Cordelia stepped out of the Bronze, muttering, "Stupid Lexa, stupid Willow. Who do they think they are, dancing like that? /I'm/ Cordelia Chase! /I'm/ the queen of Sunnydale- ow!" Cordelia staggered forward when the pain hit the back of her head. She turned around and yelled at the vampires before she realized they were exactly that, "What's the big idea? Well?"
Cordelia blinked when she recognized the vamped out faces, swallowed and took a step back. "You can't even knock out one girl?" one vampire asked the other. That one shrugged and then before Cordelia could run, he landed a solid haymaker on her chin, and she went out cold. The other vampire than picked her up, and they took her along.
The three girls walked through Sunnydale side by side, entering a cemetery park for a shortcut. Xander, or better Lexa had casually without thinking about it put her hands behind her head, and Willow and Buffy looked at Lexa's protruding breasts, wishing. Buffy looked down at her own smaller than Lexa's but by no means non-existent breasts. It was depressing enough her thoughts went to the other depressing thing that was in her life right now. "Uhm, Willow, do you know what Giles did with the Master's bones?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, what did . . ." Lexa started and quickly caught herself. "Uh, bones? Don't they dust?"
"Oh!" Willow said excitedly always enjoying sharing her knowledge. "The Master was this really old, really powerful master vampire, so powerful his bones stayed intact. Giles and I buried him in the next cemetery, in consecrated ground, big ritual and all."
"Let's go see," Lexa said with a grin, lowering her arms, and making her breasts look less competitive, much to Willow's and Buffy's relief.
A few minutes later they were at an empty grave. "Shit," Lexa commented.
Suffice it to say, the rest of the evening wasn't quite as enjoyable as it had been intended to be. The next morning the three girls barged into the library with Giles, who quickly and unsubtlely broke away from a kiss with Jenny Calender, the computer teacher. Giles looked over at the three young women, and his eyes took in Lexa with widening eyes, quickly averting his eyes when he felt Jenny growing miffed. "Ah, what can I do for you, ladies?" Giles spoke with his British, cultured voice.
Although the girls had noticed the kiss, they didn't comment, having more important things to worry about. "He's gone, Giles," Buffy spoke bitterly.
"Who is?" Giles asked.
"The Master!" Willow spoke with fear.
Buffy nodded, and said, "We went by his grave last night, it's empty. They dug him up! You assured me it was over, you told me he was gone, over and done with!"
"Well, I've never heard of a vampire resurrection ritual," Giles said with trepidation, making Buffy glare at him, and no slight glare either. He took off his glasses and started cleaning them, saying, "I'll start researching right away."
"You really think they bring him back?" Jenny asked a little fear in her voice, she still remembered that night.
"Ooh!" Lexa exclaimed and quickly walked over to Giles. She turned around and rode her butt against him. She looked up in his astonished eyes, blinked her eyelids suggestively, yet innocently, and said, "But a big strong man like you will keep me safe, won't you, Mr. Giles?"
"Uh, uh," Giles said not knowing where to look, trying to keep his eyes off of the very visible cleavage from this position. Buffy and Willow snickered as Jenny made an angry sound from deep withing her mouth.
"Ah, don't worry, Ms. Calender, she's gay, she just likes to play," Willow said with humor in her voice. The teacher looked at the girl who stood up, stroking her skirt straight.
"Willow, great way to ruin my fun," Lexa commented with a scowl.
"Sorry," Willow muttered looking at the ground.
"I suggest you get to class, I'll let you know what I find," Giles told the three girls.
A few moments later the three of them were outside the library, and Lexa said, "Say you later, my class is this way. Bye."
"Bye," Buffy and Willow said as they saw Lexa sped off. They watched her disappear around a corner, and Willow said, "I like her."
Later in class. "Harris! You're late! Again!" the teacher scolded as Xander stepped into the classroom. "Take a seat, quickly!"
"Sorry," Xander said, and quickly sat in a table next to Buffy, and behind Willow, giving Buffy a smile.
Later that day, after sundown
"Ah! Here's something!" Giles exclaimed looking in the book. Everyone else closed their books and went over to him. "Here is a vampire resurrection ritual, but it only works if the bones are intact."
"Check, one down, what more do they need?" Xander asked with a scowling look.
