Late

This fanfic and any others on this page do not belong to me unless it says that it is mine at the top of the page. This particular fanfic is written by Clare and Chloe from the Alice Boston Fanfic extravaganza


 

TITLE: Late
AUTHOR: Clarrie (with occasional help / hindrance by Chloe)
EMAIL: lazersharks@yahoo.com feedback please
You can visit there page at http://www.geocities.com/priiti/fanfic.html
SUMMARY / TEASER: Alice has a new apartment, Giles has flu, oh and there’s some stuff with a demon in there somewhere. Set seven weeks after ‘Deluge’.
DISCLAIMER: Obviously don’t own Giles, Wesley, Buffy, Anya and the Scooby gang. Alice Boston and others are mine, most of the info about watchers and the watchers council was made up by me and is based on my interpretation of it as an institution. All witchy stuff made up by me and bares little resemblance to say, Wicca or any of the other old faiths. Lines taken from ‘The Angel and the jerk' by Billy Joe Armstrong and Penelope Housten.

Feel free to use Alice, etc, in yr own fanfic, just acknowledge me and let me take a peep eh?

RATING: about a 12 or PG13, younger readers may be grossed out by the suggestion that old people may, possibly, once, have had sex.

SPOILERS: mild up to mid season 3, but as if faith and the mayor had not existed and Anya and Xander had got together earlier. Does include Wesley character though. At the time of story Oz had ginger hair.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: If this is the first time you’ve read my fanfic you might want to read ‘Observance’ and ‘Deluge’ or you might be a bit lost. But if you want to live dangerously, hey, your choice!

Previous fanfics can be found at www.geocities.com/lazersharks/sorry.html

Americans, kindly note that I used the word (ick pah) ‘soccer’ instead of football. So don’t say I never do anything for you.

I apologise for the fact that you’ll guess the ending way in advance

SUNNYDALE HIGH: THE LIBRARY.

Alice stood outside the door which separated Gile’s office and the staff facilities from the rest of the library, she held an apple and took deep horselike bites as she spoke.

‘Go on lad! Better out than in.’

From within the office ‘Hoick! Hoick Hoiiiick, hack , hack hack, grrruuuuurgh. Hoick.’

‘Gosh, that was a big one.’ Said Alice, almost to herself.

From within the office ‘Hoick! Hoick Hoiiiick, hack , hack hack, grrruuuuurgh. Hoick.Hack, hack, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaack kuk, knug.’

Seeing Buffy and Willow enter the library Alice straightened herself and waved the apple in a cheery greeting.

‘Cooee!’ She sprayed a selection of chewed apple at them. ‘Gosh! Sorry. Excuse the fruit.’

From within the office ‘hack, hack, hack, grrruuuuurgh. Hoick. Roalph.’

Buffy and Willow smiled wanly and placed their books on the table.

‘Alice, is everything alright?’ Said Buffy, brushing herself down.

‘What? Oh… oh, that. Poor Squiz has a bit of a jippy tummy.’

From within the office. ‘Hoick! Hoick Hoiiiick, hack , hack hack, grrruuuuurgh. Hoick. Hack, hack, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaack kuk, knug.’

Alice finished her apple and tossed the core into a nearby wastepaper basket.

‘Yeh alright in there Squirrel?’

From within the office ‘Hoick! Mumble, mumble kuk, knug. Mumble, Hoick! Mumble dammit woman!’

‘Well he’s a perky little camper.’

A concerned look crossed Willow’s face. ‘Are you sure he’s alright? He sounds really bad.’

Alice peered through the window of the office, ‘He’s alright. Xander’s gone out to get him some… I don’t know, liquids or something.’

‘How’s the English patient?’ Xander grinned, brandishing bottles and packets of every cold medicine known to man.

‘Still shouting for Ralph.’ Alice opened the office door slightly. ‘I don’t know why he doesn’t just GO HOME.’ She called in a stage whisper.

A low moan issued from the office and Giles emerged looking pale and drawn. ‘I cannot, just, go, home.’ He blew his nose noisily causing Willow and Buffy to grimace. ‘I have unfortunately spent all my sick days recuperating from the various head injuries received in the service of the Slayer.’ He rubbed his temples wearily. ‘I do not have the time to spare for flu.’

They youngsters jumped back as he was seized in a gigantic sneeze.

‘Ah, don’t worry.’ Alice rubbed his back as he slumped over the desk. ‘I threw up a lung myself this morning. Right as rain now though.’

Giles glared at her. ‘I’m so glad for you.’ He doubled over as another sneeze hit him.

‘Tissue for the English patient!’ Xander grinned. ‘Stat!’

Giles sighed wearily and looked painfully towards the girls. ‘He’s been calling me that all morning… Doesn’t he have classes?’

‘It’s the flu.’ Willow smiled sympathetically, ‘There’s a big teacher shortage.’

‘Aah,’, Xander kicked back and folded his arms behind his head. ‘The Flu Gods are merciful and the teens of Sunnydale rejoice.’

‘Oh dear God.’ Giles sat back in his chair and viewed the group through half closed eyes. ‘Aspirin?’

Xander popped a brace of the small white pills from their sealed plastic packet and passed them to Giles.

‘Are you going to be alright for my housewarming tonight Squirrel?’ Alice spoke through a mouthful of hairpins as she refastened her bun. ‘Free beer.’

Giles swallowed the painkillers with a glass of water and wiped his mouth with his handkerchief. ‘I dare say I shall rally round.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘If only for the free beer.’

‘Goodo.’ Alice grinned widely and patted her already disintegrating hairdo. ‘Xander dear, I hate to press you but do you know where I might find some more fruit?’

‘Fruit?’

Alice yawned. ‘Apples, pears, kumquats. Fruit, been living off the damn things for the last week. It’s great stuff.’

‘The canteen sells, you know, stuff. I think one of the vending machines sells fruit.’ Xander gave a puzzled frown. ‘But that’s like, prunes and things.’

‘Lead on MacDuff.’ Alice picked up her handbag and gestured in the general direction of out. Xander shrugged and led Alice away.

Giles relaxed back into his chair and took off his glasses. ‘Kumquats?’

Buffy leant back against the desk and threw the ball up in the air, catching and throwing two balls at a time, keeping them in the air together. ‘This is training?’ Buffy arched her eyebrow. ‘What am I Buffy Summers the tumbling Slayer?’

‘Wesley is organising the Watcher diaries, and I am just not up to combat training.’ Giles wiped his glasses. ‘This improves our balance and reflexes.’

‘Our balance and reflexes?’

‘Alright, your balance and reflexes. Just keep juggling.’

Buffy caught another ball as Willow threw it across the library and added it to two already in the air. She stared out of the window at Alice and Xander and smiled. ‘Giles?’

‘Hhmmph?’ Giles patted at his red raw nose with a tissue.

‘How come you and Alice are friends?’ She watched as Alice began to explain a complicated, and by the looks of the hand movements, obscene, joke to Xander. ‘I mean she’s like so… And your so….’

‘We’ve known each other a long time.’ Giles paused. ‘Do you know she was the highest graded witch to- well to graduate from Whedon college?’

‘There are grades?’ Willow looked up from her book in surprise.

‘In some disciplines. Not the one you’re currently studying.’

Willow looked relieved. ‘But the one Alice follows, that has grades right?’

‘Well yes, and no. That is, I- Alice has mastered, or at least attained a high level of skill in most of the major disciplines,’ he rolled his eyes, ‘the trouble is if none of it works she has a tendency to just mumble something in Italian and hope for the best.’ He paused to blow his nose noisily. ‘The truly infuriating thing is that it invariably works.’

‘Wow.’ Buffy added another ball to the three already in the air. ‘Hey, I think I’ve got a talent here.’

Willow smiled. ‘Yeah, b-because that whole fighting evil thing was going nowhere.’

Buffy grinned. ‘So you haven’t really answered our question, how come you’re such good friends. All you do is bicker.’ She shifted her weight and changed the throwing pattern. ‘I mean, were you… You know.’

‘What?’

‘You know.’

Giles blushed. ‘I am capable of being friends with a woman without…’ Giles made an obscure hand movement who’s inaccuracy Buffy put down to the flu or poor memory. ‘I-I mean, God, no.’

‘God no what?’ Alice stood grinning at the doorway of the library.

‘You and Giles were,’ Buffy caught a tissue and passed it, without stumbling over her throwing pattern, to the now crimson librarian. ‘Hooplah! Never an item.’

‘Gosh no, ‘ Alice paused, ‘I’ll try to take the vehemence of your denial as a compliment shall I Squizz?’

‘Oh, I-I- didn’t mean…’

‘No, no, I’ll just take the obvious revulsion in your voice as a sign that you respect me too much as a person.’

‘I-I-I….’

Alice grinned widely at Gile’s embarrassment and gestured towards the door. ‘We’re having a kick about out there, is anyone else up for it?’

‘We?’

‘Myself, Xander,’ She turned to Willow, ‘Your thingy, whathisname, Oz. Jumpers for goalposts that sort of thing. So who’s up for it?’

‘Um- Sort of doing stuff.’ Buffy juggled pointedly.

‘Giles?’

‘Oh, please be joking.’ The flu-ridden librarian blew his nose noisily.

Alice turned to Willow. ‘What about you? Even up the sides, you and Oz versus me and Xander?’

‘It sounds fun, but n-no.’ She lifted up the book she was reading. ‘I-I have stuff too.’

‘Oh come on, I’ll tell you what, we’ll have a championship match. Boys versus Girls. World supremacy depends on the outcome.’

Buffy and Giles watched as Willow found herself being dragged outside to join the impromptu Soccer match.

‘Is it because she doesn’t have to care for a Slayer?’

Giles looked up at Buffy. ‘Pardon?’

‘Is that why she’s more relaxed? I-I mean, don’t take it the wrong way, but I can’t imagine any of the other Watchers I’ve met playing Soccer with Xander and Oz. Sorry.’

