"Lie to Me"
Based on the Episode Written by Joss Whedon
The following story is copyright © 2022 by Mark Moore.
Buffy and Cordelia walked along the roof of a building across the street from Sunnydale Park after dusk, keeping watch.
"Is this really necessary?" Cordelia asked Buffy.
"We have a better view from up here." Buffy sensed something and headed for the edge of the roof.
Cordelia followed her. She and Buffy looked over the edge, onto the mostly deserted playground, and saw Angel and a woman with long black hair standing close together.
"Angel?" Cordelia asked in surprise. "Who's that with him?"
"Shh."
Cordelia briefly looked at Buffy. "Oh, that's right: super hearing."
"This can't go on, Drusilla. It's gotta end."
Drusilla tilted her head and reached up for a kiss. "Oh, no, my pet. This is just the beginning." She pulled away without kissing and gave him an evil smile. She kept her head turned to him as she slowly walked away.
Cordelia swallowed at what she saw. Angel watched Drusilla go for another moment, then turned to leave also. Cordelia stepped away from the edge of the roof and ran off. Buffy followed her.
The next morning, at Sunnydale High School, Jenny and Giles walked down the stairs.
"It's a secret!" Jenny insisted.
"What kind of a secret?" Giles asked her.
"Uh, the kind that's secret. You know, where I don't actually tell you what it is."
"I think it's customary that, when two people are going out on an evening, that they - they both have an idea of where they're going."
"Oh, come on! Where is your sense of adventure?" Jenny asked him.
"Well, I-I..." Giles paused. "Uh, how will I know what to wear?"
Jenny looked at his tweed suit. "Do you own anything else?"
"Uh, w-well, not as such, no, um..."
Jenny laughed. "Rupert, you're gonna have to trust me."
"All right, all right, I p-put myself in your hands."
"That sounds like fun." Jenny started on her way. "Okay, tomorrow night, 7:30, right?"
"Yes."
Buffy walked up to him as Jenny left. "Hey."
"Hello."
They started walking to the library.
"Um, did we hunt last night?" Giles asked.
Buffy nodded. "Cordy and I did a couple quick sweeps downtown."
"Any encounters?"
"Nothing vampirey."
"Uh, I've been researching your friend, Spike. Uh, the profile is fairly unappetizing. But I-I still haven't got a bead on why he's here."
"You'll figure it out."
They stopped outside the library.
"Why don't you take the night off?" Giles suggested.
Buffy smiled. "Okay. That'd be nice." She walked off to class.
In history class, Cordelia was paying half-attention to the lecture. She was still distracted by what she'd seen last night.
"Well, it seems like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king."
"That's fair enough. Uh, any other impressions?" the teacher asked.
Cordelia raised her hand.
"Cordelia."
"I just don't see why everyone's always picking on Marie Antoinette. I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort. And I know the peasants were all depressed-"
Buffy looked at her. "I think you mean 'oppressed'."
"Whatever. They were cranky. So they're like 'Let's lose some heads'. Uhhh! That's fair. And - And Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake!"
"Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective. Um, would anyone else like to comment?" the teacher asked.
The bell rang.
"No homework tonight. Read the next chapter by tomorrow."
The students gathered up their things, stood up, and left the classroom.
Buffy, Tara, and Cordelia walked together in the hall.
"Do you know who she was?" Tara asked them.
Buffy shook her head. "No. Dark hair. Old dress. Pretty."
"Vampire?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "I don't know. I don't think so. They seemed pretty friendly."
Cordelia looked at her. "Buffy, do we have to be in total share mode?"
They headed into the lounge.
Buffy smiled at her. "Aw, you just need cheering up. And I know just the thing! Girls' night out at the Bronze!"
"I dunno." Cordelia crossed her arms, depressed.
Tara sat on a couch. Cordelia sat next to her.
"I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but not everyone has your taste."
Buffy turned around and saw a boy standing there. "Ford?"
"Hey, Summers!"
They embraced.
"How ya been?" he asked.
"Oh, my God! What are you doing here?" Buffy asked him.
They let go of each other.
"Uh, matriculating."
Buffy's mind immediately went in the gutter. "Huh?"
"I'm finishing out my senior year at Sunnydale High. Dad got transferred."
Buffy grinned. "This is great!"
"I'm glad you think so. I didn't think you'd remember me."
"Remember you? Duh! We only went to school together for five years. You were my best friend." Buffy turned to Tara and Cordelia. "Um, this is Ford! Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Tara and Cordelia!"
Buffy and Ford went to sit on the other couch.
Cordelia smiled at Ford. "Hi."
"Hey."
Tara smiled at Ford. "Nice to meet you!"
"Uh, Ford and I went to Hemery together in L.A." Buffy looked at Ford. "And now you're here. For real?"
"Dad got the transfer, and boom; he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here."
"This is great!" Buffy paused and considered. "Well, I mean...it's hard, sudden move, all your friends, delicate time, very emotional."
"So you two were friends in fifth grade?" Tara asked.
Buffy thought about it. "Well, not right away. At first, Ford wouldn't give me the time of day."
