Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Also, I'd like to thank Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help with this chapter, Bl4ckHunter for a song suggestion, and also Marcus S. Lazarus for some suggestions regarding this one.
Hope all enjoy.
Chapter 3- Once More, With Feeling Part 1
Matt was walking, talking on the phone. "So yeah, I'm on my way to Sunnydale now."
"I really want to come, but there's another mess here", Angel sighed from the other end.
"No worries, I'll handle it", Matt assured Angel.
"I can send Lorne if you want", Angel spoke up. "He can help her out fine I think."
"Yeah, that's a good idea, if he's willing to come, ask him", Matt said. "Bye."
"Bye", Angel said as the call was cut.
Later, Caritas
Lorne was overseeing the reconstruction of the place when he got a call and picked it up. "Oh hey, Ange, what's up?"
"I have a little favor to ask", Angel requested.
"What would that be, Angel-cakes?" Lorne asked as he said to a worker. "No, put it there."
The worker did as told as Angel said. "Faith's probation is over and she has gone to Sunnydale now, can you go check up on her for me please?"
Lorne groaned. "Look, I'd love to, but I have to oversee my haven's reconstruction, and it's a Hellmouth, not my thing!"
"Guess I'll have to tell Matt he's on his own there", Angel muttered, about to cut the call but then Lorne was interested.
"Wait, Devillicous is there too?" Lorne asked.
"Yeah, he went after her", Angel informed Lorne.
"All right, you know what? I'm game, let him know I'm coming", Lorne said.
"Will do, thanks a lot", Angel said gratefully, cutting the call.
"I've missed that handsome Devil", Lorne muttered as he moved away.
Sunnydale, night time
Faith walked in the cemetery, looking around. It had been so long since she'd staked any Vampires, as none had been found in New York. She'd find some here.
After reaching Sunnydale, she'd ended up going back to her old motel room to stay alone in there, and directly come to patrol.
She was still wondering if she'd done the right thing by leaving Matt with a voice message like that. He was a great guy, he'd been so nice for all the 3 months, even when he'd burnt his hand while using the Infinity Gauntlet, he deserved better.
Yeah, he did deserve better than her as company. So far, she'd not done much to make up for what she did, right here in Sunnydale. He was a hero, she was still someone with things to make up for.
Unless she did, she deserved to be alone, she didn't deserve anything nice, like Matt, or Angel. She really had hit rock bottom here 3 years ago.
With those thoughts in mind, she suddenly began to sing!
"Every single night, there was an arrangement, I went out and fought the fight." A Vamp popped out from behind a grave as Faith continued. "Still I always felt, this strange estrangement. Nothing here was real, nothing here was right."
He attacked as she blocked and flipped him down. "I'd been making shows of trading blows", he got up as she struck his face, "and had been hoping no one knows." She spin kicked him down. "That I'd been going through the motions", she picked him up and tossed him to the other side.
She started walking forward as he got up and charged to her. "Walking through the part. Nothing seemed to", she staked the Vampire as he reached close, dusting him, "penetrate my heeeeaaart."
She walked further. "I always wanted to be brave and kind of righteous. Then I found I was wavering."
She came across a horned Demon and two Vamps with a guy tied to a tree as she continued singing. "Put someone in a grave", she dodged the first one's sword swing and knocked him down, "You think this fight just doesn't mean a thing."
She punched the next one as his face whipped to the side and he sang. "She ain't got that swing."
He punched her back and she fell down next to the first guy's sword which was stuck in the ground. Lifting her head she sang sarcastically. "Thanks for noticing."
The Vamps and horned Demon did a dance, shaking their arms and moving their legs. "She did pretty well with fiends from hell. But lately even we could tell-"
Faith flipped up, taking the sword out of the ground.
"That she'd been just going through the motions."
She grabbed the Vamp who'd punched her down and struck him with the sword.
"Faking it somehow."
She threw the first Vamp from whom she'd gotten the sword away, then stabbed the horned Demon through the stomach, before retracting it and walking off.
"She wasn't even half the girl she…oooowwwww…"
He fell down dead.
Faith walked to the tied up guy. "Will I stay this way forever?" She chopped off the ropes holding him. "Loath myself through my life's endeavor."
The handsome tied up guy turned to her- "How can I repay-"
She cut him off. "Whatever."
Faith then walked off, throwing the sword to a side. "I didn't want to beeeee-"
She walked onto a higher platform ringed by statues. "Going through the motions. Losing all my drive. Now I can't even see, if this is really me."
The Vamp she'd knocked down returned.
"And I just want to be", she staked him and raised her arms to either side. "Aliiiiiiiiiiveeee."
She then started walking off when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Faith?"
Faith turned around to face Buffy. "Hey, B."
Then she realized what she'd been doing and felt embarrassed. "How much did you see?"
"How much…what? I just got here like a second ago", Buffy told her and Faith sighed in relief.
"Oh, okay", Faith said and started walking off.
"So, your probation's over now?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, already said goodbye to Matt, decided this would be the place to come to, hope you don't mind", Faith told her.
"Well, no, not anymore", Buffy assured. While she still believed Faith's downfall was her own fault, she'd talked with Willow about her and she did wonder if being nicer to her would have helped.
