye as he danced with=20
Willow.  He grinned and Buffy couldn=92t help but grin back. =20
Everything would work out, she just knew it.

Xander hugged Willow a little tighter.  He liked the feel of=20
her in his arms.  This was nice, really nice.  He smiled down=20
at her head and let the music carry them.

Angel leaned his head on top of Buffy=92s.  She pulled back to=20
give him a kiss on the nose, which he returned.  He smiled=20
at her, and his fangs peeked out of his mouth glinting in the=20
dim light.  Quickly he shut his mouth, hiding them.  He was=20
suddenly very aware of the blood, the life in the room.  He=20
could fell the heat of the bodies that surrounded them.  He=20
could hear the heart beats that pumped blood through each=20
of their bodies.  The sound filled his ears, pounding against=20
his skull.  He licked his lips nervously and his glance fell on=20
the girl nestled in his arms.  Her look was questioning, but=20
her eyes were full of trust.   He forced his heart to stop racing. =20
Gradually he recovered his calm.  He was in control.  He=20
touched her lips lightly, and kissed her hand.  She was enough.

The End=20
comments? Lady [e-mail]




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Secret World of Willow (02/?) by D.Spence
Date: 24 Aug 1997 11:35:30 -0400 (EDT)

TITLE: The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "The Secret World of Alex Mack"
SUMMARY: The new girl at Sunnydale has a weird secret all her own -
    one that Willow will soon share.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Alex Mack, her
    family, Danielle Atron and all other characters who have
    appeared in the series "The Secret World of Alex Mack" together
    with the names, titles and backstory are the sole copyright
    property of Viacom International, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon
    Television Network, Nickelodeon Productions, Hallmark
    Entertainment, and Lynch Entertainment. No copyright
    infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction.
    All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are
    the sole property of the author. I'm too broke to be sued,
    anyway. (But if anybody thinks my literary skill presents that
    much a risk, feel free to *HIRE* me!)

                         *   *   *   *   *

                The Secret World of Willow Rosenberg
                      (a BtVS/SWAM crossover)
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

         "I guess I'm not so ordinary anymore." - Alex Mack

*Part 2*

"Careful," Alex told a nervous Willow who was guiding a small rubber
ball through a makeshift obstacle course of suspended coat hangers.
They were on their lunch break, and while the library was still
officially closed for repairs, Mr. Giles had let them use it for
practice as long as they kept away from the construction area.
"Don't over control. It will go where you want it to as long as you
visualize clearly."

As the little red ball floated through the third hanger Xander
entered the library and stopped, both amazed and amused by his
friend's new ability. "Way to go, Willow!" he exclaimed, and was
promptly rewarded by the ball impacting on his forehead as Willow,
who had been visualizing it on the end of a rod of force, turned to
greet him.

Stifling the urge to giggle at Xander's stunned expression, Alex
told them, "Don't worry about it. When I was just starting out, Ray
used to keep a catcher's mitt handy whenever he walked in a room
where Annie was testing my powers." Concentrating for a second, she
floated the ball off the the floor, and into Willow's outstretched
hand. "Try again, and this time, instead of considering the power a
physical extension of yourself, think of programming the ball to go
to a certain destination along a certain path, like controlling a
model airplane."

"Or routing a file through the internet!" Willow exclaimed, as she
translated the concept into familiar terms. Shutting everything else
out of her mind, she concentrated on the desired flight path, and
was as surprised as anyone else when the ball darted out of her
hand, zipped through the obstacle course, and after a couple of
orbits around the heads of Alex and Xander sailed over to Giles'
office and landed with a satisfying *clink* in an empty teacup left
on his desk. After a moment of stunned silence, her two spectators
rewarded her performance with enthusiastic applause, causing Willow
to briefly *glow* with embarrassment.

"Very impressive," commented Alex, pleased with the progress her
student had shown so far. "It took a week for me to learn that much
control, and you mastered it in a day."

"That's my Willow," exclaimed Xander proudly, "always the genius."
This praise made Willow glow even brighter, causing Xander to cast a
worried glance at her instructor. "Alex, should she be glowing like
that?"

"Relax, it's just a blush response. Anything that made her blush
before (embarrassment, excitement or physical exertion) will make
her glow now."

"Anything?" asked Xander with a gleam in his eye.

"Anything, which means no more teasing her in public," said Alex
with mock severity. Casting a meaningful glance at the library door,
she added, "Or in private, for that matter, unless you can be
*absolutely* sure no one will walk in. It's a pain, I know. You
wouldn't believe the crimp it's put in my social life."

"At least that's one problem I won't have," sighed Willow. "The last
guy who was interested in me turned out to be a demon that had been
scanned into the internet."

"You're kidding, right?" Seeing from Willows morose expression that
she wasn't, Alex blurted out, "But I thought you and Xander ..."

"Whoa, back up there!" Xander said quickly. "Will and I have known
each other forever. We're best buds, sure, like brother and sister,
but that's all!" Since his back was to Willow at that moment, he
missed Willow's glowing response to his vehement denial, and the
brief look of anguish in her eyes.

Alex, however, didn't miss any of it. "Okay, if you say so," she
responded skeptically, thinking, //It must be a Hellmouth thing,
some curse that prevents guys from really seeing her.// Just then,
Buffy entered the library with Mr. Giles, and Alex watched as Xander
turned to Buffy like a puppet on a string. //Nah, I guess it's just
the combination of familiarity and hormones, I guess. Why do guys
have to be so dumb?//

"How's it going, guys?" asked Buffy, seeming disgustingly cheerful
considering the long night they had put in. How these people went
out slaying vampires every night and still managed to do school beat
her. Alex had barely been able to drag herself bed this morning
after the long discussion they had had before Mr. Giles had called a
halt at 3 AM. Fortunately the house that the Macks were renting
until they found more permanent place was just down the street from
the Rosenberg place, so it hadn't taken long for her to get home.

"The TK training is coming along fine," answered Willow, trying to
be humble but justly proud of her accomplishments.

"Excuse me," interrupted a puzzled voice from Mr. Giles' office,
"but why is there a rubber ball in my teacup?"

                         *   *   *   *   *

In the principal's office, Mr. Snyder was having a very bad day.
This morning he had attended a breakfast meeting with the head of
the Sunnydale school board, where had received confidential orders.
Because of his lack of success at stemming the tide of `incidents'
at the school, he was now forced to conduct a series of interviews
for the position of school security officer. Unfortunately, word had
gotten out that at least two staff members had died particularly
horrible deaths, and another had nearly been murdered, so the only
ones applying for the job were the stupid and the desperate.

So far, the only applicant that came close to acceptability was the
man seated in front of him. Personally, Snyder was rather impressed
with him; his military bearing and professional attitude struck a
sympathetic chord in the strict disciplinarian. Still, there were a
couple of items in the resume that concerned him.

"I see that after ten years of working for the same company and
rising to the post of security chief, you left the company a year
ago to become an `independent security consultant'. Why?"

Expecting some weak excuse, he was a bit surprised when the
applicant admitted, "I was dismissed for incompetence." He paused,
then asked, "May I be frank?"

"Please do," replied Snyder, thinking, //This is going to be good!//
He wasn't disappointed.

"The last year I was working for the company, I became involved in
the security for a highly classified project. There was a rather
severe security breech, and I was ordered to commit several criminal
acts in order to contain it. This I found myself unable to do, and
as a result was terminated. Because the company could not admit the
real reason they fired me, they ordered the company psychologist to
declare me mentally unstable. This not only ruined my professional
reputation (which to that point had been spotless), but made sure
that any accusations I made against them would be considered merely
spite or paranoid delusions. For the last year I've tried to uncover
the proof that would clear me, but so far my every effort has been
unsuccessful."

Snyder looked at him shrewdly. "This sudden desire to relocate to
Sunnydale wouldn't have anything to with your previous employer
opening up shop here, would it?"

Again, the man surprised him by his honesty. "That *WAS* a factor, I
admit. At the home office, nearly everyone in town worked for the
company, and those who don't make their living from those who do.
Here, at least, the company isn't *GOD*. But this wasn't the main
reason."

"Oh, and what was?"

"As I was checking Sunnydale out, and read the newspaper reports of
your -- troubles -- I realized that my quest for vindication had
made me forget that there were people out there who really needed my
skills and training. Not to improve the figures on a profit or loss
statement, but just to be safe to lead their normal lives. I want to
get my life back on track, and this seems like the best way."

In the normal course of events, Principal Snyder would have given
this amazing story all the attention it deserved (namely, NONE), but
as you know, NORMAL has very little to do with Sunnydale at the best
of times. In a sincere attempt to get some sort of handle on the
mayhem happening at his school, the beleaguered principal had taken
to watching *far* to much `X-Files', and was quite susceptible to a
story of sinister conspiracy and a lone hero trying to expose it. In
his mind, he was picturing himself as Skinner to the other's Mulder.
(The lack of a Scully didn't bother him at all.) As far as he was
concerned, he had found his man.

He touched a button on his intercom and told his secretary, "Cancel
the rest of the interviews." He stood up and offered his hand to the
man in front of him. "There are a few formalities to complete, and
the board has to approve it, but unless something unexpected comes
up, you can consider yourself hired. Welcome aboard, Mr Carter."

The former head of security for Paradise Valley Chemical also rose
to his feet and with a smile shook the hand of his latest employer.
"Believe me sir, you won't be sorry. And please, call me Vince."

                         *   *   *   *   *

As Danielle Atron looked at the photographs on her desk, she felt
the beginning of what promised to be a monumental headache. The
security report on the incident at the new site had just arrived,
and the conclusions of the chief investigator gave her a distinct
feeling of deja vu. "Kids. All the time, it's *KIDS!*"

"Teenagers to be specific, according to the size of the footprints,
and the distinctive tread pattern. Almost brand new. At least three
separate pairs from the IR scans. From our reconstruction of events,
they entered through the sewer -- we have sealed that access by the
way -- and proceeded to engage in combat with another group, number
and nature unknown. During the fighting, at least one of the
teenagers was thoroughly contaminated. The other group apparently
escaped, and the teenagers followed them." The investigator had
rather different ideas about that, but wasn't about to share them
without more evidence than some piles of ash and a wooden stake.
"Don't worry ma'am, we'll find them. I'll stake my job on it!"

"You just did," she replied coldly. "Don't disappoint me."

--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+


I'm instructed to use to retrieve your ancestors from the past. The
instructions are quite detailed, and specify exactly what I may and
may not tell them."

"To prevent paradoxes, probably," Xander said. "Hey, I read enough
science fiction to know that, at least. I don't suppose there is any
allowance to use it for personal business?" Seeing the Watcher's
severe expression, he quickly added, "That's what I thought. Oh
well, I'd probably foul it up, anyway. How does it work?"

"There is a detailed description of a certain conversation that I'm
supposed to use to fix the place and point in time. I just hold the
crystal like this, concentrate on the scene, and ..."

                         *   *   *   *   *

*Greece, in the "Age of Heros" (cont.)*

"... there I am. Or rather here, I suppose," finished the startled
Watcher, looking at the equally startled faces around the clearing.

As Joxer struggled to draw his sword and Gabrielle gripped her staff
to assume a fighting stance, Xena seemed relaxed at the stranger's
sudden appearance. "Welcome," she said, surprising everyone present,
"I've been expecting you."

"You *know* this guy?" asked Joxer, watching the oddly dressed
interloper with grave suspicion.

"Not exactly," admitted Xena, "but I believe he's come a *very* long
way to solve the problem we've been discussing."

No one ever said that Rupert Giles was slow on the uptake (except
for Ms. Calendar, but *that* is another story). "You decided you
would need help from the future, so you deliberately memorized the
conversation to provide a reference point for my arrival. Brilliant!
Why did you chose *this* moment, rather than later when you had time
to prepare?"

Xena just looked at him a moment, then asked, "Is there really
anything we could do that would *possibly* prepare us for the world
you come from? Be honest."

Giles looked pensive for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose not,
but how could you know that?" The dark haired warrior woman just
smiled, but showed no signs of answering his question. "I take it
you're Xena?" She nodded, but still remained silent. "Then you two
must be Gabrielle the bard and Joxer the brave."

The young man seemed quite pleased by this recognition, but the
blond bard (he could see the resemblance to Buffy) was unimpressed.
"You have the advantage of us, I think. Just who are you, anyway?"

"Excuse my bad manners," he replied, a bit embarrassed, "I am Rupert
of the family Giles, a historian of sorts, who has the privilege of
training your descendant to be our world's defender against the
vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. As you may have
gathered, I come from the time when the prophecy you were just
discussing has come true. We need your help to defeat Callisto. I
followed the instructions you left for me ,,,"

"What instructions? We haven't written any instructions. And how did
you get the Chronos crystal?" Gabrielle was far from certain this
man was on the level, no matter how innocuous he looked.

"You may not have written the instructions yet, but you will. As to
the crystal, I found it with the instructions. I don't know how it
got there." Giles *did* have some rather odd suspicions, but he kept
those to himself. "I'd love to stand here chatting with you, but if
I stay much longer I may have trouble focussing on my point of
return. You see, this trip was sort of an accident. I really hadn't
planned on making this trip right now, and wasn't at all prepared.
The crystal is apparently very sensitive, and it seems just reading
the instructions while holding it was enough. Could you please come
with me now?"

Gabrielle looked at Xena and Joxer and asked, "Do we have a choice?"
already knowing the answer.

Joxer pretended to think. "Well, we could leave it to your world
saving descendent ..." Seeing Xena's impatient glower, he relented.
"All right. <sigh> The things we do for family."

                      <-- to be continued -->
--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: MiB: Hellmouth (02/?) by D.Spence
Date: 24 Aug 1997 11:35:25 -0400 (EDT)

TITLE: MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
AUTHOR: Dalton S. Spence
EMAIL ADDRESS: <[e-mail]>
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: This story cannot be sold or used for profit
    in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use
    only or posted in fanfic archives for general distribution, but
    must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
SPOILER WARNING: Occurs after "Prophecy Girl" and IMMEDIATELY after
    the movie "Men in Black"
RATING: PG13
CONTENT WARNING: This story depicts scenes of violence and/or their
    aftermath. If depictions of this nature disturb you, you may
    wish to read something other than this story.
CLASSIFICATION: C - Crossover with "Men in Black"
SUMMARY: Reports of the possible presence of an unregistered time-
    space anomaly bring Jay and Elle to Sunnydale, California where
    they discover there are things even MiBs find hard to believe.
DISCLAIMER: Buffy, Giles, the Slayerettes and all other characters
    who have appeared in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
    together with the names, titles and backstory are the sole
    copyright property of Joss Wheadon, Mutant Enemy, Inc., Kuzui
    Enterprises, Sandollar Television, 20th Century Fox Television
    and the Warner Brothers Television Network. Jay, Elle, Zed and
    all other characters who have appeared in the motion picture
    "Men in Black" together with the names, titles and backstory are
    the sole copyright property of Columbia Pictures, Amblin
    Entertainment, MacDonald/Parkes Productions, and Malibu Comics.
    No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this
    fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story
    itself are the sole property of the author.

                    MiB: The Hellmouth Incident
                  a "BtVS/Men in Black" crossover
            by Dalton S. Spence <[e-mail]>

*Part 2*

Elle was in a bit of quandary. She was still just a rookie with the
Black, and whatever had scared Jay *had* to be pretty terrible.
Ignoring her prone partner for the moment, she turned back to the
victim of the attack.

There was nothing obviously frightening about her at first glance;
the human diguise was that of a middle aged caucasian woman,
approximately 150 cm tall with grey hair tied back in a tight bun, a
mean face (even in repose), and cat's-eye glasses. Elle turned the
"woman's" head to the right, and saw (as she had half expected to)
two puncture marks on the neck. However, what dribbled from the
wound in no way resembled human blood -- it was a bright (almost
fluorescent) orange, and smelled like a strong fruit liqueur.

//Titanian, probably an educational missionary,// Elle thought,
suddenly very glad she'd taken up Zed's offer of first aid training
for the top ten client races. `Giles' had been right, but for the
wrong reason; where he had probably thought the victim's pulse has
high and thready, for a Titanian it was frighteningly slow. If
something wasn't done immediately to wake her up and get her moving,
she would lapse into a metamorphic coma and wake five years later
with an altered sex. The `blood' loss was a trivial issue, since
Titanians needed very little to survive; it was the psychological
shock of the attack that was the greatest danger.

"Will Mrs. Edelson be all right?" asked the blond girl.

"She will, if we can wake her up," said Elle. "Is there any garlic
in that thing?" she asked, pointing at a leather valise sitting on
the ground a few feet away, with end of a wooden stake sticking out.

"Why, yes," answered the man, "but what ..."

Elle got to her feet and stepping around her partner (who was just
beginning to come to) ran to their car, yelling over her shoulder,
"Crush a few cloves and hold them under her nose. They'll act as
smelling salts." Wrenching open the back door, she pulled open a
hidden drawer under the back seat, revealing twelve colour coded
plastic boxes. Ignoring the silver stasis kit (the situation wasn't
that bad yet), she grabbed the bright orange one and ran back to the
others.

Jay and Mrs. Edelson were both sitting up by this time, with Jay
shaking his head and rubbing his eyes, and Mrs. Edelson sneezing and
coughing at the smell of the garlic. Elle opened the Titanian first
aid kit, loaded the automatic pneumatic spray hypo with the general
stimulant, set it to a single dose, and injected their contact right
in the center of her forehead.

Although her training had prepared her for the reaction, even she
was impressed by the result. Mrs. Edelson leaped a good ten feet in
the air, landed on her hands, did a couple of back flips and three
cartwheels, then came to a complete halt and let loose an enormous
belch. Then, after taking a moment to adjust her dress and glasses
(the latter having amazingly remained perched on her nose thoughout
the acrobatics), she calmly walked toward Elle as if nothing unusual
had happened, as prim and as proper as any school teacher who had
ever lived. "Thank you my dear," she said, extending her hand with
an infinitesimal smile, "I believe I really needed that."

"Would someone *PLEASE* tell me what is going on?" pleaded Giles,
who was growing more confused by the minute. Aside from the vampire
which Buffy had quickly dealt with, nothing he had seen tonight made
any sense at all. Which was perfectly understandable, given that the
bulk of his time was spent studying the supernatural.

"Oh, I get it," said Buffy, who with her background in popular
American culture had quickly analysed the situation, "Mrs. Edelson
is an alien, and these two are government agents sent to meet her."

Jay and Elle looked at each, then with a tired sigh they reached
into their pockets and pulled out their shades. Before Jay could put
his on, he felt a familiar hand on his arm. "Tsk, Tsk. You are still
just as impatient as you were in the third grade. Have you not yet
learned to ask questions *before* you act, young man? You may make
me regret recommending you for this job in the first place."

Jay had faced a giant alien cockroach bent on starting intergalactic
war with less trepidation than he had facing the diminutive teacher
who had terrified every third grader in his class, and made his life
a living hell. Then the sense of what she had said struck home.
"*YOU* recommended me for the job? I thought that Kay..."

"Kay was a good man, a brilliant operative, and an excellent judge
of character, but without my recommendation to back him up you
wouldn't even have got in the door. In over thirty years of trying
to introduce the young minds of the this planet to the rudiments of
intelligent thought, you were the first and only human with not only
the imagination to concieve that I might not be from this world, but
the courage to believe it and tell others about it." She paused for
a moment, then added, "Of course, it would been nicer if you had
gotten the planet right."

Although you would never get Jay to admit it, Mrs. Edelson was the
only teacher that he had ever really respected. You might hate her,
you might fear her, but *by God* she taught you how to think. Since
this was the first time he had gotten even the smallest compliment
from her, he was willing to overlook the slight criticism attached
to it. "Hey, at least I got the right solar system, Mrs. E. So,
you're teaching high school these days?" Feeling a slight tremble in
the hand on his arm, he immediately grew concerned. "Are you sure
you're all right?"

"Don't worry about me, young man. Your partner fixed me up just
fine. They just caught me by surprise. If I had known California
would be filled with imaginary monsters, I would have stayed in New
York."

"Excuse me," interrupted Elle, "did you say they? We only saw one."

"Oh my, yes! There were two of them; a large bearded man with long
black hair, and a small boy, about ten I think, with the sweetest
face." The alien teacher grimaced. "At least it *was* sweet until
the little creature bit me. Oddly enough, I got the impression that
*he* was the one in charge."

Elle turned to Buffy, who was beginning to look a little worried.
"You didn't happen to ... *take care* of him before we got here?"
she asked hopefully.

Buffy shook her head. "Uh uh, and believe me," she said savagely,
"if I'd seen the little bastard I would have! He's been the acting
vampire king around here since the Master died, and is a lot more
dangerous than he looks."

Jay looked at Buffy, realizing for the first time this was a lot
more complicated than he had originally thought. Making a decision,
he put his shades back in his pocket and motioned to Elle to do the
same. "I think," he said carefully, "we have a *LOT* to talk about."

                         *   *   *   *   *

Following Giles suggestion, the five of them retired to the library
to continue the discussion. Since there had been no dire prophecies
pending, Willow and Xander had long since gone home to spend the
night trying to catch up on their outstanding homework, and Ms.
Calendar was in the computer lab on the other side of the building
installing the latest antivirus upgrades. After making sure the door
was locked against unwanted intrusions, Giles attempted to explain
the basics of vampires, Slayers, and Hellmouths to the increasingly
incredulous MiBs.

"Excuse me," Jay interrupted at on point, "Let me get this straight.
Every night, Buffy goes out, kills a few vampires or whatever other
monsters happen to lurking in the shadows, then goes home to get
some sleep. And nobody has a clue this is happening? Unbelievable!"

"That's exactly it," Giles explaimed, "it's unbelievable. Most
people don't *want* to believe that monsters are real, that their
safe little world has things so dark and horrifying that they can
drive one to madness. And if they see even a glimpse of the truth,
they do their best to convince themselves that it didn't happen,
that it was an illusion, a deception, a product of mass hysteria.
They will swallow any lie that allows them to believe that the world
is a normal, sane place."

"Jay, you must know this already," chided Mrs. Edelson, "it's what
makes your work possible. All the technical tricks and elaborate
cover-ups in the world wouldn't mean a thing if people really wanted
to believe. Not that on some level they aren't *aware* of the truth;
they have to be, in order to deny it effectively." Seeing the
tabloid that was still resting on Giles desk, she picked it up and
waved it before them. "That is why these things sell. They tell the
truth in a way that is easy to deny; thus the need for information
and deniablity are both satisfied. Don't worry, this period of
denial is something all races go through in their infancy. If your
race manages to survive the next century or so it should be ready
for the next step."

"Which I suppose is something I wouldn't understand even if you
explained it to me," quipped jay, familiar with way conversations
with extees tended to go.

"I always said you were a bright boy," she answered with the first
genuine smile he ever seen on her face.

"All this philosophy is well and good," declared Elle trying to keep
the conversation on track, "but what I'd like to know is how we are
supposed to contain this situation. Is this Anointed One of yours
likely to telling other vampires that there are aliens here in
Sunnydale?"

"I doubt it," said a voice from the shadows, startling all but Buffy
who had been waiting for him to speak. "Knowledge like that is
power, and Colin won't spread it around until he figures out exactly
how to use it to his best advantage. If I were you, I'd tell every
alien in a hundred mile radius to get out or go to ground; his first
step will probably involve kidnapping one to get some advanced alien
technology, either by hypnotism, torture, or making it a vampire."
Out of the shadows stepped an incredibly handsome young man in a
black leather jacket, white tee shirt and jeans.

"Thank you very much for the analysis," said Jay, as he casually
placed his hand near the belt holster holding his `Noisy Cricket'.
"If you don't mind, just who are you, and how do you know this."

"My name is Angel, and I know this because, once upon a time, I
would have done the same thing."

                         *   *   *   *   *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: While the movie didn't say which of Jupiter's moons
Mrs. Edelson came from, the novelization mentioned Titan. BTW, the
first aid kits idea was mine. (10 alien, 1 human, 1 stasis kit)

How many of you guessed who the mystery contact was? Be honest!
(Remember, THEY see EVERYTHING. Fnord.)

--
          +-------------------------------------------------+
          | Dalton S. Spence, B.Sc. <[e-mail]>|
          | Home Page: http://www.hwcn.org/~ag775/home.html |
          +-------------------------------------------------+



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 1/? by JJ
Date: 24 Aug 1997 16:00:25 -0400

Beach Blanket Buffy is at a stand still right now.  I'm working some stuff
out in my head.  But in the interim, I've been bugged by this, so I may as
well get it started.  As always, feedback is greatly welcomed and
appreciated.

JJ

Title:  Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  No spoilers for any real episode
Rating: PG
Warnings:  Nudity
Classification: UTB
Summary:  Inspired by Anya's original Gone... story, I wrote a sequel that
followed Willow and Angel to Europe, where they met the infamous Brother
Luca, who took Willow away to train with the Order of Our Lady of Demonic
Assassinations, while Angel returned to Sunnydale.  I had left enough loose
threads in that story to warrant a third part and this is it.  Both Gone...
and Gone II can be found on the Slayer's Fanfic Archive.  I would recommend
reading the previous stories, but if you are not of a mind to do so, all
you really need to know is that Willow was turned into a quasivampiric
killer by the Anointed One and had to leave Sunnydale after her death was
faked.  Buffy and Xander grieved, finding out their friend was lost to them
forever.
Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  Our Lady of Demonic Assassinations is the invention of my
evil twin sister, Lisa Rose.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Part 1
Professor Harris finished his lecture on the role of bull worship at Catal
Huyuk to healthy applause from the full lecture hall.  His "Mythological
Perspectives in 20th Century Archaelogy" course was considered one of the
best classes on campus not only for the interesting topic but also for the
charismatic professor who taught it, the youngest member of the faculty
with full-tenure at George Underwood Easterman University in Sunnydale,
California.  He was of average height with a full head of dark hair, an
easy grin, scruffy goatee, and intense eyebrows.  The girls on campus
called him Professor "Handsome," although he was notorious for being a
scrupulous gentleman with the ladies.

"In conclusion," he began, finishing his last oratory before Fall finals,
"I hope this course has inspired some of you to investigate the wealth of
history in the human imagination, taught others of you how to question the
world around you, and helped the rest of you get into the grad school of
your choice."

There was a smattering of laughter.  "But the latter is highly doubtful,"
he dead-panned, which made the class roar.  "My office hours are as always.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em."

As the students filed out of the lecture hall, a few lingered to ask
questions about the day's lecture, to request extensions on final papers,
and to shake hands with the professor and thank him.  When all supplicants
had been satisfied, Professor Harris made his way to his office.

"Alex!" someone shouted behind him.  It was Bob Abercrombie from Cultural
Anthropology.  He was a portly man in his mid-forties, pear-shaped and
balding, but with a warm face and bright eyes.

"Hey!"  Alexander Harris replied, holding out his hand, which Abercrombie
shook vigorously, falling in step with the younger man.  "Great article in
Contemp Ling,"  Alex complimented him.

Bob blushed, "Thanks.  But listen, I was wondering if you had a chance to
look over that grant application?"

"Yeah,"  Alex said, opening his leather satchel and digging out a heft of
paper bound by a rubberband.  "It looks good, but you're going to need to
back the data up more.  I've got a couple of references that might help."

They had reached Alex's office.  The screensaver had frozen and the window
"You have new mail." had popped up on his computer screen.  Alex dug out a
folder from the pile on his desk and flipped through it quickly.  With a
grin, he handed it to Bob who flipped through it, impressed with the
scholarship.  "Great!"  he enthused, "This is exactly what I needed."

"Glad to be of help."

Bob's face grew serious for a second.  "Listen, Al.  My wife--her sister's
in town.  Really attractive.  If you like..."

It was Alex's turn to blush as he smiled broadly, "Er, thanks, Bob, but I'm
really not into blind dates."

Bob backed off, throwing his hands up with a laugh.  "Okay!  It was
Alicia's idea.  It's just that picture looks a little lonely and dated," he
said, pointedly indicating the photograph on the desk of Alex carrying a
pretty girl with long red hair piggyback.  Alex picked it up.  How long ago
had this been taken?  The summer before sophmore year.  He remembered that
Willow used to keep a copy of it next to her computer.

"What's that about never forgetting your first love?"  he responded ruefully.

Bob nodded sympathetically.  "She must have been something very special."

Alex smiled as Bob excused himself, "Hey,  Alicia and I want you over for
the dinner soon, okay?"

"Sure," Alex agreed as Bob closed the door behind him.  He sat down in his
swiveling chair and rolled over to his computer, killing the screensaver.
Among the new email were a note from cchase in Manhattan and from argyles
from Bath, England.  He clicked the second message.

"Happy Christmas!" it read. "Sorry to hear you won't be able to get away
for the break!  Nikki and Samantha miss their Uncle Xander.  Nikki lost
another tooth yesterday;  apparently she's set her mind to turning the
tooth fairy into a cottage industry.  Samantha progresses well with
gymnastics and brought home a young man today.  Remembering the holy terror
you were, we are considering the convent.  ;-)

We're sending you a care package soon.  Be well.  Love,  Mr. and Mrs.
Giles-Calendar."
----
Alex drove home with an old and morose Tracey Chapman CD playing.  Uncle
Xander, he thought, remembering Giles' email.  Only Giles still called him
Xander; Cordelia had long ago accepted his wish to be called Alex or
Alexander, or even Al.  He stopped being Xander when he got his Master's
degree and started working towards his Ph.D.  Xander wasn't a name that
inspired much confidence in one's academic abilities, he had argued at the
time.  No, said a nagging voice in the back of his brain, you stopped being
Xander long before that.  He pushed the thought away, turning up the
music's volume.

The sky, which had been a sad grey the entire day, finally broke and heavy
drops of rain began to pound against his windshield.  "Great," he thought,
turning on his wipers and headlights.  The rain had not relented by the
time he reached home, a two bedroom, one story house, sided with long
planks of wood painted yellow.  The front porch light was on a timer and
was lit even now as he pulled into the driveway and turned off the
ignition.  He quickly gathered his satchel and papers and grabbed the
umbrella from the backseat.  Opening the door and holding his belongings
close to him, he opened the umbrella and got out into the rain, but the
minute he slammed the cardoor and turned to dash for the front door, he
stopped.  There was someone standing on the raised porch, under the awning,
a figure  wearing a long overcoat and shoulder-length hair.  The sound of
the slamming door had startled the visitor and slowly she turned around,
her face brightening as she saw the man standing by the car in the rain.

He squinted to make the woman out.  No, Xander thought.  It wasn't a woman.
It was a ghost.  A ghost named Willow Rosenberg.
----
From the front porch, Willow watched him standing agog in the rain.  His
leather satchel and papers fell away from him.  The umbrella slipped from
his fingers.  He shifted hesistantly, uncertainly looking at her.  She
raised a hand in a tentative greeting.  He walked slowly toward her, as the
rain drenched his clothes.  As he got closer, his steps became larger and
quicker until finally he was bounding up the front steps to her.  In a
second he was crushing her tightly in his arms, lifting her into the air.

"You're wet!" she squealed, feeling his strength.

"I don't care!" he said, his voice muffled against her shoulder

"You're holding me too tightly!"  she protested, laughing joyfully.

"I don't care!" he repeated, more vigorously than the first time.  He set
her down and looked at her.  He lifted a strand of her hair, "You cut your
hair!"

Willow looked at him.  He was a little bulkier than he had been when he was
younger, his shoulders broader, his hands larger and calloused.  The goatee
made him look older.  His face was a little worn, the skin not as elastic
as it once was, but the lines on his forehead and the beginning crow's feet
were the most beautiful wrinkles she had ever seen.  Her hands cupped his
face lovingly.  "Look at you!  Look at you!" she whispered.  He was
laughing stupidly, on the verge of sobbing, his eyes, bright with tears.

"Breathe," she reminded him.

"Breathe,"  he repeated, slowly inhaling.  Tears of joy rolled freely down
his face.  She wiped them away.

"Your things," she said, indicating the pile of soaked objects by the car.

"Oh, yeah," he said, absentmindedly, reluctant to let her go.  She unwound
his arms from her.  He sniffled and wiped his eyes.  "Don't go anywhere,"
he demanded.

"I'm not," she assured him.

"Promise," he insisted.

"I promise."

"Promise?"  he asked.

"Yes," she said, in exasperation.  "Go get your things!"  He released her
hands and keeping his eyes on her, he quickly ran back out into the rain
and gathered his scattered belongings.  He came back up to her and fumbled
out his keys.  He saw a small piece of luggage at her feet.  He reached
down and grabbed it as he unlocked the door.

"Come in, come in," he welcomed her, pushing the door open with his back.
----
end Part 1





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Lisa Rose <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Stakin' You in the Streets
Date: 24 Aug 1997 14:22:30 -0700

New item on the Little Buffy Page, LR

--------------------------

STAKIN' YOU IN THE STREETS

(To the tune of "Takin' it to the Streets"
by the Doobie Brothers)

You don't know me but I'm the Slayer
I'm the law now in this living hell
You may mock me in your vampire world
Overconfidence, that's swell!

