Part 21
"Willow, are you ready?" Buffy called up the stairs.
"It will just be another minute." She yelled. "This dressing up stuff takes forever when you can't use magic."
"Xander and William will be here any minute."
"I know, I know. Hurrying now!"
Buffy stepped to a mirror hanging in the hallway to adjust her hair. It was parted in the middle, and she wore two french braids, one on each side. She pulled down on the bodice of her blue dress and fluffed her apron. She bent down to pick up the round basket that held a checkered cloth and a little toy dog. She couldn't wait to see what the others looked like. She caught a movement on the stairs out of the corner of her eye, and turned to watch a pair of green legs descend.
"Oh Willow, that looks great!"
Willow made a face. "Do you think I look like Kermit?"
"No way. You are Peter Pan all the way."
Willow stepped up to the same mirror that Buffy had just vacated. She wrinkled her nose at her reflection. "I'm not sure it's a good thing that a twenty-one year old woman can pass for a twelve year old boy."
"Relax!" Buffy laughed at Willow's expression. "You look adorable. Green is your color."
They both turned at the sound of a brief rap on the door, before it opened to reveal Captain Hook. "Wow, Xander, you look all mean and piratey!" Willow rushed over to admire him. "I like you with the big hair!"
"Hardy har, ye mateys." Xander said as he raised his hook into the air.
"I don't think Captain Hook talked like that." Buffy said.
"I know." Xander smiled. "But I couldn't resist. Are we ready?"
"No." Buffy said. "Where's William?"
"He's hiding out on the porch." Xander gestured outside with his thumb. " I don't think he's real thrilled with what Willow found for him on the Internet."
"Aw, come on!" Willow protested. "I thought he'd look cute. And he doesn't have to wear tights."
Xander lowered his voice. "No, but he keeps complaining about how much it itches. I never knew vampires could be such wimps."
"I heard that." An offended British accent rang from the porch.
"Come on in, William. We want to see you!" Buffy called out.
William stepped into the doorway, glowering. His nose was painted with a bright red triangle and straw stuck out from his floppy hat in all directions. There was also straw protruding from the neck, arms, and legs of the baggy tan costume. "I feel like a bleedin' idiot." He grumbled.
"You didn't want to look menacing." Buffy reminded him.
"Didn't want to look like a burlap sack either, now did I?"
"It's too bad you can't see your reflection." Willow told him. "This is just priceless. Hey!" She brightened at her thought. "Maybe we could take a picture."
"Over my dead body!"
Buffy giggled. "I thought that was the whole problem." She bit her lip at his glare, and tried her best to look contrite. "Oh, come on." She cajoled. "It's Halloween, and we're supposed to look dumb. Just look at me!" She held up her basket, and her eyes twinkled. "If you ask nicely, I'll let you pet my puppy."
"Slayer."
Xander interrupted. "On that note, I say it's time to leave." Laughing and chatting happily, they all left the house.
*****
Doc stood calmly before the motley assembly of demons, monsters and unsavory human dregs of society. His hands were laced behind his back and his tail swished leisurely from side to side. His plan was about to come to fruition and he savored this taste of power. It was just a glimmer of what awaited him.
"Finally we are at the threshold of our new day. You all know what you need to do. Soon I will release you to complete your appointed tasks. If you bring me what I need, we will see our reward this night."
One of the demons roared out a question.
Doc listened calmly and raised his hands. "Yes, yes. You can do what you like with the others. They are not my concern. I just want the three, preferably unharmed. They must be brought to me alive. Is this understood?"
The group muttered and snarled in assent.
"Very well. I thank you all for your loyal efforts. You may go now."
*****
The school gymnasium was festooned with orange and black banners, huge cotton spider webs, plastic jack-o-lanterns, a cauldron boiling with dry ice and inflated horror movie icons. Dawn was just setting Frankenstein in place by the doorway when Buffy and the gang arrived.
"What do you think?" Dawn rushed over to them. "Janice and I have been working on this all afternoon." She looked them over. "You guys look so cute! Will. I mean Mr. Browning, your costume is hysterical."
"Great." His tone was dry.
"Hey, Dawnie, you guys did a lot of work after I left." Willow noticed.
