Halloween Hopps

It was just two more nights until Halloween, when Buffy would finally get a break, and she couldn't wait. The vamp she'd chased into Pop's Pumpkin Patch had better than average skills and threw her hard, her back slamming painfully through a pumpkin and onto the ground as she tried to estimate how late she was going to be to meet Angel.

Way later than was fair, probably. Why was he even dating her? Buffy grabbed a stake and tried to end the vampire with a well-aimed throw, unfortunately all she got was a very dead scarecrow and a kick in the head. She felt like someone was watching her, but there was no time to check as she traded punches. When one well timed right hook knocked her into the hay wagon she saw an opening and kicked the vamp to the ground before flipping him with a scissor kick and snatching up the sign that marked the Halloween countdown.

She dusted him, finally, the sign left buried where she'd pinned him as grey powder drifted in the wind. She was so late! In her rush Buffy forgot the sensation of being watched, and missed the tell-tale glow of a red recording light as it faded into the darkness.

The Bronze was busy when Buffy arrived, the band playing in the background was probably another great local find. But she could hardly hear them over the sound of her own angry embarrassment when she saw Angel. He was sat laughing with Cordelia, and probably had been for an hour already. Because of course Cordelia would be there, would be available and perfect and funny. And Buffy would be late and still uncomfortably sweaty from slaying.

She turned around almost immediately, and was nearly out of the door when she heard Angel call out.

"Buffy?" He walked over too fast for her to pretend she hadn't heard him. "Buffy!"

"Hi, I'm…" Buffy trailed off, not sure how to explain.

"Late?" Angel offered.

"Rough day at the office." She said. Angel reached towards her and pulled something from her hair. Straw it looked like, and wasn't that just a final nail in the proverbial coffin.

"So I see." He smiled a little, and it was kind. Not really the look she wanted to see on a boyfriend… or whatever Angel was.

"Hey, it's a look. A… seasonal look," Buffy joked, she could feel the heat of shame rising in her cheeks. She just wished that even once something would work out for her. That she could have some tiny little slice of normal.

"Buffy. Love the hair. It just screams street urchin." Cordelia said, her tone cruel. It was the last blow to Buffy's pride, she should have just headed home after tackling that vamp.

"Know what? I need to go..." She swallowed and couldn't keep up her smile. "Put a bag over my head."

Angel grabbed for her, his hand wrapping warmly around her arm.

"Don't listen to her. Please. You look fine." His tone was reassuring but totally unconvincing. The night was a ruin.

"You're sweet." She said. "A terrible liar, but sweet."

"I thought we had..." Angel began.

"A date?" Buffy interrupted. "So did I. But who am I kidding? Dates are things normal girls have. Girls who have time to think about nail polish and facials. You know what I think about? Ambush tactics. Beheading. Not exactly the stuff dreams are made of."

She walked away, tired of more broken plans and more disappointment. It wasn't even Angel's fault, she knew, it was the sacrifice that apparently only she would ever have to make.

Xander caught up with Buffy and Willow as they walked into school. It was nearly Halloween, a holiday he could totally get behind considering the outfits a lot of the girls would wear.

"So who is ready for another day of learning?" he joked, earning a smile from Willow.

"In this amazing institute? How could I not be," Buffy replied dryly.

"Eh, I heard there's a test for biology today," Willow offered and Xander tried not to groan. Of course there was a test… which he had possibly meant to study for and then forgotten about.

"Please tell me you have notes?" he asked, and Buffy nodded.

"Of course I have notes, I just need to get them from my locker," Willow said.

In the hall there was a table set-up, a big sign on the front asking for volunteers while Principle Snyder seemed to be hunting down anyone who made eye contact.

"Snyder must be in charge of the volunteer safety program for Halloween this year." Willow nodded towards the victim Snyder had already cornered.

"Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept," Xander replied.

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked.

Xander leaned up against the lockers while Willow retrieved her notes and explained. "Oh, a bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or- treating. Sign up and get your own pack of sugar-hyped little runts for the night."

"Yikes." Buffy grimaced. I'll stick to vampires."

By the time any of them noticed Snyder it was too late, his hand clamped onto Buffy's shoulder.

"Miss Summers. Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for." He sneered.

He was without a doubt one of the least likeable people Xander had ever met, his face permanently etched with spite and dislike. At least vampires were actual demons, Snyder didn't seemed to have that excuse, the guy was just a power hungry creep, but so long as he was principal there wasn't anything they could do.

"Principal Snyder!"

"Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another." Snyder continued, as if Buffy hadn't spoken. The guy was such a grade a jerk. "Well, not this year, missy."

He dragged Buffy to the volunteer table and Xander couldn't help following. They were a team, and maybe he wasn't some amazing powered up vampire like Angel but whatever Buffy was dragged into, he'd… well, he'd witness it?

"Gosh, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome, and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight." Buffy tried to argue but Snyder was already pushing the sign-up sheet into her hand.

"The program starts at four, the children have to be back at six."

It was a little funny to watch the incredible slayer, she who was chosen, the only girl in the world with the power to fight evil sullenly write her name down for kid duty and Xander grinned at Willow. She didn't look so happy, and Xander had a moment of confusion before he realised Snyder was staring at them too, a pen held out.

Willow cracked first and took the pen, Xander tried to hold out. But with Buffy, Willow and Snyder staring at him he felt his willpower wilt.

"Fine," he snatched up a pen and scribbled his name.

"Costumes are mandatory and should be appropriate, if you even know what that means," Snyder said as they all finished signing. "No shows or lateness will result in detention. You've been warned."

He turned to find another victim and they escaped as fast as they could.

"I can't believe this." Xander grumbled, his plans for Halloween crumbling. "We have to get dressed up and the whole deal?"

"Snyder said costumes were mandatory." Willow said.

"Great. I was gonna stay in and veg." Buffy complained, "The one night a year things are supposed to be quiet for me."

"Halloween quiet?" Xander asked, confused. How was Halloween a quiet night? Wasn't it supposed to be when all the creepy things went bump in the night? "Oh, I figured it'd be a big old vamp scare- apalooza."

There was a spare table in the student lounge and they made a beeline for it.

"Not according to Giles." Buffy said and sat down. "He swears that tomorrow night is, like, dead for the undead. They stay in."

"Those wacky vampires! That's why I love 'em! They just keep you guessing!" Xander joked and left his bag with Willow and Buffy, the soda machine and sweet sweet sugary refreshment was calling to him.

Today… today felt like a Dr Pepper day, he thought as he knocked the panel button and waited, then knocked again. Was it broken? Xander tried a hit to the middle panel, and when that didn't work he tried the side. Confused, he hardly noticed Larry until the guy slapped a meaty hand on his shoulder.

"Harris!" Larry said, the guy was a bully and an idiot. He'd once accidently set his own shirt on fire in a lab session that didn't even involve open flames.

"Hey, Lar." Xander replied and tried not to sound too resigned to dealing with the guy. "You're lookin' Cro-Mag as usual. What can I do you for?"

Larry didn't get the insult, Xander doubted he even knew what Cro-Mag meant.

"You and Buffy, you're just friends, right?" He asked.

"I like to think of it less as a friendship and more as a solid foundation for future bliss." Xander replied, he could already tell where the questioning was going but Larry being Larry didn't catch the hint.

"So, she, she's not your girlfriend?" Larry continued.

