AN:Here is chapter two. Three will be up in a bit. I was planning on posting this at the same time I published the story, but an error prevented it.
Hewasbornover 1500 yearsagoontheEmeraldIsle. Overthecenturies, hehasfoughtmanybattles, butheisatheart, ateacher, ascholar, alover, afather.
Fortwocenturies, hehasdedicatedhimselftolearningtobattledemons, vampiresandtheforcesofdarkness. HecametotheNewWorldbecauseitisatimeofprophecy. Histimeisnow.
Willow was walking with Buffy. It was just after dark, and no badness was to be expected until after Halloween. "So, I mean, he's like excited, right?"
"I don't know, Will. He's not really one for showing his feelings all out there, you know."
They were walking past the pumpkin patch when a vampire stepped out of the bushes. "I'm going to take you down, Slayer."
"Well," Buffy said with a tight grin as she passed her purse to Willow and grabbed a stake out of it, "At least you have a goal in life. Or, un-life. Better than most of them around here." She kicked him in his midsection as he came at her, and he backed off but didn't fall, staggering toward the pumpkins.
"That all you got, Slayer? You don't really pack that much of a punch. I have to say there are humans who have impressed me more," he said, dropping into a crouch and taking a swing at her legs with his.
She jumped over his leg easily. "Will you be impressed when you're dust?"
He moved in, the talking part of the fight over, to all appearances. He body-slammed Buffy to the ground, and went to do more. Willow had a stake out in case he had any ideas of coming after her. Buffy rolled him, and went to stake him and he kicked her back onto a jack-o-lantern.
Buffy got up, grabbed a little pumpkin and chucked it at him. He was a little startled by this, but recovered. She threw another one, and Willow giggled as it hit him between the eyes. Buffy threw her stake at him, but he sidestepped, catching the stake. Buffy looked slightly concerned, and the vamp looked determined.
"Buffy we're going to be late!" Willow called out.
"Right, Wills, need to finish this guy off."
Buffy kicked the vampire in the face, and went for a second kick only to have the vampire grab her foot and twist her down onto the ground. The vampire leaned over the fallen Slayer only to get kicked in the chest and knocked back into Willows stake which pierced the heart, dusting the vampire.
He was here. This was good. This time he would realize just how much he needed her. There was no one else, she had made sure of it. He of course didn't know the gift of death she had given his last mortal lover, he wasn't ready to understand the devotion it took to kill her the way she did, as opposed to the way she wanted to. Immortals weren't meant to love mortals. It was just wrong; one did not have sex with one's pet. She shuddered at the thought and her thoughts drifted to the last time she'd had the pleasure of a man.
"I apologize for the wait, Ma'am," a voice broke her out of her thoughts.
"Accepted, I need a room for three nights," she said to the servant, he didn't think he was one, but that didn't matter. She was his better, they both knew it, on at least a subconscious level for him, why else would he apologize to her?
"Of course," he said bringing up a map of the hotel, "What were you looking for? A single, double or king?"
"King sized, suite if you have them, with a kitchen," she said.
"Very good ma'am." The man was efficient, and polite. That went far with her, it was her due, but it cost nothing to appreciate the efforts of one's lessers—soon to be subjects—once it was just her and him. She didn't care for the prize, but the power of all the Immortals in the two of them should give them enough to rule this world openly, and if not the simple weight of years gave them the money to conquer it openly, though that would be messy.
"Here is your key and your coupon book, there are some really good deals in there. Do you need a bus schedule or the numbers of the local cab companies? " he asked.
"No, that won't be necessary." She said and turned and headed to her room. She got her cell phone out, she went through the phone quickly and put it to her ear.
"Johns, I am now resettled. I am at the Applewood Inn on Central, room number 112. I will give you a copy of the key when you prepare my supper, " she paused for a few minutes while the person on the other line spoke , then continued, "Excellent. Bring them I want to look over them, if they are truly acceptable, I'll have another job for you." There was another pause, then she spoke again, "Good, I will see you in a couple of hours, I think I want red meat tonight, though. Seeing him again …well, never mind."
She disconnected the phone without a goodbye and went into her room. She sighed, there was something she needed to do and soon or it was going to drive her to distraction. She got into her bags and pulled the tool out, it wasn't as good as the real thing would be, but it would grant her some time of peace, she went to the bed with small smile coming to her lips and turned off the lights.
Willow walked into the Bronze right behind Buffy. There wasn't anywhere that they stop before they got there , so there were still bits of straw and pumpkin goop in her hair . Angel was standing at a table near the door, and he'd caught sight of Buffy as soon as she'd walked in, so an emergency trip to the bathroom was out of the question. Willow proceeded to do what she could before Angel could get up close and personal, but Slaying really didn't go well with hair and wardrobe. Worse yet, Cordelia had been drooling over him and even worser he was in front of her. "Oh, hi," Buffy said, almost wringing her hands, "I'm…"
"Late," he finished for her.
"Rough day at the office," she told him.
He picked the last strand of straw from Buffy's hair, and handed it to her. "So I see."
"Hey," she said, getting a little defensive, "It's a look," she hesitated. "A seasonal look," she told him fiercely.
Cordelia walked up to them then. "Buffy," she smiled evilly, "Love your hair. It just screams street urchin," she said then walked away, but the damage was done.
"You know what? I need to go," she paused. "Put a bag over my head."
"She's just jealous because you make more a year than her father," Willow said, grabbing her arm before she could even turn around.
"Don't worry about Cordelia," Angel assured her, "You look fine." With the pressure of both of them, Buffy caved. "Let's get out of here and find somewhere else. I don't feel like a crowd tonight," Angel implored.
The prospect of alone time seemed to appeal to her. "Ok," she agreed finally.
Willow hugged her. "Have a good time."
Angel slid his hand down her arm, and laced his fingers in hers wordlessly, but the gesture was met with an actual smile. "Where do you want to go?"
"I'm kind of hungry," she admitted.
"I hear slaying does that," he told her, as they exited the club, leaving Willow feeling a little bereft but she hadn't really thought about what she would do after Angel and Buffy got all date-y. She sat down at a nearby empty table, and moments later she was joined by a miffed Cordelia, who sat a cappuccino down in front of her, and another in front of herself.
"Why did he leave with her? I'm obviously more attractive, and can dress way better than her."
"Cordelia, they are in love. I don't think either of them has thought about anyone else for like a year now."
"Isn't he a little old for her?"
Willow shrugged. "Yeah, but I think it's more important that he knows she is the Slayer and can fight along side her."
A carrot-topped boy walked past their table and that caught Cordelia 's attention.
"Oz," she said as she caught his arm.
"What?" he asked. "I need to get to the stage. It's bad enough that Devon isn't here, I don't need to be late. "
"I just wanted to know where Devon was."
"Home sick. He got food poisoning from that place up in Santa Barbara we stopped at on the way home last night."
"Oh."
"Cordelia, are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"What friend ? Where?"
"Right next to you," he said with a smile, turning to Willow. He took her hand and gently kissed it. "Hi, I'm Oz. I'm with the band."
"I , uh, w-w-w-well, I," Willow blushed hard and couldn't continue.
"Her name is Willow," Cordelia said with a roll of her eyes. "Devon is really sick?" she asked a little too earnestly.
"Yeah , he is…Willow. That's a pretty name," Oz said.
"Oz is nice , too…I mean, thank you…uhhh…"
"You're cute."
"Hey OZ! Come on! We need to start our set!" a voice called from the stage.
"I gotta go, it was nice to meet you, Willow. Maybe I could buy you a drink after our set?"
"Uhhh…yeah…sure…that would be great," Willow said, her voice getting smaller with each word.
"Great, I'll see you in a couple of hours," he said, and headed toward the stage.
"We ll, if that isn't just rude. Totally ignoring me and my pain."
"I'm sure that he didn't mean to, Cordelia."
"Maybe I should go see Devon at home," Cordelia said to Willow with a frown. "I mean, if he 's sick, I should be there with him."
"He's got food poisoning, that means he's probably puking his guts up."
"Or maybe not."
Oz and the rest of the band worked really hard to make up for the fact that Devon was gone, but it just wasn't the same. He was their lead singer and his absence meant that the rest of them were trying to do vocals they hadn't practiced, or hadn't quite gotten down. Finally, they decided just to jam with the music, leaving the vocals out, and that finally got people out on the floor.