Ford smiled. "Well, I was a manly sixth-grader. I couldn't bother with someone that young."
Buffy nodded. "It was terrible. I moped over you for months. Sitting in my room, listening to that Divinyls song, 'I Touch Myself'."
Ford looked at her in surprise.
Buffy smiled. "Psych."
Ford laughed.
"Hey, are you busy tonight?" Cordelia asked him. "We're going to the Bronze; it's the local club, and you have to come."
Buffy looked at Cordelia in shock.
"I'd love to! But if you guys already had plans..." Ford paused. "Would I be imposing?"
Buffy looked from Cordelia to Ford. "Well, if it's fine with my friends, it's fine with me."
Tara smiled. "Sure."
"Okay, then! I-I gotta find the admissions office, uh, get my papers in order." Ford got up.
"Well, you know what?" Buffy got up. "I'll take you there, and I'll see you guys in French!"
Ford looked at Tara and Cordelia. "It was good to meet you."
Buffy and Ford left the lounge.
That evening, at the Bronze, Tara, Cordelia, and Ford were playing pool. Ford sank his shot and set up for another as Buffy arrived at the table.
Buffy smiled. "Ford! You made it."
"Wasn't hard to find."
Tara looked at Buffy. "Buffy, Ford was just telling us about the ninth-grade beauty contest and the, uh, swimsuit competition."
Buffy looked at Ford. "Oh, my God, Ford, stop that! The more people you tell, the more people I have to kill." She quickly looked at Tara. "Just kidding, sweetie. I would never kill you." She looked at Cordelia, paused in consideration, and shrugged.
Cordelia rolled her eyes.
Ford smiled. "You can't touch me, Summers. I know all your darkest secrets."
"Yeah, okay. I'm gonna go get a drink. Ford, try not to talk." Buffy headed for the bar.
"Me, too." Cordelia followed.
They arrived at the bar and found Angel there.
Buffy and Cordelia looked at him. "Hi."
"Hey! I was hoping you'd show."
Buffy and Cordelia looked at each other in confusion, unsure who he meant.
Cordelia saw he had a drink. "You drink! I mean...drinks. Non-blood things."
"Yeah, I eat, too. Not for nutritional value; it just kind of passes the time. There's a lot about me you don't know."
"I believe that."
Over at the pool table, Tara and Ford were racking the balls up. Ford saw Buffy and Cordelia with Angel.
"That's Angel. He's Cordy's boyfriend."
"He's not in school, right?" Ford asked. "He looks older than her."
Tara shrugged. "You're not wrong."
"So. What'd you do last night?" Cordelia asked Angel.
"Nothin'."
"Nothing at all. You ceased to exist?"
"No, I mean I stayed in, read."
"Oh." Cordelia went back to the pool table without another word.
Angel stood there confused for a moment, then followed her.
"Didn't want that soda after all?" Ford asked Cordelia.
"Not thirsty."
Tara smiled. "Hey, Angel."
Ford nodded. "Hi."
Buffy returned with two glasses of regular Pepsi, one for herself and one for Cordelia. She set Cordelia's glass down on the pool table and turned to Angel. "This is Ford. We went to school together in L.A."
"Nice to meet you." Angel shook Ford's hand.
"Whoa! Cold hands!" Ford exclaimed.
Tara shrugged. "You're not wrong."
Cordelia gave Tara a look.
"So...you're here visiting Buffy?" Angel asked Ford.
"No, I'm actually here to stay. Just moved down."
"Hey, Angel? Do you wanna play?" Tara offered.
"Y'know, it's getting really crowded in here tonight. Um...I'm a little hot. Good night." Cordelia looked at Ford. "You wanna take a walk?"
The others felt awkward.
"Um, sure! That'd be nice."
"Okay, then, um..." Cordelia picked up her glass, gulped down her drink, set the glass back down on the pool table, and looked at the others. "I'll see ya tomorrow." She led Ford out past Angel.
Angel looked at them. "Good night."
Ford looked at him. "Take care."
Buffy finished her drink and set her glass on the table. "So much for girls' night. Maybe I oughta go out and do a sweep." She looked at Tara. "Do you mind?"
Tara shook her head. "No, go ahead."
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "See ya tomorrow, sweetie. Good night."
Tara smiled. "Good night."
Buffy walked off.
Angel looked at Tara. "He just moved here?"
"Yeah. Well, Angel, we could still play." Tara moved the rack into position.
When she looked back up, Angel was gone.
Outside, Cordelia and Ford strolled slowly along through the alley.
"So...that was your boyfriend?" Ford asked her.
"No. Uh, yeah. Maybe. Could we lay off the tough questions for a while?" Cordelia asked him.
"Sorry. So! What else do you do for fun around here?"
Cordelia heard noises coming from around the corner and suspected a vampire. "Uh, could you go back to the Bronze and get Buffy for me? I need to tell her something."
"Uh, okay." Ford headed back.
"Good. Run! Thanks!" Cordelia called.