Chorus:  You,
         Smug because you thugs think you outnumber me
         More to slay? That's OK! 'Cause now I'm gonna be
         Stakin' you in the streets
         Stakin' you in the streets
         Stakin' you in the streets
         Stakin' you in the streets

Take my message to your Master
Say this "little girl" feels fine
Tell him I'll take on his hundred vamps
Whoops! Make that ninety-nine...

Chorus


(Lyrics copyright 1997 by Lisa Rose; title
inspired by Allison T. & Christine M.)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Stakin' It to the Streets, indeed.  How about "Buffy?"
Date: 24 Aug 1997 18:06:56 -0400

"Buffy"
(sung to the tune of Looking Glass's "Brandy")

There's a school
In a Western town
The undead,
Lurking all around.

And there's Buffy, with her roundhouse kick
She serves them death-on-a-stick.

Chorus:
The Master says "Buffy,
You're a fine girl.
What a Slayer you have been!
(such a fine girl!)
But please stop, killin' my people
and my kin."
(dooooo do do do do do do)

Buffy
wears a silver cross
From her sweetie pie,
a guy who isn't Joss.

A trinket
That burned the chest
Of the man that Buffy loves.

Chorus

Buffy, you just roll your eyes
When you hear those Xander stories.
You can feel her passion come alive,
as Willow just lives for these.

But you have always told the truth.
Lord, you are an honest lass.
So when Xander asked you out, you kicked his a--!
(dooooo do do do do do do)

There's a school
In a Western town
With a girl
Who once was drowned.

But she's better now
So don't stick around
If you're a plasma-suckin' fiend.

Chorus repeats and fades out.





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail] (slb)
Subject: Re: BUFFYFIC: Stakin' It to the Streets, indeed.  How about "Buffy?"
Date: 24 Aug 1997 18:16:27 -0400

At  6:06 PM 8/24/97 -0400, Jesse Jou wrote:
>"Buffy"
>(sung to the tune of Looking Glass's "Brandy")

ROTFL! I liked Lisa's Doobie Brothers tune, too.

So, anyone up for a NIN tune? <g>

Sheryl

[e-mail]
 --  "There I was ... inverted. But, maybe I wasn't." -- anonymous









-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Gone 3  The God of Nine Walls 2/? by JJ
Date: 25 Aug 1997 19:08:32 -0400

Here's the second part.  Thanks to everyone who responded to the first;
I'm not sure I'm too happy with this, so a critical eye would be especially
appreciated here.  Haven't forgotten about Beach Blanket Buffy, I'm gonna
try to have the next part out tomorrow.

Thanks!

JJ

Title:  Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  No spoilers for any real episode
Rating: PG
Warnings:  Pretty tame.
Classification: UTB
Summary:  Inspired by Anya's original Gone... story, I wrote a sequel that
followed Willow and Angel to Europe, where they met the infamous Brother
Luca, who took Willow away to train with the Order of Our Lady of Demonic
Assassinations, while Angel returned to Sunnydale.  I had left enough loose
threads in that story to warrant a third part and this is it.  Both Gone...
and Gone II can be found on the Slayer's Fanfic Archive.  I would recommend
reading the previous stories, but if you are not of a mind to do so, all
you really need to know is that Willow was turned into a quasivampiric
killer by the Anointed One and had to leave Sunnydale after her death was
faked.  Buffy and Xander grieved, finding out their friend was lost to them
forever.
Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  Our Lady of Demonic Assassinations is the invention of my
evil twin sister, Lisa Rose.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Part 2
The goddess Hecate, all midnight-black hair and heavily kohl-ed eyes,
arrived at the Holiday Inn Sunnydale around 10 pm that night.  "This is the
best hotel in town?" she asked, looking at the two story monstrosity built
around a central courtyard with pool.

The driver nodded.  "Not a whole lot of town, ma'am.  Florindel is only 45
minutes away from Sunnydale; they've got a Sheraton?" he suggested
helpfully.

"Never mind," she said, graciously, digging out a couple of bills from her
pocket.  "Here," she said, handing them to him.  "No one saw me coming
here."

The driver's eyes clouded over briefly, then he said, "Sure, lady, thanks
for using Sunnydale Taxi Service."  Later, when he would try to recall his
passenger that night, he would remember the famous platinum-blonde pop star
who had confessed to him of the incredible lover that she was secretly
meeting at the Holiday Inn.  Hecate smiled, the woman's last music video
had  annoyed her greatly and it gave the sorceress a minor pleasure to
inconvenience her this way.

"Now," she thought, throwing her carry-on over her shoulder, "To the
business of stopping the girl."
---
"Do you want a beer or something?" he shouted from the kitchen, having
changed into a dry t-shirt and jeans while Willow waited in the living room.

"I'm fine," she shouted back.  He grabbed a Shiner and popped the top,
taking a slug as he  returned from the kitchen.  Willow  He watched as she
browsed through the oak bookcases that rose to the ceiling in the living
room.  She hadn't changed much in the 18 years since he had last seen her.
Petite and...Willow-shaped.  He ran a hand through his wet hair, chuckling
at his mighty descriptive abilities.

She turned to look at him, holding a gilded picture frame she had taken
from a shelf.  "I don't remember taking this."  It was a blown-up shot of
teenage Willow, Xander, and Buffy piled into a photobooth, their laughing
faces barely visible in a mass of hands and arms and kneecaps.

He took it from her, holding it with one hand as the other held the beer
bottle.  "Don't you remember?" he asked, recognizing it immediately.  "We
took this early in the summer, before..."  He fell silent, his face a mask
of inscrutable regret.  Sadly, he put it back on the shelf.  He shook the
mood off and smiled at her.  "So,"  he said.

"So," she responded, curling up into a corner of the sofa with the grace of
cat.  He remained standing.

"I'm not quite sure what to say,"  Xander confessed.  "It's been so long."

"Did you miss me?"  she asked, pointedly.

He broke into a grin, eyes downcast, and nodded.

"Good.  I missed you."

His head popped up.  "Oh, hey," he began, heading toward one of the
bookcases and drawing down a tattered book.  He held it out to her, "I
guess I better return this."

She took it and recognized it as her journal.  She groaned and covered her
eyes in embarassment.  "I can't believe you held onto this!" she smiled,
shaking her head as she revisited those pages she had written in a haze of
anger and sorrow.

He sat down next to her and finished his beer.  "I've read it over several
times," he said, looking over her shoulder and pointing to one particular
passage as she flipped to it.  "Especially the parts about how I never
appreciated how much you loved me."  He smiled at her knowingly.

She blushed, unwilling to meet his eyes,"I'm sorry.  It was a long time
ago.  I think I expected too much from you; you were my childhood crush."

There was something profoundly sad in his expression as he began to peel
the bottle label.  "Actually, I think I should be the one apologizing.  I
think I always knew that you cared very deeply for me and I took it for
granted.  God!" he said, self-deprecatingly, "I was a selfish little
bastard."

"We're very different people now,"  Willow observed, watching his face
intently.

He nodded.  "After Sunnydale, went to UCLA, got a Rhodes scholarship, got a
Masters, a couple of years later got a PhD.  Now I'm back in Sunnydale.
Can't seem to leave.  What about you?"

She chuckled.  "Umm.  After Sunnydale, went to Paris, went to Cortona, from
Cortona struck out at evil in all its myriad forms..."  He laughed.  "Now
I'm back in Sunnydale.  Can't seem to stay,"  she said sadly.

"I wish you had been at the memorial," he said, changing the subject.

Willow fought down a shudder.  "I wish I could have been there, too," she
answered, remembering how Angel had frantically tried to find her to tell
her that Buffy needed help.  But Willow had stumbled back into Cortona a
day too late.  By then, Buffy was gone.  "I still don't know what happened?"

"I don't think I can talk about it,"  Xander said quickly.

"Sure.  Sorry,"  she apologized.

There was an awkward silence until finally Xander spoke up.  "Well, this is
going smashingly!"  he joked.  She laughed.  "You know, I've wondered for
18 years what I would say to you if I got the chance.  I mean, I built this
really elaborate fantasy."

"And?" she inquired, bemused.

"And, right now, all I can think of is Jenny McReynold's birthday party,"
he said, half-seriously.

She turned a bright red.  "Spin the bottle."

"You weren't talking to me because of the whole Barbie incident..." he
recalled.

"To this day, I think you cheated..." she interjected.

"You should've seen your face when it landed on you..."

"I didn't want to play in the first place.  Where the hell were that girl's
parents?..."

"Seven minutes in heaven..."

"You were so nervous, you kept ramming your nose into my cheek..."

"It was a pretty *bad* kiss..."

"And we just sat in that closet for the last six minutes until they let us
out."

"But we were okay, after that, right?"  he concluded.

"Sure," she answered.  "Why are remembering that?"

He smiled crookedly and set his empty bottle on its side on the coffee
table.  With a flick of the wrist, he set it spinning and inexorably it
slowed to a halt in her direction.  She looked at it and cocked an eyebrow
at him.  "It's kind of robbed of mystery when it's only two people
playing,"  she stated simply.

He leaned his head towards her.

"Should we go to the closet?" she asked, his face inches away from hers.
He shook his head wordlessly, then kissed her.
----
end part 2





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: [e-mail]
Subject: BUFFYFIC: The Weapon:  Part IX/X
Date: 26 Aug 1997 02:20:38 -0400

Title:  The Weapon
Rating:  R.  Graphic descriptions of acts of violence.
Summary:  At the end of part VIIIb, SuperXander was marching off to face
Karakis, while Buffy, Angel, and Willow were rushing off to the dungeon to
rescue our Xander.
Disclaimer:  Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Angel are the property of Joss
Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox.  The rest is mine.  Touch it
and I'll break yo' fingers.
Distribution:  Anyone previously given permission to use my fic can use
this too, as long as I'm given proper credit.  Note that I'd like my real
name, C.M. Koch, to be included alongside my nick when I'm given credit for
a piece.
*****

Xander marched purposefully down the hallway towards Karakis' throne room.
This was it, after all these years.  Finally, he'd have his vengeance...
his justice.  After the soul slip with his younger self, he hadn't
explained the exact nature of the boy's imprisonment to the others.  But he
knew what was being done to him.  He knew the terror of the Circle all too
well.  But if he had it his way, Karakis would never use the Circle on
anyone again.  If he had it his way, Karakis would never do *anything* ever
again.  Xander was so engrossed in his thoughts, that he almost didn't
notice the demon soldier stepping out of the shadows in front of him,
preparing to attack.  Almost.  A phrase he had heard long ago, in a similar
situation, came to mind.

"Oh look," he said innocently, as he smirked beneath the protection of his
other, "a bad guy."  Xander's arm lashed out as the demon moved to
intercept him, forcing the creature's face somewhere back into the middle
of his brain.  The demon dropped, now useful only as carrion.  Without a
second glance, Xander continued towards his destiny.

*****

Marak looked down at his new arm.  After Lord Karakis had punished him, he
had seen that a new limb was crafted for his favorite torturer.  And quite
a limb it was.  Crafted from wrought iron and Valkyrie bone, and charged
with a necromantic energy that seared the flesh of all but the most unholy
creatures at its touch.  Gleefully, he raked his claws across the back of
the dark haired mortal boy he had been ordered to torture.  He had said and
thought nothing when Lord Karakis had told him to stay here and torture the
boy during the battle.  After all, he had learned well not to doubt his
Great Lord's wisdom.  Besides, Lord Karakis had assigned one of the
strongest contingents of his Royal Guard to protect the dungeon during the
battle.  And though he had no idea what went on above, Marak was confident
that his Lord's forces would defeat the pitiful invaders.  Concentrating,
he shaped the foul energies of his new limb into a lash of sorts, and set
about striking his victim with it, again, and again.  The screams of the
mortal grew so loud, that he didn't even notice the shouts coming from the
hallway, echoing down the staircase.  It wasn't till he paused to admire
his work that he heard a sound.  A thump.  In fact several thumps, one
after another.  He turned, and saw an object rolling down the staircase
into the dungeon.  It continued rolling downward, and then across the
floor, coming to a stop when it bumped into his foot.  It was a head.
Picking it up, he turned the face towards him.  It was the head of Ploovo,
who had been assigned to lead the contingent guarding the dungeon.  The
head of Ploovo, one of the most despicable, heartless, foul creatures Marak
had ever met.  He had liked Ploovo.  He would avenge him.  Marak watched as
Ploovo's murderer descended the staircase.  It was a petite blonde mortal
girl, carrying a wickedly sharp ichor-stained blade.  Marak would have
stood aghast had he not sensed what she was.

"Slayerrrrr...." hissed the demon torturer, as his new limb flared with
demonfire.

"Guilty." said the girl, smiling at him grimly.  "I'm sorry," she
continued, "was that a friend of yours?"

*****

Xander reached the end of the hallway, and came face to face with a set of
large oak doors.  With a loud guttural grunt, he forced the doors open, and
stepped inside the room.

It was dark.  Darker even than the rest of the castle.  And a variety of
bizarre flora seemed to grow about the area.  As Xander gazed into the
darkness, his heightened vision could make out another set of doors, these
iron, at the other side of the room.

"This... *isn't* the throne room." he said, slightly confused.

"Correct." responded a raspy voice from behind him.  Xander spun coming
face to face with a tall and sinewy wraith-like figure, its dull yellow
eyes standing out in contrast to its leathery grey skin.  It wore no armor,
and carried only one weapon:  a large axe, the handle as long as a
quarterstaff, with a massive and brutally sharp blade.

"To get to the throne room..." continued the figure.
"...you have to go through us." said a second voice.  Xander quickly turned
to see a second figure, identical to the first.

"Lemme guess," said Xander, as he glanced back and forth from one figure to
the other, "you're Karakis' retainers.  Good.  This means he'll have some
friends to meet up with when I send him to hell.  Lets go."  With that, the
blades on Xander's armor grew and lengthened, protruding even more from his
body.  Silently, with unnerving speed, the retainers moved in, and
attacked.  Xander parried their axes with his arm blades, putting his raw
strength against theirs.  Then, suddenly, he withdrew, and the two
retainers blades swung downwards, embedding them in the ground.  With
terrible grace and quickness, Xander crouched, thrust his blades into the
retainers, and stood again, pulling up hard.  The blades sliced cleanly
through the demons, gutting them from crotch to forehead.  Coldly, Xander
stepped over the dead retainers, and headed towards the iron doors.

"If this is the best you've got Karakis," he muttered, "you're screwed."

*****

Marak raised his hand, and was about to shower the wretch with hellfire,
when an ebon haired man leapt from the top of the staircase, tackling him.
Tasting his own blood, Marak, thrust his new arm forward, clasping it on to
the man's face.  Howling in pain, the man staggered back, his hands
clasping his seared face.  When the man removed his hands, Marak was
infuriated.  Before him, he saw the scorched face of a vampire.

"Infidel!" shouted Marak as he circled the vampire, "You dare to attack
your greater, half-breed?"
"What can I say?" replied the traitorous creature, smirking painfully.  "I
don't much like my 'greaters'."

Burning with anger, Marak attacked.  The vampire ducked under the attack
and returned with one of his own.  The traitor's hand latched onto Marak's
neck, and with a powerful jerk, the torturer's throat was torn out.  Marak
gasped briefly, disbelieving.  Then he fell to the floor.

*****

Buffy watched as Angel fought the demon, leaning against the wall tiredly.
She could only take so much fighting in one day, and she was beginning to
wear out.  She was too relieved to be disgusted when Angel, in a state of
feral frenzy, tore the creature's throat from its body.  Angel looked up at
Buffy, his eyes aflame, and his hands soaked in blood.  He began to move
towards her.

"Angel, look out!"

Angel heard the shout, and turned just in time to see a stumbling and
wheezing Marak have his head blown clean from his shoulders.  His mind
cleared, Angel turned back towards the source of the voice, and saw Willow
descending the staircase with a smoking shotgun.

"Thank you." Angel said, for more reasons than one.  Willow said nothing,
only pushed past Buffy and rushed to the side of the scarred and bleeding
dark-haired boy Marak had been beating.  Angel quickly joined her, and
checked for a pulse.  He found none.

"He's..." Angel couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.  He had
never liked Xander much, but he knew how the two girls had felt about him.
Finally, he pulled together enough courage to complete the statement.

"He's dead." said the vampire, and turned away from the body.
"Whaa-a-at?" said Buffy, coming out of her stupor, and walking towards the
body, "no... he can't be dead!"  She crouched next to the body, and helped
Willow roll it onto its back.  The boys face was gone, crushed, bruised,
and slashed beyond recognition.  Buffy swallowed hard, and rose to her
feet, only to collapse into Angel's arms, sobbing.  Willow simply crouched
next to the naked body, examining it with her cold, empty, eyes.  Then she
fixed on a certain point.  She moved in closer to examine it, then stood.

"That's not Xander." she said, an edge of relief creeping into her voice.
"What?" asked Angel, as Buffy pulled her tear stained face from his jacket.
"That's not Xander," repeated Willow, "it's not him."
"How--" Buffy stuttered slightly as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "how
do you know?"
Willow smiled.  It was only a half-smile, but it was the first semblance of
a smile that had crossed her face since the boy she loved had disappeared.
"Xander, he's," she blushed slightly as she tried to put the words
together, "he's, well, his um, well, y'know, it's *bigger*."

Buffy looked puzzled for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization.
She almost giggled, in spite of the current situation.

"And you know this *how?*" asked the Slayer, as she tried to stifle a smile.
"I forgot," replied Willow, "I never told you about the Great Shower
Incident.  But the story's gonna have to wait.  We've got to figure out
where the *real* Xander is."
"Well, why wouldn't he be in the dungeon?" asked Buffy, "I mean, what's
with making us think this poor guy is him?"
"It could be a decoy..." muttered Angel.
"But why?  I mean, what purpose did it serve?" asked Buffy.
"It split us up from the other Xander!" said Willow, as realization dawned
on her.  "Which means..."
"That this is all a trap for him." concluded Angel.
Somehow, Buffy felt re-energized, as if the knowledge that *both* Xanders
were in danger charged her, drove her.  "C'mon," she said , as she began to
rush back up the staircase, "we gotta get to the throne room.  I got a
feeling that's where *our* Xander is too."

Willow rushed off after Buffy.  Angel paused, and marveled for a moment at
the energy the two girls miraculously contained.  Then he shot off after
them, silently hoping that they weren't too late.

*****

Xander faced the massive iron doors.  They were the only thing still
standing between him and his vengeance.  Silently, he focused, calling up
all the energy he could.  With a massive booming blast, he blew the doors
straight off their hinges, and burst into the room.  There, in the center
of the chamber, sat Karakis.  His massive form was supported by an oddly
constructed throne.  It appeared to almost grow out of the stone floor,
conforming to the Demon Lord's body.

"Hello Alexander," said Karakis, as he lounged peacefully in his throne,
"I've been expecting you."

"So," said Xander, as he steeled himself for battle, "you do know my name.
I'd been wondering.  Then you know the name of the man that's going to kill
you."

Karakis laughed, his deep, disturbing laughter echoing throughout the dark
chamber.

"Boy," said the Demon Lord, stifling his chuckles, "you won't be killing
anyone more today."
"We'll see about that!" shouted Xander.  As his anger rose, his armor
changed, responding to his emotions.  More blades began to spring from it,
and spikes lined it.  The blades continued to grow and change, some
lengthening to be several feet long.  The spikes grew and sharpened.  The
whole armor became a mass of jagged points and cutting edges.  It was
impossible to tell where the man ended and the Weapon began.  They were
truly one and the same.  Screaming a battle cry that held years of pent up
anger and aggression, Xander launched himself at Karakis.  He hurtled
through the air, a deadly mass of blades.  Then Karakis raised his right
hand, and Xander stopped dead still.  Suddenly, he let out a scream of
pain.  It felt as though he were on fire, as though his skin was being
pulled away from him.  Xander looked down at his hands.  They were
melting--no they weren't melting.  The sphere was.  Over his entire body,
the metal liquefied, dripping off of him, falling away.  Within seconds, it
was nothing more than a puddle on the floor.  Then, slowly, it
resolidified.  But the sphere was different now.  No longer bright and
shining silver.  Dull.  Grey.  Dead.  Xander could feel it, the symbiote
was dead, lifeless, their connection was broken.  Slowly, Karakis rose from
his throne, walked over to the floating nomad, and wrapped his hand around
his throat.

"Come boy!" shouted Karakis, yanking on the chains in his other hand.  "I
want you to see this."  Slowly, fearfully, young Xander Harris crept out of
the shadows.  His arms, neck, and ankles were bound in heavy irons.  But he
almost forgot about them when he saw what was happening.  The man this
demon Karakis was strangling... it was him!  He was older, bigger, but he
was him.  Xander tried to wrap his brain around this situation, but in his
current state, all he could do was stare.

"You're a fool Karakis!" said the older Xander between coughs.  Karakis
grip on his throat tightened.  "You destroyed the Weapon," continued
Xander, "now you'll never have its power!"

"You mean the Sphere?" said Karakis.  Xander smirked.  The Demon Lord
responded with a wide, fanged, grin.

"Let me tell you a secret." he said, as he brought his mouth to the man's ear.

"The Sphere's not the Weapon," he whispered, smiling wickedly, "*you* are."

*****

End Part IX

*****

Plot twist!  Soon, the stunning finale!  Hey, is that Little Willow's
trademark ominous music I hear? ;-)

--Viashino the Snickering--




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Beach Blanket Buffy 11/? by JJ
Date: 26 Aug 1997 19:36:29 -0400

Okay, here's the next part of my beach saga.  Easily the worst part because
of the amount of stuff in it.  Things'll get better.  Grr Argh.  As always,
advice, feedback, etc. is greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks!

JJ

Title:  Beach Blanket Buffy
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  The events for this take place after Prophecy Girl and
references are made to events in the past season.
Rating: PG
Warnings:  Violence
Classification: TB
Summary:
There's trouble in store when Buffy and the gang visit the beach!  Hey,
watch out for that vampire!
Yes, there's fun and merriment in store when the gang plays...Beach Blanket
Buffy!

Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Part 11
"You're a fish!"  Xander exclaimed.

"No,"  Marie protested, "I am a mermaid.  Of the Sylphi Clan."

"I'm wigging!"  Xander interrupted. "You're a fish!"

"Please, Xander,  I swam all this way to stop them.  You must help me," she
said simply; she had not expected him to react well to this revelation.

"You kissed me!"  said Xander, remembering that morning.  "With tongue!
You don't have parasites or anything, do you?"

"Would you please calm down?"  Marie said, a bit irritated.  "I can't
concentrate with all the noise you're making."  Xander's jaw dropped as her
tail slowly transformed back into a pair of human legs.

Buffy meanwhile had helped Annette to her feet and walked her over to the
other two.  "Alright,"  Buffy said, "I think you better start talking."

"Don't you think you should kill her?"  Marie said, nodding her head at
Annette.  The crying girl's eyes grew large with fear.  "She's one of them."

"I don't see why I shouldn't kill both of you,"  Buffy retorted tartly.
Clearly, the girl had withheld key information from both Buffy and Xander
and had tried to manipulate them.  Buffy didn't like to be anyone's pawn.

Marie shrugged.  "My people hunt her kind, for food.  The ones who dwell
near water.  Every hundred years, we send someone to warn the landers about
the Rising.  This time, I was chosen."

"Why would you bother?"  Buffy asked.

"Does one let cattle run wild?"  Marie replied, clinically.

"Now, see how much better everyone gets along when we tell the truth?"
Buffy responded, smiling grimly.  "What about you?" she asked, directing
her attention to Annette.

Annette sniffled,  "Please, you have to believe me.  I didn't know Frankie
and those boys were going to jump you.  Frankie's really a nice guy; he
just hangs out with a bad crowd."

Buffy took the girl by the shoulders, "I didn't ask about Frankie; I asked
about you."

Annette was flabbergasted.  "I...well, Frankie used to do all the talking
for both of us."

"You know that you're a vampire?"  Buffy asked.

Annette nodded.

"Do you know what that means?"  Buffy asked.

She recited from memory, "It means we're on a special diet until they find
a cure."

Buffy was shocked.  "Who told you that?  Frankie?"

The girl nodded again.  Buffy was astonished.  Was it possible that she was
naive enough to believe that?  And yet Buffy didn't sense anything
insincere or malicious about Annette.  Was it her complete deprivation of
common sense that enabled her to resist the vampiric demon's influence
totally?  Annette had not tried to harm them during the fight--indeed, she
had even been something of a help.  For this reason, Buffy was willing to
give her the benefit of a doubt.  But what to do with her?  Buffy didn't
think the girl would survive on her own, abandoned as she had been by her
supposed protector.

As if reading her mind, Marie spoke up, "I think you should just put her
out of her misery."

Buffy threw her a withering gaze, "Who gives a damn what you think?"  The
mermaid fell silent.  Buffy came to a decision.

"Alright," she began, as authoritatively as possible.  "This is what's
going to happen.  Frankie's gone and I don't want to wait here for him to
bring anymore of his surfer buds, so we're going to head back to the beach
house.   Annette, you'll have to come with us, but if I sense a whiff of
evil from you, you're toast.  Xander, give the Little Mermaid your
button-down so she can cover herself and help her..."

"I can't go back there!" Marie exclaimed, fidgeting excitedly.

"Why not?"  Buffy demanded, her impatience readily apparent.

"I thought it would be finished tonight.  I thought we'd find them and stop
them..."  Marie shot off on a rapid stream of words.

"Come on," Xander said.  "If Buffy says we book, we boo..."

"Please, Xander, let's look around a little while longer!"  Marie
interjected, trying desperately to coo to him. "If we find them, I can
leave and you'll never have to see me again...I swear!"

Buffy and Xander looked quizzically at each other.  "Her!"  Marie shouted,
pointing at Annette, "She could lead us right to them.  We can make her
take us to them..."

Annette squealed in terror, hiding behind Buffy as the nervous mermaid took
a step towards them.  Buffy raised her hands, "Whoa!  Calm down!  Thanks to
the fact that you didn't deem it necessary to tell us what you knew about
these vampires...among other things...I think we're going to need to
regroup and plan a new strategy..."

"I can't go back there!"  Marie whined, a tone of desperate finality in her
voice.

"Why?  What's back at the house?"  Buffy questioned, then added slowly,
"What did you do?"

Marie broke into tears.  "I did it for you!"  she sobbed, looking at
Xander.  "I did it so she wouldn't distract you from me.  Oh, briny gods!
I love you!!  I never thought I'd know what it was like to love a boy!  A
human boy!  Please, you must forgive me!"  She collapsed on the sand,
clutching Xander's legs.  "Please love me!  Please love me!"  she moaned
repeatedly.

Xander was horrified as realization dawned on his face.  He looked at Buffy
and they said simultaneously, "Willow."
---
"Omigod!"  Cordelia squealed delightedly as Willow came out of the
bathroom.  "Mr. Wong, you are a *true* artist!"  Willow was quite pleased
at how the cut had turned out: a short, layered bob that came just to the
top of the neck, but long in front so she could sweep it behind her ear.
It was functional, and on Willow, adorable.

"Yes, I'm very happy with it,"  Mr. Wong said, feeling very much like a
combat surgeon who just saved a private's leg with a butter knife in one of
those war movies he loved.

"See," Cordelia said, "You get lemons and you make lemonade."

"Do you think Xander'll like it?"  Willow asked.

"How could he not?"  Cordelia responded, secretly doubting that the boy
would notice if Willow pierced every orifice of her body.
----
end Part 11





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls 3/? by JJ
Date: 27 Aug 1997 20:08:10 -0400

Here's part 3 of the sequel to Gone 2, which itself was a sequel to Gone...

Please read the warning below.

All comments and feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!
JJ

Title:  Gone 3:  The God of Nine Walls
Author:  JJ
email address: [e-mail]
Distribution:  With permission of the author
Spoiler Warning:  No spoilers for any real episode
Rating: PG-13
Warnings:  There's some kissing and grown-up things, but nothing you
wouldn't see on TV.
Classification: UTB
Summary:  Inspired by Anya's original Gone... story, I wrote a sequel that
followed Willow and Angel to Europe, where they met the infamous Brother
Luca, who took Willow away to train with the Order of Our Lady of Demonic
Assassinations, while Angel returned to Sunnydale.  I had left enough loose
threads in that story to warrant a third part and this is it.  Both Gone...
and Gone II can be found on the Slayer's Fanfic Archive.  I would recommend
reading the previous stories, but if you are not of a mind to do so, all
you really need to know is that Willow was turned into a quasivampiric
killer by the Anointed One and had to leave Sunnydale after her death was
faked.  Buffy and Xander grieved, finding out their friend was lost to them
forever.
Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters except for the ones who haven't
shown up on the show; Joss Whedon, the WB, and their associated production
companies do.  Our Lady of Demonic Assassinations is the invention of my
evil twin sister, Lisa Rose.  I'm also not making a red cent of any of
this, so there's no point in suing me.

Part 3
Xander broke the kiss, looking deeply into her smiling eyes.

"You've gotten better since Jenny McReynold's birthday party," she sighed.

"I practice thirty minutes a day.  After Tai Chi,"  he replied.  She
laughed, then kissed him.  His arms wrapped around her waist as she ran her
hands through his hair, pulling him down on top of her.  The kiss deepened
as he fumbled with the top button of her blouse; she urged him on, pressing
her body tightly against his, pulling his shirt tail out of his pants..

He looked down at her, his eyes full of honesty and desire.  "I think we
should move to the other room,"  he suggested, his voice a husky whisper.
"I think we should."

Willow regarded him carefully, then nodded slowly.  He got off the couch
and with a swift, sure move, lifted her into the air.  He got as far as the
foyer.

"Knock, knock" went the door.

Xander's head popped up.  Willow stifled a scream of frustration.  "Ignore
it," he said, starting again down the hall to the bedroom.

"Knock, knock," the door repeated, this time mimicking a woman's voice,
"Alexander!  Is that you I see?"  A woman's face was pressed against the
opaque glass plane set into the door.

"Mom?"  Willow whispered, terrified, as Xander set her down.

He opened the front closet door and shoved her in, "Quick!  In there!"

He took a deep breath, then answered the front door.  "Mrs. Rosenberg!" he
smiled, ushering the slender and attractive woman into the foyer.  She
shook her wet umbrella before entering, a plastic bag hanging from her
wrist.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said.

"No, not at all," he answered, "I was just putting away some clothes."

"Oh, look at your hair!" she fussed, patting down the tousled locks.
"Alex, I'm not surprised you haven't met a nice girl yet, you look like a
longshoreman!"  Xander deferred to her insistent ministrations.

"I was just coming home from the supermarket and got you some nice
coldcuts.  You look so thin.  Are you eating?"  she demanded, heading
through the dining room into the kitchen.  She opened the refrigerator.
"Alex, there's nothing but beer and a jar of pickles in here!"  she
exclaimed.

"I think you're exaggerating,"  Xander said, looking at the well-stocked
interior as she added her bag to it.

"And look at this," she elaborated, as she picked up his wet jacket from
the countertop.  "I thought you said you were putting away clothes?  Did it
occur to you to put this away, too?"

"I was going to go get that dry-cleaned," he explained, as she waved a hand
annoyedly at him.

"If you don't hang it up," she criticized, "It'll dry all wrinkled."  She
headed towards the front closet.  "Surely you've got a hanger in here..."

Xander rushed and grabbed the doorknob before she could.  He positioned
himself between the two.  "Uh, don't worry," he smiled, "I've got it."  He
opened the door a crack and stuck his hand in as Willow handed him a hanger
from the bar.

"See?" he said, holding it up for Mrs. Rosenberg's inspection, then hanging
the soaked jacket on it.  "I'll hang it in the bathroom so it doesn't drip
on the carpet."

"Smart boy!" she said, approvingly, patting his cheek.  "You know, it's
always so nice to see you.  After we lost Willow,"  she paused to collect
herself, "We thought you'd disappear from our lives, too, but instead it's
like we gained a son."

Xander recognized the spiel.  Since he had come back to Sunnydale, he had
grown accustomed to Mrs. Rosenberg periodically stopping by with food and
motherly advice.  It made him feel less lonely as he didn't talk to his own
parents much, but her timing had been fairly rotten today.  Every visit
would end with a reminder of the daughter that she lost that would force
her to leave the house in tears.

"I'm sorry,"  Mrs. Rosenberg apologized.  "I'm just upsetting us.  I should
go."

"I wish I could visit longer," Xander said, sensitive to his guest in the
front closet.  "But I've really got to get some work done tonight."