Oz watched Cordelia and Willow when he could, but being on stage, he had to pay attention to cues from the rest of the band, and to his guitar. It was ten o'clock when they broke for the night . "Thank you, everyone, and good night," Oz said into the mike. He glanced over at the table where Cordie and Willow were sitting, and it looked like Willow was leaving. "Hey, Sam, will you put my guitar away?" he asked, pulling the strap off his shoulder and holding the instrument out.
"Sure, Oz," Sam said, grabbing it and Oz hopped down from the stage.
"Hey," he said to Willow, intercepting her just before she got to the door.
"Hey," she said back to him, "I gotta go, my Mom will be expecting me."
Cordelia came up behind Willow then, " Let me spare you the humiliation, Willow. Run on home and play with your books."
Oz looked at Willow, and he knew that Cordie was doing everything she could to hurt her, and he hated her for it, for just a moment, "It's ok, " he said, "If your Mom is expecting you home, you should go."
"Well, she's out of town, but I told her I'd be home by eleven. I can stay for a little while though."
"Ok, great," Oz said, beaming at her, and he guided her over to one of the smaller tables, one with only two chairs.
Xander walked around the corner through the mill of students and found the Principal stapling fliers to one of the many bulletin boards. It had gotten around the school that he was dedicated to his job, and everyone that he'd talked now had met with him, at least briefly. No one really knew what to make of him, but he at least had the respect of the majority of the student body.
"Hey, Mr. Stone, whatcha doing?"
"I am putting up fliers about the Trick-or-Treat safety volunteer program, laddie," the principal told him. It seemed like everyone was either a 'laddie' or a 'lass,' or occasionally a 'lad' or 'lassie.' Principal Stone considered him for a moment. "Would you be up to helping me put these fliers up before class?"
"I, uh, sure, Mr. Stone," he said, grabbing the stapler.
"You'll be wanting to volunteer as well, won't you, laddie?"
"I think we have plans for popcorn and cheesy movies at the Buffster's house."
"Aye, and the tikes need to be back by 6:30. Plenty of time for young adults to have fun after, especially with the incentives you'll be getting."
Xander perked up at that. "Incentives?"
"Certainly, laddie. I'm giving everyone who takes a group out the weight in candy that their weans bring back, or cash on the pound."
Xander scanned the flier quickly. It said just what Mr. Stone had told him. It also said that volunteers had to wear costumes. "So, sign up, show up in a costume, take some kids out for a couple of hours, get candy?" Xander asked, and the principal nodded. "Aren't you worried about the whole school being sugared up the day after?"
"No, you are all responsible young adults, and I trust that you can show some restraint at this point in your lives."
Xander stopped, stunned, for an entire minute. "That's evil, Mr. Stone."
Mr. Stone took the rest of the fliers from Xander with a grin. "You should be getting to class, shouldn't you, Mr. Harris?"
Xander had a one of the fliers Principle Stone had been hanging up that morning. Excitement radiated from him as he extolled the virtues of their new principal. "So, I thought we could go shopping for costumes tonight. There's a new place over on Central we could check out."
"Costume shopping?" Giles asked as he walked out of his office.
"Yeah, you know, dressing up, taking little kids out for trick-or-treating," Buffy said. "I really don't want to, but I feel bad that I don't want to."
Giles chuckled. "It's called civic duty. Sometimes you do things because it's the right thing to do. Who's going patrolling tonight?"
"I'll take a swing through, Angel said he would do some too, later on. There's not anything in particular that we need to be watching for is there?"
"No, nothing's come up, it should be quiet," Giles said as he picked up one of the fliers, "Oh dear lord, is the man daft? I do hope you are planning on being responsible with this, Xander."
Xander sighed. "Mr. Stone already gave me the responsible-young-adults speech."
"And what about you, Buffy?"
"I'll go, but I'm kinda bummed out that my one night a year off is going to be taken up by civic responsibility. "
Xander was hopping with excitement over lunch, barely paying attention to Buffy and Willow discussing costumes. He got up, heading over to the drink machine, putting in the appropriate amount of change and hitting the button, but nothing came out. He looked up and noticed that Larry, one of the guys from the football team, and therefore one of his archenemies had come up to talk to him. "Harris."
"Larry. Looking very cro mag, as usual. What can I do for you?"
Larry very obviously leered at Buffy and Willow then turned his attention back to Xander. "You and Buffy, you're just friends, right?"
"I like to think of it less as a friendship and more as a solid foundation for future bliss."
Larry's eyes grew steely cold, and he snapped, "So, she's not your girlfriend."
"Alas, no. "
"You think she'd go out with me?"
"Well, Lar, that's a hard question…no, not a chance," he said, remembering the sickening way her eyes got dreamy when Angel's name was mentioned.
"Why not? I heard some of the guys say she's fast."
Xander nearly lost his temper right there, but he held his cool for the moment, "I hope you mean 'like the wind.'"
Larry ogled the girls again. "You know what I mean."
Xander grabbed Larry by the shirt, losing all reign on his temper at that point, "That's my friend you're talking about."
Larry puffed his chest out, unmoved by Xander's physical displays, and said, "Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?"
"I'm going to do what any man would do. Something…damn manly."
He pushed at Larry, who didn't budge, and Larry cocked his fist back, and Xander prepared himself for the impact , but someone grabbed his fist, pulling it back. Xander let go as Larry was spun around, slamming into the soda machine, which dispensed something due to the impact. By Buffy. "Get gone," she said, and Larry scurried off.
Buffy, oblivious to Xander's completely stunned state, picked up the soda, "Ooh , diet," she said, popping the top and heading back to where Willow was sitting.
"Do you know what you just did?" he asked her.
"Saved a dollar?"
"Larry was about to pummel me."
"Oh, that. Forget about it."
"I will, maybe fifteen, twenty years from now. When my rep for being a sissy-man finally fades."
She looked torn, but Xander was too upset to hear whatever apology she had for him,
"Xander," she started but he cut her off.
"A black eye heals, Buffy. But cowardice has a nearly unlimited shelf life," he said, and disgusted with the conversation he told her, "But thanks. Thanks for your help." He stalked off after that and left the lunch room.
Willow looked up as Buffy came back from saving Xander. "I think I just violated the guy code, big time."
"Poor Xander. Boys are so fragile," Willow commented, and it dimmed her glow just a little.
"Speaking of, how was your date last night?"
"Good. We got take out and sat in a graveyard. Very Slayerish."
"Did you kiss him?"
"Willow, you know that a girl shouldn't kiss and tell," Buffy gave her a hard look.
"Speaking of which, what's with the glow-y Willow? Did Xander finally admit to undying love or something?"
"Oh, ah, no."
"Well then what? I know you, and you're just dying to spill, so, come on, spill."
"After you left the Bronze, Cordelia was there, and ah, um."
"I know who Cordelia is, Willow."
"And she's dating Devon, but he wasn't there."
"Right, which is why she was drooling all over my honey because I was late. Leave no stone unturned, that's Cordelia."
"So there was this guy, and he's in the band, you know, the one that plays, um, music."
"Dingoes Ate my Baby?"
"Yeah, that one," Willow said, lighting up. "And Cordelia kind of stopped him and he kind of noticed me."
"You like him, don't you?"
"I, ah, well, um, yeah," Willow admitted finally, deflating.
"Did you get a name?"
"Oz," Willow said, taking a deep breath. "And he's cute and I watched him play guitar for like two hours and then I didn't want to talk to him because maybe he was just being nice when Cordelia was there and so I started to leave but then he stopped me and Cordelia said mean things, but all I could do was look at him and he's so cute and he bought me a drink and he talked to me, and I think he really likes me and," she caught sight of an unruly mop of red hair and she stopped.
"Hey, Willow," Oz said, coming around the corner. She knew she was glowing again and she couldn't help it.
"Hi," she said.
"I'm Buffy," Buffy told him, holding her hand out. He shook it. "I need to stop by the library before class. Talk to you after?"
Willow nodded happily and turned her full attention to Oz.
"So…have you decided what you'll dress up as Buffy?" Willow asked.
"No…not yet. Still thinking a quiet evening home would be nice," Buffy said.
"Oh no, no, Bufster…we have a deal. I get your candy in exchange for premature forgiveness, no backing out," Xander said.
"Ok, Xander, if this really will make you feel better," Buffy said.
"It's chocolaty goodness, Buffy. Of course it will make me feel better," Xander said.
Willow giggled at the exchange then she eeped and called out, "Buffy!"
Buffy and Xander headed over to the excited redhead and a vaguely familiar pink costume.
"Wow, Wills, is that what I think it is?"