"Alas, no." Xander admitted, though it didn't hurt quite as much as he thought it would to say out loud. Huh, maybe he was getting over her?

"Do you think she'd go out with me?" Larry asked, he'd pushed past Xander for a better view of Buffy, still sat at the table with Willow apparently oblivious to the Neanderthal ogling her.

"Well, Lar, that's a tough question to… No. Not a chance." Xander said. This at least he could be very sure about. Buffy might not want to date Xander, but she was never going to date Larry. Not in this life anyway.

"Why not? I heard some guys say she was fast." Larry said, his eyebrows waggling in a way that made Xander feel both an instant bolt of anger and disgust.

"I hope you mean like the wind." He warned.

"Yeah, you know what I mean," Larry dismissed.

"That's my friend that you're talkin' about!" Xander growled, his heart pounding in the back of his throat.

"Oh, yeah?" Larry squared up, and there was no doubt he was bigger and meaner than Xander. But Xander wasn't exactly easy prey anymore either, what was a loser bully compared to actual hell spawn? "Well, what're you gonna do about it?"

"I'm gonna do what any man would do about it," he replied. A rush of adrenaline flooded Xander's body as he grabbed Larry's shirt. "Somethin' damn manly."

Disappointingly the threat had less than zero impact on Larry, who smiled and knocked Xander's hand away before pulling him into a hard grasp. He balled up his fist and Xander tensed, he knew what was coming, had been in this position more than once before. The bruises would hurt the worst tomorrow.

But the punch never fell, as Larry drew back Buffy appeared. From almost out of nowhere she had Larry by the wrist and slammed him up against the vending machine.

"Get gone," she snarled, and shoved the much larger guy away.

Larry all but ran as Xander watched, the pit of anger in his belly turning from rage at Larry to shame and irritation. Every time, every time he was ready to step up he ended up being the guy to get rescued. But at least that was usually when they were in actual danger, this time Larry was going to tell everyone. He'd twist it too. Make it into some kind of story where Xander went crying for help.

"Ooo! Diet!" In the altercation with Larry a can finally rolled out of the machine and Buffy picked up enthusiastically.

"Do you know what you just did?" Xander demanded as Buffy attempted to offer him the drink.

"Saved you a dollar?" She replied, a look of confusion on her face.

"No," he said, "but Larry was about to pummel me!"

"Oh, that?" Buffy dismissed, as if it was nothing. As if she hadn't just set him up for a whole new world of teasing. "Forget about it!"

"Oh, I'll forget about it." Xander said and followed her back to the table to snatch up his bag. "In maybe fifteen, twenty years when my rep for being a sissy man finally fades!"

"Xander, don't you think you're..." she stopped, finally realising that he wasn't joking.

"A black eye heals, Buffy, but cowardice has an unlimited shelf life." He explained. "Oh, thanks! Thanks a lot for your help."

As Zander stalked away, still filled with righteous indignation, Buffy collapsed onto the table by Willow.

"I think I just violated the guy code big time." She groaned.

"Poor Xander. Boys are so fragile." Willow agreed. "Speaking of, how was your date last night?"

"Misfire." Buffy admitted, already feeling lower than low. "I was late due to unscheduled slayage. Showed up looking trashed."

Willow winced sympathetically. "Was he mad?"

"Actually he was pretty unmad," Buffy replied, her face twisting unhappily. "Which probably had something to do with the fact that Cordelia was drooling in his cappuccino."

"Oh, Buffy. Angel would never fall for her act." Willow said. Buffy wanted to believe her, she really did. But…

"You mean that 'actually showing up, wearing a stunning outfit, embracing personal hygiene' act?" she pointed out.

"You know what I mean." Willow replied and took advantage of the now unwanted can of soda. "Uh, she's not his type."

It wasn't really a convincing argument. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't know what his type is. I've known him less than a year, and if you haven't noticed, he's not exactly one to over share."

"True." Willow looked thoughtful, her mouth twisting into half of a comforting smile. "It's too bad we can't sneak a look at the Watcher diaries and read up on Angel. I'm sure it's full of fun facts to know and tell."

Buffy sat up sharply, the idea Willow had accidently seeded taking root.

"Yeah. It's too bad. That stuff is private." She said carefully and caught Willow's eye.

"Also Giles keeps them in his office. In his personal files." Willow agreed, nodding along as she realised Buffy's plan.

"Most importantly, it would be wrong." Buffy finished. The two shared a smile and stood up, walking slowly towards the library.

"Look out?" Buffy asked Willow as they snuck up to the window.

"Always," Willow agreed.

They peered through the round window to the library, and with no sign of Giles Buffy decided to make her move. Willow nodded encouragingly and checked the hallway as Buffy crept inside and quietly shut the door. Willow peered after her as she snuck up to the counter and checked for any sign of Giles.

It looked all clear, but the moment Buffy tried to take a step towards the office space Giles' appeared from the depths of the book cage.

"Buffy!" He called out, and she practically levitated with surprise as she turned around. She felt like guilt was written all over her face. "Excellent!"

"Nothing! Hi!" she shouted.

Giles shot her a puzzled look and continued. "Yes, I-I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow night. As it should be, uh, calm, you might work on some new battle techniques."

"You're beginning to scare me, Giles." Buffy recovered. "You need to have some fun."

Giles hummed and looked down at the book he'd been leafing through. Buffy waved frantically for Willow, it was time to try out another plan. This time Buffy would run distraction. Willow shook her head at the window, mouthing 'no' and Buffy shot her an imploring look. When Giles looked up suddenly it was only her speed and instincts as a slayer that meant she was able to switch to scratching her head before Giles spotted her waving.

"You know, there's this place you can go, right, and you sit in the dark, and there are these moving pictures, right, and the pictures tell a story." Buffy said.

"Yes, yes, ha, ha, very droll." Giles replied and sighed. He didn't see Willow behind him creeping through the door. "I'll have you know that I have very, uh, many relaxing hobbies."

"Such as?" Buffy asked and Giles paused.

"Well, um..." He looked down at the books in his hands for inspiration and Buffy mouthed at Willow for help. "I enjoy cross-referencing."

It was such a… well, such a Giles reply. "Do you stuff your own shirts, or do you send them out?"

Eyes rolling, Giles began to walk towards his office and Buffy frantically grabbed a book, leading his gaze back towards the book cage and away from Willow.

"So! How come Halloween is such a big yawner? I mean, do the demons just hate how commercial it's become?" She asked and flicked through the book she'd snatched.

"Hm, it's interesting, ac..." Giles began to explain and then paused. "Not, I suspect, to you."

It was clear he'd finally noticed something about Buffy's behaviour was a little off and took back the book in her hands. "What is it you're after?"

"Of course, it's of interest to me!" Buffy said, careful not to look at Willow who had finally made it to the office. "I'm the Slayer. I need to know these things. You can't keep me in the dark any longer."

Giles looked disbelieving and started back towards his office, in a panic Buffy grabbed for his arm.

"Look at me when I talk to you!"

Willow shot an anxious look over Giles shoulder and paused just inside the office.

"I really don't have time for these games," Giles sighed.

Desperate, Buffy announced the first thing that came to mind. "Ms. Calendar said you were a babe!"

At the office door Willow shook her head frantically. But Giles had stopped, a look of interest on his face. "She said what?"

