Half Blessing, Half Curse

by TD Master

Ranma 12 BtVS crossover, Xander is sold to the Chinese mob by his father in between season 1 and 2 of Buffy.

19. part 19

----19----

Jenny Calendar opened her door at the insistent ringing, and then her eyes bugged out. There they were; the three of them. Boy were they ever there. Lotion was fuming, as she was drenched, was wearing tiny, shiny, pink shorts that showed more ass than it kept covered, an even tighter top that didn't reach her belly button, but worst of all had bunny ears on her head. Next to her was Xander - an equally drenched, /male/ Xander, in a super short, micro skirted cheerleader getup, having pink pon pons on his hands, and his hair in pigtails. He looked miserable, as well as ridiculously hilarious. With an a supreme effort of will, Jenny Calender - much to her own surprise - managed to stifle a giggle fit down to a snort and cramped smile. The look in Xander's eyes darkened visibly at her. Quickly Jenny looked to the third person - one Willow Rosenberg - who was standing in the middle and in front of the other two. She was just as miserable and just as drenched, partially by tears that even now were flowing from her eyes. She was wearing a sexy blue blouse showing some cleavage, and a short skirt - but Jenny guessed she had put them on herself. Worse though, was her previously beautifully done hair that was messed up and seemingly entangled in glue or gum or something else Jenny couldn't quite make out.

"What in blazes?" Jenny finally managed out, the shock of the event overcoming the ridiculousness. She looked sharply down in Willow's eyes - if she had done some irresponsible magic, causing this, teaching magic would be over and she'd bind the redhead's growing magic. A mix of shame, indignance, annoyance and a hint of anger filtered through Willow's eyes. "IIEEE!" Jenny shrieked as she froze to the bone and was equally drenched as the others. Willow looked down at the floor again.

"My mother - I /kill/," a newly drenched Lotion hissed out, apparently too angry to bother with proper grammer.

There came a sigh of partial relief and annoyance from Xander, now Lexa, and she said, "Well, at least I'm a girl wearing this getup now."

"Sorry," Willow whimpered, and the glass in the door's windows shattered, falling down in several big pieces.

"What did she do?" Jenny said rapidly, teeth shattering at the cold, ushering the three teens into her house.

"Super charged her chi and magic somehow," Lexa explained as she pushed Willow out in front of her.

Lotion entered behind her, and Jenny looked down as she closed the door, noticing the cute black and white bunny tail right at the apex of her butt, coming through the shorts. Jenny breathed in sharply, and suddenly looked up as Lotion said dangerously, "/Don't/ say it." Jenny nodded.

They entered Jenny's living room behind the narrow entrance corridor. The living room was tastefully furnished, with a lot of wood paneling. There were two leather couches - a three-seater and a love seat with a dark green color. Then one chair as part of the same set. A television stood in the far left corner street-side, and before it in the middle of the couches and chair was a short, round, black table. The walls had the same green color as the couches and chair. Two cupboards stood on either side of the cosy living room, one carrying glasses, plates and stuff to drink, some of it seen through the windows on the front side.

"Now every time she's a little emotional everything goes haywire," Lexa finished her explanation.

"I'm sorry," Willow whimpered, having taken Xander's explanation as an accusation. As a demonstration of Xader's words, things went indeed haywire. The glass windows in the cupboard shattered, and it and equally shattering glasses and plates inside it started flying around the world as if carried along a whirlwind - which incidently was true, the wind being generated by Willow's out of control magic. Lotion, Willow, and Jenny ducked immediately, as did Xander, but since she was closest to the cupboard her ducking wasn't fast enough.

"AAH!" Lexa yelled out as a piece of glass made a shallow cut on her arm.

"Oh, my god, oh, my god!" Willow yelled out at the event, and with a sparkling of light, the tastefully decorated room turned into a glaring place of color and polka dots. The black table was in all the colors of the rainbow, as were the couches and the walls.

Jenny groaned as she saw the change, and knew she had to do something before things got a whole lot worse. Risking her life from the whirlwind and flying debris, she jumped up and over the couch. She ducked down then next to Willow and grabbed her by the shoulders, making the witch look into her eyes. "Calm down, Willow," Jenny said, except that the sudden grasp had already spiked Willow's surprise. Her eyes glowed dark green for a moment, and Jenny groaned, feeling her body change. With a quick stab of pain she became aware of something growing out the back of ass, causing her to groan, several sharp point jutting into her lips ass, and the relocating of her ears. Willow screeched in even grater shock, as Jenny Calender just turned into Cat Calender - as in a humanoid cat. Her face remained, except her ears were pointy, covered in black fur and stood up on her head. Her hands, and the skin below her neck that her blouse allowed to be visible, was covered in black fur. Finally another change became visible when Jenny opened her mouth to speak: long feline canine teeth.

