Buffy hummed as she walked into Giles' house for the meeting. "What's up, guys?" Xander, Willow, Oz, and Cordelia all stood rather stonily in the house.
"Giles is dead, Buffy. Something came into the house last night." Xander muttered, hoping Buffy wouldn't freak out too badly. "It scratched him with some kind of poison. Look at the banister." Buffy put a look of despair mixed with terror on her pretty face. She gasped, and ran to the stairs.
"I tested the wood." Willow said dully. "It's pure poison. Giles was practically pumped full of it, and he was only scratched a few times."
"Buffy, I'm sorry." Willow touched Buffy's shoulder lightly, trying to comfort her friend.
"I know. Does anyone else know? We have to call the cops, don't we?" Buffy tried to make her voice waver, just a little.
"I can't believe he's dead." She added, just for good measure.
"I know, neither can I." Cordelia put in. "No use crying or fussing, though. I mean, that takes such a toll on your complexion." 'Why get wrinkles for a little old tweed-wearing librarian?'
"Thanks for all the sympathy, Cordelia. We'd all do the same for you." Oz muttered.
"I'm sure she's grieving inside, right, Cordelia? Want to go shopping later on? I mean, after the police question us and everything?" Buffy asked, phone to her ear; finger involved in dialing 911.
After the last cop had cleared the house, taking Giles' body with them, the Scooby Gang sat on the front steps of Giles' house, trying to think of what to do now that the watcher was gone.
"I think we should go patrolling. I mean, wouldn't Buffy be doing that if Giles were still here?" Willow asked, head cocked slightly.
"Give the girl a break, would you? Her G-man just got brutally clawed." Xander patted Buffy on the back. "Want to go home, Buff?"
"Yeah. Do you think you could take me?" Buffy's eyes were tear glazed, and she looked like a lost puppy.
"Sure." On the drive home, Buffy was silent. Xander just assumed that she felt bad about not being there to help Giles. When the car pulled into the driveway, Buffy asked Xander to drive her to the Bronze, just to cheer her up. When they got inside, she insisted on walking through the alley, to dust some vamps.
"Are you sure, Buffy? I mean, Angel must've been tough, you know, the Prom thing?" Buffy's head whipped around.
"How did you know?" Xander stammered, knowing he'd blown his cover.
"Um, I sort-of was with Giles when he told him that it'd be best if Angel left." Xander looked embarrassed to be the cause of more of his friend's pain.
"I knew it!" In the dark alley, Xander was sure Buffy's eyes changed color, but it could've been the half-out neon light shining over the door.
"You made him leave. He left me because he wanted to do what you thought was best! You're just jealous! I'm going to make you pay, Xander." Buffy pointed at him with her lengthening index finger nail.
"I'm going to make you pay!" Buffy stabbed Xander through the heart with her poisoned nail. As soon as Xander's heart stopped spilling his life's blood out the wound, Buffy's face changed back into that of a human, and she strolled back into the club.
"Two down, two to go." Buffy smiled at her nails, as she walked calmly to Xander's car.
"This is going to be easier than I thought!" Buffy drove into the dark night, ready for the new day.
"Giles is dead, Buffy. Something came into the house last night." Xander muttered, hoping Buffy wouldn't freak out too badly. "It scratched him with some kind of poison. Look at the banister." Buffy put a look of despair mixed with terror on her pretty face. She gasped, and ran to the stairs.
"I tested the wood." Willow said dully. "It's pure poison. Giles was practically pumped full of it, and he was only scratched a few times."
"Buffy, I'm sorry." Willow touched Buffy's shoulder lightly, trying to comfort her friend.
"I know. Does anyone else know? We have to call the cops, don't we?" Buffy tried to make her voice waver, just a little.
"I can't believe he's dead." She added, just for good measure.
"I know, neither can I." Cordelia put in. "No use crying or fussing, though. I mean, that takes such a toll on your complexion." 'Why get wrinkles for a little old tweed-wearing librarian?'
"Thanks for all the sympathy, Cordelia. We'd all do the same for you." Oz muttered.
"I'm sure she's grieving inside, right, Cordelia? Want to go shopping later on? I mean, after the police question us and everything?" Buffy asked, phone to her ear; finger involved in dialing 911.
After the last cop had cleared the house, taking Giles' body with them, the Scooby Gang sat on the front steps of Giles' house, trying to think of what to do now that the watcher was gone.
"I think we should go patrolling. I mean, wouldn't Buffy be doing that if Giles were still here?" Willow asked, head cocked slightly.
"Give the girl a break, would you? Her G-man just got brutally clawed." Xander patted Buffy on the back. "Want to go home, Buff?"
"Yeah. Do you think you could take me?" Buffy's eyes were tear glazed, and she looked like a lost puppy.
"Sure." On the drive home, Buffy was silent. Xander just assumed that she felt bad about not being there to help Giles. When the car pulled into the driveway, Buffy asked Xander to drive her to the Bronze, just to cheer her up. When they got inside, she insisted on walking through the alley, to dust some vamps.
"Are you sure, Buffy? I mean, Angel must've been tough, you know, the Prom thing?" Buffy's head whipped around.
"How did you know?" Xander stammered, knowing he'd blown his cover.
"Um, I sort-of was with Giles when he told him that it'd be best if Angel left." Xander looked embarrassed to be the cause of more of his friend's pain.
"I knew it!" In the dark alley, Xander was sure Buffy's eyes changed color, but it could've been the half-out neon light shining over the door.
"You made him leave. He left me because he wanted to do what you thought was best! You're just jealous! I'm going to make you pay, Xander." Buffy pointed at him with her lengthening index finger nail.
"I'm going to make you pay!" Buffy stabbed Xander through the heart with her poisoned nail. As soon as Xander's heart stopped spilling his life's blood out the wound, Buffy's face changed back into that of a human, and she strolled back into the club.
"Two down, two to go." Buffy smiled at her nails, as she walked calmly to Xander's car.
"This is going to be easier than I thought!" Buffy drove into the dark night, ready for the new day.