"Ahm," Giles said reading through the ancient text. "It's a little fuzzy, but it says they need the person or persons closest to the vampire upon his death."
"That would be me," Buffy stated with rock-solid face. Everyone looked at her. "You know, mortal enemies, killing him, you can't get much closer than that without becoming pelvic."
"Yes, well, I am not entirely certain," Giles said, lifting his glasses.
"We should continue looking," Willow said nervously, and then a window shattered. With several loud sounds a rock crashed in front of them on the floor. Buffy picked up the rock, and noticed the piece of paper attached to it. She took it and read the message.
"They've got Cordelia, they want me to come to the Bronze," Buffy said coldly, angrily, and went over to the weapons locker. "I'll go get her, you stay here."
"Uh, what?" Xander asked in surprise. "I vote strength in numbers."
"No, I'm the Slayer, I can handle this!" Buffy told him angrily.
Xander rolled his eyes, and said, "I'm the one who kicked your ass remember?"
"Stay here, Xander," Buffy told him somewhat angrily. Now armed, she headed toward the exit.
"Buffy, what about this having 'trap' written all over it?" Willow asked desperately trying to keep Buffy here.
"I can handle it!" Buffy told her more forcefully.
"Damn it, Buffy, you can't go off- . . ." Giles started.
Buffy interrupted him, "I /said/, I can handle it! You stay here and be safe!" Buffy then disappeared through the door, leaving four angry people.
"You're not going to follow her?" Willow asked Xander who grinded his teeth together.
Xander shook his head, and said, "You heard her, she can handle herself. Besides, I'd like to think I'm a little smarter than to walk straight into a trap. I want to find out exactly what this ritual is and how to stop it before I just run off and hope for the best."
Buffy walked along the alley to the Bronze, and halted. She quickly twisted around and looked at Angel. "What are /you/ doing here!?" Buffy asked pissed off.
"Helping you. You need someone to watch your back," Angel answered her just a little nervously.
Buffy opened her mouth to talk, frowned, and then asked, "Were you /spying/ on us!?"
Angel looked down, moved his hands nervously and said, "I wouldn't exactly call it- . . ."
"You were!" Buffy accused, growing even more angry. "You were spying on us! Do you get off on watching girls from the shadows!?"
"No! That's not it at all! You can't do everything alone!" Angel said ashamed at the accusation that was so close to Xander's. "I have no interest in you . . . anymore; I realized that. You vampire Slayer, I vampire, you sixteen, I two-hundred forty, you in the light, I on fire, it wouldn't work, it's unfair to you."
Buffy smiled predatorily, circling Angel, who turned with her to keep his eyes on her. "Vampire, and vampire slayer is right. Wanna fight?" she asked, grinning.
"Uh, what?" Angel asked confused.
"Oh, come on. You must have wondered whether you could take me, like you said, vampire and vampire slayer. Let's see who's stronger," Buffy said with a grin.
"Buffy, I think Cordelia's life is a little bit more important than which one of is better in a fist fight, don't you think so too?" Angel asked. Buffy eyed him, eyes darkening with anger. Then they cleared and she straightened up, walking passed him toward the Bronze entrance, growling internally.
Vampire and Slayer carefully entered the empty night club. They looked around, and up, trying to see where the traps lay. Finally they noticed a girl with long dark brown hair, she was whimpering. At first glance it looked like Cordelia and Buffy got more careful, Angel looked around. "Apart from her, I don't hear or smell anyone," Angel said slowly then focusing on the girl's smell, his eyes widening.
He didn't need to say, Buffy already knew, Cordelia might be screaming profanities, tears might even come from her eyes, she might even cry from pain, and cry for help, but she was far too proud to whimper. "That's not Cordelia!" Buffy said with a little shock.
The girl turned her head, revealing her vamped out face, "That's right, I'm not Cordelia, and you will /never/ find her."
Buffy half ran over to the now laughing vampiress, and pulled her to her feet by her collar. "Where is she!?" Buffy yelled at the vampire as Angel closed.
The vampiress laughed, and said, "Don't worry, she'll be fine, until we bring the Master back, and he will tear you limb from limb."
Buffy took it in, and Angel's earlier comment that no one else was present and her eyes widened. She tossed the vampiress to Angel, and said, "Keep her alive and secured." Buffy then ran off, and Angel called after her.