He started to jog. Cordelia could hear a woman crying. She opened her purse, took out a stake, and started running in the opposite direction. When she was almost there, a woman came running around the corner and past her. Cordelia continued on and was startled by a metal trashcan flying in front of her and into a stack of crates. She could hear punching and grunting. She saw someone hit the pavement face first. She peeked around the corner and saw a vampire get up and take a swing at Buffy. Buffy ducked the punch and kicked the vampire in the face. The vampire swung again, and Buffy grabbed his fist and held on while she punched him in the face. Cordelia watched as Buffy pulled out a stake and thrust it into the vampire's chest. He staggered back against the wall and fell to the ground.
Cordelia walked into the alley and over to Buffy. "Hey."
Buffy looked at her. "Hey. Cordy, what are you doing here?"
"I heard the commotion and sent Ford to get you. I hadn't realized you'd already left the Bronze. In the meantime, I thought I'd-"
Buffy smiled. "Try to help."
Cordelia put her stake back in her purse and closed it. "Yeah."
"What's goin' on?"
Buffy and Cordelia were surprised and spun around to face Ford.
Buffy caught her breath. "Jesus Fucking Christ, Ford! You startled me!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to see you slaying a vampire."
Buffy raised her eyebrows.
"I know, Buffy. You don't have to lie. I-I've been trying to figure out the right time to - to tell you. I know you're the Slayer."
Buffy shrugged. "So does everyone else in this town. So what?"
At the Sunset Club, Chanterelle, a beautiful teenage girl with long blonde hair, was hanging out, idly passing the time. There was a knock on the heavy metal door, and someone opened the door to let Ford in. A welder was cutting the knob off the inside door. Ford went down the stairs to the main area. Dark gothic music set the mood, and everyone was dressed in black and pale makeup. "Never Land" by The Sisters of Mercy was playing. Chanterelle headed toward the stairs. Diego met Ford at the base of the stairs, and Chanterelle overheard their conversation.
"Ford? Hi, Ford?"
"Hey!"
"Well, how'd it go?"
"It went good."
"Good? That's - That's it? That's all we know? Well, when are we-"
"Soon."
"Oh, soon, okay. Y'know, you could gimme a little more information here. I'm trusting you. I'm out on a limb here. Not to mention the lease is almost up on this place. Who's gonna cover that?"
"Marvin-"
"Diego! C'mon, man, it's Diego now."
"Diego." Ford took out a pill. "Ritalin. Everything's gonna be fine."
Ford popped the pill as Chanterelle walked over and handed him a drink.
Ford looked at Diego. "Just make sure you're ready when I say. True believers only."
Chanterelle smiled. "I can't wait!"
"Right, whatever, I still think I should be in on the plan."
"Diego, you gotta trust me." Ford saw a scene from the 1974 Jack Palance movie, Dracula, playing on the TV. "A couple more days, and we'll get to do the two things every American teen should have the chance to do: die young and stay pretty."
He looked spaced out as he mouthed the words of Jack Palance in the movie: "So...you play your wits against mine. Me, who commanded armies hundreds of years before you were born. Fools!"
Tara was standing in her bedroom, brushing her hair in front of her mirror. Her room was neat and clean, and everything was in place just so except for some clothes on her bed. She was in her nightshirt and pajama shorts. There was a knocking on her balcony door, which caught her off guard. She dropped her brush on the bed, went to the door, and pushed the blinds apart to see who it was.
"Oh!" Tara opened the door. "Angel! What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to talk to you."
Tara looked around. "Oh, well..."
She gestured for him to come in, but he just stayed standing there.
"Well?" Tara asked.
"I can't. Unless you invite me, I can't come in."
"Oh!" Tara was a bit nervous. "Well, okay, I invite you. To come in."
Angel came in. "I-If this is a bad time, I-"
"No!" Tara replied. "I just...I'm not supposed to have boys in my room."
"Your parents don't know you're gay?" Angel asked in confusion.
Tara shook her head. "They do, but my dad thinks it's a phase that I'll grow out of. He thinks I secretly crave cock and want to be gangfucked by a bunch of guys and other such 'unholy abominations in the sight of God'."
Angel smiled in amusement. "I promise to behave myself."
Tara was still nervous. "Okay. Good."
"I guess I need help. I want you to track someone down. On the 'Net." Angel eyed her laptop.
Tara smiled. "Oh! Great! I'm so the 'Net girl." She went and sat at her desk.
"I just wanna find everything I can. Records, affiliates; I'm not even sure what I'm looking for yet."
Tara typed. "Good. What's the name?"
"Billy Fordham."
Tara was surprised and faced him. "Uh, Angel? If I say something you really don't wanna hear, do you promise not to bite me?"
"Are you gonna tell me that I'm jealous?"
"Well, you do sometimes get that way."
"You know, I never used to." Angel sat on Tara's bed. "Things used to be pretty simple. A hundred years, just hanging out, feelin' guilty..." He paused. "I really honed my brooding skills. Then she comes along. Yeah, I get jealous. But I know people. And my gut tells me this is a wrong guy."
Tara nodded. "Okay." She turned back to the laptop and typed. "But if there isn't anything weird..." She paused. "Hey, that's weird."
"What?"