‘Am I to assume by that apology that I am included in that sweeping generalisation?’

‘Kind of, I- I mean if they had a research championships or, like a-a Watcher superbowl but…’

‘Or a stuffiness world series?’

‘Yes, no, kind of.’ Buffy frowned. ‘Smartie had a party and no one came Giles, you might want to remember that.’

‘I-I do know what you mean though, she, um, she is rather, um, ebullient.’

‘Is that like peppy?’

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Peppy? It, um, it’s peppy thirty years on I think.’

Giles searched for a place to dispose of his tissue. ‘Why this sudden interest anyway?’

‘Just, you know, stuff.’ Buffy added another ball to her pattern. ‘No biggy.’

‘I do have a theory, ex-excuse me.’ Giles sneezed riotously. ‘As you know, a person usually has his or her first magical experience during or after adolescence.’

‘Is that a metaphor? ‘Cos if not I didn’t.’

Giles plucked a tissue from the box in front of him and blew his nose pointedly.

‘But carry on… I’m sure I can keep up.’ Buffy grinned apologetically. ‘During or after adolescence.’

‘Yes, and therefore are encouraged to treat the world of the occult with a great deal of respect.’

‘Respect works for me.’

‘This does tend to result in a rather serious mind set, which of course combined with the by nature cosseted and scholarly environment of the watcher community can result in – that is can produce a psyche, a- a-a personality that is…’

‘Wesley?’

‘Wesley would be, um, one example, yes.’ Giles paused to wipe his nose. ‘Although of course Mr Whyndam-Price has little more than a passing knowledge of witchcraft.’ He watched through the window as Alice encouraged a giggling Willow to kick the ball past Xander’s inept goal keeping and between the two rucksacks forming a goal. ‘Miss Boston however was born into magic, she grew up with it. She was actually brought up by Simplicity Boston you know.’

‘Um,’ Buffy smiled apologetically. ‘That should mean something to me right?’

‘No-no, it’s my fault. I, um, Actually though would it kill you to study a little of your heritage?’

The frown left his face as he saw Wesley enter the library. ‘Why don’t you ask Wesley?’

‘Yes ask Wesley.’ Wesley paused nervously. ‘Ask Wesley what?

‘Who was...’

‘Is!’ Corrected Giles urgently under his breath.

Buffy smiled cheerfully. ‘Who is Simplicity Boston Wesley?’

The colour drained from Wesley’s face. ‘S-Simplicity Boston? Why is he-why would he- I didn’t touch her I swear! Oh God, Not him, anything but. I’ll resign, I can’t- Why must they hound me so.’

‘Wesley.’ Buffy placed a placating hand on his arm. ‘You in there Wesley? Breath.’

Wesley let out a long breath and fixed his glassy stare on Buffy.

‘I read the name in a book Wesley – Thought I’d ask my watcher. Ok?’

Wesley nodded silently and swallowed nervously. ‘I have to go and, um, I have to – go.’ He turned and returned to the office rather more rapidly than was usual.

‘A book?’ Giles paused to blow his nose and smiled. ‘Not exactly the most believable of excuses.’

Buffy shrugged, unable to deny the truth of this comment. ‘So Simplicity Boston is like, the big kahuna of the Watchers Council?’

‘I believe that is, in fact, what he puts on his stationery.’

‘Oh hardy ha, ha, ha.’

Giles sipped from his cup of hot lemon drink. ‘Growing up in such an atmosphere, That is, with such a prolonged exposure to the supernatural, the mystic ceases to be, um, mystical.’

‘So to her it’s normal?’

‘Normal, normal is a very strong word.’ Giles stared out of the window. ‘I don’t think she’d know normal if you drew her a diagram.’ He smiled and turned to Buffy. ‘I’m boring you.’

‘No, it’s nice. Psychology you know?’

‘Hmm.’ Giles blew his nose.

‘Was she adopted?’

‘What?’ Giles frowned at Buffy. ‘I don’t see as it’s any of your business if she is.’

‘It’s just, you said brought up by Simplicity Boston. You didn’t say that Simplicity Boston was her mother or that…’

‘Simplicity Boston is, note the present tense Buffy, a man. And frankly I’m beginning to feel that this pestering for information is a little ill-mannered.’

‘Sorry.’ Buffy shrugged. ‘It’s just, Sometimes you can go around and-and you think you know them but then there’s a demon or a…’

‘Gypsy curse?’

Buffy nodded silently.

Giles coughed into a handkerchief and shook his head sadly. ‘You’re worried that Alice will turn out to be like Jenny?’

‘I just, I want to know everything – ‘Cos there was Jenny, and like Angel that was a big whoa, and even you with Eyghon you know?’

‘Alice doesn’t have a…a big whoa.’

‘It’s just secrets you know? That’s, that’s why I’m asking I just- I want to know pressure points. So if she goes postal I can…’

Giles folded his hands under his chin and breathed in. ‘Simplicity Boston is Alice’s uncle. She was- Alice was only five years old when – When the darkness claimed her parents.’

‘Oh.’

‘From then on she spent her time divided between boarding schools and Cunnings, the Boston, or rather Simplicity’s estate. Until of course the time came for her to go to Oxford.’ He paused. ‘Said like that it isn’t anything very unusual. For a woman of her…’

‘Inimitable breeding? Outstanding dress sense? Ravishing good looks?’

‘I was going to say social strata.’ Giles raised an eyebrow. ‘Hesitating as I do to say breeding in your case Alice, finished your match have you?’

Willow stumbled in, giggling, on Oz’s arm. ‘Yup, w-we won.’

‘Don’t think this is the end.’ Xander perched on the table and gestured towards the women. ‘And frankly I think that you’re going to have a little difficulty enforcing that world supremacy Will.’

‘We’ll have a rematch in a minute if you’re up to it boys?’

‘We’ll k-kick your asses.’

Oz frowned thoughtfully. ‘Will with the blood lust? Even in a non-literal sense am I ok with that?’

‘So what were we talking about?’ Alice turned to Buffy and Giles and grinned. ‘Other than my social strata?’

‘Giles was telling me about your uncle, and Cunnings, you know, British stuff. Big old houses, country estates, angry peasants and so on.’

‘I never mentioned angry peasants.’

‘You lived in-I mean you had a house big enough to be an estate?’ Willow grinned. ‘Were there servants? B-because that would be cool.’

‘Gosh yes, it was like a Wodehouse novel,’ Alice inspected the apple she had begun to bite into. ‘Except with shagging and the Dark Ones.’

‘Sounds scary.’ Xander blushed. ‘I-I meant the Dark Ones. Although of course Wodehouse novels can be scary too and… I’m babbling.’

‘No, dude, you know, because… Aunts. ’

Buffy ignored Xander and Oz’s brief exchange. ‘The Dark One’s? Why am I getting the feeling that these are not a good thing?’

‘Because they’re not.’ Alice returned her concentration to her apple.

‘Giles?’

Giles turned to Buffy. ‘The um, the Dark Ones.’ He removed his glasses and began to wipe them distractedly. ‘Alice’s family have, for reasons best known to posterity, been entrusted with the,’ He turned to Alice. ‘Would you call it guardianship?’

‘As good a word as any.’

‘Occasionally Buffy an evil cannot be destroyed, and we are forced to –contain it.’

‘Cunnings has got seven of the buggers sealed up in the cellar.’ Alice grinned. ‘Boston’s ultimate destiny to stop ‘em getting out and causing trouble.’

Cordelia dropped her books onto the check out desk.

‘Trouble? Is that British for the apocalypse? Because we’re pretty much familiar with the procedure.’

Alice paused thoughtfully. ‘Um, yes, yes I suppose it is.’

‘But they’re contained. Right?’ Buffy frowned.

‘Oh gosh yes, no worries there. So are we ready for another…’

‘Tell them what they’re kept in.’ Giles smiled a little meanly. ‘Go on.’

‘I already told them, the cellar at Cunnings. So is anyone…’

‘No, that’s where they’re kept. Tell them what they’re kept in.’

‘I, I – told them already Squizz I don’t know why you’re…’

‘They’re kept in a tea caddy.’ Giles sat back with an air of superiority.

‘An enchanted tea caddy.’ Said Alice indignantly.

Xander frowned and turned to Oz. ‘Ok did I just…’

Buffy raised her hand. ‘Um, I might be going out on a limb here. But aren’t indestructible dark forces usually kept in, like the vessel of Spazmo or something?’

‘Spazmo?’ Oz raised an eyebrow.

‘What? You try and think up a demon name.’

‘Molchnia.’

Buffy scowled.

‘It’s not actually the vessel that is important. But rather the binding spells.’ Alice began to search distractedly through her handbag. ‘It’s- well the physics are a little difficult to explain, but it basically boils down to even if the only thing you have to hand is a matchbox as long as you have the right spells you can contain it.’ She looked pointedly at Giles. ‘And despite what some people say, I happen to believe that as long as Apocalypse has been prevented, dignity can go hang.’

‘So are you going to Alice’s party?’

The Slayerettes sat around the main table in the library, technically studying biology. In that they had their biology books open whilst they talked.

‘It could be fun.’ Willow smiled cheerfully. ‘She’s party people.’

‘I thought, maybe… ‘Cos, you know… If Will wants to go and …Free beer.’ Oz put his arm around Willow. ‘That’s always good right?’

Buffy laughed, ‘Yeah, it sounds like fun.’

‘Oh will you look at yourselves?’ Cordelia stared open mouthed at them. ‘I mean freak-boy I can understand. But you three…’ She turned to Willow. ‘Your boyfriend is in a band, are you going to throw that away? Because if you’re seen at her Royal dorkiness’s party that’s just going to be cancelled out.’

Willow smiled and hugged Oz. ‘I think I’m willing to take the risk.’

‘Can we take it that you’re not going to be there then?’ Xander threw a pencil into the air and caught it between the palms of his hands. ‘Or were you just getting through your daily venom discharge?’

Cordelia scowled at Xander. ‘As far as I’m concerned, any party that let’s you in isn’t worth thinking about.’