Dawn leaned in to whisper to her. "I tried to talk the other girls into not putting up the witch. I know how much you hate the black hat and warty nose thing." She turned to William. "And you might want to avoid the Dracula corner over there."
"Political correctness for the supernatural set." Xander joked.
"I'm going to go put my costume on now. I'm so excited, and I'm so glad you're all here!" Dawn squealed and hurried out the door.
William's eyes searched around the room, intrigued. "So this is how the human teeny-boppers do up a soiree these days." He commented.
"Is it much different from when you were young?" Buffy turned her braided head his way.
"When I was young." His eyes took on a far-away look. "When I was young these sorts of things weren't open to the general population. We received engraved invitations and everything was stiff and formal. You had to be somebody to even be invited, and even then there was no certainty you would be accepted." His face grew sad. "I attended a party the night Dru turned me."
"You never told me that." Buffy said. "Did you meet Drusilla at the party?"
"No. It was after I left." He shook himself out of his reverie and glanced down at Buffy. "That's a tale best left for another time."
Students began coming in through the doorways, elevating the noise level in the room. Somewhere, somebody turned on a sound system and "Monster Mash" began playing. "Come on!" Buffy yelled over the music and tugged on his sleeve. "We're supposed to be over by the punch table, right?"
*****
An hour later the party was in full swing. Everybody seemed to be having a good time. All around the gymnasium were groups of students talking, eating, and dancing. Some were playing games at booths while others just drifted around the room. Someone in a very convincing ogre costume brushed past Buffy. "Wow!" She nudged William. "I wonder where that kid found that outfit. We sure didn't see anything like that on Saturday."
He followed her gaze and frowned. "You're right. Actually, there are several of these get-ups that look."
"Hey Buffy!" She turned to see Dawn, looking beautiful as Sleeping Beauty.
"Are you having fun?" Buffy asked her sister.
"Oh yeah. It's going great." Dawn glowered and leaned in. "Did you see Chelsea? She's wearing the same freaking outfit!"
"With the wig and everything?"
"Oh no," Dawn clarified. "Chelsea has her own blond hair. She said that my wig looked like someone draped a Cocker Spaniel pelt on my head."
"She just jealous because you're prettier than her."
"Yeah, right."
The ogre walked by again. "Hey Dawn," Buffy asked. "Who is that guy?"
Dawn shrugged. "Beats me. Who can tell with that great mask?"
William was getting that disturbed look again as he searched around the room. "Does it seem like this room has gotten a lot more crowded?"
"You know, you're right." Buffy agreed. "Where are all these kids coming from?"
Dawn crossed her arms. "Claytonville!" She spat out. "Those geeks said they were going to crash. I'll be they even T.P.'d the outside."
Willow bumped up against Buffy's back. "Hey, excuse you!" She yelled over her shoulder at a Hell's Angel wannabe. She turned her attention to Buffy. "Some of these kids are just." She was jostled again. "Rude!"
Xander moved up behind her. "Maybe you could sprinkle them with fairy dust and feed them to the crocodile." Everybody stared at him blankly. "Hey William, how's it going with the punch over there?"
William lifted the plastic ladle in salute.
"That's good." Xander joked. "Gotta make sure that nobody spikes it!" He nudged Willow. "Get it? 'Spike' the punch?" Willow stifled a groan and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Wow, are you ever a tough crowd tonight!"
"Hey, Xander." Buffy's tone was serious. "Have you noticed that some of these students don't seem to be very studenty?"
"They're partycrashers!" Dawn huffed.
"You know, you're right." Xander took notice. He scanned the room. "Now that you mention it, most of these guys are pretty smelly."
"Yes." Buffy frowned. "And my Spidey-sense is on high alert."
"You're just noticing that now, Slayer?" William questioned her, his eyebrow arched under the straw sticking out of his hat.
"I've been standing by you all evening!" Buffy protested defensively. "Close proximity to a vampire tends to camouflage the ones who aren't so near. Especially being close to an irritating."
"And here, I thought we were getting along famously."
"There seems to be a time limit where you're concerned."
"Hey!" Willow piped in. "Can we all focus here and think this through with a little more."
"Harmony!" Xander exclaimed.
"Exactly." Willow nodded.
"No." Xander pointed to the doorway. "Isn't that Harmony?"
