"Um, hey, Buffster," Xander greeted as he approached his quietly studying friend. Since Oz and Anya had to attend a mandatory senior class session about graduation requirements during the lunch break, Buffy had opted to avoid the noisy cafeteria for her meal in favor of the less people packed retreat by the vending machines. She was holed up in a stuffed chair in the student lounge with her books and study stuff spread across the short coffee table. Although she was enjoying the peaceful time alone, Summers glanced up at the new arrival and offered him a pinched smile. It might not have been as welcoming an expression as her friend would have liked, but it was the best she could offer. It was far better than the looks she had been sharing with him lately.
Noticing the awkward smile, Xander stopped moving about six feet from Buffy's position. The boy moved his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans and leaned back on his heels. His chest tightened and he took a half a step back when he noticed Buffy glancing around him as if checking for the quickest exit. He had seen her do it enough when in a fight situation therefore he recognized the action for what it was. It was an act of self-preservation. It bothered him to think that Buffy even unconsciously considered the need for a hasty retreat from his company. He stilled his movements and attempted to make himself as unimposing as possible.
"Do you mind if I grab a seat?" he asked quietly as he nodded toward the stuffed chair across the small table from her seat. In hopes of gaining her acceptance, Xander purposefully avoided choosing the stuffed chair beside his friend. She had asked for distance so he wanted to give it to her if possible. He had spent the last couple days seriously considering the things both she and Oz had told him and finally realized that he needed to change his long-standing assumptions about Buffy.
"Um, sure," Buffy replied as she shifted back in her seat a bit further and pulled her books off the table and onto her lap. She treated the schoolwork a bit like an unconscious academic armor. Protection via paper and pencil. She glanced at her notebook of French vocabulary and actually read a few lines before Xander broke the silence.
"So... I saw you come to school today with some new girl. She's pretty. Seemed a bit old for school though."
Buffy nodded in agreement.
"That was Drusilla. She's staying with me until we can find somewhere better for her. She kinda needs someone to stay with her during the day and Giles seemed like the best choice."
Xander frowned a bit since he had no clue who Drusilla was and he felt out of the loop. He stated as much. With a resigned breath, Buffy closed her notebook and stuffed it into her leather messenger bag since it was obvious that her friend wanted to be included. She wasn't going to have a chance to finish studying her French vocabulary and grammar guide kindly created by Oz but she didn't begrudge the invasion. She appreciated Xander's desire to know what was happening and really didn't want him to feel badly about not being included in the most recent vampire related issues. With an efficient and mellow voice, Buffy provided a quick synopsis of who exactly Dru was and why she was staying at the Summers house. She also explained the cover story they were using in case anyone like Principal Snyder happened to inquire after her. Because she didn't desire any kind of stress, Buffy avoided mentioning anything about Spike or Dalton. She figured it would be better to slide their continued unlife for discovery at a later date.
Xander was silent for a bit as he contemplated the details of Buffy's newest adventures in Slayerdom.
"Cool," her friend finally offered once he was up to speed. "Think Drusilla might be interested in a younger man? I would be happy to help her assimilate into human relations once again."
Xander offered Buffy a goofy grin to show that he was not really serious about the suggestion. Buffy shook her head and a tiny but amused smile flickered over her lips.
"Sorry, Xan-man. Dru seems to be into guys of the older variety."
"Ah so that's why she wants to spend the day with Giles," he stated with an accompanying wiggle of his eyebrows.
Buffy giggled but shook her head as she told him that Drusilla was already in a relationship.
"No fair," Xander lamented. "She's only been human, for what? A week? And she has a boyfriend. I've been human for sixteen years and I don't have one."
"You hoping for a boyfriend now, Xander?" Buffy teased with an innocent expression on her face.
Xander stammered a denial and insisted he was only interested in relations with the estrogen brigade.
Buffy offered him another smile but didn't reply. Her friendly acceptance of his company was filling the young man with an almost giddy sense of happiness. He had missed being part of his friend's life.
Hoping to maintain the friendly atmosphere that had been missing for the past six months, Xander searched his mind for another topic. He didn't want to lose the tentative progress established with his previously withdrawn friend.
"You know, we haven't Bronzed in a dino-age. What'ta ya think? Dance party this Friday?"