"All right, I'll be going off", Faith shrugged as she walked off.
"Hey, where're you staying?" Buffy asked.
"Same old place from before", Faith told her, turning around.
Buffy didn't want her to be there now, she deserved better. "You can crash at my place till you get some place better if you want, and no, you're not imposing on me."
Faith told her. "Okay, but not tonight, I'm getting a bit tired, tomorrow we'll see."
She didn't want to go at all, she still felt she deserved to be alone, she just figured this would delay it.
"Okay", Buffy nodded. "We gather at the Magic Box, you can come there."
"Will do, thanks", Faith said. "Also, I think something weird is going on."
"How weird?" Buffy asked.
"Can't tell right now", Faith said, confusing Buffy.
"So, you just staked Vamps?" Buffy asked and Faith nodded. "How does it feel now?"
"Just like riding a biker", Faith smirked as Buffy looked embarrassed, and Faith loved the look on her face.
"I didn't need to know that", Buffy cringed.
"Which is why I told", Faith said as she walked off with a chuckle and Buffy rolled her eyes. Some things never changed.
Next day, school
Peter and Dawn were sitting next to each other, all the students trying to solve some Math equations.
"These are so next level, and no, I don't miss being tutored by Willow and you", Dawn told Peter with a sigh.
"Maybe I can help out", Peter said, trying to reach out to her.
"No, best I do it myself and learn", Dawn told him as she tried to solve and suddenly burst into song!
"Counting sheep, when you're trying to sleep. Being fair, when there's something to share. Being neat, when you're folding a sheet", Dawn started moving her head back and forth while writing while moving her body in a dance motion. "That's mathematics!"
Peter looked at her in surprise but then both started moving their heads back and forth together, tapping their feet as Dawn sang. "When a ball bounces off of a wall. When you cook from a recipe book. When you know how much money you owe."
They jumped on the tables and raised their arms to either side.
"That's mathematics!"
Everyone looked at them weirdly, the teacher included, and they seemed embarrassed until the students all stood up too, and the teacher ended up walking behind them, looking ready.
They held hands and jumped down walking to the front as they waved their hands in a spin motion while moving side to side with their feet, tapping them, and the class, including the teacher behind, copied the movement as Dawn continued. "How much gold can you hold in an elephant's ear? When it's noon on the moon, then what time is it here? If you could count for a year, would you get to infinity or somewhere in that vicinity?"
Dawn then picked up the chalk and started writing on it while shaking her body as the rest shook their body in the same motion. "When you choose, how much postage to use. When you know, what's the chance it will snow. When you bet, and you end up in debt. Oh try as you may, you just can't get away. From mathematics!"
She threw the chalk away in a dance movement, everyone else copying her again as she then put her hand on head, shaking. "Andrew Wiles gently smiles, does his thing, and voila! Q.E.D., we agree and we all shout hurrah!"
She then did the waving motion with her hands again, Peter doing it next to her as the class did it behind them and she sang. "As he confirms what Fermat jotted down in that margin. Which could've used some enlargin'"
She then tapped her feet while shaking her body, jumping side to side, and Peter and the rest did the same. "Tap your feet, keepin' time to a beat, of a song, while you're singing along. Harmonize with the rest of the guys. Yes, try as you may. You just can't get away."
Everyone raised their hands to either side of themselves.
"From mathemaaaaatics!"
Later
Both Peter and Dawn walked in the hallway as she said. "Okay, that was weird."
"You dance and sing really amazing", Peter told her as she smiled. "You're amazing."
"Awww, thanks, your dance was really amazing too", she told him as they shared a quick peck on the lips before she frowned. "But really? Math? I mean, I like it, unlike others, but there are better things to sing about too."
"Like what?" Peter wondered when heard Kirsty talking with her friends.
"The Spider-boy, really weird, I mean, swinging is so lame compared to flying", she said to her friends.
"But he's a hero", a friend of hers said. "A good guy."
"Well, JJJ says he's a menace", she told him.
Peter was used to jabs on himself and his alter-ego, but this time, he burst into song!
Putting a hand behind his head, he pointed at Kirsty while sliding his right foot forwards. "Livin' on the edge, fighting crime, spinning webs, swinging from the highest ledge."
He then did a cartwheel. "He can leap above our heads."
After that, he started twirling really fast with joined hands while raising his foot in the air, and Dawn copied his movement, and soon, the whole hallway did, Kirsty included as he sang. "Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh, Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh ah."
He then continued his twirling, and it eventually happened naturally, Dawn and the background dancers continuing as he sang. "Villains on the rise, and the town is victimized. Looking up with no surprise, arriving in the speed of time."
And then while twirling, then leapt into the air, spinning as they landed. "Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh,
Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh ah."
Then Peter leapt into the air while twirling, and twirled in mid-air as the rest copied that movement multiple times.
"Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man. Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man. Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man."
Everyone in the background sang simultaneously. "Spectaculaaar."
Following that, they stood for a second before Peter spun and rolled on the ground, Dawn and the rest copying his movement as they sat down, their hands behind their heads as they moved on either side while sitting, then shook their legs and flipped up, Peter singing all the while.