They all turned to stare at the heavily made-up blond girl standing in the doorway. She had her hands on her hips and tossed her head disdainfully before looking slowly around the room. When her eyes lit on Buffy, Willow and Xander, she pushed her lips out in her version of a sneer and began to walk toward them, her hips swaying exaggeratedly from side to side. Halfway across the floor, she noticed that she had lost her entourage. She turned and stamped her foot on the floor, then gestured to them to follow her. Satisfied that she had proper back up, she continued to approach her arch- nemesis: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"So. We meet again!" Harmony turned a creamy shoulder to Buffy and squinted her eyes.
"I see you haven't learned any new lines in your time away." Buffy told her drolly.
"And I see you're still hanging out with your band of losers." Harmony looked at Xander and Willow. She wrinkled her forehead at Willow's costume. "What is that thing you've got on anyway, Willow? It's so cliché for a red- head to wear green!"
"What are you doing here, Harmony?" Buffy's voice was all business.
"Well, aren't you little miss high and mighty in you're little blue dress?" Harmony paused to snarl and show some fang. "The last time I saw you, you were busy stealing my boyfriend!"
Buffy's voice rose in offense. "I was NOT stealing your boyfriend."
"Ha! You were having a threesome with my Pooky-Bear and that skanky Droodzilla."
"A threesome?!"
Xander looked at William over the top of Buffy's head and mouthed "Pooky- Bear?" to him. William glowered back.
"Yes. And don't try that big innocent act on me. I saw the chains and stuff!"
"Harmony, you'd better shut up right now or I'll stake you on the spot."
"I dare you to try." Harmony gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. "I have new minions, and they're smarter this time."
"Which is why they're taking orders from you."
"Exactly!" Harmony missed the sarcasm in Buffy's words. "You'd better watch your skinny little butt tonight Slayer. You're going down."
"And who's going to take me out you idiot? You?" Buffy leaned over into Harmony's face. "The only reason I didn't kill you before was that you were so stupidly pathetic. I'm over that now."
"I'm pathetic?" Harmony touched her chest with long red fingernails. "You can't even keep a man. Look at the dope you're with tonight!" She turned her eyes on William. "He's kind of short for your tastes, isn't he?"
Dawn giggled. "That didn't used to bother you, Vampira."
"Hey, you're the little sister, aren't you? Wow, you've really grown up." She paused and thought about Dawn's words. "What do you mean it didn't used to bother me?"
"Bloody hell!" William groaned.
Harmony's eyes widened. "Spikey? Is that you?"
He sighed heavily. "Yes, Harm."
"What has she done to you?"
Buffy interrupted. "That's nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you don't get out of this school right now." Buffy reached down and snapped a leg off the table. William hurried to hold up the corner so that the punch didn't crash to the floor. "Leave Harmony, and I might let you live another ten minutes."
"Fine, you scrawny little do-gooder. I'll go." She looked at William. "You are just so pathetic. I can't believe you chose her over me. She doesn't even have any boobs, and I know how much you always liked to."
"Harmony!" William's voice rose.
"OK. I'm leaving. But you haven't seen the last of me. You're all going to be so sorry you weren't a little bit nicer." She to leave.
"Harmony." Buffy stopped her. "If I hear of even one student with a bite mark tonight, I'll kill you."
"Ooh. Aren't you the tough one." Harmony stuck her tongue out at Buffy, then flounced out of the room, followed by her lackeys.
"She was awfully brave, to just walk in here like that tonight." Willow observed.
"I wonder what she really wanted." Xander commented.
"She's totally sleazoid." Dawn opined.
"I can't believe you used to date her." Buffy scowled at William.
"And I can't believe you broke the sodding table!" William griped. "What am I supposed to do, stand here and hold this up all night?"
Buffy handed the leg to Xander. "Here, you're a carpenter. Fix it."
"With what?" Xander held up his hook. "I didn't exactly come equipped for emergency furniture repair."
They were interrupted by screams from the doorway. A stream of vampires and other demons was pouring in, shoving students against the walls and onto the floor. Other creatures, already in the room, began grabbing teenagers and pulling them away.
"Oh my god, Buffy!" Dawn was panicked. "What's happening?"
"We've been waiting for something big." Buffy said grimly. "I'd say it's here."