While still sitting in his chair, Xander mimicked a silly dance with his arms and offered Buffy an encouraging grin.
Buffy unconsciously clutched her leather bag closer to her body as she shook her head.
Xander halted his sappy dance motions and lowered his hands to the chair arms.
"I don't really do too hot with the whole big, loud crowds right now," Buffy admitted as part of her explanation to her now more subdued friend.
"Oh..." Xander replied with clear disappointment in his facial expression and the slump of his shoulders. An uncomfortable silence grew between the two friends.
"Anything interesting on the Slay-age front?" Xander finally asked in desperation to continue their conversation. He didn't want to make any other suggestions of activities that Buffy would need to decline uncomfortably. He also refused to stoop so low as to mention any of their school classes. "Maybe you would like some company some night? I haven't spent enough quality time in our local cemeteries recently."
Although Buffy did not immediately extend an invitation for Xander to accompany her on her next patrol, she did admit that there was a new Big Bad in town that needed addressed sooner rather than later. She shared a little bit of the information on the Fly and his supposed arrival in support of the Master. Xander was in the middle of offering his imitation of a supportive Slayer cheerleader when the public announcement system rang through the hallways with a demand that Buffy Summers report immediately to the office.
Frowning, Buffy stared at the loudspeaker in confusion for a moment until the school secretary repeated the request that she come to the office. After haphazardly shoving her remaining books and study stuff into her messenger bag, Buffy made a beeline towards the administrative office. Since he was concerned for his friend and not pressed for anything better to do, Xander trailed behind her. The teens arrived at the high school office and passed quietly into the room. Behind a long counter, the school secretary stood speaking with a uniformed police officer. The elderly woman smiled brightly when she noticed Buffy's arrival.
"See, I promised she would be here quickly," the secretary stated happily as she motioned towards the newly arrived students.
Officer Cain turned towards the door with a serious expression on his face. Instantly, dread dropped like a lead ball in Buffy's stomach. She froze in fear because she could not imagine a police officer coming to school for her preceding a good thing. Ever worsening scenarios crashed through her mind and Buffy hugged her arms around her middle to help keep herself from shaking.
The policeman noticed the student's reaction to his presence and he immediately set to putting her at ease. His stern expression lifted as he offered an encouraging smile to the worried teen.
"No need to worry, Miss Summers," he stressed. "Chief Ricci just asked that I bring you down to the station for a bit. You're mother is there."
If anything, hearing that her mother was at the police station only made her stress worse. Cain hastened to press home the fact that her mother was fine but Buffy's face still showed her concern. From across the room where he stood in his office doorway, Principal Snyder snidely commented about always knowing that Ms. Summers was destined for repeat visits to the police station. Buffy, Xander, and Officer Cain threw narrowed, annoyed gazes at the small minded school administrator but he appeared indifferent to disdain.
"Miss Summers has done nothing wrong and I feel you should best remember that fact," Cain stated as his slightly annoyed expression shifted into something a bit more serious. It was a look that almost promised a traffic ticket or three if the principal did not withdraw his malice. Snyder swallowed audibly before turning back to his office. His door slammed in response. It wasn't an apology but at least he was gone.
The secretary offered an appreciative smile to the officer and pulled out the student attendance log. She helpfully promised to list Miss Summers early dismissal as excused. Both Buffy and the policeman thanked the kind woman who had the misfortune of being directly supervised by Principal Snyder. It was a position no one would covet and she was seriously considering retiring at the end of the school year. The poor woman missed Principal Flutie. To this day, she still had nightmares about wild animals tearing through the school and eating everyone.
After she was dismissed, Officer Cain prompted Buffy towards the exit. The teen turned to Xander and requested that he inform Giles that she was leaving. She dropped a simple statement about meeting after school and Xander actually caught her unstated concern. He nodded and told her that he would take care of everything. Buffy then followed the uniformed policeman from the building with her tiny worry about her responsibility of care for Drusilla completely overshadowed by her fear for her mother. She climbed into the passenger side front seat of the police car and Cain headed them towards the downtown.
A few minutes later, Cain pulled his car into the parking lot behind the police station. Before he had even turned off the car, Buffy was scrambling out of the vehicle and practically sprinting towards the station's back entrance. She skittered through the doorway and demanded to know where her mother was from the first person she encountered. The startled officer just stared at the teen for a moment as he attempted to process her unexpected demand.