"Well, she said that you were a... h-hunk of burning... something or other. So," she blew out a hard breath, a little unbelieving that she'd sunk this low. But it was the break Willow needed to make it into the office and… Buffy really wanted to read those records on Angel. "… whadaya think of that?"

Giles looked a little flustered, and rather pleased.

"Uh, I..." he stammered, "I don't, um, uh... A burning hunk of what?"

"Look. You know how disgusting it is for me to even contemplate you grownups having smoochies," Buffy said. In the background Willow emerged from Giles' office, a large book in her hand, and crept to the exit. "But I think you should go for it."

"Buffy, I appreciate your interest, but..."

"But I've overstepped my bounds. It's none of my business, you know." Buffy declared apologetically as Willow made it out of the door. "What was I thinking? My God! Shame, shame. I gotta go."

She walked to the door as fast as she could and found Willow outside, the diary pressed to her chest and her back to the wall.

"Bathroom?" Willow asked.

"Bathroom."

The diary was incredibly detailed, filled with information a watcher had discovered tracking Angel's maker and then Angel himself. What caught Buffy's eye particularly was a drawing made of one of Angel's possible paramours.

"Man, look at her." Buffy sighed.

"Who is she?" Willow asked, craning to read the inscription.

"It doesn't say, but the entry's dated 1775." Buffy replied and stared at the beautiful gown and elaborate hair. Was this someone Angel had loved once?

"Angel was eighteen. And still human."

"So that's the kinda girl he hung around? She's pretty coiffed." How much work even went into a look like that? Probably a lot more than she'd put into her hay bale roll-up from last night.

"She looks like a noble woman or something." Willow said. "Which means being beautiful is sort of her job."

"And clearly this girl was a workaholic." Buffy grimaced. She should give up while she still could, if this was what Angel liked then there wasn't much point. "I'll never be like this."

Willow frowned "C'mon! She's not that pretty. I mean, look at her. She's got a funny... uh, waist. Look how tiny that is."

Although it came from a good place, Willow's words weren't exactly reassuring.

"Thank you." Buffy replied sarcastically. "Now I feel better."

"No!" Willow exclaimed and tried to explain. "She's like a freak. A circus freak. Yuk."

It was a pretty lame excuse when they looked at the beautiful drawing. "Musta been wonderful. Put on some fantabulous gown and go to a ball like a princess, and have horses and servants, and yet more gowns."

Willow looked less convinced than Buffy. "Yeah. Still, I think I prefer being able to vote."

Buffy raised her eyebrows and Willow shrugged. "Or I will when I can."

The bathroom door swung open and Cordelia walked in, as perfect as ever though she seemed to see something that needed fixing in the mirror.

"So, Buffy. You ran off last night and left poor little Angel all by his lonesome." Cordelia jibed. "But I did everything I could to comfort him."

"I'll bet," Buffy replied, her voice flat. Part of her knew Cordelia was deliberately needling her, but it still hurt.

"So, what's his story anyway?" Cordelia asked and began to touch up her makeup. "I mean, I never see him around."

"Not during the day, anyway." Willow joked.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me he still lives at home." Cordelia sneered. "Like, he has to wait for his dad to get back before he can take the car?"

Buffy and Willow exchanged a puzzled glance, did Cordelia really think Angel still had parents?

"Cordelia, I think his parents have been dead for a couple of hundred years," Buffy said.

"Oh, good. I mean..." It took a moment for Cordelia to really hear what Buffy had said, but when she did she froze slightly. "What?"

"Angel's a vampire," Buffy explained, a little incredulous that Cordelia hadn't already noticed. "I thought you knew."

Cordelia rolled her eyes and turned back to her makeup. "Oh, he's a vampire. Of course! But the cuddly kind. Like a Carebear with fangs?"

"It's true." Willow confirmed. Unexpectedly, Cordelia looked annoyed rather than surprised and stalked over to them.

"You know what I think?" she said. "I just think you're trying to scare me off 'cause you're afraid of the competition. Look, Buffy, you may be hot stuff when it comes to demonology or whatever, but when it comes to dating, I'm the Slayer."

She walked out before either of them could reply, leaving Buffy and Willow to stare after her in disbelief.

With the looming threat of Principal Snyder and unlimited detention on the horizon, Buffy, Willow and Xander decided to go costume shopping as soon as they finished school. While Willow and Buffy wandered, Xander already had a pretty good idea of the only prop he needed; a fake gun to go with his army fatigues. Simple, cheap, and manly. Exactly what he needed to feel slightly less like the sissy-kid he'd been called by Larry and his cronies all day.

"Hey, Xander!" Willow called him over as he walked back from the till. "What'd you get?"

Proud of his decision, Xander pulled out the toy gun and held it out for them to marvel.

"That's not a costume," Buffy said. Xander, still annoyed, glared slightly.

"I got fatigues from an Army surplus at home," He said. "Call me the Two-Dollar Costume King, baby!"

He shared a smile with Willow, she was still the best friend he could have.

"Hey, look, Xander..." Buffy started, she sounded a little apologetic and Xander turned the gun on her, wondering what she would say next. "I'm... really sorry about this morning."

"Do you mind, Buffy? I'm trying to repress." He declared in response, though he felt a little better that she'd finally apologised.

"Okay, then I promise, from now on I'll let you get pummelled," she said, and gave him a sad look. The kind he could never resist, especially not from her.

"Thank you." He replied after rolling his eyes, he was never great at holding grudges. "Okay, y'know, actually I think I could've t..."

He began, but trailed off when it became clear that Buffy was already distracted by something.

"Hello! That was our touching reconciliation moment there," he exchanged a puzzled look with Willow and followed Buffy.

She'd found some kind of fancy costume, a huge fancy dress that looked a little bizarre to him.

"I'm sorry, it's just... Look at this."

Willow nodded along with Buffy, apparently the dress was a girl thing.

"It's amazing." She said.

"Too bulky," Xander disagreed, who wanted to see girls more covered up on Halloween? "I prefer my women in spandex."

What did catch Xander's attention was some kind of police uniform displayed next to it. The costume was high quality, much better than the cheap bagged uniforms displayed on racks at the front of the store. It had a tight blue undershirt, with long arms, and a realistic looking cropped bullet proof vest. The initials Z.P.D were stitched on the shoulder and pocket. Xander guessed that was to make sure people knew it wasn't a real uniform. It could certainly pass for one.

"Please, let me." The guy who ran the shop, Ethan, walked over. He handed the dress to Buffy, but Xander could see he'd noticed Xander's interest in the cop costume too.

"Oh, i-it's..." Buffy stammered.

"Magnificent. Yes, I know." Ethan said and held the dress up to Buffy in front of the mirror. "There. My. Meet the hidden princess. I think we found a match. Don't you?"

"Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this." Buffy refused.

"Oh, nonsense. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse." He replied and looked at Xander. "I see the uniform is popular too. I can't think of anyone else who it would fit quite so well. It would be a pleasure to know you both look your best tomorrow."

Xander startled and shared a look with Buffy.

"I, er, I already have my costume," he said and held up his plastic gun.

Ethan smiled. "I'm sure that will add quite nicely to the look. Two for one, what do you say?"

"Um, split it with me? Please?" Buffy appealed to Xander, flashing him those sad eyes again. He sighed.