‘Ooh yeah, don’t want to go to all that strain for nothing.’

‘Oh, very witty, what are you going to do for an encore freak-boy? Blow spit bubbles at me?’

‘And once again I am defenceless against your razor sharp wit.’

‘Don’t even bother,’ Cordelia picked up her books. ‘Just don’t expect me to go to your old lady loser party Ok?’

They watched as Cordelia stormed from the library.

‘Unexpected.’ Oz began to toy with a pencil. ‘And yet… Not wholly out of character.’

 

 

‘Gosh, you’re early.’ Alice stood in the doorway and pushed the hair out of her face. ‘Hardly anyone else is here.’

‘We thought- ‘Cos you said seven, and Giles gave us a ride.’ Giles sneezed loudly as if in recognition of his name.

‘Oh, what am I thinking… Come in, come in.’ Alice affected a pseudo French accent. ‘Welcome to un neuvo latte du Boston. All the mod cons, bathroom over there- Kitchen over there- Coats in the bedroom and as an optional extra, Wesley in the front room.’ Wesley smiled weakly from his position, perched on the edge of the sofa, and waved.

‘Make yourselves at home.’ Alice grinned. ‘I’ve got a keg in the kitchen, tins in the bath and

spirits on the sideboard. I, um, well I was making fondue but the candle blew out and I didn’t notice, so it’s, um, it’s just a big bowl of cheese.’

Oz paused. ‘Cheese type?’

‘Yellow.’

‘Lead us to it.’ Xander and Oz were motioned towards the token display of solid refreshments.

‘How about you three? I, I have some orange juice somewhere if you aren’t drinking.’

‘We’re good.’ Willow smiled. ‘Wow, this, this is a cool apartment.’

‘Yeah, Do you have to pay for this yourself?’ Buffy met Gile’s scowl. ‘What? She doesn’t work, I’m curious.’

‘I don’t think he’s frowning at you dear.’ Alice emerged from the kitchen wiping her hands.

‘The, um, the Watchers council pays a wage to unemployed Watchers- and they handle housing and suchlike.’ She gave Giles a pat on the head as she passed him by. ‘Which Squirrel dear, isn’t the biggest fan of.’

Giles frowned. ‘It’s the system I don’t approve of.’

Oz and Xander returned laden with cheese and crackers. ‘Go G-man. Power to the people.’

Giles frowned again. ‘Every watcher has to send back a percentage of their wages to fund the-the clerical staff, and the administration staff, and people who can’t keep from having their houses blown up…’

Alice grinned.

‘And-and I just don’t think it’s necessary. Most Watchers can’t afford the time to take highly paid jobs and it’s not as if the Watchers council itself is short of money.’

‘Well they do own a little property.’

‘Hmmph! Scotland.’

‘Oh you exaggerate, Wales at most’

Giles blew his nose pointedly.

Xander put his arm around Buffy’s shoulder and offered her a cracker. ‘ British people, cheese and a sulking librarian. Can this party get any better?’

‘-EXACTLY LIKE YOU ARE TODAY.

YOU MUST HAVE THOUGHT TURIN RESTORED…’

‘Well this doesn’t suck!’

‘-YOU KNOW I LOVE TO BE IGNORED…’

‘What?’ Buffy strained to hear Xander above the music.

‘I said this doesn’t suck.’

Buffy nodded. ‘It’s in the bathroom I think.’

‘No, I said… Don’t worry it wasn’t important.’ He tried to spot Giles among the heaving throng that was attempting to fit in a space designed for half the amount of people currently occupying it.

‘I think Giles wants you to do a quick patrol. Just in case.’ Xander used the tried and tested technique of those who wish to yell discretely. That is, he yelled, but he made a face that suggested whispering.

‘Just in case what?’

‘I don’t know. He got dragged to the limbo room.’

‘There’s a limbo room?’ Willow giggled.

‘It’s the kitchen, but with a pole.’ Xander paused, ‘Do you want me to patrol with you?’ He looked longingly towards the kitchen.

‘If you’re sure you’re not doing it just because you feel you have to.’

‘No-Sure, I mean, I can see Giles limbo any day, right?’

Buffy laughed. ‘Go. Go watch – I’m not taking no for an answer Xander.’ She watched as he disappeared into the crowd. ‘Although a little bit of a protest might have been nice.’

‘-THAT’S GONNA MEET ME EYE TO EYE.

I MUST BE BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN OR ELSE YOU’VE GONE COMPLETELY SHY.

AM I A HEAVY POLTERGEIST?..’

A womanly scream echoed from the bathroom. Buffy reached instinctively inside her jacket for a stake before she saw Wesley struggling through the bathroom door against the pull of four recognisably human arms. Finally breaking free, the inertia caused him to hit the wall running.

‘Wesley?’

With as much dignity as he could muster Wesley stood upright. ‘ I-I- they were- and then- strange friends?’

‘Very strange friends.’ Agreed Buffy. ‘Giles said I should do a patrol. You want to come with?’

Wesley nodded silently darting terrified glances towards the bathroom door. ‘God yes.’

‘Where did Alice want us to stop?’

‘The off- licence.’

‘The off what?’

‘The liquor store.’ Wesley paused and listened. ‘Did you hear something?’

Buffy listened silently. ‘Cat?’

‘Too high.’

Another scream split the night. Buffy turned in the direction from which it came. ‘Bronze. Come on.’

‘Oh God, Oh God.’

‘What is it?’ Buffy gripped the screaming girl by the shoulders.

‘In there… It’s, Oh God.’

‘Wesley, come on.’ Buffy burst through the doors of the club and stood in a ready pose.

‘What, what is it?’ Wesley brandished a stake above his head.

‘Gone?’

There was a cry from the bar. Not human this time but a demonic cackle of malevolent joy. A grey streak sped across the room leaving no trace.

‘Repercussus.’

‘Guh?’ Buffy armed her crossbow and searched for something to point it at.

‘A mirror demon, it’s using the mirrors to transport itself around the club.’

‘Using mirrors for evil? Oh that really sucks. That is so low.’ She surveyed the club and saw only the usual scared Friday night revellers. ‘What do we do?’

‘W-we have to bring it out into the open.’ Wesley stuttered. ‘We have to- have to shut off it’s ingress and egress points.’

‘And in English?’

‘Smash all the mirrors.’

Buffy lined up the crossbow with the centre of the mirror on the opposite wall. ‘Oh well, Bye-bye allowance.’

The mirror shattered into splinters of glass and metal. ‘Wesley, you want to get those mirrors by the bar?’

‘Excuse me Miss,’ Wesley pushed by the Waitress and wrapped a bar cloth around his hand.

Buffy sent another two wall mirrors crashing to the ground, the grey streak crossed the dance-floor again.

‘Miss, you might want to stand back.’ Wesley brought his fist crashing down onto the bar mirror… And watched as it bounced off unharmed.

‘Do you have a-a bottle or something I could – and perhaps a painkiller.’

The Repercussus raced from mirror to mirror as Buffy used crossbow and fists.

Cornered behind the bar the Reppercussus began to shriek as, between them, Wesley and Buffy smashed every mirror in the row.

‘What on earth has been…’

‘No!’ Wesley cried out as a flash of reflection gleamed from the half opened ladies room door.

The shrieking flash of grey streaked across the dance-floor and into the bathrooms.

‘Wesley! In there! Now!’

‘But-but-but…’

‘I’m way over here. Keep it busy, I’m not going anywhere.’

Wesley clambered across the room clutching a stake to his chest, upon reaching the door he paused. ‘Buffy I-I-…’

An all too human scream came from the Ladies room.

‘Just get it!’

Wesley closed his eyes and held his crucifix in front of him.

‘BEGONE THOU FOUL DEMON FROM THE DARK REACHES – WITH THIS SYMBOL I DIVEST THEE OF THOU SANCTUARY!’

‘Wow, you killed it.’

Wesley opened his eyes to see Cordelia standing open mouthed next to a broken mirror and a slime covered demon with a shard of mirror glass embedded in it’s chest. He stared at the stake he had thrown which lay redundant at the demon’s side.

‘I, um, I killed it?’ Wesley cleared his throat. ‘Yes-yes, of course. A-a Watcher cannot simply hide behind his books, dispensing advice like- like a…’

‘You killed it?’ Buffy peered over Wesley’s shoulder at the recently deceased demon. ‘Have you thought about slaying as a career Cordelia?’’

‘I-I-I, that is…’

‘Wesley saved me. Oh God. You saved me!’ Cordelia gripped Wesley by the lapel. ‘That demon could have … Urgh. Shudders much?’

‘Yeah.’ Buffy stared at Cordelia, Wesley and the demon on the floor. ‘Shudders.’

‘He-hello?’ Giles blinked as the morning sunlight seared through the curtains. He grabbed the telephone receiver and pulled himself up into a sitting position. ‘Sunnydale 555432’.

He pulled a tissue from his sleeve and wiped his nose. ‘Calm down. Are you sure? And you don’t know… Of course.’

He wiped his glasses and perched them on the bridge of his nose. ‘And you’re absolutely sure? Well it could be any number of… Don’t panic. It’s probably just… Oh.’

Giles replaced the receiver and rubbed his eyes wearily. ‘May God have mercy on us all.’

Anya stirred in her sleep, the blanket wound tightly around the muscles in her wrist as she tossed and turned.

She opened her eyes and stared out into the darkness. She could sense him near. The pressure around her temples threatened to implode her skull. She grimaced in pain and anger.

‘Him.’ She hissed under her breath. ‘Him.’

‘And the people in the floor above us came down a-and I think they were going to complain but they didn’t complain and then they said to come up so we all went up and then the people above them came down and –and…’

‘Will, breathe.’

‘So that’s how come we were on the roof.’ Willow grinned breathlessly. ‘It was so cool.’