"It's okay, Ames," Cain offered as he stepped through the door and noticed the almost constipated expression on the older officer's face.
"Miss Summers is just looking for her mom. The Chief has her in his office," the younger policeman explained as he gently touched Buffy's back and nudged her in the direction of Ricci's office.
Buffy stepped away from Cain's touch but followed his direction towards the office. When she reached the open office doorway, the teen rushed into the small room.
"Mom!" she shouted as she rushed across the utilitarian space that lacked anything remotely personal to reflect the new Chief's personality. Joyce arose from her seat in time to wrap her arms around her worried daughter. She offered Buffy a tired smile as her daughter demanded to know what was wrong.
The elder Summers cringed slightly. She wasn't exactly sure how to explain what had happened earlier in the afternoon. She was thankful Tony had sent for her daughter but she suddenly wasn't so sure how to proceed. It became a distinct possibility in her mind that her daughter might not be the best person for providing her comfort given what had happened to her last Spring. The mother was silent for a moment as she contemplated whether telling Buffy would actually be harmful for child.
"I seem to have acquired an unwanted admirer," the elder Summers woman finally explained carefully. She took a deep breath and sighed. She sunk back into the padded seat and pulled her daughter down beside her. She searched the teen's face to see if there was any sign of distress or panic. All she saw was obvious concern for her parent. While offering her mother a soft word of encouragement, Buffy perched on the arm of the chair. She tightly gripped her mother's shoulder. Her mom hugged her daughter around the waist while Buffy pressed Joyce for details. Once more, the older lady sighed.
"You remember the meeting I had on Halloween? At the gallery?"
Her daughter nodded absently. She had actually been glad her mother had missed the entire Archangel fiasco so she didn't need to manufacture some ridiculous excuse. Those were increasingly difficult to create and maintain.
"Well, I had a consultation with a computer specialist. At first, he seemed really nice. Very knowledgeable and personable. He was just supposed to redo my system. I was hoping it would free up more of my time. Unfortunately, Ted seemed to be more interested in me than my hard drives."
Joyce glanced over her shoulder towards the door where Antonio had just entered. He closed the door with a quiet snap. Worn Italian loafers made little sound as the police chief crossed the small space and took a seat at his paperwork covered desk. He offered a pinched smile at Buffy in lieu of a verbal greeting. Joyce leaned her head against her daughter's chest and tightened her grasp.
"Ted became a bit aggressive in his attentions and didn't want to accept that I wasn't interested," Joyce continued. She offered a glowing smile towards the police chief. "Good thing Tony joined me for lunch today or I don't know what might have happened."
Buffy patted her mother on the shoulder as she turned her head towards Ricci.
"I'm glad he was there," the teen agreed even without her mother explaining what exactly Ted had done to her. Buffy could guess and she shuddered to think of her mother being a victim of any type of assault. Given that her mother just appeared tired and not injured in any way, Buffy figured that she must have been badly frightened by the man but not truly hurt. The teen waited for further explanation while continuing to hug her mom.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Buchanan needed a bit more persuasion than the typical hopeful suitor. Happily, the paperwork for discharging my weapon won't actually involve an inquiry since it turns out Ted was mechanical. No death, no review for the lucky Officer Friendly," Ricci stated with a rueful grin.
"Mechanical?" Buffy repeated with a scrunched frown. She glanced between the two adults before settling her gaze on her mom. "Like a robot?"
Joyce nodded.
"Yes... only I would pick up a robot stalker."
Buffy shook her head in sympathy but refrained from mentioning Willow's little run in with a demonic robot stalker last year. Instead of refuting her mom's statement, she offered her another affectionate smile and a hug.
"He was a bit more than just a stalker, Joyce," Antonio shared before elaborating on the information his detectives gleaned from the address the robot computer salesman called home. The police chief explained about the underground bunker decorated in fifties suburb style and housing four dead bodies in one of the closets. The police chief then added the information about how the robot had seemingly collected women, married them and then kept them locked in his perfect little Happy Days world until they died.
Joyce shuddered and clasp her daughter even tighter.
"Why would anyone create something like that?" she muttered in horror.
Ricci shrugged.
"Who knows. It was some seriously impressive technical work though. Beyond genius. We're talking Lieutenant Commander Data kinda production in a punch card society."