"Sure,"  Mrs. Rosenberg smiled, taking his hand gently in hers as he lead
her to the front door.  "You know, Mr. Rosenberg and I always hoped that
you and our Willow would someday be together.  Maybe start a family.  I
think she would have been so very proud of you today.  So very proud
indeed!"

"Thank you," he said graciously, as she kissed him on the cheek and ran her
hand through his hair one last time.

"Be careful driving home!" he shouted as she ran out to her car.

When she was gone, Xander went to the front closet and opened the door.
Willow stood inside, weeping openly and bursting out in laughter as light
fell on her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, gently.

"She sounded good, didn't she?"  Willow responded, with a bittersweet grin.

He held his arms open and she fell into them.  The two of them stood in the
front hall, hugging each other tightly for several minutes.
---
Mrs. Rosenberg had just turned the corner when she pulled to the side of
the road.  A woman got in on the passenger side.

"Was she there?" the woman asked.

Gilda Rosenberg nodded with a smile, "He was hiding her in the front closet."

Both women laughed.  "Oh, here,"  Gilda said, plucking the strands of
Xander's hair that were caught between her fingers.  "I hope that's
enough," she said, handing it to the other woman.

"That's more than enough," the other woman said, putting them into a small
wax packet she took out of her front pocket.  "You know, you're so much
cooler in person than you are in email," she observed.  Gilda smiled as she
pulled out into the street, the streetlamp briefly catching Hecate's face.

"I've lived in Sunnydale my entire life," Gilda explained.  "I know what's
what."
---
Angel was tired, leaping from roof to roof.  It had only been 8 years, but
it had seemed like a century.  He sighed, feeling the blood supply hidden
in his backpack jostle, as he went back to his awful and necessary burden.

In the streets below, a young woman was being murdered, her body vivisected
as she screamed helplessly.  When she was dead, the thing that killed her
took its scalpel and inserted it just under her ear, gently slicing upwards
and taking care not to rip the skin.

And the God of Nine Walls rumbled.
---
end Part 3





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Lisa Rose <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Buffygirl's Town
Date: 28 Aug 1997 19:56:49 -0700

BUFFYGIRL'S TOWN

(To the tune of the "Gilligan's Island" theme song)

Come hear a tale of a clueless town
A burg that hasn't learned
Where kids die nearly every night
And no one seems concerned

One girl is an unsung hero there
Her Watcher sharp but shy
They save the whole world every week
And no one bats an eye
And no one bats an eye

The vampires started getting rough
The girl was barely trained
If not for the courage of her fearless squad
The whole town would be drained
The whole town would be drained

Their school's atop a gaping mouth
Of Hell, so don't look down!
With Buffygirl, her Watcher too,
The Xanderman, Willow dear,
The Pagan Gal,
Cordelia and Angelman
Here in Buffygirl's Town!

Now this is the tale of the Slayerettes
Resigned to their thankless task
Snubbed by the snobs to do a job
For which they didn't ask

The Slayer and her Watcher too
Will risk their lives sans fear
To keep the streets swept free of creeps
For Homecoming this year

No guns, just stakes and crossbow bolts
Medieval weaponry
Like the Spanish Inquisition
It's primitive as can be

So join us at the Bronze my friends
You're sure to get a date
Just hope that Buffy stakes it quick
Before it is too late!


(lyrics copyright 1997 by Lisa Rose)

(The above song will soon be on the Little Buffy Site,
in the "Traditional Songs" section.  Please visit it at
http://www.wco.com/~cybrpaws/lilbuffy.html)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Withdrawal  (plus Slayer Fanfic Archive)
Date: 29 Aug 1997 19:37:48 -0400

Hi All!

This is an answer to the "Where is the missing Fanfic archive" Question.
Done nicely in the form of a story, to compensate for being off topic.

If you don't have time to read it, well..here's the short version:  The
Slayer's Fanfic Archive (http://SlayerFanfic.alz.com) is down for server
upgrades.  Biohaz assures me he'll have it up Monday, but since (for me)
that's Labor Day....I have my doubts.  I think Tuesday.

Toodles!
-Anya

************************************************************************
Withdrawal
by Anya
[e-mail]

"Owwww!"  Willow sat flat on her rump, one hand pressing against her
ringing head.   One moment, she'd been walking sedately to the library,
the next, she was flying backwards and smacking into a wall as the
library door swung wide and straight into her.

"WILLOW!!!"  Buffy's voice sang out. "Just the hacker I need to see!"
The Slayer ignored the fact her friend was unceremoniously dumped on the
floor, her books scattered across the floor, as a result of her violent
flight out of the library.

Experimentally Willow held her hand out, fingers splayed and tried to
count them.  Coming up with five, she figured she would survive.
"No, no..I'm okay, Buffy!  Really, a mild concussion is all."

Buffy blinked twice, her train of thought disrupted by Willow's
unusually caustic comments.  "What happened to you?"

Willow sighed, and pulled herself to her feet, absently dusting off her
backside.  "Nothing.  What's wrong?  The hellmouth again?  Angel gone
ballistic?  Witches, demons, comatose little boys?"

"No worse!"  Buffy's voice sounded so deadly earnest, that Willow
instinctively let herself sink into æResearch Girl' mode.

Her books hastily shoved back into her bag, she turned to face the
Slayer.  "Okay, so...what do you need me to do?  Is Giles in there,
æcause I can help him..."

"No, no!"  Buffy shook her head, blonde curls flapping side to side.
"Giles can't SOLVE this one, it's out of HIS league."   Buffy latched
onto Willow's arm, and guided her to the library.  "This needs
your...superior skills."

"Hacking, you mean."  Willow said dryly, somewhat amazed that Giles
wasn't the one dragging her to and chaining her down at the computer.

"Umm..yes."

Shaking off Buffy's virtual leash, Willow circled round the table,
dumping her bag into a free chair, and booted-up the computer.  "Okay,
where is Giles?  I'll need references and stuff to coordinate a search
with."

Buffy waved negligently towards the back of the library.  "He's in the
stacks...don't worry, we don't need him."

"I thought this was an emergency?"

"It IS!"  Buffy promised vehemently.  She began pacing, arms behind her
back and hands clasped.  "This really is a problem, and unless I know
WHY it's happening, I don't know what do to!"  She paused, turning to
look absently at the sky-light, her eyes narrowed, and mouth pursed.  "I
don't understand it at all, how can anything go æpoof' like this?"

"Like what?"  Willow asked, logging the computer onto the net,
judiciously using Giles password for access.  It meant there were no
restrictions to access that she'd have to evade using her own.

"The Archive is gone."  Buffy made it sound like the Apocalypse.

Willow blinked, looked at the screen and blinked again.  "The what is
gone?"  Buffy hadn't said archive..she hadn't.  For an ARCHIVE she'd
gone flying into a concrete wall?  Nah.

"The Slayer's Fanfic Archive is ....domain not found or some such!"
Buffy reiterated.  "I submitted the story, the one we wrote."

"You wrote."  Willow corrected absently, recalling the drooling piece of
fiction from Buffy's best dreams.  If THAT story had been reality, Buffy
would have died from lack of oxygen to the brain sucking Angel's face
that much.

"Whatever.  And I've been checking up on the updates and all..which have
been really pathetic lately, the archivist, I think is slacking off..."

"She's a busy girl!" Willow said incredulously.  "She does school, work
and family!  Plus her own writing, and the converting of text to HTML
isn't exactly the world's fastest thing..."

"Whatever...so today, I tried to login and it wasn't there!"

Willow carefully leaned forward, closed down the computer, and hit the
power buttons with a rather curt abrupt motion.  "You bashed me into a
wall because a fanfic site is missing?"

"Yeah..you've gotta get me into it..."

"You nearly concussed me for a slobbering story of sucking faces?"
Willow carefully pushed her chair back, and turned to face the flustered
Slayer.

"Umm.....no, I didn't mean to..I mean, I didn't know you were behind
that door..."

"You consider THIS a calamity?"  The tiny hacker's voice rose
incredulously.

Buffy's shoulders slumped.  In a very tiny, defeated voice she breathed
her confession. "Yes."

Willow slumped back into the chair, eyes closed for a moment, and
silently counted to ten.  "The archive is closed for server upgrades."

"Uhhh.."

"New pieces of computer stuff are being put on the computer."  Willow
explained in layman terms.  "It should make the server faster...but it
won't be online ætill Monday, September 1 at the earliest!  Anya had a
note up on the site for it, but I imagine a lot of people may have
missed it.  She didn't have a lot of warning herself before it
happened."

"Uhhh..."

"So you just have to wait."

"Nooooo!"  Buffy's wait resounded through the room, pulling Giles from
the bowels he hid in.

"What's wrong?"  He asked, practically running to the Slayer.

"Withdrawal."  Willow said succintly, standing up and pulling her bag
into her arms.  "She'll be fine after she gets her fix, but it's the
denial of it that's hurting her."   Absently, the redhead pushed the
chair in.  "I'm going home to take a couple tylenols.  I have this
headache for SOME reason."

Giles starred at Willow flabergasted, and then to the moaning Buffy.  He
looked up and watched as Willow pulled the library door open.  "Wait!"
He shouted.  "What is she addicted to?"

"Fanfic."  And the door closed.

                            The End!! :)



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 4b/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:38:55 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 4b/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"Who ogled what?" Buffy stepped down to stand two stairs below
them. Angel's leather jacket was swung around her shoulders, and
her bookbag was negligently held in her hands.

"Xander ogled the cheerleaders." Willow snitched cheerfully.
Xander's head ducked down in shame.

"Again?!?!" Buffy stared at the boy reproachfully. "One of these
days each and every one of those girls is going to boot you! And I'm
not going to stop them!"

Xander gave them both the sad puppy-dog expression he had
practiced so long. "Awww..come on! I'm just doing what any
normal male 16 year old does."

"Ogling." The two girls said in unison, and then giggled. Buffy and
Willow exchanged grins with one another and high-fived.

Xander's eyes narrowed shrewdly, "Hey! That's not fair! You're
ganging up on me!" He raised his chin and assumed a tragic air.
Standing up, he began to slowly walk away, shoulders slumped, and
head hanging dejectedly. "That's alright, I understand..." He said
with a tragic air.

Buffy and Willow nodded at one another once, before inhaling
sharply and breaking into a song with a loudly rendered..."Nobody
loves me...everybody hates me..think I'll go eat worms..."

Racing, the two caught up to their wounded comrade. Each taking a
side of him, they both looped their arms into his. They kept right on
singing.. "Big fat juicy ones....teeny eeny squirming ones...".

"Stop! Stop! AAARGH! My eardrums..I'm going deaf!" Xander
howled, faking absolute agony. "Willow! You know better than to
sing! Bird's fall out of the sky dead when you do that!"

"XANDER!"

"Hey, I'm not the one the church choir leader begged to 'just mouth
the words'!" He said, as he extracted his arm from Buffy and waved
a finger under Willow's nose.

Buffy laughed, "No way!"

"You promised never to mention that!" Willow protested with a
gasp. She slugged him in the arm.

"I did?! When?"

"When we were seven." Willow patted his arm with her free hand.
"You owe me, now! And it just so happens, I need a little favour."
She smiled sweetly at him. "And if you do this for me, I'll not only
forgive your indiscretion, but I'll write up a draft of your English
assignment for you."

She knew she had his full attention by the way he stiffened.
"Really?"

"Really."

"Ok. Whaddaya want?"

"I'm going to the public library." She paused seeing both Buffy and
Xander's surprised faces. "For the microfiche and periodicals." She
lied quickly. "But, Fluffy needs let out! Could you do that for me?
Please?"

Xander paled suddenly, "Oh, uh..well, um." He looked at Buffy
pleadingly. She had seen that dog attack him before, surely she'd
spare him that torture again. "Maybe Buffy would be better to..."

Buffy smirked and spoke loudly, "No can do, my friend. I've got to
meet Mom at the Gallery."

"Oh." Xander's voice reflected his dismay, clearly.

"Please Xander!" Willow pleaded, using the tone of voice that
implied all that her friendship meant to him. It was pure emotional
blackmail, she knew but... "If she doesn't get out, I'll feel so bad,
and then I won't be able to sleep and..."

Xander gave in. "Alright! ALRIGHT! I'll do it." Was this how a
prisoner felt before the firing squad?

Willow gave him a quick hug, before turning to Buffy. "Walk with
you as far as the library?" Buffy nodded her agreement.

As they came to the intersection they would part at, Willow tapped
Xander on the arm again. "Oh, and hey. I'm still missing 1 picture
from that album. No clue about it's whereabouts, huh?"

Xander cast a frantic look between Willow, and then Buffy. "No!"
he said, voice strangled. "But I'm sure it'll turn up!"

Willow smiled knowingly, "Oh, I'm sure it will too!" She paused
before adding as she and Buffy moved away. "Oh, and after you let
Fluffy out, can you give her a quick walk around the block?"

Xander's moan echoed.

The two girls smiled at one another. They waited for a moment,
before Buffy spoke, loud enough for Xander to still hear. "Willow?
What picture with me in a swimsuit was Xander talking about?"

*******************End Part Four************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 3c/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:09 -0400

Sealed With a Kiss     - Part 3c/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"I...well, it doesn't matter." Giles again cleared his throat, pushing
his glasses higher up on his nose. "For a recap on last night, for
Willow's benefit, we discovered that the Hellmouth is warded by a
mystical seal." He pulled a pen out of his shirt pocket, tapping it
lightly on one of the pages as he began lecturing.

"The Seal was constructed roughly at the same time that the Old
Ones were cast out. Legends state that it was established by a
higher power, who appointed a Guardian to the Seal."

"The Guardian is, I'm afraid, for the most part an unknown. The
only Guardian I have recorded is one, uh...ah yes, Galenna. The
name strikes me as funny, as this area was inhabited primarily by
native people, and this Galenna is clearly a Gaelic name, but I
digress. Galenna was Guardian to the Seal in..." He reached for
another paper, bringing it closer. "The sixth century. The incident
recording her as Guardian was the rising insurrection of a hidden
Demon Lord. The Demon Lord attempted to take possession of the
Seal, and Galenna fought him off. Interestingly, the Demon Lord
used the Bubonic Plague to weaken humanity and facilitate his own
conquest."

"Used? As in, it happened at the same time as, or he sicced it on
people?" Xander asked.

Giles looked up from his reading, " I really don't know, Xander. I
believe the second, but a natural occurrence of the plague is always
possible."

"Oh."

"So...what else, Giles?" Buffy prodded. The Watcher turned his
gaze to her.

"The Seal's Guardian is to protect the seal from anyone taking
control of it, or breaking it from this side of reality. If the Seal
were
violated or broken, the Hellmouth could be opened permanently."

"But the Hellmouth DID open, when the Master was freed, didn't
it?" asked Willow, her attention focused exclusively on Giles. For
some reason, everything he was saying seemed to be especially
important for her to remember. And when he had said 'Galenna', she
had automatically wanted to say, "But she's not the Guardian
anymore." Where were these thoughts coming from?

"Yes. The Seal works in cycles. The Master's inhabitation and
imprisonment was a direct result of the Seal's activity. It prevented
the Master from releasing the Hellmouth some seventy years ago.
However, at specific astrological convergences, such as the night
that Buffy faced the Master, the Seal is weakened to the point the
Hellmouth temporarily cycles open. If the Master had destroyed the
Seal, the Hellmouth could become a fixed portal."

"The Seal, as I said, needs the protection of the Guardian. It can
only be damaged on this side. It would take vast occult powers,
united, for the Old Ones to break the Seal, but remarkably little on
this side."

Buffy stopped Giles, her brow furrowed in concentration. "So, what
you're saying is that the Seal isn't being protected right now? 'Cause,
if it was being protected, and this Guardian was doing her, or his,
job we wouldn't be having all these problems?"

Giles frowned slightly, "I'm not saying that, precisely. I, and Angel,
do believe, however, that something is attempting to take up the
Master's cause. I also believe that this new interloper is smarter, and
instead of trying to remove the Slayer has chosen to attempt the
removal of the Guardian. By doing so, it can easily take the Seal."

Xander nodded, "Alright. So, we're up against...what? A demon?
Demon Lord? Another Master Vampire? Or one of a thousand
different garden varieties of unlimited evil?"

Willow shot him an amused glance before turning back to Giles and
Buffy. "What are we going to do?" She asked the question quietly.

Buffy looked at Giles for a long quiet moment. "I think, the best
course of action would be to have a look at this Seal, and find the
Guardian." She waited for Giles' approving nod. "I also think we
should know means and measures to assuming temporary
protection of the Seal."

Giles' frowned again at that, pulling out a slim black book. "I
considered that this morning. The Seal's Guardian is special. It
seems a understanding of how to manipulate and direct power is
required to keep the Seal safe. Again, my resources on the
Guardian's are limited. I just don't have enough information. I need
more details to come to any accurate conclusions."

"What do you think they mean by 'power', " Willow thoughtfully
interjected for the groups consideration. In her minds eyes, she
could see columns of radiance streaming all around. Touching, and
tangible. Did directing mean moving energy, or...

Giles shook his head, "I'm not certain. The Seal is a mystical
construct, most likely it's magical energy. I'm afraid I can only offer
speculations though."

"I think we should have invited Ms. Calendar to this one." Xander
shook his head ruefully. "She's the one who knows all the magic-
stuff, isn't she?"

Buffy winced. They were going to have a lot of fast talking to do
before Ms. Calendar would let the "why she wasn't invited" topic
drop. " Yeah. Hey, Giles, I think you should talk to her about all
this."

Giles' wince was even more pronounced. He could already hear the
lecture he was going to get.

Willow ignored them, instead accessing the city's security files
again. The Hellmouth was beneath the school, somewhere near the
library. So the easiest access route to it was.... Finding it, she sent
a
copy of it to the printer. Looking up, she interrupted Buffy's
squabble with Giles on who should tell who what.

"Maybe we should figure out what we're going to do? Like a plan?"
They looked at her as if there was another head sprouting obscenely
out of her shoulders. "I mean. I've got the quickest route in,
but...what do we do when we get there? And who's going in? And
when?"

Buffy looked at Xander out of the corner of her eyes. Yup. Their
Willow was back. "Okay, good point Willow. Can this trip wait
until tomorrow? I mean, if we go Friday at least then we won't have
school to deal with later."

Everyone there nodded their agreement. Giles seemed to consider it
for a moment before he nodded curtly.

"Okay. So. Who's going in? Me, obviously, and I think Giles should
come, for research purposes." She smirked at her Watcher. All his
repeated 'I don't knows..' encouraged her to drag him down with
her. *I hope he's not claustrophobic? Naah..with that tiny office,
how could he be.*

"I'm in." Xander stretched lazily. He cast his eyes to Willow, who
had leaned over to fetch the printout from the printer tray.

"Me too." She said quickly. She didn't know why, but she felt that
she needed to go. If all those horrible nightmares, watching
everyone dying, or being chewed on, or..., she shuddered just
thinking about it ... were coming from the Hellmouth, she wanted it
stopped. And she wanted to SEE it stopped.

Buffy seemed inclined to argue the last, but a warning look from
Giles shut her up. "Right, well, then how about, tentatively, we
assume Ms. Calendar will deal with the Seal, we'll find the bad guy,
and then we all come home?"

The warning bell for the end of the lunch hour sounded. Xander
stood up. "Sounds good to me." He cocked an eyebrow at Willow,
indicating with a thrust of his chin that she should get up, and go to
class. Even if she'd been out of it yesterday, he could bet her
homework was still done. And after his sacrifices of last night, he
deserves some answers.

Slowly, Willow stood up. Buffy was still talking earnestly to Giles,
convincing him to deal with Ms. Calendar. Moving away from
Buffy, and closer to Xander, she dropped her voice. "Oh, hey. I was
wondering. Did you look at my photo albums last night?"

Xander stifled a cough. "Me? Um..yeah, I flipped through a couple.
Uh. Why?"

She smiled sweetly at the criminal. "Oh, a picture or two seems to
have fallen out, and I was just wondering if you knew where they
fell to?" *like, in your pocket?* she amended silently.

The sounds of his protests echoed down the corridor.

*********************End Part Three*********************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 3B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:18 -0400

Sealed With a Kiss     - Part 3b/11
by Anya
[e-mail]


Removing the seat cushion, Xander sat down on her wooden desk
chair, wincing at the feel of is wet clothing pressed so close to his
drying skin. It wasn't easy to see in the dark for something as small
as a pen. Notepaper was easy to find on Willow's desk. She kept a
block of it to the right of her computer. Squinting he looked on top
of the desk for a pencil can or something. Instead, his eyes fell on a
series of framed pictures. Lifting one down, he turned so that the
light from outside fell onto the frame. It was a picture of him and
Willow, taken perhaps a year ago.

Setting it back, he looked at another one. Buffy and himself. A third
had Buffy and Willow. And a last one with Willow, himself and
Jesse. Jesse and Willow had been good friends, he remembered.
How had she felt when Jesse had died? What had it done to her?
Xander had never thought to ask, or to share his own grief.

"Xander?" She called out suddenly, he jumped up, opening his
mouth to reply but realized she was still sleeping.

"No! Don't! He'll..." She came awake with a jerk and a sob. It took
her a few moments to compose herself, taking deep measured
breaths she calmed herself down, only to give a startled cry seeing
Xander suddenly stand in front of her.

Taking a deep breath, she forcibly straightened out her mind.
"Xander? What's wrong ? Is Buffy...?"

Xander squatted down beside her, "No. Buffy's fine. I was just
about to write you a note." He could see her confusion, it was
reflected in her eyes. "Look." He pointed to the side of the bed with
the Blue Topaz. "That will stop the nightmares, or at least Ms.
Calendar said it would."

"I'm not having nightmares."

Xander nodded agreeably, "Of course not. Consider this a
preventive measure. Apparently a lot of people are suffering from
regular, repetitive and just plain ugly nightmares. So, we thought
we'd do something to protect ourselves."

Willow looked at him suspiciously, "Oh." She paused for a
moment. "Xander? Why are you wet?"

_________________________________


Buffy yawned widely, her hand only covering her mouth as her jaw
shut closed. The teacher fortunately had her back to Buffy, so she
didn't see it. Rolling her neck, Buffy was satisfied to hear the
audible crack and the relief it inherently brought. Head tilted, she
had a clear view of the empty table Xander and Willow normally
sat at. Neither had shown up this morning for school.

Buffy hoped Xander had been able to get that stone in, and more
importantly, had done so without being caught. The rumor mill
hadn't said anything about seeing Xander in Willow's neighborhood
at night, but then again, the rumor mill wasn't much interested in
Willow's or Xander's extra-curricular activities. "Thank God," she
muttered softly.

She could just _imagine_ the conversations if people had paid
attention. Willow going out with a demon, oh yes, that would go
over well. Speculation on if she had 'done IT' would have run
rampant for weeks. Or Xander and the She-Mantis. And what
would be said of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer lusting after Angel, the
Vampire. No, far better that the mishaps of their social life stayed
between the three of them. *Errr...four'n a half. Giles knows just as
much, and Ms. Calendar is getting close."

The bell rang, freeing Buffy from her class. Swiftly navigating
through the school halls, she found her way to the library. It secretly
amused her that they could use the room deemed most public so
freely for their clandestine purposes. Other than Willow, very few
students even KNEW the library was there. Giles had speculated
that it was a side-effect of the Hellmouth's'' close proximity to the
building, right below in fact.

Pushing the door open, Buffy wandered in eyes scanning the room
for her Watcher. Not seeing him in the library proper, she sauntered
back to his office, pausing occasionally to nudge a book back in it's
shelf, or to run a finger along a case and admire the dust. Buffy had
deserted Giles and Angel shortly after her discovery of the "human"
book. She could wait for the final results of their inquiry into the
unknown.

Giles was still sitting at his desk. His glasses were off and resting
on top of an opened book. The man himself was leaning back into
the chair, head flung back, eyes closed. Buffy felt a pang of guilt,
while she had gone home and to bed, she was willing to bet Giles
had spent the entire night here, researching for HER. She tended to
underappreciated everything Giles did for her, Buffy admitted to
herself. And that would have to end.

Knocking once on the door, she quietly walked into the room. "Did
you and Angel find much last night?" She asked, dropping her book
bag onto the rumpled cot still folded out.

Giles straightened up, reclaiming his glasses and pushing them up
on the bridge of his nose. "Yes. Actually, we did garner some
information about the Seal." He shut the opened book directly in
front of him, and swivelled the chair around to face Buffy. "I would
rather wait for everyone to be together before discussing the
materials, but..."

Buffy waved a hand, "No, no. That's cool. If it isn't anything urgent,
I can wait." She flashed him a sunshiny smile. "Besides, neither
Willow or Xander showed up this morning."

Giles raised an eyebrow. "Indeed?"

"Uh huh. I figure if Willow managed to sleep okay, and she's been
really bad for the last week like her Mom said, her Mom probably
let her sleep herself out." Buffy commented, taking the seat she had
occupied last night.

"As for Xander.." she began.

"Xander is standing right behind of you, Oh Fearless Leader!"
Intoned the chipper male Slayerette. He grinned wildly at Buffy,
signaling a thumbs-up. "And yes, Fearless Leader, Willow received
the pendent, and slept like a baby. After she finished grilling me,
that is."

Buffy smirked. "Got caught, huh?"

Xander tossed her a dirty look, quickly changing into a grin. "Yeah,
well, she woke up from a nightmare that she didn't have, and saw
me. I just stayed behind to write her a note, but, she decided to play
twenty questions." His grin widened. "I did get to flip through one
of her newer photograph albums. She had this picture of you and
her at that pool party. Nice swimsuit, Buffy." Judiciously, he didn't
mention that he had swiped the picture after Willow had dozed off.

"Do you think Willow will be in class this afternoon?" asked Buffy,
craning her neck to see around Xander and look at the clock. The
lunch hour had 40 minutes left.

Xander shrugged. "Don't know. If she's not here yet, I rather doubt
it."

"Why don't we move this into the commons?" suggested Giles,
already moving past the two teenagers, a small pile of books in his
arms.

Xander turned on heel, following the librarian out, jauntily
swinging his knapsack onto his shoulder. Ambling along behind, he
spotted the doors of the library opening, and Willow's tiny figure
slipping in.

"Willow!" Buffy cried out, sweeping past Xander and Giles to hug
her friend. "You look so much better! Did you get enough sleep?
That clown didn't keep you from going back to sleep, did he?"

"Clown?" Xander protested. "Clown?!? I'm not a clown! I HATE
clowns!".

Willow smiled brightly, hugging Buffy back, before moving on to
hug Xander. "Thanks, you two, for caring! I slept wonderfully last
night after Xander... left? Or didn't leave? I don't know." She
paused, mentally trying to sort images out. "Anyway, yeah, I slept
fine, and woke up around eleven, this morning. Mom gave me a
note."

Xander grinned evilly, "You do realize your perfect attendance has
been totally shot down the drain."

Willow blushed, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "Well. No. I
just talked to Ms. Hillis. She asked me what I thought of today's
class...so, she doesn't know I wasn't there. Besides, my grade score
average is still up, so missing a morning or two won't do any harm."

Xander turned around suddenly, fussing with his backpack to avoid
any further discussion on marks. Still looking and stirring about the
contents of his bookbag, he blindly stumbled to the central table.

Miraculously, the table had been cleared of all paper that had so
obscured it yesterday. Giles resumed his seat at the table, bestowing
on Willow a welcoming smile, and a nod towards her own fixed
place at the computer. With a happy little smile, Willow resumed
her seat.

Buffy sat easily to Giles' right. Xander, taking the chair beside her,
and opposite Willow. Both teens were scrutinizing the young
hacker rather closely. All the effects of not sleeping for a week
hadn't been cured in one good night of sleep, she was still a little
pale, but the bags under her eyes had faded for the most part, and
her energy was up.

"Alright. Now, with you all here, I'll tell you what Angel and I
determined." Giles began, spreading a few sheets with his
handwriting on it out in an organized pattern.

Buffy raised a slim blond eyebrow. "Shouldn't we wait for Ms.
Calendar?"

She could have sworn Giles' cheeks blushed redly. He cleared his
throat loudly, looking up at the upper floor and at some distant
point on the shelving. "Yes, well, umm. Ms. Calendar is looking up
something for me. A 4th century demon. Zaebos."

Willow looked at him puzzled, pressing a few keys she looked at
him again with even more confused. "Umm. Giles? According to
this database you had me construct...there is no 4th century Zaebos.
There's a Demon Lord Zaebos, but he's confined in the rings of
Hell..."

Giles feigned surprise. "Oh. Really? Well, I..um, that is... Fancy
that."

Buffy snickered, but displayed an innocent expression when Giles
looked at her.

"Hey, " Xander spoke up. "I'm getting confused here. So, Ms.
Calendar is in the club, or is conditionally in the club, or is a guest
speaker to the club? Y'know, membership pass cards might come in
handy, we could keep who's who straight."

"I...well, it doesn't matter." Giles again cleared his throat, pushing
his glasses higher up on his nose. "For a recap on last night, for
Willow's benefit, we discovered that the Hellmouth is warded by a
mystical seal." He pulled a pen out of his shirt pocket, tapping it
lightly on one of the pages as he began lecturing.

-------------------Continued in Part 3C/11-----------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  4/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:00 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss  4/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

The characters of Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles and Ms. Calendar
belong to Warner Bros, Joss Whedon and Co. No infringement is
intended

Part 4

Sunnydale High was virtually deserted. Students streamed out of
the school like there was no tomorrow as soon as classes dismissed,
most to prepare for their nightly escapades at the Bronze. Some to
go to their after-school jobs, and very few to do their homework
and prepare for the next day.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, Willow could easily walk down the empty
corridors, hearing each of her soft footfalls. Shoulders straight,
arms full and eyes bright, she wandered in the general direction of
her locker. She wasn't tired anymore, or particularly nervous, but
every time she thought of 'the Seal' ... well, it worried her.

"I can't put my finger on it," she mused softly. "But something is
just not right." Absently entering her combination, she swung the
locker door open. The contents of her locker was orderly. She had
purchased three of those plastic 'shelves' that fit into the lockers,
giving her four neat rows for her books. And each row had one half
days classes books and materials stored on it.

Depositing this afternoons set of books onto the second shelf down,
Willow thoughtfully pulled the silver chain bearing the blue topaz
off the otherwise barren coat hook. After meeting with Ms.
Calendar, earlier in the afternoon, Willow had placed it in the
locker for safekeeping. Now, resting it in the palm of her hand, she
studied the rich blue stone, admiring it's clarity. Her mother had
once owned a ring with a blue topaz in it. A sweet sixteen present
from her mother, Willow's grandmother. It was to have been
Willow's one day, but the stone had fallen out of the setting, and
Mrs. Rosenberg had never replaced it.

Willow had attempted to return this pendant to it's rightful owner,
Ms. Calendar, and thank the techno pagan for lending it to her. So,
she had tucked it away into the front pocket of her burgundy jumper
before leaving for the school. After her afternoon classes, and
during her spare, Willow had gone in search of Ms. Calendar.

***************************************************

Ms. Calendar had been supervising a grade nine class when Willow
poked her head into the doorway. Seeing that the lovely computer
teacher was busy, and not wishing to interrupt, Willow was about to
leave. But, Ms. Calendar had caught sight of her and, with a flick of
her wrist, indicated for Willow to come in.

Quietly stepping into the room, and hovering near Ms. Calendar's
desk, as unobtrusive as she could be, Willow fished the topaz out of
her pocket. Ms. Calendar was working her way across the room,
pausing to comment over a students shoulder. Finally, walking up
to Willow, Ms. Calendar allowed the younger woman a cheerful
smile.

"Willow!" She exclaimed, "The pendant must have worked, you
look so much better!" For all Ms. Calendar's enthusiasm in finding
that her research had proved useful, her voice never raised enough
to move beyond the two of them.

Willow gave her trademark smile, head quirked to one side. "I must
have looked really bad to get all this attention!" She laughed.

Ms. Calendar's smile widened. "Everyone's saying the same things,
huh?" At Willow's nod, Samantha Calendar patted the girl's
shoulder. "It's just their way of showing they care."

"I suppose so." Willow paused, extending out the hand holding the
pendent. "Ms. Calendar? I wanted to return this to you, Xander said
you lent it."

Ms. Calendar looked at the pendent for a long moment, not
touching it. Raising her eyes to meet Willows, she shook her head
softly. "No, Willow. It's been prepared for use, and I rather doubt
that one night without the nightmares will disrupt them from
happening." Her hand closed around Willow's, forcing Willow's
fingers to curl up around the stone. "Just you keep that until we've
fixed the Seal."

Willow must have shown her surprise, since the teacher ruefully
smiled and nodded, twisting away briefly to scan her students.
Giles, or Buffy, must have broken down an confessed their
multitude of sins...like omitting Ms. Calendar from their last
meeting. "Either that," she giggled silently, "Or they invented a
really good story!"