"Sure, why not." Whatever, he didn't have to wear it, though it did look cool. Maybe there was a way to combine it with the army stuff he had… the boots would probably match.

"You're the best!" Buffy exclaimed and nodded to Ethan.

Xander handed over his $20 share, both happy that it wasn't more and a little suspicious. Ethan was seemed to be too generous, which made sense around a pretty girl like Buffy, but not for Xander. He never got the 'hot people' pass. But Buffy said Halloween was a quiet day on the supernatural calendar, so it would probably be fine right?

By the time Xander got home it was nearly dark, there was no sign of his dad and his mom was already half way through a bottle of wine with the television blaring. She ignored his arrival, the same way she always did, and Xander couldn't bring himself to care as he stuck a couple of pop tarts in the toaster.

With something kind of resembling a dinner, or at least fuel, he went up to his room and dug out the cop costume with a pastry half hanging out of his mouth. When he held it up against him in the mirror it looked maybe a little tight and he debated whether it would fit at all. That was twenty bucks he wouldn't see again, but at least Buffy had been happy.

Xander decided to try it on anyway and brushed the crumbs off his fingers as he worked out which buckles went where. There was a shiny badge he hadn't noticed attached to the utility belt and small can of something labelled 'fox repellent' but the outfit actually fit him pretty well. The snug blue shirt and bullet proof vest gave an illusion of muscle that he liked, and while the pants were weirdly tight they did fit. With the army boots on, he even looked kind of cool. Maybe the $20 hadn't been a waste after all.

The costume shop was long closed and quiet, but light glowed around the edges of a velvet curtain as Ethan swept into his alter room. The beautiful face of Janus gazed up at him and he fell to his knees, excitement surging in his chest. When his hands closed that excitement pooled and flowed until it reached his palms and burst forth in sharp stab of pain, his chaotic blood celebrating his devotion.

"The world that denies thee, thou inhabit." He intoned and began to anoint himself in supplication to his God. "The peace that ignores thee thou corrupt. Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son."

Bliss entered his body and Ethan grinned wildly, he was going to have so much fun tomorrow.

Buffy fussed at the enormous wig again and stroked her hands down the elaborate gown, it looked good, she thought.

"Where're you meeting Angel?" Willow called from the bathroom, they'd decided to get ready together once school finished for the day. Xander would arrive any minute so they could regroup as 'volunteers' for the night.

"Here." She said. "After trick-or-treating. Mom's gonna be out."

"Does he know about your costume?" Willow called, she'd been in the bathroom for a weirdly long time after borrowing a choice outfit from Buffy.

"Nope. Call it a blast from his past. I'll show him I can coif with the best of 'em." Buffy replied and eyed the door. "Okay, Willow, come out. You can't hide in there all night."

There was the sound of shuffling before Willow replied. "O-okay, but, but promise you won't laugh?"

"I promise." Buffy said. She really wanted to see Willow come out of her shell, especially around Xander. The Inca mummy incident had definitely knocked her friend's confidence a lot, Buffy wished Willow could see just how great she really was.

When Willow emerged she was wearing the leather skirt and cropped shirt that Buffy had provided, along with a pair of boots that came from her mom's wardrobe. She looked stunning, but obviously wasn't comfortable as she snatched up the awful ghost outfit from the store.

"Wow! You're a dish!" Buffy smiled and grabbed the edge of the white sheet toss it aside. "I mean, really."

"But this just isn't me," Willow tried to cover herself, so uncomfortable it was almost painful to watch.

"And that's the point." Buffy reassured her, turning her to face the mirror. "Look, Halloween is the night that not you *is* you, but not *you*. Y'know?"

The doorbell rang from downstairs and Buffy grinned with excitement.

"Oh! That's Xander. Are you ready?" she asked. Willow nodded slightly.

"Yeah. O-o-okay."

"Cool! I can't wait for the boys to go non-verbal when they see you!" Buffy said, and it was true, Willow was crazy cute. It was ridiculous more people couldn't see it.

She bounced down the stairs, dress lifted so she didn't go full on clutz mode and suffer a tragic stair related fall. She flung open the door to find Xander waiting, wearing the cop uniform costume he'd picked out next to her dress.

"Officer Harris, ZPD, reporting for…" he began, saluting with his gun, then paused when he caught the full force of Buffy's dress. "Buffy! Lady of Buffdom, Duchess of Buffonia, I am in awe! I completely renounce spandex!"

He surveyed Buffy with admiration, but didn't exactly look bad himself. Muscles that were usually hidden under baggy shirts and loose jeans were suddenly moulded by tight cotton and stretch athletic fabric.

"Thank you, kind sir." Buffy curtsied and smiled when Xander returned a bow. She couldn't wait for his eyes to fall out of his head when Willow came down. "But wait till you see..."

She paused, Willow had appeared alright, but she was covered from head to toe in the dumb ghost costume. The word 'BOO' spelled out on her chest looked particularly sad.

"Hi."

Buffy sighed and changed direction "...Casper."

Xander, who would apparently never know how close he'd come to seeing Willow looking wild, smiled anyway. His eyes were warm under his hat.

"Hey, Will! That's a fine boo you got there."

Buffy tried not to be disappointed, but Willow caught the look she sent her way and shrugged a little. This was the eskimo outfit all over again.

"Thanks, and… and that's a fine vest, Officer," Willow replied.

They chatted together casually as they went to the school, Buffy's dress was heavy and kind of a pain to wrangle but she was happy enough that it looked great. At the school the hallways were heaving with kids dressed in every possible costume, all chattering excitedly at the prospect of candy. Despite originally despising Snyder for dragging him into volunteer duty, Xander was already kind of having a good time. The kids looked cute, and he'd probably get a few treats out of it too.

Of course, some of that excitement dimmed when he spotted Larry. The guy was dressed like a pirate, and had body odour to match.

"Where's your bodyguard, Harris? Curling her hair?" he sneered as he walked past, then lunged suddenly. Xander flinched hard, and felt a flush of shame when Larry laughed. He pulled up his gun and pointed it at the bully's back, but he was officer of the law now. Shooting pirates was beneath him.

When Snyder called him over Xander glanced down at the crew of kids, all staring at him with expectant eyes. They were pretty cute.

"Okay," he said, and began to list out his essential briefing for a great Halloween haul. "On sleazing extra candy: tears are key. Tears will normally get you the double-bagger. You can also try the old 'you missed me' routine, but it's risky. Only go there for chocolate. Understood?"

They nodded in unison and he grinned.

"Okay police cadets, let's go!"

He marched them out onto the street, following the map route. They had two hours to hit all the houses and he was going to make sure he served and protected with the best.

That meant hitting the most generous houses as fast as possible, before the good candy started to run out. Xander knew them practically by heart and by the time two hours began to approach his crew had gathered heavy bags and buckets. He'd personally managed to talk his way into two full sized snickers and swapped out a bag of candy corn for peanut butter cups.

"Ok, we've got ten minutes. Lila, you make the call; Mrs Johnson's place or Old Man Montgomery?" he asked.

But as he turned a strange warm wind seemed to sweep down the street, screams filled the air and people scattered. He saw Willow at a house across the street stagger and fall, and then Xander… wasn't Xander anymore.

On the porch Willow struggled to stand and when she finely did get to her feet she felt strangely light. Confused, she looked down and saw her own figure collapsed on the floor. She tried to touch it, but her hand passed through as if there was no substance to her at all.