Joyce and Buffy stared at Antonio with almost identical expressions of confusion. Their heads tilted at the same angle while their foreheads crinkled in mirrored wrinkles. The policeman experienced a mixture of amused affection and incredulous disbelief at their obvious lack of understanding for his reference. He shook his head before chuckling and offering a prompt that he thought would be obvious.
"Data... artificial life form from Star Trek the next generation. Amazingly literal android that was a bridge officer?"
Buffy glanced towards her mother and her frown grew slightly.
"Star Trek. Is that the one with the pointy ear guy or the one with the hairy big foot guy?" Buffy asked her mom innocently.
Joyce shrugged lightly in an obvious air of indifference.
Ricci groaned and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes for a moment before raising his dark gaze to glare at the two Summers females. The mock ire he felt at the disregard for his long standing preference for entertainment of the science fiction nature fell away when he once more noticed very similar expressions displayed by his guests. This time, Buffy and Joyce sported twin smirks. Antonio's eyes narrowed as he wondered if he was the subject of some sort of jest. He suspected the two Summers were mocking him in some manner. His suspicions were soon confirmed.
Buffy giggled and leaned towards her mother. She whispered in a voice obviously intended to be loud enough for the police chief to hear.
"Men are so silly."
Joyce nodded with a giggle of her own and a more mature glint in her eyes.
"So wrapped up in their little boyhood fantasies of astronauts and spaceships."
"Don't forget Cowboys and Indians," Buffy added. An almost evil light sparked in the teens eyes. "Or how about Cops and Robbers?"
Indignation bloomed in Ricci's gut for a moment and he would have protested the implied insult to his occupation but Joyce beat him to a reply.
"True, true," she confirmed. "They are so very enamored with their fantasies."
"Of course," the elder Summers woman added as she shifted her attention from her daughter to look directly at Antonio even though she continued the game of addressing her child. "They are oh so very cute in their passions."
"And some have nice cars," Buffy teased as she too looked directly at the officer.
"And some, the lucky ones, have very nice shoulders. Broad and strong. Perfect for leaning on both physically and emotionally," Joyce added with a soft smile towards Ricci who had finally realized that this wasn't just a moment of casual teasing. His breath caught as he realized just how important this seemingly silly conversation actually had become.
Buffy leaned against her mom but continued to look directly at the police chief.
"Yup and, well, even if not my dad, maybe some of them might be good enough for mom date-age."
"Some?" Antonio repeated as Joyce glanced up at her daughter and responded "Really?"
Both the adults were silently thrilled to hear that the teen had no issues with them being more than just friends but they couldn't help but seek clarification. Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Okay, one not some," the teen confirmed with a nod to Ricci before she looked down at her mom and added a nod for her too. "Yeah... I'm all for you playing Cops and Robbers with Officer Friendly."
Buffy's nose crinkled slightly.
"As long as I don't have to see what you do with the handcuffs cause... EWW so doesn't cover it."
Now it was Joyce's turn to roll her eyes. Ricci couldn't help but chuckle at how exactly the expression mirrored the one the younger Summers had used just a few moments earlier.
"I think we can keep the bondage away from the impressionable teenage daughter," Joyce stated as she stood. She frowned slightly as she looked down at her daughter. "And what are you doing thinking about alternative uses for handcuffs?" the mother asked her daughter with real concern in her voice.
"I'm sixteen not six," Buffy replied as she bounced up from her seat on the padded armrest.
Ricci laughed.
"On that note, I think maybe you should head home? If you're feeling better," the officer nudged since he had paperwork that needed completed on the day's incident but he didn't want to chase Joyce from the office if she was still feeling insecure.
Joyce assured Antonio that she was fine now and that she and Buffy would head home. She then pointedly stressed that they would be having a rather large pot of chili for supper in case there would be any interest in joining them for for the meal. Happy to have the invitation, Ricci stepped forward and embraced Joyce. Buffy made a point of staring out the now open office door while her mother murmured her soft thanks to the officer. With a surprisingly contented smile on her face for someone who had an unpleasant encounter with a stalker only hours earlier, Buffy's mom grabbed her arm and moved her through the doorway. They left the police chief with his own contentment warming in his chest.