‘You’ll have to excuse Willow.’ Xander put his arm around Willow’s shoulder and raised his eyebrow knowledgeably. ‘She’s just not as used to cutting loose.’ He cleared his throat. ‘As I am’

Buffy smiled. ‘So it wasn’t you I heard shouting ‘Turn him into a rat!’ to Alice, when the police turned up then?’

‘I just don’t understand it…’ Wesley rounded the corner of the bookshelf, a dust covered manuscript in his hands.

‘Well there was this girl Amy and she…’ Xander’s voice trailed off as Willow shot him with a glare.

‘The Repercussus, I-I-I, they don’t usually ‘fly solo’ as it were. They’re largely followers of other, stronger demons.’ He closed the book. ‘I don’t know why we haven’t noticed one, it, um, ha-ha, reflects badly on us.’

‘Oh God that is so funny.’ Cordelia shadowed Wesley along the shelves. ‘That’s like that British wit yeah? You know ‘cause I saw this show on PBS and it was, well this guy had a… I don’t really remember it but it was British.’

‘Wesley?’ Buffy grinned. ‘Have you seen Giles anywhere today?’

‘I-I-I-I, have I…’ Wesley blinked. ‘Pardon?’

‘Giles. About yay high,’ Buffy paused, ‘British.’

‘Mr Giles? He, um, he… Oh. Here he is.’

‘Morning G-man. Busy night?’ Xander gestured to the librarian’s rumpled clothing and uncombed hair.

‘What?’ Giles stared distractedly. ‘I’ve been visiting the doctor. Do you not have lessons again?’

‘Kay.’ Buffy frowned, puzzled at the Watcher’s uncharacteristic sharpness. ‘Cranky much?’

Willow stood. ‘I think someone is a little hung over still.’ She gathered her books in her arms. ‘And wants us to leave him in peace.’ She pulled Xander towards the door.

‘Hey is it our fault if Giles forgot that beer and Nyquil cocktails are best left to frat boys on a budget?’

‘Come on Xander,’ Willow smiled. ‘We’ll get you a cookie.’

‘Word up Wes.’ Xander slumped at the main table and broke open a bar of chocolate.

‘Yes, um, yes.’

‘So how’s Mr Happy?’

‘Mr, um, happy? Oh, Mr Giles is assisting Miss Boston in a comparison of our Watchers journals.’

Willow nodded and placed her books on the table. ‘To see how you both reacted when you were getting to know Buffy.’

‘Who knows Buffy?’ Buffy peered over Willow’s shoulder. ‘What about Buffy? I’m Buffy I have a right to know.’ She paused. ‘Catching flies there Wes?’

‘They’re comparing you to Giles?’ Cordelia whined. ‘Oh that is so unfair, because when Giles came here Buffy was all ‘Sacred duty yada, yada, yada.’ And by the time you came she was all P.O’d at the Watchers council.’ She turned to Buffy. ‘You know, ‘cause of your birthday, you remember that? When they did that test? Remember?’ Cordelia paused momentarily. ‘Wow, your birthdays always really suck. Did you ever notice that?’

Buffy blinked.

‘Well they do…’

‘Cordy.’ Xander looked up from his snack. ‘I think I just heard a farmhouse land on your car. ‘What?’

‘Only, do you want to go tell the midgets you’re actually alive or shall I?’

‘Oh you are so weird it’s not even funny any more.’

‘You mean I’ve lost your respect?’ Xander gasped sarcastically. ‘Oh no!’

Cordelia stuck out her tongue and turned away, she strode off into the shelves to fetch a book

Wesley cleared his throat.

‘Can’t you just feel the love in this room Wesley?’ Buffy grinned at the bashful watcher. ‘You had something to add?’

‘Mr, um, Mr Giles left you a note.’ He produced an envelope from his jacket pocket. ‘It, um, I think perhaps he wished you to help him with a spell.’

‘Me?’ Buffy frowned. ‘Not Willow?’

Wesley shrugged. ‘He said to give the note to any of you.’

‘Even Xander?’

‘Yeah? Even … HEY!’ Xander took the note and slit the envelope open with his finger. He looked over the two sheets of paper contained. ‘Goodbye cruel wor…Joke!’

He shielded the note to his chest as Willow smacked him with a folder. ‘Joke Will! OK.’ He spread the contents of the envelope before him on the table. ‘Yada, yada yada - As I will be assisting Alice in her researches today I have asked Mr Whyndam-Price to pass on this –blah, blah, blah – spell for an old friend- rhubarb, rhubarb- enclosed list. Giles wants us to get something from everyone on this list, garbage, hair anything. It just has to be something they’ve owned.’

‘Ooh!’ Cordelia appeared suddenly behind Xander and snatched the list from his hand. ‘Pregnancy list! That is what this is right? A pregnancy list - because when Tiffany Kaufman – oops, um, you didn’t hear that from me- right?’

‘Tiffany Kaufman? I-I thought she went to France, ‘cause she said – oh.’ Willow put her hand to her mouth. ‘Oh, I gave her a beret!’

‘Ha!’ Xander snatched back the note. ‘That, is where you are wrong gutter-brain because this is just … Because there’s this spell and…Oh my God it is.’

Cordelia snatched back the list in triumph. ‘I hate to say I told you so but, no wait I don’t.’ She crowed. ‘So who is it? Is it Buffy? I bet it’s Buffy. I’m telling you all that brooding - true happiness stuff is just a…Hi Buffy!’

Buffy stood at the table. ‘So anything world-shaking happen in the ten seconds I was in the bathroom?’

‘Well Cordelia just called you a slut.’ Willow trilled happily. ‘Well she did…Kinda. Which you’re not…Are you?’

‘Um, no?’

‘Oh.’ Willow sighed. ‘Good.’

‘Spell for an old friend.’ Xander stood as a look of realisation dawned on his face. ‘Alice.’ He called, ‘You want to come out here?’

‘Hey watch where you’re going!’

Anya marched furiously through the corridors of Sunnydale High pushing aside those who barred her way like, like easily brushed aside things. She scowled as a scenery carrying pair of theatre goons blocked the corridor momentarily with their giant cardboard representation of castle Dracula.

‘I am a calm, rational woman.’ Anya murmured fiercely to herself as she approached the library doors. ‘I will not resort to violence.’

‘So Alice, you big tweed party animal you.’ Xander pulled aside a chair for the gregarious Watcher. ‘You want to share?’

‘Ah, the spell…’

‘WHAT ON EARTH DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING YOU BIG BUNCH OF IDIOTS!’

Anya threw open the library doors and flew at Giles, pounding on his chest with her tiny, hard little fists she screamed at him. ‘THERE ARE ONLY ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN STUPID ENOUGH TO CALL ON HIM! WHICH ONE OF YOU WAS IT?’ She addressed her remarks at Wesley and continued her assault on Giles.

‘TELL ME!’

Giles held her by the wrists and tried to evade her onslaught. ‘Call on who Anya? What is the – Oof!’

Anya kicked him heavily in the shins.

‘HE’S NOT LIKE ME YOU KNOW! HE WON’T GIVE UP.’

‘And you are?’ Alice gripped Anya firmly from behind and pulled her away from Giles. ‘Assuming of course that you’re not just a random psychopath.’

‘Anyaka.’ Giles stooped to rub his bruised leg. ‘Alice this is Anyaka, or Anya as she is now known.'

‘Is she always this aggressive?’ Alice relaxed her grip on Anya and allowed her to stand alone.

‘Aggressive, yes.’ Giles winced at the pain in his shin. ‘This degree of physical violence is however unusual.’

‘Anya? Anya baby, are you alright?’ Xander blushed as the group stared at him. ‘What? Oh yeah, blame Xander for trying to keep on man hating demon chick’s good side.’

‘No I am not alright.’ Anya rested her hands on her hips. ‘As if it’s not bad enough being stuck like, like this I’m going to have to put up with him and his STUPID NAME, HIS STUPID LACKEYS AND HIS STUPID… STUPIDITY!!’ She dealt Giles another blow upon the chest. ‘If it wasn’t you then it must have been that other loser. Where is he? I want him to explain himself.’

‘Wesley appears, rather wisely in my view, to have withdrawn.’ Giles scowled. ‘Now Anya, if you wouldn’t mind, could you please tell us who ‘He’ actually is.’

‘Bob the Avenger?’ Xander stared in disbelief at the demonography.

‘Boahmb.’ Alice grinned, ‘Pronounced Bakmahab.’ She ran her finger along the page. ‘You see the letters have run together.’ Alice moved back towards Anya. ‘And Anya was right, it seems that he doesn’t give up.’

Giles snorted angrily. ‘Would you care to explain exactly why Bakmahab is in Sunnydale Alice?’

‘The weather?’ Alice grinned hopefully, before seating herself at the main table. ‘Oh well, cards on the table. Giles, do you remember David Handll?’

‘Small, blond, always wore a tie?’

‘Incredibly jealous, Came in unannounced a lot at parties.’

‘An aspect of him I was less than familiar with,’ Giles leant back in his chair. ‘But I have a feeling that it will prove relevant to our current situation.’

‘So what you’re saying is… What?’ Buffy frowned.

Alice pushed back her hair. ‘Bakmahab, is a demon of vengeance. He is the ‘patron’ of, well, man spurned, I suppose.’

‘Hence the David Handll story. Which, by the way, was rather too rich in detail for some of us.’

‘Yes, Cordelia, um, quite.’ Giles swept his hair back wearily. ‘So exactly what sort of vengeance can we expect? From what Anya tells us,’ He sighed heavily, ‘on such a regular basis, the method of revenge depends largely on the temperament of the ‘wronged’ party.’

‘It wasn’t…’

Giles glared at Alice. ‘Yes, Alice. It wasn’t your fault. "No one said anything about being exclusive."’

‘There was sarcasm there, I heard it.’

Giles continued as if she had not spoken. ‘And therefore could take almost any form.’

Anya snorted indignantly and crossed her arms across her chest. ‘Yeah, right.’

‘You have something to add Anya?’