"Oh my god! I'm a real ghost!"

She heard the sound of a gunshot in the distance and remembered Xander had been nearby just minutes ago.

"Xander?" she called out, but there was no sign of him. Instead there was… something not Xander shaped at all. "Uuhh…"

"W-w-what is going on?"

A bunny, an actual speaking bunny with grey fur and huge purple eyes stared up at Willow. The uniform was the same as Xander's costume, but Willow had never expected to see anything like this.

"Who- what… where are the animals? What is this place?" The bunny squeaked, the voice sounded female.

Willow shook herself.

"Uh, are you…? Xander?" she asked. The bunny frowned, foot tapping out a frantic nervous rhythm.

"I'm Judy, Officer Judy Hopps. Where is this place? What are you?" Judy replied, and flinched as a tiny demon shaped kid ran past howling. The gun in her hand swung up and she looked at it, puzzled.

"This is Sunnydale, and you… I mean you were my friend, Xander Harris," Willow explained. "I, well I'm human I guess?"

Another creature came running at them and Judy unbuckled something at her waist.

"Wait, no!" Willow shouted. "There's a kid in there! Xan-Judy, listen to me. I'm on your side, I swear! Something crazy is happening. I was dressed as a ghost for Halloween, a-and now I am a ghost. And you were supposed to be a police officer, and now I, I-I guess you're well, a bunny police officer?"

Judy looked suspicious and hopped in a circle around Willow, her nose twitching.

"I've never seen anything like you," Judy said. "Or like this place, where's Nick? Or Zootropolis? There are no bears, or shrews, or elephants… just… well, whatever weird thing you are. Not to be rude, of course."

"Oh no, of course," Willow replied without thinking then shook herself. "I think we should get out of here at least, it's not safe. We just need to find…"

Suddenly she spotted Buffy, crouched and looking confused amongst the chaos.

"Buffy!" Willow shouted, Judy hopping after her as she ran over. "Buffy! Are you okay?"

"Uhh, not to worry you… um, Miss, but I kind of think there might be a bit of a situation here. These folks look like they've been doused with night howler," Judy said.

Willow saw the group of monsters gathering and panicked. "Buffy, what should we do?"

But rather than taking charge the way she normally did, Buffy took one look at the monsters and fell into a dead faint.

"Oh not good, not good at all!" Willow tried desperately to grab at Buffy but her hands just passed straight through her.

"I got this one!" Judy said and suddenly the rabbit, no taller than Willow's knee, was performing a complex maneuverer with her belt. She practically ricocheted off a nearby car door and had Buffy hoisted onto her back.

It worked just long enough for Willow to have some hope, then Judy collapsed under the weight of a teenaged girl and pounds of dress fabric.

"I don't got it," Judy wheezed and wiggled out from under Buffy's body. "New plan; wake her up and I'll stall! I really wish Nick was here!"

"Buffy!" Willow shouted. "Buffy are you alright?"

"What?" Buffy came round slowly, still looking bewildered.

"Are you hurt?" Judy chirped, shining the flashlight in her hand into Buffy's eyes to check for responsiveness.

"Buffy, are you hurt?" Willow repeated and helped her friend sit up, Buffy stared at her, and at Judy. "Buffy?"

It was no use, clearly whatever was happening had effected Buffy too. Willow turned to Judy. "She's not Buffy."

"Uh, who's Buffy?" Judy asked. Willow stared at the talking rabbit again and blinked hard.

"Buffy what year is it?"

Buffy climbed carefully to her feet, avoiding Judy's offered paw.

"1775, I believe." Buffy replied, she'd begun to breath hard and Willow was worried she'd faint again. "I-I don't understand. Who are you?"

"We're friends." Willow said but it didn't seem to assure Buffy at all.

"F-friends of whom? Y-your dress... that creature…Everything is strange! How did I come to be here?" she shouted.

"Breathe, okay, breathe. You're gonna faint again." Willow tried to fan air towards her, forgetting she basically had no substance. She turned to Judy. "How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer?"

The rabbit cocked an eyebrow "What's a Slayer? What even are all of you? I've literally never seen anything like you before. Are you some kind of rare species? You look a little bit like a type of primate."

"Oh, oh… primates! Yes, we are a type of primate! That's amazing, you know what primates are even though you're a rabbit," Willow said, excited to finally have something she could say to the not-Xander police rabbit.

"Even though I'm a rabbit?" Judy repeated, a hand on her hip. She was about to say more when something that might have been a kid just minutes before roared from behind them and lunged. Buffy screamed and fell back, then a blur of grey flashed forward and Judy landed feet first in the monster's face, knocking it to the ground hard.

"There, that's what a rabbit can do!" she said. Willow swallowed hard and nodded, Judy was kinda scary in a cool way. She was like mighty mouse, but in rabbit shape and carrying a gun. "And we need to find somewhere to take cover. It looks like you've got a savage attack going on."

Suddenly Buffy began to scream, pointing at a car on the street.

"A DEMON! A DEMON!"

"That's not a demon. It's a car." Willow explained. "I think we should get inside… what's closest…"

"Miss? I just want you to know that I really have no idea what's going on right now," Judy said, she'd trained the gun on a creeping circle of monsters. "But if you have somewhere we can take cover then we need to go now!"

"Buffy's, Buffy's house is just down the street. Follow me." Willow waved them on and even 18th century Buffy followed, although she was staring at Judy like the rabbit might try and eat her.

They reached the Summers' house quickly, though more Halloween creatures were gathering at their backs. Judy could feel the eyes on her, it was like looking into the face of a savage leopard all over again. No thought, no understanding, just hunger.

"I think the backdoor will be open," Willow said as they snuck past the gate to the garden.

As the only one both rational and corporeal, it fell to Judy to try the door. She bounced a couple of times to check the distance then sprang up and yanked, sticking to the door as it swung open.

"All clear!" she whispered to Willow.

"Hello? Mrs Summers?" Willow called and walked in carefully. There was no reply though, luckily. "Good, she's gone."

Buffy trailed them inside, still breathing heavily but apparently resigned to the bizarre situation.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Your place." Willow replied, they needed weapons, which Buffy always kept stored in her room. "Now we just need to..."

A bang at the door startled them all, Judy hopped towards the door to try and get a look through the glass.

"Don't open it!" Willow warned and Judy shot her a raised eyebrow.

"Miss, my job is to serve and protect. I might not know where I am right now but I took an oath," she said.

"What if it's a demon?" Willow asked and Judy stopped, her foot tapping out an impatient rhythm.

"Then I don't open the door." Then she bounced again for a better view.

There was a photo on the side table, a framed image of the gang all together from a hiking trip they'd taken together not long after Buffy got back. When Buffy noticed she snatched it up, confused.

"This... this could be me," she said. Willow took hold of the picture and traced their happy faces.

"It *is* you." She explained. "Buffy, can't you remember at all?"

"No! I, I don't understand any of this! Uh, uh, th... This is some other girl!" Buffy snapped and snatched the photograph back, banging it down onto the table. "I would never wear this, that low apparel, and I don't like this place, and I don't like you, and I just wanna go home!"

She looked like she was about to either cry or faint again.

"You *are* home!" Willow insisted and turned to Judy. "She couldn't have dressed up like Xena?"

