City Hall
Jenny awoke to a searing pain shooting through her arms. "Ms. Calendar? You're awake! Are you okay?" Willow sounded scared. Jenny blinked and looked around. Her
eyes went wide as she saw the angry looking crowd around her. She tried to move her arms and that was when she realised the position she was in. She was tied to a stake in between Buffy and Willow. Amy was also there, on the other side of an unconscious Buffy. Around their feet, books were piled. "Oh God no!" They were going to burn them at the stake.
Jenny tried to remain calm for the kids, even though every part of her was freaking out. She turned and gave Willow what she hoped passed for a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay Willow." Jenny turned to look at Buffy. She hoped the Slayer would wake up soon and help get them out of here.
"So it's awake!" Joyce sneered at Jenny. "Good! Wouldn't want you to sleep through your punishment."
"Joyce, listen to me, this is madness," Jenny told her. "None of us would ever hurt anyone, especially children. And you know that deep inside. Just think about it, please."
Joyce shook her head. "You can't talk your way out of this one. You have to die. You've been polluting our childrens minds for too long, we won't let you corrupt them any longer."
Willow's mother stepped out of the crowd to stand next to Joyce. "Why are you doing this to me mom?" Willow sobbed.
"There's no cure but the fire," Willow's mother said crazed. At this, Jenny realised there was no reasoning with her or the rest of the mob. Their only hope now was for either Buffy to wake up or Giles and the others to get here. Jenny started to feel more panic at the thought of Rupert. Where was he? What had they done to him?
- - -
Across town, Giles was being slapped awake by Cordelia. Coming around, he swatted at the hand that tried to hit him again. Opening his eyes, he found he was lying on the livingroom floor of the Summers' house. "About time!" Cordelia remarked. "You know, if you keep this up, you're gonna wake up in a coma!"
Giles pushed himself up on his elbow and wrinkled his brow at her incredulously. "Wake up in a coma!" Glancing around, he noticed Jenny and Buffy weren't there. "Where's Buffy and Jenny?"
"I don't know. There was only you here when I arrived."
"How long ago was that?"
"About ten minutes ago."
Giles scrambled to his feet. "Come on, we have to get to City Hall."
- - -
Back at City Hall, Willow, Jenny and Amy were desperately trying to wake Buffy up by doing the only thing they could, which was shout her name. To their relief, Buffy regained consciousness. "Morning sleepy head," Joyce said to her daughter.
Taking in the situation, Buffy struggled to free herself from the ropes that bound her. "Mom you don't want this," Buffy pleaded.
"What does it matter what I want. I wanted a normal daughter, instead I got a Slayer!"
"Mom, think, please? What do you know about these kids? What are their names? Where are they from? You know nothing about them. They just sprung out of nowhere. They're not real."
"Kill the bad girls," a little voice commanded from beside Joyce.
Joyce looked over at the two children next to her that she believed had been murdered. "Of course they're real. They're right here."
"Mom, dead people are talking to you. You do the math!"
"It's no use Buffy, I have to do this." Sheila handed Joyce a burning torch.
"Oh, you can't be serious!" Amy exclaimed.
"Mom don't!" Buffy shouted.
"Joyce, at least let Buffy and the others go! It's me you want, not them. Don't hurt the others. Please!" Jenny pleaded. "They're just children themselves!" It didn't make any difference, Joyce lowered the burning torch to the books and set them alight.
Jenny started to shake as the flames licked up around them. Willow broke into deeper sobs and Jenny wished that she could at least hold the girl and comfort her.
"All right, you wanna fry a witch, I'll give you a witch," Amy vowed. She started chanting the spell to Hecate that she had used in the past to turn Buffy into a rat.
"Oh no!" Buffy groaned as she realised what Amy was doing.
There was a flash of light, and where Amy had previously stood, was a rat. The crowd gasped and stepped back.
"She couldn't do us first?" Buffy asked.