"Willow, are you ready?" Buffy called up the stairs.
"It will just be another minute." She yelled. "This dressing up stuff takes forever when you can't use magic."
"Xander and William will be here any minute."
"I know, I know. Hurrying now!"
Buffy stepped to a mirror hanging in the hallway to adjust her hair. It was parted in the middle, and she wore two french braids, one on each side. She pulled down on the bodice of her blue dress and fluffed her apron. She bent down to pick up the round basket that held a checkered cloth and a little toy dog. She couldn't wait to see what the others looked like. She caught a movement on the stairs out of the corner of her eye, and turned to watch a pair of green legs descend.
"Oh Willow, that looks great!"
Willow made a face. "Do you think I look like Kermit?"
"No way. You are Peter Pan all the way."
Willow stepped up to the same mirror that Buffy had just vacated. She wrinkled her nose at her reflection. "I'm not sure it's a good thing that a twenty-one year old woman can pass for a twelve year old boy."
"Relax!" Buffy laughed at Willow's expression. "You look adorable. Green is your color."
They both turned at the sound of a brief rap on the door, before it opened to reveal Captain Hook. "Wow, Xander, you look all mean and piratey!" Willow rushed over to admire him. "I like you with the big hair!"
"Hardy har, ye mateys." Xander said as he raised his hook into the air.
"I don't think Captain Hook talked like that." Buffy said.
"I know." Xander smiled. "But I couldn't resist. Are we ready?"
"No." Buffy said. "Where's William?"
"He's hiding out on the porch." Xander gestured outside with his thumb. " I don't think he's real thrilled with what Willow found for him on the Internet."
"Aw, come on!" Willow protested. "I thought he'd look cute. And he doesn't have to wear tights."
Xander lowered his voice. "No, but he keeps complaining about how much it itches. I never knew vampires could be such wimps."
"I heard that." An offended British accent rang from the porch.
"Come on in, William. We want to see you!" Buffy called out.
William stepped into the doorway, glowering. His nose was painted with a bright red triangle and straw stuck out from his floppy hat in all directions. There was also straw protruding from the neck, arms, and legs of the baggy tan costume. "I feel like a bleedin' idiot." He grumbled.
"You didn't want to look menacing." Buffy reminded him.
"Didn't want to look like a burlap sack either, now did I?"
"It's too bad you can't see your reflection." Willow told him. "This is just priceless. Hey!" She brightened at her thought. "Maybe we could take a picture."
"Over my dead body!"
Buffy giggled. "I thought that was the whole problem." She bit her lip at his glare, and tried her best to look contrite. "Oh, come on." She cajoled. "It's Halloween, and we're supposed to look dumb. Just look at me!" She held up her basket, and her eyes twinkled. "If you ask nicely, I'll let you pet my puppy."
"Slayer."
Xander interrupted. "On that note, I say it's time to leave." Laughing and chatting happily, they all left the house.
*****
Doc stood calmly before the motley assembly of demons, monsters and unsavory human dregs of society. His hands were laced behind his back and his tail swished leisurely from side to side. His plan was about to come to fruition and he savored this taste of power. It was just a glimmer of what awaited him.
"Finally we are at the threshold of our new day. You all know what you need to do. Soon I will release you to complete your appointed tasks. If you bring me what I need, we will see our reward this night."
One of the demons roared out a question.
Doc listened calmly and raised his hands. "Yes, yes. You can do what you like with the others. They are not my concern. I just want the three, preferably unharmed. They must be brought to me alive. Is this understood?"
The group muttered and snarled in assent.
"Very well. I thank you all for your loyal efforts. You may go now."
*****
The school gymnasium was festooned with orange and black banners, huge cotton spider webs, plastic jack-o-lanterns, a cauldron boiling with dry ice and inflated horror movie icons. Dawn was just setting Frankenstein in place by the doorway when Buffy and the gang arrived.
"What do you think?" Dawn rushed over to them. "Janice and I have been working on this all afternoon." She looked them over. "You guys look so cute! Will. I mean Mr. Browning, your costume is hysterical."
"Great." His tone was dry.
"Hey, Dawnie, you guys did a lot of work after I left." Willow noticed.