Judy, now wedged into the edge of the door glass for a better view, suddenly flipped back and away from the door. A clawed hand followed her, punching through the door. Judy grabbed for the gun.

"Hey! What did we say?! No shooting people!" Willow cried out, but Judy had already flipped the gun out of the way to grab a can of something at her waist.

She bounced up to the broken window and let loose a liberal squirt of something that sent the monster at the door howling away.

"Fox repellent, good for all pests," she chirped and grinned widely.

"Uh…got it." Willow said and examined Judy a little more closely. There was something weirdly familiar about her, and it wasn't because of Xander.

A sharp scream sounded from outside and Judy's ears popped up, she sprang at the door handle and pulled it open.

"I'll be right back!" She shouted and bounced into the night, the door swinging shut at her back.

"Wait!" Willow called out, but it was too late.

"Surely the creature will not desert us?" Buffy asked, but Willow was too frustrated to do more than roll her eyes.

In the street Cordelia screamed again, a huge hairy creature that stank like dead things and rotting vegetation swiped at her and she ran.

"Somebody help me!"

"This way! Come inside!"

Cordelia looked down, freezing in surprise at the site of a talking rabbit dressed in a police uniform.

"What are-" she began, when the sasquatch creature roared at her back.

The rabbit unhooked something from its belt and bounced towards the side of a parked car, flipping over for extra power then slamming into the creature. A substance of some kind was sprayed out of the can in the rabbit's hands and the sasquatch howled and retreated.

"You know what, I'm with you!" Cordelia replied, following the rabbit back to the Summers' house.

"Cordelia!" Willow shouted, it wasn't just the sight of Cordelia that surprised her though, it was the outfit too. A skin tight leopard print bodysuit left pretty much nothing to the imagination, and Willow couldn't help but feel more than a little jealous.

"Wait a... What's going on?" Cordelia demanded, staring at the bewildered looking Buffy and tiny rabbit officer.

"Okay, your name is Cordelia, you're not a cat, you're in high school, and we're your friends." Willow thought again. "Well, sort of."

"That's nice, Willow. And you went mental when?" Cordelia replied, her tone biting.

"You know us?"

"Yeah. Lucky me. What's with the name game?" Cordelia said. "And what's with bunny cop here?"

Judy glared at Cordelia. "It's Officer actually, Officer Judy Hopps of the ZPD."

"A lot's going on." Willow tried to explain and shot an apologetic look at Judy.

"No kidding. I was just attacked by Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy. Look at my costume!" Cordelia held up her arm, the surface of the suit was shredded but luckily she wasn't cut at all. "Do you really think that Partytown's gonna give me my deposit back? Not on the likely."

"Miss, using speciest language is an offence under section 17 of the Species Respect Act, I don't want to have to write you a ticket," Judy replied, her tone sweet but her eyes hard.

Cordelia stared at Judy for a moment then turned to Willow. "What is even happening right now?"

"Well," Willow swallowed and glanced down at Judy's angry face. "J-Judy here was Xander… um, before all the crazy happened and people started to become their costume."

"Wait, Harris dressed up as a bunny cop?" Cordelia asked, then rolled her eyes. "Of course he did. Okay, fine, Officer Judy it is."

"Okay. You guys stay here while I get some help." Willow said, grateful that Cordelia wasn't going to cause trouble. "If something tries to get in, just fight it off."

"Well, i-it's not our place to fight. Uh, surely some men will protect us." Buffy called out, clearly feeling they were safer in large numbers.

"What's that riff?" Cordelia asked, staring at Buffy with a sneer.

"I-it's like amnesia, okay?" Willow explained, then dropped her voice to a whisper. "They don't know who they are. Just sit tight."

She didn't try to open the door, there was no point after all, instead Willow just walked directly through the wall. Giles, she needed to find Giles.

"Who died and made her the boss?" Cordelia said, frowning as she watched Willow vanish.

Judy ignored the sentiment and started looking for ways to seal off the strange house. Everything was so different in this place, heavy and inconvenient without any option for smaller animals. No wonder the girl dressed as a leopard had said something speciest, this was clearly an exclusion town built only for the weird primate occupants.

"You!" She snapped at the girl, Cordelia the other one had called her. "Check upstairs. Make sure everything's locked up."

To her surprise Cordelia immediately did as she asked, so Judy set out heaving chairs and anything else she could find the leverage to move against the door.

"Surely there's somewhere we can go? A safe haven." Buffy said. She looked panicked still, the whites of her eyes wide.

"Stay put, Miss. Help we be on its way in no time," Judy tried to reassure her. "Help me move this table, I'm a little small."

Buffy opened her mouth to argue. "I was bought up a proper lady, I- I don't do dirty things like moving furniture."

But as she spoke the picture frame was knocked to the ground and Judy really saw it for the first time. It was clear that both Buffy and the girl who could walk through walls, Willow, were friends. There was a male with them too… was that the Xander person? The one Willow believes Judy to have been? It was such a weird thought, and impossible too. Judy had just been minding her own business, writing up a little paperwork at her desk, and then it was like the world snapped out of place and she was here.

"Whoa!" Judy stared at the image. "You must have some kind of amnesia. And maybe I just… I don't know, got dragged her somehow?"

"I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it." Buffy insisted. "I bathe quite often!"

"How do you explain this?" Judy said and waved the photo at Buffy.

"I don't! I was brought up a proper lady. I-I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty, and then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a Baron."

Judy rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw stars. "This ain't no tea party, princess. Sooner or later you're gonna have to fight!"

"Fight these low creatures?" Buffy raised her chin, a little backbone finally showing. "I'd sooner die."

Judy took a deep breath, prepared to argue, or at least shake some sense into the girl when a man appeared in the doorway to the kitchen.

"Oh, good! Buffy, you're alright. It's total chaos out there." He said, then seemed to catch sight of Judy. "Uh, Officer… Rabbit?"

"Officer Judy Hopps!" Judy snapped. She'd clearly been right assuming that wherever this place was, it was an isolated, single species town. The every single person stared at her confirmed it. "And who are you?"

"What?" Angel looked between Buffy and Judy, confused. "Okay, somebody wanna fill me in?"

"Do you live here?" Judy demanded, hand going back to her fox repellent.

"No. Buffy, I'm lost here…" He said. Buffy looked different, like a puppet with cut strings rather than her usual strength. She was dressed like the girls he'd grown up with and her hair had grown out. "You... What's up with your hair?"

"They don't know who they are, everyone's turned into a monster, it's a whole big thing." Cordelia announced, coming back down the stairs. "How are you?"

She'd barely stepped off the stairs when the lights went out, Buffy shrieked and grabbed Cordelia's arm.

"Do you mind?" Cordelia sneered and peeled Buffy away from her.

Judy wasn't affected by the dark the way they seemed to be, her eyes and ears picked up movement from the kitchen and she waved at the others.

"Kitchen," she whispered. "We've got company, and it didn't look friendly."

Angel nodded, Cordelia and Buffy cowering back slightly.

"Come on," Judy gestured for the others to follow her as she crept forward.

"I didn't leave that open." Angel said when they walked in, passing Judy to close it. Buffy stayed at his side, apparently comforted by the sight of a man. But as she passed a door that led towards the basement something lunged for her.

Judy pounced, but missed, and Angel took over, wrestling the beast to the floor.

