A cloud of noise could be heard as the bell rung for the last class of the day at Sunnydale High School. "Students, that's all for today. Mr. Harris, can I see you for a moment?" asked Ms. Finley as a stampede ran from the room.
"Uh...sure," replied Xander. He turned his head towards his friends. "Guys, I'll catch you in the library." They nodded and left the room. "So, what's up?"
"Your time, Xander. You realize that your high school career ends in a month, right?"
"You mean the realization that seems to frighten my very being more and more with each passing day. Yeah, I'm vaguely aware of it."
"Well, all your worries might be for nothing. You're failing my class and you know it's a requirement to graduate."
"Woh, I knew I wasn't doing phenomenal work, but failing?"
"Yes, failing, but not by much. Now listen, I don't usually give people an easy way out of these things, but I have a proposition for you. Since this course was on various works from the stage, I think it would be beneficial for you to have an experience in the world of theatre first hand. The drama club is having a play in a month. Tryouts for it are this week. If you tryout and do a report on the process involved, then I'll put your grade back up to a D. If you get into the play and perform, then I'll omit the report and I'll still give you a D."
"I don't know what to say. Thank you."
"Break a leg, Xander," replied Ms. Finley with a smirk.
*****
"I changed my mind," proclaimed Willow as she attempted to walk out of the backstage to the auditorium of Sunnydale High School.
"Oh no you don't," replied Buffy as she and Xander each took one of Willow's shoulders and lifted her off the ground.
"You both promised to do this with me," added Xander as he and Buffy set their captive friend down in the waiting line.
"I know, but I forgot to take something into account," said Willow as Xander went to register their names for auditions at a table where a young woman sat.
"Such as?" asked Buffy.
"The fact that I tend to get nauseous whenever I'm on stage."
"C'mon, Will, it's not going to be that bad," assured Buffy. "You just go into the audition and they make you do a read through of the script. Usually only one or two people actually watch."
"That's one or two people too many," replied Willow.
"Especially when one of them is Snyder," replied Xander as he returned with a handful of pamphlets for the trio to browse through.
"Snyder?" questioned Buffy.
"Yep. I heard someone coming out of their audition complaining about it," said Xander. Willow suddenly made an odd gurgle noise as she put her hand up to her mouth. "Oh no," muttered Xander. The gurgle noise continued to increase in intensity.
"Will, stay calm," insisted Buffy. "Think of nature." Willow seemed to calm down slightly. "The sea, the mountains, the trees...um, the uh..." Buffy snapped her fingers desperately as she tried to come up with another image.
"The volcano," offered Xander.
"Yeah, the volcano...no! Wait," began Buffy as Willow suddenly jumped up from her seat and fled towards the bathroom. Buffy turned to Xander. "The volcano?"
"It's probably a Freudian thing," replied Xander.
"Willow Rosenberg!" called the woman at the registration table.
Buffy walked over to the woman. "Willow's nature got the best of her. She won't be able to audition today."
The coordinator crossed something off her list and then called out, "Alexander Harris!"
"Uh, yeah. That's me."
"You're next. Just go in and stand on the stage." Xander nodded and walked past the curtains onto the stage. A sea of chairs stretched out before him with only two people caught in the surf. One was a woman in the back row that Xander had never seen and the other was a short bald man in the front row that was only too familiar.
"Well, well, well," chided Snyder as Xander approached. "Look at the riff raff. I hate to break it to you, but we don't need anyone to fill the parts of delinquents in this production."
"Really? Darn, must have read the sign wrong," replied Xander. "Well, since I'm here anyway, why don't I audition for something else? I'd hate to waste your time by not doing at least that."
"I find that hard to believe since you've been wasting my time since I met you. At any rate, the script you'll be reading from is on the stage." Xander picked up a booklet of paper from the stage and flipped through it quickly. "Action, Harris."
*****
"Think we should bother checking today?" asked Buffy as she walked with Willow and Xander down the halls of Sunnydale High. "With Snyder in charge of picking the cast, we can pretty much kiss our chances goodbye."
"It's too bad," said Xander.
"Why?" asked Willow.
"Cause I would have made an excellent bystander number 3," lamented Xander as Willow walked up to the clipboard that held the names of the people who were picked to act in the play.
"Plays are stupid anyway," added Buffy. "Just a bunch of people who need a personality so badly that they're willing to let the director give them one, like Cordy or Harmony or..."
"You," finished Willow.
"Yeah Will, I'm clever that way. I always include myself in my own insults," chided Buffy.
"No, look." Willow handed the clipboard to Buffy.
She glanced over it. "Oh my God."
Xander looked over her shoulder. "Oh my God! This is so much better than I expected!" said Xander.
"I know!" replied Buffy.
"Bystander number 2!" exclaimed Xander.
"Xander, under your name," directed Willow.
Xander paused for a moment as he read. "Buffy, you got the lead! Looks like we've both got a little bragging to do," said Xander with a smile.
"Yeah, but..."
"But what?" asked Willow.
"Destiny, training, vampires..."
"And Wesley. All bumps on the road to stardom," observed Xander.
"But the rehearsals are only for an hour or two after classes," chimed in Willow. "There's still plenty of time for all your other activities. If it was a huge time commitment than Oz and I wouldn't be helping out with it either."
"Wait Will, as I recall you ran out of the audition," said Xander. "Needless to say, I don't see your name on this list."
"And you won't either. Oz and I are techies."
"Techies?" repeated Xander. "For those of us who are laypeople of the stage that means..."
"People who do the technical stuff in the play like the lights, sound effects and props," explained Buffy.
"You know, for someone who thinks plays are stupid you certainly seem to know a lot about them," said Xander.
"Well, I was in a few back in LA."
"Really? Any we would know?" inquired Willow.
"Yeah, probably. Our theatre director was a Shakespeare buff. We did A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, King Lear and stuff like that."
"Buffy! Those plays take real talent," said Willow.
"I'm not sure how to take that, Will."
"It's just in the talent show you didn't, I mean...it didn't to come across that you were into plays."
"Will, we put that together in what, 15 minutes?"
"Yeah…yeah, we did, didn't we?"
"I promise you you'll see a whole new side of me this time," vowed Buffy.
*****
"You didn't follow any of my advice, Ms. Smythe," exclaimed an enraged Snyder as he walked into the auditorium.
"Whatever do you mean?" replied the woman with brown hair and blue glasses who was resting in a nearby seat.
"Hardly anybody I recommended to you is on this cast list," explained Snyder as he waved a copy of the list in the air.
"Yes, that's right."
"But, I thought that you wanted me to conduct the rehearsals so you could have my opinion in making your casting decisions."
She giggled. "Of course not! I wanted you to conduct the rehearsals so I could watch from the back row and see how the students responded to a threatening situation."
"Isn't that a tad unethical?"
"Perhaps, but these kids are going to be performing for people who may dislike them even more than you do. I don't need them to crack on me the day of the show. They need to be fearless. I figure if they can make it through an audition with you than they'll make it through any other crowd."
"Alright, I agree that there is a certain logic to your thinking. But really, to cast Buffy Summers as..."
*****
"The lead in the play! Buffy that's wonderful!" exclaimed Joyce Summers as she sat down on the couch with her daughter.
"Ah Praise, how I love to bask in your light. Makes me wish I had been acting all these years instead of slaying."