With the promise of chili and a quiet evening at the Summers' home, Ricci pulled an incident report from his desk in order to record the afternoon's altercation. The pleasure of the moment faded slightly as he pondered his latest proof of the strangeness that was Sunnydale police work. He shook his head as he wondered if the real facts in the case of Ted Buchanan would actually be acceptable in the eyes of the mayor. Antonio shrugged. Science versus Supernatural seemed to be main issue of concern. He grinned; he was going with the truth on this one.
"So, mini golf. Fun or apocalyptic?"
Buffy smiled at Oz as she plopped into the ratty recliner in his garage while the musician fiddled with some wires in the back of his unplugged amplifier. Although the Dingos were supposed to be practicing for their next gig, they were on hold until Devon decided to grace them with his presence. It was an expected delay so no one was particularly upset about the wait. Buffy was happy to have the free time to share with Oz before she took a quick patrol.
"Totally fun. Too bad you had that family thing," the blonde replied enthusiastically. "You should have seen how cute mom and Officer Friendly were. It was all with the little smiles and innocent touchies. They were like eighth graders or something."
"And?"
Buffy sighed happily. The teen was surprisingly not upset to see her mother seeing someone who wasn't her father. Although she missed her dad, she liked Ricci. Buffy thought he was really a sweet and reliable person for her mom. In the time she had known Antonio, she had seen a number of changes in her mom's habits as well as her attitude towards Buffy that were vast improvements in the teen's mind. The elder Summers female was drinking less alcohol, pushing Buffy less, and smothering her less too. All were good changes in her book. It also didn't hurt that Ricci knew about her semi-secret skills already and had accepted her weirdness without batting an eyelash.
"It was good. Nice to have an afternoon with Xander and Willow that didn't end in weird chaos magic or friends flying through the air."
Oz stopped his wire work and glanced up at his friend.
"No shakes or anything?"
Buffy shook her head.
"Nope," she replied with a happy emphasis on the end of the word. "The crowd wasn't too thick and I think Xander is really getting it. He's keeping out of my bubble and even curbing some of his more boisterous tendencies."
Oz nodded. He was glad that her friend had taken their recent altercation to heart and was making an effort to be more supportive of Buffy's new needs. The younger guy was raising in the senior's regard. The now orange haired musician nodded once more as he decided to personally invite Xander to their next gig. He figured it was time he made an effort as Buffy's friend too. He would try to establish some kind of working friendship with the junior. It would make Buffy happy.
Buffy glanced over her shoulder to where Sam and Jordon were arguing over a game of go fish. They had gotten tired of playing poker when the stakes were nothing more than nuts and bolts from an old coffee jar. They had shifted to the silly but entertaining game about ten minutes earlier. Confident that the two other musicians were properly occupied, Buffy delved into a more supernatural related topic that she wouldn't have touched if the bassist or drummer had been paying her any attention.
"You know, it really isn't fair that super demon fighting powers don't make for better putt-putting. I really stink at it. It so isn't part of the vamp related skill set."
Oz quirked one of his eyebrows as he replied to her complaint.
"I hear that vamp circuit isn't all its cracked up to be. What with the competition immolation at noon on the first hole."
Buffy grinned at her friend's deadpanned humor.
"Well, at least Officer Friendly gave me a couple thingies he called Molly-guns. I got to do a couple shots over when I sent the ball three greens ahead. Super strength and small clubs are not mixy."
"Think you mean a Mulligan."
"Molly-gun... Mulligan... who cares. Although, even with his help, I still came in last place. Dru even beat me."
Oz chuckled and Buffy glared at him. The musician could easily imagine Buffy getting flustered losing to the rather flighty former vampire. When Oz offered no retraction on his amusement at her poor putt-putt showing, Buffy pouted but dropped her complaint in favor of more positive parts of the outing.
"Dru really seemed to enjoy the outing too. She really loves being outside in the sunshine. We have to keep after her to use sunscreen though because she is still so pale. I think it is making her feel physically better too."
