Summary: Yet another Halloween fic. With demons.

Disclaimer: I own... hmm. I own nothing. The bank owns any money I make, at the moment. The concepts building 1001Keys do not belong to me, most probably.

Feedback: Why not? It helps me write more and better...

Pre-fic Comments:

Does anyone read this section? I was listening to an album last night that was even weirder than early Pink Floyd stuff -- 'Electronic Meditation', by Tangerine Dream. Old people sure can come up with some bizarre stuff. Thank goodness that modern music like Nine Inch Nails' stuff does make sense.

Reading through some transcripts, I notice that Giles seems to uh, um, and stutter more in canon. Imagine them there as you want.

* * *

"I am sooo going to press charges on that creep," Cordelia said with righteous anger, before striding off in the direction of her minions.

"Well, who's up for teasing Giles?," Xander asked.

"Sure," Buffy said.

"Aren't we lucky then, that the library is just past those doors?," Willow asked. "You can study for your test tomorrow, Xander!"

"Ah, heh, yeah," Xander laughed nervously, obviously trying to think of a way out of studying.

"Ah, hello," Giles said, turning his head to look at the teenagers. He was doing... something with the card catalogue.

"I came across a madman last night," Buffy said conversationally. "I had no clue what he was saying, but he held up this funny symbol to a vamp, and it acted as if he was holding the cross of Christ."

"Er, what was he saying?," Giles asked. "And could you sketch the symbol?"

"Sure," Buffy shrugged. She quickly sketched out a circle with the top quarter missing, and two slashes through the bottom of it. It resembled an uppercase Q, somewhat. "But I honestly don't know what he was saying. It was like another language or something."

"Quake 2?," Willow asked, puzzled. "Why would a Quake 2 symbol scare off a vampire?"

"Er, belief that a symbol holds power is as much the driving force behind a vampire's aversion as the actual power," Giles began, taking off his glasses.

"Oh! A placebo effect?," Willow asked.

"Partly, yes."

Xander yawned obnoxiously. He locked the Library doors, and changed back into his natural form, stretching in an effort to stay away. His leathery, bat-like wings also stretched themselves and knocked a pile of Giles' books off the checkout desk. Buffy also took the opportunity to change back to her marilith form, both youths saving their time available in human form.

"Watch yourself, Xander!," Giles snapped, scurrying over to pick up the books.

"Sorry, sorry," Xander muttered.

"Uh, now, tonight is especially important," Giles said. "Yes, uh, very important."

"I'm going to die of shock," Buffy said, deadpan.

"So, what's up? Party at Angel's, eight, don't be late? Because we all know he's a party animal under all that brood," Xander grinned.

"Uprising, deathfest, prophecy?," Buffy continued, after a medium glare at Xander.

"Ah, the old standards!," Xander continued to smile.

"A medical transport is delivering the monthly supply of blood to the hospital," Giles explained.

"Vampire meals on wheels," Willow observed. "Except for me, that is."

"Wills, have you asked Giles yet?," Xander asked suspiciously.

"Asked me? Asked me what, exactly?," Giles asked.

Xander looked at Willow. "C'mon, Wills..."

"No!," she said resolutely. "It's wrong!"

Xander sighed. "She needs blood, straight from a living thing. Bagged and bottled is bad for her breed."

"Oh... oh!," Giles said, realising what Xander was getting at. "Quite. Er, well, we will organise something for Willow. I'm sure that we can find a stray animal of some sort."

Willow whimpered.

"Okay, I'm off," Buffy announced, changing back to a human facsimile. "Guys?"

"Aw, c'mon," Xander whined, also shapeshifting. "I've got to go to school on /Saturday!/ I deserve time off!"

"No buts, mister!," Willow commanded, grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door. "Class, now! Time off is the reason that you got the makeup with Ms Calendar in the first place!"

* * *

Cordelia was getting desperate. Harris kept spending time with Rosenberg and Summers, and wasn't even paying attention to her!

Desperate times, she decided, called for desperate measures.

As he waved goodbye to Willow, going to his own class, Cordelia nabbed him and dragged him into the cleaners' cupboard, closing and locking the door behind them. She shifted into a hybrid form, half cat and half human. Her height increased, and more importantly for her purposes, her cup size increased a fair few sizes as well.

Honestly, did Xander /know/ how he was affecting half the girls at school?!

"What the...," Xander began, confused.

Cordelia looked at him with amber eyes. She took one of his hands, bringing it up to her breast.

"I want you," she growled sensuously, "and I know you want me."

Xander's inner demon was screaming 'Go for it!', as was his hormones. Cordelia had been helping them lately, showing her softer side, so the rest of Xander said 'The heck with it. Go!'

He let his control slip, gaining a bit of height himself as his wings wrapped around the two of them, his tail snaking around Cordelia's leg.