"Crawling through the night, facing evil with his might. He's a hero in their eyes, see the headlights every time."
They twirled again. "Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh. Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh ah."
After that, they did a cartwheel motion to the front before Peter tapped his feet, Dawn and the rest following. "Making villains fall, webbing rivals to a halt. Racing up and down the walls, bringing justice to us all."
There was another twirl. "Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh. Ahhh ahh ahhh ah ahhh ah."
Then Peter and Dawn did a motion with their hands and shaking themselves to the right side, put their hands over their chest, the background dancers following the move before they did movements with both hands while shaking their hips.
"Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man. Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man. Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man."
The background dancers then sang. "Spectaculaaar."
After that, they shook their hands up and down while tapping their feet and shaking their hips and did a spin motion before shaking their hips to the left side, twisting their necks a little, and leaping, did the 'yo' symbol with their hands that Spider-Man did while firing a web.
"Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man. Spectacular, Spectacular, Spider-Man."
Later, Magic Box
Faith walked in to see Buffy, Willow, Tara, Giles, Xander and Anya all in deep conversation before they turned to her.
"Oh, hello Faith", Giles greeted her as she waved awkwardly.
"Buffy told us you were here", Xander said.
"So, why are you here? Any specific reason?" Anya asked, but was shot looks by Willow, Tara and Giles as Xander just sighed so she shut up.
"Okay, Faith, did you burst into song last night?" Buffy asked her.
"What? No!" Faith said, still embarrassed about that before adding. "But I did see some Vamps and Demons doing it."
"So it has happened to all of us then", Tara said. "What's going on in the place? Do we have any books on this?"
"We can look it up", Willow shrugged in agreement.
Matt and Lorne were walking to the Magic Box, and the latter was clad in sunglasses, a hat and gloves, with Matt holding his arm. Lorne looked around in shock at everyone dancing and singing and Matt could hear it too, feeling their body temperatures rise from how fast they were going.
"And I thought I'd heard the weirdest already", Matt sighed.
Lorne looked at a dancing guy. "That guy is going to do well for himself, if only he could lay off the extra donuts."
Magic Box
Xander started. "Well, we just gotta break it down. Look at the factors before it happens again. Because I for one-"
Then Giles interrupted him by singing as he took off his glasses. "I've got a theory that it's a demon! A dancing demon? No something isn't right there."
Willow raised her finger. "I've got a theory some kid is dreaming, and we're all stuck inside his wacky broad way nightmare."
Tara now shook her hands weirdly as Willow pointed to her awkwardly.
Xander sang. "I've got a theory we should work this out."
Anya walked closer to them as she, Willow, Tara, Faith and Xander sang together. "It's getting eerie what's this cheery singing all about?"
Faith then covered her mouth, looking embarrassed as the other 3 exchanged weird looks.
Xander suddenly stood up. "It could be witches, some evil witches!"
He then turned to Willow and Tara as they looked incredulous while the latter put a hand on her hip with a mock glare as he continued.
"Which is ridiculous 'cause witches they were persecuted. Wicca good and love the earth and women power and I'll be over here."
He sat back down lamely.
Anya distanced herself a little. "I've got a theory, it could be bunnies!"
The others all looked at her weirdly as Tara started. "I've got a theory-"
Anya interrupted her as rock music played while spotlights shone on her and she sang in a high-pitched voice.
"Bunnies aren't just cute like everyone supposes. They got them hoppy legs and twitchy little noses", she twitched her hands to emphasize her point, "and what's with all the carrots!? What do they need such good eyesight for anywaaaaayyy!?"
Spinning her hand while playing air guitar and shaking her hips she sang. "Bunnies, bunnies, it must be bunnies!"
As her song ended she raised her hands above her head as there were fireworks around her and the smoke cleared to reveal her.
The rest continued staring at her.
She added lamely. "Or maybe midgets…"
Willow quickly sat down beside Giles and opened a book. "I've got a theory we should work this fast."
Willow and Giles sang together. "Because it clearly could get serious before it's passed."
Giles started walking up the stairs when Buffy sang behind him. "I've got a theory", he turned around as she sang, "it doesn't matteeeeeer."
She looked at them all and sang. "What can't we face if we're together? What's in this place that we can't weather. Apocalypse? We've all been there. The same old trips, why should we care?"
Buffy, Willow, Tara, Giles, Anya and Xander sang together. "What can't we do if we get in it?"
Willow turned to Faith who joined in too. "We'll work it through within a minute. We have to try, we'll pay the price. It's do or die."
Buffy then sang. "Hey we've all died guys."
Except Faith the rest sang together as they stood up. "What can't we face if we're together?"
Faith smiled, still looking reluctant. "What can't we face?"
Other than Faith, the rest sang together. "What's in this place that we can't weather?"
Faith added reluctantly. "If we're together."
Buffy, Willow, Tara, Faith, Giles, Anya and Xander. "There's nothing we can't face."
Anya then sat down, singing the last line.
"Except for bunnies."
Suddenly the door opened as Matt and Lorne appeared, and the latter sang. "Stop! In the name of love!"