Anya stood and took up her aggressive stance once more. ‘You wonder why he keeps all those lesser demons around?’ She spat. ‘He needs their power, to see.’

‘To see what Anya?’

Anya sneered, ‘He needs to know you, to see your greatest fear. Before he can make it happen.’ She screwed up her face in disgust. ‘That’s all he can do, loser.’

‘So-so could it be something to do with the Slayer? The Watcher’s council? Simplicity?’

Alice frowned. ‘Oh dear.’

‘What? You have to give us any information you can Alice.’

‘I, um, I actually told Dave my greatest fear once, well, I-I, my greatest fear at the time, it- it was at the time, I mean now it’s not but…’

‘Well?’

‘Promise me that you won’t be annoyed?’

The usual crowd filled the Bronze. The mirrors had been left off the walls after the visit from the Repperccussus and the bare walls painted cleanly. Buffy sipped at her latte. Willow fidgeted.

‘Do you think we should really have…’

‘Did you want to stay with them?’ Buffy stared out at the dance-floor. ‘ I think the watchword here is personal space.’

‘I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!’ Gile’s flu caused his voice to crack.

Alice inspected her fingernails. ‘I said you’d be upset.’

‘WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?’

‘So Oz, noticeable by his absence.’ Buffy stirred her drink. ‘Should I ask?’

‘I chained him in the basement before I came out.’

Buffy raised an eyebrow.

‘Oh, oh no…’ Willow’s hand flew to his mouth. She pointed vaguely upwards. ‘Full moon.’ She giggled and punched Buffy good naturedly on the arm. ‘Which you knew.’ Buffy grinned.

‘So where’s Angel?’

‘Brooding somewhere. He was out when I called round. I left a message.’

‘Hmm.’

Buffy inspected the spoon she held under the gloomy Bronze lighting, turning it over and around, watching the tiny points of light reflect off of it. ‘Willow?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Much as I hate to admit it.’

‘Hmm?’

‘Without the guys here.’

‘Hmm?’

‘It’s really kinda.’ Buffy completed her inspection of the spoon. ‘Dull.’

‘OOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!!’ Oz stirred as his superior hearing picked up the supernatural howls from the woods above Sunnydale. He yelped a cursory reply and shivered as the deep echoing bellows drowned out his shrill answers. He drew back against the wall of his cell and chewed upon the rawhide left for him by Willow.

After a moments thought he dragged across the old blanket she had also left and immersed himself in her comforting scent.

The Erstkinder stood before their master, lithe and sinewy, like creatures of moulded shadow they grouped before him.

‘Master?’ Their voices were sibilant and cultured, but pleading. ‘We must collect tribute.’

‘OOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWGGGGRRRRRR!!’ Bakmahab bellowed at the moonlight and shook his shaggy back. He sniffed the air and grunted. ‘Tribute?’

The Erstkinder winced as a demonic fart accompanied Bakmahab’s question.

‘From the town, master.’ They spoke as one. ‘We will be but one night.’

Bakmahab grunted and turned from them. He turned his face suddenly to the sky and yelled again. ‘OOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!!!’

He burped and scratched himself in a place which caused the Erstkinder to go quite pale.

‘We are with the earth here.’ He scratched around his feet and rubbed his back against a nearby tree. He closed his eyes and began to make a contented growling.

‘Master?’

Bakmahab snapped open his eyes. ‘Life!’ He gestured around him before stooping and grabbing a handful of earth. ‘Base magic, the earth, why leave?’

The leader of the Erstkinder was pushed forward. ‘We need people Master.’

Bakmahab snorted grumpily. ‘Towns, people, people, towns.’ He turned back towards his tree. ‘One night.’

The Erstkinder turned to leave, and winced as from behind them came the sound of a vengeance demon evacuating his bladder against a tree.

Giles sat in silence at his desk.

‘You’re sulking.’ Alice snapped.

‘I am not.’

‘Oh for God’s sake…’

The Erstkinder stood at the entrance to the Bronze. They smiled and where they had stood were a group of sleek, sharply dressed young men.

They fussed momentarily around their cuffs and hair and entered silently.

‘Cordelia?’

‘Yeah, at least she’s not … Hi Cordelia!’ Buffy gave a ‘rabbit in the headlights’ smile. ‘And you have Anya with you. Fun city.’

‘Cordelia has been telling me about Xander.’ Anya turned to Willow. ‘Did you really chase him with an axe?’

‘Darn tooting.’

‘Hmm.’ Anya showed little surprise. ‘Not particularly imaginative, but it has a certain practicality I suppose.’

‘Yeah,’ Willow frowned. ‘That- um, that’s what I thought.’

Anya and Cordelia seated themselves at the table.

‘So,’ Willow craned her neck hopefully, ‘Xander’s with you?’

‘No.’ Anya frowned. ‘When I called he said he was going to watch sports.’

‘Sports?’

‘Sports.’ Spat Anya bitterly.

They sat in contemplative silence for some minutes.

‘Wow.’ Exclaimed Cordelia. ‘You guys are really dull.’

‘Is, um, you’re sure this isn’t a little, um, mean?’ Xander paused at the doorway and looked across at Angel.

‘Xander, I know mean, this barely rates.’ Angel held the door open.

‘Kay, dead-boy.’ Xander rubbed his hands together and entered the bar. ‘Let’s do this crazy justice thing.’

‘Where are you going?’ Alice stared at Giles.

‘I’m making tea.’ Giles sneered. ‘It’s something I do a lot. Dull as it may be, I enjoy it.’

‘Oh.’ Alice inspected her fingernails silently. ‘OK.’

‘And how on earth did four such fine ladies as yourselves come to be here unaccompanied?’

Willow giggled and blushed, Anya and Cordelia let their mouths hang open, and even Buffy allowed herself a shy smile. ‘We’re,’ she remembered something Wesley had said earlier in the day, ‘flying solo.’

‘Well then we must insist that you dance.’

Willow’s blush deepened whilst Anya and Cordelia continued with their fish impressions.

Buffy shrugged. ‘Beats doing stuff.’

The Erstkinder smiled and held out a hand. ‘Indeed.’

‘So,’ Angel inspected his beer and turned to Xander. ‘How much would a paternity suite cost these days do you think?’

Xander watched as a shadow edged into the saloon bar. Silently he switched stools until he was at the end of the bar and next to the door. ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ He replied in a loud voice. ‘I mean it depends how much money you had.’ He stole a look around the wall. ‘Cos, you’ve got schools, they’re gonna just eat up the money, doctors fees, orthodontists, and then at the end of it all…’

‘They leave home?’

‘For college, which is when the debts really start rolling in.’

A light whimper came from the opposite side of the wall. Xander smiled and nodded to Angel.

‘Yeah.’ Said Angel. ‘But I mean, look on the bright side I suppose. It’s the nineties, it’s not a shotgun wedding situation anymore.’

‘Ha!’ Xander laughed hollowly, ‘That just means the family don’t feel so bad about killing you.’

‘Yeah, but she doesn’t have any family, There’s only…’ Angel left a pause and listened for the yelp from the other side of the wall. Xander grinned.

‘Well she only has her uncle, but he’s like head watcher dude or something isn’t he? He’s not going to be pleased.’

Angel peered around the wall. He turned back to Xander and nodded. They stood and walked through the door.

‘Hello Wesley.’ They addressed the cringing figure seated at the low table. ‘Have you been in here all day?’

Wesley nodded ‘ Thin ’m drunk.’ He stumbled as Xander helped him to his feet.

‘Lets get you back to, well wherever the hell it is you live, and sleep some of that off, eh Wes?’

Wesley nodded vigorously and stumbled away in the direction in which he had been pointed.

‘You don’t think we should tell him?’ Xander turned to Angel. ‘I mean, about Bakmahab?’

‘He’d know about it already if he hadn’t run away.’

‘But, don’t you think all this is a bit, pointless?’ Xander backed away from his vampire companion. ‘Um, no pun intended there.’

‘You got something better to do?’

Buffy stared up at her companion, he’d been running his fingers through her hair for minutes now, and she was waiting to dissuade him from busying his hands elsewhere.

The Erstkinder smiled. ‘You really have the most truly…’

‘Beautiful hair.’ The Erstkinder smiled down at Willow.

‘Y-you think so?’ She grinned guiltily.

‘My hair?’ Cordelia beamed. ‘You know most people just don’t appreciate good hair, they think that it just like, grows or something, they don’t see the work that goes into it, I mean this is just like, casual hair, but it still takes, Rinse, repeat, rinse, conditioner, blow dry,’ She began to count off on her fingers, ‘Post blow dry condition mask, anti-static, hot brush and mousse.’

She paused. ‘And that’s if I don’t use a fixing spray, which I have to sometimes, I mean you know, yay environment, but when they were saving the ozone layer did the think of the wind speed factor?’ She frowned. ‘Hey! Where’d he go?’

‘Hair?’ Anya frowned. ‘I have all my own teeth too.’ She bared her teeth at the Erstkinder. ‘See?’ She paused. ‘Oh, you want to hear something interesting about hair, once, this woman had turned prematurely grey with worry about her husband’s faithlessness so she wished that….’

The Erstkinder paled slightly.

‘You’re not being fair Rupert.’ Alice stared at the book in front of her without reading it. ‘Not fair at all.’

‘I’m not being fair?’ Giles glared at her in angry disbelief. ‘I don’t have to be fair. I-I-I just, I can’t believe you.’

Alice sat in silence.

‘What? Did-did you set out to humiliate me in front of the, the very few people it seems, who still respect me? I’ve put up with some…’ Giles sat at his desk. ‘God knows I didn’t deserve this.’

‘I shouldn’t have mentioned it.’

‘No,’ Giles snapped. ‘No, I think that it’s very important that you did mention it, I think that it’s important that you told everyone that of all – of all the darkness that you were aware existed, your greatest fear was being lumbered with me for the rest of your life.’

Alice stared at her feet.

‘I’m just glad you finally saw fit to mention it to me.’