"So what's the play about? I want to know everything."
"Well, it was written by one of the kids in theatre class. It's called Things Unspoken. It's about the life of these teenagers who have to deal with a bunch of problems like sex and drugs and stuff like that."
"I see. And what's your character like?"
"Mine is this 14 year old girl who has sex with this guy she likes and then she gets pregnant afterwards. The guy is just in town for the weekend and he's long gone before she realizes what happened."
"That's so sad."
"Yeah. I bet I get some waterworks during the performance."
"I'm so happy to see you do something sane for once."
"Sane? Scrounging the bottom of the compliment barrel on that one, Mom."
"Slip of the tongue. I'm sorry, honey. It's just, I'm glad to see you do something that used to bring so much joy to your life back in LA."
"Joy. Something we get a lot less of around here, huh?" Buffy turned her attention to a nearby window as she looked into the sky. "You deserve to have more joy in your life."
"I get joy seeing you happy, honey. It's one of those funny mother things."
"But you miss the Buffy you had back then, don't you? She was always happy."
"Honey..."
"I mean, why should I force you to be a part of my constant misery? That's probably why watcher's usually separate baby slayers from their mothers."
"Now hold it right there young lady. You have brought absolutely no misery to my life, except for when you decided to try and not be a part of it anymore. Sure, everyday that I know you're out there fighting vampires and monsters and whatever, it does scare me. But it also makes me very proud that my daughter is making such a difference in the world, and that's a kind of joy too, Buffy. How many other mothers get to say their daughter has saved the world, literally?"
"Wow. Have I mentioned lately that I love you?"
Joyce smiled as she gave her daughter a hug. "You'll knock 'em dead at that play."
"Assuming they aren't already."
"What?"
"Dead."
*****
"Do you realize what you've done! You've ruined your whole life!" shouted a woman at the top of her lungs.
"You think I don't know that?" replied her daughter as tears streamed down her face.
"How could you be so stupid!" continued the mother.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know. We never talked about it," wept the girl as she fell to her knees. "I tried, but..."
"Cut!" yelled the woman with long brown hair from the side of the stage. She removed her blue-rimmed glasses and gently rubbed the temples of her eyes. "Cordelia, take five will ya? Buffy, can I see you for a moment please."
"Uh, sure," replied Buffy as she stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Notice how she needs to talk to you," chided Cordelia. "I've got my part nailed."
"You nailed insulting me way before today," muttered Buffy as she walked towards the director. "Look Ms. Smythe, I know I probably could have mustered a little more emotion that time, but..." explained Buffy as she sat down next to her director.
"No, no, your emotional level was fine. It's the emotion you're using that I'm not really happy with."
"The emotion?"
"Buffy, how do you see your character feeling at this point?"
"Well," said Buffy as she paused for a moment. "I guess I just figured she'd be sad. Her mother is making her face the reality that she has to deal with the consequences of a bad decision."
"So you think that she's feeling guilty for what she did?"
"Isn't she?"
"Of course."
"Okay, your just playing with me now, aren't you?"
"Buffy, of course she's feeling guilty. Her parents are obviously upset with her for doing this. But think about what your character is saying--we never talked about it."
"It being sex."
"Exactly. How many times does your character try to bridge that conversation with her parents? And how many times do they push it aside?"
"Every time."
"Every time. They think that not talking about it will make it go away, but she still has all the right parts. She's becoming a sexual being and nobody wants to talk about it."
"So in a way, it's her parents who push her into the arms of that loser."
"Yes! Now use that line of thinking to find some rage for me, okay? Quit with the distressed damsel stuff."
"It's a part I'm not that used to playing anyway," smiled Buffy as she got back on the stage.
******
"They're on the stage again," noticed Oz from backstage as he peeked behind the curtain. He walked over to Willow who was using a screwdriver to fix a broken stage light.
"I wonder what they were talking about?" pondered Willow.
"Something about acting I suspect."
"Good call. But actually, I just meant that I hope it's nothing that will get Buffy upset."
"On the bright side, there's already tears in her eyes either way."
"There's going to be tears in my eyes if we don't find some help for finishing this stuff soon."
"So they haven't found anyone else then?"
"They're looking, but most of the devoted stage hands graduated last year. That's why our crew is so small this year."
"Wouldn't there have to be more than just you and me to be a crew."
"Semantics. Besides, you're forgetting Rob."
"That's right. It was nice of your cousin to help us out."
"Well, he was here as fast as he could when he found out I was working on a theatre project. It's not a long drive anyway since he lives just on the outskirts of the Sunnydale."
At that moment Xander walked backstage and joined the couple repairing the light. "Hi guys."
"Hi," replied Oz.
"Have you gotten to rehearse your part in the play yet?" asked Willow.
"Not yet. We're in the party scene."
"We?" echoed Oz.
"Me and bystander number 4. We're supposed to be making out on the couch in that scene."
"And who's bystander number 4?" asked Willow.
"Anya."
"Anya?"
"Yes, Anya," echoed the woman in question as she approached the trio. "And I practically had to kill someone to get that part." They all looked at her for a minute. She sighed and said, "But I didn't. I'm not spending this short mortal life in jail."
"You made sure you got a part where you'd be kissing me?" asked Xander.
"Since my words haven't seemed to have much effect on you, I thought I'd let my lips do the talking this time."
"Do they, uh, 'talk' well?" inquired Xander.
"You'll have to tell me," replied Anya. "Look, I have to go change for the rehearsal now..." She walked by Xander, but paused for a moment to whisper into his ear, "into something with a lot less fabric."
Xander swallowed hard as she left for the dressing room. "What did she say to you, Xander?" asked Willow
"Um, something about the fabric of her next costume," replied Xander as he wiped his brow.
"Hmm..." muttered Oz.
"So Willow," said Xander, now anxious to change topics, "how is Rob these days? I haven't seen him since...you know."
"Yeah, I know," replied Willow.
"I don't," said Oz.
"It's just last time I saw him he was in the hospital," explained Xander.
"So he was getting his appendix out or something?" asked Oz.
"Or something," confirmed Willow.
"Suicide attempt," said Rob as he walked backstage and joined the small group. "Slit my wrist and nearly bled to death. I had to have a transfusion and Xander and Will came by to visit me in recovery."
"Visitors are important in the recovery process," noted Oz calmly.
"I thought it was decent of them," replied Rob. "You two done with that light yet? Ms. Smythe is having the cast move to stage left so I can finish putting up the lights over stage right. She'd like to do a full rehearsal of the first two scenes before we leave today."
"Sure, sure," said Willow as she tightened on the last screw and handed the light to Rob.
"Thanks, cuz," said Rob as he went back on the stage and disappeared behind the curtain.
"I guess I wasn't suppose to know that, right?" asked Oz.
"I wanted to tell you, really," replied Willow. "I just didn't want you to form opinions about Rob before you met him. He's really a sweet guy."
"I believe it," said Oz.
"So this isn't wigging you out?" asked Willow.
"Nah. It's sad, but lots of teenagers think about killing themselves at some point in their lives. You always have a few that try it once."
"Or...five times," muttered Xander.
"Five?" repeated Oz.
"Six," corrected Rob as he came backstage again. He went to the toolbox and pulled out a wrench.
"Really?" questioned Willow.
"The Liquid Drano incident," hinted Rob as he disappeared behind the curtain again.
