'People see right through you,
Everyone who knew you well,
Falls apart, might as well,
Day is long and nothing is wasteful.'
"So this Sisterhood, they were like what, corrupted Slayers?"
"In a sense, yes," Giles nodded, nervously cleaning and re-cleaning his glasses, "They were all massacred in the early 19th century by a group of over-zealous religious fanatics, by order of the Pope, or so they claimed."
Buffy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, desperately wishing that Spike was there, "So what does this group have to do with Drusilla and her ability to contact me through my now broken bathroom mirror?"
"You say she was feeding on the new Slayer? Faith?"
"Yea, although I'm not sure if I would call it feeding. There was too much … too much … passion? She looked really into it and Faith, the expression on her face wasn't complete disgust. There was something else there, like she was enjoying it."
"Yea, well, you would know," Xander put in acerbically as he strode through the library doors, Cordelia on his heels, "Seeing as you're a vampire's whore."
Buffy's hands clenched into fists at his words, her anger quickly rising, "Xander. What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, "It's a free country. People can come and go whenever they want. But you should know that by now, Buff. Especially the leaving part. You've gotten enough practice."
"Xander!" The brunette turned to face Willow who now stood directly behind Buffy, "How can you act like this? You don't even know what's going on."
He laughed bitterly, "You're right. I don't. Mostly because my so-called friends kept me out of the loop. Although I suppose seeing who's involved I shouldn't be surprised. You guys were always trying to protect her."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Buffy said as she moved a step closer to her former friend, "You have no idea what's going on here or what these past two years have been like."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Please. Spare me the poor little rich girl act. You actually got out of this hellhole. You were supposed to die! Instead we get stuck here doing your work and racking up uber high bills in dry cleaning."
"Yea, well maybe you should save the Vera Wang for something other than patrolling, Cordy."
"Well maybe you should check with the rest of us before you decide to run off with your undead boyfriend."
"It's my life."
Cordelia opened her mouth for a retort when the library doors opened and Joyce Summers stormed in, "What's going on here? I can hear you all the way done the hall." She turned and let her gaze run across the inhabitants of the room who avoided it awkwardly, she finally brought it to rest on her daughter who stood dejectedly a few feet in front of Willow, "Oh, Buffy."
She crossed the library and came to stand next to her daughter, who acknowledged her mother with a warm look, "Mom. What are you doing here?"
"I came to help," the older Summers turned to face Giles questioningly, "Well, what's everyone standing around here for? Shouldn't we start researching whatever it is that's threatening my baby's life?"
"How about her boyfriend," Xander put in.
Joyce turned on him, her eyes glinting with the ferocious light of a lioness protecting her young, "For your information Xander Harris, I have had the pleasure of Spike's company more than once and find him to be a nice young man. More importantly, he makes Buffy happy! If anyone has a problem with that you're clearly in the wrong place and can feel free to leave at anytime."
"I for one," Oz piped up from his seat at the table where he had observed the whole exchange, "don't see what the big deal's all about."
Willow nodded, "Oz is right. Buffy's love life is not the issue here, Drusilla and the Sisterhood are. If you've got a problem with that Xander then go."
Silence filled the room and Willow nodded proudly, blushing at the grateful smile that Buffy sent her way. Giles let out a sigh of relief and replaced his glasses, "Now if we can get back to the subject at hand without any more interruptions. Drusilla was the last recorded initiate of the Sisterhood, earning the globe and needle --"
He was interrupted as a smoking form burst in through the library doors, "Good lord."
Spike dropped his duster, panting heavily as his gaze found Buffy, "Sorry to interrupt Watcher but we're about to have some company."
"Spike," Buffy crossed over to him, her hand going to his face which was slightly marred from his exposure to the sun, "What's going on?"
"I ran into a friend of yours at Willy's pet, and she seemed a bit anxious to get back to you, love."
Buffy swore as she strode over to the weapon's cabinet and yanked it open, reaching in, she grabbed a couple of stakes and tossed them to Spike along with a crossbow before arming herself similarly and adding an extra dagger which she concealed on her body, "Giles, get my Mom back to her house. Oz, Willow, you guys start researching some way to stop them. We don't have any more time left."
"How right you are, dearie." Buffy turned around to find Drusilla standing in front of the library doors, Faith and Kendra flanking her sides, "Miss Edith wanted her party and she's going to get it. Now."