‘I didn’t know you,’ Alice stared at his back. ‘None of us did.’

Giles snorted angrily.

‘You know what you were like, All books and no… Well you seemed very dull. We none of us knew you.’ Alice bit her lip.

‘Did any of you try?’ Giles stared into the distance.

‘We-we, didn’t like to pry.’

‘No,’ Giles blinked. ‘Not one of you pried.’

Alice stood and picked up her bag. ‘I’m going.’ She slid the strap over her shoulder. ‘If Willow, or Wesley come back suggest they read Barrat’s demonography, pages 224 to 253, and ask Buffy to make a sweep of the woods. If they ask where I am,’ She paused, ‘Well, just tell them I went home.’

Giles watched her leave in silence.

‘That’s the third one this morning.’ Greg Morgan, Sunnydale High’s long suffering guidance counsellor watched as Mindi Cientanni left his office. ‘It’s such a waste.’

‘I blame the parents,’ He paused. ‘And rap music.’ He turned to Miss Wintermann, his middle- aged secretary. ‘In fact I’m pretty sure that rap music is to blame for most of the problems I see in here.’ He picked up his mug and turned to the coffee-pot. ‘All those ‘Bitches’ and ‘Hos’, what kind of thing is that doing to a girl’s self confidence?’ He poured. ‘No wonder they hook up with the first … Miss Wintermann?’

He watched as she ran tearfully down the hall. ‘My, I never knew she was so sensitive.’

‘Busy night at the Bronze girls?’ Xander smiled at the pallid slayer and her queasy looking companions.

‘Kind of…’ Buffy looked sideways at Cordelia and Willow. ‘Dull.’

She sat down heavily at the table. ‘I feel…Yuck.’

‘Mm.’ Willow pushed her hair away from her face. ‘I didn’t think we drunk?’

‘So this is a sugar hangover?’ Xander sat back in his chair. ‘Yeah, and me and Angel are leaving in spring to start a new life in Haiti,’ He paused. ‘Running a surf shack.’

He shifted uncomfortably in the silence.

‘That was sarcasm.’

Buffy grunted and rested her head on the table. ‘Well duh.’

‘We kind of got that Xander.’ Willow smiled as Oz brought her a glass of water. ‘Oh, water. See, isn’t my werewolf boyfriend just the best?’

‘Hmm.’

‘So,’ Oz looked around him. ‘No Giles?’

Buffy blinked, ‘No? Um…No Giles, no.’

‘No Alice either,’ Willow peered around. ‘Or Wesley.’

‘Wow.’ Buffy lifted her head. ‘It’s almost like America in here.’

‘Ooh.’ Willow looked down at the book in front of her. ‘Another note.’ She put her hand to her mouth as Buffy looked at her in concern. ‘Oh, no, see, Post it!’ She waved the small square of yellow paper. ‘Read pages 224 to 253. Giles.’ She examined the writing more closely. ‘He’s gone to make a patrol of the woods.’

‘Gone Killin’ Xander picked up the note. ‘Oh will you look at this. ‘I suggest that Buffy make at least a cursory sweep of the woodland area herself.’ How do you fit that on a Post it?’

Buffy groaned and pulled herself to her feet. ‘Oh well, Just call me…’

‘Buffy?’ Xander stared at the unconscious slayer at his feet. ‘Buffy are you ok?’

‘Hmm?’ Buffy rubbed her forehead and frowned up at him. ‘What? Where?’

‘You fainted.’ Willow bent next to her. ‘One minute you were standing there, the next, boom.’ She frowned. ‘This isn’t another Watcher’s Council thing is it?’

‘Yeah,’ Xander grinned. ‘You haven’t been accepting sweets from strange men with British accents again have you?’ His grin faded. ‘Great, now I have Buffy barf on my shoes.’

Willow turned green.

Anya marched furiously towards Sunnydale High.

‘I am a calm, rational woman.’ Anya murmured fiercely to herself as she approached the school building. ‘I will not resort to violence.’

Willow turned the faucet on and splashed the cold water across her face. She gasped in shock as someone grabbed her from behind and placed their hand over her mouth.

‘OK net girl.’ Hissed Cordelia, releasing her grip. ‘There is like, no universe where you would be my first choice, but I am so not doing this on my own.’

Willow stared at Cordelia, her eyes wide in alarm. ‘Kay.’

Buffy, Xander and Oz sat around the main table in the library. Buffy sipped delicately at her glass of water.

Xander looked up at his companions. ‘So should we look?’

‘What?’

Xander flipped the note over his hands. ‘I have in my hands a piece of paper.’ He placed the list face done under his palm.’ A list of every man, in the last 10 weeks who…’

‘Ew, no, oh Xander no.’ Buffy pulled a face. ‘Gross out.’

‘Oh you lie Buffy Summers.’ Xander wafted the notepaper in front of her face. ‘You lie like a cheap watch.’

‘Uh, Xander?’ Oz addressed his friend who was by now standing over Buffy on the opposite side of the table. ‘Privacy? As in gross invasion of?’

‘Read me.’ Whined Xander, speaking as the voice of the list. ‘Oh why won’t anybody read me?’

‘I can’t… It’s not…’

‘Read me Buffy. If you don’t Cordelia will…’

‘Argh!’ Buffy groaned in frustration. ‘OK, if it just makes you shut up!’

Xander grinned. ‘Yeah, I’m sure that’s the only reason Buffy.’

Buffy frowned. ‘Just the first few names. If it’ll keep you quiet.’

Xander cleared his throat. ‘And the first name on the list is…’ He turned the paper over.

‘Tan tan tarah… Robert…’ Xander turned pale.

‘Robert what?’ Buffy tried to peer over his shoulder. ‘Robert who? Just Robert? Tell me, I’m the slayer, It could be slay relevant.’ She rested her hands on her hips. ‘I’m Buffy the vampire slayer and I demand to know.’

‘Oh God, that’s it. I’m blind.’ Xander whined. ‘It has literally sent me blind.’

Oz placed the list back onto the table. ‘Robert Snyder.’

‘That’s it.’ Cordelia stared into Willow’s cupped palms. ‘We’re going to be on Jerry Springer.’

Willow stared dazed into the distance. ‘I- I should tell Oz first I think.’ Willow bit her lip. ‘Oh dear.’


‘Are you OK Xander?’ Buffy placed a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. ‘I mean, look.’ She said cheerfully. ‘All these other names are ok,’ She frowned, ‘There’s not an awful lot of surnames but it’s still of the good – see?’ She ran her finger down the list. ‘David Mitchell, He runs the auto repair store down on… Mr Stirgiss, that’s a little ew but still of the… Greg Deacon and Michael Hister and Chuck Norris and… Chuck Norris?’

‘It’s possible that he was lying.’

Buffy spun in the direction of Alice’s voice. ‘We… Uh… We were just, um… Sorry?’

‘Is Mr Giles here?’ Alice stared beyond the group into the empty librarian’s office. ‘I still have to discuss some aspects of Mr Whyndam- Price’s Observance with him.’

‘Nope, um, No, no he’s not here. He said he was going to make a patrol of the woods.’ Buffy shrugged. ‘Sorry.’

Alice clicked her tongue and pulled her handbag back onto her shoulder. ‘Well, tell him I was here.’ She turned and left.

‘There.’ Remarked Oz. ‘Goes one sad little Watcher.’

Buffy and Xander sat dismally around the main table, Oz had been gone some minutes now and they began to wonder exactly what it was that Willow had so urgently wanted to talk to him about.

‘I can’t believe how P.O ’ed Giles is about this whole Bakmahab thing.’ Buffy frowned. ‘I mean, sure, it’s a little embarrassing, but, I mean, you had much more embarrassing thoughts when I was on that whole demon mind reading trip.’

‘Gee thanks Buff.’

‘Yeah, um, that sentence came out wrong, sorry.’

Xander began to thread a pencil over and under his fingers. ‘It’s because she had so much badness to choose from.’

‘Guh?’

‘Kinda like.’ He flipped the pencil into the air and caught it between the palms of his hands.

‘Kinda like if someone, lets call her ‘Fluffy’ would rather be with the real old, if traditionally good looking, ex boyfriend who tried to kill us all – and will, by the way, turn evil again the moment they get squelchy - than her trusted, funny - if not conventionally good looking - friend. Who has - although he doesn’t like to stress the point - helped save the world on at least…’

‘Xander I get it.’ Interrupted Buffy. ‘Squelchy?’

They turned as Oz and Willow slunk back into the library. Xander stared at the pale faced musician. ‘Oz, man are you alright? You look terrible.’

‘I, uh, yeah.’ Oz sat next to Xander and shook his head. ‘I, uh, just need, I think, yeah.’

‘ALEXANDER HARRIS!’ Anya stood in the doorway of the library. ‘ALEXANDER HARRIS SHOW YOURSELF!’

Cordelia slunk in behind her. ‘Hi Anya, are you here to see…’ She paused. ‘Well I can see you’re shaking with anger again so I’ll just…’ She sat next to Willow and exchanged a conspiratorial glance with the nervous looking redhead.

‘Anya honey?’ Xander’s voice wavered. ‘You looking to beat Giles again? Cos he’s not…’

‘DON’T YOU ANYA HONEY ME!’ Anya slammed a medical dictionary down onto the tabletop. ‘Ooh you are so lucky I don’t have my powers any more!’

‘Anya?’ Xander stared at Anya in fear and confusion.

‘Read pages 121 to 123.’ Xander took the book onto his lap.

‘I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS, I HAVE BARELY GOT USED TO THIS… THIS SILLY LITTLE BODY AND NOW I’M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT UP WITH…’

‘Oh dear God.’ Xander’s eyes widened. ‘I-I…’ He straightened his shirt collar. ‘Anya, I… No wait.’ He knelt down on one knee. ‘In the Harris family tradition, I would like to…’

‘HAH!’ Cordelia snorted, looking up from the book which Xander had recently held. ‘I smell demons, ‘ She stood with her hands on her hips. ‘I smell Hellmouth ookiness…’ She glared at Willow. ‘I smell a spell.’