Giles made a triumphant sound, and said, "Here, the Latin was translated wrong from the Sumerian. It says 'nearest' which was translated to closest, 'nearest' as in the people physically closest to the Master when he died!"
"What!?" Xander said and took in Giles, Jenny and Willow, and they realized the same thing. "This is a trap, just not for Buffy, let's get out of here!" Windows shattered, and the doors to the library flung open. "Shit," Xander said, pulling a stake.
Buffy ran, practically bashing the library doors open, and she slowed down as she looked at the carnage. Tables were turned, broken chairs lay everywhere, parts of the railing were broken, and there was dust everywhere. She carefully looked around, walking further into the library, shocked. She had failed, because of her hotheadedness her friends were taken or dead. There was a roar and a crash, making Buffy turned around, just seeing a banged up Xander finish smashing his fist through a table, wood splintering and flying around. "Xander," she said, being a tiny bit relieved, if he was still alive . . .
Xander took Buffy in, and said, "Buffy." He took several steps forward, looked at her angry, and told her, "I got twelve, Giles two, Willow and Jenny one. I was trying to keep one from taking Willow away when at least three attacked me in the back, for you see, there were at least twenty-five." Buffy stayed silent, and looked at him. Xander continued, "If you were here, if you had stayed just a bit longer . . ." Buffy turned her head away, feeling guilt racing through her mind.
"We need to find them." Xander and Buffy looked up, seeing Angel standing in the doorway.
"Buffy," Xander said, demand in his voice. Buffy turned around to look at him. Xander took a step forward and grabbed her forcefully by the collar of her leather jacket. "Whatever they do to Willow, I will do to you." Buffy flinched at the cold fury in Xander's face, and he let her go. "So, fearless leader, what do you think we should do now?" Xander asked with a mocking tone.
She whipped her head around, and asked Angel, "You kept her alive right?" Angel nodded.
The vampiress was tied to the pool table in the bronze, and laughed at Buffy's order to tell where the vampires were. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"Yes," Buffy said with an evil smile. She pulled her necklace with the cross from her neck, and then grabbed the vampiress' mouth and forced it open, dangling the cross above it. The vampire's eyes widened in shock.
"Uh, uh," Xander said, grinning widely, walking next to Buffy and leaning on the long side of the pool table. Buffy looked up confused, and the vampire relieved. "Choose something she doesn't need to talk, just in case you damage it." Buffy grinned, and the vampiress' eyes widened again: perfect target. Buffy placed the lower end of the cross directly on the eyeball, immediately producing smoke and a sizzling sound.
"What you should be worried about though," Buffy said continuing to grin, as the vampiress screamed and screamed out in pain. "Is the way we'll spend the time until then." Buffy pulled the cross from the vampiress' eyes, who's one good eye still looked up in shock. "Get it? I'm thinking I'll find out first if dying lessens the sensitivity in your clit."
"I hear the soles of the feet are particularly sensitive as well," Xander offered, his arms leaning folded on the pool table.
Xander, Angel and Buffy looked at the scene in the rundown factory. The Master's bones lay on a stone table, and Giles, Jenny, Cordelia and Willow were hung over it, heads and arms down. "You're going to be sorry," Willow whimpered looking around the room and the vampires, "Buffy will come for you!"
"If we want to get them out of safety without them becoming targets, we need a diversion," Angel said, pointing at the heightened platform from which they could pull the sacrifices to safety.
"For once I agree with you, vampire," Xander said bitterly, overseeing the battle field.
"You go save them, I'll provide the diversion," Buffy stated resolutely, eyes shining with bloodlust.
"What are you going to do?" Xander asked her.
Buffy smiled, and said, "I'm gonna kill them all, that should divert them enough." Then she went for the quickest way down. Xander and Angel gave each other a look, and then they snuck over to where Angel had pointed earlier.
A black vampire was making a grand old speech, and then more vampires stood around the stone altar, and started chanting. With a loud groan a vampire staggered into the circle, and dusted a moment later. The stake embedded into him then dropped to the floor. Buffy walked into the room, and said, "Hi, is this a private party, or can anyone join?"
"You have nerve Slayer, kill her!" the black vampire snarled, and several vampires went to attack Buffy.
"Buffy!" Giles exclaimed with a little relief.