Everyone who knew you well,
Falls apart, might as well,
Day is long and nothing is wasteful.'
"So this Sisterhood, they were like what, corrupted Slayers?"
"In a sense, yes," Giles nodded, nervously cleaning and re-cleaning his glasses, "They were all massacred in the early 19th century by a group of over-zealous religious fanatics, by order of the Pope, or so they claimed."
Buffy sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, desperately wishing that Spike was there, "So what does this group have to do with Drusilla and her ability to contact me through my now broken bathroom mirror?"
"You say she was feeding on the new Slayer? Faith?"
"Yea, although I'm not sure if I would call it feeding. There was too much … too much … passion? She looked really into it and Faith, the expression on her face wasn't complete disgust. There was something else there, like she was enjoying it."
"Yea, well, you would know," Xander put in acerbically as he strode through the library doors, Cordelia on his heels, "Seeing as you're a vampire's whore."
Buffy's hands clenched into fists at his words, her anger quickly rising, "Xander. What are you doing here?"
He shrugged, "It's a free country. People can come and go whenever they want. But you should know that by now, Buff. Especially the leaving part. You've gotten enough practice."
"Xander!" The brunette turned to face Willow who now stood directly behind Buffy, "How can you act like this? You don't even know what's going on."
He laughed bitterly, "You're right. I don't. Mostly because my so-called friends kept me out of the loop. Although I suppose seeing who's involved I shouldn't be surprised. You guys were always trying to protect her."
"You don't know what you're talking about," Buffy said as she moved a step closer to her former friend, "You have no idea what's going on here or what these past two years have been like."
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Please. Spare me the poor little rich girl act. You actually got out of this hellhole. You were supposed to die! Instead we get stuck here doing your work and racking up uber high bills in dry cleaning."
"Yea, well maybe you should save the Vera Wang for something other than patrolling, Cordy."
"Well maybe you should check with the rest of us before you decide to run off with your undead boyfriend."
"It's my life."
Cordelia opened her mouth for a retort when the library doors opened and Joyce Summers stormed in, "What's going on here? I can hear you all the way done the hall." She turned and let her gaze run across the inhabitants of the room who avoided it awkwardly, she finally brought it to rest on her daughter who stood dejectedly a few feet in front of Willow, "Oh, Buffy."
She crossed the library and came to stand next to her daughter, who acknowledged her mother with a warm look, "Mom. What are you doing here?"
"I came to help," the older Summers turned to face Giles questioningly, "Well, what's everyone standing around here for? Shouldn't we start researching whatever it is that's threatening my baby's life?"
"How about her boyfriend," Xander put in.
Joyce turned on him, her eyes glinting with the ferocious light of a lioness protecting her young, "For your information Xander Harris, I have had the pleasure of Spike's company more than once and find him to be a nice young man. More importantly, he makes Buffy happy! If anyone has a problem with that you're clearly in the wrong place and can feel free to leave at anytime."
"I for one," Oz piped up from his seat at the table where he had observed the whole exchange, "don't see what the big deal's all about."
Willow nodded, "Oz is right. Buffy's love life is not the issue here, Drusilla and the Sisterhood are. If you've got a problem with that Xander then go."
Silence filled the room and Willow nodded proudly, blushing at the grateful smile that Buffy sent her way. Giles let out a sigh of relief and replaced his glasses, "Now if we can get back to the subject at hand without any more interruptions. Drusilla was the last recorded initiate of the Sisterhood, earning the globe and needle --"
He was interrupted as a smoking form burst in through the library doors, "Good lord."
Spike dropped his duster, panting heavily as his gaze found Buffy, "Sorry to interrupt Watcher but we're about to have some company."
"Spike," Buffy crossed over to him, her hand going to his face which was slightly marred from his exposure to the sun, "What's going on?"
"I ran into a friend of yours at Willy's pet, and she seemed a bit anxious to get back to you, love."
Buffy swore as she strode over to the weapon's cabinet and yanked it open, reaching in, she grabbed a couple of stakes and tossed them to Spike along with a crossbow before arming herself similarly and adding an extra dagger which she concealed on her body, "Giles, get my Mom back to her house. Oz, Willow, you guys start researching some way to stop them. We don't have any more time left."
"How right you are, dearie." Buffy turned around to find Drusilla standing in front of the library doors, Faith and Kendra flanking her sides, "Miss Edith wanted her party and she's going to get it. Now."