"He's right. I'd forgotten that one," confessed Xander.
"Wow," uttered Oz.
"I knew this would get weird," said Willow. "But he's getting help. It's just, they don't know what's wrong with him. For the last few years he's just felt really alone," explained Willow.
At that moment shrieks came from the stage. Xander, Willow and Oz flung the curtain aside and ran towards the screams. A large creature stood in the middle of the stage. It was human shaped, but scales covered it from head to toe and its face was like a snake. It looked at the screaming teens on stage right and gently licked its lips. Buffy stood in the front of the pack, ready to pounce when the monster made its move. It was then that the beast suddenly turned its attention to stage left where Rob stood at the top of a ladder. A moment later it began to climb it. Buffy ran after it, but the creature was already halfway up the ladder by then.
"Shit!" exclaimed Rob as the creature bit his leg. He yelped and tried to shake the monster off, but its grip was tight and the ladder started to fall due to the struggle. With a heavy crash, they both fell to the ground. The monster stood up quickly after the fall, but Rob was still as blood trickled from a gash in his head.
"Rob!" exclaimed Willow as she raced to her cousin's side with Oz close behind.
"Xander, call 911!" directed Oz as he tore the sleeve of his shirt and used it to put pressure on Rob's wound.
The monster started to walk towards Rob again, but Buffy blocked its way. It swiped at Buffy's head with its fist, but she dodged the blow and kicked it in the head. It shook its head quickly and tossed a kick at her stomach. Again, she dodged the strike and returned with two jabs to its midsection. "Your different," noticed the monster in a high-pitched hiss.
"Well, your not exactly your everyday vamp either," replied the slayer.
"I should hope not. Disgusting creatures, vampires."
"I don't know. Your dining edict isn't all that different."
"So that's what you think. Typical."
"What do you mean?"
The creature suddenly opened its mouth and spewed black flames between itself and the slayer. Buffy jumped back to avoid being singed as the monster smashed through a nearby window. A moment latter the flames subsided.
Xander ran back onto the stage and said, "The ambulance is on the way."
"Just hold on," pleaded Willow to the motionless form of her cousin. "Just hold on."
*****
Giles was checking the overdue list at the computer terminal in the library as Buffy and Cordelia raced through the doors. "Buffy," greeted Giles. "What are you doing here? I was under the impression you had a rehearsal tonight."
"Yeah, well it was cut short due to a fire breathing snake," explained Buffy.
"Fire breathing snake?" echoed Wesley as he joined the little party.
"Right here in the middle of the day? That just disgusts me," lamented Giles. "Evil is suppose to lurk during the night and humans are suppose to be free to roam during the day."
"But doesn't that mean we're cheating then?" said Cordelia. "I mean, Buffy does fight them at night all the time."
"But that's different," protested Giles.
"Is not," replied Cordelia.
"Is too," insisted Giles.
"Nope"
"Yes it is!"
"Alright kids, break it up before I have to send you to your rooms!" exclaimed Buffy.
"Sorry," apologized Giles. "Was anyone harmed?"
"Only that really hot guy fixing the lights," said Cordelia.
"Really hot guy?" muttered Wesley.
"He's Willow's cousin," explained Buffy. "His name is Rob and the snake tried to take a bite out of him."
"Willow's cousin?" said Cordelia. "Wonder how he managed to miss all those lame Rosenberg chromosomes. At any rate, at least she can introduce me to him."
"Cordelia!" exclaimed Wesley. "How can you even think such notions!"
"What do you mean?"
"What about...well..."
"You?"
"Well, yes."
"Don't flatter yourself Wesley. You're way below the gift line for me to be considering us exclusive."
"I just assumed..."
"You know what they say about assuming, Wes--it makes an ass out of you and me," said Buffy. "Now getting back to the point--Rob was hurt during the fight and he got knocked out."
"Oh God, how's Willow taking it?" asked Giles.
"I don't know. Xander and her went to the hospital to be with him when he wakes up."
"So it appeared to be a snake-like creature that apparently had the ability to exhale fire?" pondered Wesley.
"Yep," replied Buffy. "It was pretty freak-worthy. Any ideas on what it was?"
"It sounds vaguely familiar," said Giles. "But, unsurprisingly, I'll have to do some research to know for certain."
"Good. Do research, because something big is going on," explained Buffy. "That demon went right for Rob. He was on stage left and the rest of the cast was on stage right, but it still went after him."
"I don't quite see your point," admitted Wesley.
"Think about it man, why take the cheeseburger when you can have the all you can eat buffet?" asked Giles.
"So this was a deliberate attack on Willow's cousin, not just a feeding," stated Wesley.
"The demon even heckled me for thinking it was a feeding," said Buffy.
"If what you suspect is true, then we should talk with Rob. See what he knows," explained Giles.
"Perhaps Willow and Xander could interrogate him for us," suggested Wesley.
"Well, I did tell them to call me when they knew something, but I don't really like the idea of doing 20 questions to a guy who was knocked out a few minutes ago," confessed Buffy.
"You're right, Buffy," agreed Giles. "I don't think it would be wise to trouble Willow with this just now considering the circumstances. Besides, I have a theory on what might have occurred that I'd need him physically present to verify. Just let Willow and Xander know that we'd like to see Rob after he's fit to leave the hospital."
*****
Willow picked up the receiver to the pay phone in the lobby of the Sunnydale Hospital. She pinched it between her head and shoulder as she attempted to put the correct amount of change into the coin slot. She heard a dial tone and began to dial her number. The call rang twice when a familiar female voice greeted her. "Hi Buffy," replied Willow.
"Well, how is he?" asked the slayer eagerly.
"He's doing good. The wound looked real bad, but it's just a deep cut. No complications. They want to keep him under observation for a few hours, but he should be able to leave tonight."
"That's great, Willow."
"Look, I can't talk long. I don't have much money on me and I should go sit with him."
"Are his parents there?"
"They were here earlier, but they had just got back from a business trip to New York. They started dozing and he told them to go home. They fought with him for a little bit, but once Rob had his mind made up they knew they wouldn't be here long. Oz and Xander are still here though."
"Listen, I know you've got to go, but I need you to make sure he comes back here tonight."
"Why?"
"That demon had some unclear motives. We think Rob might be able to help us figure out what they were."
"Okay, Buffy. We'll get him there. I'll see you then."
"Take care, Will." finished Buffy as the line clicked and resumed a dial tone.
Willow hung up the phone and walked back to the room. As she approached the voices of the two young men she had left there could be heard in a heated debate.
"That's the last straw, you prick! Recovering or not, you're asking for it!" yelled Xander.
"Bring it on you pansy-assed mama's boy!" taunted Rob.
"Oh, now it's on. I'm gonna mop your ass all over the floor," exclaimed Xander.
"What the...?" muttered Willow as she raced for the door. "Guys stop!" she yelled as she ran into the room. Xander was sitting next to Rob's bed over a tray that they were using as a table. On the tray were two stacks of cards. Rob pulled a card from one pile and Xander pulled one from the other.
"What's wrong, Will? Don't you like war?" asked Xander.
"Why do you two always do stuff like that to me?" asked Willow.
"Because we can," replied Rob as he snatched up the cards that Xander had lost to him.
"And it's fun," added Xander with a mischievous grin.
"You guys will never grow up."