"It most certainly is, my dear," Ethan said coming over to them.
"Is it really from the show?" Willow asked.
"Yes, worn by Barbara Eden herself, I think this one was the one she used in the first two seasons, or one of them at any rate," Ethan said.
"It looks like a perfect fit, Buffy. Shame we can't get Angel in an Air Force uniform," Willow said.
"Why would we want to get Angel in an Air Force uniform except to get him arrested?" Xander quipped, only to have his stomach become much too familiar with Buffy's elbow.
"Sorry …" he wheezed.
"Angel playing Major Tony Nelson to my Jeanie? Be still my beating heart," Buffy gushed as Xander gagged, only halfway from his unfortunate encounter with her elbow.
"Well, this piece will certainly make your friend wish he could be Major Nelson, dear," Ethan said.
"Yeah…but an actual costume? I could never…" Buffy was interrupted by Willow placing a hand over her mouth.
"She'll take it, she just got a raise in her allowance, one that she forgot about," Willow said.
"Willow!" Buffy said taking her friend's hand from her mouth.
"You'll thank me for this, Buffy! Just think of Cordelia 's reaction to Angel's reaction to you in it," Willow said.
"Is anyone concerned with my reaction to Angel's reaction to Buffy in that?" Xander interjected.
"No," both girls said at the same time.
"Just thought I'd ask," Xander said, moving off to either void his stomach or do some shopping on his own.
"So…you'll take it?" Ethan asked.
"Yes, she will," Willow spoke up before Buffy could say anything.
"Excellent. Let's get it packaged up."
Spike watched the video of the Slayer fighting the goon he sent after her. Damnation she was a tough bird. She was going to be the toughest Slayer kill of his entire life…and it would be sweeter for it. But that didn't mean he wasn't currently VERY PISSED OFF. He screamed in rage as he watched the slayer off the underling, not because she had dusted the underling, but because of HOW it had happened. What was this?
"Spikey is upset," Dru half sang.
"Damn right I'm upset. This isn't fair…who ever heard of a Slayer with FRIENDS? They are supposed to be the ultimate Lone Ranger type. Fucking Batgirls with Batman's attitudes. This one…she's different. Dangerously different."
"How so, Boss?" the vampire that had been playing the tape asked.
"Haven't you been paying attention you moron? She's got FRIENDS, and a family that support her and give her something that much more to fight for. Every other Slayer I've killed has been alone except for their usually next-to-useless Watchers," Spike let out another growl of frustration at his mention of the Watchers.
"I don't understand…" the underling started before exploding into dust.
"Let that be a lesson to the rest of you …I pay for brains as much as muscle!" Spike yelled, while Dru started humming, while she played with her cards.
"Ummm…boss…this might not be the best idea…but hmmmm…why not kill her friends? If they are such a problem?" Another lackey said.
"Kill her friends….hmmmm….if I could get them alone…that might actually work! Glad I thought of it …I am a GENIUS!" Spike said.
"Uhhh…yes sir…"
"Oh…come off you stupid sod…I was kidding. It really is a good idea. Yes ….Dru…what IS that that you are humming? It sounds familiar."
"Spaceman….in a bottle …show her navel she does not…" Dru continued to the tune she was humming.
"What are you going on about Dru…love?"
"She's insane , Spike," the lackey with the idea said.
"True enough…but my Dru is insane in a very special way …tell Spike Dru…what does it mean darling?"
"In pink she will be…color TV…she will not know the night …but she will know the light." Dru continued…some how keeping the words in that same maddeningly familiar song.
"What is that song?" Spike asked himself.
"It almost sounds like the theme from ' I Dream of Jeannie '," another minion asked.
"That's it! What does it mean Dru…tell your Spike…what does it mean?" Spike knelt before Drusilla .
"The Slayer will be in living color… at eight…seven central…on all of your NBC stations," Dru started laughing, then after a moment continued, "Someone is playing a really fun prank on Halloween…this year will be FUN. Kill her Spike…while she's dressed in pink? Kill her for your Drusillia? "
"Are you saying what I think you are saying, pet?" Spike asked a grin growing on his face.
"She can be canceled on Halloween," Dru said, out of her ravings and clearly making a joke.
"I love you, Dru!" Spike said.
"Dance with me, Spikey?"
"Of course…this is a moment to celebrate! However…instead of killing her…I want to make her suffer a bit …maybe turning one of her friends?"
"Oh…I like that…Spike, yes…kill the Slayer's friends…make me a friend ? It's been a long time since I've been able to talk girl things…" Dru said.
"Yes…she'll do nicely…" Spike said, rewinding and pausing the playback and pointing at the redhead that interfered at such an inopportune moment.
"Yes …Spike! Red will be FUN! Can she be our little girl?"
"You want to do it?"
Dru nodded.
"Very well, pet…she shall be yours."
Ethan was pleased by the number of customers coming into the shop...of course the spell he cast to make it a little more enticing didn't hurt. Even if his plans for Halloween fizzled, and he didn't expect them too, he was making money hand over fist. Say what you would about America and Americans, any sod with two brain cells to rub together could make a killing in this country. Just this morning he sold the Jeanie costume...now where she came across the twenty thousand dollars to pay for it he didn't know, but her card went through and it was a debit card. Wonderful innovations...much more peace of mind with those than credit for the merchants of the world. Yes indeed, it was a good day.
Then he saw him enter the store...damnit...why did HE have to be here. Ethan ducked below the counter and quickly put on a Ronald Reagan mask. He just COULDN'T be recognized . The bell rang as the door opened to admit his least welcome customer, Ian Stone. Immortal, and as far as Ethan knew, still employed by the Watcher's council. He would prove to be a problem if he found out what was going to happen before it happened. However, every cloud did have its silver lining, if Ian was in here, that meant that he was here to buy a costume, which meant he'd be affected by the spell. Ethan smiled underneath the mask.
He approached Stone and doing his best Reagan voice said, "Can help you find something?"
"Yes, my dear..." Stone turned and saw the mask, and finished with a smirk, " I mean, Mr. President. I'm looking for something from Star Trek."
"Excellent choice , sir! Excellent indeed! I have costumes from the original series and the movies as well as the Next Generation, and nothing worn by any of the stars, unfortunately But many to choose from," Ethan said, dropping the Reagan voice, but keeping his British accent hidden.
"Excellent...I always fancied myself an engineer," Stone said.
"Right this way, sir, right this way." Ethan led him near the back of the store where he kept the Sci-Fi outfits. There was the scarf and overcoat of the third Doctor, a couple of Rebel uniforms from the Star Wars films even an outfit from Battlestar Galactica, warriors uniform, complete with holster, belt and jacket. Then the Star-Trek uniforms. There were original uniforms, movie uniforms and then uniforms from the Next Generation and Stone looked like a kid at Christmas.
"You sir, are amazing. I am glad to have stumbled into your shop," Stone said as he looked over the choices. He lingered over the original uniforms for sometime, then moved on to the movie uniforms, taking down the white radiation suit that Scotty wore in the Wrath of Kahn, and put it back. He went to the Next Generation uniforms and skipped over the blue of science and the red of command.
He took down a couple of the yellow of engineering and security. He held a couple up to himself and then selected one.
"I think this will do, Mr. President," Stone said in that damn annoying Irish accent of his. It almost was enough to make Ethan's ears bleed to hear it.
"Very well, if you'll come to the register I'll get you on your way," Ethan said.
"Excellent," Stone replied.
The two of them headed to the counter, and Ethan rang up the purchase, " That will be $435.95."
"Very well, do you take plastic?" Stone asked.
"This is America, of COURSE I take plastic," Ethan said.
"Very well," Stone said chuckling a little, swiping his card and entering his pin.
"Thank you and remember, win one for the Gipper!" Ethan asked, wondering where THAT had come from.
"Cute, very cute. Have a good day, Mr. President," Stone said and left. Ethan breathed out a sigh of relief and ripped off the mask, his hair was wet from sweat, and it wasn't just from the heat.
"Bloody hell...why did that Mick bastard have to be on the Hellmouth, NOW?"
"Are you going to see Angel tonight?" Willow asked Buffy from the bathroom .
"Yeah, after you guys leave I think we're going to have some alone time here at the house. Mom's off in some other city looking at the competition."
"Art galleries?"
"Yeah."
"Does he know about your costume?"
"Nope. It's a surprise. Come on out, Will, you can't stay in there all night."
"Okay, but don't laugh," she said, and slowly emerged from the bathroom.