They all looked at him in shock as he asked. "What? Is it the hat?" He gestured to the baseball cap he was wearing with the LA Angels logo on it. "I'm more of a Dodgers fan anyway. By the way, you mister," he pointed to Giles, "are fabulous, you have to stop by LA one of these days, I'll even give you tab at the club, once it's fixed anyway."
Faith folded her arms, looking at Matt. "What are you doing here?"
"Got your message", Matt shrugged.
Faith started. "I said I-"
"Oh no you're not", Matt shook his head, as the others realized it was private and moved off to do other stuff, Lorne included.
"So you decided to come here then", Faith muttered.
"You're not doing this alone, Faith", Matt assured her as he walked to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "And then I called up Angel, he was concerned too, so he sent Lorne to help."
"And?" Faith asked.
"Considering what was happening while we came in, you might just need it", Matt told her.
"Is it only happening to us?" Anya then asked.
"Oh no Rockstar", Lorne told her. "Everyone was singing while we came in, one gentleman was singing about mustard being taken off his shirt."
"It was like a commercial", Matt shrugged, walking further in as he sat down and put his cane and suitcase away.
They sat down as Matt asked Lorne. "So you got anything?"
"Well, I did read them, and it seems like they're under some mumbo-jumbo that makes them all sing and dance like professionals", Lorne shrugged.
"So you have no idea either", Tara realized with a sigh as they nodded.
"Hey! What was that Demon thing you turned into when you used the Stones?" Anya then asked Matt suddenly as all shot her looks, Faith giving her a glare that made the phrase 'if looks could kill' come to mind as Matt sighed.
"Mephisto", Matt said the name as Anya gulped and backed off.
"Sorry for asking", she said, and everyone was shocked that Anya had actually apologized for her behavior since she never did, other than Buffy, Willow and Tara who knew the full story behind Matt's Devil, and figured Anya would have heard of Mephisto during her Vengeance Demon days.
Peter and Dawn then entered the store, both smiling as the latter said. "Oh my god. You will never believe what happened at school today."
Buffy asked. "Everybody started singing and dancing?"
Dawn looked disappointed. "I gave birth to a pterodactyl."
Anya asked. "Oh my god, is Peter the father, and did it sing?"
Willow and Tara were whispering to each other.
"So, you guys too, huh?" Dawn walked closer.
Xander inquired. "So what'd you guys sing about?"
"Math", Dawn put down her backpack with a sigh, sitting on a stool by the counter.
"And then Spider-Man", Peter said with a proud smile as they exchanged a look, then noticed Matt, Faith and Lorne.
"Oh my God! Mr. Daredevil!" Peter rushed to Matt, grabbing his hand and shaking it really long. "I'm a huge fan! Always wanted to meet you! You were the greatest hero when you saved us from the golden guy and his army, I wanna learn so much and get your…..I'm shaking your hand too long!"
"Yeah", Matt nodded in amusement and Peter dropped it.
"Faith", Dawn waved, the two on better terms after last time.
"Hey kiddo", Faith waved back with a smile.
"Who are you?" Dawn asked Lorne.
"Name's Lorne, call me the Host, friends with Devillicous here", Lorne said, tapping Matt's shoulder. "Since the whole town is singing and dancing, figured I'd join in."
"Oh, nice to meet you", Dawn smiled as she held out her hand and he shook it.
Willow whispered in Tara's ear and she loudly said. "Tha-That's right! The, the volume. The text."
Giles asked. "What text?"
Willow said. "The volume-y text. You know? The, the", she mumbled, "report."
Xander was confused. "The what now?"
Tara clarified. "Oh, there's just a few volumes back at the house that deal with mystical chants, bacchanals."
Matt chuckled to himself, having heard their talk, and knew what they were going to do, but he didn't mind.
Dawn glanced at the counter, seeing a necklace lying there as Tara said. "It might be relevant."
Willow added. "Yeah, we could, um-"
Giles said. "Well, I'm a hair's breadth from investigating bunnies at the moment, so I'm open to anything."
"I think you two should go and research whatever you want", Matt said with a smile that said he knew what they were up to, and they smiled gratefully.
Willow said. "Great, we'll, uh, go check it out and uh, we'll give you a call."
"Yeah, this could blow the whole thing wide open", Tara said as they both got up and left together.
Peter noticed Dawn looking at the necklace and got an idea as he started mentally counting how much money he had.
Willow and Tara walked through a park. It was sunny and beautiful with green grass, blue sky, etc. as Tara asked. "Do we have any books at all at home?"
Willow replied to her. "Well, who wants to be cooped up on a day like this? The sun is shining, there's songs going on..."
A couple of young men walked by and looked at Willow and Tara as they passed as Willow finished. "...those guys are checking you out."
"What?" Tara turned to look. "Wh-What are they looking at?"
Willow said the obvious. "The hotness of you, doofus."
"Those boys really thought I was hot?" Tara looked back at them again.
"Entirely."
"Oh my god. I'm cured! I want the boys!" Tara joked and made like she was going to run after the guys as Willow grabbed her and pulled her back. Tara giggled happily.
Willow joked. "Do I have to fight to keep you? 'Cause I'm not large with the butch."