"Uh oh, she knows our secret," said Rob as he laid down another card.
"Hey, where's Oz?" asked Willow as she realized the werewolf was absent.
"Getting some java for us," explained Xander. "He'll be right back."
"I'll see if he needs any help carrying anything," said Willow as she left the room again. She turned around the corner and bumped right into Oz. Coffee slogged out of the edges of the cups and splashed on the floor. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Oz. Did I make you spill much?"
"Let's just say I'm glad I asked for the large size now," replied Oz.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even see you there."
"Yeah, you look a little preoccupied, Willow. You okay?"
"Yes, well, no. I mean, Buffy wants me to bring Rob to the library tonight when we're done here."
"Really, why?" asked Rob from behind her as he and Xander emerged from his room.
"Rob!" exclaimed Willow. "You're suppose to be in bed! You...you should be resting."
"I'd love to, but to do that I have to piss first. Xander volunteered to accompany me and make sure I don't fall in."
"That's me, lifeguard patrol," joked Xander.
"Glad you've got it all worked out guys," said Willow. "You better get going. Holding it for a long time can hurt your urinary tract." She started to walk into Rob's room with Oz close behind.
"Wait a minute, Will," halted Rob. "You never answered me."
"About what?" asked Willow.
"Why does Buffy want to see me at the school?"
"Umm...uh...Xander, why don't you tell him?" prodded Willow.
"She does?" asked Xander. Willow nodded her head as Xander said, "Of course...she does. Tell him...about why Buffy wants to see him," babbled Xander. "It's really a funny story...that Oz tells so much better than me."
"She's a demon hunter and she wants to talk about that big snake," said Oz simply.
"Oz!" shouted Willow and Xander simultaneously.
Rob began to laugh loudly. "Oh, I needed that. Come on, Xander. Let's go." Together they walked down the hall.
"Considering his response, Xander was right," said Willow.
"About what?" asked Oz.
"You do tell that story better than him."
*****
"Buffy, could you please retrieve a book from my office?" asked Giles from the table in the main part of the library, which was littered in research material already.
"Sure thing. Where is it?"
"You should be able to find it on the shelf in there. It's called Demon Lore of the Byzantine Empire."
"Catchy." She walked into Giles office as Wesley and Cordelia walked in through the library doors.
"Did you prepare the tests?" asked Giles as he noticed them.
"Yes. We mixed all that foul smelling stuff together and created something even stinkier," assured Cordelia.
"Good," replied Giles.
"So you really think this will tell us if he's sick or not?" asked Cordelia.
"Assuming we mixed it correctly, it should be able to detect whether or not he's been infected with the demon's evil spirit," explained Wesley.
"Good, cause I'm definitely not chasing him if he's a demon. It's bad enough with Buffy dating or whatever it is that she does with the dead."
"Cordelia, how can you say such things?"
"You mean you think I should chase him even if he is a demon?"
"Of course not! I just meant...considering the circumstances between you and I it would seem..." began Wesley. At that moment Willow, Oz, Xander and Rob walked into the library.
"Hello all of you!" interrupted Giles. "Thank you for coming, Rob." Hearing this, Buffy walked out of Giles' office and joined the group.
"So let's get on with it," replied Rob.
"You mean they told you why your here?" asked Buffy.
"You want to ask me some questions, right?" said Rob.
"That's right," replied Giles.
"Hit me with your best shot then," urged Rob as he sat down.
"Alright. Do you have any idea why that snake creature attacked you?" asked Giles.
"Nope."
"Nothing like this has ever happened before, correct?"
"Correct."
"When the creature bit you, did you feel something flow through you then?"
"Actually, I was knocked out too soon to notice."
"Of course, of course. How do you feel now?"
"Fine."
"Really? Hmm..."
"If you're worried about rabies or something, don't be. They tested me for it."
"Of course."
"Perhaps now would be a good time to give him the test," suggested Wesley.
"What test?" asked Willow. "You didn't say anything about a test."
"It's okay, Will," soothed Buffy.
"Could you please just sniff the contents of this bag and tell me if you can identify the ingredients?" instructed Giles as he handed a small sack to Rob.
"Sniff it? What, is it crack or something? If it is Will, I'm telling your folks..."
"It's not, Rob. It's just a study Giles is doing on the human senses," said Willow. "Right, Giles?"
"Exactly," agreed Giles.
Rob looked at Willow and then slowly brought the contents of the bag up to his nose. He quickly sniffed the contents and suddenly hurled the small bag across the room as he started to breath heavy. "What the hell was in that!" demanded Rob.
"Just some herbs used in purifying rituals," explained Giles. "The reaction you gave is typical of someone who has been infected by a creature of darkness."
"Wait, your saying the snake bite poisoned him with a demon?" asked Xander.
"I don't believe this. What are you people on!" exclaimed Rob as he stormed towards the door.
"Rob, wait!" yelled Willow. Flanked by Buffy, she followed him out the door. "Please, listen to me!"
"Leave me alone!"
"Rob, this thing is going to kill you if you don't work with us!" said Buffy. "Feeling good is only temporary. Giles told me that the pain will settle in as the demon takes over your soul and by then it might already be too late."
"But I feel better then I have in years," replied Rob as he suddenly halted. "I feel strong and my mind feels at ease for the first time since...I can't remember when."
"Wait, you do feel different?" asked Willow.
"Yeah, I knew something was different about me now. But it felt good. I didn't see any reason to bring it up."
"It's only temporary," repeated Buffy. "It lulls you into a false sense of security and then it finishes you. We have the literature if you want to read it yourself, but please don't leave now."
"Will, do you believe this?" asked Rob.
"Rob, I think we better listen to them. Please," replied Willow as she held out her hand to him. He stared at her for a moment and then he took her hand and together the threesome walked back towards the library.
*****
Willow gently wiped her cousin's head with a cold washcloth. They had placed him on a cot in Giles office. Around the cot small pillars of smoke rose from small bowls of incense that Giles had prepared to combat the demon that was possessing Rob.
"How you feeling?" asked Willow.
"Like shit, but I guess that's to be expected," replied Rob with a weak smile. Then he softly added, "Things are getting muddled again."
"What do you mean?"
"When I woke up at the hospital I felt different. I felt like I was beginning to understand something."
"What?"
"It was...it felt like...I don't know exactly. Probably never will now."
"Don't say that. You'll be fine."
"But I won't be the same as I am now. I don't know if I want to be like I was before. I really liked how I felt."
"I know. But that's just a trick. The demon would have killed you. Please trust me on this."
"I wouldn't be here otherwise, Willow, because every fiber of my being is saying to get the hell out of here."
"Look, you need to sleep now."
"Sing that song then."
"Rob, I haven't sung that in years."
"So?"
"Rob, no."
"Then I guess I'm doomed to insomnia. I'll just sit here awake instead of receiving the much-needed energy I could be getting from sleep. I'll just have to try crying myself to sleep instead or maybe I'll wrap my head off the wall until I fall unconscious or..."
"Alright! Geez." Willow cleared her throat and softly began singing, "In your dreams magical thoughts, all things are real unless you dream they're not. In your dreams love is the plot guided on wings of hope..."
Buffy had heard the singing as she walked by and listened for a moment at the door to Giles office. She sighed and then walked over to the research table in the center of the library. Giles walked down from the stacks in his trench coat and paused in front of the others for a moment.