"I won't," Buffy started, then she actually caught sight of Willow. "Wow," she said, impressed that the look was amazing on Wills.
"Do you really mean it, you aren't just saying that?" she asked, looking frightened.
Buffy guided her over to the full-length mirror. "Totally. I wouldn't let you go out looking less than your best tonight, and you totally look like a hot babe." Willow was still examining herself critically in the mirror when the doorbell rang. "That's Xander. You ready?"
"Yeah, okay," Willow agreed, and Buffy grinned.
"Cool! I can't wait to watch the boys go non-verbal when they see you," she said and ran out the door and down the stairs. She opened the door to find Xander in a lame "army dude" costume.
"Private Harris, reporting for-" he swallowed. "Grant me a wish oh, all-powerful Jeanie," he said, his eyes riveted on Buffy.
"I'll think about it," she said playfully. "Wait ' til you see-"
"Hi," Willow's voice came from about halfway down the stairs. Buffy and Xander turned to look at her .
"Willow ," Buffy finished, and a little amazed that her attempts to draw Willow out had worked.
Xander's eyes got huge as he took in Willow's full costume.
Buffy watched in amazement as the intelligence drained out of Xander's eyes as they moved down Willow. She knew his IQ had hit three when his tongue flopped out of his mouth and he tried to talk around it.
"What's wrong Xander?" Willow asked, worried about her best friend .
"I think he's lost the capacity to speak," Buffy told her, bemused.
"Is that it?" she asked him, actually a little bit pissed off.
"I, uh, no. I've just never seen you wear anything like that before," Xander said, trying to recover. "It kind of surprised me is all."
"It took this for you to see me as a girl?" she asked, getting up in his face, using her hands to gesture at her body then continued, "This is a fantasy, Xander!"
"I see you as a girl...just not...uhmmm...not date type girl...best friend ...that's you...but...damn...fantasy yes," he said, his eyes still roving over her newly revealed body.
"Thanks, Xander, thanks a lot ! I think I'm over the crush I've had on you for the last ten years, I never dreamed you were THIS shallow! Not 'date type', until you see me in this!" she said, then turned to Buffy. "Come on, I think there's still time to get to school if we walk."
"In my own defense...I AM sixteen! Willow ? Buffy?" He followed the girls helplessly calling after them as both ignored them.
Ian was enjoying himself, the kids in their costumes were cute as buttons...though he wondered at that particular expression...all the buttons he'd ever seen were functional, completed the outfit, but he would hesitate to call them cute. The kids however couldn't help but be adorable and the old familiar pain of his own inability to have children surfaced. He fought it down with practiced ease and started counting out the children into groups of ten for high schoolers to take.
"Beaming somewhere Mister Stone?" a familiar perky voice said.
"Miss Summers. Pleased to see you here, though given your other duties I had expected you to take tonight off," Ian said, genuinely pleased that the Slayer was here.
"I came down with a bad case of civic duty and the Pepto didn't fix it," Buffy said.
"Funny how that works, isn't it?" he responded.
"Besides, how can you say no to a face like this?" Buffy pointing down at one of her charges that was dressed as an ax-murderer victim. Ian suppressed a sigh at what parents would let their children do nowadays, he'd seen too much real violence in his days to take pleasure in its glorification.
"Not easily I suppose," Ian said, suppressing the horror he felt.
"Whoa! Mister Stone, Starfleet! So who outranks who?" Xander said with his 'troops' marching behind him in a formation that would make a drill sergeant red with anger.
"Mr. Harris, I will forever and always outrank you," Ian said with a smirk.
"Yes, sir!" Xander said, then turned to Buffy, "Buff, can you PLEASE talk to Willow for me? I've only seen her back since we left your house."
"Sorry, Xander, I can't get involved," Buffy said, not unsympathetically. Ian watched her deal with whatever it was and forced down a smile...yes...she was good. She'd make a fine leader when it became necessary.
"Please?" Xander begged.
"Give her a few days, Xander. The WORST thing you can do is push right now," Buffy said.
Xander let out a sigh, then a little boy said, "Gee, this guy's pathetic, all of this over a girl!"
"Hey! That's my best friend you're talking about!"
"All right, Mr. Harris, mind on the mission," Ian said.
"Right...right. Ok, troops! Let's head out!" Xander said as he led his "troops" out and started giving them final instructions.
"Well I suppose I better get my group and get going," Buffy said to Ian.
"Have a Happy Halloween, Miss Summers," Ian said and gathered the group he was taking himself.
"I think Devon is avoiding me, first it's food poisoning, now he's 'out of town' for his grandmother's funeral. I mean, she's his grandmother just how well could he know her?" Cordelia whined, Oz was starting to wish for a shotgun and he was starting to wonder just who he'd use it on.
"Actually I think they were quite close. He was really broken up when he told us. Tears and everything," Oz said, in lieu of what he really wanted to tell the self-centered bitch next to him. He'd decided to surprise Willow by showing up to help her with the trick-or-treaters. He wasn't in costume and had had the unfortunate luck to be cornered by Drama Queen Cordelia.
"Why did you say you were here again?" Cordelia asked.
"To help Willow with her charges tonight, it's a surprise."
"I can't escape it...I'm surrounded by losers. I was supposed to go to this really hot party, but with Devon out of town I can't go. My life sucks!"
"Why can't you go to your party?" Oz asked.
"And show up dateless? Are you insane? My reputation would be RUINED!" She played with the tail on her costume.
"Can't have that, now. Can we?" Oz said subtly scooting further away from her.
"Of course not! If I showed up dateless it would be like...something really bad."
"There's Willow. I'll see you Cordelia," Oz said and left.
"No one cares about my pain...I suffer alone."
Xander was finding this Halloween to be so not fun. Willow's reaction to HIS reaction to her outfit was...he didn't know what it was. But he knew that it would take as much chocolate as he could get to help this hurt.
He was confused then he was in pain as the mean little kid kicked him in the shin.
"Focus dummy. Forget the girl," the mean little kid said.
"Well excuse me. You know you'll understand someday," Xander said to the twerp.
"Ewww...girls have cooties," the mean kid said and every boy in the little "platoon" nodded.
"They grow out of them...trust me," Xander said, and got the kids on to the next house. While they were getting their loot, he looked across the street and saw Willow, and his heart skipped a beat. What was wrong with him...this was Willow. Study buddy, buddy buddy, Willow! And now the only thing that was on his mind was anatomy...specifically hers. Then it happened, he saw another guy come up with what looked to be half of her kids, they seemed to be planning where to go next when the other guy kissed Willow on the cheek. Xander stared in horror. Then he heard a familiar voice.
"You are so pathetic. Come on...there's more candy to get." the mean little kid said.
"Yeah...right...and I am pathetic...pathetic for not seeing it sooner. Damn me to hell...oh, yeah. I'm already there. First Buffy, now Willow." Xander said, mostly to himself.
"What are you talking about?" the mean little kid said.
"Nothing. Come on troops!" Xander called, looking back at Willow and her...erp... boyfriend.
Oz came back from the house with half the kids, all of who seemed pleased with the loot they've collected thus far. He saw Willow smile at him.
"Thank you for helping me Oz," she said.
"Thank you for letting me join you. I'm having fun," he replied.
"So where to next?" Willow asked.
"Let's see…it's getting close to 6:30 so we need to be heading back toward the school, so lets take Bradford and hit those houses to maximize the sugar high of these guys," Oz said.
"Ok," she agreed, and they headed down the street they had just hit to get to Bradford. Oz ran the back of two of his fingers down the back of her hand, knowing how skittish she was around him, and she jumped and eeped.
"Sorry," he said, smiling. "Didn't mean to startle you."
"Oh," she said. "It's ok, I mean it's not bad or anything."
He nodded and settled in to walking beside her, and he slipped his hand into hers. She didn't jump this time, and the smile she gave him was brilliant. He smiled back as they turned down Bradford. As they took their first couple of steps down Bradford he felt a slight charge to the air, then all of the kids changed into whatever they were wearing and immediately went nuts.
"What just happened?" Oz asked, bewildered.
"Oh, no…come on, we have to find Buffy!" she said, grabbing his arm in her excitement, and pulling him in the direction she last saw the Slayer.
"Why do we have to find Buffy?" he headed off after her as she broke into a run.
"She's the Slayer, she'll know what to do!" Willow sounded very sure of herself about this and Oz found himself glad that she wasn't just the shy thing she'd shown so far.