"I just checked the school records, and he's not in them."
Angel stood up and walked over to get a closer look.
Tara stared at the screen. "I mean...usually they transfer your grades and shit, but he's not even registered."
"He said he was in school with you guys, right?"
"Let me just see if I can-"
"Tara? Are you still up?" her mother called.
Tara got up and looked at Angel. "Fuck! Go!" She looked at her bedroom door. "Iiiiiii'm just going to bed now, Mom!"
Angel went back out onto the balcony.
Tara held the door. "Come by tomorrow at sunset. I'll keep looking."
"Don't tell Cordy or Buffy what we're doing, all right?" Angel asked her.
"You want me to lie to them?" Tara asked him in shock. "They're my friends! Buffy's my girlfriend!"
"Just don't bring it up until we know what's what."
"Okay. I-It's probably nothing."
"That'd be nice."
Tara closed the door and fretted a bit, nervous about what she had to do.
The next day, at school, Tara wanted to get a drink from a drinking fountain. Buffy, Cordelia, and Ford came into the hall from outside.
"Tara!" Buffy called.
Tara didn't even press the button on the fountain before immediately turning around, hoping to get away. She realized she'd never be able to get away with it and so turned to face them. She fidgeted nervously with her hands.
Buffy kissed Tara on the lips. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Do you wanna hang?" Buffy asked. "We're cafeteria-bound."
Tara was jumpy. "I-I-I'm gonna do work in the computer lab on school work that I have, so I cannot hang just now. Hi, Cordy. Hi, Ford."
Cordelia stared at Tara in suspicion. "Hey, freak."
Ford nodded. "Morning."
Buffy stared at Tara. "Okay, babe, fess up."
"What?"
"Are you drinking Red Bull again?" Buffy asked her. "'Cause we've talked about this."
Tara laughed out loud, surprised and happy that an explanation for her nervousness had presented itself. "It makes me jumpy. I have to go. Away." She hurried off.
Buffy was taken aback.
"Nice girl!" Ford exclaimed.
Buffy stared after Tara. "There aren't two of those in the world."
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Thank fucking God."
Giles met them in the hall. "Buffy! Um..." He paused. "Yes, uh..." He set down his briefcase and searched his pockets. He found a slip of paper. "Ms. Calendar and I are going...somewhere tonight, and she's given, oh, given me the number of her beeper thingy, uh, in case you need me for, um..." He eyed Ford. "...study help, uh, suddenly." He picked up his briefcase.
Buffy took the slip of paper from him. "He knows, Giles."
"What?"
Buffy indicated Ford. "Ford knows I'm the Slayer."
Ford nodded. "I know."
"Oh! Uh, very good, yes. Uh, um, Buffy...your blatant disregard for maintaining any semblance of secrecy-"
"I didn't tell him. He knew."
"Oh! Uh, right then. Well, uh, just remember, if you-"
"Go! Experience this thing called fun. Do they know about 'fun' in England?"
"Yes, but it's considered very poor taste to have any."
Buffy laughed. "I'll try not to have a crisis."
Giles accepted that and headed back to his library.
That night, outside the school, Buffy and Ford were strolling along. Buffy had taken Ford on a tour of the town.
"And on your right, once again, the beautiful campus. I think you've now seen everything there is to see in Sunnydale."
"Well, it's...really..."
"Feel free to say dull."
"Okay. Dull's good. Or maybe not so dull."
Buffy saw two vampires running.
"Is that more vampires?" Ford asked.
"Must be the weather." Buffy pulled out a stake and a cross and handed the cross to Ford.
He took it and reached into his back pocket to pull out a stake of his own. He smiled and waved it about.
"Stay close to me." Buffy hopped up the steps that the vampires just ran up and cautiously looked around. She looked around a corner and saw nothing.
"Maybe they were just passing through."
Buffy turned around. "I don't think so."
A blonde female vampire grabbed her from behind and tried to bite. Buffy did a high kick into her face, then grabbed her by the arm and flipped her over onto her back. A male vampire rushed her and grabbed her, pulling her over a railing with him. She landed in a crouch on the grass below and got up while the vampire rolled to his feet. She kicked him in the jaw, making him fall backward. Buffy knocked the vampire out with a punch to the face and staked him. She ran back up the stairs to Ford, who was crouched where the female vampire had been.
"Where's the other one?" Buffy asked him.
"She ran away." Ford coughed. "But I gave her one hell of a facial scar to remember me by!"
Tara and Angel were walking down the alley to the Sunset Club.
"The only thing I could track down was this address. The Sunset Club. Still didn't find anything incriminating."
"He leaves no paper trail, no records; that's incriminating enough." Angel knocked on the door.
The viewport opened, and the doorman looked out.
"We're friends of Ford's."
The doorman nodded and opened the door. Angel and Tara walked in through the outside door and inner door and looked around. It was gloomy in the extreme.
Tara was well aware of how she was standing out in her colorfully striped shirt. "Yep, we blend right in."
"Let's look around. You check out downstairs."
Tara walked down the stairs. "Reptile" by Creaming Jesus was playing. Tara walked by a man standing in a coffin, dressed as a movie vampire.