"Where do you think your going?" asked Xander. "I thought I was errand man."
"Your confused Xander, but then again error and errand do sound a lot alike," said Cordelia.
"I have a few books at home I wish to consult," explained Giles. "Perhaps they can shed some light on a more potent cure for Rob."
"I hope so, Giles. Because I don't think what we're doing now is going to be enough," said Buffy.
"I hope so too," replied Giles.
"What if we do lose him?" asked Xander.
"If the demon does indeed prove too powerful for the boy, we'll have no choice but to kill him," explained Wesley.
"Giles?" pleaded Buffy.
"Unfortunately, I'd have to agree," replied Giles. "We'd be doing him a great disservice by leaving him alive in that state."
"Hurry then, Giles," said Willow as she emerged from the corner she had been concealing herself in. "I don't want to have to do him any great services." The watcher nodded at her and walked out the door.
*****
Giles fumbled through the keys on his key chain and found the one for his apartment. He put the key in the hole and opened the door. He was about to walk in when he heard footsteps behind him. "Hey Watcher!" shouted a voice from down the street. "Wait up."
"How...how did you know that?" asked Giles as he reached into his coat and wrapped his fingers around a knife.
"Keep it in your coat. I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Whistler. I talked to your slayer during the Acathla incident."
"Oh, of course. Buffy's description was fairly accurate by the looks."
"Let me guess, really attractive guy with a funny looking hat, right?"
"Something like that," replied Giles with a smirk. "What brings you here tonight?"
"The Rosenberg kid, Rob."
"I welcome any advice you can give. Frankly, my own resources are proving insufficient to cure him."
"That's because you're can't."
"What?"
"He's not being possessed by a demon, he is a demon. Big difference my friend."
"But that's impossible. He's Willow's cousin."
"Didn't do your homework, did you? He's adopted and nobody knows who his parents are. Very sad really. Ask your witch friend yourself if you don't believe me."
"If...if that's true...then the dark power that is engulfing him..."
"Is his birthright. He's from a clan of demons known as the Goa Clan."
"Goa Clan? Are you sure."
"Not just any demon makes the rest of us shiver when they start to realize their powers."
"It sounds familiar."
"You'll find it in your books."
"Does that mean there's no hope of preventing his change?"
"He is what he is. You can't change that. Best thing now is to show him how to use his powers."
"Train a demon in how to become a proficient killer? Are you mad? That breaks every vow I ever took as a watcher."
"Lucky for us you're not a watcher anymore."
"I won't do it."
"Then you better kill the kid now. Because if you don't show him how to use his powers he'll find someone else who will."
"You truly believe we can keep him from turning to the other side?"
"He's got the parts. You can't change that. But you can show him how to use them right. You try to ignore that and you'll push him away so he won't ever be coming back. It's your choice really." Whistler started to walk away.
"Whistler!" shouted Giles. He blinked briefly and by the time he had opened his eyes an empty street stretched out before him, lacking the short sage who had been there moments ago. He ran into his apartment and grabbed the books he had came there for. He quickly flipped through the pages and found some passages that he quickly scanned and book marked. Shortly after he sped away towards the school in his trusty chariot of metal.
*****
Rob opened his eyes slowly. He looked around the room that had become his cell. The herbs still smoked steadily with the same energy sapping fumes that he'd been breathing all night now. His body had periodic spasms and he ached everywhere. A bucket had been placed nearby his bed and he had vomited in it four times in the last two hours. Something new grabbed his attention continued to survey the room. There was a young woman standing next to his bed that he did not recognize. She was wearing a red summer dress. Her short hair was black and her eyes were wide and brown. "Who are you?" he asked.
"An angel," replied the girl.
"Shit! You mean I finally bought the farm?"
"Kidding. My name is Reina. I've come to take you away from here."
"Leave? But I can't leave or I'll become a demon. Willow and her friends said this would help me."
"Look, I know they want to help, but they've made a terrible mistake. This isn't helping you, this is killing you."
"Why do you say that?"
"I don't have time to explain. They'll be back any minute. We have to get out of here now. If you value your life, you'll come with me."
"I don't know..."
"I can tell you more about yourself than they could ever hope to. I can make you understand. But we have to leave, now!"
"Understand how?" asked Rob as he started to rise from the bed. He stood up briefly, but then his weakened body gave in as his legs collapsed. He fell to the ground with a heavy thud. Reina quickly came to his aid and he used her to steady himself on his feet again. She led him to a nearby window where she had entered. At that same moment the door to the room opened as Willow and Oz came in. "Go, quickly!" urged Reina as Rob slowly slid out the window.
"Rob!" shouted Willow as she and Oz ran towards the stranger.
"Stay back!" commanded Reina as she hurled black flames from her mouth, creating a barrier fire between herself and her would-be captors. She then slid out the window herself.
"Buffy!" yelled Oz. Within moments the slayer and her new watcher ran into the room.
"Oh God," muttered Buffy.
"Black fire," said Wesley as he inspected the flames. "What happened?"
"The demon took him. Buffy, it tricked him!" exclaimed Willow. "It was pretending to be human and now its gonna kill him."
*****
"Feeling better?" asked Reina as she and Rob walked down the street.
"Yeah, a lot better. I guess that means the demon's winning, huh?"
She giggled slightly. "It's a little late to worry about that."
"What do you mean?"
"Sweetie, you're a demon. You've been right along, that's why they couldn't help you."
"A demon? Me? You're shitting me, right?"
"Look into my eyes." He gave her a funny look. "Just do it." He complied. "Now look closely, right into my soul. Do you feel it?"
"It's warm. Feels familiar somehow."
"Demons do that to each other. They sense each other and it sets off the sensation your feeling."
"Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying you're a demon too?"
"Glad you caught that. I was trying to break it as gently as I could." They came to an old apartment building and walked inside.
"Why do I get this feeling that I'm going to be explaining this to a psychiatrist sooner or later."
She laughed. "It'll get easier, I promise."
"So why are you doing this?" asked Rob.
"Doing what?" replied Reina.
"Helping me. And how do you know so much about me?"
"Part of the reason I'm helping you is because you remind me a lot of myself. I mean, we're both demons." They came to door in the hallway and she used a key to open the door. Together they walked in. It was a fairly small apartment. A small living room connected the kitchenette and bedroom. The rooms were all a tad dusty with white plaster walls that had more cracks than a sidewalk. She took his hand in her own and together they sat on a faded green couch in the center of the living room. "But you're right, I do want something."
"Here we go."
"I want you to be the Adam to my Eve."
"Demons using Bible allusions, kind of ironic don't ya think?"
"Perhaps, but appropriate still."
"Adam and Eve. The first two humans."
"The founders of their race."
"I don't get it. You want me to knock you up or something?"
"It's not a hard thing to grasp. I want to give you my mind, spirit and body."
"I hardly know you. How could I screw you?"
"How could you not. Human sex…well, let's just say it would leave you wanting."
"Exactly how wanting?"
"Like a conductor who realizes only his triangle player came to the concert."
"Yikes."
"I can unlock the potential inside of you in matters of love and I promise you won't regret it," said Reina as she wrapped her arms around Rob's neck and began to gently kiss his lips.