"I told you! I told you, didn't I!" Willow exclaimed as she watched Buffy kick a vampire halfway around the room, and dust another one with her second stake.
Xander and Angel had reached the platform in the meantime and pulled the sacrifices to safety, after which they tied them loose. Buffy at the same time broke a vampire's arm, and dusted another one. She jumped over the altar and kicked a vampire back. The vampire staggered back until she crashed into a wooden spike. She looked shocked at the protruding point, and then burst into dust. Another vampire attacked Buffy, and he hit her with a kick. She staggered back, dropping her stake and it rolled underneath something and out of range.
Xander and Angel watched it happen, and gave each other a look, then both jumped down, leaving the four untied sacrifices safely up on the platform. Willow looked over the railing and saw how Buffy grabbed the vampire that had kicked her. She punched and punched and kicked it over and over, not stopping with hurting it until quite some time and threw it away. Angel was there, and dusted the vamp, while Buffy was already pummeling the next one. Seeing the vampire numbers diminished, especially after Xander and Angel both staked another vampire, Willow quickly went down the stairs, joining Xander. "What's she doing?" Willow wondered, watching how Buffy did anything but a quick kill she usually did.
"Working out her issues," Xander said coolly.
Buffy threw the vampire whose ass she had thoroughly kicked over to Xander, who easily staked the already half-dead vampire.
"That's it!" the black vampire of earlier roared, coming out of a side room, holding a sledgehammer. "You've interfered in our plans long enough! You will die, Slayer!"
Buffy looked at him, and looked to her other side, where a vampire she had beaten earlier had scampered to its feet and was ready to attack. She also saw Angel who was on that side of the building was too far away to stop it, and then both vampires charged. Buffy noticed a wooden torch that was one of six that were standing against the altar. She grabbed the long torch and twisted it around, ramming the non-burning end in the onrushing vampire to her left, and then used the torch end to put the black vampire on fire. The black vampire screamed in pain as the flames licked his body, until his body was consumed and the hammer fell to the floor.
"It's over," Willow said in relief looking around and finding no more vampires.
"Not yet," Xander said as he watched Buffy pick up the sledgehammer. Behind Xander and Willow, Cordelia, Giles and Jenny arrived.
Buffy held the hammer out and watched the massive thing for a moment. Then with a roar of release crushed the Master's skull. She swung again crushing the neck and collar bones, then again to crush the chest. She went on until there was no skeleton left, only pulverized bones and a few pieces. Buffy let the hammer drop, and looked dazedly around as tears started to form in her eyes and she broke down crying. Angel watched her, hesitated for a moment, and then turned around walked out of the factory.
"Now it's over, and Giles, you should have done that from the start," Xander said, and pulled Willow along, walking to the crying, desolate Buffy.
"Yes, well . . ." Giles muttered in answer, resetting his glasses.
Willow enveloped Buffy in a hug, and Xander wrapped both of them in his. Buffy let her head land against his chest as she cried harder, and Willow put her cheek against Buffy's.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Buffy whimpered with shame over how she had acted.
Half an hour later a small boy crept out of a hiding place and took in the pulverized bones. "I hate that girl," he muttered sadly.
Giles and Buffy carefully walked across the school lawn. "Giles? How can I face them? I almost got Willow killed on the second day of school, and Xander is seriously pissed with me because of that. I wonder if he's going to hang me upside down somewhere," Buffy said, muttering out the last part.
"Hmm? Well, Buffy, don't worry, they're your friends. Besides you will mess up much worse than you did yesterday in the future, so . . . that sounded better in theory," Giles said taking a bite from his apple while he had Buffy frowning at him.
"I'm horrible," Buffy muttered.
"Just get to class, and let them make that judgement for you," Giles said and gave Buffy a gentle push toward the entrance. Buffy sighed, then bit her lip. She sighed again, and resigned herself to her fate.
A few moments later she nervously stepped into the classroom and sat down at a desk in front of Willow. Xander sat next to Willow, diagonally right behind Buffy. "So, Buffy, sleep well last night?" Willow asked.
Buffy turned around, and Xander added, "Because if you did, we were thinking about taking in a movie tonight, and we wouldn't want to intrude on your catch-up sleep." Buffy looked at them, and then smiled. "Don't take this the wrong way, Buffy," Xander said quickly, his smile gone, "we forgive you this time, but you ever go on an 'all high and mighty' tour again, saying we're useless, I'll kick your ass all the way to LA and back."