The man waved. "Hi!"
Tara waved back and looked around more.
Chanterelle got up and walked up behind her. "You're a newbie. I can tell."
Tara turned to face her. "Oh, no. I come here all the time."
"Don't be ashamed! It's cool that you're open to it. We welcome anyone who's interested in the Lonely Ones."
Angel came down the stairs behind them.
"The Lonely Ones?" Tara asked Chanterelle.
Angel looked at Tara. "Vampires."
"Oh! We usually call them the nasty, pointy, bitey ones."
"So many people have that misconception. But they who walk with the night are not interested in harming anyone. They are creatures above us. Exalted!" Chanterelle exclaimed.
Angel looked at her. "You're a fool."
Tara gave him a look.
Chanterelle looked at him. "You don't have to be so confrontational about it. Other viewpoints than yours may be valid, you know." She walked away.
"Nice meeting you." Tara turned to Angel. "You really are a people person. Now, nobody's gonna talk to us."
"I've seen enough. I've seen this type before. I mean...they're children making up bedtime stories of friendly vampires to comfort themselves in the dark."
"Is that so bad?" Tara asked him. "I mean...the dark can get pretty dark. Sometimes, you need a story."
"These people don't know anything about vampires. What they are, how they live, how they dress..."
A young man dressed exactly like Angel came down the stairs behind him and looked him up and down before continuing on. Angel cleared his throat. They started up the stairs to get out of the club.
Tara looked at Angel. "I'm still curious why Ford, the best friend of the Slayer, is hanging with a bunch of vampire wannabes. Something's up with him."
Buffy walked into the library, followed by Jenny and Giles.
"Sorry to beep you guys in the middle of...stuff, but it seemed really weird."
Giles looked at Buffy. "No, you did the right thing. Absolutely."
Jenny stopped in her tracks. "You hated it that much?"
"No! But - But, uh, vampires on campus is - could have implications. Very, very grave-"
"You coulda just said something."
"Uh, honestly, I-I've always - I've always been interested in - in, uh, monster trucks."
Buffy looked at Jenny in surprise. "You took him to monster trucks?"
"I thought it would be a change!"
Giles nodded. "It was a change."
"Look, we could've just left."
"Wha-What, and miss the nitro-burning funny cars? No, couldn't have that."
"Okay, can we get back on the vampire tip here?" Buffy asked. "These guys were here with a purpose."
Giles nodded. "Yes, yes, and, uh, we must, uh, ascertain what that purpose is."
"Where's your friend?" Jenny asked Buffy.
"I sent him home."
Giles sat at the table. "Oh, uh, good. Yes, the less he's involved in all this, the safer he'll be."
"He did fight a vamp his first time out."
Giles took an open book from on top of another and exposed an old picture of Drusilla.
"Gotta give him credit for..." Buffy noticed the picture. "...that."
"Something wrong?" Jenny asked.
Buffy picked up the picture. "Who's this?"
Giles looked. "Um, she's called Drusilla, a sometime paramour of Spike's. She was killed by an angry mob in Prague."
"Well, they don't make angry mobs like they used to, 'cause this girl's alive. Cordy and I saw her with Angel."
Giles was taken aback. "With Angel?"
"Isn't he supposed to be a good guy?" Jenny asked.
Buffy put the picture back down. "Supposedly."
Jenny looked at Giles. "I think maybe we need to read up on this nice lady."
Giles got up and headed for his office. "Well, some of my new volumes may be more helpful. Uh, my own research is-"
The blonde vampire from earlier ran into him as she ran from his office. Jenny drew a startled breath. Buffy went to Giles' aid but was knocked to the floor underneath him when the vampire gave him a hard shove. The vampire jumped up onto the table and leaped over the mezzanine railing, making her escape through the stacks.
Jenny helped Giles and Buffy up. "Are you guys okay?"
"A book! It took one of my books!" Giles exclaimed.
Jenny smiled in amusement. "Well, at least someone in this school is reading."
Buffy looked at them. "He said he scarred it. That's the vampire Ford said he fought. He said he gave it a facial scar."
Jenny looked at her. "She seemed pretty to me."
When Buffy got home, she called Cordelia and invited her over. Then she brewed tea. When Cordelia arrived, the two ladies sat at the island in the kitchen, nursing their cups of tea, and Buffy told Cordelia what she'd learned.
Angel slowly pushed the door open. "Buffy. May I come in?"
Buffy looked up. "Sure. I thought, once you were invited, you could always just walk in."
"I can. I was just being polite." Angel walked in and closed the door. "We need to talk."
"Do we?" Buffy took a sip of tea.
"What about?" Cordelia took a sip of tea.
Angel briefly looked at Cordelia but then looked back at Buffy. "It's about your friend, Ford. He's not what he seems."
"Who is these days?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel ignored her. "Tara ran him down on the computer."
Buffy was surprised. "Tara?"
"We found this address; we checked it out, and it turned out-"
Buffy was in disbelief. "Wow. It's like a great big exciting conspiracy."
"What are you talking about?" Angel asked her.
