Later that evening
Willow couldn't believe the way her mother was reacting. "Mom, please? I'm not doing anything bad."
"I don't want you hanging out with those friends of yours. Or with that computer teacher. It's clear where this little obsession came from. Really, that woman should not be allowed to teach children. Such a bad influence!"
"Ms. Calendar's not a bad influence mom. She's really nice. She's a good person."
"Willow, I understand. You're at that age where you're easily influenced. I'm just glad I found out when I did. At least now that Calendar woman won't be able to corrupt you or any other student anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm happy to say, Ms. Calendar won't be teaching at Sunnydale from now on."
"What!" Willow stared at her mother, appalled.
- - -
At the same time, Buffy was having a similar conversation with her own mother.
"I don't want you seeing that Willow anymore. Or Ms. Calendar."
"You've got to be kidding?"
"No, Buffy, I mean it. I know it's not your fault. Mr. Giles has been a big influence on you, and well, with Ms. Calendar being his er, girlfriend, I can understand why you think she's okay. But Buffy, she's a witch."
"Techno-pagan. And so? What does it matter?"
"Buffy I know you think it's cool, but it's not. It's dangerous. And I don't want you seeing her or Willow."
Exasperated with her mother, Buffy turned around and headed for the front door. "I'm going patrolling."
- - -
In the library
Giles sat at the computer, eating some crisps and attempting to fathom the machine out. "Session interrupted, hmm? Who said you could interrupt you stupid useless fad. Yes I said fad and I'll say it again"
"At that point I will become frightened," Xander said, as he, Oz and Jenny came into the library.
"Whoa! Are my eyes deceiving me? Rupert actually having a go on a computer?" Jenny teased and moved over to see what he was doing.
"Wow! Yeah, you must have made a big influence on him," Oz commented. "Take heart, we found your books."
Xander added "You can put the heart back, we can't get 'em, they're locked up in City Hall." Giles looked crushed. Xander leaned over his shoulder. "Frisky Watcher's chatroom! Why Giles!"
Xander and Jenny started to laugh. Glaring up at them, Giles said, "Very funny. Jenny, were you able to find any books at home that might help?"
She shook her head. "Mmm, no. Sorry."
Buffy entered the library and immediately asked, "What do we know about these kids?"
"What do you mean?" Giles asked.
"What do we actuallly know about them? What are their names? Where do they live? Who are their parents?" They all looked at each other. None of them could answer any of those questions. "See what I mean?"
"Maybe I can find something on the net!" Jenny suggested. She put her hands on Rupert's shoulders. "Budge, then I can sit down." He moved out of the chair for her. Sitting down at the computer, she set to work. "I'll hook up with Willow via the computer too and ask her to search as well. It'll be quicker with both of us working on it."
A few minutes later, they all stared at the computer screen. "They're the kids from a fairytale?" Buffy looked sceptical. "Okay, that makes sense, to nobody at all!"
They were interrupted from their debate, when Michael came running into the library. His clothes were torn and their was blood on his face. "What happened?" Buffy asked, moving towards him.
"I was attacked."
"By whom?" Giles asked.
"My dad, his friends. They're taking people out of their homes. They're talking about a trial down at City Hall. They got Amy."
"Okay, you stay here and hide," Buffy started to organise her troops. "Giles and I will go and find my mom and hopefully put a stop to this."
"Willow!" Xander and Oz uttered at the same time, and both ran out of the library.
"I'm going with you," Jenny said to Rupert. "It's me they blame for this. It's about time I had it out with them." Her tone of voice denoted no arguing with.
At Buffy's house
Joyce turned from her meeting of MOO, to look at the newcomers. "Buffy! Mr Giles! Ms. Calendar! Did something happen?"
"Mom we need to talk to you now."
Joyce stood up and walked over to them. "Of course honey." She stood with her back against the front door, causing Buffy, Giles and Jenny to turn their backs on the rest of the people in the living room, in order to speak with her.
It happened quickly. Two men grabbed Giles and lifted him off his feet, while at the same time Joyce put a chloroform handkerchief over Buffy's nose and mouth. Jenny tried to push the men off Giles. They were too strong for her. One of them gave her a backhanded slap that sent her falling to the floor and into unconsciousness.
