Buffy stood in her bedroom that night trying to choose an outfit to wear to the Bronze. Willow had gone home with Xander, so it was just her and Andrew and Joyce at the house. Just as she threw down another skirt, her mom walked in.
"Hey honey."
Buffy turned to face her mom.
"Hey mom."
Joyce looked at Buffy carefully as she sat down on the bed.
"Are you going out tonight?"
"Yeah. I'm meeting some people a club." Buffy replied.
"Are they boy people?" Joyce prodded.
"Yes, mom. There will be some boy people." Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
"Well, just be careful."
Buffy rolled her eyes again.
"I will mom."
Joyce smiled and clasped her hands together.
"You know, I think we will do ok here. I've got my positive energy flowing, I'm going to get the gallery on its feet, which, by the way, I think we found a space today."
Buffy smiled and sat down next to her mom.
"That's great."
Joyce nodded.
"Oh! And the school is a very nurturing environment, well, not too nurturing. I know you're sixteen. I've read all about the dangers of over nurturing."
Buffy stood up and picked some outfits out of her closet and laid them on the bed.
"It's hard, Buffy, I know. New town and everything, it is for me too. And your brother. But we've got to try and make it work." Joyce said, taking Buffy's hands.
"I know." Buffy sighed.
Joyce let go of Buffy's hand and patted her on the head.
"You're a good girl, Buffy. You just fell in with the wrong crowd."
Buffy nodded and straightened up.
"Right. From now on I'm only going to hang with the living...I mean lively. People." Buffy grimaced at her slip, but her mother didn't seem to notice.
"Okay, then. You have fun." Joyce said as she walked out the door.
Buffy sighed, but brightened after finding the right outfit. Joyce popped her head back around the door.
"Oh Buffy? Why don't you take your brother with you?"
Buffy walked along the sidewalk, her brother right behind her. She had finally decided on a white mini skirt with a pale pink lace cami. She wore her hair down and was curled.
Buffy stopped abruptly causing Andrew to run into the back of her.
"Ow! What'd you do that for?" Andrew whined.
"If you don't keep up with me, I'm going to leave you." Buffy said, and then started walking again.
Andrew followed.
"Well, I might be able to keep up if you didn't walk so fast."
Buffy rolled her eyes and kept her pace.
"I bet if I had a hover disk, I could keep up with you. All I need is a vacuum, a piece of board, and a bag." Andrew said, counting off the items on his fingers.
Buffy stopped again.
"And how would you keep the vacuum powered?" she asked.
Andrew's eyes widened.
"I hadn't thought of that!" he said, pulling out a notepad and scribbling something down.
"Oh my god!" Buffy exclaimed, and then started walking. "I can't believe I was having a conversation about a hover disk!"
"Hey! Wait up!" Andrew said, running after her.
Buffy and Andrew walked into the Bronze. There was a band onstage and the dance floor was crowded.
"I've never been to a club before!" Andrew yelled, causing a few people to stare at him.
"Andrew, come on!" Buffy hissed, dragging him over to a table where Spike, Willow, and Xander were sitting.
"Hey Buffy!" they greeted.
"Hey guys."
"Did you want us to move?" Willow asked.
"What? No, of course not. Why would I want you to move?" Buffy said, taking a seat next to Spike.
"A bloomin' onion!" Andrew yelled, diving for the food sitting in front of Spike.
Spike slapped his hand away, causing the others to look at him strangely.
"What? It doesn't belong to mean...I just, uh..." Spike stuttered, trailing off. "So, pet, want to dance?"
"Who? Me?" Buffy asked, startled.
"No him." Spike said, chuckling.
"Maybe later. I want a muffin first." Andrew answered.
"I'm not going to dance with you!" Spike said.
Buffy laughed and stood and headed out onto the dance floor where Spike followed her. Buffy had just started getting into the beat, when she saw a familiar face staring down at her from the balcony.
"I, uh, have to go to the bathroom." Buffy said, quickly, leaving Spike.
Spike stared after her, and then glanced up at the balcony.
"What are you doing here? Isn't that kind of skanky?" Buffy asked.
Giles turned around.
"I came here to see you. We have to talk."
"No, we don't. I'm not working for you anymore!" Buffy hissed.
"Look around you, Buffy. This is the perfect breeding ground for vampiric activity. It's dark; it's crowdedâ€a perfect place come time for the Harvest."
"The whatest?" Buffy asked, wrinkling her nose up.
"The Harvest. A time when the Master can rise. It must be prevented."
Buffy rolled her eyes. Giles grabbed her arm and turned her toward the balcony.
"You see them? They throw themselves about; completely unaware of the danger that surrounds them."
"Lucky them." Buffy commented.
Giles sighed, and then went in for kill.
"Or perhaps I'm wrong. Maybe there is no threat, nothing coming. It's not as if you've been having nightmares."
Buffy's face paled, as she watched the swirling crowd.
'Hook. Line. Sinker.' Giles thought.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Jesse was trying to get Cordelia's attention.
"Hey Cordelia!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes and turned around.
"I was, uh, wondering if you'd like to dance. With me." Jesse asked.
"With you?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, uh, yeah."
"Well, uh, no." Cordelia mimicked, walking away.
Jesse stares after her a moment.
"Fine! Plenty of other fish in the sea. Watch me fish. Here I go."
Jesse spotted a blonde sitting in the corner.
"I am a fishing!" he said, before walking over.
"Look," Buffy said, "I didn't say I wouldn't ever slay another vampire. You know if I see one sure"
Giles shook his head.
"Will you be ready? There's so much you don't know about them, about your own powers. A vampire appears to be completely normal until it feeds. Then it will show its true demonic visage."
"You're like a walking textbook with arms!" Buffy exclaimed.
"The point is a slayer should be able to see them anyway. Could you tell me if there's a vampire in this building?"
"Maybe" Buffy shrugged.
"You should know. Even through this din, you should be able to tell. Reach out with your mind, hone your senses. Focus until"
"There's one." Buffy said, pointing to a man next to the bar.
"How did you..."
"Oh come on! Look at that jacket. He's got the sleeves rolled up, and the shirt! Deal with that outfit for a moment."
Giles shook his head.
"It's dated?"
"Its carbon dated. Anyone who has lived underground for a few years would think that was still the look." Buffy said.
"But you didn't...hone." Giles protested.
"Uh oh." Buffy said.
Giles looked over the man talking to girl.
"Isn't that"
"Willow."
A figure stood in the shadows of the balcony watching Giles and Buffy. He noticed her leave abruptly and followed the older man's gaze to the redhead leaving with a guy. He shook his head, and made his way out of the club.