"She only had one little burp. She had an itty-bitty bit of a cry on the fifth hole. The hole had a fake Ferris wheel and two towers with a sky-ride and she started mumbling about dead lovers and fairs and octopus monsters. It was a bit confusing; I think it reminded her of some memory and the guilt kicked her pretty hard. Any-who, when she started crying, Mom took her over to the snack pagoda and got her a coke. She got her back on track in no time at all with some good old fashion mothering attention. Dru doesn't mind mom-smothers. In fact, she actually enjoys them. Mom thinks something traumatic happened to Dru while in England and that is why she is here visiting her Uncle Rupert. We haven't corrected her belief. She's been really kind to her and it seems to be helping Drusilla a lot. It also means mom hasn't been pressuring about when Dru is leaving."
"Glad to hear it. Has to be tough when..." Oz started only to be interrupted by shouting from outside the garage.
Everyone glanced towards the open garage door where Devon and Cordelia could now be heard loudly arguing with each other. Cordy was accusing the singer of forgetting to meet her at the mall like he promised while Devon kept insisting that he never agreed to meet her anywhere. She had just assumed that he would show up when she demanded it. Jordan and Sam cringed as Cordelia insulted Devon's fashion sense and his memory. In return, the singer called his soon to be ex-girlfriend a rather rude name and informed her that no matter how gorgeous she was that she was just too high maintenance for him. Cordy screeched in reply.
Cordelia's screech shifted into a blood curdling scream that was immediately joined with Devon's similarly high pitched wail. Buffy scrambled from her seat. She was moving to help before Oz even had a chance to stand.
"That is not break up screaming," she tossed over her shoulder as she raced towards the wide open garage door. Buffy's stake was in her hand before she had streaked through the middle of the room. She had just reached the exit to the the short driveway when Devon came barreling into the band's practice space. He scrambled past the blonde and dove behind a pile of boxes. As he fled, Devon was mumbling incoherently while outside in the twilight Cordy was still screeching.
Stepping into the darkness, Buffy assessed the situation as best as she could with the poor visibility. Cordelia's ongoing caterwauling easily pulled her attention to the trouble spot. Her tingles told her that there was one vampire but she saw three shapes in the shadows. She figured that the one on the ground trying to pull out of one of the larger attacker's grasp had to be Cordelia. Buffy started towards the struggling cheerleader as the driveway suddenly blazed with light. Oz had hit the switch for the spot light that they normally turned off to cut down on attracting bugs. He stood by the open garage door and watched Buffy to see if she needed any assistance.
"Just great," Buffy muttered in disgust. "It's Night of the Living Dead the sequel."
Trying to grab the supposed zombie's attention from the panicking Cordy, Buffy shouted. "Yo! Ugly! Didn't anyone ever tell you that NO really does mean NO?"
The reanimated Darryl Epps turned his head slowly from Cordelia to stare at Buffy. His eyebrows pulled together as he remembered his last brush with the little blonde warrior and her stake. His back was still oozing blackened blood from the poorly repaired injury. His newly turned brother hadn't been able to concentrate well enough to do more than some rough stitches to close the wound. Without the equipment at his lab located on the school campus, Chris couldn't electrically activate the cells around his brother's injury and promote even a modicum of healing. He was stuck with the injury until they could access the laboratory.
From her position on the ground, Cordelia continued to desperately fight to pull her wrist from Darryl's strong grasp.
"Come on Darryl," Buffy coaxed as the skin on the back of her neck shivered. The little tingle warned her that the vampire version of Chris Epps was moving closer to her left side. "What do you want with Cordelia anyway? If you're looking for a quick meal, I bet you could find someone with a bit more meat on his bones. I suggest checking out the docks."
"I'm not going to eat her," the scarred monster stated in a strangely offended tone. "I just don't want to be alone," Darryl added mournfully.
The elder Epps brother pleaded with his eyes for the teens to understand his plight. "I can't go anywhere like this and Chris was going to make me a friend to stay in the shadows with me."
Darryl turned back to Cordy.
"You will like being a vampire, Cordelia. Chris says it give you a whole new perspective on life."
"Please let me go," Cordy begged from her position on the ground. She certainly didn't want to be a vampire girlfriend for the reanimated corpse. She had plans that definitely required mirrors and sunshine. Cordelia stilled her thrashing though since she realized that the scary monster actually could talk and understand her plea. She hoped he had a shred of humanity still remaining in his body.