Waiting until Ms. Calendar was able to return, Willow fidgeted, her
slender fingers pulling lightly up and down the sides of the blue
topaz. Mind wandering, as she caressed the stone, another pendent
appeared in the recesses of her mind.

It was a golden...locket? Laying on top of a cold stone table, the
locket glittered appealingly. Oval in shape, and thick...it seemed to
have a mark on it resembling three petals of a flower that were
interconnected and balanced. And the engraved mark seemed to
glow, standing out brilliantly from the rest of the locket.

Abruptly, Willow lost the image as Ms. Calendar touched her arm.
Peering down at the suddenly distant girl, the teacher had a look of
concern on her face. "Willow? Are you..."

"I'm alright, just got caught up in some thoughts!" Willow smiled.
Reaching up, with her empty hand, she pulled her hair back over
her shoulders. "Are you sure you don't want this back just yet?" She
asked, indicating to the pendent.

Ms. Calendar emphatically shook her head, waving a finger beneath
Willow's nose. "No! And you listen to me, young lady. That pendent
is to be beside your bed each and every time you go to sleep!
Understood!"

"Yes'm." Ducking her head down, Willow faked a quick bob. Ms.
Calendar laughed.

Turning to leave, Willow paused, her hand resting on the
doorframe. "Uh, Ms. Calendar?" Almost hesitant to ask this
question, she froze.

One of the computer teachers dark eyebrows rose. "Yes, Willow?"

Strangely, as Willow looked at her, a memory from her nightmares
stirred. Ms. Calendar was layered over with another image of Ms.
Calendar, although, the second image gave the impression of lying
down...not standing. Blood poured from a deep gash on her head,
her eyes were closed. The image alone panicked Willow, but it was
the *feelings* that went with it..despair, anxiety, and fear.

Eyes shooting really wide, the image separated from reality as Ms.
Calendar suddenly moved forward. Her hands were reaching out to
steady the suddenly weak-kneed Willow.

Willow closed her eyes for a second, screwing up her courage.
"What will you have to do with the Seal? How will you know what
to do?"

Ms. Calendar frowned. The child had nearly fainted just a moment
ago, and now wanted to discuss the arcane workings of the Seal?
Something else was happening here.

Thinking fast, Ms. Calendar slowly replied. "The Seal, in my mind
should be much like a Ward. It's keeping negative energy and
powers out, like a Ward would. So, I'm going at this on the basis of
Wards, and Warding." Pausing, she gently squeezed Willow's arm.
"Everything will be fine, Willow. Don't worry."

***************************************************

Shutting her locker door, Willow leaned her head against the cold
metal. How could she not worry? Every time she turned around, a
picture from her nightmares rose up to overlap her sight. Perhaps it
was the aftereffects of sleep deprivation, or just bad indigestion, but
it was unnerving just the same.

Pushing away from the locker, she headed for the main doors. Ms.
Calendar had determined Willow's plans for this evening. Tonight's
goal was: learn everything she could about Wards. Willow, unlike
Buffy or even Xander, went into nothing blind anymore. That
lesson had been well learned.

Sunnydale Public Library didn't have the occult resources that Giles
did, but Willow felt the need to be secretive. If Giles knew she was
looking up Wards and wardings, he'd probably want to know why.
It would be difficult to put the impressions and sensations of the
nightmares into words, but even more difficult to have them
dismissed as just paranoia.

Stepping into the warm late afternoon air, Willow sat down on the
step. Buffy and Xander were meeting her here. Idly and
contentedly, she stared at the cloud formations overhead. In one she
imagined a dragon, the other, a unicorn...and the last looked like
Fluffy, her pet miniature poodle.

"Fluffy! Oh no!" Willow quickly looked at her watch. The library
was only open to seven on week nights, but her parents wouldn't be
home for another hour and a half! In the meantime, poor sweet
Fluffy was locked up in the laundry room, probably going nuts!

The dog was used to being locked in during school hours, but
Willow usually was home by 5pm, to let her out and take her
around the block. Expecting that patient animal to wait another
hour was unreasonably unfair. Willow sighed, "I guess I'll just have
to let the library slide."

Xander suddenly plopped right down beside her. "Hey bud'o'buds!
What's happening?" He smiled cheerfully, all was very well in
Xander's world. "I was just at the gym, talking to Coach Walker."
He smirked as he spoke.

Willow arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Taking up an interest in team
sports?" At Xander's widening grin, Willow mentally listed the
weeks gym schedule. Monday nights, the gym was closed.
Tuesdays, and Thursdays were Cheerleading practice.....
"Cheerleaders! You ogled and drooled over all the cheerleaders!"

Xander's eyes glazed over in memory. "I wouldn't say drooled.
Contemplated their form, grace and beauty. Admired their skill,
prowess and..."

"Lusted?" Willow offered helpfully.

"Do you have to take the dim view of everything?" Xander said
with a lofty sniff.

"Xander. Can you consciously remember the last hour. In detail?
Like from the moment the bell rang to now?"

He paused, his eyes darting away. "Uh." He paused for a long
moment. "I was at the gym?"

"The practice started at quarter two. What did you do for the half
hour before?"

He groped mentally again.

"See. You ogled."

"Who ogled what?" Buffy stepped down to stand two stairs below
them. Angel's leather jacket was swung around her shoulders, and
her bookbag was negligently held in her hands.

------------------------Continued in Part 4b/11-------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  2b/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:30 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   2B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"Yes, yes. I'm well aware that she's having episodes at night. We've
established that based on the testimony of her parents. What I'm
wondering is whether this is a case of nightmares...or night terrors."

Buffy shook her head slightly, as if jostle some neurons to
differentiate that last bit. "They're the same thing, Giles. "

The Watcher looked at her with a mildly wide-eyed expression.
"Actually, no. They aren't. Not much is known of night terrors,
other that they occur during the first hour or two of sleep. Victim's
of night terrors tend to be violently restless sleepers, they tend to
suffer from loud screaming and thrashing about. Although, the
sleeper tends to be difficult to wake."

Ms. Calendar looked up for the computer screen she'd be absorbed
in since Giles first mentioned night terrors.. "I've got a website here
discussing the concept of nightmares and night terrors. I don't think
Willow matches your profile. People suffering night terrors don't
tend to remember anything beyond an emotional impression."

"You've been discussing her dreams with her then?" Giles shot at
her crossly, knowing full well the woman was making leaps without
facts.

She pinned him with the look normally reserved for delinquent
students. "Has she suffered from episodes of sleepwalking as a kid?
Or bed wetting? And these night terrors have come on awfully
suddenly, have they not?"

"How would I know if she sleep walks? I'm simply trying to find a
natural cause for her sleep deprivation as opposed to an unnatural."

"Um. Guys?" Xander interrupted brewing conflict. "We're interested
in Willow here, aren't we? We want to make Willow all better..and
the end conclusion of this fascinating dissertation on how people
sleep is...?"

Ms. Calendar shot a final glare at Giles before turning to the two
young adults in the room. "In all likelihood, Willow isn't suffering
your run-of-the-mill nightmare. And she's experiencing night terrors
either. Nor are most of the other people around here. Nightmares
are being induced."

Xander pursed his lips, looking at Giles for confirmation. The
Watcher shut the book he had been reading, and nodded curtly to
the silent question. "Okay. So that means?"

"It means, we can give her a charm, or something to prevent
Willow from experiencing these nightmares." As she spoke Ms.
Calendar pulled at the necklace around her neck, fingers touching
the small stone there.

Buffy leaned towards the teacher eagerly, arms pressed against
scores of books on the top of the table. "What kind of charm? Do
you have one that will work right away?"

Ms Calendar leaned back into the computer chair and looked
towards the domed glass windows that made up the skylight. "Right
away, I'm not sure. Some may...if we go the herbal route, we can
always burn cedar incense, or..." She sighed softly, eyes focusing on
the panel of glass that replaced the one that Buffy had thrown the
Master through to his demise. Seeing no answer there, or in the
corner of her brain, she stood up slowly, reaching half across the
table to a black bound library book resting inside her opened
briefcase.

Giles smirked, "What? Needing a book? How positively archaic."

"You said it! Unfortunately, because YOU are so lax about
scanning all these texts, they aren't in the computer yet." She shot
back sweetly.

Flipping through the book, that Xander and Buffy could see was
called a Herbal Grimoire, she began to make random comments.
"No.. .no.. .hmmm... .Huckleberry...no, oh..hyacinth.. .not locally
available....yes! Here we go, purslane placed on the bed..that would
prevent nightmares. Although, I doubt that Willow would
appreciate either of those two methods though. Gemstones..."

Setting the black book down, she logged back onto the computer
and then the web. Typing up an address obviously committed to
memory, she began to tab down the page, as the audience anxiously
watched.

"Well?" Buffy asked, wanting to end the silence broken only by the
rapid click of keys on a keyboard..

"Well, Blue Onxy protects against psychic attacks or hexes, but we
haven't established that this is a psychic assault..so it may not
work." The dark haired teacher tilted her head slightly to the right,
eyes still focused on the screen. "Perhaps malachite...no, it would
promote sleep..but..negativity and nightmares are not quite the
same thing.." Her eyes suddenly went wide, head snapping up to
meet Buffy's bright gaze. "Got it! Blue topaz. If we put a good blue
topaz beside her bed, it will prevent or halt a nightmare, and ensure
a good nights sleep!"

"But will it work right away? Or at least tonight?" Xander asked,
wishing he had some way of stressing the urgency of giving Willow
some means to recovery. If a blue topaz would chase her
boogey-men away, then he'd get one into her room at any cost. His
childhood pal was not going to wake up screaming again if he had
any say in it.

Ms. Calendar smiled widely, "It should. It will 'halt' a nightmare,
not just prevent it...so it should work. And even better, I happen to
own a beautiful blue topaz pendent. All we have to do is run it in
cold water for ten or so minutes, and it's purified and ready to roll."

Buffy nodded briskly, "Cool. Let's do it then. Now."

Ms. Calendar made as if to stand up, but Giles raised a hand
restraining her. "Uh..before we do that, we should consider the
other unusual activity of late. Willow is not the only victim of these
nightmares, after all."

"What? You want to give everyone in Sunnydale a blue topaz? Be
my guest, Giles, but Willow's got first dibs on this one!" Buffy said
sharply. She fixed a cold glare on the Watcher.

"That's not what I meant, Buffy." He chided her mildly, favouring
her with a tolerant little smile. "No. I mean, these nightmares are
only one instance of bizarre behavioural patterns isolated in
Sunnydale."

Xander raised an eyebrow, "Uh..come again?"

"He's right." Ms. Calendar interjected. "In the last six days there
have been 30 reported cases of domestic pets going feral on their
owners, for no apparent reason. Dogs don't tend to attack the hand
that feeds them. The worst was at the park. Dog owners walking
their pets found the animals 'ganging together' and attacking en
masse. The Humane Society has the animals quarentined for
testing." She reached over to the computer, carefully shutting it
down for the night, before continuing. "And local schools are
concerned with the number of children assaulting and battering
other children on the playground. The rules about accepted
playground behaviours are well established and enforced, and no
one would expect the gentlest most well behaved students to go
insane like that! What I find most alarming is that ,hospital
admissions have risen 300%. But only in the last six days!"

Giles sank back down into his chair. "And, if you've paid any
attention to the news, there have been seven suicides since last
Wednesday. Normally one a year is devastating in a town this
small."

Buffy frowned, "But why? I mean, when the Hellmouth was nearly
opened we had unexplained situations kind of like those...but why
now. The Hellmouth isn't open, we saved the world..the apocolypse
is over...isn't it?"

"You did beat the Master." Angel interjected from the door. Buffy's
face lit up like a Christmas tree to see him, and Xander gritted his
teeth. "But something or someone will always want to take his
place. As for the Hellmouth, the Seal that safeguards it from
opening is leaking. It should be holding the Hellmouth properly
closed, and it isn't!"

Giles leapt up, jerking the chair backwards, "What Seal?"

********************End of Part Two **********************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  3/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:25 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   3/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

The character used in this story are the creations of Joss Whedon,
Warner Bros, and any other lawful group with rights to Buffy the
Vampire Slayer. No infringement is intended

Part 3

Xander looked at the fence with apprehension. The last fence he
had attempted to jump was a less than favorite memory. In fact, he
was still positive he could hear the echo of the delightful 'thud' his
body made on landing.

But, that fence was in his way, and it wasn't as if he could just walk
up to Willow's house, knock on the door and say, "Oh hey! Hi Mrs.
Rosenberg, ..I know it's nearly midnight, but I've got this stone here
that will magically keep Willow from having nightmares. D'ya
mind if I put this in her room?"

No. That just wouldn't go over well at all. He'd never experience the
sensation of a home cooked meal again. The delicious aroma
wafting in from a kitchen...not a bag. The cluster of family gathered
around a single table for a dinner...nope. This had to be done.

Besides, he needed Willow awake, alert and with it, or else he was
never going to get that English assignment done. Or started for that
matter.

He reached up and gripped the top of the wooden fence. "I hope
Buffy's having more fun than this." Heaving himself up, he steadied
his balance, loosened his knees, leaned forward and jumped.

He remembered her Mom's new English water garden, sweeping
along the fence perimeter at the back of the garden, right after that
jump. *Splash*. Extracting himself, and pulling some gooey leaf
off his face, Xander uttered a few choice phrases about the kindness
of fate, and his own brand of bad luck, and a few observations on
how darn lucky Willow was to have such a good friend.

Walking his way across the rest of the yard, with a delightful
"squoosh" to each step, he watched the ground rather carefully. He
could expect a rake or hose, or some new unusual instrument of
embasement to trip him up in this shadowy darkness. Somehow, he
failed to catch site of a nearly glowing white mass from hell
watching his every move. The little white blob slowly stalked
Xander from behind, it's pathetic versions of a growl hidden by the
strange wet-sounds Xander's shoes were making.

Xander nearly screamed in frustration as the rat-dog from hell
attached itself to his pant cuff. How COULD Willow call this little
rat a dog? Even more important, how could she call it a pet? Her
pet? Her lovable pet? Xander was certain this 'pet' was a creature
right out of the Hellmouth.

Every time Xander came over to Willow's, this hell spawn attached
itself to his pant leg, uttering it's pathetic whiney little growls. And
the damn thing, while small, had sharp pointy pin-like teeth. They
scraped almost supernaturally well. Particularly on Xander's ankle.

"Damn dog." he muttered. Reaching down, he pried it off of him,
holding it by the scruff of the neck an arms length away. Fluffy
glowered at him, snarling in what it considered a fierce snarl.
Mental images of booting the unholy rat out of the backyard with
one swift kick almost broke Xander's will. But, Willow liked the
little hell spawn, and she'd have to learn about Fluffy's inherent evil
in her own time.

Detouring, he found his way to Fluffy's outdoor pen. Fluffy was
given a lot of leeway, and the pen was usually left open, giving the
dog free run of the backyard. "He probably goes swimming in that
stupid water garden." Xander muttered to himself. With a light flick
of his wrist, Xander dropped the would-be dog into the pen, closing
the gate quickly before the mutant rat could escape. "Ha! How'd ya
like that?" He bent down looking at the dog. "Next time, pick on
someone your own size...if you can find something as pathetically
small as you!"

Feeling immensely better with his victory over the dog, Xander
resumed his approach to Willow's house. The house was a sidesplit,
with the living room, kitchen, and dining room on the main level,
two of the bedrooms on the upper floor and two on the lower floor.
Unfortunately for Xander, Willow's room was on the upper floor.

____________________________________

Interlude:

Carmilla pensively nibbled on her thumb's fingernail, totally
unaware of what she was doing while her mind tried to sort things
out. Things were not going well. Not at all. That hideous dwarf of a
man was making her immortal life very difficult.

The Seal. Everything she had worked for was at risk. All the
sacrifices, compromises...everything! Because that creepy
hunchback monster was obsessive about having the Seal. How was
a sweet angelic girl like herself supposed to keep all her promises
when fate threw something that butt-ugly in her way?

Her eyes widened with that last though, shocked at how crude her
mental imageries were. Obviously her last stay in heaven had been
some time ago ... she was beginning to think in human terms. This
was not good. She had a certain image to maintain after all.

End Interlude
_____________________________________

Buffy, Giles and Angel sat in the confined space of the Watcher's
office. Books, papers and fragile documents all carefully and
meticulously laid away in bookshelves lining the walls in this tiny
room, the glass doors in front of each case bearing a rather sturdy
lock.

Angel had discoursed to them all as much as he knew about the
Seal, and it's existence. His knowledge was limited, unfortunately,
due to lack of exposure. While the Master had been occupying the
chamber holding the Seal, Angel had not dared go near it. The seal
had lain rather dormant under the Master's occupation. The
Hellmouth and Seal confined like flies in amber even as the Master
was trapped, because of the failed attempt some 70 years ago.

Giles felt a need for some further and extensive research on Seals,
the seal, and the Hellmouth in general, before anything final was
decided on the subject. Angel had conceded that blaming incidents
of bizarre activity on the Seals' failure was premature. He couldn't
be certain the Seal was failing, just as he couldn't be certain there
was another interloper bent on violating the Seal. Angel did believe
it probable, though.

So, Giles had packed up what books he had deemed necessary from
the table in the center of the library, wandering back to his office.
Angel following close behind as the unlikely pair discussed
possible sources.

Ms. Calendar had taken Xander, and the two of them had gone to
fetch the topaz for Willow. Ms. Calendar would prepare the stone,
and drop Xander off near Willow's home. Since he knew Willow's
family and house well, Xander was best suited to sneak the
protective charm into Willow's bedroom.

Buffy had elected to keep Angel under close personal surveillance.

Sitting quite calmly on a chair she had dragged in from the study
carols, she watched as the Watcher and the soul-cursed vampire
began working through various antiquated scraps of paper and
books. They were truly absorbed in the research, occasionally
exchanging comments on whether a source was redundant, or had a
piece of relevant information.

Angel had proven quiten useful at this task. Living at a time when
Latin was still a living language, he found reading and translating
from Latin into English a trivial thing. Books that took Giles hours
to read through, since he had to transliterate and translate as he
went for the relevant information, took Angel a fraction of the time
to work through. He didn't have to bother reading and translating,
he just had to remember to switch back to English when he spoke
up.

Buffy felt rather redundant. For all that she had accused Giles of
being no use here with his books, it was here with these books he
was so intimate with that all their knowledge came from. Buffy,
being the Slayer and young, had no patience for the fuss of reading
and translating prophecies, or Watcher Journals of years gone by.

The two men were totally engrossed in whatever it was they were
reading, again. Aimlessly, Buffy wandered over to the bookcase
behind her chair, fingers stroking across the spines of a few books,
one in particular caught her eye. It was a strange color, for leather,
and even stranger texture. Pulling it out gently, she was shocked to
feel the brittleness of the fabric binding the book. It looked like
leather, but leather was far more durable than this. Frowning, she
opened the book just a crack to look at the pages inside. They were
of the same material too. The hand written ink on the pages was
difficult to read. It was both blotchy and faded, as if the ink had
leaked across the page when written on originally, and faded to near
illegibility over time.

The book intrigued her. It was hard to imagine someone writing a
book that could not last. Raising it up towards Giles, she called out.
"Giles? What kind of leather is this?"

The Watcher looked up in mild surprise. Buffy had been so quiet
this past hour, he had nearly forgotten she was here. Refocusing his
eyes on the object in the distance, he recognized the book
immediately. "Leather? Human, I believe."

Buffy nearly dropped the book. As it was, the volume found it's
shelf again quite quickly. "Human? That's disgusting?!?!"

"Quite. It's difficult to cure well. And it doesn't hold ink nearly as
well as I could wish. An inferior material to document such
important information on." Responded the Watcher absently, once
again concentrating on Raymond Buckland's "Anatomy of the
Occult".

The Slayer stared at him in amazement. How could he blow off
something so...so...icky? Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced
at Angel. He hadn't even come up for air *Not that he needs air*,
she minded herself. Both of them. She should have gone with
Xander. At least then she'd be doing something, rather than just
going plain stir-crazy.
_______________________________________

Willow was sleeping, just not peacefully, Xander noted. Curled up
in the fetal position, she faced the door with her back to the
window. She was making soft distressed moans, her head tossing
somewhat, and arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Tiptoeing closer, Xander felt around in his pant pockets for the blue
topaz. "Oh god. I hope it didn't fall into the water garden!" He
thought as pockets both proved empty. Patting himself down,
visions of having to climb out the window, to the roof, and down
the antenna to creep across the yard and sift through the entirety of
the pond haunted him. "Please let it be here! Please let that damn
garden NOT have a drain..Please!" His shoulders slumped, and he
leaned forward in despair, causing the chain around his neck to pull
free of the wet shirt, and the blue Topaz he had carefully put around
his neck so he couldn't accidentally drop it, swung free.

Xander could have slapped himself for being a moron. Fingers
fumbling, he unhooked the chains catch, setting the stone down on
the night table beside Willow's bed. Turning, he tried to sneak
across the room to write her a note. Willow was good at noticing
things out of place, and a pendant like that would not be missed.

Removing the seat cushion, Xander sat down on her wooden desk
chair, wincing at the feel of is wet clothing pressed so close to his
drying skin. It wasn't easy to see in the dark for something as small
as a pen. Notepaper was easy to find on Willow's desk. She kept a
block of it to the right of her computer. Squinting he looked on top
of the desk for a pencil can or something. Instead, his eyes fell on a
series of framed pictures. Lifting one down, he turned so that the
light from outside fell onto the frame. It was a picture of him and
Willow, taken perhaps a year ago.

-----------------Continued in Part 3B/11------------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 1/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:57 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss      1/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

I don't own Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and crew. They belong to
Joss Whedon, WB and co. I'm just borrowing them. So, please, no
one sue me . . . I don't have any money anyway. I do, however, own
Carmilla (as much as one can own an 'Angel') and Cai.
********************************************************

Prologue:

"Get stuffed, ya stupid winged freak!" snarled the misshapen old
man in a harsh and rasping voice. Squat, filthy and profoundly ugly,
his face was screwed into an expression of perpetual contempt.

A woman of ethereal beauty looked at him from across the room,
ignoring the ruins and rubble their little squabble had caused. The
pristine walls were cracked, the debris of the marble ruins lying in
large chunks on the floor. The stairs up to the altar were upheaved,
ruined beyond repair. Miraculously, the altar and it's sacred burden
remained intact. The amulet still glittered freshly.

"This is not over, old man! I will not fail!" she said softly, focusing
her eyes on the gnarled hunchback.

"Yeah right! I'm stronger than you are, sweetheart! I got more
power than a freaking 'holier than thou' screw-up like yourself, and
I'm a lot younger than you, ya old bitch. I ain't giving up on the seal!
It's MINE!" He swore coarsely at her. His bow legs stood strong on
top of the rubble, and he sneered at her.

Collecting her dignity, the angel wrapped her glowing white cloak
around herself and haughtily raised her chin. "We we'll see, we will
just see!". With an indignant sniff, she vanished.

Tilting his head to one side, grumbling quietly, the ugly man
seemed to be listening. Grunting, he glanced at the glowing amulet.
"Well.. that went well. Mostly. I guess it's back to work on that
stupid girl. Would've thought by now she'd have clued in. Dumb
kid."

****************************************************

Part One:

Alexander Harris was not impressed and more than a little worried,
and from the look on Buffy Summers face, neither was she. The
object of their mutual consternation sat munching on her lunch in
total distraction. She looked like hell, too, Xander noted with a
frown. "She's still not okay, y'know." He muttered to the Slayer.

Buffy flicked him a quick look. "Yeah. But she won't say what's
eating her." Belatedly, she winced at the poor choice of words. "Not
that something is literally 'eating' her, I hope." Xander, she knew,
would be turning green as dinner memories, where he was to be the
main course, came hauntingly back.

Willow, oblivious to their concern, just munched on. Buffy was
willing to bet everything she owned that Willow couldn't even tell
anyone what type of sandwich she had. Pale, disoriented, and
exceedingly skittish, Willow was backsliding into the painfully shy
girl Buffy first met. And her health was also slipping downhill at a
terrific pace.  Yesterday, during her spare, Willow had passed out in
the library. And it was only Wednesday. *God only knows, at this
rate, she'll be hospitalized by Friday.*

Giles and Ms. Calendar were even concerned about the young
hacker. Willow, on the whole, was always bright, cheerful with a
ready smile to dole out. But when she came to school last Thursday,
she seemed a little overtired. By Monday, she was jumpy and
exhausted. When she collapsed in the library, Giles had discreetly
removed her to his office, and closed the library. According to
Buffy's Watcher, Willow had woken up some twenty minutes later,
screaming in apparent agony.

It was agreed that something was seriously disturbing Willow, but
as yet, the adults were unwilling to consider it was supernatural in
nature. Buffy was worried, with all the strange things happening in
Sunnydale of late, that Willow's problems were connected. Their
biggest difficulty lay in the fact that no one knew what it was
affecting Willow.

Consequently, Xander had been given the fun task of investigating
happenings at home. Willow hadn't even _cared_ that Xander was
following her like a faithful puppy, and spending a great deal of
time with her after school. That, more than anything, had convinced
Buffy the world was truly about to end.

Xander had escorted her right home, Friday night, and spent dinner
with her family. Over the weekend, he had been her virtual shadow.
Monday and Tuesday, he had dinner with her family again, and
stayed after allegedly for 'help' on his homework. He actually had
his biology homework done, and his parents were in danger of
forgetting that they had a son, but he had still learned nothing
revealing on Willow's homefront.

And Willow was only getting worse. This morning, Buffy could
have sworn someone had punched Willow, the skin under her eyes
was so dark, and her face so pale. "This has got to end." Buffy
muttered, earning a 'no kidding!' snort from Xander.

Xander grumbled something, trotting off to sit beside Willow.
Buffy shook her head bemused, if Willow had been even slightly
more with it, she would have swooned from all the TLC she was
getting out of Xander. Unfortunately, she was so distracted, most
times, she wasn't aware that he was shadowing her so closely.

Slowly, Buffy wandered over to join them. She felt so useless. She
could slay vampires, fight invisible girls, she-mantis' and all sorts of
other supernatural odds'n' sods, but was clueless as to how to help
Willow.

*********************************

In a distant corner of her mind, Willow was aware of her friends
concern. And she did take comfort from it. But she was so tired,
and yet, the nightmares just loomed, waiting for her eyes to drift
shut. It felt like she'd been seeing her friends, and families deaths in
her dreams for years now, not just eight days.

And the physical toll it was having on her was brutal. Cordelia
would only have to glance at her to reduce Willow to tears, her
appetite was dropping off tremendously, and her schoolwork was
suffering badly.

The doctor she had seen had given her some sedatives, but they
were worse. After taking a sedative and going to sleep she found
she was trapped in those nightmares. Waking up screaming was one
thing, but screaming and unable to wake up.... A shudder rippled
through her body, and a jacket fell across her shoulders with
Xander's scent on it.

Jerking her consciousness back to the real world she became aware
of Buffy and Xander sitting beside her, Xander on her right, Buffy
in the front of her. Meeting Buffy's eyes for a brief second, Willow
also caught the hurt in them when she unintentionally flinched
away. Buffy was hunting, but this time for whatever it was that was
hurting her friend.

"Sorry," Willow whispered, trying to take away the hurt.

Buffy reached out and took her hand, giving it a comforting
squeeze. "It's okay." Taking the opportunity, she moved slightly
closer, and while not letting go of Willow's hand, she eased her grip
on it. "Willow, I know you don't want to, but...please tell us what's
bothering you?"

Willow just shook her head negatively. "It's nothing."

"Like hell!" Xander cursed softly, not wanting his friend to be
startled. "It's not 'nothing', and I for one don't care if it's
something
as small as spiders or ants, or whatever. Something has your cage so
rattled it's making you sick!" He softened his voice more, and
nudged her gently,"We're your best friends, Willow. You are
important to us. Trust us."

Willow was somewhat surprised at Xander's response. Oh, not that
he didn't care, or wasn't a good friend, but this consuming need to
help her...that was new. Normally he just offered sympathy and a
witty, if inane comment. Despite his concern, she still just shook
her head, "No. Nothing's bothering me. I--I'm just having problems
sleeping."

Buffy, as could be expected, jumped on this. "Problems? What kind
of problems?" Her sharp gaze grew pensive as she mentally listed
possibilities.

Willow sighed softly, her shoulder slumping. Xander wrapped a
arm around her shoulders, offering her his strength, and comfort.
Ironically, something she would have died for, under normal
circumstances, but right now, just wanted the warm comfort of her
friend. "I---it's--uh, just, umm...insomnia. My doctor gave me some
sedatives, but, they um, don't agree with me." Clearly, she could see
that Buffy and Xander didn't buy this. But they also weren't willing
to call her a liar.

Dropping her gaze to her lap, Willow felt Buffy's slim hand catch
her chin and raise it so their eyes met again. "And there's been no
nightmares?", she asked, tilting her head and leaning forward.

Willow felt the panic attack rise up, and forcibly held it back.
"No...not really...maybe once...or twice." *A night* she silently
added. Over her head, she knew Buffy and Xander were exchanging
glances, and probably would have shared thoughts, if she hadn't
been sitting right there. Xander's grip tightened, and even as he was
about to speak, Willow was saved by the bell. Jumping up with
more energy than she actually had, she scooped her lunchbag, and
schoolbag together, letting Xander's jacket fall off her shoulders
and onto the table.

"Umm...I've, uh, gotta get to class." she said with as much strength
as she could muster. Then softer, almost a whisper, "I'll see you
guys later." She turned on heel, and nearly ran to the school.

Xander picked up his light jacket with an angry violence. "She lied
to us!" He nearly shouted. For the life of himself, he couldn't
understand it. Willow was falling apart, and instead of asking for
help, or talking about it, she was covering it up.

Buffy placed a restraining hand on his arm, the other hand lowering
her sunglasses into place on the bridge of her nose. "Yes. She did.
But, we know she did. So, we can go to Giles with this information
and figure out how to help her." She flashed him a bright smile,
"Don't worry, Xander, Willow will be okay! We'll make sure she
is!".

*********************End Part One************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  2/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:39:51 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss    2/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

I don't own Buffy, Giles, Willow, Xander and crew. They belong to
Joss Whedon, WB and co. I'm just borrowing them. So, please, no
one sue me . . . I don't have any money anyway.

Part Two:

Rupert Giles pulled his glasses off and pressed the heels of his
palms into his tired eyes, rubbing them in slow circles. The heaped
pile of newspaper articles, books, manuscripts and other assorted
pieces of paper spread out on the table of front of him hid the
beautiful antique mahogany. It seemed as if no sooner did he work
through a text, than another one took it's place. And Giles was
beginning to despair of ever working through the accumulating
clutter of research. Shoulders slumped, he cast a dark look at the
mess, and an even darker look at the happily humming
Ms. Calendar, as she typed away quietly and contentedly on her
infernal computer.

Sighing he reached for his notepad, ready to annotate what little he
had found before Buffy arrived. Buffy had sashayed into the library
just before her last period to announce there would be a session
tonight, but not immediately after school. Two-thirds of the three
musketeers were on a mercy mission. Willow Rosenberg was being
escorted right home, taken straight to her room, and tucked right
into bed. Only when Buffy and Xander felt that this mission had
been successfully fulfilled would they hustle discretely back to the
school.

Willow. Giles pen froze as an image of the girl the last time he saw
her today flashed through his mind. As a rule of thumb, when
Willow had a free period, she came to the library. It was quiet here,
generally the other students didn't have a clue where it was, and
with the silence came no one to tease her for her intellectual bent.
And Giles welcomed her presence. Willow's study skills had
facilitated his own research tremendously. He knew, eventually,
he'd have to learn to use those dreadful machines she so loved, but,
so long as Willow was willing to help out ... he could postpone the
inevitable.

Aimlessly drifting in, the girl had wandered over to her computer
perched off the main table. Her eyelids were drooping heavily, the
skin beneath the eyes an alarming green/blue on her already pale
skin. He should have, he realized belatedly, insisted she go home
and get some rest. Willow had tossed him a sad shadow of her usual
smile, waving him off.

She hadn't been able to focus on much around her, although she
tried. She had flicked the computer on, and as Giles sat and
watched, stared at the flickering lights of the monitor for ten
minutes before shaking herself out of her funk. Giles hadn't had the
heart to ask her to find anything. Willow simply wasn't up to it, and
he was still unnerved by the memory of her collapse the day before.

Willow had been on the upper floor, pulling some book on the
Eleusine mysteries. Walking towards the rail and stairs, eyes glued
to the text, her head had shot up when another student brushed past
her on his way to the stacks. The movement and surprise had
obviously been too sudden for her body to handle. Giles had nearly
had a heart attack, she had collapsed with a soft whisper of a moan
so close to the iron rail guard.