"Ok, you can answer questions while we look, do you know where she was planning to take her group?" Oz asked.
"I think she headed down Wilkerson Avenue," Willow answered as they ran.
"Ok, now what's a Slayer?" Oz asked between breaths as they jogged towards Wilkerson.
"The full title is Vampire Slayer, but she deals with more than just vampires. Magic, which this feels like, is real, demons are real and vampires are real," She said in one breath, and not for the first time Oz was amazed at Willow's ability to keep speaking when most mortals would be heaving for air.
"What about werewolves?"
"Never met one, and Buffy or Giles hasn't mentioned them."
"Frankenstein monsters?"
"Had that last month, met the same end as Shelly's monster," Willow said.
"He burned himself up?" Oz asked.
"Well, he was trapped in the old science lab when it burned down," Willow said.
"So he suffered the movie's ending, not the book's," Oz said.
Willow smiled at him as they turned down Wilkerson Avenue, "I'm impressed, most people don't know there was a difference," Willow said.
"Shelly's Frankenstein has been a favorite of mine, though the first time I read it, it gave me nightmares," Oz confessed.
"Really?" Willow asked.
"Yes…self immolation can't be a fun way to go," Oz said.
"You had nightmares of burning yourself?" Willow asked.
"Not specifically, but of being such a threat that I'd have to destroy myself, I guess I sympathized with the monster too much."
They jogged in silence for another few minutes then they finally saw Buffy.
"There she is," Willow said, and they picked up speed to reach her, fortunately, the Slayer was walking.
"Buffy!" Willow called, and the Slayer didn't turn, and seemed lost. "Buffy!" Willow called again, this time catching her friend on the shoulder.
"Excuse me, were you speaking to me?" Buffy said.
"Yes, Buffy! There something very bad going on, all of my trick-or-treaters turned into their costumes!"
"Well, I wouldn't know anything about that, but maybe you could help me, I seem to be lost. Where is the Columbia Studio complex? I'm supposed to be on set at dawn," Buffy said.
"I think we have a problem," Oz said.
This had to be the WORST Halloween of Cordelia's life, first Devon was out of town, then she missed her party, and now all of these short monsters were running around. Which meant she was now looking for Buffy and her loser friends. Just how pathetic could this get?
She was making her way to the school, which seemed to be Central Command or whatever for the spook squad. She was headed down Harrison when Xander backed into her back.
"Freeze! Who are you? Oh...civilian. Don't worry Ma'am, well take care of...whatever these things are," Xander said, sounding surprisingly...in charge, a part of her found it...attractive. Then, the rest of her wanted to vomit for thinking anything of the like about Xander Harris.
"What are you talking about, Xander? You know all about the weird things that go on in Sunnydale!"
"Who is this Xander and why do you think I'm him?"
"Xander is YOU dummy!" she said with a prod to his chest.
"Hey! Its not smart to insult someone with an assault rifle!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes, when she heard a familiar voice, and swore under her breath,
"Principal Stone!"
"Excuse me? Principal? No, I'm Commander Geoffrey Corbin, Chief Engineer of the Intrepid. Could you tell me what planet I'm on? It LOOKS like Earth, or rather Old Earth, but I can't see the constellations for the light," Ian said.
"Oh, for crying out loud, you are Xander Harris, and you are Principal Stone, clear?" Cordelia said poking them in the chest.
"My dear, there is little need to get worked up over this, now please, tell me which planet I'm on?" Ian said.
"EARTH! Duh! Why me...why me? My life STINKS!"
"Xander! Principal Stone! Cordelia!" she heard another familiar voice, great...Sears girl herself...Cordelia swallowed as she saw what Willow was dressed in, they were followed by Buffy who was looking a little frightened.
"This has to be a practical joke by the make-up department," Buffy said.
"Willow, you seem to know who you are. What is going on?" Cordelia pleaded.
"They've changed into their costumes. We need to get to Buffy's house," Willow said.
"Why?" Cordelia's eyes brightened.
"Supplies," Willow said, and led the way. They made good time getting to Buffy's house.
"Ok, Oz, stay here and help Cordelia keep an eye on them," Willow said as she headed upstairs.
"Are you sure this is Earth? Earth has no creatures like we've seen," Ian said.
"Yes, it is Earth, it's the twentieth century, and you've been exposed to LSD," Oz told Principal Stone.
"Oh...how long until it wears off?" Stone asked.
"Hard to say," Oz said.
Cordelia came over to him and whispered in his ear, "He really bought that?"
"Why not? It makes more sense than the truth, at least to the uninitiated."
"They are still out there," Xander said.
"I'm not surprised," Willow said as she came down with a handful of stakes, several vials of holy water and enough crosses for everyone.
"Excuse me, but...I know this is a barbaric time, but where might one relieve one's self?" Ian said.
"Huh?" Willow said.
"To put it bluntly, I must empty my bladder, while not critical yet, I'd rather take care of it before we start running for our lives again," Stone said.
"Oh!" Willow said, and gave him directions to the downstairs restroom, to which he went.
Then they heard the back door open and shut, they headed to the kitchen crosses ready only to see Angel.
"Good, glad to see you guys are all right, it's pure chaos out there," Angel said.
"You're here!" Cordelia said and threw herself at Angel, "Hold me."
Willow rolled her eyes and said, "No time, here you'll be better with these than any of us," she said handing Angel the stakes.
"Ok, what does everyone know?" Angel asked as they heard a muffled flush.
"Most everyone has turned into their costumes, except for me and Cordelia," Willow said, over another muffled flush.
"Why aren't you two affected?"
"They seem to be ignoring us, Xander is keeping watch, hey Angel," Oz said.
"Oz," Angel responded.
"You know each other?" Willow said.
"Yeah, Angel lives near the Bronze, we talk sometimes," Oz said.
"Back to business," Angel said interjecting, over a third muffled flush, "You, Cordelia, Oz and I haven't been affected, the question is why."
"Well you and Oz aren't even dressed up, that would be why for you, but Cordelia and I are," Willow said, over a fourth muffled flush.
"I'd better go check on Starfleet before he runs the water bill through the roof," Oz said.
"Starfleet?" Angel asked, "Or do I really want to know?"
"Principal Stone dressed up as a Starfleet officer and now thinks he is one," Willow said.
"As in Star Trek?" Angel asked.
"Yes," Willow said, "Cordelia, where'd you get your costume?"
"Partyworld, and I HOPE none of those little monstrosities damage it," Cordelia answered.
"And where'd you get your costume?" Angel asked Willow.
"Out of Buffy's closet," she said.
"Really?" Angel said, sounding intrigued, hearing a fifth flush and the bathroom door opening.
"It's really fascinating, to think that its all gravity fed...incredible," Stones voice came, Angel turned around as they came around the corner.
Angel's eyes flashed as soon as he saw Stone, "Get back from him!" Angel shouted, his game face going into place and the teens watched in horror as Angel staked their Principal.
Ireland, 561 A. D.
Ríoghbhardán O'Braonáin swung his club at the unprotected head of the enemy, he wasn't sure just what this fight was about, but with the harvest just out of the ground he sure didn't have anything better to do, might as well beat on the southern whoresons some. Of course the thought that he might be one who got beaten didn't really enter into his mind. He was ostensibly a leader of his section, but the battle had devolved rather quickly into a rowdy brawl, still he had to keep up appearances.
"Come on boys! We've got these clap ridden whoresons on the run! Press them!" Ríoghbhardán shouted, the orders didn't have much effect, the lines had meshed into each other to the point that he had to be careful not to clobber one of his own men. A breeze had come up out of the west, cooling his sweating brow, it was good, unfortunately it helped the other side as much. He swung his club wildly aiming for defense as much as attack, he'd lost his shield early in the fighting, a common occurrence. Now he swung his club with near-reckless abandon in a two-handed grip, catching heads on its knobbed head. He didn't know how many he'd killed at this point, maybe none, you didn't have to kill to take some one out of the fight. That didn't mean that getting clubbed in the head with the weighty wood wouldn't kill, or worse knock you out of your senses. Ríoghbhardán suppressed a shudder at that thought…yes there were fates worse than death on the battlefield.
It happened suddenly, as such things do. He felt pain on the back of his skull, stars danced before his eyes as another whack hit him on the side of the head, and he was certain that he heard and felt his skull crack. He groaned and murmured, "Oh Great Saint Patrick, intercede on my behalf that this be a killing blow and not one that leaves me a fool!" As he said it yet another blow landed on the crown of his head causing everything to go black.