They stood underneath a tree, leaning on a wooden railing as Tara honestly said. "I'm just ... not used to that. They-they were really looking at me?"
Willow fondly assured her. "And you can't imagine what they see in you."
"I know exactly what they see in me", Tara said as she looked into Willow's eyes. "You."
She then burst into song.
"I lived my life in shadow. Never the sun on my face. It didn't seem so sad, though. I figured that was my place."
Willow watched with a sad smile, thinking about the abuse Tara had suffered at the hands of her father and brother before coming to Sunnydale. To her.
Tara then walked out from the shade, lifting her face into the sun. "Now I'm bathed in light." She looked at Willow with a confident and happy smile. "Something just isn't right."
She then spun and leaned on the railing as Willow's smile now turned happy.
"I'm under your spell. How else could it be, anyone would notice me?"
"It's magic, I can tell", Willow and Tara were then on the bridge over a little stream. "How you set me free. Brought me out so easily."
Tara then took Willow's hand and they walked off the bridge onto a path, holding hands as Tara continued. "I saw a world enchanted. Spirits and charms in the air." She made a gesture with her arm and sparkles appeared, following her hand with a tinkling noise.
"I always took for granted. I was the only one there."
Willow made some even more impressive sparkles with her hand, ending in a small shower of sparks surrounding them both. They smiled at each other.
"But your power shone. Brighter than any I've known."
Tara spun away to a small pond at the edge of the grass as Willow smiled. Tara then began to dance, doing gestures with her arms and spinning.
"I'm under your spell. Nothing I can do. You just took my soul with you."
Two women who were sunbathing then got up and started dancing behind Tara, copying her moves as they spun their arms.
"You worked your charm so well. Finally, I knew. Everything I dreamed was true."
She held out her arms with a smile as Willow came to her.
"You make me belieeeeeeeve!"
They spun, holding each other by the arms while the sunbathers sang in the background. "Aaaaah, aaaaaaah!"
Willow and Tara were then in their bedroom, looking at each other lovingly as the 'aaah, aaaah' in the background continued.
"The moon to the tide. I can feel you inside."
Tara lay down on the bed. "I'm under your spell. Surging like the sea." Willow leaned over her with a smile.
"Pulled to you so helplessly. I break with every swell."
Willow moved downwards, removing Tara's panties as she started pleasing her with her mouth, and Tara felt the pleasure course through her body.
"Lost in ecstasy. Spread beneath my willow tree. You make me belieeeeeve!"
Tara's body then slowly rose and hovered over the bed as Willow continued what she was doing, making her sing in pure bliss.
"You make me com-plete. You make me com-plete. You make me com-plete. You make me-"
Same time, Magic Box
"I bet they're not even working."
"Who now?" Buffy asked Xander in confusion.
He clarified. "Willow and Tara. You see the way they were with each other? The get-a-roominess to them? I bet they're-" he glanced at Peter and Dawn, catching himself. "Singing. They're probably singing right now."
Giles sat down with a coffee and spoke. "I'm sure Willow and Tara are making every effort."
"You do realize we know about the stuff?" Peter asked, only to get a look from Buffy which made him turn the other way.
Faith noticed the look and realized what had happened as she turned to Dawn and gave her a wink, and Dawn smiled.
"I think all that stuff is romantic", Dawn said.
"Huh?" Xander asked.
"Come on! Songs, dancing around. What's gonna be wrong with that?"
"Honey, people danced around like this in Strasbourg in 1518 too, for days, and died from exertions, very painful way to go", Lorne said, and now the rest cringed at imagining that.
"The body heat of all the people, it is rising uncontrollably", Matt clarified.
"You think there's something wrong there?" Faith asked.
"I know it", Matt said.
Night, Bronze
It was dark. A man was tap-dancing across the floor but his expression was scared and desperate. He continued dancing and suddenly burst into flame, screaming.
He fell to the floor in front of a pair of feet in red shoes and red pants. It was a demon in a red suit, with red skin and a pointy chin.
"That's entertainment."
Next morning
Xander and Anya were in bed as he asked. "You want some breakfast, baby?"
Anya asked him. "You don't have to go to work?"
Xander told her. "Nah, I shut the crew down for the day. My guys start dancing around me, I don't know if I can deal. It's a flab thing. So, waffles?"
Anya asked. "Will you still make me waffles when we're married?"
"No, I'll only make them for myself, but by California law, you will own half of them." Xander kissed her. "Hey, how about omelettes? I could do an omelette. I've almost got that-"
Xander continued talking as Anya sat up and began to sing.
"This is the man that I plan to entangle. Isn't he fine? My claim to fame was to maim and to mangle. Vengeance was mine. But I'm out of the biz. The name I made I'll trade for his. The only trouble is..." She paused and shook her head. "I'll never tell."
She got up and walked off as Xander sat up and started to sing. "She is the one she's such wonderful fun, such passion and grace." Anya sat next to him and started putting on her slippers as he fondled her knee. "Warm in the night when I'm right in her tight—" He caught himself and hugged her. "Embrace. Tight embrace. I'll never let her go."
Anya put on her slippers as he sang. "The love we've known can only grow. There's just one thing that-" He stopped and shook his head. "No. I'll never tell."