"A stake!" he called out.

"What?" Judy hopped over, cuffs in her hand.

"Get me a stake!" Angel's head came up, his face no longer the same as the others but twisted like the creature pinned on the floor.

Buffy screamed as Judy jumped back, she raced for the door.

"Buffy, no!" Angel called out, but it was too late.

"Here, stake!" Cordelia ran into the kitchen, a sharp piece of wood in her hands. Angel grabbed it, his face already normal again, and stabbed down into the creature he had pinned. It vanished into an explosion of grey dust, and Judy, still wide eyed on the floor, had no idea what to do next.

The benefit of being a ghost was that Willow was basically totally off the radar of all the weird creatures running around, she made it back to the school in record time and even cut straight through the walls once she made it. Doors were for people who couldn't pass through matter.

She stepped through the library wall and came almost immediately face to face with Giles, who jumped so hard that he scatter paper everywhere.

"Hi?" she offered, apologetic.

Giles slowly dropped the hand he'd pressed to his chest and took a breath.

"Uh… Willow… what, I-I.." he stammered, still recovering from the shock.

"Giles! Everything has gone crazy, people, people have become their costumes!" Willow babbled. "We have to figure it about, Buffy doesn't know anything… it's like she's just a-a-a dumb noble girl."

"Right, lets… let's get the books," Giles said, grasping for the only thing that had ever helped him in times of emergency. He retreated to the book cage and emerged with a few dusty volumes, pushing one towards Willow.

"I don't even know what I'm looking for," Willow said, and gestured to the page in front of her. "Plus I can't turn the pages!"

Giles looked down at the tome in his hands. "Well, alright, l-let's, let's, let's review."

"Um, so everybody became, uh, whatever they were masquerading as?" he spread out the pages on the table.

"Right. Xander was a police officer and Buffy was an 18th-century girl. Although… I mean I guess Xander was really a rabbit police officer?"

Giles looked confused. "A-and, uh, your, your costume?"

Willowed glanced down and hugged her arms around herself, she'd forgotten in the rush how much skin she was showing. "I'm a ghost!"

"Yes. Um... w, uh, uh, uh, the ghost of what, exactly?" he asked.

"Well, this is nothing. You should see what Cordelia was wearing." Willow complained. "A-a, a unitard with cat things, like ears and stuff."

"Good heavens." Giles' eyebrows shot up. "Uh, sh-sh-she became an actual feline?"

"No!" Willow said, then realised how strange that was. "She was the same old Cordelia. Just in a cat costume."

"She didn't change." Giles frowned down at the books on the table.

"No. Hold on..." What was it that Cordelia had said? About her costume? "Partytown. She told us she got her outfit from Partytown."

"A-a-and everyone who changed, they, they, they, they acquired their costumes where?"

"We all got ours at a new place." Willow replied. "Ethan's."

Judy hopped from lampposts and cars, springing along the street as they searched for Buffy. The guy, Angel, hadn't exactly been forthcoming about his transformation but since Willow and Cordelia seemed to know him Judy decided to take it on trust that it was just some weird quirk.

"Are you sure she came this way?" she called, sniffing the air.

"No." Angel replied.

"She'll be okay." Cordelia insisted and Angel turned on her, frustration written all over his face.

"Buffy would be okay. Whoever she is now, she's helpless. C'mon!" He called.

"Wait, I've got something!" Judy sniffed hard, catching a hint of familiar perfume. "That way."

The costume shop was dark, but the moment Giles saw the sign he felt suspicion rise. He opened the door carefully, Willow following at his back.

"Hello! Anyone home?" he called out.

Through the dark there was a hint of light glowing around a heavy curtain, almost hidden behind a set of rails.

"Giles…" Willow called out. They crept over carefully, the space looked empty except for a large marble bust set onto a low table and surrounded by candles and offerings.

"Janus." Giles said. "Roman mythical god."

"What does this mean?" Willow asked, staring at the weird head, the eyes were glowing green in a sickly, disturbing light that made her feel dizzy. There were smears of what might be blood in a bowl at the edge.

"Primarily the division of self. Male and female, light and dark."

"Chunky and creamy." A rich, culture voice floated from behind them. "Oh, no, sorry, that's peanut butter."

Giles stared at Ethan, it had been so long but it was certainly his former friend. A thread of anger wound through his chest.

"Willow, get out of here, now." He commanded.

"But..."

"Now!" Giles barked, and Willow ran. "Hello, Ethan."

"Hello, Ripper." Ethan smirked. It was a name Giles hadn't heard in years, a name he'd never wanted to hear uttered again.

Buffy stumbled in the alley, everything was so strange to her. Demons and beasts and woman dressed in their underclothes. If she could just find a way home!

A man stepped out of the shadows, he dressed in a ragged shirt and stank of sweat and stale beer. A leer crossed his face as he stalked towards her. Buffy tried to turn and run, but her heavy dress tripped her and before she could stand the man had a grip on her arm and was pushing her against a wall. She struggled as his face came closer, leaning away from his fetid breath.

Then just as suddenly he was gone, a grey and blue figure slamming into his side as Judy landed, feet first, and kicked with all her might. The pirate fell hard, his head bouncing against the floor. Judy snagged his arms fast, using the element of surprise to open her cuffs and pin him. By the time the guy was coherent again he was locked up tighter than a polar bear.

"Buffy! Are you okay?" Cordelia ran over, but when Buffy saw Angel she shrieked. "What's your deal? Take a pill!"

"He's, he's a vampire!" Buffy replied.

Cordelia rolled her eyes and shared a look of disdain with Angel. "She's got this thing where she thinks... Uhhh, forget it."

She turned back to Buffy. "It's okay. Angel is a good vampire. He would never hurt you."

"Really?" Buffy asked and Cordelia nodded.

"Absolutely. He's our friend."

Angel tried to smile slightly, but it didn't seem to help Buffy calm down, so he walked over to Judy instead. For a rabbit she was amazingly strong.

"Wow, you really cleaned up," he said.

Judy nodded and stared down at the pirate. "You know, it's really strange, I could swear I've never been anywhere like this before but beating up that pirate gave me a weird sense of closure."

"Guys!"

They looked round, Willow had appeared at the mouth of the alley and jogged towards them.

"Willow!" Angel was happy to see someone who seemed to actually know what was going on.

"Guys, you gotta get inside!" she shouted as she ran towards them, she'd spotted Spike and a collection of cronies from the street.

Judy glanced past her shoulder and spotted the problem.

"Time to retreat!" she said.

"This way," Angel replied. "Find an open warehouse."

"On it!" Judy bounced ahead, eyes and nose working hard in the dark. They ran, but when Willow glanced back she could see Spike still following, his game face on and filled with terrible glee.

Giles loosened his muscles slightly as he stared at Ethan, the familiar violence of his true nature creeping up his spine.

"What? No hug?" Ethan mocked. "Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?"

"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you. This Halloween stunt stinks of Ethan Rayne." Giles replied and began to circle the other man.

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Ethan grinned. "Don't wish to blow my own trumpet, but it's genius. The very embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'.

"It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent," Giles said, the disgust in his voice barely hiding the anger.

"Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocents and all things pure and good, Rupert." Ethan sneered back at him. "It's quite a little act you've got going here, old man."

"It's no act." Giles replied, quite sure in himself. It would take more than scum like Ethan Rayne to make him doubt himself. "It's who I am."