"You can't just go stealing a girlfriend," Buffy admonished just before Chris Epps attacked her from the side. Without even looking at the vampire, her left leg pulled up and kicked out. Buffy's foot slammed into the vampire's chest before his claws could even get close to her body. The force of the blow sent the undead teen flying over ten feet. He slammed into the side of the tall privacy fence that separated Oz's driveway from his neighbor's place. He slid to the ground slightly dazed.
"And you keep your grabby claws to yourself," Buffy ordered as she shifted her gaze to glare at the recovering vampire. "No one here is interested in your new un-life style."
Chris shook his head and pushed himself back to standing. The fledgling vampire growled at Buffy who had moved forward while Darryl had watched his brother propelled into the fence. His distraction was to her advantage. She tucked away her stake in the back of her pants so it was still easy to reach. With her right hand, she grabbed Cordelia's arm right above where Darryl was holding it. With a snap of her left arm against his forearm, Buffy knocked the dead man's hand from its bruising grip on Cordy's wrist.
Sobbing in relief, Cordelia crab-walked backwards on her hands and feet until bumping into Oz's legs. The musician yanked the brunette to her feet and together they backed into the garage.
While they made their escape, Buffy found herself once more being attacked by the younger Epps brother. She easily sidestepped his first rush. Unfortunately, he passed to the left and Buffy didn't have time to pull her stake with her right and switch hands for a proper dusting attack during his rush. Instead, as he passed, she utilized a spinning heel kick that connected with his rear end. It sent the vampire stumbling even further forward. As she pivoted, the blonde pulled free her stake once again. The momentum from her kick carried her around in a full circle that finished just in time to ward off an attack from the elder Epps brother. Armed and ready, she faced the larger opponent.
The elder Epps' attack lacked the finesse Buffy was used to encountering from her demonic opponent. What he lacked in combat skills though were compensated with strength and a complete disregard for personal safety. Truly dead cells translated into no pain receptors which meant the reanimated corpse had no problems with using all his strength. His mind did not force him to regulate his actions in order to avoid possible injury.
Since he lacked a clear battle plan and fighting skills, Darryl attempted to capture Buffy in a bear hug. She blocked his right hand with her left forearm before bobbing under his outstretched left arm. While ducking, her right arm was already swinging forward to connect with a punch to the side of his head. With her stake clutched in her fist, Buffy caught him firmly with the strike but the blow only slightly staggered the reanimated corpse. A thin trail of blackened blood oozed from a gash the tip of her wooden weapon left on the side of his head. Buffy inwardly cringed at the lack of response to the blow. She took two steps back and assumed a defensive stance.
"I know we already covered grabby hands with your brother. Are you just a slow learning?" Buffy snipped at Darryl as he lumbered back towards her. Since the older Epps brother was so much larger than her, Buffy realized her best bet would be to utilize kicks over punches. Instant decision made, the blonde jump up and snapped a kick that connected with Darryl's chin. This blow knocked the former football star back a number off steps. Buffy landed gracefully and prepared for another strike.
Before she could follow the successful blow with another one, Chris grabbed her from behind. Reacting instantly, Buffy slammed the back of her head backwards. The vampire's nose crushed under the blow. His grasp loosened slightly around her middle in response to the pain and it was all the space Buffy needed to bend slightly, shift her hips and toss the younger Epps over her shoulder. The hip throw propelled Chris heels over head. His feet actually slammed into Darryl as his head hit the ground.
"You know, you're supposed to tag one another before entering the ring," Buffy ordered as she readjusted her hold on her stake. She tilted her head to the side as she watched Darryl offer his brother a hand to stand. It was an unexpected bit of humanity that she wasn't used to seeing when battling demons intent on death and destruction. The vampire stood with the assistance from his sibling and immediately threw himself back towards the other teen. Once again, Buffy sidestepped the attack. This time, she shifted so he passed on her right side. Her stake found purchase in his back as he rushed beside her.
Darryl shouted in horror as his brother disintegrated. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt before bloomed in his chest. With a anguished roar, the reanimated corpse barreled towards Buffy. He lowered his shoulder and rammed the much smaller blonde like she was a four man football sled. The force of the tackle sent Buffy flying. She flew backwards through the open garage door and landed in the pile of boxes Devon had hidden behind.
Grunting in pain, the teen scrambled from the debris. She kicked away the crushed boxes around her feet and prepared for another attack. Her stake had been lost in her rough landing so she stood weaponless to face the incoming assault.