He slowly wrapped his own arms around her mid section and coaxed both of them so they were lying down on the couch. She began to unzip his pants when he suddenly stopped her hands. "You know I've always dreamt a girl would do this. Just throw herself all over me without any reason." He suddenly stood up and fixed his pants.
"Then why are you getting up?" asked Reina.
"Because dreams aren't real. You're real. You can't just want me for no reason. You have motives, and you still aren't telling me what they are."
She sat up straight again and tried to regain her composure. "Why couldn't you have made this easy on me? Why couldn't you have just been some asshole who wanted a one night stand?"
"Gee, sorry about that."
"No, it's I who should apologize. I just didn't want to be alone anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"You and I are the last of our clans."
"Clans?"
"You're the last of the Goa and I'm the last of the Metssu. Both are descendants of the 12 great demon clans that ruled this land before the age of man."
"I'm listening."
"The 12 clans began to feud with each other at some point that even I don't really know the details about. They began to make alliances with each other, eventually consolidating their power into two main clans, our clans. The fighting between the two clans became so intense that they feared they would destroy this dimension, which both longed to possess. In a rare moment of agreement, both clans voluntarily banished themselves to a demon dimension where they could continue their fighting without damaging their prize. For eons this continued until only two demons remained."
"You and me."
"Yes."
"That's why you wanted me to get you pregnant so badly?"
"Yes. I was planning on leaving in the morning and you would never have seen me again."
"Yeah, but one time together doesn't mean you get a baby."
"One night doesn't equal one time, trust me."
"Let me guess, demon endurance?"
"I told you we were different from humans."
"Note to self--kick yourself hard in the ass," muttered Rob. "Okay, I get why you wanted me to get you pregnant, but why did you feel like you would have to run from me after? I mean, I...that is you make me...I just don't get it."
"Because I knew that sooner or later you would find out the truth about me and you would hate me."
"And the truth is?"
"I was sent here to kill you."
"Kill me?"
"My father, Rugal, was the chief of the Metssu clan. He and the leader of the Goa were both about to unleash terrible magical attacks on each other in the demon dimension. Realizing that the attack would most likely destroy both clans, the leader of the Goa clan sent the spirit of his son to earth to be born as human in order to ensure the survival of the clan. My father came to know this information and sent me here to destroy the Goa child. I had to wait for twenty years for you to break out of your human guise and finally give off some indication of your whereabouts, but by then I no longer cared. My father and my people never contacted me and the Goa clan never came after me, leading me to one conclusion--our tribes obliterated each other in the demon dimension."
"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."
"You know, I wish I could have been like you. You didn't have to worry about the war or our rivalry. You were able to live in peace as a human."
"Hold it right there. Don't go admiring me. You have no idea what it's been like for me. I've always felt like I was different. I never understood myself and because of it I tried to kill myself time after time after time."
"You weren't afraid to die?"
"Of course I was! Shit, I was scared to death each and every time I decided to try and kill myself. I never wanted to die."
"Then why did you do it?"
"Because I guess I thought the answers to my questions were on the other side. That God would have a Dear Abby section just for me. But I was wrong. The answers aren't on the other side, they never are. You can only find them here with the questions and the problems."
"Does that make me your answer?"
"I hope so," replied Rob as he held her hand gently in his own. She smiled and nestled closely to him.
*****
Buffy walked into the library with her friends as they half-heartedly fell into chairs around the main table. Wesley walked out from the stacks and asked, "Well?"
"Nadda," replied Buffy.
"We looked everywhere around the building for something that would tell us where they went, but by the time we snuffed out the fire..." Xander shrugged his shoulders.
Giles walked into the library at that same moment. "Everyone, I have terrible news to report," exclaimed Giles as he set down the books he was carrying with a heavy thud.
"So do we," replied Buffy. "Rob's gone."
"Damn, I'm too late," lamented Giles.
"Wait, what do you mean? You knew this would happen?" asked Willow.
"Not when I left, but..." Giles opened one of his books and started skimming it, "Whistler paid me a visit and offered some new insights. He told me that your cousin is actually a demon."
"You're joking, right?" replied Willow.
"I'm sorry, Willow," replied Giles.
"That would explain why we couldn't cure him," muttered Xander.
"Well, that leaves us only one option doesn't it?" said Wesley.
"No!" exclaimed Giles. "We're not going to kill him."
"But he's a demon. You said so yourself, it's the only decent thing to do," continued Wesley.
"But Whistler said..." began Giles.
"As I recall, Whistler is a demon as well. How do we know this isn't a trick?" asked Wesley.
"If it really was Whistler then you can trust him," assured a familiar voice as Angel appeared from the stacks.
"Angel, what are you doing here?" asked Buffy.
"I saw a couple of people racing away from the school while I was patrolling, so I tailed them. Thought maybe you knew something about it."
"Not yet, but we're drawing very near to the point where we know something," assured Oz.
"Quite so," agreed Giles. "It appears that both Willow's cousin and his assailant are members of a very ancient race of demons. A clan of demons that are rumored to be quite human actually," explained Giles.
"Hello! Demons can't be humans. That's why their demons," said Cordelia.
"Then maybe demon was just a poor translation. At any rate, it says here that his clan of demons die. They expire eventually just as humans do. Their lives last much longer than ours do of course, but they do die. In fact they must reproduce through the same means that we do in order to perpetuate themselves."
"That still doesn't excuse the fact that dark powers reside in him," said Wesley. "The herbs we used wouldn't have produced the effect they did if he wasn't a potential threat."
"And guess who turned out to be his biggest threat? Us!" lamented Willow. "We wouldn't listen to him when he told us how he felt and then we poisoned him!"
"Will, calm down," pleaded Buffy.
"I will not! I'm a terrible cousin. He comes out here to help me and I get him kidnapped by a demon that'll probably kill him."
"Sidestepping the blame thing for a moment," said Xander. "Why would someone from his own clan want to kill him?"
"While the demons originated from the same clan, at some point there was a division among two strong sects within the clan which spawned two new clans--the Goa and the Metssu," explained Giles. "These new clans began a bitter war with one another that has yet to reach a conclusion."
"So that puts us in the middle of a blood feud," noted Oz.
"Then we have to save him," said Willow.
"I can take you to them," offered Angel.
"Why bother. Rob isn't going to believe us now. I mean, he already listened to her over us once," observed Cordelia.
"Not to mention she's a hottie," mentioned Xander.
"Just like a guy to chase after a pretty face. Why can't guys use their heads?"
"Well depending on your definition…" began Xander.
"Maybe we won't have to get him to believe us," said Oz.
"What?" asked Willow.
"Oz, you're having a plan," stated Buffy.
"How could you tell?" asked Oz.
"It must have been the way that nonchalant expression crept into your face," replied Xander.
"Will, would you and Buffy be so kind as to escort me to the chem lab?" replied Oz. The trio then left the library.
*****
"So what are you up for? Chinese, Denny's or something else?" asked Rob as he exited the apartment with Reina. The streets were bare with only the dim glow of the streetlights illuminating them.
"Whichever you prefer," replied Reina.
"You don't have a favorite?"
"Well, truth is I don't eat much...or at all."
"Oh, I get it. Demons like you don't have to eat."
"You're that kind too."
"Really?"
"It's a slow process, but you'll notice your human craving for food will vanish soon."
"In the meantime, I'll have to find a restaurant."
"I hope you're not disappointed that I won't eat with you."