The first thing he was aware of was a dull throbbing in his head, he wasn't sure where he was, but something smelled good. Was it pork? They must be preparing a victory feast while he had recovered from his injuries, he still didn't quite feel like moving.
"Oy! Here's another! God there's so many…shame we have to burn them."
"Better that then leaving them for the animals, it's not a Christian burial, but it's more decent than that."
Ríoghbhardán decided that he'd better do something at this point, he tried to move only to find that he couldn't. He tried to open his eyes only for them to stay stubbornly shut, he felt rough hands grab him by the ankles, then another pair grabbed his arms under their pits. He felt himself be carried some distance, then he felt heat and the smell of roast boar filled his nostrils, his stomach tried to rebel once his mind processed what it really was. The two men started swinging his limp form, getting ready to put him on the fire, on the third swing he felt a pop in his back and at once his body started working again, he opened his eyes with a start and started flailing his arms and legs. The two men promptly dropped him and looked at him in horror and terror.
"What's the matter yeh fools! Canna not tell the living from the dead?" Ríoghbhardán yelled at them. The two men backed away from him, fear dancing in their eyes.
"Don't hurt us demon!" one of them cried.
"Demon? I'm no demon. I'm Ríoghbhardán O'Braonáin of Cill Eanaigh!"
The two fools stared and then deciding he wasn't going to devour their souls or whatever demons did ran as fast as their legs could carry them, which was fast enough to impress Rioghbhardan, if only grudgingly.
Cordelia looked at Angel. "Oh, great, now we are going to have to break in a new Principal."
Willow rolled her eyes, "Cordelia!"
Angel crumpled to his knees, his vampiric features retracted and his human face was utterly distraught.
"God...no...no..." Tears began trickling down his cheeks.
"Ummm...why is no one calling the police?" Buffy's voice came up.
"We can't! Angel would never survive the arraignment much less a trial," Willow said.
"He KILLED that guy in the pajamas!" Buffy screamed.
"Hey! Not so loud, you might attract those things!" Xander said, from the living room.
"Angel, why did you think Mr. Stone was a vampire?" Willow asked gently.
"I swear, first Mr. Flutie was eaten by hyenas, then Mr. Snyder was eaten by a vampire, now Mr. Stone was staked by a vampire! And why didn't anyone tell me Angel was a vampire?" Cordelia went on over everyone else.
"He looked so much like him...too much like him...it CAN'T be him...but...the face...I never forget a face..." Angel said, more to himself than to Willow.
"We've got trouble, don't we?" Oz said.
"Yes, Angel! Snap out of it!" Willow shouted.
"He...should be dead...should be dust...never forget a face...but it CAN'T be him..."
"Angel!" Willow shouted again, this time slapping him.
The pain of the strike caused Angel's game face to come down, and he growled, then said, "Huh?"
"We need you, if we're going to survive tonight, we NEED you!"
"The police are on their way," Buffy's voice said.
"What! Oh Buffy...you didn't..." Willow moaned.
"I did, and my name is Barbra thank you very much, you all are INSANE!" Buffy said, the she caught a look at Angel's face and screamed.
"Is Angel going to jail?" Cordelia asked.
Galway, Ireland, 1739
Toirdhealbhach Ó Gallchobhair, formerly Ríoghbhardán O'Braonáin, who died on the field at Cúl Dreimhne walked up the cobblestone streets of Galway a couple hundred miles from that accursed field. He was getting introspective, it always happened this time of year, his birthday was coming up, and he sighed. It really could be worse, it could be next year's birthday, his twelve hundredth. The centuries weighed heavy on Toirdhealbhach's mind, while at the same time they seemed to rush by ever more quickly. He pulled a piece of paper from his jackets pocket and looked at it and nodded to himself, this was the correct address. He went up and knocked on the door. An attractive mid aged woman answered the door.
"Excuse me, Madam, but is this the house of Patrick Ó Bruadiar?"
"Aye, it is the house of Patrick Ó Bruadiar, who has come call on him?"
"My name is Toirdhealbhach Ó Gallchobhair, I have been contracted to tutor his son Liam," Toirdhealbhach replied, taking off his hat, the not quite spring air was crisp and cool. Not cold, but with just a hint of the passing winter.
"Oh of course Master Ó Gallchobhair, my Patrick has been expecting you. I am Liam's mother, Ciara," the lady said, bidding him enter with a hand.
"A pleasure, Mistress Ó Bruadiar. I thank you for your hospitality," Toirdhealbhach said as he entered the house.
"I fear mine husband is currently away on business and will not be home for several days, however he did anticipate that you might arrive before he returned and left written instructions," she went to a bookcase and produced an envelope.
"Very good, m'lady," he said taking the envelope from her hand and unsealing it. He took the papers out of it and read them carefully, but quickly. Once he was done with them he placed them back with a nod of satisfaction. "All seems to be as we agreed in our correspondence, where is the boy?"
Ciara went to the base of the stairs and called, "Liam! Come here, I have someone for you meet!"
"Coming Mother!" a young voice called down, noticeably breaking on the last syllable.
A boy of about twelve with dark hair and a face that in time would make young ladies swoon came down. At the moment, well, he was gangly. The poor child hadn't quite grown into his extremities as of yet. He had brown eyes, a broad nose, and his chin was already strong. However the thing that really stood out to Toirdhealbhach was the boy's smile, it shown bright and happy.
"Liam, this is Master Ó Gallchobhair. He's going to tutor you," the boy's mother said.
"I hope we can have a productive relationship, young Master Ó Bruadiar. When I'm done with you the world will truly be your oyster."
"I don't really care for oyster's, though," Liam said, bringing a smile to Toirdhealbhach's lips.
"Then young sir, it will be whatever you do care for."
"How does a man live for two hundred years and not be a vampire?" Angel asked, no one in particular.
"I don't know, and I don't care," Xander said from the door, "But the natives are getting restless, and we are going to need some more firepower to keep them out of the house."
"Just so long as you don't shoot them." Willow said, and screamed as he fired a three round burst out the door. "I thought I said not to shoot them. They are just little kids."
"Warning shot," he said. "What's with the hostility, lady? I haven't done anything to you."
"You have you just don't remember it," she said, taking a breath and standing up. "I'm going to go get Giles. Maybe he can do something about the principal, and maybe he knows something about this costume spell." She pointed a finger at Xander. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. If you die, I want to be the one to kill you."
Xander blinked a couple of times. "Yes, Ma'am," he said, saluting her. She opened the door and walked out, closing it behind her, and Xander resumed his watch at the door.
Cordelia walked into the room from the kitchen, stepping over the body of their principal and sitting by Angel. "You said you were a vampire, but you, as much as I hate contemplating it, dating the Slayer, the Vampire Slayer. How does that work?"
"I was cursed, a hundred years ago. I killed someone I shouldn't have, and a tribe of gypsies cursed me with my soul. I remembered every horrific thing I had done and could feel remorse and I did," he told Cordelia, and his eyes were haunted and hollow. Before she could think of anything to say she heard some muttering.
"Ohh...fuathaím aon uair tarlaíonn é seo," came the mutterings in some strange language. "Maith, nár chócarála siad mé SEO tréimhse."
"What is with the weird German accent?" she asked, trying to find the source of the gibberish.
"It's Gaelic," Angel said absently still staring at the stake, then Cordie spotted the source of the mutterings, and she screamed.
Galway, Ireland, 1741
Toirdhealbhach's blade neatly parried fourteen year old Liam's as they sparred in the courtyard. Toirdhealbhach countered and put the boy on the defensive, though the lad gave ground and found his footing again.
"Very good, lad! You're improving! Now lets see if you can do that while reciting Marc Anthony's speech, in Latin," Toirdhealbhach instructed.
"You just can't stand the thought that I might beat you, can you?" Liam said, but then complied, his fighting suffered as his concentration was divided on the tasks. This wasn't the first time that the teacher had instructed his student to recite a piece of learning during their sparring matches. Most other fencing instructors would consider it the height of folly to have their students so distracted, however Toirdhealbhach was fully confident in both his own skills, and more so his pupil's. Liam was truly a gifted child, no, strike that, he wasn't a child anymore, he was a young man, not to the height of his powers yet, but rapidly approaching them. Toirdhealbhach had enjoyed the past two years here. Patrick was now more friend than employer, and his wife Ciara had become a doting sister in Toirdhealdbach's life. Then there was his charge…Liam himself had to be the shining jewel in the crown of happiness he wore. The lad was funny, smart, kind…truly the first time in a long time that the ancient one had feelings for another human being approaching those he had felt for his true younger brother, now dead over a millennium.