Buffy nodded, "Got it, Xand. You two are my friends, and you're never useless." Xander nodded satisfactorily, and Willow smiled wider.
At lunch break the three friends were walking to the lunchroom, when Xander looking at his watch said, "I gotta go guys, I've got to get to job interview."
"A job interview?" Willow asked astonished.
"Yeah, living in your own apartment and having a second mouth to feed is seriously bad for the wallet. I need to get a part time job, that fills in the gaps. So, see you later, ok?" Xander greeted them. Xander of course had gotten his job before today, but it was a good excuse.
"See you later, Xander," Buffy greeted back, relieved, and feeling much less paranoid.
"Yeah, hurry back soon," Willow said, and then both of them watched Xander as he walked away, taking in his backside. "Hmm," Willow said with a smile.
"Stop ogling our best friend, Will," Buffy admonished Willow with a big smile on her face.
"Only if you stop first," Willow returned, making Buffy give Willow her best 'who me?' look. "Don't play the innocent with me, Buffy Summers, I'm not blind you know." Buffy tried to come up with an answer.
"Hey, guys!" a familiar female voice called. They turned around and saw Lexa coming closer. "How are you guys doing? Xander told me about the whole eek, business," the hot brunette said with a smile.
"We're okay, right Buffy? We're okay," Willow answered nervously, remembering the sexy dance of a day before that, and getting worked up.
"We're okay," Buffy confirmed thinking, -Thanks for saving my butt, Lexa.-
"Well, good, if you need a nice, soft cushion to cry on, my breasts are at your service," Lexa said with a grin, groping her own breasts for a moment. Willow looked shocked, and Buffy just annoyed. "Just kidding, but if I can do anything to help, I'm there for my new and my cousin's old friends," she told them smiling. The three girls started walking again, and Lexa asked, "Have you guys figured out yet what the chicken is made of?"
"Nope," Buffy answered with a smile, "but whatever it is, it isn't chicken."
"Yeah, I'm afraid to put it under a microscope," Willow added, hugging a few books and some notebooks to her chest.
"I figured as much, remind me not to take more of it," Lexa commented with a face full of distaste.
"Will do," Buffy said with a smile, happy that things worked out, not noticing Lexa hanging back just a little. The brunette suddenly opened a janitorial closet, and pulled out a long chain. Instantly she ducked and slit a large pre-made loop underneath Buffy's right foot, who stepped in it, and looked down surprised a the rattling sound. Her left foot almost automatically moved forward, and right on time - before Buffy could get over her puzzlement - Lexa yanked the loop up, capturing both of Buffy's feet, and then pulled forward closing the loop. "Hey!" Buffy exclaimed, as Lexa already moved forward holding the other end in hand, and threw it over an overhead beam. She grabbed the chain again and ran in the opposite direction. "Whoa! Hey!" Buffy screamed in shock as she felt herself being lifted off the ground and twisted upside down. "What are you doing!?"
Lexa grinned and tied the chain around a heating element. Then walked to the dangling Buffy and pulled out a short chain. With Buffy still in a state of shock, she wrapped the shorter chain around Buffy's wrists and around Buffy's hands - which she placed flat against each other - and tied it shut. There Buffy hung, her face about one sixty centimeters above the ground, looking around in complete shock. "What!? What!?" Buffy muttered, slowly starting to understand.
"Sorry, Buffy, but when Xander asks something of me, seeing as he saved me from his father, I have to do it," Lexa said with a huge grin, and Willow next to her smiled too. "Oh, before I forget; Xander wanted me to give you a message: 'Sorry, Buff, but I'm a man of my word.' I hope it means something to you, because to /me/ it certainly doesn't."
Buffy blinked several times, and wiggled, and that's about all she could do, making her swing back and forth more. "Okay, funny, now untie me!" Buffy said in a growing panic, starting to get embarrassed. Lexa shook her head. "Willow!" Buffy pleaded.
"Sorry, Buffy, but I got hung upside down because you failed to do something, now you get to hang upside down because /I/ fail to do something. It's only fair," Willow told with a wide smile to the wiggling and swinging Buffy who looked incredulously at her insecure friend usually always there for her. "It took some time convincing me, Buffy, but Xander's right, you need punishment, and once I was convinced, I realized this isn't quite /my/ punishment, just Xander's."