Buffy turned green.

‘All of them you say?’ Giles frowned. ‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’

‘Well we would have, only you’d kind of chosen this morning to play Conan the librarian up in the woods.’ Xander paused. ‘Plus we had to spend quite a lot of time cleaning up after Buffy decided to reintroduce the world to everything she’d eaten for the last six months.’

‘Yes,’ Giles opened the book in front of him, ‘ that would be an unfortunate side affect of her Slayer immune system I suppose.’

‘Guh?’ Buffy looked up from her bucket. ‘Pretty sucky side affect.’

‘It, um, that is morning sickness.’ He flipped through the pages of the ancient book. ‘Is usually a-a result of the immune system going temporarily into overdrive during the early months of –of…’

‘Super immune system, super overdrive.’ Buffy moaned and pulled her hair away from her face. ‘Well that’s a Slayer power I could pretty much do without.’

‘I, um,’ Giles looked up from his book, ‘I was always led to believe that dry toast was of some help,’ He gripped his glasses in his teeth as he began to sift through some loose manuscripts,

‘Or possibly a cracker.’ He stared at an illustration on the manuscript. ‘Did any of you by any chance come across this recently?’

Buffy stared at the drawing of a demon something between a catfish and a cockroach, except forty foot tall and on fire. ‘I think we would have mentioned it.’

‘I, I can’t find…’ Giles slammed the book shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any…’ He looked across to the library steps where the Buffy and the others were gathered. ‘I suppose it couldn’t just be…’ Angel glared at him.

‘Giles? Squelch veto?’ Buffy drew herself up against Angel’s side. ‘Remember?’

‘Squelch veto?’ Giles blinked, ‘Oh! Oh… ‘ He shook his head. ‘Why do I get the impression that that particular term was coined by Mr Harris?’

‘Get off of my hair!’ Anya glared at Xander who was affectionately stroking her head. ‘Spell or no spell, you are not touching any part of my body any time soon mister.’

‘HAIR!’ The group jumped in alarm as Giles leapt towards the shelves and began to urgently rifle through a decaying volume.

‘Buffy, Anya, um, Cordelia, try to think now, have any people with whom you were unfamiliar brushed or run their fingers through your hair. Perhaps in a crowded place, an elevator or a bus?’

‘Bus people!’ Willow started awake suddenly. ‘Oh,’ She leant her head back on Oz’s shoulder. ‘I thought maybe it was a dream.’ She frowned. ‘The part about Cordelia and Giles running a house of pancakes was a dream though, right?’

‘Um, quite.’ Giles muttered as he turned the pages of his dusty and cracking tome. ‘At least until I get my syrup licence... Aha!’ He placed his finger in the centre of the page. ‘Do you recognise this?’

‘Erstkinder.’ Giles held the book up for the group to view. ‘Germanic subset of demons, their name is, ahaha, quite a clever pun.’ Giles registered their blank stares, ‘On the German for only child… It’s the same as for maiden’s child.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Well, I said clever, not funny.’

‘Erstkinder!’ Anya spat. ‘Of course. Why didn’t I recognise them?’

‘As I understand it they would have been disguised, taken on human form as it were.’ He pointed out the writing on the page. ‘The Erstkinder propagate by stroking the hair of prideful maids,’ He read, ‘In time these maids give birth to Erstkinder, the original Erstkinder draws strength from these offspring, and in turn from any offspring they produce.’

‘Prideful?’ Willow whimpered.

Giles rubbed his eyes wearily. ‘It’s probable that was added in order to give a reason that certain girls were chosen whilst others were left untouched. Rural mythmakers tend to like an element of supernatural justice in their demons.’

‘So.’ Buffy rubbed her hands together. ‘How do we teach these things that a nice girl just doesn’t propagate on the first date?’

‘Decapitate the leader.’ Giles took his sword from under the desk and passed it to Buffy. He paused and took his sports bag of weapons from his office. He fumbled through it for a moment. ‘You may want to take this as well.’

‘Thanks.’ Buffy smiled and took the bottle of Pepto-Bismol.

‘Here demon, demon, demon.’ Buffy cooed swinging the sword through the undergrowth. ‘Here, spawn of Hell, Momma’s got a brand new sword she wants you to see.’

‘Somehow I don’t think that’s going to bring them running.’ Xander stumbled behind her with the sports bag of weapons. ‘Hell, it’s got me spooked and I’m on your side.’

Willow leant on Oz’s arm. ‘Xander. Give Buffy some room.’

Xander slowed his pace until he was beside Angel. They stalked through the darkness, pushing

aside the vegetation as Buffy stormed through in front of them.

‘Haiiiiiiii ! Oh…’ Buffy paused in front of a tree stump. ‘I thought maybe it was the Erstkinder.’

‘He wasn’t in all day,’ Xander muttered to Angel, ‘You don’t think maybe we…’

‘You don’t run away.’ Angel scowled. ‘You don’t run away from problems.’

‘But it wasn’t his problem…’ Xander trotted to keep up with Angel as he strode through the woods. ‘Really. We just played on the fact that…’ Xander stared at the back of Angel’s head as the vampire increased his pace dissmissively. ‘Yeah, well, Like I need your approval Dead-boy. What’s wrong? Pity a bit too human for you? Oh yeah, wouldn’t want a little thing like sympathy to get in the way of that icy vampire logic.’

‘Xander.’ Willow placed a hand on her friend’s arm.

Xander glowered. ‘He just…’ He broke off a twig and threw it to the floor. ‘It’s that whole ‘Never apologise never explain’ thing. Like, now he has a soul everything he does has to be from the purest motives.’ He peeled the bark from a twig and began to unconsciously fashion it into a miniature stake. ‘You’d think that he would be all in favour of forgiveness.’

‘Whoa.’ Oz stared at the matchstick-like scrap of wood in Xander’s hand. ‘Vampire gophers?’

‘Anya?’ Giles looked up from his books. ‘Would you like to go home?’

‘Hmm?’ Anya lifted her head from the table and blinked sleepily at her surroundings. ‘I’m in the library? Why am I in the library?’

‘You were assisting me in my research.’ Giles shut his book. ‘Would you like me to drive you home?’

Anya frowned. ‘No, no. I can walk, maybe walk off this headache.’ She peered inside her bag.

‘You have protection?’

‘Uh, yeah.’ She gestured with her stake and phial of Holy water. ‘I have um…’ Anya stared at Giles. ‘Do you say that to Buffy in public a lot?’

‘So what was the problem with Angel?’ Willow walked in between Oz and Xander, following the sound of Buffy as she called out terrible oaths to Erstkinder and demons on general.

‘The problem with Angel?’

‘What got you so hot under the collar?’ Willow frowned. ‘Or should I not know?’

Xander shook his head. ‘It was stupid. Lame. I mean even Wesley doesn’t…’

‘Wesley?’ Cordelia interrupted. ‘Where’s Wesley?’ She pouted. ‘I bet if Wesley was here we would have found that – that – ‘thing’ by now.’

‘On the other hand.’ Xander sighed. ‘Our plan did have some under appreciated points.’

Anya strode into the darkness of the Sunnydale High parking lot. She sniffed the air and paused to rub her temples. The savage pounding of her headache was making cogent thought difficult and she wished that she had taken the time to swallow an aspirin before she had left the library.

‘Oh.’ She frowned as her heel caught in the grate and parted company with her shoe. ‘Great, now my ankle hurts as well. I am, really, really sick of living on a Hellmouth.’ She paused. ‘And now I’m talking to myself in a school parking lot.’ She straightened herself. ‘I am a 1200 year old ex demon and I’m spooked by being alone in a school parking lot.’

A marrow freezing shriek echoed around the parking lot and Anya jumped back as a Repercussus leapt from behind her into a nearby windshield. A deep growl boomed in the silence behind her.

‘Not alone.’

‘Take that you…Oh you icky thing you!’ Cordelia stamped ineffectually at the Erstkinder as they crowded together in an attempt to avoid Buffy’s blows. Giles sword sliced through the air as Buffy danced between them. ‘Which one’s the leader Will?’

‘Leader?’ Willow glanced up from the book as the body of yet another Erstkinder fell at her feet. ‘Oh- Right, the leader.’ She scoured the pages for information. ‘Uh, it, um, it-it,’ She bit her lip, ‘it doesn’t say.’

‘Bakmahab.’ Anya spat. ‘Arknat Inmrolk tavoon machnalith.’ The long dead demon language giving vent to her feelings in ways English could not approach.

‘Tiny, tiny little Anyaka.’ The demonic laughter echoed round the parking lot.

‘YOU SMELLY, REVOLTING – STUPID- STUPID. AARGH!’ Anya shrieked in frustration. ‘YOU DON’T DESERVE POWERS – YOU- YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE A DEMON!’ She stamped her foot in rage. ‘YOU THINK YOU’RE SCARY?’ She yelled. ‘I’VE SEEN SCARIER – SCARIER HOBGOBLINS! YEAH, YOU HEARD ME, HOBGOBLINS! THE LITLLE BROWN ONES!’

‘Tiny, tiny little Anyaka. Tiny little human Anyaka.’ His chest shook as he chuckled deeply. ‘Tiny, little Anyaka.’ He pinched together his finger and thumb. ‘Squash.’

Anya took a step backwards. ‘OH, TERRIFIED.’ She yelled sarcastically. ‘OH YEAH, ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED.’

Bakmahab’s muscles stood out against the night sky as he shook with ugly laughter. ‘Squash.’

He lowered his arms towards Anya and began to close the gap between the two forces of vengeance.

‘REVENGE THIS BAKMAHAB YOU GREAT ORANGE BASTARD!’

‘Alice?’

‘Maybe it’s this one?’ Buffy sliced through another unfortunate Erstkinder. ‘Nope.’ She turned towards the rest of the group. ‘Oh well, plenty of sword to go around.’