Willow couldn't believe the way her mother was reacting. "Mom, please? I'm not doing anything bad."
"I don't want you hanging out with those friends of yours. Or with that computer teacher. It's clear where this little obsession came from. Really, that woman should not be allowed to teach children. Such a bad influence!"
"Ms. Calendar's not a bad influence mom. She's really nice. She's a good person."
"Willow, I understand. You're at that age where you're easily influenced. I'm just glad I found out when I did. At least now that Calendar woman won't be able to corrupt you or any other student anymore."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm happy to say, Ms. Calendar won't be teaching at Sunnydale from now on."
"What!" Willow stared at her mother, appalled.
- - -
At the same time, Buffy was having a similar conversation with her own mother.
"I don't want you seeing that Willow anymore. Or Ms. Calendar."
"You've got to be kidding?"
"No, Buffy, I mean it. I know it's not your fault. Mr. Giles has been a big influence on you, and well, with Ms. Calendar being his er, girlfriend, I can understand why you think she's okay. But Buffy, she's a witch."
"Techno-pagan. And so? What does it matter?"
"Buffy I know you think it's cool, but it's not. It's dangerous. And I don't want you seeing her or Willow."
Exasperated with her mother, Buffy turned around and headed for the front door. "I'm going patrolling."
- - -
In the library
Giles sat at the computer, eating some crisps and attempting to fathom the machine out. "Session interrupted, hmm? Who said you could interrupt you stupid useless fad. Yes I said fad and I'll say it again"
"At that point I will become frightened," Xander said, as he, Oz and Jenny came into the library.
"Whoa! Are my eyes deceiving me? Rupert actually having a go on a computer?" Jenny teased and moved over to see what he was doing.
"Wow! Yeah, you must have made a big influence on him," Oz commented. "Take heart, we found your books."
Xander added "You can put the heart back, we can't get 'em, they're locked up in City Hall." Giles looked crushed. Xander leaned over his shoulder. "Frisky Watcher's chatroom! Why Giles!"
Xander and Jenny started to laugh. Glaring up at them, Giles said, "Very funny. Jenny, were you able to find any books at home that might help?"
She shook her head. "Mmm, no. Sorry."
Buffy entered the library and immediately asked, "What do we know about these kids?"
"What do you mean?" Giles asked.
"What do we actuallly know about them? What are their names? Where do they live? Who are their parents?" They all looked at each other. None of them could answer any of those questions. "See what I mean?"
"Maybe I can find something on the net!" Jenny suggested. She put her hands on Rupert's shoulders. "Budge, then I can sit down." He moved out of the chair for her. Sitting down at the computer, she set to work. "I'll hook up with Willow via the computer too and ask her to search as well. It'll be quicker with both of us working on it."
A few minutes later, they all stared at the computer screen. "They're the kids from a fairytale?" Buffy looked sceptical. "Okay, that makes sense, to nobody at all!"
They were interrupted from their debate, when Michael came running into the library. His clothes were torn and their was blood on his face. "What happened?" Buffy asked, moving towards him.
"I was attacked."
"By whom?" Giles asked.
"My dad, his friends. They're taking people out of their homes. They're talking about a trial down at City Hall. They got Amy."
"Okay, you stay here and hide," Buffy started to organise her troops. "Giles and I will go and find my mom and hopefully put a stop to this."
"Willow!" Xander and Oz uttered at the same time, and both ran out of the library.
"I'm going with you," Jenny said to Rupert. "It's me they blame for this. It's about time I had it out with them." Her tone of voice denoted no arguing with.
At Buffy's house
Joyce turned from her meeting of MOO, to look at the newcomers. "Buffy! Mr Giles! Ms. Calendar! Did something happen?"
"Mom we need to talk to you now."
Joyce stood up and walked over to them. "Of course honey." She stood with her back against the front door, causing Buffy, Giles and Jenny to turn their backs on the rest of the people in the living room, in order to speak with her.
It happened quickly. Two men grabbed Giles and lifted him off his feet, while at the same time Joyce put a chloroform handkerchief over Buffy's nose and mouth. Jenny tried to push the men off Giles. They were too strong for her. One of them gave her a backhanded slap that sent her falling to the floor and into unconsciousness.