"I'm talking about the woman I love and trust and the vampire that I've chosen to work with for the sake of my friend going behind my back!" Buffy yelled.
"Who's Drusilla?" Cordelia asked him.
Angel lowered his eyes, seeing he'd been caught in a lie.
Cordelia stared at him. "And don't lie to me. I'm tired of it."
"Some lies are necessary."
"For what?" Cordelia asked.
"Sometimes, the truth is worse. You live long enough, you find that out."
Cordelia stared at him. "I can take it. I can take the truth."
"Do you love me?" Angel asked her.
"What?" Cordelia asked in surprise.
"Do you?" Angel asked again.
Cordelia took a moment to consider her answer. "I love you. I don't know if I trust you."
"Maybe you shouldn't do either." Angel turned away.
"Maybe I'm the one who should decide!" Cordelia yelled.
"I did a lot of unconscionable things when I became a vampire." Angel turned back to face her but didn't make eye contact. "Drusilla was the worst. She was...an obsession of mine. She was pure and sweet and chaste..."
Cordelia came to a realization. "And you made her a vampire."
"First, I made her insane." Angel looked at her. "Killed everybody she loved. Visited every mental torture on her I could devise."
Cordelia looked away. Buffy stared daggers at him.
"She eventually fled to a convent, and, on the day she took her holy orders, I turned her into a demon."
Buffy thought those were an interesting choice of words.
Cordelia slowly looked at Angel. "Well. I asked for the truth."
Angel looked at Buffy. "Ford's part of some society that reveres vampires. Practically worships them. I don't know what he wants from you, but you can't trust him."
Buffy took that into consideration.
The next day, at school, Buffy walked up some stairs to the quad.
Ford met her there. "Buffy!"
"Ford."
"I had a great time last night. Well, an interesting time."
Buffy crossed her arms. "I'm glad."
"Do you wanna go out again tonight?"
"Not busy."
"I sort of had an idea. It's a..." Ford paused. "It's a secret. Kinda wanna surprise you."
"I like surprises."
"Can you meet me here?"
"Sure."
"At nine?"
"At nine."
Ford smiled. "It's gonna be fun!" He walked off.
Buffy just stood there for a moment before uncrossing her arms and continuing on her way.
Later, Tara was sitting on a step of the stairs in the hall. Buffy came down behind her.
Tara got up. "Buffy!"
Buffy didn't really want to face her but did.
"Did, uh, Angel-"
"He told me everything."
"I'm so sorry that I kept stuff from you, sweetie. When Angel came to my room, he was just really concerned for Cordy...and you, and he didn't want me to say anything in case he was wrong."
"It's okay. I know he put you in a difficult position." Buffy smiled weakly and kissed Tara on the lips.
"Did you find out what Ford is up to?" Tara asked her.
"I will." Buffy walked off.
Tara sadly watched her go.
Late that afternoon, at the Sunset Club, Chanterelle was sitting and drumming her fingers. Diego paced nervously.
Ford came down the stairs and ignored Diego. "Chanterelle. Is everything ready?"
"Of course. It's ready." Diego tried to get Ford's attention. "Hi, I took care of it. I always take care of it."
"Is it time? Tonight?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
"You nervous?" Ford poured wine into goblets.
"Yes. No. I'm ready for the change. Do you really think they'll bless us?" Chanterelle asked him.
Ford took a goblet and handed her the other. "I know they will." He smiled at Chanterelle.
Chanterelle smiled back.
"Everything's falling into place." Ford took a sip of wine.
"What about your friends? Are they comin'?" Diego asked him.
"What are you talking about?" Ford asked him.
"Your friends. They came. Last night. A guy and a girl."
Chanterelle looked at Ford. "The guy was mean."
"Oh, Christ! Why didn't you tell me about this?" Ford asked Diego.
"I have to do everything around here. Sorry, Mr. Flawless Plan Guy, it slipped my mind."
"It's gonna be all right, isn't it?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
Ford winced in pain and put his fingertips to his forehead.
"They're not gonna let us down?" Chanterelle asked Ford.
"It's gonna be fine."
Chanterelle stared at him. "I need them to bless me."
"It's gonna be fine!" Ford yelled.
"No."
They all looked at Buffy at the top of the stairs.
"It's really not."
Ford looked at Diego. "It's kinda drafty in here."
Buffy started down the stairs. "I'm sorry, Ford. I just couldn't wait till tonight! I'm rash and impulsive. It's a flaw."
Ford stared at her. "We all have flaws."
"I'm still a little fuzzy on exactly what yours is. I think it has to do with being a lying piece of shit." Buffy reached him.
"Everybody lies."
"What do you want, Ford? What's this all about?" Buffy asked him.
"I really don't think you'd understand."
"I don't need to understand. I just need to know."
"I'm gonna be one of them."
"You wanna be a vampire?" Buffy asked in surprise.
"I'm going to."
"You know, vampires are a little picky about who they change ov..." Buffy figured it out. "You were gonna offer them a trade!"
"I don't think I wanna talk anymore."