"Huh? What?" Buffy asked, and looked with confusion as Willow pulled out lipstick and turned it out: bright red. "Hey! What are you doing!? Willow!"
"Now, Buffy," Willow admonished as she took a resolute step forward, "Unless you want to look like a smeared-out prostitute, I suggest you hold still."
Willow dipped down, and while smiling, calmly brought the lipstick to Buffy's lips. "Willow, you can't be serious! Stop this! Let me go!" Buffy said with mortification. When the Slayer saw that Willow casually continued to move the lipstick forward, she chose to play it safe and open her mouth a little holding still. She felt Lexa grab her body to keep her completely still, and a moment later felt the lipstick being thickly applied.
After a few moments Willow straightened back up, and made a rolling gesture with her lips to Buffy. Resigning, Buffy did just that and then Willow brought a handkerchief and held it between Buffy's lips, who tapped the fabric a few times. Willow stood back up straight again, and grinned, saying, "Perfect for kissing." Buffy looked confused. "Now the finishing touch," Willow said and pulled a piece of paper from one of her notebooks, and then planted it on Buffy's chest. As Buffy pulled her torso so she could read what was on the paper Willow picked her pile of books back up.
"'Kiss me'?" Buffy read astonished.
"Have fun, Buff," Lexa said with a big grin.
"Yeah, lots," Willow said and then the two wrapped arms around their waists, and walked away, giggling like little girls.
"Hey! You can't let me hang here! Willow! Lexa! I get it already, I was really bad! Guys?" Buffy yelled out after them, as she looked around wiggling again, making her swing, she just caught Lexa give her a wave, and then Buffy slowly became aware of the slowly growing crowd of smiling students around her. "Hey, one of you tie me loose will ya? Hello?" Buffy was blushing brightly with shame now, as well as the blood rushing to her head in her upside down position. "Come on?"
"No way," one guy said with a huge grin. "This is way too much fun. Besides, I'm never going to get between someone's payback."
Buffy glared at him and he took a step back. "God, what a pathetic loser," a hated familiar voice said, and Buffy saw Cordelia come out of the crowd. "Look at you, hung out to dry by your own geek friends, all mounted up for kissing and still no guy wants to kiss you."
"Cordelia! Get me down from here, please!" Buffy pleaded desperately.
Cordelia sighed theatrically, and then said a drawn out, "Fine." Everyone in the growing crowd of laughing students stopped laughing and looked astonished at the queen bitch. "Don't let it ever be said I don't have heart!" Cordelia proclaimed loudly and moved toward Buffy, who smiled in relief. Just before the Queen of Sunnydale High reached Buffy a theatrical frown played across her features and then she looked down at Buffy's face and said, "Wait, didn't you call me 'moron'?"
"I'm really, really, really sorry!" Buffy tried desperately, getting woozy from the swinging back and forth.
"So am I, you just shouldn't have said that," Cordelia said and then turned and walked away, snickering. The crowd of watchers started laughing again to Buffy's grater shame.
Another girl freed herself from the crowd, and Buffy looked with fear at the blonde. There was absolutely no connection with her she could hope fore. "Look at that. Buffy Summers strung up like a . . . a . . . whatever," Harmony said, making Buffy groan. "Now, what could I do?" Harmony said, tapping her chin.
"Harmony," Buffy whimpered trying for a warning tone.
"I know!" the blonde said, and casually pushed the Slayer making her swing back and forth wilder.
"Aargh!" Buffy screamed out and Harmony laughed walking away.
"I gotta get me some of this," an unfamiliar voice said. She felt herself being steadied and looked into a boy's face filled with pimples that had to be at least a year younger than her.
-Oh, no!- she thought in horror. The boy grinned wildly, and then dipped down, landing a big smacker on her lips, which she desperately kept closed. "MMMmmhh!!" Buffy moaned out in disgust.
The boy straightened up as Buffy spit out, and he said grinning widely, "Wow." He then pushed her, leaving her to swing around again, and he left.
-XANDER HARRIS!! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FOR THIS!!- Buffy screamed out in her mind under more laughter from the crowd of students.