The student who had surprised her had ran to get Giles, and Giles
had prudently shooed the child out of the library, removing Willow
to the office. Laying her down on the cot he had been forced to buy
(after a week of sleeping in the library), he had been sorely tempted
to call the nurse, but Willow had been breathing easy, if a little fast.
Even as she lay unconscious in the office, she had been in a state of
obvious REM activity. Giles hadn't wanted to wake her, so clearly
she needed the sleep. That decision was short-lived, regretfully. Not
twenty minutes after her initial collapse she had come awake with a
blood-curdling scream, her entire body shaking in violent sobs ...

A hand dropped on his shoulder, and Giles breaking him out of his
memories. Ms. Samantha Calendar looked down at him with a
sympathetic smile. "Something wrong, Rupert? You look lost."

"Lost," he sighed again. "Lost is a rather large understatement for
how I feel. Overwhelmed comes closer, but still falls short." He
tossed his pen down onto the notepad, watching it roll off the lined
paper pad into a recessed crack between the notepad and
newspapers, eminently buried. He stood up suddenly, feeling her
hand drop of his shoulder as he did so, and began pacing. "No, I
was just thinking about Willow."

Samantha nodded, looking at the clock. "I imagine Buffy and
Xander have gotten her home by now. I hope she starts to feel better
soon." Sinking down into the chair Giles had abandoned, she
continued. "I don't know why she came to school today. She is
obviously suffering for exhaustion, unable to concentrate, listless,
and physically manifesting signs of illness.... She couldn't even
compose a simple string for the assignment in class today, and she
finds tasks like that ridiculously easy. She simply was unable to
focus. "

"Yes. That's exactly it. She can't focus on the world around her.
Most likely, as you implied, a result of sleep deprivation, but one
would have thought her doctor would have taken care of that by
now." Giles muttered, running a hand across his chin.

"A doctor did," entered a confident new voice . Buffy stood in the
entryway, looking her usual chic in a slim, arm baring white sheath
dress . Privately, Giles deemed her wardrobe inappropriate for
hunting, but it seemed to work for her. Standing beside Buffy,
Xander looked like a frump.

"Willow said her doctor gave her sedatives but, quote: they didn't
agree with her, unquote." The young slayer stalked over to the two
adults, Xander in tow behind, and flopped inelegantly into a free
chair. "She's also having nightmares every time she goes to sleep."

Ms. Calendar looked up sharply at that. "Did Willow say she was
having nightmares?"

Buffy paused, looking venomously at the woman for catching the
slight variance in presentation. "No..."

"But her mother did." Xander inserted. Buffy shot him a grateful
smile. " After Buff's and I discussed the whole nightmare thing, and
Willow denied it, I thought I'd just ask Mrs. Rosenberg. According
to her, Willow's woken up every night screaming her head off."
Xander smiled sadly, proud to have finally found a key piece of
information.

"Nightmares..." Ms. Calendar muttered. She stood up slowly and
walked around the chair and table in a large circle to Willow's
computer. Sitting down, she thoughtfully punched a few keys.

Buffy looked at the woman, then Giles who just shrugged, before
glancing at Xander with a "did we just miss something?"
expression. Xander raised an eyebrow, and ambled around to hover
over the esteemed computer teacher's shoulder.

Reading the flashing screens as fast as he could, Xander swiftly
decided to concede defeat and wait for the teacher to rejoin them in
this plane of existence. Ms. Calendar moved almost as fast as
Willow did on a computer.

The thought brought a pang of conscience to the teen. Willow
would be so hurt to know they had purposefully excluded her from
tonights' meeting. But, it was for her own good, he rationalized.
They needed Willow here, with her wits collected. Ms. Calendar
was good on a computer, but no where near Willow's level of skill.
Besides, those ethics that didn't get in Willow's way sure stopped
Ms. Calendars cold when hacking was required.

His conscience mildly appeased, Xander absently began lean over
Ms. Calendar's shoulder, again trying to read the screen. She
seemed to be going through reports, done in a spreadsheet
format...* how does anyone know how to read those things?* he
wondered.

A sudden "AHA!" made every back in the room shoot straight up.

"Aha?" Buffy asked hopefully. She gave the dark-haired woman a
pixieish smile.

Ms. Calendar smiled widely. "There's been an unparalleled increase
in reports of insomnia! But even better, there's been a very large
increase in reported cases of severe nightmares causing insomnia!

Xander pursed his lips and shook his head. "And this is good
news?" he said incredulously. He moved from his perch beside her
to stand beside Buffy's chair.

"Willow's nightmares aren't natural in origin. Or they're unlikely to
be natural in origin." Ms. Calendar said crisply. "Nightmares are
usually limited to children. They are part of normal development.
BUT nightmares are less common in adults, perhaps 5-10% of all
adults have nightmares."

Giles approached the table again, thoughtfully cleaning his glasses.
"Although, they could be caused by medications, or childhood
traumas...is Willow on any medications other than the sedatives? "

Xander seemed to consider this, "Not that I know of. Her family is
really into using homeopathic medicines before anything else. And
I've known Willow since we were toddlers. The biggest trauma
she's ever had was the death of her goldfish. We had a lovely
funeral for them. Flushed straight down with a full salute. "

Giles frowned, "I don't consider Willow overly emotional, so that
rules out that." He began muttering to himself, and wandered back
to his office. The echoes of his mumbling faded, stopping, and then
grew stronger as he returned with a book in hand. The faded blue
canvas binding the book looked worn. And the gold letters that had
once proudly announced title and author were scarcely visible.

Giles leafed through brittle yellow pages quickly, searching for
some section that lurked buried within the volume. Head tilted
down, he traced his finger down the length of page, as if tracking
informaton.

Buffy watched him become lost in his own scholarly world. Rolling
her eyes comically, she loudly cleared her throat. "Giles? Would
you like to share with the rest of us here?"

"Wha--? Oh, my apologies. I was just considering a final
alternative. Are we certain that Willow is suffering from
nightmares?..."

"That's what her Mom said," Xander interjected loudly. "I think her
Mom would know best, she lives with her, after all."

"Yes, yes. I'm well aware that she's having episodes at night. We've
established that based on the testimony of her parents. What I'm
wondering is whether this is a case of nightmares...or night terrors."

                         --------continued in Part 2B------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:52:00 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss          5/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER: see part one

Part Five

The catacombs beneath the city of Sunnydale predated the access
tunnels the city council had implemented in the 1940's. Roughly
hewn, natural structures, they bore the markings of the neolithic
cultures that had dwelled in the region so long ago. Formerly
surface caves, the walls were rich in paintings, carvings and natural
minerals. Carefully carved arches linked the series of caves forming
tunnels, and the tunnels led down into the earth, straight to the
mouth of hell.

Angel had descended into the surface tunnel as morning had first
approached. Advising Giles that he would meet them at the
entrance to the catacombs, the vampire scouted ahead for hidden
traps. Now, leaning casually against a wall, Angel smiled to see the
Slayer and her friends approaching.

"You made good time!" He greeted them.

Buffy restrained the urge to throw herself at him for a hug. No
matter how much she wanted it, it was wrong. He was a vampire,
she was the Slayer. A match truly made in Hell. "You left a good
trail!" she forced herself to say cheerfully.

Xander rolled his eyes melodramatically. Shaking his head
dismally, he wandered over to study one of the wall frescoes.
Depicting a blue pillar, with a group of people forming a circle
around it, monsters seemed to be climb out of the thick blue line.

Hearing a soft shuffle beside him, he tilted his head to the side and
saw Willow. Flashing him a quick smile, she too looked at the wall
paintings. Her entire outlook and health seemed to have been
restored with two good nights of sleep. The puffiness beneath her
eyes was gone, and she seemed to be back to the quiet, but alert girl
he'd always known.

Xander wasn't ashamed of how relieved he felt. At the height of her
apathy, Xander's worst imaginings seemed to be coming true.
Losing Willow's friendship would have destroyed him. Sure, he
loved Buffy, but Willow truly was his best friend. There wasn't
anything he couldn't tell her.

"These are kinda creepy," she murmured looking around the wall
more.

Xander followed her gaze. Monsters and demons everywhere eating
people were the images surrounding the central images of the pillar.
"What do think this is? A message or just really bad impressionist
art work?"

Willow reached up with a slender finger to stroke the blue line. "I
think this is supposed to represent the Seal. And those," She made a
sweeping gesture to the monsters and like, "Are the creatures of the
Hellmouth."

Xander was silent for a moment, studying the pictures again. "I
hope the Hellmouth never has the chance to open, then." He said
finally, his eyes resting on a particularly gruesome monster.

"Amen, to that." Willow whispered softly, again, her eyes drawn to
the blue pillar. Moving a step closer, she peered at it as if a clue
would jump out at her. Xander stood behind her, still shining the
flashlight on the wall with one hand. The other hand came up to
rest on her shoulder.

"We should get going." He gave her shoulder a light shake, jarring
her from her fascination. She nodded, turning to rejoin the others,
but Xander stopped her. "I...Willow....the next time you're having
problems, I don't care if it's a hangnail, please don't hide it? You
scared me so much, and..." He paused, searching for whatever he
wanted to say. Meeting her eyes again, he smile wryly, "Hell, just
don't leave me? Okay? Your friendship is the most important thing
in my life. I mean that."

Willow smiled, unaccountably feeling tears in her eyes. It wasn't a
declaration of love, but it was a display of affection. Reaching up
she gave him a quick hug. "I won't leave. And your friendship is
special to me too."

Xander suddenly smiled his normal bright carefree grin. "Good.
Now forget all that sentimental stuff. I'd hate to have my reputation
ruined."

Willow laughed, punching him lightly in the stomach. "What
reputation? The one you WISHED you had?"

"Hey! I have a cool reputation!" Xander protested, leading her away
from the wall, and back to where the others were clustered.

Willow shook her head sadly, "Cool? Xander, be serious. Since
when was being classified as a 'looser' cool? --Cordelia's words, not
mine, you understand."

Xander lips curved into a evil little grin, "Look who's talking,
Science nerd."

"Yeah. So. Your point?" Willow sniffed. Buffy stared at them like
they had just snapped, so Willow winked at her. The Slayer relaxed
visibly.

Giles loudly cleared his throat. "If you two are finished playing?"
The Watcher cast a "Why me" upwards, before tossing Buffy an
irritated look. It was her fault he was here. What need would the
Slayer have for her Watcher right now? Instant research?
Repressing the urge to sigh, he gave Angle the nod to go ahead.

The vampire straightened. "Earlier today I discovered a direct route
to the Seal. I originally thought it was on the same level as the
Master's prison, but apparently not. It's below that. The passageway
to the Seal is guarded with traps..so, it'll be dangerous."

Ms. Calendar frowned, "What kind of traps? And how do you know
there ARE traps?" She tossed Giles a concerned look. They were
the only two adults present, excluding Angel. The teenagers safety
was ultimately their responsibility, and Samantha Calendar didn't
like the thought that they were blatantly marching into a dangerous
situation.

Angel shrugged, and swept his arm back, indicating the walls
around them. "Someone wrote on these walls, in Gaelic, Latin, and
a few languages that remind me of Linear A. They're warnings for
the average traveler." Walking towards one ornate archway, he let
his hand sweep down a carved column. "These structures were once
very accessible, and the Guardian who protected the Seal didn't
want to endanger the average individual. I think he or she instituted
protections and traps to keep people away from the Seal."

Buffy walked in a slow small circle, studying the walls around her.
"Can you identify the traps before we hit them?"

Angel nodded once, curtly. Buffy stared at him unblinkingly for a
long moment before she nodded slowly. "Alright. Let's do this."

One by one, they entered the passageway leading into the oldest
parts of the Catacombs. The width of the tunnels was meant for
only a single individual. Xander went behind Willow, not for any
reasons of cowardice or reluctance, but to provide his friend with
reassurance, should she need it.

As Giles disappeared into the tunnel, Willow inhaled deeply, and
took that final step. The darkness broken only by random flashes of
light, threatened self composure. Feeling her calm dissipating,
Willow threw her thoughts back to the library, and Giles' nearly
comedic rush to get out of there.

Originally, they were first going home, having dinner, and then
going out to save the world. And as Willow had walked into the
library after classes finished for the day, that plan had still stood.

The doors to the library were slightly ajar when she wandered in.
Much to her bemusement, Giles was practically racing through the
library, gathering up as many books as he could, and stashing them
in various hiding spots. It took him quite a few minutes to even see
Willow there.

"Willow!" The Watcher stopped for a fraction of a moment. "Good!
Help me hide anything the superintendent might find..." He
floundered for a word.

"Suspicious?" Willow offered with a wide-eyed innocent smile.

Giles grimaced. "Yes."

"Why is the superintendent going to find anything suspicious?"
Willow asked as she wheeled the book-truck to the central table.
Methodically picking up the books not normally on every
highschool bookshelves, she neatly stacked them onto the cart.

The librarian shoved a memo onto the table, a sign of his
aggravation that he would show a student such a document.
Reading it, she barely managed to prevent a gasp, but still
unwittingly murmured "Oh, my..."

"Quite." Giles said tersely. He grabbed the book-truck, preparing to
wheel it into his office.

Willow bit her lower lip, "Uh. Mr. Giles? Won't they be going into
the office? For the paperwork on your orders, and stuff?"

Giles froze. He had cases, upon cases of books that the
Superintendent would frown upon. And it wasn't like he could
relocate them all within the next forty-five minutes.

Buffy, of course, bounced into the library, Xander following like a
faithful puppy. Sliding up beside the diminutive hacker, Buffy
looked around enquiringly before turning to Willow, an elegant
eyebrow raised. Willow slid the memo along the table to her.

"Oh, my.." Buffy gasped. She passed the same letter to Xander.

"Oh boy!"

"Umm. Giles? How many, uh..special edition volumes do you
own?" Willow asked, her mind working as fast as was reasonably
possible.

The librarian reappeared from the recesses of his office. "I really
have no idea, perhaps four hundred or so.." He disappeared again,
another bundle of books in his arms.

"Ooookay. So, isn't it conceivable that those are books from your
own private collection?" Willow nearly shouted.

Buffy looked at her, a small smile on her face. "You've got an
idea!"

Willow smiled widely for a flash of a moment, removing the smile
as soon as Giles returned.

"Conceivable, yes..but there's a lot of single-edition books in that
collection, I don't see.."

Willow walked right up to the librarian, "No, no. Think about it
from the American perspective. You're British. You've got some
strange different ways, you used to be assistant Curator at a very
prestigious museum...of course you'd have some weird things!"

Giles favoured her with a dry, "Thank you."

"No problem." Willow said eagerly, "So, if we tuck all the
incriminating books into those nice lockable bookcases in your
office, and leave a note on each case with something like...'don't
touch, private property of Mr. R. Giles, Assisstant Curator, British
Museum'..wouldn't that lead the superintendant to believe that
they're all yours..privately?"

---------------------------Continued in 5B/11---------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:52:09 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 5b/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"No problem." Willow said eagerly, "So, if we tuck all the
incriminating books into those nice lockable bookcases in your
office, and leave a note on each case with something like...'don't
touch, private property of Mr. R. Giles, Assisstant Curator, British
Museum'..wouldn't that lead the superintendant to believe that
they're all yours..privately?"

Giles blinked twice. "That... I...." He floundered for a moment,
blinking owlishly again.

"What he means to say, Willow, is that is the most simplistically
devious idea he's heard all day!" Buffy filled in for him.

Xander tossed his bag onto the table "But Giles is still stuck here
for the meeting tonight." Lazily Xander hooked a chair with an
ankle, swinging it around so that he could straddle it. His chin
rested on the high chair back.

Buffy frowned at Xander, and then Giles. "He's right. How are we
going to get you out of that?" Buffy paced back and forward,
Xander's head bobbing as he followed her movements.

"How about a doctor's certificate?" Willow offered helpfully.

"That would have worked, yes.." Buffy mused, "But we don't have
time to get one. Besides, what reason would Giles give for needing
one?"

Willow coughed discretely, "I didn't mean a 'real' one."

Giles looked at the Slayer, and then at Willow. "I'm going to go
shelve those books, lock those cabinets, and put up some notes. If a
doctor's certificate appears before I get back, I do NOT want to
know how it got there."

The two girls smiled sweetly.

Twenty minutes later, they were out of the school. Ms. Calendar
almost had whiplash they swept her up so fast. The girls had gone
with Ms. Calendar, making pit-stops at their homes for changes of
clothes, and to dole out excuses to parents. The two men did
whatever men do before saving the world.

"At least they remembered to get flashlights, " Willow mused, as
the beam from Xander's flashlight hit the wall ahead of them.

"I'm out!" Buffy's shout drifted back. The relief was indescrible.
Willow had never thought she was claustraphobic, but after a walk
in that tunnel...she could understand how people could become so
paralyzed by confined spaces.

Walking into a wider, but equally dark antichamber, Willow
studied the walls revealled by the flashlights. The carvings were so
complex, and detailed. It was amazing.

A massive archway lined the southern exposed wall. A huge
sweeping cornice moulding at the top, flowing down with detailed
lintels. Wandering over to it, Willow slid a hand along the side
grooves, marvelling at the handiwork.

Unlike the previous room they had been in, these walls were not
painted with scenes of horror. Rather, they reminded Willow of the
reconstructed images of Grecian temples.

Around her, the other's spread out to walk the room in a circuit,
admiring the grace and splendor of such intricate work.
"Astonishing," Giles murmured. Ms. Calendar made a small soft
sound of agreement.

Willow smiled, catching the wonder on all their faces. Turning
around her eyes were caught by a small alter worked into a wall. It
reminded her of the niche in a church, where an imaged of the
Madonna would reside, a small bench beneath for petitioners to
pray at.

Walking slowly over to it, she studied the empty space above the
alter. Her hands lightly touched the altar, instinctively running
along the edges of the stone structure. Slipping her index finger
along the underside, she felt the hidden button and froze. Memory
flashed, and she knew instinctively that by triggering that button, a
panel would open behind the empty niche.

Backing away, she bumped into Xander. "What'ya find?" He asked,
boldy stepping up to the altar. He imitated Willow's actions and
quickly found the button.

"Xander...don't!" Willow hissed, mind full of Angel's dire warnings
of traps. But Xander tripped the switch anyway.

They both jumped back, Xander instinctively hiding behind
Willow, cringing as the panel slid open with a grating sound of
ancient mechanisms turning. He peaked over her shoulder.

"You do realize, that you're hiding behind a little teeny girl, don't
you?" Willow asked acerbically, annoyed that Xander would be so
uncautious.

"I'm not hiding!" Xander argued.

"Oh, forgive me...you're protecting me from behind."

Willow stepped back up to the altar to peer inside. A little pedestal
base lay inside the niche, and on it two things, a scroll, and a clear
crystal. Frowning, she reached her hand in, but memory again
struck.

*Xander's eyes, the warm brown overlayed by a blind white.
Herself, holding the crystal high. A flash of lightening...*

Her hand jerked back, instead she turned, elbowing Xander away,
and called for Giles.

The Watcher hurried over, Buffy, Angel and Ms. Calendar in tow.
Reaching into the niche, he gently pulled out the scroll, unrolling it
with the most care, all the while muttering.

Buffy scooped the stone out of the crevice, eyeing it for a moment
before giving it to Xander. "See, Xander..you've found a pretty
rock."

"I don't want it. 'Sides, Willow's really the one who found it."

"I didn't open that panel..you did." Willow protested, more
interested in what Giles was finding. The Watcher had given Ms.
Calendar his flashlight, and she was shining it down onto the
document.

"Iloeur y'ieuaric...." He muttered, frowning deeply, his brow
furrowed in concentration.

"Young moon." Angel offered helpfully.

Giles shot him a blank look. "You know gaelic?"

Angel shrugged, "Actually, I think that was Welsh." He walked
behind Giles, peering down at the document in the Watcher's hands.
"That's a prophecy!"

"Yes. But, I'm not sure if I'm translating it right." Giles grumbled.

"Try, Giles. Just try." Buffy suggested. The others all nodded their
agreement. "Even if you get a wrong word or two, the gist of the
idea wills till be there!"

Giles didn't look pleased, but read slowly aloud,

"Lo and Behold, the Seal shall Shudder and Power Leaks,
A dark One Rises whilst the Guardian doth sleep,
The Mare wakes the young Moon's strength
Two to right all that lies wrong at any length

Guardian Sun does the Moon soon replace
The blue stone guards, the Tri make haste
Demon assassin, the blinding light,
Be the Maiden devoured, lost is the fight

The Crone shall pass her burden to the Maiden,
A Power once claimed, a World not forsaken.
Amulet imprisons, the Power will heal
Let not the Guardian forget Her Seal

Fair ones awaken, a revenent revives
The young one is taken, to test Her ire
A Soul-taker destroyed, the sight is empowered
Now three in strength, nigh comes true Power"

Giles finished, and the room remained quiet for a moment. Buffy
sighed heartily, "Well, that was delightfully cryptic. How come it
rhymes in English if it's written in another language?"

Giles frowned again at the document, "I really don't know. I also
don't know how such a document could survive so long down here.
It should have crumbled into dust centuries ago."

Angel grunted. "Unless it was specifically created for us to find.
They would have chosen words for us." He stalked back to the
niche, examining it closely.

Buffy watched him quietly, before turning to Giles. "So, any ideas
on what it means?"

Giles frowned, "Not at this point. I can make some guesses, but..."
He looked at the paper again, "The Guardian's are changing, and the
Seal is in danger, that's clear. I can even speculate that the young
Moon means a female guardian, and the Sun a male."

Willow seemed agitated again, "But what about the Tri, and the
Demon Assassin...why would a prophecy been left for us to find if
it didn't apply to us?"

Giles seemed so weary, "I truly do not know, Willow. It pains me to
admit that, but I don't."

Buffy gave him a reassuring smile, "We'll just take this a step at a
time." She pulled herself together, and moved off to the southern
archway. "I suggest we get moving, the day isn't getting any
younger."

Xander dropped the stone into Willow's pocket, despite her protest,
and moved up to join Buffy. Rolling her shoulders to dispel the
tension, Willow jogged across the room to join her friends. "After
you, Buffy." Willow smiled.

"Gee, thanks..throw me to the wolves..and you, my best friend!"
Buffy sniffed melodramatically. She grinned tightly, before turning
and walking through. "What's the worst that could happen, after
all?" Her voice echoed back at them.

Xander looked at Willow with a "she had to ask that?" expression,
before they walked after Buffy. Behind them were Ms. Calendar
and Giles, and Angel brought up the rear.

This passageway was considerably wider. Easily the distance of a
residental street, the walls were bare, water trickling down on some
surfaces, other's just dry stone. There was a natural fluroescent light
source from some of the lichen and stones, making their visibility
easier. Looking up, Willow could see stalactite's hanging down, the
long elegant crystals of calcite reflecting the luminescent lite of the
growths below. All in all, it was quite beautiful. *Be nice for a
romantic walk* Willow thought irrationally, *If I had someone to
go for a romantic walk with, that is.*

Smiling softly, Willow found herself relaxing. She eyed Xander out
of the corner of her eye, taking pleasure in the small smile of
delight on his face.

----------------Continued in 5C/11-----------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  5C/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:52:18 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 5C/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

Smiling softly, Willow found herself relaxing. She eyed Xander out
of the corner of her eye, taking pleasure in the small smile of
delight on his face.

Behind them, Willow could hear the soft murmers of Ms. Calander
and Giles, discussing the Seal, and Ms. Calander's role in it.
"....willpower,"Ms. Calendar was saying quietly, "A concentration
of the fields and energies around, and the willpower to just
maintain it, absorb any attacks or inconsistencies..."

"Willpower, " Willow thought quietly, feeling better to know
something so simple could be so fundamental. Letting her mind
debate the subject Willow's mind drifted out of conscious
awareness.

A sudden screeching roar brought her back sharply, as did Buffy's
suddenly shouted, "Holy SHIT!"

Angel pushed through them to Buffy, moving as fast as his vampiric
speed would let him, openly vamped out. Xander grabbed Willow's
arm, pushing her behind him, to Giles. In turn, Giles pulled Willow
behind him, despite her struggles to the contrary.

And suddenly, she stopped struggling as they saw what Buffy was
fighting with all the strength the Slayer possessed. It was huge,
perhaps forty feet in length, and so ugly....it was also straight out of
Willow's nightmares.

A snake-like reptile, it had dozens of legs allowing it move with
incredible speed and grace. Fluidly dodging Buffy's strikes, it
attempted it's own, it's head easily the size of two full grown human
males, and closely resembling a crocodile. It snapped it's head
down, jaws fully extended, trying to devour Buffy or Angel whole.

"Buffy!" Giles shouted, "That is a Beithir, a demon snake! It might
be able to discharge lightening bolts!"

The ozone smell hadn't fully disappaited as Giles finished speaking.
"No, I was wrong, it CAN discharge lightening bolts." Giles
muttered, as he pulled the two remaining teenagers out of the way.

Willow just stared in horror. This was a nightmare coming to pass.
Buffy dodged aside a ferocious attack, spinning round with a round-
house kick into the side of it's head. A flick of her wrist dropped a
stake from the sleeve of her jacket into the confident grip of her
hand. A quick feint under, and a quicker signal to Angel, and Buffy
rammed the stake into where she instinctively knew it's heart would
be.

The stake snapped like a twig against the glistening scales on the
monster's belly, and the rippling undulation it made as Buffy struck
tossed Buffy into a wall. Sliding down, the Slayer remained
motionless for a moment, and yet the serpent never went after her.
Instead it scanned the others in the far corner and began to move
towards them, ignoring Angel's assault.

Shakily, Buffy stood up. Nursing her arm, and feeling the sticky
sensation of blood, she rolled her head, feeling the *click-snap* of
her joints getting realigned properly. She frowned at the creature,
pulling out another stake. "I should have brought a spear, or the
crossbow."

Seeing the Beithir launch itself at the others, Buffy levelled the
stake like a javelin, throwing it with all her might. It hit the
creatures head and eye. It roared back, bellowing an enraged
screech, and discharged a flash of lightening, right at Giles, and the
others.

Xander had been facing the creature at the time, and saw the initial
discharge, grabbing Willow, he practically threw her across the
floor, before running after her. But the flash of lightening blinded
him..and instead he stood lost, unseeing and helpless for a
disorienting moment.

Willow screamed, seeing the glazed look in Xander's face.
Wrenching herself out of Gile's grip, she ran towards her friend,
seizing his arm. If she had stopped to consider her actions, she
would have been petrified. Instead, she just reacted.

Turning, pulling Xander behind, she came face to face with the
Beithir. It opened it's huge maw showing all those rows of sharp,
wickedly curved teeth and moved forward quickly.

Buffy's call alerted Willow, and amazingly, she caught the stake
Buffy threw to her, and daringly jammed it into the creatures fleshy
jaw. Again, it's head snapped up in pain, and it prepared to level
another bolt of electrical lightening. Grabbing Xander again,
Willow pushed him with all her might away, and then pulled out
the crystal he had put in her pocket. Praying that the image her
mind had seen was a sign, she thrust the stone up as the creature
loosed it's blast. Willow cried out, feeling the heat on her hand, and
around her, she could hear Buffy's shrill horrified scream.

The crystal pulsed to life as the lightening hit, casting the power of
the strike away and at the ceiling. A loud crack-boom echoed
through the chamber, and the Beithir's head suddenly slumped
lifelessly to the floor. Its unholy existence ended by a long sharp
deadly stalactite which had pierced great body, right though where
the heart should have been.

Shaking, Willow tottered backwards, away from the grisly head,
falling over it's long tail end. Giles and Ms. Calendar quickly pulled
her away, Ms. Calendar's arm wrapped comfortingly around the
terrified girl's shoulder, and Giles examining her hand holding it
gently at the wrist.

Xander sat quietly against a wall, only now beginning to discern
rough shapes. The initial blindness had been a confining cut-off
from a sense he had come to depend on. If Willow hadn't dared so
much for him....

Buffy carefully walked around the demon, frowning as she
examined the crystal stake that had killed it. Joining the two adults,
she carefully hugged Willow, careful not to jar the wounded hand.
"You're okay, you did good.." Buffy crooned softly to the frightened
girl.

Willow was by nature shy, quiet and demure, but her loyality and
love for her friends were unquestioning. Buffy wasn't surprised by
Willow's near sacrifice for Xander, she was, though, by Willow's
survival. The nearness that her friend had come to dying...Buffy
shied away from the mental image.

Pulling back, Buffy watched as Giles pulled out a flask of water.
Pouring some of it on Willows reddened and tender flesh, he
maintained his firm grip, as she flinched and cried out softly.

"Here," Angel spoke from behind Buffy. Turning to face him, he
held out the shirt he had been wearing over his black t-shirt. Buffy
understood immediately, and swiftly ripped the shirt into long
strips.

Giles soaked one strip in water, and wrapped it around Willow's
hand, before covering that with a dry strip. "The skin isn't broken,
but it is burned. This really isn't the best way to treat it, but it'll
sooth the irritation for awhile." He fixed Willow with a stern look,
"If it feels any worse, or you loose feeling in the hand, I want to
know right away, understood?"

Sniffing and wiping her eyes with her free hand, Willow gave an
unsteady nod. "Okay." Behind her, Xander shuffled up, sliding on
his back end since he didn't trust his sense of direction entirely on
his feet yet. His hands came up to comfortably curl around her
shoulders.

Twisting slightly, she looked straight at his eyes. "Are you okay?"
She asked, forcing the tremor out of her voice. No matter what,
Xander was alive, and that in and of itself was a good thing. He
wasn't being eaten alive like her nightmare said he would.

Xander leaned forward, carefully and lightly kissing her on the
forehead. "Thank you, Willow." He grinned openly at her blush.
"Everythings a little hazy, like I'm looking through a fog, but it's
getting better every second."

Buffy waited until after Giles finished with Willow before showing
him the jagged cut on her arm. Her Watcher grumbled something
about not being a medic, but wiped down the cut and wrapping a
third strip of Angel's shirt along the serpentine cut. Slowly, Buffy
worked the muscle in the arm, hissing once or twice when it stung
too much.

They rested there for a little while, before Willow pulled herself
carefully to her feet, cautiously avoiding putting any weight or
contact onto her burned hand. The crystal was lying where Willow
had previously stood, and she made no move to fetch it. Seeing this,
Angel darted over the Beithir's corpse, and pocketed the clear stone
in his jeans, careful to keep Willow froom seeing him.

Buffy and Willow flanked Xander, and the three walked together,
supporting one another as they carried on. Now, guarding against
any possible trap, each and every member of the party scrutinized
their surrounding.

They made steady if slow progress through the catacombs, stopping
twice to rince and change the bandages on Willow's hand. Angel
had assumed the advance position, a few paces ahead of Buffy and
her friends. Giles walked a few paces behind them all, listening
carefully for sounds coming up behind them.

A final pass brought a huge pair of bronzed doors into view. Ornate,
and embossed with detailed images they stood easily fifteen feet
high. Two round disks were engraved into the centre of each door,
fancy symbols etched around the outside of the disks.

Ms. Calendar stepped towards the doors, squinting upwards. "Can
you all shine your flashlights at the centre of this door?" She asked.
Three beams of light coalesced into a radiant source illuminating
the markings clearly. "Those must represent the Seal, they're
protective symbols."

Buffy walked up beside the teacher, "So the Seal is behind those
doors?"

Giles joined them, reading what symbols and signs he could. "Yes. I
believe so. We have backtracked to roughly the same distance to
the library, so..."

"So, all we have to do is get in," Xander finished. "Anybody bring
the key?"

Buffy smiled widely, forming a fist, she raised her arm partially,
"Got it right here with me!" Giles and Ms. Calendar stepped back a
few paces, allowing the Slayer plenty of room. Buffy drew her arm
back, and swung forward placing a great deal of force into the
swing.

The sound was akin to that of gongs, as her first strike hit the centre
of one door. Something cracked and gave, and the door partially
shifted back. Buffy looked at Angel, jerking her chin. Together they
rammed their shoulders into the door, and it swung open.

Dust and small sprays of stone rained down on them as they walked
in. Ms. Calendar and Giles entering last.

"There!" Ms. Calendar exclaimed, spotting the flat disk. It glowed
with small flames of power, resembling the fires inside a gas
furnace. Bright blue flames darted around the surface, warm,
inviting. A clear aura casted upwards from those flames, slightly
blue in color.

"That's it," Angel agreed tersely. He seemed incredibly
uncomfortable.

"Angel?" He turned away quickly from the Seal, moving to their
furthest point away from it.

"Sorry, it's painful to me, kind of like the presence of a cross." He
muttered, keeping his vision firmly away from the Seal itself. It was
like his skin was itching with a million small insect bites.

Buffy cast a worried glance at the Seal, then at him. "It can't hurt
you...can it?"

"No, but it can make me very uncomfortable." He reassured her.
The others of their group approached the two. "Do we know what
we are doing, yet?"