Dawn leaned in to whisper to her. "I tried to talk the other girls into not putting up the witch. I know how much you hate the black hat and warty nose thing." She turned to William. "And you might want to avoid the Dracula corner over there."
"Political correctness for the supernatural set." Xander joked.
"I'm going to go put my costume on now. I'm so excited, and I'm so glad you're all here!" Dawn squealed and hurried out the door.
William's eyes searched around the room, intrigued. "So this is how the human teeny-boppers do up a soiree these days." He commented.
"Is it much different from when you were young?" Buffy turned her braided head his way.
"When I was young." His eyes took on a far-away look. "When I was young these sorts of things weren't open to the general population. We received engraved invitations and everything was stiff and formal. You had to be somebody to even be invited, and even then there was no certainty you would be accepted." His face grew sad. "I attended a party the night Dru turned me."
"You never told me that." Buffy said. "Did you meet Drusilla at the party?"
"No. It was after I left." He shook himself out of his reverie and glanced down at Buffy. "That's a tale best left for another time."
Students began coming in through the doorways, elevating the noise level in the room. Somewhere, somebody turned on a sound system and "Monster Mash" began playing. "Come on!" Buffy yelled over the music and tugged on his sleeve. "We're supposed to be over by the punch table, right?"
*****
An hour later the party was in full swing. Everybody seemed to be having a good time. All around the gymnasium were groups of students talking, eating, and dancing. Some were playing games at booths while others just drifted around the room. Someone in a very convincing ogre costume brushed past Buffy. "Wow!" She nudged William. "I wonder where that kid found that outfit. We sure didn't see anything like that on Saturday."
He followed her gaze and frowned. "You're right. Actually, there are several of these get-ups that look."
"Hey Buffy!" She turned to see Dawn, looking beautiful as Sleeping Beauty.
"Are you having fun?" Buffy asked her sister.
"Oh yeah. It's going great." Dawn glowered and leaned in. "Did you see Chelsea? She's wearing the same freaking outfit!"
"With the wig and everything?"
"Oh no," Dawn clarified. "Chelsea has her own blond hair. She said that my wig looked like someone draped a Cocker Spaniel pelt on my head."
"She just jealous because you're prettier than her."
"Yeah, right."
The ogre walked by again. "Hey Dawn," Buffy asked. "Who is that guy?"
Dawn shrugged. "Beats me. Who can tell with that great mask?"
William was getting that disturbed look again as he searched around the room. "Does it seem like this room has gotten a lot more crowded?"
"You know, you're right." Buffy agreed. "Where are all these kids coming from?"
Dawn crossed her arms. "Claytonville!" She spat out. "Those geeks said they were going to crash. I'll be they even T.P.'d the outside."
Willow bumped up against Buffy's back. "Hey, excuse you!" She yelled over her shoulder at a Hell's Angel wannabe. She turned her attention to Buffy. "Some of these kids are just." She was jostled again. "Rude!"
Xander moved up behind her. "Maybe you could sprinkle them with fairy dust and feed them to the crocodile." Everybody stared at him blankly. "Hey William, how's it going with the punch over there?"
William lifted the plastic ladle in salute.
"That's good." Xander joked. "Gotta make sure that nobody spikes it!" He nudged Willow. "Get it? 'Spike' the punch?" Willow stifled a groan and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Wow, are you ever a tough crowd tonight!"
"Hey, Xander." Buffy's tone was serious. "Have you noticed that some of these students don't seem to be very studenty?"
"They're partycrashers!" Dawn huffed.
"You know, you're right." Xander took notice. He scanned the room. "Now that you mention it, most of these guys are pretty smelly."
"Yes." Buffy frowned. "And my Spidey-sense is on high alert."
"You're just noticing that now, Slayer?" William questioned her, his eyebrow arched under the straw sticking out of his hat.
"I've been standing by you all evening!" Buffy protested defensively. "Close proximity to a vampire tends to camouflage the ones who aren't so near. Especially being close to an irritating."
"And here, I thought we were getting along famously."
"There seems to be a time limit where you're concerned."
"Hey!" Willow piped in. "Can we all focus here and think this through with a little more."
"Harmony!" Xander exclaimed.
"Exactly." Willow nodded.
"No." Xander pointed to the doorway. "Isn't that Harmony?"