"Buffy!" Oz shouted as he threw a wooden baseball bat towards her.
She caught the improvised weapon and swung it like a home run professional at her quickly approaching attacker. The bat connected with Darryl's shoulder. The bat shattered; Darryl's shoulder crushed. The reanimated corpse staggered to his knees while Buffy stared at the destroyed weapon in horror. She muttered in annoyance about shoddy workmanship as she flung the bat handle at Darryl's head. The splintered end actually bit into his forehead. It left behind a dozen small jagged cuts as the projectile fell to the floor. For the first time, Darryl seemed to truly react to a blow. It had jarred his brain and he had to shake his head in hopes of clearing it.
Buffy took a moment to glance around in hopes of finding something else to use as a weapon. As she stepped towards a cluttered collection of gardening tools, other junk began flying at Darryl. The jar of mismatched nuts and bolts bounced off his shoulder. It was followed by some greasy car parts and a partially flattened basketball. An old roller skate glanced off the side of his head.
"Nice shot, Cordy!" Sam congratulated the cheerleader who had slung the roller skate. He reached for another coffee can filled with screws and flung it with all his limited strength at the hulking monster. From their numerous places around the garage, his band mates continued their own attempts to pelt the animated corpse with junk.
Buffy's pulled free an old pair of trimming shears. She turned with her new found weapon to face Darryl. She paused from renewing her attack though when she noticed the previous football star's face. As one of Jordan's drumsticks bounced off Darryl's face, the rage-filled energy seemed to just drain from his body. His shoulders slumped and grief bloomed on his face.
"I just didn't want to be alone," he stated in a wavering voice. "I didn't ask for this."
Buffy's arm lowered to her side and she nodded in understanding. The set of shears bumped against her pants leg in case she needed it. Buffy's thoughts flitted through her own life. She had not originally asked to be called and so she understood how frustrating it could be to be forced into a new existence. At least she had friends to help her deal with the stress. Pike had helped in LA and the Scoobies helped her here. Darryl didn't have those supports available and now his brother was gone too.
"I'm sorry," she returned with a compassion laden voice.
Darryl stared at the teen for a moment more. His sadness and frustration practically oozed from his body much like his thick black blood was sluggishly leaking. He then turned and ran from the garage. Once he passed into the twilight, Cordy reached out and slapped her palm against the switch that kicked the garage door into movement. The door whined in protest as it shuddered down into a closed position. Everyone relaxed in sudden relief as it cut them off from the outside.
Buffy stared at the blank white panels of the door without moving. Oz stepped towards her and tentatively touched her elbow with just the tip of his finger. She turned her head towards him so he could see the tears swimming in her eyes.
"Why can't the monsters always be monstrous?" she whispered in a trembling voice.
Unable to really offer anything to make her feel better, Oz just shrugged and turned to look at the closed door.
"That sucked," Buffy stated as she too turned back to glare at the door panels.
Oz just nodded in agreement.
Huddled in a corner of the sunken church, Ethan Rayne fitfully slept wrapped in a dirty camp blanket and his coat rolled up as a pillow. His shackled wrist clanked when he shuddered in his sleep. He moaned and began to shiver as his dreams were invaded by shifting images from his youth.
Rayne dreamed of fire and drugs and powerful magics. A demonic presence slithered through partying young people. It touched them. It aroused them. It filled them with power and want and need. The power tore at their minds but freed their bodies. Ecstasy and torture warred in their systems as the demon Eygon unleashed its essence into the welcoming bodies of its worshipers.
From his stone throne, the Master watched his captive reacting to his nightmare. The ancient vampire snorted in disgust. He couldn't imagine what fantasy in his mage's dreams could possibly compare in horror to his current reality. The undead monster considered himself a far greater threat than anything Rayne could possibly manufacture in his mind. Shaking his head at the ridiculousness that was the human psyche, the Master turned back to newest errand boy and discussed the acquisition of the hardest item needed for the upcoming Rite of Cyperion. Eric was happy to share his ideas.
Across town in the loft of his flat, Giles groaned in his sleep. He thrashed around in the bedding as his dreams mirrored Rayne's nightmare. With a full body shiver, Rupert jostled awake. He sat up in his disarrayed sheets and ran his hand through his disheveled hair.
"Oh dear Lord," he muttered in horror.