"From the look of the Seal, I would hazzard a guess, that someone
will have to 'hold' the Seal, while the rest of us find what's
preventing it from doing it's work."

-------------------Continued in 5D/11----------------------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 5D/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:52:25 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss     5D/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"From the look of the Seal, I would hazzard a guess, that someone
will have to 'hold' the Seal, while the rest of us find what's
preventing it from doing it's work."

Leaning against the wall, to Angel's right, Ms. Calendar nodded in
agreement. "And I'm the someone to hold our Seal. I'm ready to do
it."

"Okay, so you protect the Seal, and we'll go find our interloper?"
Buffy suggested to the group at large. Glances were exchanged
around, and a general concent sounded.

Ms. Calendar straightened, "If you don't mind, could someone stay
here with me? I may need help, after I finish with the Seal."

Buffy gave Giles a long look, before turning to Willow. "Would you
mind staying, Willow? I think you've had enough of a scare, and
your hand is still sore... I don't want to endanger you any further."

Xander's hand came up again to her shoulder, squeezing lightly in
support.

Willow stared a her shoes for a bit, noticing the demons blood on
the white leather for the first time. Feeling panicked, she met
Buffy's concerned gaze, "I'll stay."

Buffy nodded briskly, moving quickly back to the doorway, and her
bag tucked just outside, Ms. Calendar a step behind. The two
women scooped up the bags, and walked back inside, Buffy
absently testing the doors hinges to see if it could safely be shut
when the rest of them left.

As she tugged softly at the door, more loose stones fell down, but
this time, the top corner of the door pulled away from it's wall
anchor, rupturing the sill and stone above the sill.

Willow watched, almost as if in slow motion as the rock slid away
from the wall. It was huge, and falling fast. She opened her mouth
to call out to Ms. Calendar...but too late.

Running, Willow narrowly caught Ms. Calendar before her head
slammed against the stone floor. The gash on her forehead was long
and messy...and the woman herself completely unconscious.

**********************end part 5*************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 6/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:52:37 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss     Part 6/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER:These characters listed below belong to Joss
Whedon, WB and co. No infringement is intended. The characters
of Cai and Carmilla belong to me!

Part 6

Willow rested Ms. Calendar's head in her lap, the others clustered
around. Buffy kneeled down beside the young hacker, picking up
Ms. Calendar's hand. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...oh God...it's my
fault!" The Slayer whispered repeatedly.

Angel gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, crouching low
beside her. Willow couldn't hear what he was saying to her, but he
led her away from the hurt teacher, speaking in a steady soft voice.

A scrap of cloth was passed to her, soaked in Giles' ever present
water bottle. Willow wiped the blood away, then used the cloth as a
compact to stop further bleeding. Probing around the hurt area for
any sign of extensive damage, and then gently checking Ms.
Calendar's neck. "I don't think anything is broken..but.."

Buffy still looked close to tears, shouldering the blame for this
accident entirely upon herself. "What are we going to do? We
needed Ms. Calendar..and because of me, now she can't protect the
Seal!" Her voice bordered on hysterical, surprising everyone in the
room. Buffy always seemed so self-composed and calm.

Willow sighed heavily, closing her eyes in attempt to find inner
peace. From the moment she saw the falling rock, Willow knew
Ms. Calendar was going to be hurt. She knew Ms. Calendar
wouldn't be able to work with the Seal. Just like that horrible snake
monster, it was a repeated part of her nightmares.

Only, now, Willow wasn't sure that those nightly episodes of pure
terror were nightmares. Four aspects of those nightmares had
already happened, albeit, the end result of one was different. The
stone hidden in the niche, the cut on Buffy's arm, the monster that
Giles called a Beithir, and Ms. Calendar was hurt. If these
nightmares were true to form...the Seal would rupture soon and
thousands of demons would pour forth.

A cold shiver went down her spine. Willow opened her eyes again,
and looked at Giles. The Watcher was upset, but hiding it well in
deference to his Slayer. Buffy's hysterics were probably more
unnerving for him than for everyone else present.

"Buffy, this was meant to happen, I'm afraid. I'm just not sure what
happens next." Giles began soothingly.

"Meant to happen? How is someone getting hurt because of ME
meant to happen?" Buffy exploded. She shook off Angel's
restraining hand and stalked over to Giles.

Giles didn't move, he simply stood very firm. "What I mean is that
the prophecy had a line in it: 'The Crone shall pass her burden to the
Maiden', and I'm afraid it meant Ms. Calendar as the Crone."

"Oh, that'll go over well when _she_ hears that!" Xander muttered
quietly. The gangly slayerette stood a few feet away from Giles,
watching Buffy's tirade with stunned eyes.

Buffy seemed to mull Giles words over. "Fine. So the burden was
the job of watching the Seal?" At Giles nod, Buffy frowned. "Okay.
Then I'll do it. I'm a maiden. I'll protect the Seal, since I'm the one
that KO'D Ms. Calendar, it should be my responsibility to fix
things." She crossed her arms, and set her jaw firmly.

"No." Giles said simply. It was to his credit that he didn't cringe
from the furious look the Slayer gave him. "You can't protect the
Seal. You are needed to fight whatever individual is attacking the
Seal."

Buffy shrugged, fully intending to pass that burden onto Angel. Half
turned towards the vampire, she gestured to him with a dismissive
wave.

"I can't do it alone." Angel spoke before Buffy could. "And no, as
helpful as Xander, Giles and Willow are, they don't have your
strength. They can't make up the difference for you."

Willow watched Buffy's fist close and open in aggravation. The
muscle's in her jaw trembled, making Willow silently ache for her
pain. Buffy had such a tremendous responsibility already, there was
no way fate or destiny could ask more from her...could it?

Looking past Buffy, Willow's gaze settled onto the Seal. On first
impression, it seemed so strong, so overwhelming, but that, Willow
realized, was a human reaction to being in the presence of
something so sacred and powerful. In actual fact, as she watched
the flames flicker, it was weak. The picture in the catacombs had
shown a solid blue streak, not two differing types of blue. A deep
blue flame at the bottom, and a ghostly film of blue in a pillar.

'The Crone passes her burden to the Maiden'...if that didn't mean
Buffy. Willow's eyes snapped wide and she stared in shock at the
Seal. If it wasn't Buffy, and Ms. Calendar was the Crone...then SHE
was the one who was supposed to guard the Seal.

The idea stunned her, fascinated her, and still terrified her. All that
research in the library hadn't prepared her for this, listening to Ms.
Calendar speak to Giles hadn't taught her enough, she didn't know
how to protect the Seal, beyond willpower.

*Who am I kidding? I don't have the kind of willpower to do this!*
Willow felt her mouth go dry. "I can't do this!" She whispered to
herself.

Drawing back deep inside herself, Willow looked up, meeting
Giles' eyes for the first time. *He knows!* she realized, astonished.
There was sympathy, and confidence in that gaze, infusing Willow
with the Watcher's own secure trust in her abilities.

Willow gave a tiny shake of her head, tilting it towards Buffy.
Relief swept through her as Giles nodded his agreement. He
wouldn't say anything to the others. Shoulders slumping, Willow
looked down once more at the unconscious Ms. Calendar. Her
breathing was even, put she still wasn't stirring. That was
worrisome.

"Buffy, let's drop this for now. What are we going to do about her?"
Xander asked, pointing to Ms. Calendar. "She can't come with us
like that."

Giles walked closer to Willow and Ms. Calendar. "No. You are
quite right." Bending down, he carefully gathered Ms. Calendar into
his arms, moving to a far corner of the chamber. Passing his burden
to Angel, Giles shrugged his jacket off, folding it up into quarters.
Using that as a pillow, he reclaimed Ms. Calendar and set her down
with the utmost attention.

Riffling through one of the three backpacks, Willow found a small
rough wool blanket. Passing it to Xander, he in turn gave it to Giles.

Buffy watched none of this. Instead she stalked closer to the Seal,
glaring at it balefully. Her back was rigid, fists clenched to either
side of her body.

Giles studied her for a moment before mustering the courage to
tackle Buffy's anger. Moving purposefully, he stood to the one side
of her, attempting to make the Slayer see reason.

Willow watched their little battle. Buffy's arms swung all over the
place as they spoke more with hands than words. A small smile
twisted onto her face before she let her eyes sit on the Seal again.
Her sight became unfocused as she watched the flames dance. Deep
within a feeling rose, the urge to dance with those giddy little imps
of fire.

Breathing slowing, the fires soothed her, lulled her, enchanted
her...called her. Staring deeply into those fires, she could almost
feel the Power... Would it hurt to walk into those flames?

Above her, Xander exchanged a dark look with Angel, before
glancing down at Willow. Still kneeling, her body was partially
turned towards Buffy and Giles' little pantomime. She stared in
horrifying fascination at the glowing Seal. Moving towards her,
Xander crouched down, following her exact line of sight.

The Seal was the only 'thing' holding the Hellmouth closed. A
fragile thing of beauty it radiated it's small blue fires steadily. "Lo
and Behold, the Seal shall Shudder and Power Leaks," Xander
whispered softly. Willow jumped, startled, her body falling
backwards somewhat. Xander reached out, griping her elbow to
steady her. Unsaid, they both knew if that seal broke.... Willow
whimpered softly.

"Hey, you okay?" Xander murmured softly. Catching her wrist, he
raised her bandaged hand to inspect it. The make-shift bandages
seemed secure, and his tender probing didn't seem to cause any
discomfort. Carefully, he slipped an arm around her tiny little waist,
helping her stand, before leading her away from the others.
Willow's secrecy was getting out of hand. He knew by the little
crease on her forehead that something was bothering her, just as he
knew by the set of her mouth that she wasn't about to tell him all
about it.

But just because she wasn't _inclined_ to tell him all about it, didn't
mean he wasn't going to go fish for it.

"Why don't you tell Uncle Xander all about what's bothering you?
Hmm?" He intentionally kept a teasing note into his voice. Most
times, people didn't expect him to be serious, a perception Xander
tried very hard to maintain. It came in handy, sometimes.

Willow shook her head earnestly in negative, plastering a false
smile on her face. "I can't." She looked away from her childhood
friend, ashamed of her lack of confidence in herself.

"Why not," Xander whispered, the devil's advocate. "Don't you trust
me?" It was emotional blackmail, and Xander had no hesitation in
using it.

Willow rounded on him, fury in her eyes. "How dare you even
THINK that! I have never had any lack of trust in you! Never!"

It was a side of Willow rarely seen. She could spit fire and
brimstone as well as anyone he'd ever known, better than some, he
conceded, since she did it so rarely. "Prove it. Tell me what's going
on." It was, for their friendship, a dangerous gambit but Xander
played it anyway. He'd apologize later for doing this to her.

A silent war waged inside Willow, ending as her body slumped.
Thinking she was going to pass out on him, Xander grabbed both
her shoulders bracing her.

"It's those nightmares. Everything in those nightmares is coming
true.." She breathed it so softly Xander almost didn't hear her speak
at all.

"Tell me about them. What happened in them?" He urged in an
equally quiet voice. Buffy and Giles still raged on. Sparks should
have been flying from her swinging limbs, as the passion of her
arguments could overcome the implacable logic Giles brought to
bear against her.

"I saw Ms. Calendar's wounds, in my dreams. And of you blind,
from the lightening..and Buffy's cut. I knew that stone and that
scroll was hidden there...I knew how to use that stone... I saw all of
that in my dreams." Willow rubbed the palm of her hand across her
forehead.

"You all died." Willow continued in a flat voice.

------------------Continued in Part 6B/11----------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  7B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:16 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 7B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]


Angel nodded, something difficult to determine since the flashlights
all pointed away from their faces. "Exactly. Look at that prophecy
about Buffy's death. It never mentioned that she wouldn't be
resuscitated, or that her will to live would overwhelm death."

Xander moved his head side to side. This was all true, and
comforting to a degree, but it kind of overwhelmed him. Willow
would have understood it so much better. She could explain it to
him so that he could comprehend it totally....she wasn't really gone
and he missed her so much already. He sighed deeply, and
dejectedly.

Giles and Angel swapped another long-suffering look. Kids.

*************************************
"My feet hurt." The thought suddenly seemed to jump into Buffy's
brain, jerking herself out of the odd combination of rage and self-
pity. Considering the thought, and then her feet, she conceded her
body was right. Her feet did hurt. "See what I get for wearing
practical shoes? I wear those boots, or fancy shoes when I go
slaying, and not a drop of discomfort. I wear good sturdy leather
shoes for this, and I'm getting a blister."

Behind her, she could hear the others of her party talking. She
eavesdropped for a bit, smiling to hear Angel trying to comfort
Xander. Those two made the worst teammates. They could work
together well, and had before, but they tended to hate every moment
of it.

Maintaining her pace, Buffy pulled her thoughts away from the
guys, not really wanting to listen to male angst if she could avoid it.
The passageway, although, didn't provide too many distractions.
The low ceiling and narrow walls didn't allow for much
psychological comfort. And the flashlights barely illuminated their
path.

Squinting to see better, Buffy could have sworn she saw some light
ahead. "Probably more of those glowing plants and stuff," she
dismissed the light out of hand. Still, her eyes stayed on that steady
beacon. The soft glow, her mind whispered, was like the glow of a
candle. But the amount of light is that of many candles.

Frowning, she began walking faster, a motion that disrupted Giles,
Angel, and Xander from their conversation. Moving to hover closer
to the wall nearest the light source, Buffy was able to discern two
voices: a sweet melodic feminine, and a really hoarse, guttural
masculine tone.

Back against the wall, Buffy indicated for the others to mimic her
actions. She leaned forward, peering cautiously into the room. A
misshapen dwarf of a man had his back towards her. Dressed in the
filthiest rags Buffy ever had seen, he spewed coarse language at the
woman in the far corner of the room.

The woman was beautiful. The perfect picture of ethereal beauty.
Long flowing red hair, perfect skin, large soulful blue eyes...she
was breathtaking. A glowing aura surrounded her, cloaking her in
divinity. Her arm raised up slightly in protest to the ugly little man,
the sleeves of her soft gossamer gown dropped away from her arms
like fairy wings.

Her tiny white hand stretched out in front of her, palm forward and
fingers raised up. Tears streamed down her lovely face as she
pushed her fragile limb against the field that contained her. "The
Amulet is all that holds me, you malformed troll!" Her voice made
the strained effort of sounding brave. "You are weakening with
every moment that passes. Soon my centuries of diligence will pay
off, and you shall not defeat me!"

The trollish man jumped down from the pile of rock he had perched
on. Squatting, he rested his elbow on his leg, and placed his hideous
mug into his palm. "Hmm..that tiny little gold amulet is holding ya
you say? The all powerful Carmilla contained by a flimsy junky
hunk of jewellery?" He grinned openly, yellowed teeth looking
sharp and feral through the tangled bush of his beard. "Ha! You
can't do nothin' 'bout the Seal now! I may be weakened, but you're
totally screwed! Ya can't get past that little trinkets workings!" He
pointed to a stone altar against the far wall, a tiny golden disk
resting casually on the surface. In the candlelit room, it radiated the
most light of all.

The being called Carmilla pushed her hand against the field again,
wincing visibly and jerking back as if shocked unbearably.
Clenching her hand to her chest, she conceded a few steps back
away from the barrier that made her prison. Tilting her head down
and away from the offensive sight of Cai, her eyes drifted closed
and she focused on the world outside her jail.

"Perhaps I cannot leave this prison, Cai. But I shall make it your
tomb as well. We shall both be trapped here, until the end of all
time."

"Spare me the melodrama, twit," Cai said curtly. "Short of killing
me with your pixie-dust magic, you ain't got a hope in hell...pardon
the pun."

"Don't MOCK me!" Carmilla's eyes went intensely cold. Looking at
Cai with a small sneer, her gaze went past him to the amulet on the
stone altar. Eyes suddenly widened as she noticed something new,
and a tiny smile of triumph hit her face. "Well, well. Cai, the Seal is
no longer unprotected. You have truly lost, little man."

He stalked close to her prison. "So what if someone's in the Seal?
Don't mean nuthin' to me. And it changes nuthin' fer you. In case
you ain't figured it out, you're still all nicely locked up." He smiled
obscenely at her.

Carmilla raised her chin up haughtily, "You impudence will not go
unmarked, Cai!" She imperiously folded her arms across her chest,
a royal frown upon her perfect face. "After I am freed of this prison,
you will experience the extent of my Divine wrath."

Cai placed his hands on his temple, pressing hard. "Aaargh! No!
No! Gaaah! You win! You're right! With that long a wait, boredom
is gonna kill me if enforced company with YOU doesn't first!"

His staff was suddenly pushed out from behind him with a sharp
motion causing Cai to fall over. Recovering with a roll, he turned to
face the Slayer, her hands resting on her hips. "Trust me, your wait
just got a lot shorter."

********************End Part Seven*********************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  7/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:10 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss       Part 7/11
by Anya

DISCLAIMER:These characters listed below belong to Joss
Whedon, WB and co. No infringement is intended. The characters
of Cai and Carmilla belong to me!

Part Seven

The Seal glowed with new life. Power flowed strongly throughout
the inferno of blue fire that surrounded the fundamental disk
forming the Seal's base. The flames consumed everything
surrounding that area, roaring high to the very roof of the chamber.
The entire chamber pulsated with the resurgence of energy, the
purity, and magnitude of it pushing at the awareness of every mortal
and immortal present.

Buffy and Xander stood paralyzed with shock. Willow's fragile
form floated limply in the Seal's column. Her arms hung bonelessly
at her sides, her upper body arched backwards by the weight of her
unconsciously rolled back head. She wasn't moving, and they
couldn't discern the rise and fall of her chest to ascertain that she
was living.

"We have to get her out of there!" Xander bellowed. He moved
towards his childhood friend. Raising his arm, he curled a fist and
drew back his elbow in preparation of a punch through the
conflagration. His arm was quickly seized in the steely grip of
Buffy's undead paramour.

"You can't do anything for her now, fool. You touch that Seal and
you'll be the luckiest son of a bitch alive if you even end up like
her!" Angel grated out. Being this close to the Seal was agony, but
for Buffy's sake, he would protect her and her friends. "If you're not
lucky, you might kill both you and HER!"

Xander made as if to protest, the agony in his eyes clear for all to
read. His voice, however, was silenced as Giles loudly cleared his
throat. The Watcher slowly stood, having helped a weakened Ms.
Calendar gently sit down. Hands trembling slightly at what, and
more importantly who he saw standing in the midst of the Seal, he
drew closer to his horrified Slayer, and her friend. It was one thing
to know what a prophecy implied or meant, it was quite another to
see it implemented. "Angel is correct." He began in his quiet voice,
slowly growing louder and stronger as it echoed softly in the stone
room. "We can't do anything for Willow here. The best thing, the
only thing we can do that will be of any help to her is to carry on."

Everyone's attention was focused on him now, distracting all from
pained thoughts of Willow. "Willow will survive, assuming we are
able to put an end to whomever is encroaching on the Seal." Giles
paused, staring at the prone Willow.

"We don't even know if she's already de..dead or not." Buffy
protested. "We can't leave her like this."

Giles turned away from the Seal. "She lives. The Seal needs her to
stand watch over it right now, it won't kill her."

"How do you know that? You said I couldn't watch the Seal because
if I wasn't ready to guard it properly, the Seal would kill me.
Willow isn't in any shape for this! Can't we drag her off of it or
something? We have to try!" Buffy's statement was a curious mix of
demand and plea. Her face looked like tears were about to make
their way down her cheeks. Her hands clenched into the fabric of
her black pants, holding it very taut as if Buffy didn't know what
she would do if she didn't keep those hands occupied.

"No. We can't. If we do there is no telling what would happen, but
if we stop the attacks on the Seal, it won't have any need for her.
She'll be left free. It's your friend's life, Buffy, but the call is
yours,"
came the cold response of Angel. Sometimes Buffy wondered if he
truly did have a soul, he could be so cold at times.

Her blond head bent down, hair falling to block a clear view of her
face. The emotions playing across that visage went so rapidly, they
wouldn't have been able to truly understand them. "Fine. We go on.
But no one else does ANYTHING without telling me first. Got it?"
Buffy hissed, eyes full of anger.

Xander opened his mouth, only to be shot down with a glance as
the Slayer countered his unspoken request. "No. You are not staying
behind with Willow. You can't help her, and you heard the others,
you'll only endanger her." The Slayer paused, seeing a look of
mutiny in Xander's eyes. She knew she was demanding a lot from
him, to sacrifice what he felt he owed Willow in terms of
friendship, but it was the same sacrifice Buffy felt she was making.
"You're coming with us. We'll drag you if necessary."

Turning on heel, the Slayer faced Ms. Calendar, her countenance
fading in intensity. "Ms. Calendar, you'll stay here with Willow.
You have the best credentials for being any aid to her, and right
now I rather doubt that you're capable of helping us."

If the techno-pagan was inclined to protest, she didn't show it.
Carefully nodding her dark head, and wincing from the pain that
shot through her skull at that small act, she conceded to Buffy.

Buffy gave a curt nod in acknowledgment of the teacher, then
briskly moved towards the massive doors, her posture indicating
that she expected the others to follow. Xander debated staying
behind even as his legs began moving forward. He continued
considering defying Buffy all the way down the corridor and down
to the next level.

It seemed like they walked forever. On and on, in an endless spiral.
And aimlessly. There was no 'map', or known route, Buffy just
walked on. The frustration and anger at leaving Willow helpless
manifested in her stride. Long, purposeful steps, and body language
just begging to have something to punch, she kept her head in a
fixed position, an intense frown on her face, and trudged forward.

Behind her, Angel and Giles exchanged a silent commiserating
look. For all his apparent youth, Angel had centuries of maturity
which brought a difference in his mental perspective to Buffy's. He
understood her fury, her need for vengeance, but didn't feel it
himself.

Giles felt much the same way, and both men knew it. For Giles,
while he ached for the pain his Slayer felt, he also knew that what
was happening to Willow would have happened regardless. The
Watcher fervently prayed that the girl would be alright after all this
was done, otherwise he didn't know how Buffy would cope.

Jesse's death had upset her greatly, but she had never really known
the boy. Consequently, her emotional recovery was swift. Willow
on the other hand, was very close to Buffy. The tiny, shy girl had
been the Slayer's rock in the real world. One who accepted her fully
as a person, not a superhuman. If the Seal caused any permanent
harm to Willow, Giles doubted that Buffy would regain that
emotional balance she needed.

Straining to see in the darkness, even with the flashlights, Giles
turned his head to see Xander dragging his feet behind them. As
much as Giles felt for Buffy, he pitied Xander more, and he pitied
himself. To Xander, Willow was his childhood. The loss of her,
after Jesse would destroy the boy. For all that Xander thought he
loved Buffy, Giles knew full well that one day the young man
would realize that it wasn't Buffy that held his heart.

And for himself, Willow was a reminder of his youth. She had such
a love for knowledge, such a drive for truth. She was a welcomed
part of his world for her calm, her eagerness to help, and the silent
support she always lent the Watcher. If it weren't for her youth, and
her insecurities that came with her young age, Giles would have
considered her an equal and a friend. Many times, he did anyway.

Wishing he had something to say to Xander, Giles was shocked to
hear Angel speak softly to the boy instead.

"I'm sorry for being rough on you, back there." The dark-haired man
said. Xander looked up, the distress and desire to mutiny duly
reflected in his eyes. Angel paused, allowing Xander to step beside
him, before returning to his pace. "I truly believe Willow will come
out of this fine," he offered.

Xander shrugged, "Yeah." His voice was lifeless. His posture
indicated defeat before the battle had even begun.

Angel shot Giles a look. Xander and Angel had never been on good
terms. Both of them had strong feelings for Buffy, and that put them
at odds. Of course, Angel being the same creature as what had
destroyed Jesse didn't help them bond any.

"The prophecy never mentioned the Maiden's death. So, I have to
concur with Angel." Giles offered helpfully. He was pleased to see
hope spring to Xander's eyes.

"You think?" Xander asked softly, pleading to both of them for
security. "I mean, Willow was so scared of those nightmares..." His
voice trailed off.

Angel grunted. "I can't blame her. The nightmares were the images
of a horrific future. She had every right to be scared of them. But
the condition for those horrors to come to pass was that there was
no one protecting the Seal. Surely she has the most incentive to
guard it the best."

Xander was silent, and it was difficult to read his expression.
Staring at some unseen point ahead of him, he contemplated those
words carefully. "Willow's never been much of a fighter. Cordelia
and her crew have walked all over her for years, 'cause Willow
hasn't got the courage to stand up to them." He spoke finally. The
tone of his voice, however, was a temporary peace offering in the
war between him and Angel. Whether the truce would last beyond
this fight, Giles dared not speculate.

"She's changed. You've changed. That's the Slayer's influence. You
can't be around the supernatural powers that move the Slayer, and
not react to them," Giles commented. "Willow willingly shoves
whatever morals she has aside if it will help Buffy. And she would
cheerfully slit her throat if it would save yours. I think you realize
that."

Xander smiled slightly. "She would, wouldn't she? I've never known
anyone who values a friendship like Willow does. Maybe 'cause
they don't come easily to her." His voice drifted off. "Although,
y'know, you are right. Her personality has become stronger. She
doesn't let people push her around, anymore. At least, not as much.
"

Angel clapped Xander on the back. A brave move in terms of their
shaky new truce. "See? And since technically Buffy's leading us
straight into danger, it'll give Willow all the more reason to hold
on."

"Buffy doesn't have a clue where she's leading us," Xander said
sourly. "She's just doing her bad-attitude walk."

Giles chuckled softly. "It would seem that way, but I rather doubt
it." Quietly, he observed the young Slayer before commenting to the
two young men standing beside him. "She may not realize what
she's doing, but the powers that have set this prophecy in motion
will lead her straight to wherever this final battle will be."

"Great." Xander muttered dismally, "Someone's going to get hurt
when we get there, y'know. That prophecy you translated
said..uh..'Amulet imprisons, the Power will heal.'"

Giles rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "It didn't say specifically that it
would heal a person. It could be a thing being healed, as in the Seal,
or this Amulet it speaks of. That's the problem with prophecies.
They can be tremendously vague as to the exact details of the
events. Often, a prophecy cannot be truly understood or explained
until after it has unfolded in it's entirety."

Angel nodded, something difficult to determine since the flashlights
all pointed away from their faces. "Exactly. Look at that prophecy
about Buffy's death. It never mentioned that she wouldn't be
resuscitated, or that her will to live would overwhelm death."

**********************Continued in Part 7B/11************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 8/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:31 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   Part 8/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER:These characters listed below belong to Joss
Whedon, WB and co. No infringement is intended. The characters
of Cai and Carmilla belong to me!

Part Eight

Buffy couldn't be quite sure just how that creep had moved so fast.
One moment she was standing boldly in front of the hideous dwarf,
and the next she was flat on her back, her breath rushing out of her
body. The filthy little man's staff pressed diagonally across her
body, the hand clenching the top of the wooden rod just above her
collar bone, pressing the wood down firmly.

"Don't interfere with us, little girl!" He snarled, breathing rancid
breath into her face. The sneer on his face was far more demeaning
than the words.

Buffy arched her back, and with a mighty kick, through herself
backwards sending the dwarf flying. He hit ground with a satisfying
'smack'. A quick roll and spin of her body, and Buffy was in a
fighter's crouch.

They faced off, both with a silent snarl on their faces. Around her,
Buffy was vaguely aware of Angel moving into a position to offer
backup. Giles was doing some fancy sign language, directing
Xander to move. They took divergent paths along the natural stone
walls of the chamber approaching the altar. Their movements
remained at a steady pace, careful to ensure short and ugly never
noticed their advance.

Buffy lowered her head menacingly, a small smile twirking up at
the corners of her mouth. It was one of those strategic moves
guaranteed to drive an opponent absolutely wild. For some reason,
when Buffy exuded confidence, security and bemusement, her
opponent freaked right out. Usually fatally.

Eyes narrowed, she focused on the solar plexis of the Stunted
Wonder's chest. An action coming would be reflected in the
movement of muscles there. Seeing a muscle jump, Buffy tensed,
and found herself being bowled over.

*How the hell does he MOVE so fast?* Buffy let the roll take her,
and fell out of it with intense grace. With scant seconds, she dodged
the end of his staff, throwing her weight to her side, and spinning
round with a kick to send him sprawling.

The staff swept across the floor kicking her feet out from under her.
With a fluid smooth motion, Butt-ugly raised it up to ram the blunt
end into her face. With just seconds, Buffy threw herself out of
reach. "That stupid hunk of wood has gotta go!" she thought
furiously. Hunching her shoulders like a quarterback, Buffy rushed
Gruesome, shoving her body haphazardly at him, and grabbed for
the staff.

Short and Ghoulish scampered out of her way. His speed and agility
were incredible. He was moving with the grace of an acrobat, a
grace Buffy found odd given his physical appearance. This time,
however, he made a mistake. His back was turned to the lurking
Angel, and as Buffy occupied his full attention, Angel moved in.

Feinting quickly at the dwarf's left side, Angel grabbed the stave as
it reached to strike. Smoke issued forth from where the stave rested
against the vampires palm, and Angel gave a startled cry of sudden
pain. His face sudden shifted into the demonic visage of a vampire.

"Geezus crimp, a goddamn mothersuckin' Vampire!" Cai snarled,
stunned. He flicked a scornful glare at the Slayer. "Honey, you're a
freakin idiot! Slayer...say it with me ssss..lay...er...as in the
chiquita
who's supposed ta go off and kill this shit! If you're so useless ya
can't even do that right, what t'hell are ya doin' down here?"

"Shut-up." Angel growled back, securing his grip on the staff, and
ignoring the discomfort the staff brought to him. He grunted as the
runt used his own end's grip to slam the rod into the side of Angel's
head. The little man's strength was supernatural, a fact clear to all
the witnesses there, and even as they tackled ferociously, he seemed
to just get stronger.

Buffy gritted her teeth, prepared to jump in at the first opening.
With in moments Angel was being propelled through the air by the
dwarf like troll. Off balance, Cai slammed into the ground as Buffy
took the legs out from under him with a sweep kick from behind. In
seconds a stake had sprung into her hands, descending rapidly
towards her winded foes heart. "Waits over ugly, you lose!" she
yelled as victory appeared inevitable.

Blinding speed enabled Cai to grab the Slayer's arms, her
formidable strength forced him to draw more power into himself
than he liked. With effort he repelled her attack and rolled on top.
"Who ya calling ugly, Blondie? At least I ain't got tall dark and
gruesome's face" grunted the hideous man, accenting this comment
with a gaze at the vampire he had sent flying into the far wall.
*Hell, I sure hope she gets better at this. She ain't even begun to get
the job done and this is hardly fun at all*

Jumping up onto a raised platform of rocks, Cai propped his staff as
a seeming support. Glowering down at the Slayer, he caught his
first glimpse of Carmilla's gleeful face. "This sucks," he muttered
softly. "I'm spending all this energy on these twats, and the Seal is
in danger of slipping outta my grasp! So, what'm I gonna do to axe
the blond?"

"Quickly, child! Take it up and destroy it!" Carmilla's tearful little
cry broke into his reverie. Dodging the Slayer's and her little pet
vamp's feeble attempts to grab him, Cai spun to survey the scene
around him. Pure horror rushed through him. While he and the
bimbo had been rolling about on the floor, her two pals were
getting close to the altar. And now, the young kid was less than a
meter away from destroying everything Cai had worked so hard for!

Cai skipped over Buffy's head, pummeling Angel in his headlong
rush to prevent the boy from touching the amulet. The older man,
probably the blond's Watcher, threw himself in the way. Displaying
a negligent air, Cai used his stave to pelt the roadblock out of his
immediate path.

Xander saw the flurry of motion representing the hit upside the
head that he just KNEW was coming his way. The confined women
encouraging him, he lunged for the amulet, catching it into his hand
even as the stubby ad for what radioactivity can do to a human
being tackled him. "Oh God, Willow never mentioned anything
about dying like this!" Xander thought, compulsively spitting out
the mouthful of dirt he had swallowed from landing on his face.

Cai grabbed the kid's wrist, applying pressure enough to make the
brat cry out from pain. Reaching for the amulet, he was suddenly
flung backwards with a howl as Buffy grabbed his matted hair and
jerked him off the boy. The amulet also went flying, landing with a
loud ring on the stone floor behind the altar.

Buffy stared at the ugly neanderthal before turning to see the
imprisoned woman. She was pressed as close to the wall of her jail
as she could be, a look of hopeful expectation filling her face with
radiance.

"Please, young Slayer, destroy the amulet. Once freed, the Seal will
no longer be in any danger of HIS control!" The ethereal being
called out.

Buffy nodded curtly, before mounting the dais to fetch the amulet
from where it had fallen.