Buffy grabbed him by the throat and shoved him up against a pillar. "Yeah, well, I still feel awfully chatty! You were gonna give them me! Tonight!"
Ford nodded. "Yes."
"You had to know I'd figure it out."
"Actually, I was counting on it." Ford smiled.
Buffy let go of his throat and backed away. He coughed a bit and then laughed.
"What's supposed to happen tonight?" Buffy asked him.
"This is so cool! It's just like it played in my head. You know that part where you ask me what's supposed to happen?" Ford snickered. "It's already happening."
Diego swung the inner door shut with a loud clang. Buffy ran back up the stairs and pounded on the door.
"Rigged up special. Once it's closed, it can only be opened from the outside. As soon as the sun sets, they'll be comin'."
Buffy looked at Ford. "Ford, if these people are still around when they get here-"
"We'll be changed. All of us." Diego smiled.
Chanterelle smiled. "We're going to ascend to a new level of consciousness! Become like them. Like the Lonely Ones."
Ford grinned. "This is the end, Buffy. No one gets outta here alive."
Buffy hurried back down the stairs. "There's gotta be another way out of here!" She looked around.
"This is a bomb shelter, Buffy. I knew I wasn't gonna be able to overpower you. But this is three feet of solid concrete. Trust me when I say we're in for the long haul."
Buffy looked at Ford. "At least let the other people go."
"Why are you fighting this?" Chanterelle asked her. "It's what we want!"
Diego looked at Buffy. "It's our chance for immortality."
"This is a beautiful day. Can't you see that?" Chanterelle asked her.
"What I see is that, right after the sun goes down, Spike and all of his friends are going to be pigging out at the all-you-can-eat moron bar. God damn it, you fucking mental dwarfs!" Buffy yelled.
Diego looked at his friends. "Okay, that's it. I think we should gag her."
Buffy stared at him. "I think you should try, motherfucker."
"She's an unbeliever. She taints us."
"I am trying to save you! You are playing in some serious traffic here! Do you understand that? You're going to die! And the only hope you have of surviving this is to get out of this pit right now, and, my God, could you have a dorkier outfit?" Buffy asked.
Diego was offended. Chanterelle smiled.
Ford looked at Diego. "I gotta back her up, D. You look like a big ninny."
Ford's alarm went off.
Ford looked at his watch. "4:58. Sunset."
They all walked away from Buffy. She looked around for what to do next. Buffy ran back up the stairs to the door.
Ford followed her. "Hey, you never give up, do you?"
"No, I don't."
"That's a good quality in a person. Too many people, they just lay back and take it, but us-"
"Us?" Buffy turned to him. "We have something in common now?"
"More than you think."
"Yeah, well, let me explain something to you. You're what we call the bad guy."
"I guess I am!" Ford chuckled.
Buffy looked down at the people. "These people aren't gonna get changed, are they? The rest of them, they're just fodder."
"Technically, yes. But I'm in. I will become immortal."
"Well, I've got a newsflash for you, brain trust: that's not how it works. You die, and a demon sets up shop in your old house, and it walks, and it talks, and it remembers your life, but it's not you." Buffy had her doubts about that narrative, but she repeated it anyway in a desperate attempt to save these people.
"It's better than nothing."
"And your life is nothing?" Buffy asked him.
Ford snickered.
"Ford, these people don't deserve to die!" Buffy pleaded.
"Well, neither do I! But apparently no one took that into consideration, 'cause I'm still dying."
Buffy began to realize what he was up to.
"I look good, don't I? Well, let me tell you something: I've got maybe six months left, and by then what they bury won't even look like me. It'll be bald and shriveled, and it'll smell bad. No, I'm not going out that way."
Buffy turned away.
"I'm sorry, Summers. Did I fuck up your righteous anger riff? Does the nest of tumors liquefying my brain kinda spoil the fun?"
Buffy faced him. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. But what you're doing is still very wrong."
"Okay, well, you try vomiting for twenty-four hours straight, because the pain in your head is so intense, and then we'll discuss the concept of right and wrong." Ford pointed down. "These people are sheep. They wanna be vampires, 'cause they're lonely, miserable, or bored. I don't have a choice."
"You have a choice. You don't have a good choice, but you have a choice! You're opting for mass murder here, and nothing you say is gonna make that okay!" Buffy yelled.
"You think I need to justify myself to you?"
"I think this is all part of your little fantasy drama! Isn't this exactly how you imagined it? You tell me how you've suffered, and I feel sorry for you. Well, I do feel sorry for you, and, if those vampires come in here and start feeding, I'll kill you myself!" Buffy swore.
"You know what, Summers? I really did miss you."
Buffy could only look at him. Outside, a car came screeching to a halt.
"Ford, help me stop this."
Ford was silent.
"Please!" Buffy begged.
Ford remained silent.
Buffy ran around to the stairs again. "People, listen to me! This is not the mothership, people! This is ugly death come to play!"
Ford backhand-punched her across the face, and she went tumbling to the bottom of the steps. He came down after her and punched her in the back as she tried to get up, sending her to the floor again. They heard the outside door open and looked up. Chanterelle started up the stairs to meet them. Ford checked on Buffy, who was out cold on the floor.
