"You know," Maya commented. "It's around now that it's so hard." She dumped another sachet of sugar into her coffee and stirred it listlessly. "In the morning it's ok being awake, because you're supposed to be awake. But around now, the sun's really up and it's just getting warm and it's been a long morning…" she tailed off with a yawn.
Buffy sipped her coffee tiredly, trying to ignore the glares that Marie was giving her.
"I'm next, you know." Marie said.
"What?" Taz asked, dozily, her head snapping up. In the light streaming through the window she looked more beaten up than she had earlier. Especially in comparison to Faith who had almost healed up perfectly, she still limped, but there was no pain in her leg, and the cuts that had been so vicious last night were mere scratches.
"I'm next." Marie repeated in much the same tone as one would use to comment on the weather. "I don't know if you've noticed it, but whoever sees a person die, dies next. Annie saw Sharlie die and now she's dead, and I saw Annie die."
"You didn't say anything." Maya said softly, reaching out to touch Marie's shoulder.
Marie shook her off. "What was the point? We're all going to die, but it occurred to me that if I'm the only one who noticed the pattern, I might as well impart it before I die."
"You're not going to die, Marie." Faith said firmly.
"It's very sweet of you to say so, but fuck off." Marie snarled. "We're not friends, you don't owe me the way you owe Taz."
"It's not about owing anybody." Faith replied. "We're trying to help."
"Like you helped Annie?"
"Marie, we all miss Annie…" Maya said in a placating tone.
"Yeah, but you and Taz didn't have to watch her die – be murdered." Marie glared at her. "You know what her parents think happened? They think she drowned in the swimming pool. Why doesn't anyone remember that Annie was captain of the swim team? That she broke every record in the history of Springwood High and in most of the state? It's not fair! It's their fault! If her parents had just cared about, just a little, she wouldn't have been locked in her room that night, she'd have been at my place staying awake with me! And take a moment to think about that, they locked her in her room, the door to the pool house is always locked, Annie passed through two locked doors last night and nobody thinks that's suspicious!"
Maya, who was closest, reached out and put her arm around Marie who, surprisingly, not only let her, but clung to her, crying softly. "I want to kill that bastard. You should have seen his face, he held her underwater for so long, then brought her back up just long enough to catch her breath, and he did it so many times… it went on for what felt like hours, he cut her and the swimming pool turned pink… when she finally died you should have seen his face. I saw her soul go into him and he just looked… I don't know, like it was the big O for him."
Maya stroked her back. "It must have been awful for both of you."
"The worst thing is I couldn't move. I couldn't do anything to help her and no matter which way I looked she was dying right in front of me even when I closed my eyes." Marie wiped her eyes. "And after awhile I just started wishing she would die. Just so she would be free… Imagine that, I wished my own best friend dead. I loved her so much. I never saw anything but Freddy when I first started dreaming, not the way Taz saw her Mom or you saw that guy who beat you up for being gay. See, my worst fear was watching Annie die and not being able to do a thing to help her."
"We're going to stop him." Faith said. "And you're going to watch as we give him back every bit of pain he's inflicted on this town."
Marie wiped her eyes again. "You'd better. 'Cos I don't know how long we can take all this."
"We will." Buffy assured her quietly.
*~*~*~*
They left Taz, Maya and Marie at the diner and agreed to meet them later. When they returned to the library, coffee and donuts in hand, they saw Wes talking to Suzie, blushing furiously and trying to regain his composure.
Faith smiled wickedly at Buffy. "C'mon, B."
"Wesley!" Faith smiled brightly at him. "I managed to get the whipped cream and chocolate body paint, but the handcuffs were slightly harder to get. Had to bribe a police officer. You have to give them back by six tomorrow afternoon." She turned to Suzie. "You're a lucky, lucky woman." She said in a serious tone.
Buffy snorted loudly, both Wes and Suzie turned red and Suzie began stammering about sorting the returns.
"Faith," Wes said in a warning tone. "What have I told you about sharing your delusions with the public? The doctors told you not to. You'll only get sent back to the hospital if you keep this up." He turned to Suzie. "I apologise, all that time in the hospital has made her rather…" he pulled a face.
Buffy laughed again, and Faith looked rather dumbstruck that Wes had responded to her taunts. "I'll go research." She said.
"Good girl!"
"Thanks for the backup, B." Faith muttered as they walked over to the table.
"I was too busy being stunned that Wes has a sense of humour to back you up." She grinned. "And besides, the look on your face was priceless, I wish I had a camera."
"Oh, B, you know you don't have to think of excuses to take pictures of me. I already know that you're hot for my bod."
"Desperately so." Buffy agreed. "It's so tragic that you don't want me. I'm going to cry in the stacks, see you in five, ok?"