They both sang together lamely. "'cause there's nothing to tell."
The walked out of the bedroom
"He snores."
"She wheezes."
"Say "housework," and he freezes."
Xander opened the fridge. "She eats these Skeezy cheeses that I can't describe."
He picked up a green cheese, sniffed it and made an 'ew' face.
Anya sang. "I talk. He breezes."
Xander put the cheese back. "She doesn't know what please is."
Anya then sang. "His penis got diseases from a Chumash tribe."
Xander shut the fridge and walked to the newspaper as they sang together. "The viiiiibe gets kind of scary."
Xander then sang. "Like she thinks I'm ordinary."
Anya continued. "Like it's all just temporary."
Xander cringed. "Like her toes are kind of hairy", both sang together. "But it's all very well." They gave each other fake smiles before turning to the front. "'Cause, god knows I'll never tell."
Xander opened the newspaper as a headline read- "MAYHEM CAUSED. MONSTERS CERTAINLY NOT INVOLVED, OFFICIALS SAY."
Anya then accused in song. "When things get rough he just hides behind his Buffy", he closed the newspaper and gave her a look. "Now look, he's getting huffy 'cause he knows that I know."
He put the newspaper down and sang. "She clings. She's needy. She's also really greedy. She never-"
Anya stepped in front of him and interrupted. "His eyes are beady."
She moved away as he told her. "This is my verse. Hello? She—"
Anya then suddenly started dancing flapper style. "Look at me! I'm dancin' crazy!"
Xander first watched, then joined her as they did the same movements in sync while also holding each other at times and dancing, then walked to each other.
"You knoooooow."
"You're quite the charmer", Xander sang as they held hands.
"My knight in armour", Anya sang back.
Xander put his hands on her waist as Anya put hers around his neck while he sang. "You're the cutest of the Scoobies with your lips as red as rubies and your firm yet supple—" He paused and then sang. "Tight embrace."
They resumed dancing, holding each other as Xander spun Anya, and then they sat on opposite sides of the table.
"He's swell."
"She's sweller."
"He'll always be my feller."
"That's why I'll never tell her that I'm petrified."
"I've read this tale, there's wedding then betrayal. I know there'll come the day. I'll want to run and hide."
They climbed onto the table, crawling towards each other. "I liiiiiied. I said it's easy. I've tried but there's these fears I can't quell."
They sat with their backs to each other as Xander wondered. "Is she looking for a pot of gold?"
Anya wondered. "Will I look good when I've gotten old?"
Xander asked. "Will our lives become too stressful if I'm never that successful?"
Anya got up. "When I get so worn and wrinkly that I look like David Brinkley."
Xander got up too. "Am I crazy?"
"Am I dreamin'?"
Xander and Anya held hands, continuing the flapper dance as he sang. "Am I marrying a demon?"
They sang together. "We could really raise the beam in makin' marriage a hell."
He held her by the waist as she leaned on his hands. "So, thank god I'll never tell."
He lifted her as they looked at each other. "I swear that I'll never tell."
They moved to the couch as Xander did a zipper motion. "My lips are sealed."
Anya raised a hand. "I take the fifth."
Xander shook his head. "Nothing to see. Move it along."
"I'll never", both raised their hands and looked at each other, "tell."
They dropped to the couch and laughed fake Hollywood-musical laughs together.
Later, Xander and Anya moved with Giles, talking over each other.
"It's a nightmare."
"It has to be stopped."
"It's a plague. It's like a nightmare about a plague."
"It was like we were being watched."
"It's like, I didn't wanna be saying things-"
"Like there was a wall missing-"
"-but they just kept pouring out."
"-in our apartment."
"And they rhymed and they were mean and-"
"Like there were only three walls and not a fourth wall and-
"My eyes are not beady!"
"My toes are not hairy!"
They stopped talking over each other as Xander said. "Giles, you've got to stop it."
Giles told them. "Well, I am looking into some leads, and I-"
Anya spoke up. "It's just, clearly our number is a retro pastiche that's never going to be a breakaway pop hit.
Xander begged. "Work with me, British man. Give me an axe and show me where to point it."
Giles told him. "Well now, Xander, it's not quite that simple. But I have learned about some disturbing things. Basically-"
A woman called Marti nearby was standing by her car singing to an old policeman who had a bushy moustache and bright smile. The old cop was writing her a parking ticket since her car was parked next to a fire hydrant.
Marti begged in song. "I'm asking you please no. It isn't right, it isn't fair. There was no parking anywhere, I think that hydrant wasn't there", the cop gave her the ticket. "Why can't you let it go? I think I've paid more than my share, signior..."
The cop sang to her. "You repeat this and your car shall be towed over there, Excelsior!"
Xander asked in shock after Giles had told him everything. "As in burnt up? Somebody set people on fire? That's nuts!"
Anya shook her head, disturbed. "I don't know. One more verse of our little ditty and I would've been looking for a gas can.
"Well, clearly emotions are running high", Giles said as people danced in the background. "But as far as I can tell these people burnt up from the inside, spontaneously combusted." Three street sweeper men in background danced with brooms. "I've only seen the one. I was able to examine the body while the police were taking witness arias."