"Are you kidding? This is way better than having to go Dutch."
At that moment the pair heard the faint sound of glass breaking nearby. Within seconds a sweet smelling gas enveloped them. "What the...I don't feel so...gas..." muttered Rob as he started to fall. Reina caught him and gently set him to the ground. "Who's there?" she asked as she took up a defensive posture--obviously unaffected by the fumes.
"You were right, Giles. It didn't work on her," said Buffy as she, Angel and Giles walked into Reina's sight.
"She's not limited by her human form. It is simply a ruse," replied Giles.
"We'll just have to do this the other way then," declared Buffy as she dropped into a fighting stance.
"I won't let you take him back and torture him to death," said Reina.
"I suppose you want to save that pleasure for yourself then," replied Angel.
"You can't stop me from taking him with me."
"Maybe not," replied Buffy.
"Now!" shouted Giles as Willow and Oz ran up from behind Reina and threw a net over her head. She struggled as Xander picked up Rob's limp body and ran away from the scene with Willow and Oz close behind.
"But we're sure going to try like hell," said Buffy as she ran up to Reina's struggling form and drove a stake through her heart. Reina screamed, but only paused briefly in her struggle to remove the net from her body. Buffy stood back in disbelief as Reina finally stood up under the strains of netting. Her body radiated a soft purple glow as she suddenly began to morph, increasing in mass to the point where the net around her snapped. After the odd colored aura subsided only a snake creature remained where Reina had been moments ago.
"A shape shifter," cursed Angel.
"I bet Rob hasn't seen this side of you, "muttered Buffy. She swung her fist into Reina's stomach and tried to follow up with a punch to the head, but Reina caught her fist and tossed her off balance. Buffy fell to the ground.
"It was coming though," replied Reina as she deflected a punch from Angel and kicked him in the head.
Buffy rose to her feet. "Oh, I see. You'd have just told him oops or I'm sorry, my bad for trying to kill you during rehearsal," taunted Buffy as she kicked Reina in the head.
"Rehearsal? What rehearsal?" asked Reina as she staggered back from the impact of the blow.
"You attacked us at the school this morning during rehearsal," prompted Buffy.
"You're in band?" replied Reina truly puzzled by this exchange.
"Wait," interjected Giles, "You're unaware of the events we're speaking of?" Reina silently shook her head in a negative reply. "Buffy," continued Giles, "If she truly didn't attack you earlier today then…"
Then combatants both paused as a horrible realization gripped them.
"Rob," uttered Reina.
"The guys," echoed Buffy.
*****
"Let's stop here," huffed Xander as he gently set Rob's body down on the sidewalk. "I think we've lost her."
Willow, Oz and Xander panted heavily as they attempted to catch their breath. Willow reached down to her cousin's cheek and gently caressed it. "How long will he be out, Oz?" asked Willow.
"At least an hour. Plenty long enough to meet up with the Wesley and Cordelia in the van," replied Oz.
"Oh, I think you're being optimistic," exclaimed a loud hissing voice from behind them. The little party spun around and faced a large snake creature. He exposed his fangs and saliva ran down them as he said, "I think he'll be out for a good deal longer than that."
"But that's impossible...you're back there with Buffy," exclaimed Xander.
The creature opened its mouth and hurled a ball of black flame at Xander's head. He fell to the ground as it passed over him torching a nearby bush. Oz quickly picked up Rob's body as he yelled, "Run!" Oz raced towards where they had left Giles and Buffy as Willow followed swiftly behind. They could feel the heat as the snake creature continued tossing black fire only a few feet away from them. Xander finally rose from the ground and realized the creature had turned its back to him in order to fire at his friends. Biting his lip, he threw himself on the monster's back giving Willow and Oz the head start they needed. The creature hissed and screamed until it finally grabbed the boy. The creature shook Xander violently in the air and threw him into a parked car. The windshield shattered and Xander groaned loudly as he lost consciousness from the blow. The monster then turned around and resumed its chase of his friends, but before it could take more than a few feet Buffy, Angel and Reina, now in her human form, appeared before it.
"Angel, get Xander out of here," ordered Buffy as Angel picked up their fallen comrade's body and ran towards the others.
"So you must be the one who crashed our show," commented Buffy.
"Father?" exclaimed Reina as the large snake creature walked towards them.
"Father?" echoed Buffy softly to herself.
"Do not call me such things. I am Rugal to you now."
"Why do you say that?" asked Reina.
"You did not fulfill your mission. You failed me."
"But I thought you were destroyed in the war. You told me..."
"What you needed to hear to think your people were gone. All members of our household go through the trial."
"The trial? This was all some kind of test?"
"Yes."
"But 20 years..."
"What is 20 years to a race that lives for a millennium? You have been among these humans too long. They have warped your sense of time."
"But father I..."
"Silence! You no longer have the right to call me that. You have failed me and now I must dispose of the Goa child and you."
"You would kill your own daughter?" asked Buffy.
"She is a ally of my enemy. She is useless to the cause."
"He's not your enemy. He didn't even know of the war until a few hours ago," pleaded Reina. "Please try to understand that I turned to him for support because I missed you. I love you."
"And for that reason he should be dead by now. I'm sorry Reina, but you have sealed your own fate."
"Father..." began Reina as her father opened his mouth and released black flames towards her. Buffy recognized this and threw herself on Reina, saving them both from the fire. Realizing he had missed, Rugal brought his hands together in front of him as a person praying might. Sparks surrounded his hands and when he opened them a bolt of lighting shot from them into the slayer and her comrade who were just rising to their feet. Buffy screamed as the searing pain swept through her body, but she realized that only a small portion of the blast had hit her and most of it had went into Reina. Reina yelped loudly, but after a moment both she and Buffy had recovered enough to get back into their fighting stances.
"What was that?" asked Buffy.
"Magic. It weakens the soul, that's the surest way to defeat a blessed being," replied Reina.
"You mean a demon?"
"A demon, an angel, a slayer--anything that draws its power from unseen forces."
"The slayer part on the end--you added that special for me, right?"
"I aim to please."
Rugal again brought his hands together in front of him as a dim light began to emit from them. "Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Buffy as she ran up to Rugal and kicked him in the head. He took a step backwards to regain his balance and then forcefully attempted to punch Buffy in the stomach. Before the blow could land Buffy hopped out of range and delivered another kick to Rugal's head. As Buffy did this Reina was calling forth her own soul bolt. She brought her hands together and tossed a streak of lightning at her father. Buffy stepped back to assess the damage and realized there had been none. Rugal made no sound or motion to indicate that he had been injured in any way.
"What's wrong? Why didn't that hurt him?" asked Buffy.
"He's the chief of the tribe. My magic isn't strong enough," confessed Reina.
Rugal rose to his feet again and Buffy tossed another kick at his head and Rugal grabbed it in mid swing. He twisted the leg, sent Buffy spinning to the ground and kicked her in the stomach. As Buffy attempted to rise to her feet Rugal sent another bolt of light at his daughter. Reina screamed in agony as the light connected with her flesh.
*****
"What happened?" asked Xander several yards away from the battle with Rugal. He rubbed his eyes trying to clear the fog from his head.
"You were knocked out," replied Angel.
"That's me, Mr. Knocked Out," said Xander.
"You bought them some time anyway," said Angel.
"Where'd Giles go?" asked Willow.