*Oh God this feels good* the thought idly drifted through Willow
Rosenberg's head. Her body felt light as a feather, warm as if curled
under a duck-down duvet, and her soul felt as cherished as with the
tenderest kiss by a loving mother. *Mmmm..maybe I'm dead?*
Strangely, she didn't care if she was dead. This bliss was absolutely
wonderful.

Forcing herself to let go of this isolated sensation of pleasure,
Willow became aware of the world around her. From the instant the
Seal overtook her senses, Willow had been in a hyper state of
awareness. She could feel the Seal's power and life drifting around
her. It was intoxicating, but frightening.

Frightening in that there was an awareness of the Seal, one that
trusted her. Frightening in that Willow knew that Power was hers to
manipulate, it gave itself over to her completely and trustingly. The
flows of energy could be seen, and with the slightest twitch of a
finger could be redirected.

Looking around herself, she realized that her world had shifted. She
was no longer standing in a stone chamber, with her friends
clustered around her. No, now she was standing in a beautiful
glowing hall. Huge walls of living trees arched upwards to form a
wooden frame to a sky full of the bluest velvet studded with the
clearest diamonds. *Outside? Above ground? How?* Willow spun
around in a small circle, startled to feel the silky flow of a skirt
against bare skin.

Running her hands down her body, her eyes widened enormously
catching her own reflection in the blue fires that formed a circle
around her. A simple white shift covered her, leaving shoulders and
arms bare. A loose silver belt clasped around her waist, holding the
two slit panels of the shifts skirt in place, and her feet were
shoeless. *Where are my clothes!* The thought was instinctive, but
it was the reply she got that was a greater shock than her new
wardrobe.

**You are clothed with what your soul deems necessary. Others
have come clad only in their own skins.** To say it was a voice was
wrong. It was a more of a feeling of awareness than a physical
entity. And it was definitely masculine. **A perception only of your
own mind. We are a reflection of what you expect, neither
masculine nor feminine. We are.**

"I'm not in Kansas anymore," Willow muttered, wishing with all her
heart that a simple klick of her heels would bring her back to
reality. The fire seemed to darken in response, as if unhappy to feel
her discomfort.

**Why? Do we displease? We are the creation of GOD, we exist to
protect this plane from the Old Ones. We do not wish to upset or
cause harm to you, but wish for you to join us in our struggles.**

"You're the Seal?" Willow asked with a mental leap. *This is
incredible! The Seal has a conscious awareness!*

**We are.**

With great effort, Willow refrained from lapsing into incredulous
profanity. She wasn't normally inclined to swear, but for some
bizarre reason, the words "Holy shit" just wanted to pop into her
mind. And yet, it was with that thought that she realized the most
important thing of all about the Seal.

**Why is the biological refuse of living matter a divine
substance?**

The Seal, while it had an intelligence, was simple in it's complexity.
The thoughts of an advanced nature that Willow had thought
coming from the Seal were in fact, reflections of her own psyche. It
was talking to her through her.

"Oh, Wow!" She whispered, letting the awareness fill her with a
conscious volition. Suddenly, she understood the markings around
the Seal, and could feel the Power flowing out, draining out, and
knew it was being pulled by another force.

Staring at the exotic glyphs she had warned Xander off of, she
watched the marks on them flare redly, fading slowly, and then
light again. Instinctively taking the Power, she followed the flows
into those glyphs with her mind's eye...letting it lead her to
wherever that Power was draining to.

***********************Continued in 8B/11*************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 8b/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:35 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 8B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

Staring at the exotic glyphs she had warned Xander off of, she
watched the marks on them flare redly, fading slowly, and then
light again. Instinctively taking the Power, she followed the flows
into those glyphs with her mind's eye...letting it lead her to
wherever that Power was draining to.

                                   ********************

The Seal pulsed, flared, and then fell back. Within those flames
Willow's body hung, and with each pulse, the girl's body convulsed
horribly.

"What the hell are you doing, Rupert!" Samantha Calendar was not
happy. On her knees in front of the Seal, she desperately tried to
touch it, only to be gently repelled each time.

The Seal was being viciously battered at, and Ms. Calendar could
feel the Hellmouth beneath straining to break out of the Seal's
control.

The Seal pulsated again, this time, Willow physically cried out. Ms.
Calendar raised her hands to the flames, her eyes fixed with
growing horror on the girl, watching a small trickle of blood creep
down from the corner of her mouth. "What is it doing to her!"

Tendering prayers to whatever God would listen, Ms. Calendar
begged for a miracle.

*********************End Part 8*************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 9/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:47 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   Part 9/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMER:These characters listed below belong to Joss
Whedon, WB and co. No infringement is intended. The characters
of Cai and Carmilla belong to me!

Part Nine

Willow felt the scream tear from her throat, despite her best efforts
to restrain it. Knives possessing incinerating heat seemed to be
slamming into her body, slicing at her, through her and around her.
Her brain was virtually on fire, the agony so intense.

She was standing, or was it falling, within the Seal's circle. The
warding glyphs surrounded her. Above her was the majestic rows of
trees forming their domed ceilings, below her, a smooth marble
floor, broken up only by the columns, glyphs and circle of power
that formed the Seal. And the blood that was splattered
immediately around her. Her blood.

Willow knew nothing of where she was, or the world around her
right then. All she knew, her world's entire expanse was consumed
by the torment of her unknown assailants assault. As each blow
rained on her, she struggled more and more to keep the power from
lashing out at the Seal. But with each strike, it became harder to
absorb the raging onslaught, and some of the energy flowed over to
hit the Seal.

The Seal still held, Willow knew that within the silent depths of her
soul, but the energy drains on it's reserves combined with the
lashing attacks was weakening it bit by bit. And the Hellmouth
waited patiently for the Seal to fail.

As suddenly as the attack came, it ended. This cycle of torture was
pushing her near her breaking point, but as of yet, Willow had not
succumbed. Each time she felt the attacks coming, she threw her
awareness in the front, keeping the blows from striking the Seal. It
was so tempting, though, so very tempting to just let the strikes hit
the Seal, to protect herself from any more pain, but it was during
the short reprieves that her resolve hardened.

Each time, as her body slumped to the ground, she found herself
looking down and *through* the Seal. The demons and monsters
lying in wait to take back the Earth were straining against the Seal,
sensing the tenuous fabric that held them back. And what refueled
Willow's determination was these demons, they were the same
creatures from her nightmares, the ones that would rend her loved
ones from limb to limb. Their hideous visages was the most
incredible incentive imaginable.

Shakily getting back on her feet, Willow noticed the blood soaking
through the white shift she wore. Each attack hurt her physically
more and more. The astonishing thing was, the pain her body
experienced was all mental. There wasn't a physical assault, it just
FELT like a physical blow. Each raging inferno of energy, every
blast of power occurred on a psychic level. Willow's connection to
the Seal simply gave it the illusion and responses of a corporate
form. "This is going to kill me...I'm sorry Xander, I lied."

Willing tears away, Willow forcibily pulled herself together,
seeking the self-composure needed to face the next attack. Her
opponent seemed to be hampered somewhat, and unable to
maintain a constant streaming assault. Whatever it was that created
these pauses, Willow was grateful.

Pulling in a deep breath, Willow looked around herself for the first
time in a long while. The trees still stood firm, the ground level,
despite Willow's own mental impression of tremendous upheaval.
Looking down critically at the Seal, Willow saw the glyphs lightly
glowing, a soft dull red colour, like the colour of cooling metal
after having been pulled from a forge.

"Oh god! The backlashing energy!" She stared in wide-eyed horror
at the glowing marks. Each time the waves of power had pummeled
Willow back, and spilt over, it had been the glyphs that took the
first strike for the Seal. They were the Seal's groundings, keeping it
anchored and protected in a magical sense. Moving on unsteady
feet she approached the glyph closest to her. Sinking down onto her
knees, Willow leaned forward to hesitantly touch the arcane
symbol, and was startled to feel heat. "That's weird," she muttered,
the energy in it didn't feel corrupt, it was very much akin to the
energy of the Seal itself..only different..as if it was energy being
changed and assimilated. Frowning, Willow tried to both rationalize
the puzzle the backlashed but changed energy presented her, and,
more importantly, figure out how she could make this puzzle work
for her?




"I'm going to die." The thought was startling for it's simplicity, and
Xander had to pause to admire it, even as he watched Cai's rapid
approach.

Buffy had momentarily turned her back to the little stubby creep,
and didn't see Cai get up from where she had tossed him. She had
assumed after watching the dwarf slam into a wall that he'd have
the courtesy of being unconscious.

Courtesy, Xander noted absently, wasn't one of Short and Ugly's
better virtues.

So while Buffy was scouring the floor behind the altar for the tiny
gold amulet that would free the Guardian, Xander had watched Cai
get up and make a beeline for the Slayer. And Xander had, foolishly
he conceded, gotten into Cai's way. Again. Somehow, he suspected
that if the company which his parents had purchased life insurance
for their son from knew any of this, the premiums would go waaaay
up.

Running as fast as he could, he found himself standing in front of
the altar once again, looking at the bulldozer with the mug from
hell coming straight at him. At best, Xander considered himself a
temporary roadblock. "Buffy! Look out!" He yelled, even as Cai
reached out for his neck. Twisting, Xander attempted to punch him,
instead howling in pain. Before he could manifest any other
defense, he was flying through the air, again.

Thumping down on the ground, Xander was amazed to find he was
still conscious. "I think I'm getting better at being beaten up."
Pulling himself upright, he saw Buffy turned to face Gruesome.
And Angel was closing up behind the little runt.

Tearing his gaze from his friend, Xander dragged himself to the
Watcher lying sprawled on the ground close to the imprisoned
Guardian. Hesitantly, Xander touched Giles, reaching to check for a
pulse with a distasteful expression on his face. The expression
faded, though, as he felt the steady throb that represented Giles'
heartbeat.

"Great, both of our chaperons with matching goose-eggs." Xander
muttered, seeing the purpling lump on Giles' forehead. "I bet he has
a concussion too, just to round things off." He rubbed at his own
aching head, trying to remember what you did for people with
concussions. "Keep them awake? That would be difficult to do at
this point. I'd have to get him to wake up first."

A shout made Xander turn his head to see Buffy, Cai and Angel all
cheerfully pounding the living crap out of one another. The Troll
had recovered his staff, and was trying to stake Angel with it. *If
only he could get a lucky strike in* The thought was wishful, but
shocked Xander nonetheless. It had been habit to dislike Angel, but
deep down, Xander knew that he didn't hate the vampire. It wasn't
Angel's fault Jesse had died, nor was it his fault that Buffy had
fallen for him.

Angel grabbed the stave from the Ghoul, and threw it across the
room. Ugly got even uglier at that point, like a small child who's
favorite toy had been taken away, he threw a major tantrum. Angel's
head, with his body attached, was slammed brutally into a stone
wall. The vampire was down for the count.

Buffy took this poorly. She went from interspersing her punches
with sarcastic commentary to dead silent and deadly. With a rapid
series of moves, she pummeled the gnome, alternating between
rapid kicks, punches and throws. Amazingly, he kept getting up, but
was so occupied with Buffy, he had no time to see anything else.

"Child." the imprisoned being called out in her sweet melodic
voice. She was on her knees, her posture perfect, but position
supplicant. It took Xander a few moments to realize she was
addressing him. "Child, please, while the Foul One is occupied,
please fetch the amulet. It must be destroyed or I am unable to
unleash my full Power."

Xander frowned at her, looking quickly down at Giles, and then
over to Buffy. She was getting as good as she was giving, evenly
matched, it seemed, to Cai's strength. And Giles sure wasn't going
anywhere in a hurry...but..

"Please! Your friend trapped in my Seal is dying...if you want to
spare her, find the amulet!" Carmilla pleaded, her soulful eyes
looking anguished and desperate.

Xander's head shot up. "Willow's dying?" He croaked out, feeling a
part of himself go cold at the thought. He scrambled out of his
jacket placing it underneath Gile's head before turning back to
Carmilla.

She smiled sadly and gave a solemn nod. "Yes, she is. The Seal's
power is too much for her fragile body to withstand. It is killing her
with every moment that I stay imprisoned here. I am simply unable
to help."

"I'll get the amulet." Xander practically sprinted over the ruins and
rubble to the altar. Keeping a wary eye on Cai, he was pleased to
note Buffy was still pounding away. Her fury was sufficient to keep
the Grisly-Little-Mutant-Cousin-of- Fluffy very busy.

The amulet had fallen somewhere behind the altar, on the upper
ground where a priest would have stood giving his sermon or
performing some ritual. This raised platform, however, had been
pretty much destroyed by Carmilla and Cai prior to Carmilla's
imprisonment. Looking around at the ruined ground, Xander
personally concluded he didn't want to be remotely near Carmilla
when she took on Cai again.

Darting around, standing only on ground that look sturdy, it took
Xander a few panicked moments to locate the golden ticket to
Carmilla's freedom. It had fallen in between two stones, only the
slender gold chain lying exposed. Still keeping a careful guard out
for Cai, Xander crouched down and pried the amulet out.

He looked over to Carmilla, raising his hand to show the amulet.
Her lovely face lit up with delight, a luminous and breathtaking
sight if Xander ever saw one. Quickly piling the amulet into the
palm of his hand, and closing that hand into a fist, he concealed the
physical sight of the amulet. It made navigating back over the floor
difficult with only one hand to reach out and clutch objects for
balance, but Xander did it anyway.

Keeping his gaze on Carmilla, Xander moved quickly towards the
imprisoned woman, focusing only on her growing elation. "Weird..
I can understand her being relieved, but she's downright gleeful!" It
seemed odd, but it wasn't for a Slayerette to question the emotional
responses of a Guardian.

Absorbed in his thoughts, the rock that thumped into his back came
as a complete surprise. Falling with a roll, he was on his back to see
Cai's advance. "Not again!" Xander moaned silently. The gnarled
midget lunged, arms outstretched for Xander's neck, again. "I think
he likes my neck. Fluffy likes my ankles, so of course, Fluffy's
cousin likes my neck."

-------------Continued in Part 9B/11-----------------------



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  9B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:53:55 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 9B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

Absorbed in his thoughts, the rock that thumped into his back came
as a complete surprise. Falling with a roll, he was on his back to see
Cai's advance. "Not again!" Xander moaned silently. The gnarled
midget lunged, arms outstretched for Xander's neck, again. "I think
he likes my neck. Fluffy likes my ankles, so of course, Fluffy's
cousin likes my neck."

"Give me the amulet, whelp!" Cai snarled. His face so mottled with
rage, Xander seriously thought he'd erupt spewing lava, or
something equally fiery, all over the place.

Xander pulled himself together with barely any time to spare, and
threw his body past Cai's range. Looking up, he saw Buffy running
towards them, and made a split decision. "Buffy! Catch!" With a
quick overhand motion, the amulet went flying towards the Slayer.

Buffy's eyes followed the golden trinket, even as those same bright
blue eyes watched Xander. Time seemed to shift into slow motion.
Cai raised a large slab of wood, even as Xander threw the amulet.
The wood was coming down as the amulet arced to Buffy, and
Buffy ignored it, choosing to run past it in the vain attempt to save
Xander's life.

<THWACK> The wood connected solidly with Xander's skull, his
eyes rolled back and up into his head and he fell down.

"Nooo!" Buffy's scream echoed through the room. The blood and
hair shining wetly on the wood still in Cai's hand. Tears streaming
down her face, Buffy's world narrowed onto one purpose. Killing
the wretch who had just killed her friend.

Cai stood paralyzed, Xander's collapse and the blood matted in the
boys hair shocking him back to rational thought. *Oh Hell!* Before
the boy hit the ground entirely, Cai grabbed him, supporting the
limp body with his two arms. In the few seconds before Buffy could
reach him, Cai had managed to ascertain the boys neck wasn't
broken, but by the look in the Slayer's eye, he wasn't going to get
the chance to tell HER the good news.

Her first hit tossed Cai into the stone altar, demolishing it. The
gnome was down, but not out. Buffy ignored him for a moment to
focus on Xander. He was still breathing, which Buffy took as a very
good sign, but it wasn't by much. His face had a ugly shade of grey
to it, and that scared her. Reaching down to pick him up and get
him to safety, Buffy was shocked to hear Carmilla's words intrude
into her world.

"Forget the Boy! Bring me the Amulet!"




There it was again, Willow ignored her own pain to watch the Seals'
wards. Each attack caused them to flare incandescently, even when
Willow absorbed the bulk of the assault, and then fade slowly. The
energy, however, wasn't lost, but transformed into something
similar to the Seal.

Slumping, and gasping for air, Willow tried to think only on what
she had observed, and not about how wretched she felt. The wards
responded like they took in the energy and transformed it to
something useful...but transforming it cost the Seal personal energy,
and that's why it wasn't getting stronger.

*Kinda like the principle of 'Conservation of Energy', or is that
'Matter'...I dunno..* Willow was so exhausted she couldn't think
rationally. "Energy can't be destroyed, it can only be transformed
into another form..." she mused aloud in a rather pathetic whisper.

**Transformed into something Good** The Seal's awareness
interjected.

"How?" That's what Willow couldn't figure out. If the Seal could
transform it, then why didn't it transform all of it? Why was a
Guardian, or protector, or whatever Willow was standing in for
needed in the first place.

**Not standing in. Needed to focus energy..change energy..**

Willow blinked. *As in, to collect it and will it to be something
else?* It can't be that simple. It can't. I...

**Yes**

"Why didn't anyone tell me this!" She shouted hoarsely. If she had
something to hit, she would. All the strain, agony and frustration of
the last...God only knew how long...and it could have all been
avoided?

**The knowledge was always yours. The Power is yours to wield.**

Willow stood up, this time with some backbone. "Good." A distant
rational corner of her mind tried to point out she still didn't know
what she was doing, but the larger part that just wanted to end the
pain overruled, advising her to fake it. "It's time I start wielding
it!"

She could sense another attack coming, like a tsunami to a coastal
town. This time, however, the coast was going to fight back.
Willow gritted her teeth, and pulled energy from the Seal to herself,
forming a bowl like dish or container in her minds-eye.

The Power lashed at her, she ignored it. It tried to hurt her, she
forgot it, instead, she did something new. She called it into her,
letting it flow in her and through her...right through to the little
pocket of energy the Seal fed her.

And she changed it.

The entire Seal thrummed suddenly, the warding glyphs all ignited
into solid blue flames, sturdy, strong and powerful. Beneath her
feet, Willow could hear the demons howls of agony as the fragile
Seal became strong.

"Let's see what else we can do? Hmmm?" She thought, her sweet
lopsided smile crossing her lips for the first time since the attacks
had begun.




"Leave him!" Buffy was incredulous. "You can't be serious!"

"Listen to me, Slayer. Forget your friends, their lives mean little in
the great scheme of things. Please, destroy the Amulet that holds
me prisoner! I can kill Cai, but only if I am free!" Carmilla's voice
dropped the pleading tone in favor of a cold, impassive note of
command.

Buffy stayed where she was, absently noting Cai struggling to his
feet. He seemed suddenly weaker. Her eyes flicked from him, to
Carmilla. "I have a big problem with this. If you're the
Guardian...then you're supposed to look out for people..not just toss
their lives aside."

From across the room, she heard Cai snort. "Heh. You blew it
Carmilla! She may be blonde, but she ain't THAT dippy." He
shambled towards Buffy, purposefully keeping his pace and stance
as non-aggressive. The Power of the Seal was no longer his to
command, the girl had figured it out.

"She ain't the Guardian, girl. I am...or was. I'm retiring now."

Buffy blinked owlishly at him for a few moments, before
transferring her befuddled gaze to Carmilla. "I...." He was so
ugly..he couldn't be the Guardian...and the prophecy said there
would be a female Guardian..so if that wasn't Carmilla... "I..."

"Do not be fooled by him Slayer. Look at him, is he is a twisted
demon in a human guise." Carmilla said imperiously. "Bring me the
Amulet!"

"No. I don't think so." Buffy said softly. She turned to Cai. "Don't
you move towards that amulet either. I don't know which one of you
to believe. You nearly killed my friends, and you.." She turned to
face Carmilla, "Are advocating that I let them die."

"Listen girl, would ya have believed me?" Cai offered reasonably,
he made no move towards the amulet, just absently looking over at
it, and noting, with pleasure that the symbol engraved onto the front
of the golden piece was glowing incandescently.

Buffy ran her hand gently across Xander's forehead and hair. "He
could die because of you." Her voice was tiny, scared. She looked
up at Giles. "I don't even know if Giles is alive...and Angel..."

"I don't know what to do." The whisper was almost inaudible.

Her head was bent down towards Xander, but she could still sense
Cai's presence hovering nearby, unmoving. Nearby, Carmilla had
also stopped moving, but her attention seemed drawn further out,
eyes vacant for a long moment.

"Nooooooo!" The woman howled, pummeling her hands on the
ground. "That little BITCH!" Carmilla straightened herself out
quickly, her voice going as cold. " I will not let this end! The Seal
will be mine."

Buffy stared at the woman incredulously. After all the posturing to
try and convince Buffy that she wasn't the bad guy, she threw it all
away so suddenly. Eyes widening with a second realization, she
turned her head to look at the Guardian Sun. "Oh. My. God."

Cai grinned, a horrible sight in his mangled face. "Not me, nope I
ain't no God. She knew him once," He offered with a negligent roll
of his head towards Carmilla. "At least, she did before she got
thrown out." The ugly Guardian seemed very pleased with himself.
"You'll have to excuse Carmilla, she just found out that yer pal got
a grip on the Seal thing. Unless she can kill the kid, she screwed.
And ta kill the kid, she needs out of there."

Buffy knew she looked ridiculous. Her jaw hanging open, but she
couldn't close it. She looked a Cai for a long moment, trying to
forget that he had hurt Giles, Xander and Angel, and redeem that
with the fact this man was the Guardian.

Her blue eyes flicked to the other conscious occupant in the room,
surprised that Carmilla had let Cai insult her on so many levels in a
subtle way. Carmilla wasn't even looking at them. She was looking
beyond them, rather triumphantly. Something in Buffy froze.

Twisting sharply, the Slayer saw Angel bend down and scoop up
the Amulet. His features openly vampiric, he didn't even wince as
his hand starting smoking and turning black from the Amulet's
touch.

"No." The whisper went unheard. Buffy moved to block Angel,
hoping beyond hope that she had the strength of will to let him go
and slay him if necessary.

Carmilla smiled, speaking conversationally, "See, Cai? You were
wrong. You have no power now, and so can't stop either me...or
him."

Cai grunted once as Angel tossed him aside. Without the Seal's
power, he could not heal fast enough, or move quick enough even if
he did have the strength to carry on to stop the vampire.

"Angel, stop! Give me the Amulet!" Buffy pleaded. The vampire
kept on walking towards her. "I'm sorry. I can't let you take that to
her." The kick and following block did nothing to stop him. A silent
snarl, and a flick of his wrist, and Buffy was tossed backwards.
Tears stung her eyes as a stake instinctively dropped into her hands.

"Oh Angel," Buffy whispered struggling to find her friend in his
eyes. "Forgive me!"

********************End Part Nine ************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 6B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:54:53 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 6B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"You all died." Willow continued in a flat voice. Xander's head
jerked back, stunned eyes wide. "Again, and again. Every night.
You died. In the first dream, you were devoured entirely by that
_thing_ in the catacombs. It blinded you and then swooped down
and ate you. Whole."

Xander swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to speak, but Willow
kept right on talking. Her eyes were distant, seeing everything as
she told it.

"You were eaten every time you died. The worst was this
monster...it looked like a giant lobster, carrion crawler kind of
thing. It was hideous. It had tentacles coming out of it's mouth, and
claws for hands. It grabbed you with those tentacles, something was
holding me back..I couldn't help you..and you froze. You couldn't
move, or struggle. You just screamed, again, and again."

She took a deep shuddering breath. "And then it ate you. A bit at a
time. You screamed the entire time." Her body convulsed once in
disgust. Shaking her head as if it would chase the memories away,
she looked at Buffy and Giles. Buffy had calmed down, and Giles
was speaking to her earnestly.

A sadness crept into her eyes, and her voice. "Buffy was killed by
something she thought safe. There was this small dark tunnel..and
she was walking ahead." Willow paused, gathering her thoughts. "It
looked like a rabbit. A big one. And, Buffy went right up to it,
saying something like 'Oh, look. A bunny.'" Eyes closed, Willow's
face twisted into a pained grimace. "It was like straight out of
Monty Python or something. Except the rabbit was the size of very
large dog. That bunny bit her head right off. It was awful. Blood
was everywhere, and then it lapped it right up."

Xander tightened his grip, shaking her softly. "Willow, stop. Stop!
Look at me." He waited until her eyes were clear, "It was your
nightmare. It hasn't happened, and if we're smart, it won't happen."

"There was more." She moaned softly.

"Oh God. How much more?" Xander felt the hair at the back of his
neck rising.

"Lots. Everyone died. Everyone. You, me, my family,
yours...everyone." Willow whispered tightly. "And all because Ms.
Calendar got knocked out."

Xander started violently. First looking at Ms. Calendar, still
unconscious with Angel standing guard nearby, and then at the
Seal. "Because the Seal wasn't protected"

Willow nodded, glad that their discussion was hidden from Buffy's
eyes. This would have upset her more than anything. "Yes."

"It ain't going to happen." Xander said firmly. "I have no intention
of dying, so it ain't going to happen." On purpose, he reached down
and tugged a lock of her hair. " I got it, I'll stay here. You go beat
up
the bad guys."

Willow's eyes went wide with disbelief. "How do you know this
isn't where it all happened?"

Xander frowned. "Okay, without descriptions..did it happen here?"

"No, I died here. You died somewhere else, but I was still there."
That confused Willow for a moment.

"Great. Uh. Did you happen to get eaten?" Xander asked rather
callously.

Willow blinked twice."No. Actually. They didn't hurt me much.
They always cut off my head as fast as they could. Like there was
some sort of rush to get me out of the way."

Xander just stared at her. "Y'know. I can't believe we're having this
conversation..but while we're having it, I think I want to say, that
your nightmares are biased. How come you get the easy way out?"

The question was so preposterous and sadistic, that Willow laughed
at the inanity of it all. It was a giggle just a inch short of insanity,
but a laugh all the same.

Xander leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Just remember, Willow.
Right now it's all too insane. And if you can keep one step ahead,
we'll beat the bad guys."

Instinctively, Willow hugged her friend. Xander didn't often show
this side of his personality, he was far more content to be their
clown. But when he did let his caring side show, it never failed to
amaze her.

"Uh..guys?" Buffy called from across the floor. She was still
standing beside the Seal. Her face was once again composed into an
impassive mask, and her body language was relaxed.

Buffy turned her blond head to look at Angel. The dark haired
vampire frowned shaking his head in a quick 'no' with a jerk of his
chin to indicate the Seal. It still made him uncomfortable, and short
of an emergency, he wasn't going near it. It amazed him that the
Master could have stayed in such near proximity to it for so long,
and still want possession of the Hellmouth.

Buffy smiled ruefully at him, before turning her attention to the
three standing around her. "I think Giles has successfully proved his
point. I'm not staying here, and we'll have to leave the Seal
unguarded." At Willow's wide-eyed look, Buffy amended her
statement. "If Ms. Calendar wakes up, then she can work on the
Seal, otherwise, I don't know what choice we have."

Willow turned to look at Giles, amazed that Buffy hadn't realized
that there was another person present who could be the "Maiden",
and it wasn't Xander. Surely by now they had realized that the
prophecy meant that she was going to be the one to hold the Seal.
Astonished, she silently questioned Giles. The Watcher, however,
didn't give an indication of his thoughts.

"So, what are WE going to do?" Willow asked, dismayed to hear a
frightened note in her voice.

"We're going to find our bad guys."

Wandering around the perimeter of the Seal idly toying with a
fancy raised flagstone with an engraved pattern on it, Xander
looked up and grinned. "Oh goody. I was getting bored."

Giles watched the boy with a bemused face. "Xander, I wouldn't do
that. That's a power glyph."

"A what?"

Willow rolled her eyes, " A glyph. Or a special marking denoting a
sign of power. In this case protection. It might hurt you if you keep
kicking at it."

"How do you know it's protective?" Xander asked, suddenly
suspicious. Willow gave the Seal a funny look, then shrugged.

"I just do." the hacker replied.

It bothered at Xander, this preoccupation for the Seal. Almost as if
Willow was listening to it. Frowning, he absently pushed at the
flagstone again.

*THUMP* His heel was thrown back, tossing him a good four feet
backwards. Hitting the ground with a thud, the air whooshed out of
his lungs painfully.

Buffy and Willow ran to his side, helping him up. "We told you so,
Xander." Buffy admonished. "You can't just keep poking at things,
or you're going to get seriously hurt one of these days!"

Willow winced visibly, quickly moving away and back towards the
Seal. This time, both Buffy and Xander watched. "What did I say?"
Buffy mumbled.

"Y'know how Willow said she hasn't been having nightmares?"
Xander asked, being very careful to keep his voice low. He didn't
particularly want Willow to hear him.

Buffy nodded blankly. "She lied." Xander said quickly. "She's been
dreaming our deaths for the past week. And we ain't been dying
pretty."

"Oh?" The blonde tossed him a funny look. "But they're just
dreams."

Xander shook his head. "Then why did she dream of that snake
thing? And of you getting cut? And of a lot more gruesome things."
He shrugged. "I don't think something was sending her nightmares,
anymore. I didn't want to say it to her, but I think they're supposed
to be warnings."

Buffy frowned, throwing a look over her shoulder, she jerked her
head at Giles. Curious, the Watcher gave up his examination of the
Seal and joined them.

"Tell him what you told me." She instructed Xander tersely.
Moving away, she trained her sight on Willow. The girl stood so
close to the Seal. Her hand raised contemplatively against the
glowing column of blue light.

Buffy took a few quick steps to her. "Willow, don't touch it. We
don't know what it will do to you." Her words seemed to jar her
friend out of a daze.

Willow took a sudden jerky step backwards, moving away from the
Seal. "I didn't realize I was so close!"

A moan from across the room caught the girl's attentions, and they
spun around to see Ms. Calendar struggling to sit up, Angel helping
her.

"Lo and Behold, the Crone awakes!" Xander said sardonically.

Squinting, and her head pounding, Ms. Calendar shot the boy an
acid look. "What do you mean _Crone_!" Standing, she wavered
unsteadily. Buffy moved suddenly to help the woman.

Xander paled suddenly. Spinning on heel, he pointed to Giles. "He
said that you were the prophecy's Crone. I just repeated him"

Giles glowered at Xander. "Do we not have more important matters
to discuss than translations Mr. Harris ?" he commented vaguely.

Willow nearly laughed. The look on both males' faces was
priceless. But even more joyful was that Ms. Calendar was awake,
and alright. She could protect the Seal!

Tension drained right out of her body. Willow felt her entire back
slump in relief, forcing her to take a step backwards. A gentle light
suddenly flashed all around her, consuming her senses. Looking up,
she saw Ms. Calendar's face. The teacher's eyes were wide with
shock and, although strangely Willow couldn't hear the older
woman she saw her mouth Willow's name before blue flames
consumed her vision.


**********************End Part 6*************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  10/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 20:59:59 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss    Part 10/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMERS: Cai, Carmilla, and Fluffy are MINE! I share well,
but ask first! Buffy, Willow, Xander etc, etc are Joss Whedon's,
Mutant Enemy's, Warner Bros' and whoever else has legal rights to
them. No infringement is intended. They're just so darned cute, I
couldn't keep away from playing with them!

Part Ten

Angel glared down at Buffy. Standing slightly crouched with her
stake in hand, the Slayer sought for an opening to plunge the stake
into the vampire's heart. It wasn't an act she looked forward to, and
she knew that the destruction of this vampire would grieve her in a
way that could handicap her job as Slayer.

Xander, Giles and Willow's lives all depended on this, though. The
former ally had the Amulet in his hand, and was trying to give it to
the perpetrator of all this chaos. Carmilla stood confined, for now,
within her invisible prison. Angel's willing hand-over of the
Amulet, the key to that prison, would change everything. And Buffy
knew she had no chance against a angel fallen from heaven's grace.

Shifting her weight for a lunge, she suddenly sensed the air fill with
a feeling of static. Angel's free hand shot up, a ominous red glow
enveloping his fist. A shattering crack of thunder ripped through the
room. The earth erupted in a violent shower of stone fragments
beneath Buffy's feet as a storm of unholy bolts of pure force issued
from Angel's hand.

Reacting without a second to spare, Buffy tumbled forward in a
somersault. Hastily pulling out of the roll she found herself inches
away from Angel. Regrouping, she reached deep within herself for
all the power of a Slayer, and moved with a supernatural speed to
plunge her stake at Angel.