Xander wondered. "Okay, but we're sure that the things are related: the singing and dancing, and burning and dying."
They stopped walking. The street sweepers continued their dance in background as Giles said. "Well, Matthew did say that the temperatures of the dancing people was rising at an unnatural degree, so it has to be that. Buffy and Faith are looking into it, and Faith seems-"
Xander sighed. "She's easing back into it. She did horrible stuff, and now she's here again, so it must be bringing back bad memories."
Giles shook his head. "I shoulder have helped her."
Anya patted Giles awkwardly on the shoulder.
Night, Spike's crypt
Spike emerged from his underground lair as Buffy walked in and said. "Sorry I didn't come around yesterday."
"I'm guessing it has something to do with the singing and dancing", he said and she nodded.
"Yeah, and Faith's back too, with Matt", Buffy told him. "It's all weird. You know what's causing this?"
"No, not really", Spike shook his head. "Well, don't want to bore you with the small talk."
Spike walked to the door, opened it and turns toward Buffy. "Don't know a thing."
Buffy frowned. "What's up? You're all bad moody."
"Nothing. Glad you could stop by", Spike made a gesture toward the door.
Buffy stayed seated, looking at him.
Spike was now defensive. "It's nothing."
"What?" Buffy asked.
Then Spike burst into song!
"Made a lot of mistakes. Fell in love for love's sake. I gave my heart to a missus. Just to take it back and tear it to pieces", Spike sang, looking embarrassed as Buffy's eyes widened in amazement at how good he was, and he shut the door and walked further in. "It's been an awful long time, speaking words that weren't truly mine. I'm over starting over, riding on a broken-down roller coaster", he sat on his coffin and lay over it, "I knew better but I never learnt", he crossed his arms before putting them on either side. "Oh!"
He jumped up and started walking to her as she stood up, watching. "Everybody was telling me who I ought to be. Who I was not and where I gotta be. The last thing I needed were voices in my head. No, not me", he got on his knees in front of her. "I didn't even know then who I wanted to be. I had miles and miles in front of me, and all that I could see were the mountains up ahead. Didn't let them stop me, I'm going up, just watch me."
He then opened the door as they started walking together while some men carried a coffin. "What a dark, big sky. I can't cross to cross the clothes line. I took back the history. The beauty's in the mystery. Your heart was shining like gold. I can't say "Hi" through a window, as I searched the ceiling for the answers I'm not sure I'm ready to hear yet. Oh, what is this feeling I get?"
He then leapt onto the coffin. "Everybody was telling me who I ought to be. Who I was not and where I gotta be. The last thing I needed were voices in my head. No, not me. I didn't even know then who I wanted to be", the men stumbled as he jumped off the coffin. "I had miles and miles in front of me. And all that I could see were the mountains up ahead. Didn't let them stop me, I'm going up, just watch me."
He then rushed to Buffy as they held arms and danced together. "Everybody was telling me who I ought to be. Who I was not and where I gotta be. The last thing I needed were voices in my head. No, not me. And I didn't even know then who I wanted to be. I had miles and miles in front of me. And all that I could see were the mountains up ahead. Didn't let them stop me. I'm going up, just watch me."
While dancing, they tripped and fell into an open grave, Buffy on top as Spike sang. "Everybody was telling me who I ought to be. Who I was not and where I gotta be. The last thing I needed were voices in my head. No, not me. And I didn't even know then who I wanted to be. I had miles and miles in front of me. And all that I could see were the mountains up ahead. Didn't let them stop me. I'm going up, just watch me."
She smiled as they shared a passionate kiss and she rested her head on his chest.
Peter and Dawn were returning to her home after a little date as she said. "Today was great."
"Yeah, I loved it too", Peter told her with a smile as they arrived in front of her home, and sat down next to each other. "So, I have something for you."
"Really? What is it?" Dawn asked as Peter suddenly burst into song.
"You waited, my girl, on an empty stage. For fate to turn the light on, your life, my girl, was an empty page, that monks had to write on."
Dawn leaned closer, singing to him with a smile. "To write on."
Peter then sang. "But now we are sixteen going on seventeen. Baby, it's time to think. Better beware, be canny and careful", he tapped his head with one finger and hers with the other. "Baby, we're on the brink."
He got up and paced around her before facing her. "We are sixteen going on seventeen, now we don't need to fall in line." He put his arms on his raised knee. "Eager young lads and rogues and cads will offer us food and wine."
He then looked in front as he waved his hands and sang. "Totally unprepared were we to face the world back then." She tried to kiss him but he backed off as she chuckled while he paced to her other side, backing and raising a finger. "Timid and shy and scared were we of things beyond our ken."
He then paced more, moving his feet a little. "We needed someone older and wiser telling us what to do. But now we are sixteen going on seventeen, we'll take care of one another, meeeee and youuuuu."
Dawn got up excitedly and hugged him as they spun around and she then sang. "Now we are sixteen going on seventeen. We know that we were naïve." She grasped his hand and led him back. "Fellows I met had told me I'm sweet", she raised her hands and spun. "And willingly I believed."