As Liam neared the end of the speech, not missing a single word and holding his own against his teacher, his teacher faltered. He felt It…it hit him right behind the eyeballs as normal. The distraction weakened his guard a little and Liam nearly skewered him.
"Tori! Are you alright?" Liam asked, concern coloring his voice.
"I'm fine, just a slight headache coming on. Come, your Mother will have lunch ready soon, I must be getting hungry."
"Sure, whatever you say," Liam said, but his tone revealed his disbelief of the excuse.
As they headed into the house Toirdhealbhach fully tasted the sensation he felt…yes…there was no doubt as to who it was. Marcus Arlenus, formerly of the 19th Legion of Rome, lost in the Teutoburg Forest along with the 17th and 18th. The legendary Lost Legions of Varus' last living member, and perpetual thorn in the side of Toirdhealbhach. He wanted to hurry, Marcus was dangerous, his mind had nearly broken in the German woodland, and while he could act the sheep he was very definitely a wolf. Still, Toirdhealbhach was shocked to hear Ciara scream. Both he and Liam ran into the house only to see the most horrible sight.
Ciara lay, bleeding from a open belly wound, her insides spilling out of the unnatural opening, her unborn child lay half in and half out of her womb. Toirdhealbhach heard Liam scream only to have his screams drown in vomit.
"Damn you Marcus! Must you destroy everything that is pure and good in the world!" he screamed in Latin, the only language the foul beast had ever bothered to learn.
"How, barbarian? How did she give you a child?" Marcus screamed back at him.
"You damn fool…she is the wife of my employer! The child is his…and you will die this time!" Toirdhealbhach launched himself to the former legionnaire, sword in hand. Marcus dodged, and parried the strike with his still bloody sword.
"Now is not the time for our battle, barbarian, there are too many eyes about. Meet me on holy ground and we'll discuss our…business."
Willow was moving as fast as she could towards the school, hoping Giles was still there. He legs were pumping, running hard . She was glad that she'd been running in gym class all this year. She ran past several former trick-or-treaters who were terrorizing a young mother and her baby. She really didn't pay attention as she made her way to the school from Buffy's house.
She came around a corner and screamed when she saw Spike standing in the road.
"Well, well…Red is all dressed up…Dru will be impressed," Spike said.
"What? " Willow said and then screamed again as Spike lunged toward her , but she managed to get the cross that had tucked into her back pocket out and he cringed.
"That wasn't very nice, Red," he said.
"Get away from me," Willow screamed, and he backed up a couple of steps, out of range of the cross.
"Red has spunk...and you are very beautiful. Shame to let it whither away, the sands of time are cruel to beauty. There is a way out," he told her casually, and she frowned at him.
"I'm not going to become a soulless monster like you," she screamed at him, and took off running, dodging around a crowd of monsters that had been little kids that morning.
"I'm not done with you, Red," he called after her, but the monsters surrounded him, trapping him long enough for her to get away.
She kept looking back, but he was keeping up with her. It was enough to make her almost think a dirty word.
"You can't run forever , Red!" Spike shouted, and she looked back, he was gaining. Damnit! She wasn't going to get away from him! What to do what to do? Then the worst thing in the world happened. She tripped.
Spike smiled as he saw Red stumble and go down, shame he couldn't make a meal out of her, after all the work she'd made him do, but he had promised Dru and he ALWAYS kept his promises...well to her...and mostly...sometimes. However this was one promise he intended to keep at any rate.
He leapt over a park bench and was on her in an instant, he stood over her and said, "Dru was right, you do belong with us in the Darkness, love. Don't worry, the pain won't last long and then you'll be like me. Strong and young forever." He inhaled deeply. "Your fear smells sweet, Red. Intoxicating. Never get that off of the Slayer, not that I'd ever admit it to her. Its really a shame we can't do this...ORFCK!" He finished clutching himself in a very sensitive part of his anatomy, doubled over, only to catch a face full of holy water...he face burned and he fell over in agony. Oh...she was FEISTY! He couldn't WAIT to see what she'd do to the Slayer when she was reborn into Darkness.
Giles heard a bang as the main library doors flew open, he turned to see a slightly disheveled, and out of character Willow enter. She was breathing heavy and her knees and elbows were scraped up.
"Willow! What happened, dear child?" he asked.
"People...turning into their costumes...Buffy thinks she's Barbara Eden...Xander thinks he's in the Army...Principal Stone...oh dear God! Principal Stone is...Principal Stone is..." she collapsed into tears as the stress of the night caught up with her.
Giles came over to her and she reached out and clung to him like a life preserver. He held her for a few minutes while she cried and then composed herself.
"Ok...now tell me what is happening? People changing into their costumes? And what happened to Ian?" Giles asked as Willow's sobs slowed.
"I'm sorry Giles...we don't have time...but...Angel staked Principal Stone...he's dead!" she said, barely keeping control.
"Oh dear...why did Angel stake Ian?" Giles asked.
"He thought he was a Vampire! He thought he recognized him...it's worse...Buffy called the police about it!" Willow said.
"Oh dear! And Buffy thinks she's..."
"Barbara Eden, we found an original Jeannie costume from "I Dream of Jeannie" at the new costume shop, it was expensive, but now that Buffy is getting paid...I talked her into buying it..." she stopped talking to fight back a new flow of tears.
"Who's with Angel now?" Giles asked.
"Xander, Oz and Cordelia. Oz didn't dress up and Cordelia is a cat," Willow said between sniffles.
"She actually turned into a feline? Incredible!" Giles said, intentionally misinterpreting the distraught girl, and having the desired effect, a small laugh came out of her.
"No...she's in a cat costume, she didn't change."
"Where did you say Buffy got her costume?" Giles asked.
"Its a new place, on High Street. Ethan's!" Willow said.
"Ethan's?" Giles said.
"Yes, does that mean something?" Willow asked.
"A ghost from my past come back to haunt me...you better go back to Buffy's house."
"But I want to help!" Willow protested.
"You have, Willow, you have. Now I'll take care of it, you go help Buffy."
Angel couldn't believe his eyes! Tori, or the...whatever that looked like Tori was sitting up, shaking his head. He heard Buffy scream again at this new sight. Angel went over to what looked like his old mentor. Once Tori's eyes met Angel's face he stiffened.
"Angelus! Get out of here kids! He's a killer! I don't know what kind of game you are up to demon but Liam's soul will rest tonight!" Tori shouted scrambling for a stake.
"Principal Stone! Angel is a good vampire!" Cordelia shouted.
"Miss Chase, there is no such thing as a good vampire!" Tori shouted.
"No...don't stop him. Go ahead, Tori, I deserve it," Angel said quietly.
"Huh?" Buffy said.
"I quite agree, Miss Summers," Tori said, "Liam...an tú atá ann?"
"Cinnte! Tori, táim...bhí mé mallaigh, le sin tincéir treibh. Ghéill cúl siad anam." Angel replied in the same language, meaning, 'Yes...Tori, it's me...I was cursed, by gypsies. They returned my soul so I would feel the guilt of all the lives I destroyed.'
"Damnaím iad...bheadh breis trócaireach má mhill siad túsa...ansin bheifeá saor téigh go do deireanach taca," Ian said, his words meaning, 'Damn them...been more merciful just to destroy you...then you'd be free to go to your final rest.'
"Tá sé feabhsaigh, anois. Bhínn ábalta cuidigh daoine," Angel told him, which translated as, 'It's better now, I've been able to help people.'
"How RUDE! Speak American PLEASE!" Cordelia interrupted.
"Forgive us Miss Chase...now what is the situation since I was staked?"
"Miss Pretty in Pink called the cops because we thought you were dead...speaking of, why aren't you dead?" Cordelia responded.
"Thank God it's Halloween," Mr. Stone said. He took Angel's hand as Angel helped him up.
"The monsters are moving off, I think we're ok for the time being," Xander said coming from the front. "What's he doing alive?"
"Long story, Mr. Harris. A very long story. I suppose we can always hope that the police are too busy to come here."
"As piss poor as the cops in this town are I wouldn't be surprised." Then there was a knock on the door.
It took Giles twenty minutes to get to the costume shop Willow told him about. He was hoping he was wrong, but he doubted it. He went into the darkened shop and headed to the back. Once he was in the back he saw an eerie green glow. It was emanating from a stone bust, a bust of Janus.