Jenny awoke to a searing pain shooting through her arms. "Ms. Calendar? You're awake! Are you okay?" Willow sounded scared. Jenny blinked and looked around. Her
eyes went wide as she saw the angry looking crowd around her. She tried to move her arms and that was when she realised the position she was in. She was tied to a stake in between Buffy and Willow. Amy was also there, on the other side of an unconscious Buffy. Around their feet, books were piled. "Oh God no!" They were going to burn them at the stake.
Jenny tried to remain calm for the kids, even though every part of her was freaking out. She turned and gave Willow what she hoped passed for a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay Willow." Jenny turned to look at Buffy. She hoped the Slayer would wake up soon and help get them out of here.
"So it's awake!" Joyce sneered at Jenny. "Good! Wouldn't want you to sleep through your punishment."
"Joyce, listen to me, this is madness," Jenny told her. "None of us would ever hurt anyone, especially children. And you know that deep inside. Just think about it, please."
Joyce shook her head. "You can't talk your way out of this one. You have to die. You've been polluting our childrens minds for too long, we won't let you corrupt them any longer."
Willow's mother stepped out of the crowd to stand next to Joyce. "Why are you doing this to me mom?" Willow sobbed.
"There's no cure but the fire," Willow's mother said crazed. At this, Jenny realised there was no reasoning with her or the rest of the mob. Their only hope now was for either Buffy to wake up or Giles and the others to get here. Jenny started to feel more panic at the thought of Rupert. Where was he? What had they done to him?
- - -
Across town, Giles was being slapped awake by Cordelia. Coming around, he swatted at the hand that tried to hit him again. Opening his eyes, he found he was lying on the livingroom floor of the Summers' house. "About time!" Cordelia remarked. "You know, if you keep this up, you're gonna wake up in a coma!"
Giles pushed himself up on his elbow and wrinkled his brow at her incredulously. "Wake up in a coma!" Glancing around, he noticed Jenny and Buffy weren't there. "Where's Buffy and Jenny?"
"I don't know. There was only you here when I arrived."
"How long ago was that?"
"About ten minutes ago."
Giles scrambled to his feet. "Come on, we have to get to City Hall."
- - -
Back at City Hall, Willow, Jenny and Amy were desperately trying to wake Buffy up by doing the only thing they could, which was shout her name. To their relief, Buffy regained consciousness. "Morning sleepy head," Joyce said to her daughter.
Taking in the situation, Buffy struggled to free herself from the ropes that bound her. "Mom you don't want this," Buffy pleaded.
"What does it matter what I want. I wanted a normal daughter, instead I got a Slayer!"
"Mom, think, please? What do you know about these kids? What are their names? Where are they from? You know nothing about them. They just sprung out of nowhere. They're not real."
"Kill the bad girls," a little voice commanded from beside Joyce.
Joyce looked over at the two children next to her that she believed had been murdered. "Of course they're real. They're right here."
"Mom, dead people are talking to you. You do the math!"
"It's no use Buffy, I have to do this." Sheila handed Joyce a burning torch.
"Oh, you can't be serious!" Amy exclaimed.
"Mom don't!" Buffy shouted.
"Joyce, at least let Buffy and the others go! It's me you want, not them. Don't hurt the others. Please!" Jenny pleaded. "They're just children themselves!" It didn't make any difference, Joyce lowered the burning torch to the books and set them alight.
Jenny started to shake as the flames licked up around them. Willow broke into deeper sobs and Jenny wished that she could at least hold the girl and comfort her.
"All right, you wanna fry a witch, I'll give you a witch," Amy vowed. She started chanting the spell to Hecate that she had used in the past to turn Buffy into a rat.
"Oh no!" Buffy groaned as she realised what Amy was doing.
There was a flash of light, and where Amy had previously stood, was a rat. The crowd gasped and stepped back.
"She couldn't do us first?" Buffy asked.