She then sat down after another spin, putting one knee over the other. "Now we are sixteen going on seventeen, no longer innocent as a rose. Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies, I may just know of those."
She got up and walked to him seductively, making a spider from her fingers on purpose as she moved it over his shoulder and he was a little freaked, to her amusement. "Totally unprepared were we to face the world back then. Timid and shy and scared were we of things beyond our ken."
Peter backed off a little, being freaked as she laughed and jumped to his front, putting her arms around his head. "We needed someone older and wiser telling us what to do. But now we are sixteen going on seventeen, we´ll depend on each other, meeeee and youuuuuu."
She then put her arms down as he held his hand out, and she grasped it, and then they spun together as he held her up and put her down, and then they kept running to the other side, then jumping towards each other with their foot out, and then spinning, they sat on opposite sides.
The two spun once more, moving close to each other, looking into each other's eyes, then spun again, backing off and moving to each other, and then did it a 3rd time, and this time Peter held up the necklace she'd been looking at, to her joy. He'd just enough money to buy it.
He put it around her neck, and they kissed each other passionately on the lips, closing their eyes as she leaned her waist on his hand, and then they parted breathlessly.
"Thank you, thank you so, so much, I love you", Dawn told him gratefully, and genuinely.
Peter was caught off guard but he meant his next words. "I love you too."
They kissed each other on the lips lovingly again before parting and he said. "We'll see each other tomorrow."
"Yeah", she nodded as he let go, and moved back, the two sharing one last loving look before he walked off happily, and she walked inside happily herself.
Dawn then arrived in her room, closing the door, and admired the necklace happily, but then turned to find a Demon standing behind her. She screamed in horror as there were two more, and they grabbed her, putting a bag over her head, muffling her screaming.
Song lyrics made the chapter really long for obvious reasons so I did half the episode here, the other half will be in next chapter and there Matt, Faith and Lorne will get a lot more to do, I promise.
So obviously, some stuff remained the same and other stuff changed. 'Going Through The Motions' was now given to Faith, and I changed the tense to past tense, so instead of Buffy's depression, it refers to Faith's past actions and her guilt over those, and her nervousness at trying to make it all right.
The Maths song is actually a song by Tom Lehrer titled 'That's Mathematics!' and I figured since Dawn sang a song on Math, this one would fit.
Peter has learnt to take jabs at both himself and his alter-ego, but deep down he might feel a little bad about it. Him not letting it stop him from doing the right thing is one of the many things that make him a hero, but since Sweet makes people let it all out, he sang about his alter-ego here, and come on! Peter not singing 'Spectacular Spider-Man' would be a missed opportunity.
'I've Got A Theory/Bunnies/If We're Together' remained mostly the same, with Faith added. In the actual song I noticed Giles was a bit reluctant to join during 'If We're Together' until he did so with a smile and I think its because he was feeling how Buffy is getting too dependent on him, but then for a little while let go of that worry, and here I made Faith the reluctant one instead for obvious reasons, and Willow's looks convinced her to join since they understand each other.
'I'm Under Your Spell' had a triple meaning in the actual show- the meaning at face value was just Tara appreciating Willow, then another meaning was obviously that she actually was under Willow's spell due to having her memory of their fight erased by the Lethe's Bramble, and the third meaning was that it was actually a lesbian erotica song, due to the ending bit.
Now here its just a double meaning song since Willow never violated Tara here. And don't act innocent! You all know what Willow and Tara were doing at the end of that song!
Xander and Anya would still have their problems since their journey as a couple so far is the same as in canon, and that's why 'I'll Never Tell' remained.
As for 'The Parking Ticket' sang by Marti Noxon herself to prevent the cop from giving her a ticket, I kept the song the same, but turned it into a Stan Lee cameo, with the cop being the legend himself, as he sings and ends it with 'Excelsior!' Hope that was enjoyed by all.
Now for Buffy and Spike, they are already a happy couple together in this and he has his soul too, so no 'Rest In Peace', and the song used was Kate Voegele's 'Just Watch Me' with modified lyrics (Thanks a lot to Bl4ckHunter for that suggestion), since it suits him perfectly, and shows how he was before his soul coming back, and then after, and he's all the more grateful for it, as well as Buffy.
Then for Peter and Dawn, I used the song 'Sixteen Going On Seventeen' from 'The Sound of Music' and changed the lyrics. Now the original song is a product of the movie's own time period so we cannot judge it by modern sensibilities, but that song basically said that the girl should depend on her older and wiser guy because she is naïve and unprepared for the world. Now I love the song, not judging it, but its true, so for Peter and Dawn, it had to be changed in that both know they were young, easily excited puppies once but now are ready to grow, and be dependent on each other for support.
It also replaced 'Dawn's Lament' because she does not feel lonely in this, and so she didn't steal the necklace either, instead Peter gifted it to her, and now they've confessed their love too, but Sweet has taken Dawn due to her having the necklace.
So, those are the explanations here. Hope they make sense.
Also, there actually was a Dancing plague in Strasbourg in 1518 when people randomly burst into dance for a long while, and the number of people who danced were between 50 to 400, and many of them died from exhaustion or strokes. There are conflicting theories on why it happened, but it did happen.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time when I end this musical.