Disclamer: I do not own any of these chracters except Mitzi and Brian. If you would like to use either of them for one of your own stories, I would be delighted, but please ask first

Part 1

"Houses hold many secrets"

Buffy silently read from her Literature book, thinking about the significance of the passage.

"Silently speaking of the past they keep it in, promising to keep it for all eternity"

*What in the world is that supposed to mean? * she thought, trying to process the author's thoughts but falling short.

"A person's soul is in many ways like a house. Our walls may be torn down, our thoughts and emotions displaced, but some mysteries we shall never omit."

At that moment Willow burst through the door to the dorm room they shared, interrupting Buffy's studying.

"Guess what? There's this HUGE seminar on the human mind next month. It's really exclusive though, and you have to apply to get in. Riley's already been accepted and he said he thinks you'd be too. I'm gonna go get a form in a few minutes. Wanna come with?"

"Sure", the slayer replied, trying to get herself as hyped up as Willow.

"Great! I'm just going to change and then we can go." The hacker disappeared into the bathroom and reemerged a few minutes later wearing a flattering blue sundress.

"Ready?"

"Yeah." Buffy offered up a smile and grabbed her bag. Riley was waiting outside and they all walked together towards the registration building.

"You're applying too?" he asked the slayer with a shy grin.

"I guess. Will talked me into it."

By then the red brick registration building loomed in front of them. They went in and Willow and Buffy grabbed registration forms and sat down to fill them out. Riley stood nearby.

Buffy frowned at one of the questions and turned to her new boyfriend.

"Riley, do you think...?"

She was interrupted by a scream at the other end of the building. She instantaneously dropped her things and whipped a stake out of her pocket. Willow did the same and Riley pulled a gun out of his jacket. Together they ran over to find a woman being sucked by a vampire. Which would have seemed perfectly normal to Buffy, except he was standing in a broad beam of sunlight. He didn't seem to have the slightest sort of sunburn and in fact he was well tanned. When he saw the slayer and her friends he dropped the victim, unconscious, to the ground. She lay there without moving, but no one dared to come help her.

The attacker spoke smoothly and seemed sure of what he was doing.

"He-llo Slayer. I've been expecting you."

Buffy felt a pang of fear. This was obviously no ordinary vamp. She tried to act calmer then she felt.

"I'm sure you have. And I'm also sure I'm going to kill you now."

She lunged forward but he was too quick for her. He grabbed her foot and was about to brake it when Willow and Riley charged him. Willow was just about to stab him with her stake when he disappeared. The three fighters fell to the ground in shock. His scornful laughter followed him and they could hear it echoing through the hallowed halls like the Cheshire Cat's in Alice in Wonderland.

Buffy looked paler than all of the demons she had ever met combined. She struggled to speak.

"W-what the heck was that?"