"Sure, you want a tissue or something?"
"I'd need a sheet to mop up the tears I'll cry over you."
"Hrmm. Why don't you go stand in a bathroom and cry into a sink? That would save a sheet."
"That's a good plan. I'll save my tears and have a good cry when we get back to the motel." Buffy took a seat at the table.
"It's the Slayer in me, I'm very resourceful." Faith grinned.
"Thank you for that, Faith." Wesley said, taking a seat in front of the computer and nodding in Suzie's direction. "That was very embarrassing."
"I aim to please." Faith shrugged easily. "So, did you get a date?"
"I've said before that she's twice my age. I was merely asking if I could book the computer for the same time tomorrow."
"Bet she said yes." Buffy said with a grin.
"Providing the two of you are on your best behaviour." He replied sternly.
"Me?" Buffy asked indignantly. "I didn't say a word! I was a mere spectator in the humiliation of you and your girlfriend!"
"You're a Slayer, B." Faith pointed out. "You're the only person who could have hit me and lived to tell the tale. Wes is in a snit because you didn't knock me unconscious before I jumped in handcuffs a-blazing."
"Hrmm. I'll bear that in mind." Buffy replied.
"So how's it going? Found a vase of Galliano yet?" Faith asked Wes, who was beginning to look bored.
"I've spoken to the Council, who are also looking. Really all we can do is wait. Perhaps the two of you would like to take this opportunity to train?"
"I've got a better idea. I want to dream, I want to hurt him." Buffy replied.
"B, dreaming is suicide. I don't think it's a great idea."
"And how many people are trying to stay awake in this town? It can't just be the girls that we've already met." Buffy replied.
"He'll kill you."
"No he won't. Last night he wasn't really aiming to kill us, he was playing. He was holding back, I could tell just I could last year with Angelus."
Wes looked puzzled. "That's true. He had ample time to kill me but didn't."
"And I got away far too easy." Buffy replied. "I basically kicked him in the gut and got away. If he's immortal then why did that slow him down so much? Faith, you fell out of a window, didn't you? If it was all about death, why did you land on ground instead of spikes or something?"
"Well, there's a pretty visual. Cheers." Faith responded, but looked thoughtful. "Let me guess, more research?"
"Afraid so." Wes said.
"Well, at least we know what we're researching." Buffy reluctantly reached for a book.
"Maybe we just taste better when we're scared." Faith suggested, after several minutes' silence. "Have you ever seen 'IT'? That clown thing was a shapeshifter, and it said that the kids tasted better when they were afraid."
"Ooh, I've seen that. Didn't that Richie kid look just like Oz?" Buffy said. "Only really talkative. Like an alternate universe Oz."
"Yeah, now you come to mention it, there is a –"
"Research, please." Wes said in a tired tone. "As soon as we find out more about this demon I promise you can have a conversation about every horror film ever made – even write your own script if you want – but until then –"
"Research." The Slayers chorused.
Silence presided once more at the research table. Albeit momentarily. "Wes, apparently 'IT' is in the top ten of all time horror movies, to which demon did the director sell his soul to achieve that?" Faith asked.
"I would assume it was a Trekhon-Nacia." Wes replied tiredly. "Now, please…" he gestured to the book in front of her.
"Teflon-Nasty. Got it. Was just checking. I'm gonna write my own script and subscribe to the Teflon's mailing list." She hurriedly turned a page in her book. "Right after I read up on Krakhlahns."
The Slayers hushed once more, but it wasn't long before Buffy squealed. "Oooh!"
"You ooohed?" Faith asked.
"Well, I was reading through the print out of Alice's journal," she looked a little sheepish. "It seemed to be easier reading than those huge books, and she mentions that a friend of hers called Kirsten said that she thought Freddy got power from fear."
"Really?" Wes asked. "Hrmm." He took a book and began flipping through it. "A-ha! The Krakhlahn is sustained by a diet of on souls, but negative emotions such as fear, guilt, hate, and sorrow give him immediate power to use in the dream."
Buffy looked annoyed. "I believe that is the sound of my thunder being stolen."
"So it's like souls are a basic four-cheeses pizza and fear, hate and all that are a double order of pepperoni with pineapple on top?"
"That's a disgusting combination." Buffy said with a frown. "And hello! Useful Buffy found it, not Wes!" She turned her glare on Wesley. "So easy when I've done the groundwork!"
"I was impressed." Faith told her. "And pepperoni and pineapple is a great combo."
"Despite the Faith-speak, and the horrific combination that has put me off pizza for life, that was a fairly good example."
Faith took a half bow in her seat. "Thank you, my adoring public."
"I got it right first." Buffy crossed her arms and pouted.