"Ethan! I know you're here, come on out! Only you would be behind something this...evil."
"Oh, come come, Ripper! Tweed doesn't suit you," Ethan said.
"End the spell, Ethan," Giles said.
"Or what? You'll assign me extra homework? You've gone soft Ripper!"
"No, I've only grown up. Shame to see you haven't. Now END this!"
"No. This is far too much fun."
Ethan then lunged at Giles, and tackled him, the two tumbled to the floor, Ethan tried to get his hands around Giles' throat, but Giles punched square across the jaw. This knocked Ethan off of him and Giles rolled and got to his feet, not as fast as his Slayer, but fast enough to deal with a git like Ethan Rayne. Ethan for his part was just a hair slower than Giles who slammed into him. The two of them hit the table that the Janus statue rested on, causing it to fall over and shatter. The eerie green glow faded.
"Oh, damn...you just HAD to ruin my fun, didn't you, Ripper?" Ethan said, Giles just glared at him, "Ripper...come on...now you have to admit that it really didn't hurt anyone!"
"You are irresponsible, you are cruel, you are leaving Sunnydale right now. If I EVER see you in this town again, I swear I will skin you alive," Giles said, not sounding anything like Giles.
"Ripper..."
"NOW Ethan! You have one minute to start moving or I WILL kill you right now."
"Fine...have it your way." Ethan said and started moving.
Ian went to the door and answered it and met Sunnydale's finest. "Yes, officers? What can we do for you?"
"We got a report of a murder at this address, may we come in and have a look around?" the officer said, he was of middle height and Ian was picking up a hint of a British accent.
"I'm terribly sorry, but I cannot let you in without a warrant, but there has been no murder here. Just a Halloween joke that got out of hand. If there were a murder here, I would have been the victim, as you can see by the fake blood on my shirt. I'm sorry to have bothered you."
The cops eyed him suspiciously. "Could you send the young lady out who called us?"
"Oh, I suppose," Ian agreed. "Barbara, could you come here, dear?"
Buffy edged around the door. "I guess I over-reacted," she said. "He's not dead, obviously, since he's talking to you."
"Thank you, Ma'am," the officer said.
"If there's nothing else, we have other calls to attend to," another officer said.
"No, nothing else," Buffy said.
Spike took another swig of the cheap whiskey he'd bought to cover up the pain of the holy water burns Red had given him. He was waiting outside the Slayer's house, until the cops left. Red would probably be back here soon if she hadn't gotten back already. The cops left empty-handed, finally.
"Ok, boys, get into position. Lets get us a Slayer," Spike said and watched as the lackeys moved out. He took the cigarette out of his mouth and used it to light the Molotov cocktail in his hand, actually, it was napalm...love the anarchists cookbook. He went up to the Slayer's door and knocked. The door opened revealing a man in a very bloody Starfleet uniform.
"What is this? Started the party without me?" Spike asked.
"No, Spike. I'd heard you were in town. Now leave," the bloody Starfleet officer said.
"Do I know you?" Spike asked.
"No, but I know of you," the man said.
"Really? Then you know I don't bluff. You see this? Little thing I mixed up. The things the Yanks let folks know about. And so simple to make."
"Make your point? I've had a long day," the man said.
"Who's there?" Spike heard a familiar voice ask.
"It's Spike," the bloody man said.
"Spike!"
"Is that Angelus? Delicious...now kids, here's the score, this house is surrounded, so don't think about trying to escape. You will survive if you give me what I want, and what I want is the Slayer and Red. Give them to me and you get to live," Spike said.
"Is that all?" the bloody man asked.
"Yup," Spike said.
"No."
"NO? I will burn this house down." Then he heard a scream and turned to see...RED!
"Well, well..." Spike said, and set down the the flaming jar.
"You don't frighten me," Red said.
"Yes I do, remember I can smell it Red," Spike said, then there was a shudder to the air.
"Hey! Spike! You kinda forgot something." He heard another familiar voice say.
"Slayer...oh...dear...that was rather sloppy of me. Ok...you win this one, but I will be back!" Spike turned and ran off, and heard the shatter and whoosh of his makeshift bomb go off and felt the heat. He turned and shouted, "You missed!"
"No I didn't," the Slayer said sweetly, then he smelled it and quickly pulled off his duster.
"Oh...that isn't right! I loved that coat!" Spike said and ran off into the night, followed by his surviving minions.
Oz ran out of the door as soon as he felt he could and not get killed. "Who was that creep?" he asked Angel.
"Old friend," he replied, and Oz nodded. He moved over to where Buffy was helping Willow up.
"You ok?" he asked her. She nodded, and threw her arms around him, and he had to hold her up as she started sobbing into his shoulder. "It's ok, Willow. Everything is going to be ok," he said.
"But what-what about M-m-mr. Stone?"
"I thank you for your concern, Lass, but it will take more than a stake through my heart to kill me," Ian said from behind Oz.
"Mr. Stone! You're ok!"
He put a hand out, restraining her from enveloping him in a hug. "While I appreciate the sentiment, Miss Rosenburg, I believe I should take a rain check on your exuberance. I fear your wardrobe would not survive, considering how much blood I'm covered in, and I'm still a bit sore."
She nodded, hanging on tighter to Oz instead.
Buffy closed the front door to her house, glad that everyone had pretty much been ok even after all that had happened. The kids had been rounded up, delivered back to their parents, and Xander had even been rewarded with a double dose of chocolate, courtesy of her agreement with him. She looked at her staircase, and the yummy honey who was sitting on her staircase. And she smiled because Angel was all hers.
"Tonight was interesting," Angel said.
"Yeah," she said, "I don't think I'm ever going to dress up for Halloween again."
"I don't blame you," he said, stretching one arm out. She pushed off the door heavily, and curled up in his embrace a step below him.
"So, you knew Mr. Stone back in your breathing days?"
"Yes...he was my tutor, if he's the same man," Angel replied.
"So not doing well in school?" Buffy asked laying her head on his shoulder.
"There weren't schools back then...or rather not like what you are familiar with. My family was reasonably well off and I was the first born son, I was expected to take over the family business when my father was too old to run it."
"So you were rich? Excited much about inheriting it?"
"Not really, the textile industry isn't very exciting, even if it is lucrative."
"Ah, and you had brothers and sisters?"
"Yes. I had a younger sister and my mother was pregnant when she was killed, it was the first real death I ever saw."
"That's terrible, how did it happen?"
"A monster, a human monster killed her...he seemed to know Tori...ah, Mr. Stone."
"What happened to the killer?"
"Tori said he'd taken care of it, my father wanted to do it himself, but Tori wouldn't let him. That was the last day I was ever truly happy until Darla did this to me."
"Do you trust him?"
"If that is Toirdhealbhach Ó Gallchobhair, he is the most honorable man I have ever known. I KNOW he'd lay his life down for you. If it is him."
"Tori-what?" Buffy asked, looking up at him like he'd lost his mind.
"Toirdhealbhach Ó Gallchobhair," Angel repeated patiently. "It's an Irish name, though the meaning of the first name is 'troublemaker.' Maybe it is Tori."
"You don't sound sure. Though I'm sticking to calling him Mr. Stone," she said, causing Angel to chuckle slightly.
"I'm not sure. The man I knew was alive, and mortal, heartbeat and the works. So does this man, but that was..."
"Over two hundred years ago. I see your point."
"Yes, but lets just recuperate for tonight, if he is a danger, it's longer range than just killing us and we have time."
"Good advice."
Giles had told Ian about Ethan once the little kids had gotten sorted out, and they went back to the shop together. "I wonder if he was the one in that Reagan mask," Ian mused. He had changed out of his costume into a dress shirt. He didn't put a tie with it or even tuck it in, it was Halloween, after all.
"I don't know. If I had been aware of this place, I would have been able to shut this whole thing down before he got this far."
"Don't blame yourself for Ethan's choices, Rupert. He is a grown man, just as you are."
"I feel responsible for introducing him to some of the nastier magicks that he's gotten into. I mean, worshiping Janus?"
"That sounds like our boy. He doesn't take the deaths of others as the lessons that he should. You shouldn't feel responsible because he got into chaos magic and it turned him into its servant."
Giles pushed open the door that had once held the costume shop, but it was bare and empty now. "Well, looks like he's gone for the moment," Giles said, and he picked up a card sitting on the counter. "Even with what I told him," Giles muttered, setting the card back down.
It said, Beseeingyou.
Fin.