They all turned to stare at the heavily made-up blond girl standing in the doorway. She had her hands on her hips and tossed her head disdainfully before looking slowly around the room. When her eyes lit on Buffy, Willow and Xander, she pushed her lips out in her version of a sneer and began to walk toward them, her hips swaying exaggeratedly from side to side. Halfway across the floor, she noticed that she had lost her entourage. She turned and stamped her foot on the floor, then gestured to them to follow her. Satisfied that she had proper back up, she continued to approach her arch- nemesis: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"So. We meet again!" Harmony turned a creamy shoulder to Buffy and squinted her eyes.
"I see you haven't learned any new lines in your time away." Buffy told her drolly.
"And I see you're still hanging out with your band of losers." Harmony looked at Xander and Willow. She wrinkled her forehead at Willow's costume. "What is that thing you've got on anyway, Willow? It's so cliché for a red- head to wear green!"
"What are you doing here, Harmony?" Buffy's voice was all business.
"Well, aren't you little miss high and mighty in you're little blue dress?" Harmony paused to snarl and show some fang. "The last time I saw you, you were busy stealing my boyfriend!"
Buffy's voice rose in offense. "I was NOT stealing your boyfriend."
"Ha! You were having a threesome with my Pooky-Bear and that skanky Droodzilla."
"A threesome?!"
Xander looked at William over the top of Buffy's head and mouthed "Pooky- Bear?" to him. William glowered back.
"Yes. And don't try that big innocent act on me. I saw the chains and stuff!"
"Harmony, you'd better shut up right now or I'll stake you on the spot."
"I dare you to try." Harmony gestured over her shoulder with her thumb. "I have new minions, and they're smarter this time."
"Which is why they're taking orders from you."
"Exactly!" Harmony missed the sarcasm in Buffy's words. "You'd better watch your skinny little butt tonight Slayer. You're going down."
"And who's going to take me out you idiot? You?" Buffy leaned over into Harmony's face. "The only reason I didn't kill you before was that you were so stupidly pathetic. I'm over that now."
"I'm pathetic?" Harmony touched her chest with long red fingernails. "You can't even keep a man. Look at the dope you're with tonight!" She turned her eyes on William. "He's kind of short for your tastes, isn't he?"
Dawn giggled. "That didn't used to bother you, Vampira."
"Hey, you're the little sister, aren't you? Wow, you've really grown up." She paused and thought about Dawn's words. "What do you mean it didn't used to bother me?"
"Bloody hell!" William groaned.
Harmony's eyes widened. "Spikey? Is that you?"
He sighed heavily. "Yes, Harm."
"What has she done to you?"
Buffy interrupted. "That's nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you don't get out of this school right now." Buffy reached down and snapped a leg off the table. William hurried to hold up the corner so that the punch didn't crash to the floor. "Leave Harmony, and I might let you live another ten minutes."
"Fine, you scrawny little do-gooder. I'll go." She looked at William. "You are just so pathetic. I can't believe you chose her over me. She doesn't even have any boobs, and I know how much you always liked to."
"Harmony!" William's voice rose.
"OK. I'm leaving. But you haven't seen the last of me. You're all going to be so sorry you weren't a little bit nicer." She to leave.
"Harmony." Buffy stopped her. "If I hear of even one student with a bite mark tonight, I'll kill you."
"Ooh. Aren't you the tough one." Harmony stuck her tongue out at Buffy, then flounced out of the room, followed by her lackeys.
"She was awfully brave, to just walk in here like that tonight." Willow observed.
"I wonder what she really wanted." Xander commented.
"She's totally sleazoid." Dawn opined.
"I can't believe you used to date her." Buffy scowled at William.
"And I can't believe you broke the sodding table!" William griped. "What am I supposed to do, stand here and hold this up all night?"
Buffy handed the leg to Xander. "Here, you're a carpenter. Fix it."
"With what?" Xander held up his hook. "I didn't exactly come equipped for emergency furniture repair."
They were interrupted by screams from the doorway. A stream of vampires and other demons was pouring in, shoving students against the walls and onto the floor. Other creatures, already in the room, began grabbing teenagers and pulling them away.
"Oh my god, Buffy!" Dawn was panicked. "What's happening?"
"We've been waiting for something big." Buffy said grimly. "I'd say it's here."