Anya stepped back as Alice swung the sword in a wild circle around the demon.

‘Obsequor!’ She dashed back around him. ‘Vinculum!’

The Repercussus fell as Alice sliced it clean through. ‘And you can piss off too.’

Buffy let her sword fall on the neck of the last remaining Erstkinder. ‘Heads up.’

Xander groaned.

‘What?’ Buffy snapped, wiping the blade of Gile’s sword with a handful of grass. ‘Like you could think of fifteen different decapitation /sword / pregnancy puns?’ She held the sword lightly by the hilt and stood. ‘We should be getting back to the library, see how Giles is getting on.’

They turned to leave the clearing.

‘You know,’ Xander stepped into pace beside Buffy, ‘You don’t have to make a funny every time you kill something.’

Buffy shrugged. ‘It passes the time.’

Alice slammed the sword into Bakmahab’s unyielding form. ‘Die, damn you!’

Anya sat back on the hood of Gile’s car. ‘Your Grandmothers sword?’

‘Great Aunt Ida’s.’ Alice span past and thrust the sword back at the demon.

‘Hmmm.’ Anya began to file her fingernails. ‘Victorian lady Watchers and swords. There’s a psych paper waiting to be written.’

‘Anya dear.’ Alice flew past scattering hairpins as she whirled the sword around her. ‘A little help would be nice.’

‘Snff.’ Giles snorted the papers away from his face and started suddenly awake. He groaned and pushed his chair away from the table. He reached for his mug and winced as a mouthful of cold milky tea washed down his throat. Gingerly he checked for floating dog ends. He scowled as he remembered the events of the last two days and threw the remainder of his tea down the sink.

‘Misser Giles?’

Giles turned at the sound of his name. ‘Wesley?’

‘You think Giles has worked out how to kill that Baka-‘whatever the hell it was called’ – Thing?’ Cordelia trotted along the corridor of Sunnydale High behind Buffy and Xander. ‘Oh- oh, I bet Wesley found out for him, I bet he just looked up in that book and… Do you remember, when he just knew what that oogy grey thing in the…’

‘Shut up!’ Xander stood firm. ‘I do not want to hear about Wesley! I do not want to hear about his glasses, or his hair, or how either of them will help him to defeat any and all demons we meet.’

Cordelia paused.

‘Because you know, it makes sense that he’d know because he’s like, way younger than Giles and he killed that thing, you know…’

‘Wesley?’ Giles stared at the unsteady young Watcher.

‘Were-where’s My Alice.’

Giles glared. ‘Mr Whyndam- Price, you will find on that table a list of at least twenty men to whom she has been ‘My Alice’ of late. I doubt very much that she is ‘yours’ any more than she is any other poor sods with a double bed and a mother fixation.’

‘Oh- oh- don’ you talk like…’

‘Wesley you’re drunk.’

‘Yeah, I-I-I-I’m drunk.’ Wesley swayed slightly. ‘’N ‘m a ticking timebomb ‘o –‘o – of frustration ‘n other, um, stuff.’ He steadied himself with a hand on the shelves. ‘Where is she? ‘M going – going – gon’ take care…’

Giles sneered at him with undisguised distaste. ‘You really don’t get it do you? It’s not yours you odious little tit. It’s not anyone’s, ‘Your Alice’ has finally come a cropper as the result of her unbelievably shallow attitude to…’

Giles was surprised at the strength of Wesley’s right hook.

‘Anya?’ Alice spun the sword over her head and brought it crashing back down on Bakmahab. ‘Could you even, just, argh! Die damn you! Possibly tell me how to kill it?’

Giles responded instinctively sending Wesley sprawling with his own punch.

‘You’ve broken my bloody nose!’ Giles clasped a white cotton handkerchief to his bloodied nose. ‘You stupid little…’ Wesley landed another blow.

‘Right!’ Giles let the handkerchief fall to the floor and pushed up his sleeves. ‘That’s it – you are getting the beating you deserve.’

The two Watchers circled each other in the dust of the library.

‘You – you take it back.’

Giles darted out of the way of Wesley’s ill thrown punch and landed his own. Wesley doubled over as the older man’s fist ground into his stomach and looped his arm over Giles neck pulling him down to his level.

‘GILES!’

Giles glanced up at Buffy’s astonished yell and saw Cordelia running across the library.

‘GET- THE - HELL – AWAY- FROM- MY –WESLEY!’ Cried Cordelia, punctuating with blows to Gile’s head and back.

‘I-I-I.’ The Watchers were separated and Giles scowled as Cordelia fussed over Wesley.

‘What was that?’ Scolded Buffy. ‘Did I walk in on Testosterone hour or something?’

‘You had testosterone hour without me?’ Buffy and Giles glared at Xander. ‘O-kay, just trying a little situation diffusion, but no, I’ll leave you with your rage.’

Giles and Wesley stood shamefaced at either end of the library.

‘X-Xander,’ Giles dabbed at his nose with his by now grubby handkerchief, ‘Would you mind driving Wesley home?’ He pulled his car keys from his pocket. ‘I believe I shall walk.’

Xander’s face fell. ‘In your car?’

Giles frowned and took a deep breath. ‘Just do it.’

‘I think, probably, um, decapitation? Or maybe the heart?’

Alice shot a dark glance at Anya before bringing the sword back down on Bakmahab.

Buffy gasped as they entered the parking lot and saw the spectacle before them. Without pausing for thought she lifted Gile’s sword above her head and charged at Bakmahab.

‘Good shot that man!’ Cried Alice as Buffy attacked the other side of Bakmahab. ‘ Or, um, woman as it were.’

‘How do we kill it?’

Alice glared at Anya and Xander.

‘What? Oh, um, the heart,’ Anya stroked Xander’s chest, ‘I’m, um, pretty sure that it’s the heart.’

‘Xander take Anya home as well.’ Giles ordered. ‘Her presence is…’ His words were cut off by the screech of tyres as he watched his car disappear from the parking lot.

Angel paused as he stood over Buffy’s bed. A torrent of memories flooded into his mind. Of times when Angelus had stood where he was now. A sense of shame at his other self filled him as he remembered the events of earlier that year. He thought of the other times that he had stood like this and sighed heavily. Putting the sealed envelope to his lips he kissed it gently and placed it on the pillow.

Silently he left.

Willow and Giles watched as the two women laid about Bakmahab with their swords.

‘Giles? Isn’t there a spell or…’

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘You stay here. I’ll take a look.’

Bakmahab bowed down under the weight of blows from the Slayer and the angry Watcher.

He dropped to the ground as Buffy struck his lower body.

‘Hah!’ Alice let out a cry of triumph as she saw her chance. ‘Right mate, you are down.’

Alice held her sword high above her head and brought it plunging down into Bakmahab’s chest.

‘When you get to hell, tell ‘em Alice Boston sent yeh!’ Alice crowed as, driven by her weight, the sword entered to the hilt.

Bakmahab stared up at her as he began to smoulder. ‘Who?’ He murmured before the flash fire consumed him like potassium in water.

‘Wait.’ Xander slowed down as he watched the lone figure on the sidewalk. He pulled over to the curb and opened the car door. ‘I’m just… I’ll be back.’ He gave Anya a peck on the cheek and glanced at Wesley spread out and snoring in the back seat. ‘Just, um, keep him comfortable.’ Anya shrugged and turned her attention to nosing through the various glove compartments and cubby-holes within her reach.

‘Angel?’ Xander tried to force out a casual questioning tone. ‘You want a ride?’

‘Leave me be.’ Angel continued along his path, ‘I don’t need a ride.’

Xander stared at the back of the vampires head as he strode away from him. ‘You’re sure?’

‘Go away.’

Xander stood in the darkness. ‘You don’t run away.’ He called after Angel. ‘You don’t run away from problems.’

Angel paused. ‘I’m walking.’

Buffy picked up Alice’s sword from the pile of ash on the floor. ‘Wow.’ She stroked the dark wood inlay along the flat edge. ‘So it can kill vampires?’

‘Yup.’ Alice snatched back the sword and threw it in a wild loop before catching it and tossing it back to Buffy. ‘I’ll wager you haven’t seen it’s like before.’

‘Wager?’

‘Sorry.’ Alice grinned apologetically. ‘I tend to get a bit ‘Zorro’ after a sword fight.’ She smiled and yawned as Buffy felt the weight of it in her hand. ‘You can take it on patrol with you tonight, if you’re careful.’

‘Cool.’

Alice yawned again and rubbed her forehead as Buffy began to parry and thrust with non-existent enemies along the path out of the Parking lot.

‘Alice.’ Willow placed a concerned hand on Alice’s arm. ‘Who?’

Alice sat in the warm darkness of her apartment, she stared at the saucer of ink and water on the footstool in front of her and let out a sigh.

‘Blessings be upon this house.’

She started at the voice in the doorway. ‘An uncharacteristically melodramatic greeting Rupert.’

‘I thought it could do with them.’ Giles walked across the room and stood at the kitchen door. ‘You’ve been scrying.’

‘No,’ Alice rubbed at her eye. ‘I’ve just, oh - Scrying, yes, yes, I’ve been doing that.’

The sounds of a kettle boiling came from the kitchen.

‘Do you…’

‘I can’t drink it at the moment dear, it makes me heave.’

‘Oh.’ The sound from the kitchen paused. ‘Um, I-I-I. Can you take water?’

‘You make me sound like the titanic.’ Alice smiled wistfully at the saucer in front of her. ‘I don’t need a drink thank you.’

‘Hah.’ Giles stood behind her. ‘Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d hear.’ He placed a comforting arm on her shoulder. He gestured at the saucer in front of her. ‘Did you…’

‘Yes.’

‘Do you want to…’

‘No.’

Giles stood in awkward silence, cradling his tea-cup. ‘I thought perhaps you’d like me to talk to…’

‘No, thank you, but no.’

Giles paused at the doorway. ‘ I – well, I’ll see you tomorrow.’

Alice watched him leave in silence.

The End.