"Here he comes," replied Oz as Giles, Cordelia and Wesley approached them.
"What are you doing here, I thought you two were watching the van?" asked Willow.
"Well we were, but when you failed to show up I decided we should come looking," replied Wesley.
"Yeah, that's why you were looking for a place to take a whiz when Giles found us," added Cordelia.
"Ah Wes, you certainly know how to make us feel special," said Xander.
"Giles, what's going on? What was that screaming noise?" asked Oz.
"It seems that there are two of those rather unpleasant snake creatures. One of them is the chief of one of the ancient demon clans I mentioned earlier. The other one is his daughter, the girl who has shown an interest in Rob. From what I gathered, because Rob is from the rival clan she has ostracized herself from her father who is now trying to kill her."
"Can't we stop him?" asked Willow.
"Not likely. Since the creature has no true physical form, only attacks on the soul will effect it," answered Wesley.
"Which is precisely what she's trying to do, but her efforts have been far from fruitful," confirmed Giles.
"What about Buffy? If she can't rip it apart she'll be killed," said Xander.
"Buffy is in no real danger and neither are we. The chief is only after his daughter and Willow's cousin. He may hurt the rest of us, but it's doubtful he'll kill us," explained Angel.
"Hey, Rob's one of those demons too, right? Maybe he could help that other one," suggested Cordelia.
"I doubt he could. He doesn't know how to use his powers," said Wesley.
"But if he really is a demon some of it should come naturally," replied Angel.
"That might even work if he wasn't going to be out cold for the next 3 quarters of an hour," said Xander.
"Too bad we don't have a really big alarm clock," replied Willow.
"Digital or the old kind with the bells?" asked Xander.
"There might be a way to wake him up now," said Angel.
"What?" asked Wesley.
"Well if I bit him it would set off a reaction that would probably wake him up. Might even set off some of his power."
"That's right. Since he's a demon, any vampire who tries to sire him will cause the demon in him to retaliate," agreed Giles.
"But what if the demon in him doesn't kick in?" said Willow as another scream permeated the night.
"Then he'll have two bite marks in his neck when his rival kills him. Either way, we don't have much to lose," said Oz.
"Well, bon appetite," said Cordelia.
Angel looked to Willow for the final go ahead. She nodded her head and Angel's face morphed into its vampire mask. He picked up Rob's head and quickly set his teeth into Rob's neck. For a moment nothing happened and then Rob snapped into action. He grabbed Angel by his neck with his left arm as his right arm morphed into a wooden stake. He hurled his arm towards Angel's heart, but Angel grabbed it only inches away from his chest. Oz and Xander ran over to Rob and pulled him away from Angel. Rob finally started to realize where he was. He looked at his arm and muttered, "Holy shit."
"You know why you did that, don't you?" asked Angel as he walked towards the young demon.
Rob nodded his head slowly. "Where is she?" he asked.
Buffy swung another punch at Rugal's stomach, but her fatigue was beginning to show. The punch missed its mark leaving her open for a brutal kick to the head that sent her to the ground again. Reina desperately tried to hit him with her magic again, but the results were the same every time—nothing. Rugal retaliated right away with his own bolt of magic, striking the female demon and making her howl in pain. Buffy realized that it was taking Reina longer and longer to strike back as the battle continued. Suddenly Willow, Cordelia, Angel and Xander started shouting out to Rugal from behind him. As he faced these new spectators Wesley and Giles picked up Buffy from the ground and raced her to safety. Realizing that the vampire and teenagers were of no threat to him he returned his attention to Reina, but to his surprise Rob had joined her. Rob put his hand in Reina's as Rugal sent another bolt at them. Neither of them so much as flinched when the bolt connected with them.
"What!" exclaimed Rugal.
"Try to hurt her again and I swear to God…" began Rob.
"Silence!" shouted Rugal as he sent bolt after bolt at the couple.
"Goodbye, father," whispered Reina as the two young demons sent a streak of magic at Rugal. The spell connected and Rugal's scream echoed throughout the empty streets as the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. Moments later he dissipated into a shower of large sparks, leaving only a pile of ash where he once stood.
*****
Xander walked into the auditorium of Sunnydale High School. The set for the play was still in place on stage. Couches and a coffee table filled with glasses and empty pizza boxes set the mood for the party scene. A young girl sat impatiently in the front row of the vacant auditorium. "Hello, Anya," greeted Xander.
"Hey," replied Anya.
"So...I don't exactly know how to start something like this."
"Well, we should probably start by getting on the couch."
"Okay," replied Xander as they both walked onto the stage and slowly seated themselves on the couch. "So far so good," said Xander with a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Now, the making out." He put one hand on her shoulder and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"You call that making out? You kissed me like I have the plague or something."
"Why not? You were probably alive during it."
"That's beside the point. Now kiss me on the lips."
"The lips?"
"Those thin pink things in the lower portion of my face."
"I know where they are."
"Then use them!"
"Alright!" exclaimed Xander as he gave Anya a deep kiss. He suddenly found his arms around her as her own hands gently caressed his back. Xander broke the kiss with but kept his arms around her. "So, how do they talk?" asked Anya.
"Who?"
"My lips? How do they talk?"
"In about 20 different languages."
She smiled and began to kiss Xander again. They both leaned back into the couch groping each other over their clothing. A few moments later there was a resounding thud as they fell from the couch to the floor of the auditorium. "Is this what they mean when they say love hurts?" asked Anya.
"Not unless they mean the cherry maple kind of hurt," replied Xander as he tapped on the floor.
*****
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Willow as she mashed some roots in bowl on the table in the center of the library.
"If I don't then I doubt I'll be able to sleep at night. I've got to take this opportunity to learn more about myself and my past," replied Rob.
"This is really a golden opportunity for them," said Giles as Willow passed him the roots and he added it to a test tube of liquid he had in his hand. "Considering Reina's lineage, she is a fine candidate to lead a movement to reunite the two clans."
"At which time they'll come back to Earth and claim it," added Wesley.
"Which won't concern us because we'll all have passed into the next life by then," replied Giles.
"As well as your great-grandchildren's great-grandchildren I'm sure," said Reina.
"Good enough for me," agreed Cordelia. "Let's just send you on your way before any other demons come after you."
"It should be easy enough using the spell I told you. I just never tried it because I thought there was nothing to back to," explained Reina.
"Yes, it seems to have come together quite nicely," confirmed Giles. "We should be done any moment now."
"Umm…Guys, could I just have a minute alone with Rob to say good-bye?" asked Willow.
"Sure, Will, sure," answered Buffy. Giles, Reina and Wesley all left the room and Buffy was about to follow when she noticed Cordelia had failed to move from her chair.
"What?" asked Cordelia as Buffy's gaze met her own. "Fine," sulked Cordelia as she slowly rose from her chair and walked out of the room with Buffy close behind.
"So, will I ever see you again?" asked Willow.
"Not unless you're into traveling between dimensions," replied Rob.
"Then I just want to say I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Well, let's see…we poisoned you and then we nearly got you killed by knocking you out."
"But you also sang to me," replied Rob with a smile.
"What?"
"Willow, you did what you thought was best for me. You've always been the sensible one. This time it backfired, that's all."
"Like one of those powder kegs."
He laughed. "Take care of yourself."
Willow embraced him tenderly. "You too, Rob. You too."
THE END