Chanterelle reached the top of the steps as the inner door opened. Spike walked up to her and smiled, baring his fangs. He roared at her, and she flinched a bit but didn't back down. He tore the choker off her neck. She started to cry in fear.
"Take them all. Save the Slayer for me."
The vampires ran and jumped down the stairs to the people below and began feeding. Spike grabbed Chanterelle by the neck and bit her violently.
Buffy woke and got up, and Ford tried to hit her with a crowbar. She grabbed his arm in mid-swing and pulled him around, making him hit his head on a concrete pillar. He fell unconscious to the floor. She looked at the mayhem going on around her and spotted Drusilla standing by herself on the balcony.
Buffy took a running leap off a couch up to the balcony railing, quickly climbed over, grabbed Drusilla from behind, and held a stake to her chest. "Spike!"
Spike stopped feeding on Chanterelle and looked over at them. Drusilla stared at the stake poised in front of her.
"Everybody stop!" Spike commanded.
They all stopped feeding.
"Good idea. Now, you let everyone out, or your girlfriend dies." Buffy shrugged. "You know what I mean."
"Spike?" Drusilla asked, frightened.
"It's gonna be all right, baby. Let them go!" Spike commanded.
They all let go of their victims, and the people hurried up the stairs and out.
Buffy stared at Spike. "Down the stairs."
Spike slowly backed down the stairs. Buffy forced Drusilla ahead of her, still holding the stake ready. When Buffy reached the top of the stairs, she stared at Spike for a moment. She looked at Drusilla and shoved her down the stairs at Spike. He caught and steadied her as Buffy turned and rushed out the door. He started to give chase as Buffy swung the door shut behind her.
Buffy walked out of the building and saw the people help and support each other. Tara walked up to her, and Cordelia and Angel were close behind.
Buffy looked at them. "You guys are just in time."
"Are there vampires?" Tara asked.
"They're contained. They'll get out eventually, though. We should probably go. We can come back when they're gone."
"Come back for what?" Cordelia asked her.
Buffy looked back at the entrance. "For the body."
Cordelia paused in sadness. Angel put a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off. He silently walked away.
Buffy looked at Cordelia. "Are you okay?"
Cordelia wiped away a tear. "I, uh, I just need some time to myself."
"If you need to talk...or just be with someone-"
"I'll barge in on you at an inconvenient hour." Cordelia offered Buffy a weak smile and walked away.
Buffy walked over to Chanterelle and checked on her neck wound. "It'll heal."
Chanterelle sighed. "I dunno if I will."
Buffy put an arm around her and hugged her. "It'll take time."
Tara walked over to them and looked at Chanterelle. "What's your name?"
"Chanterelle." She paused. "Joan Appleby. That's my birth name."
"Why'd you come here?" Buffy asked her.
"I just..." Joan paused. "I just never felt like I belonged anywhere. When I learned the Lonely Ones - vampires...were real, and others shared my fascination with them, I finally felt like I belonged somewhere."
Buffy smiled. "If you're looking for a place to belong, Tara and I run a class. Karate. Vampire slaying-"
Joan shook her head. "I appreciate the offer, but no; thanks. I've had enough of vampires to last me a lifetime."
"What are you gonna do?" Tara asked her.
Joan thought about it. "Get the fuck out of town, for one. Maybe head down to L.A."
Buffy smiled. "Good choice."
"After that..." Joan shrugged. "Well, I'll figure it out when I get there."
The next day, Buffy returned to the Sunset Club. She found the door broken and twisted. She looked down below and saw Ford lying there. She descended the stairs and touched his dead body in sorrow. Then she went back up the stairs, left the club, and searched for a pay phone to call the police.
Three days later, at night, Buffy and Giles went to the cemetery.
Buffy had tears in her eyes as she laid a bouquet of red roses on Ford's grave. She stood up again and walked back to Giles. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say."
"You needn't say anything."
"It'd be simpler if I could just hate him. I think he wanted me to. I think it made it easier for him to be the villain of the piece. Really, he was just scared."
"Yes, I suppose he was."
"Nothing's ever simple anymore. I'm constantly trying to work it out. Who to hate. Who to trust. It's just, like, the more I know, the more confused I get."
"I believe that's called growing up."
"I'd like to stop then, okay?" Buffy suggested.
"I know the feeling."
"Does it ever get easy?" Buffy asked him.
Ford suddenly rose from his grave, a vampire just like he wanted, and attacked Buffy. She plunged a stake into his heart with no more effort than swatting a fly. He stepped back and looked at the stake protruding from his chest. He looked back up at her and fell backward. Buffy and Giles kneeled on the ground and began the process of putting him back in his grave.
"You mean life?" Giles asked her.
"Yeah. Does it get easy?"
"What do you want me to say?"
Buffy looked at him. "Lie to me."
Giles considered a moment. "Yes, it's terribly simple. The good guys are always stalwart and true, the bad guys are easily distinguished by their pointy horns or black hats, and, uh, we always defeat them and save the day. No one ever dies, and everybody lives happily ever after."
"Liar."