Angel kicked forward, his foot striking powerfully into Buffy's face,
while her lunge only scored a simple flesh wound along his left leg,
falling short of the its intended target..

Buffy's world went momentarily dark, her head slamming into the
ground. Seconds that felt like hours passed before the Slayer
regained awareness. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth,
startled her. She could feel her split lip with her tongue and from
the pounding agony from her nose, and the sticky stream of blood
indicated a likely broken nose.

Angel proceeded to try and cross over Buffy on his path toward the
locket which held Carmela in place. "That's it!" The Slayer
growled. She grabbed his foot and pushed upwards in a sudden
vicious motion, putting all her strength behind her shove. Angel to
tumble backwards, hitting the ground hard. "All this rolling about
on the ground would be considered rather kinky, if I wasn't trying so
hard to slay him," Buffy realized absently. With little effort

Buffy pounced onto the vampires prone body, snatching her stake
from the ground beside him in a blurring motion. The vampire's
face shifted back to it's normal angelic form and a faint "Buffy"
escaped his lips. His eyes seemed to change colour, before her eyes.
"I'm sorry..I can't... mhhhhggg...." And then the eyes hardened
again.

Surprised, Buffy hesitated for the fraction of a second, but a pause
long enough for Carmilla to reclaim control of Angel's body and
strength and pry the stake from the Slayer's hand. The possessed
vampire within tried to fight her, but Carmilla directed the enslaved
body to roll into a position where the wretched human girl
obstructing her freedom was pined down. Two cold large hands
clenched onto Buffy's throat, tightening restrictively. Buffy
struggled frantically beneath Angel, desperate to get out of his
choking grip. Panic raced through her, as gasps and struggles
increased ebbing into feeble shudders as her world became fuzzy,
and her lungs began to burn from lack of oxygen. Her hands on his
forearms dropped away in a loose motion as her consciousness fled.

Impatient for her freedom, Carmilla directed Angel to rise. Buffy
was breathing, faintly. Livid bruises lined her throat, and the rise
and fall of her chest was not strong. The Slayer could still die
without further intervention, but Carmilla did not anticipate that
happening...not yet. The natural gifts of the Slayer would sustain
the feebled body, long enough for Carmilla to finish the kill with
her own hands.

Anticipating the thrill of freedom, followed immediately with the
delight of a kill, Carmilla let a small pleased smile cross her lips as
she watched Angel approach her, her thoughts in complete control
of that handsome body.

********************************************************
In a far off chamber, the Seal gave a tremendous flare of power,
and a young woman directed her will and thoughts to both her
enemy and her friends.

In a sudden burst of energy, Willow stood as nothing more than an
apparition in the altar room. Her physical body still inside the Seal's
wards, she had let her soul leave the confine of it's mortal body to
find her opponent.

The Seal was stabilized now, no longer did it require Willow's
conscious defense. Now the young girl wielding the Seal's power
was taking an offensive position to end all this misery. Tracking the
rapidly dissipating threads of energy back to the source, she had
found herself in the same chamber as her friends.

Surveying the room with a cold eye, and a steeled heart, Willow
was drawn immediately to the imprisoned creature that had
attacked the Seal. Carmilla radiated the very same energy that had
so ferociously battered at the Seal. She was not an immediate threat
to Willow, not as long as she remained imprisoned. Turning to look
for her friends, Willow was horrified to see Buffy battling Angel.

*That's NOT Angel!* Horror ripped through Willow. Carmilla,
while confined, had still seized control of Angel's body. It wasn't
Angel, Buffy fought, just his body. The mind and soul of the man
Buffy knew was struggling for control against the monster that held
him, even as his body betrayed his heart.

*Buffy won't be able to slay him! And he isn't strong enough to
resist that witch!* Willow was vividly aware of her friends
limitations. From the destruction and devastation she could see,
their struggles had been just as difficult as her own. Eyes sweeping
around the room, starting with Carmilla, she spotted Giles
unconscious. His head rested on Xander's blue jacket, tilted in such
a way that Willow could see had been hurt on his head. His pulse
was still strong, and his aura showed no indications of permanent
harm.

Looking further, she found Xander sprawled on the cold stone floor,
his head lolling to the side to show the matted hair and blood.
*Xander? XANDER!?!?* The slightest thought, and she was
kneeling down beside him.

Willow let her mind touch him with a feather light caress, relieved
to feel his essence still inside his body. He didn't look good, at all.
Whatever or whoever had hurt him and come within an inch of
killing him outright. Running a ghostly hand along his cheek,
Willow struggled not to cry.

Despair rushed through her, and she flung her gaze away from
Xander, as if to deny what her eyes told her. Stone-gray rubble
cradled the body of a gnarled little man Even in her distressed state,
Willow instinctively knew that he was a Guardian. It was strange,
but she felt she _knew_ him. His mismatched and filthy clothing
aside, there was a shining honorable personality within, one with a
dark grief to it. She blinked a few times, uncertain as to how she
could feel or think these things, but trusting her senses anyway.

Buffy's strangled scream drew Willow back to the present reality.
The Slayer had a stake raised, but stopped suddenly. Willow saw
Angel's lips move, watching from across the room, a spectral
voyeur.

Willow jerked power from the Seal, ready to level it at Angel even
as his hands closed around Buffy's neck. Her own bad angled
position, and Buffy's struggles against Angel's grip stayed Willow's
hand. So violently did the Slayer's body heave against her assailant,
that a blast from the Seal's conduit would likely hit her.

Agony and horror nearly overwhelmed Willow. Xander lay dying
beside her, Giles was out cold..the Guardian could not help her, and
now she was paralyzed watching as Buffy faded to
unconsciousness. Angel rose from his victim's still living body.

Silently screaming, Willow watched Angel walk towards Carmilla.
The evil one stood with clear anticipation marked on her beautiful
cold face. Her eyes were somewhat glassy, her mind focused
entirely on controlling Angel's body and responses.

Willow somehow forced herself to focus, stroking Xander's face
with one last tender gesture, Willow rose. The Seal's past
Guardian's had left their marks on the Seal's awareness, and the
Seal now fed her with the knowledge she needed.. Unless Angel
was freed from Carmilla's control, none of them had a chance.

Carmilla's arm lay outstretched, palm upwards and closed. Looking
quickly at that arm, Willow turned sharply realizing that Angel
mimicked her pose the golden talisman cradled in that closed hand.

Willow opened herself up completely to the Seal, letting it mold her
into what it wanted, and reached to touch Angel gently from
behind. Her hand made contact with his neck, and she flooded her
power into him, helping the soul regain footing in the body.
Instinctively, Willow masked her personality from Angel.

*Follow what she wants...* Willow whispered directly to his soul.
*Let her think you will surrender the Amulet to her* Her other hand
slipped down to his outreached hand, slipping into the closed fist
with intangible fingers. The Amulet, in response to her touch,
pulsed, practically leaping into Willow's hand. Power shielded the
talisman from physical sight, and Willow pulled away.

Angel walked on, covering the short distance to Carmilla. His facial
expression had not changed, nor the momentum of his movements.
Control, had, though. Carmilla still felt that she was controlling
him, such was the illusion the Seal's power created with Willow's
mind setting up the framework.

Inside the vampire was grieving for the actions his body had
committed. He couldn't move his head to look at her, nor allow his
personal guilt show, but he knew he had hurt Buffy terribly. His
mind, now truly his own again, replayed the scene again and again.
Each time that he envisioned Buffy's collapse, his hatred for
Carmilla increased, as did his resolve.

"Come to me, my little Angel.." Carmilla crooned sweetly,
oblivious to the vampire's hidden rage. A delighted smile crossed
her face. "I think I shall spare your body, little Angelus...after I
destroy your immortal soul! You shall sit at my right hand when I
acquire dominance over the Seal and loose the Hellmouth!"

Angel snarled silently, the soft presence that gave him strength the
only thing that restrained him. He wanted to wrap his hands around
HER neck and show her the selfsame treatment she had forced him
to hand to Buffy.

*No. We will not act as she does. Hold her still!* The voice
commanded.

Carmilla's fingers beckoned his to extend his own hand, the one
that had held the amulet. He reached through her prison easily, it
had not been designed to contain anyone but Carmilla, his hand
hovered above and parallel to Carmilla's. Her fingers stretched out,
palm bared to receive the key to her freedom.

*********************Continued in Part 10B/11**************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 10B/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 21:00:08 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 10B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

Carmilla's fingers beckoned his to extend his own hand, the one
that had held the amulet. He reached through her prison easily, it
had not been designed to contain anyone but Carmilla, his hand
hovered above and parallel to Carmilla's. Her fingers stretched out,
palm bared to receive the key to her freedom.

*NOW!*

A dark smile ripped across the enraged vampire's face. His two
arms shot to either side of the fallen angel, locking her body into a
rigid position.

"What are you doing!" Carmilla screeched, unable to raise a hand.
Her release of a physical manifestation of power depended on have
a focus point, a hand or something to direct the power through.
Angel having pined her arms down had stayed that avenue of
protest.

Willow stood behind the woman, speaking aloud for all to hear for
the first time, the words coming from the Seal's awareness. "I
abjure thee, foul one. Be enjoined with those that you would free.
Be imprisoned within the Hellmouth!"

Carmilla screamed as the Amulet she had lusted the destruction of
instead was wrapped around her neck. As the Amulet itself touched
her chest, it's power was loosed.

Angel's hands dropped away, he drew back from the intense
radiance that consumed Carmilla. Raising an arm to block the light,
he turned partially. For a brief fraction of a second, he saw a
feminine outline in the light, behind the vanquished Carmilla. Thin,
and very slight, his eyes widened, and then closed in response to the
incandescence. Forcing them open again, the silhouette was gone.

And so was Carmilla.

Stumbling he approached Buffy. Dropping to his knees, he gathered
her close. "I'm sorry.....I'm so sorry!" He would have cried if he
could, but instead, he rocked her in a gentle embrace.

Unseen, Willow leaned down beside him. Her own personal grief
was intense. Thoughtlessly, she reached out to touch Buffy's hand
where it rested on Angel's thigh. *This isn't right! THEY
SHOULDN'T DIE!!!*

The hand that rested on top of Buffy's felt flooded with heat, jerking
Willow from her grief. **Heal them, young Protector...Heal them
with the Power**

And power cascaded from her being, a intense solid pulse
originating from her soul and spiraling outside in a giant circle. It
was a benign wave, gentle, caressing, and full of healing energy.

It touched Buffy instantly, and then Angel. Buffy's broken bones
mended, bruises faded and her breathing eased immediately. The
Slayer's own natural healing gifts kicked in, and Buffy began to stir.

Angel found himself drifting for a moment, memories and guilt
fading to distant impressions. He looked down in wonder, for the
sudden surge of joy, relief and atonement his soul experienced, as
much as pleasure at Buffy's whispered call of his name.

Across the room, Xander was pulling himself up from the ground,
looking around in confusion. Beside him knelt the creepy gnome
they'd been fighting..except no one was hitting anyone anymore.
"Did I miss something?" He asked.

Cai grinned tightly at the kid. "What haven't ya missed, kid? Ya got
to learn to duck, or get outta the way. Your gray matter's shaky
enough without rattling it around all the time!"

Xander's expression grew even more confused. Turning, he looked
at Buffy curled into Angel's embrace. "Why isn't anyone hitting
him? Isn't he the bad guy?"

Buffy laughed openly, pulling away from Angel to hug Xander.
"Nope! He's the Guardian."

"Was the Guardian." Cai corrected mildly. He wandered away to
retrieve his stave. Picking up the rune wood staff, he thunked one
end down on the ground. "I'm retired, now."

"What happened?" Three voices chorused the words to Angel.

The vampire shrugged. "I really don't remember!"

A shadow dropped over Buffy and Xander. "I find this conversation
fascinating, given that I'm completely in the dark. Do you suppose
we could continue this after joining Ms. Calendar and Willow?"
Giles straightened his glasses, frowning at the new crack in the
lenses.

**********************End Part 10************************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss 11a/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 21:00:20 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss    Part 11/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

DISCLAIMERS: Cai, Carmilla, and Fluffy are MINE! I share well,
but ask first! Buffy, Willow, Xander etc, etc are Joss Whedon's,
Mutant Enemy's, Warner Bros' and whoever else has legal rights to
them. No infringement is intended. They're just so darned cute, I
couldn't keep away from playing with them!

Part Eleven ----The Finale!!!

"Open." Cai raised his right hand to the giant bronzed doors to the
Seal's chamber. A second's hesitation, and then the sound of
massive hinges squeaking open. Dust spewed into the air, choking
the four other's standing in the passageway.

"Open?" Buffy asked incredulously. "Do you have any idea of how
much pounding I put on that door just to get it to open a crack? And
you just _speak_ and it opens?"

Cai shrugged with callous disinterest. " Didn't your momma teach
ya any manners? If ya'd just ask the doors to open nicely, they
woulda. Ain't my fault yer clueless." He sauntered through the door,
looking up at the doors corners. "You broke 'em!" He turned to
Buffy with a sour expression. "Can't ya look after anything nice?"

Buffy glowered at him, biting back a snarl, and marched straight
into the room. She stopped dead, eyes shooting wide. In the dead
center of the room the Seal glowed brightly, the flames a strong
vibrant blue, arcing high from floor to ceiling. But, it was empty.
Willow no longer hung suspended within the circle it formed.

"Willows gone!" Xander's voice reflected his shock. Strangely, they
had expected to return here and find everything precisely as they
left it. Looking around the room he struck upon another realization.
"And so is Ms. Calendar, but our bags are still here!"

Angel hovered outside the doors, the Seal's power was much greater
now that it was no longer under attack by Carmilla. The sensation
of itching he had experienced before was magnified many times
fold now. Catching Buffy's enquiring gaze, he nodded shortly,
thrusting his chin out towards the Seal.

Buffy turned back to the Seal, moving to the bag lying a few meters
from it. Ms. Calendar had been sitting about here when they had
left. Buffy bent down to gather up the bag, her fingers lightly
brushing the stones, and coming up wet and sticky. Raising her
hand to her nose, she sniffed. *Blood?*

"Get a flashlight over here!" She commanded sharply, eyeing the
dark ground. It was hard to see, given the darkness of the stone, but
there was a trail of blood. Following it to it's source, Buffy
repressed the urge to scream. Deep with the fires of the Seal a great
deal of blood lay splattered and drying on the arcane symbols that
formed the Seal's base.

"That's blood!" Xander's voice sounded dull, like any further
surprises and shocks couldn't be felt anymore.

Turning to face her friend, Buffy grabbed him by both shoulders.
"That doesn't mean it's Willows! It could be Carmilla's..." She gave
a quick shake. "We have to believe that Willow is okay. She
wouldn't just let herself die! She'd fight!"

Xander didn't look to convinced, his eyes fastened exclusively on
the bloody mess of Willow's prison. "She promised she wouldn't
leave..." The words were little more than a whisper.

Buffy looked frantically around for support. She could see the
shock growing in Xander's eyes. This was not the ideal time for him
to realize the full extent of Willow's importance in his life.

"Oh my, " Giles spoke suddenly. The Watcher pointed down to the
ground, his flashlight shining on a small spot. Shaky disjointed
letters formed out a phrase. The markings were blotted and sloppy,
as if hastily made.

Dragging Xander with her, Buffy looked down at the writing. "See
Xander, Willow's fine. If she weren't, Ms. Calendar wouldn't have
moved her."

Cai ran a finger over the writing, "Yeah, but the kid's running more
than a few pints short. The only pen ink your Ms. Calendar had was
blood."

Xander started suddenly, "Blood? That's...."

Buffy herself was turning green. Strangely, it was with absolute
clarity she imagined Ms. Calendar, dipping a finger into a puddle of
blood and writing on the cold stone. Looking down, she read the
message once more and shuddered. "Let's get going." She suggested
quietly, pushing Xander to the door.

Giles watched them for a moment, glancing down one last time at
the message the flashlight scoring across it before turning to follow
the Slayer and her friend. The words written on the stone ground in
Willow's blood now engraved in his mind. *Willow and I are at
library. Meet us there. ASAP*

********************************************************


Willow hadn't intended to leave the Seal's Chambers before the
others returned, but watching Ms. Calendar fight off hysteria at the
very sight of her blood soaked clothes had been incentive.

The girl's locker room should have been locked by this time in the
evening. Somehow, the janitor's had missed the access through the
gym. Stripping down, Willow had left the clothing on a bench just
outside the lockers. Peering around the concrete wall that divided
the showers from the lockers, to ask for the soap and a rag to use
for a washcloth, she noticed that the clothes had vanished, and that
a gym t-shirt and team track pants were laid out. "They weren't that
bad, were they?" She wondered bemused.

Ms. Calendar had given her a strained look. "Yes, they were. If
Xander and Buffy had seen them, they'd have a nervous
breakdown." The teacher had set a towel down. "The towel's from
my gym bag, you can return it later."

Willow had nodded once, and disappeared back into the showers.
Hearing the door to the locker room shut, she turned the water on
full spray and scrubbed. She leaned forward, into the stream,
soaking her hair. Taking some soap, she washed it, rinsed, and
washed it again. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, rinsing the water
out of it as she twisted it around. Looking down at the drain, she
grimaced to see the reddish stain of blood in the water.

Dropping her hands away from her hair, she stretched catlike,
enjoying the soothing feel of the warm water. It was soothing on a
tired body. She scooped up the bar of soap Ms. Calendar and
obtained, and gave herself a final lather down.

The Seal had yanked her back, right after the others were healed.
Willow didn't know why, it just had. A few moments of intense
bliss, and she found herself awakening within the rings of fire. It
had been so easy to walk out of those fires, it was kind of like
standing within this stream of water, soft, gentle and caressing. The
softest, warmest kiss on her soul, a benediction. Willow wasn't
almost sorry to let go.

It had taken her a few minutes to calm Ms. Calendar down. Leaving
the message had been Willow's idea, and watching the contortions
on Ms. Calendar's face as she wrote it had been highly entertaining.
In hindsight, Willow realized she should have written it herself, but
for some reason, Ms. Calendar seemed to think that she might
break.

Turning off the water when it finally began to drain clear, Willow
quickly toweled off and dressed. The others should be back by now,
and she really wanted to let them see that she was alright after her
little adventure in la-la land.

********************************************************


The yelling could be heard all the way down the hall. It was very
fortunate that the custodial staff had left the premises by 9pm on
Friday nights.

Pushing the massive library doors open, Willow walked in
completely unobserved. The melee going on required the
squabbling participants full attention. Pausing to watch for a
moment, Willow allowed a smile to spread across her face.

It was so good to see them all alive and breathing, or at least, in
Angel's case, present with souls intact. Buffy was in middle of a
tirade at Ms. Calendar and Giles, her one free arm swinging all over
the place.

The other hand was full of Xander's collar, griping it from the back
to keep him from running off. It was very flattering to realize that
they were so concerned over her well being, but the Slayer was in
danger of pounding her Watcher with those wild swings. And
Xander was in danger of foaming at the mouth.

Xander was yelling at Buffy, trying to force her to let go of his
shirts collar. The Slayer was paying him no heed whatsoever. So,
the poor teenager simply thrashed about, snarling about disloyalty
and such nonsense.

Ms. Calendar was taking this all very well, her voice calm and
reasoning. It was too bad she had forgotten so much of her own
adolescence...and how a teen didn't want to be reasoned with, a
teenager simply wanted immediate justification and satisfaction.

Wandering closer, her amusement clear on her face, Willow
observed Angel, and the Guardian. Those two worthies were
studiously avoiding the entire debate. Instead, Angel appeared to be
trying to introduce Cai to the wonders of the technological age, and
computers. They thumped enthusiastically on the keyboard, Cai's
eyes wide and fixed on the screen in wonder.

"Never seen a computer before?" Willow guessed as she stood
beside them. Angel shot out of the chair like someone had rammed
a stake into him.

"WILLOW!" He shouted. The gambit worked. Buffy and Xander
stopped cold, turning slowly in unison, jaws both dropped.

Willow found herself being smothered by two fierce hugs. Buffy
squeezed so tight, Willow imagined she could hear her ribs crack.
Xander pulled her clear off the ground, and didn't seem inclined to
let her go. *This is nice,* she mused, enjoying the closeness and
scent of him.

Opening her eyes lazily, she caught Buffy's knowing grin, and
winked. Strangely, that small action released all the tension out of
Buffy. Pulling away reluctantly, she shared a warm smile with Ms.
Calendar and Giles. "So, anything good happening?"

Giles patted the girl's shoulder, "I can't speak for the future, but I
can right now. It's very nice to see that you've come from ordeal
unscathed."

Her lopsided smile was again bestowed around the room. "Okay,
okay, you're all happy to see me. The feeling is very much mutual.
What happened after you guys left the Seal?" She feigned
ignorance, something deep within advising that she keep all the
details of her sojourn within the Seal to herself.

"Oh, it's not much of a story, "Xander pontificated. He was keeping
quite close to his pal, afraid that if he let her out of his sight,
she'd
vanish. "You played with the fire, we went and pounced on the bad
lady, we won..you're out..we're back, we can all go party now!"

******************Continued in Part 11B/11***********************



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Sealed with a Kiss  11b/11
Date: 28 Aug 1997 21:00:29 -0400

Sealed with a Kiss   - Part 11B/11
by Anya
[e-mail]

"Oh, it's not much of a story, "Xander pontificated. He was keeping
quite close to his pal, afraid that if he let her out of his sight,
she'd
vanish. "You played with the fire, we went and pounced on the bad
lady, we won..you're out..we're back, we can all go party now!"

Giles, Buffy and Angel all rolled their eyes, but it was Cai that
spoke. "Riight. That shit stunk, boy. You were out cold, after all of
ya tried to beat the living custard outta me...failing miserably, of
course."

Willow suppressed a knowing smile, and turned to Cai with her
best poker face. "I don't believe we've been introduced..."

Cai grinned evilly, "Nope. We ain't. I know who you are, though
girl. There's just two things, ya should know. Your timing sucks,
and you're a little slow on the uptake. I spent a great deal of time
tryin' ta get yer attention with those nightmares, and you didn't bite
that fishy. Ya gotta start paying attention."

Her eyebrows nearly hit her widow's peak. "You sent those
nightmares?" An unfamiliar edge of temper sounded in her voice.

"Yeah..I did. Ya got a problem wit' dat?"

"Yes, I do!" Willow responded hotly. Guardian or not, those
nightmares had not been pleasant. He had no business tormenting
anyone with such images.

"Atta girl! Ya got brass...you MIGHT work out. Them," he
indicated the others with a shrug. "Not likely, but there's hope fer
you."

*Oh, goody.* The thought was so sarcastic, it could have been
Xander's, Willow realized. *I've been hanging around Xander way
too long, now I'm starting to think like him...that's bad.*

Buffy smoothly placed her body between Willow and Cai, after
recovering from the sound of Willow in a temper, or approaching
one. "Willow, Willow, chill. This is Cai, he's the Seal's Guardian."

Willow blinked once, startled by both Cai's coarseness, and Buffy's
sudden defense of him. "Oh. I guess this belongs to you, then." She
reached out to Cai, the amulet resting in the palm of her hand.

"Where did you get that?" Buffy and Angel gasped at the same
time.

Willow glanced quickly between them, "I don't know..I just had it?"
It was offered up lamely, but they seemed to accept it. She dumped
the amulet in Cai's hand.

Cai frowned at the amulet, with a flick of his wrist, it was out of
sight. "Guardian," He snorted, pining Buffy with a scowl. "Girl, you
ARE blond! Don't ya listen? I'm RETIRED! I busted my ass for 700
years as Guardian, I'm finito! I've collected ma pension cheque, and
I'm gonna buy myself a nice little shack and rot nicely. I'll give
myself a few decades to check out the changes of the last seventy
years, and then, I'm gonna croak. It'll be great!"

"Oh dear," Giles muttered, anticipating the Slayer's temper.
Strangely, it never struck. There simply wasn't time. Cai spun on
heel faster than Buffy could respond and tossed his staff to Xander,
who caught in defensively.

"You'll need that, boy!" Cai chortled, and then scampered for the
door. "See ya!" And was gone.

"Not in this lifetime," Buffy muttered under her breath. Ms.
Calendar, Angel and Giles seemed amused. She scowled at the
door, before turning that scowl on the three of them. "What's so
amusing?"

Angel grinned, "Nothing. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm
just relieved that this is all over." The vampire pulled away from
the table he'd been leaning against. "And if everyone will excuse
me, I'd better get going. There's maybe an hour or two before
sunrise."

Buffy whipped around to look at the clock. "Oh shit! Mom's going
to have my head!"

Xander groaned theatrically, "Your mom? My mom's going to
replay the Spanish Inquisition with me." The teen sighed a deep
anguished breath. "I hope you'll all attend my funeral..."

Willow punched him in his arm. "You're Mom won't kill you. By
now, she won't even recognize you, she hasn't seen you for so long."

The trio wandered to the doors, following the vampire. Willow
casually dropped her hands into the track pants pockets. She froze
feeling her left hand close around something cold, metallic and
round. Discretely, she pulled the amulet back out of her pocket.
*How...?*

"Willow?" Buffy startled Willow back to reality, the girl quickly
stuffed the amulet back into the pocket, unseen by the others.

"Yeah?" A small frown dotted on her face, she watched Xander
spinning the wooden stave around narrowly hitting a cringing
Angel.

"How come you aren't worried about your folks?" Buffy asked. "I
mean, you aren't even wearing the clothes you started out in."

"Oh, I can't speak for everyone else, but my Mom trusts me
implicitly." Willow said loftily. " Besides, I left my window open.
I'm just going to climb into my room through my window."

Xander smiled evilly. "Jump over your fence, Willow. It's faster that
way."

************************The End ************************


So concludes this story...but, be warned..it ain't over yet! The
Sequel will be forthcoming!

Comments and thoughts are sought, please, spare a moment and let
me know what you've thought of this work! Strengths, weaknesses
and just plain praise are graciously accepted!

Cheers!
--Anya



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Jesse Jou <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Parody Lyric:  The Hubba Hubba Mantis Girl
Date: 31 Aug 1997 20:10:05 -0400

I just came up with this.  Thought some of you might recognize and enjoy
the story of the She-Mantis told in Big-Band style.

Hubba-Hubba Mantis Girl (to the tune of Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy)
sung by Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia as the Andrews Sisters.

She's got a crazy yen for Virgin No. 3
His name is Xander Harris and he's really keen
But she's hungry now.
Needs some human seed

Doesn't matter how she gets it.
Even killed Dr. G.

Chorus:
She's in the Hellmouth now
On a killing spree.
It's the Hubba Hubba Mantis Girl and Innocent 3

She dressed in basic black and said to Number 3.
"You couldn't be a virgin, now couldja be?"
He downed his martini
Said he loved Buffy.

Doesn't matter now; she's got him
Wouldn't want to be he.

Chorus

Buffy broke the window just in time to see.
How intimate the Mantis Girl and Xander would be.
But she'd stop her now.
'Fore he was a daddy.

Doesn't matter.  Wow, she killed it
With that sharp machete.

Chorus and then final chord.

(lyrics, copyright 1997, Jesse Jou)





-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anya <[e-mail]>
Subject: BUFFYFIC: Angelic Conversions  *Slayer's Archive fanfic*
Date: 31 Aug 1997 00:12:09 -0400

Well, yet another propaganda piece couched in fanfic form!  I've had so
much email telling me how much people enjoyed the previous
two..well..here's the third and most likely final bit!  There's also a
serious help message in it, but don't feel pressured! (As if,huh? :) )
Angelic Conversions
by Anya
[e-mail]

It was the strangest sight Buffy had ever seen, and the last thing on
earth she would have ever guessed happening.  But..there they
were!  Huddled close by each other, with a computer screen in front
of them, and fingers flying across the keyboards.

The blueish light off the monitors reflected on their faces, making
pale skin look sickly, and their eyes were fixed on scrolling words.
Neither noticed the Slayer enter the library, they were so consumed
with whatever it was they were doing.

For Willow, this was no great shock.  But...ANGEL?  A computer
junky?  Buffy shook her head, no..this was just some sort of sick
obscene dream.

"What ARE you two doing!"  She asked with exasperation.  Her
hands on her hips, and back straight, she looked like a scolding
mother.

Willow flicked her an annoyed glance, and looked back at the
screen.  "Work."  The hacker said around the pen hanging of her
lips like a pseudo-cigarette.

Buffy slid closer to them, "For me?  "

Angel grunted, but never looked up. "No.  For the archive."

"Come again?  The FANFIC archive?"  Buffy nearly vaulted over
the table.  "It's up, again?  GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!"

Neither budged, and Buffy resorted to pulling a stake out from
under the hem of her extraordinarily short skirt.  Eyes narrowed,
she stalked towards Angel.  "Angel, I love you dearly, but move or
be dusted!"

The vampire jumped, and turned to look at Buffy, palms
outstretched and pleading.  "Now, now..let's not be hasty!"

"The site's not up YET!" Willow said, her voice disembodied from
behind Angel.  "Anya sent a plea out, asking for people with time,
and a passing fair knowledge of HTML, to help her convert all the
updates!"

"HTM...whassits?"

"Hyper Text Mark-up Language," Angel said loftily.  He reclaimed
his chair, and sat down again.  "It's what makes documents
readable on the web, with colour links, backgrounds etc."

Buffy blinked twice.  "And you know this stuff...how?"

"Willow taught me."

Buffy shot the redhead a lethal glare.  "She taught you?  When?"

Willow sighed, and looked up. "When you were out Slaying, and
we were here helping Giles, that's when.  Now, Buffy...if you don't
shut-up, we can't finish, and if we can't finish, that's 10 stories you
won't be able to read!"

Buffy's jaw snapped close.  "Ten?"  She asked in a small voice.

"Ten."

The room was silent for a few moments, with the exception of
keyboard's clattering.  Buffy sat quietly in a chair, watching them,
her mind working at a furious pace.  Finally, the silence was too
much to bear, and she leaned forward.

"How come you guys get to help her?  Do you know Anya, Will?"
There was a tiny whine in her voice.

"'Cause we offered to help when she sent the post out; and yes, but
no.  I know Anya through email, and the lists, but..I don't KNOW
her."

Buffy blinked.  "SHE asked for help?"

Willow pressed the enter button and leaned back in the chair.
"Yup.  Apparently, she's got 80 or so updates to make."  Seeing
Buffy's jaw slacken, she hastened to add, "That's not eighty new
stories, but multiple parts to maybe 20 or so stories!"

Buffy mouthed a silent "Oh!"

"So, she asked for people who can handle doing the conversions
and we send them back as converted files.  Angel and I both offered
to help when we saw the post.  She gave us five files apiece to
convert."

Buffy sat quietly again.  Her index finger found a stray lock of hair
and began toying with it.  "So...did she say when the archive would
be back up?"

"Tuesday is her guess."  Angel muttered, as he frowned at the
screen.  His eyes darted along the page, moving left to right rapidly,
widening intensely as he progressed.

Willow stood up, and stretched. "I'm done."  She announced.
"How 'bout you?"

"Almost." he muttered and read on.

Willow turned to the antsy Slayer, smiling to see the usually so
active Buffy trying to sit so still.  "She did say she's changed the
look of the archive, and improved the graphics and stuff."

Buffy looked up hopefully.  "Really?  Anything else?"

Willow smiled.  "There's going to be an added poetry page, and an
added transcript page of episodes."

Buffy smiled, "Keewl!!  What about my..."  Her voice trailed off, as
she glanced at the scowling Angel.  He seemed mighty disturbed by
whatever he was reading.

Willow followed her gaze, and made the leap on her own.  "I don't
know.  She never said anything about IT"

"Are you talking about THIS story?"  Angel asked in a strangled
voice, his eyes glued to the screen.  "The one you wrote,
Buffy...about....."

Buffy shot Willow a panicked glance, and they both rushed over.
Sure enough, there, on the screen, was Buffy's story of slobbering
kisses, and affection.

Angel twisted in his chair, and pinned the Slayer with a look, on he
had cultivated carefully on Darla for a hundred years.   Buffy, as
Darla had, squirmed.

In a soft, quiet voice, he carefully enunciated each word, while one
hand pointed shakily at the screen.  "What....Is ....That."

Buffy swallowed hard, and looked to Willow.  Her friend smirked,
but shrugged helplessly.    Taking a deep breath, Buffy chose to end
this is as much dignity as she could.  "Oh my!  Look at the time!
Gotta go, biology y'know..my favorite class!  Bye!"

And she ran for the door.

                                               The End :)


What is in this story is true!  I could DESPERATELY use some
help to get these updates done!  If anyone out there with both the
time and knowledge  to convert, say five stories, wants to help,
email me at [e-mail]

I've got a generic guide for the format I use, so it'll all be uniform!
This isn't forever!  Just for this update!  I'm  looking at my
mailbox, and realizing it's getting BIGGER and BIGGER!

Thanks!
-Anya