Wes smiled at her. "Yes, you got it right, I expanded and Faith interpreted." There was no change in her expression. "If I buy you a donut will you stop sulking?"
"I'm not sulking." She said, a smile slowly crossing her face. "And it had better be chocolate."
"How come she gets a donut and I don't?" Faith asked indignantly.
"You both get donuts," Wes got to his feet. "Now, let's go before Ms Jarrett reappears and the two of you embarrass me. Again."
"We're taking a break?" Buffy asked.
"Yes. I'm beginning to get cabin fever from being in front of this computer for so long." Wes answered, gathering up his books. "If we make it out of here without either of you terrorising Ms Jarrett or myself, I'll pay for your lunch."
"What a gent." Faith commented in a sardonic tone, shouldering a bag of books. "Only buys us dinner if he wants something."
"We should tip off Suzie, let her know that under all that Englishness, he's still just a man." Buffy agreed.
Wes sighed loudly.
"Nice going, B, you just lost us a free feeding."
Buffy smiled winningly at Wes. "Have I ever told you that you're a very nice man? And Cordy's right, you do wear a suit well."
"Be quiet, exit the library and lunch is yours." Wes replied in a tired tone.
Buffy winked at Faith. "I bet he gets a receipt." She said in a low voice.
"I heard that, Buffy."
*~*~*~*
"You know what? I think I want my jacket." Buffy said, as they walked to the diner. "It's getting chilly. I'll just go get it."
"We're nearly there. I'm sure it will be warmer inside." Wes pointed out.
"You can have mine if you want." Faith offered. "I'm warm enough."
"No, I'll go get mine." Buffy insisted. "It, uh, has a letter from my Mom in it. I'm all homesick and stuff."
Faith and Wesley exchanged a look. "Can't it wait, B? I'm hungry."
"Go to the diner, order up and I'll be back in a second, I'm a speedy slayer." Buffy replied. "Honestly."
"Be quick." Wes instructed.
"Will do." Buffy turned on her heel and sped off towards the motel.
*~*~*~*
Marie took a sip of her coffee and wandered around her room, unable to really focus on anything. She kept picking up objects and putting them down again. She yawned widely and set her coffee cup down. She was so tired. According to the clock, she had managed to get about forty minutes sleep the previous night, before that it had been days.
She yawned again, and looked at her bed, it was so tempting. Instead she went to the bathroom and poured a glass of water down her neck, her best method for waking herself up. She stretched and returned to her room. She was beginning to have second thoughts about blowing off Taz and Maya. They had gone to Taz's house and she had been invited, but declined, worrying about having to talk about Annie again. She regretted sharing so many details with them, especially with Buffy and Faith there. It wasn't that she didn't like the girls, to be honest, she didn't care either way about them, it was just that they were invading her space. Taz was all hyper and dying (she smiled a little at the twisted pun) to share every moment with them, Maya genuinely believed that they could help and didn't mind them being around, but Marie felt that they were just in the way.
Marie took a seat at her computer and logged on to the internet, her heart twisting a little on seeing her wallpaper. It was a picture of the four of them, taken at Annie's annual Halloween party. The flash had been a little off and Taz's hair looked pink rather than purple, but Marie loved the picture. Taz had demanded that since there were five of them, they go as the Lost Boys and Star, so they all had eighties hair and were wearing lots of leather, denim and chains. Taz and Maya were sharing a secret smile and Annie had her arms around Marie, resting her head on Marie's shoulder. Sharlie was on the other side, playfully poking her cousin in the ribs.
Marie logged into her email account and began re-reading all of the mails she and Annie had sent back and forth, fighting back the tears. A couple of days ago, she had been this close to telling Annie that she loved her, but had chickened out at the last minute.
The screen began to blur, not just from tears, but from tiredness. Marie's head nodded a couple of times, unable to fight it she fell asleep at her computer.
*~*~*~*
"You know, she's been gone a long time." Faith commented worriedly.
Wes checked his watch for the hundredth time since Buffy had left to get her jacket. "You're right." He agreed. "It doesn't take twenty minutes to get to the motel and back again."
"More like five tops." Faith pulled on her jacket again and Wes signalled that he wanted the check.
"You go, I'll settle up and follow." He decided.
"I'm on it." She practically bolted from the diner.
Wes waited impatiently for the waitress to bring over the check, finally just leaving what he assumed would be enough for what he and Faith had ordered, and the number of the motel written on a napkin if it wasn't enough. He realised that he was worried, not of how the council would react if something happened to Buffy while he was in charge, but worried about Buffy.
His worry increased when he got a terrified call from Faith on his cell phone.
"Wes, she's asleep! I can't wake her up."