"Who you are? The Watcher, snivelling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of." Ethan, always so arrogant, declared. Then his face turned gleeful. "But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from."

There has been enough chatter, enough traded jibes as far as Giles was concerned.

"Break the spell, Ethan." He said. "Then leave this place and never come back."

"Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?" Ethan asked, the smile falling from his face. Giles was closer now, dangerously so although Ethan hadn't seemed to recognise it.

"You get to live."

"Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me." The words were mocking, but a flash of fear entered Ethan's eyes when he realised just how much of his guard he'd let down, how close Ripper had come.

A fist lashed out, catching him to the gut, before anther slammed into his face. Giles stared down at him on the floor, ice in his eyes and lifted a foot.

"Over here!" Angel ran towards an open gate, Buffy clinging to his neck.

Judy sprang around the space, rapidly checking for other entrances and exits.

"Secure the door!" she shouted.

Angel nodded and set Buffy down, grabbing a large metal grate to pin the door closed. Buffy, left without a protector, clung to Cordelia's arm.

"Oh, fabo, more clinging," Cordelia sighed.

The monsters following them reached the door and began to pound at it, the grate began to buckle.

"Go!" Judy shouted, they had no choice but to try and escape through the back.

But the back was blocked, more monsters rushing forward. Judy leapt and kicked and span, but she was only one rabbit. Even with Angel battling at her side they were outnumbered and outclassed. Willow tried to swing at one of the creatures, but it made no difference. She might be safe from attack but there was nothing she could do to help except hope Giles fixed everything in time.

They were subdued quickly, Judy biting and struggling while Cordelia cowered away from the clawed demon wrapped around her.

Spike walked in lazily, confidence dripping from him as he stalked towards Buffy.

"Look at you. Shaking. Terrified. Alone. Lost little lamb." He gloated.

Buffy backed away until she was trapped by a crate and Spike lashed out, the back of his hand slapping so hard against her cheek that her head snapped back.

"I love it." He purred.

Angel strained and Judy tried another well aimed to kick that failed to move her captor.

"Buffy!" Angel called out.

But it was useless, Spike grinned and grabbed a handful of Buffy's long hair to bend back her head.

Ethan spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor as Giles pulled out a handkerchief and wipe at the blood on his knuckles. They would be sore tomorrow.

"And you said the Ripper was long gone," he groaned.

"Tell me how to stop the spell," Giles replied, indifferent to the man's suffering.

"Say 'pretty please'." Ethan coughed.

Giles sneered and kicked him again and again until Ethan whimpered.

"Now, tell me how to stop the spell."

"Janus." Ethan gasped, his voice wet from blood and broken ribs. "Break its statue."

Giles grabbed the statue and lifted it high over his head, then slammed it hard into the ground. It shattered, stone flying as the green glow faded from the cracked eyes.

In the warehouse Judy kicked again, this time adjusting her aim lower and harder, the creature holding her loosened its grip just long enough and she barrelled into a crate and shot back at top speed, knocking it down.

"Judy, help Buffy!" Willow shouted. "Your gun!"

Judy grabbed the gun across her back and swung it around, but as she did so the world seemed to shift again.

"What the..." Xander stared at the toy gun in his… well, still in a paw, though very much his paw rather than Judy's.

He glanced around, in place of monsters there were frightened children beginning to cry.

Spike was startled, he looked up at the kids, growing horror on his face. The hair in his hands loosened, pulling away as a wig.

"Hi, honey. I'm home." Buffy grinned up at him and punched hard, into his gut and then his face before kicking hard into his chest. Spike reeled and grabbed a length of pipe to swing back at her, but Buffy was well and truly back. She dodged and grabbed the pipe, swinging it from Spikes hands and jabbing it into his stomach.

"You know what? It's good to be me." She quipped and smashed the pipe into his jaw, sending Spike flying.

He rolled to his feet and growled, but in the face of disappearing allies and an enraged Slayer gave up, racing to the door. Buffy smiled and turned back towards her friends, then froze.

"Er, hey, Buff." Xander muttered. "Welcome back."

"Xander?" Buffy stared at him. She could sort of remember the bunny police officer from before, but Judy had been small and all rabbit. Xander… well, he wasn't small. He was still rabbit, though he seemed to be half grey furred and half a buff, almost skin toned, colour. And he was nearly six feet tall.

"Uh, yeah… maybe?" Xander ventured.

"W-what happened to you Harris?" Cordelia said, staring at him. Or her, Xander's new body had distinctly feminine curves.

"I-I don't know…" he replied. "I kinda remember being Judy, like I was there and couldn't get out. But n-now I'm this!"

"W-we can fix it!" Buffy said, then bit her lip. "At least I think we can?"

Angel walked over and wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah. Just, well it looks like Xander… didn't get better?" she said.

Angel surveyed Xander's new, man sized bunny shape. "Looks like the magic misfired or something, maybe in the way the spell was broken?"

"Wait, does that mean we can fix this?" Xander perked up, his ears pointing straight to the ceiling.

"Maybe, you need to find out what Giles did to break the spell or whatever it was," Angel nodded.

"Okay, so let's… let's get the kids back to their parents and you to Giles," Buffy said. "Wherever Giles is, anyway."

She looked up at Angel who nodded.

"Hello?!" Cordelia snapped. "We can't take a bunny man out on the streets."

"Cordelia, it's Halloween, the whole town has been in chaos. I think we'll be ok." Buffy replied.

"Yeah," Xander said, though his voice… which didn't really sound that much like his voice anymore, was a little weak. "L-let's just get to Giles and-and, maybe all this will go away!"

He looked around at the kids. "Where's Willow?"

"She was a ghost right?" Buffy frowned and looked around. "Let's see if we can find her."

"Oh dear," Giles examined Xander carefully, then rubbed at his glasses. "Yes… well, it rather seems this will be troublesome."

"Well that doesn't sound good," Xander replied and looked at Willow, who he'd found walking back towards the school. "Troublesome, not a word of good things."

Willow nodded with him and Giles raised an eyebrow. They were sat in the library, all still awake despite the night of effort. Buffy and Angel had tagged out and gone back to Buffy's to recover, but Willow couldn't just leave.

"No, unfortunately not," Giles admitted. "I'm afraid I'm not quite sure how to resolve your… bunny problem. I'll need to call on some friends perhaps."

"B-but what do I do?" Xander said, his foot had begun to thump with stress. "I can't go to school like this, I-I can't even go home. I mean, I know my parents hardly notice me. But this! This is noticeable!"

"Quite." Giles replied.

"We'll fix it!" Willow cried out, her hand rubbing the soft fur on Xander's arm. "We will, you-you just have to hide out… for a little bit. A-a day, maybe?"

Giles frowned at Willow's appealing look. It was extremely unlikely they would be able to pinpoint a fix. He half suspected this was a deliberate trap left by Ethan.

"Just lay low for now, Xander, you can stay with me," he said and ignored the look of gratitude on Xander's face. How could he ever admit this might be his responsibility?

Once Xander and Willow were home Giles drove back to Ethan's, but it was too late. Both the shop and everything in it had vanished along with his old friend. All that was left was a note taped to the counter.

"Be seeing you…"

Giles crumpled the note in his fist. Ethan certainly would be seeing him, very soon indeed.