"Oh, my god!" Willow said in shock, and as her hands glowed the cupboards were instantly turned into clowns' faces and upper body on a spring, wobbling back and forth at human height.

"Breathe in deeply, Willow, then breathe out, inhale, exhale," Jenny said with a cool voice. The training she had been giving Willow paid off, the girl started breathing in and out. "None of this is your fault, Willow, allow the breathing to calm yourself down." Jenny went further down, sitting in a lotus position and Willow followed automatically. "Relax, pull all your magic down and in, inhale, exhale, calm." As Jenny continued to voice her commands in the calming tone, Willow steadily calmed down doing her exercises. The hair of the four women slowly whirled less, and the whirlwind Willow had inadvertently created became less loud. Then the glass clanged to the multi-colored floor, before the wind fully went away. The colors stayed though. As Jenny's calming voice droned on instructing Willow, Lotion and Xander slowly rose from their positions. The two still dripping and wet girls looked around with relief as the immediate crisis was averted.

Having determined all was calm, Lotion took in the damage - or rather the color change. Her eyes bulged out at the horrifying place, and Xander looked with wide eyes at the most psychedelic of psychedelic ever to be seen by anyone. "Whoa," Lotion started lightly.

"/Don't/ say it," an equally wet Jenny said. Lotion nodded. Jenny looked forlorn at the horrifying way Willow's hairs were messed up - for her sake Jenny hoped this wasn't permanent, Willow would have to shave her hair off.

Willow looked wistfully as she continued her breathing exercises. Jenny let her hands move around Willow's body, eyes closed and senses. Jenny opened her eyes, and let out a tiny feline growl she couldn't suppress. She looked backward at Lexa and said, "You're right, Xander. She did boost Willow's energy artificially - it's completely out of control. That /woman/ - and I use the term loosely - is completely irresponsible."

"Well," Xander said with annoyance, and grimacing as he felt his cut. "As much as I hate to admit it, as far as we could determine, Willow can't harm anyone directly with her magic. We've had several far too close calls if she can."

Lotion noticed it, and asked Jenny quickly, "Where are the first aid supplies?"

"Kitchen, first cupboard on the right," Jenny quickly answered, before returning to keeping Willow calm and determining as exactly as she could what Deo had done to Willow. She then added to Lexa, "And that doesn't stop her from doing it indirectly, does it?"

A little while later Lotion returned to the living room, and quickly went over to Lexa, cleaning the wound and then put some padding on it, and wrapped it in bandages. "It's just a small cut," Lexa said, but Lotion finished what she did.

"Can you fix her?" Lotion asked of Jenny.

With her eyes closed and testing Willow, Jenny answered, "Not quite, I don't know enough about what exact spell Deo used. I can teach Willow how to keep the magic locked away, but it'll take time."

Lexa took walked over to the sitting couple, squatted down and smiling in Willow's face she said, "Not a spell, but just like she did with me; pushed several pressure points and poured her chi into them."

Willow whimpered. "Stay calm, Willow, you're safe here," Jenny murmured, then looked at her guests - Lotion having arrived behind Xander, looking concerned. "This will take a long time, and you here might just upset her, better you two go home," Jenny told them carefully.

Lotion nodded, and so did Lexa. Lexa looked deep in Willow's eyes, and told her, "You can beat her, Willow, I know you can. You listen to Jenny here and it'll be fine."

"I will," Willow confirmed softly, and a new splash of water covered them all - warm water again this time. Jenny quickly took hold of Willow's attention, as a male Xander in a cheerleader uniform growled in frustration.

After making sure he was a girl again, Xander and Lotion left Willow in Jenny's care.

-----

Buffy climbed up the roof to her bedroom window, and placed her bag with slayer gear on the window sill. Inside she saw Angel check out some things on her dresser. She raised her eyebrows with curiosity, and asked amused, "See anything you like?"

Angel twisted around, gasping in breath, and said, "Buffy . . . you scared me."

As Buffy finished climbing into her window, she said with a smile, "Now you know what it feels like for a change. Why are you waiting here anyway?"

"Uh," Angel started, watching the breathtaking blonde put her bag on the bed and start to unpack it, "Just in case your mother isn't still all groovy with this, and . . . uh . . . seems like a good guess?"

Buffy turned her head and frowning answered, "She is, makes me slaying lunch packages and everything - only not right now because she to LA on some expose trip or some such. Why? And by the way, 'groovy'? That's prehistoric - don't /ever/ use it anymore."

"Why did you come through the wind then?" Angel returned confused, as Buffy finished her unpacking.

The Slayer turned around, and frowned as she considered his question. "Habit," Buffy pouted, and quickly changed the subject, "So, why are you here anyway?"

"I've been hearing rumblings in the demon and vampire community," Angel said with a concerned frown. "Something is happening, I thought you should be warned."

Buffy stood still and took Angel with a long silent look. The vampire unconsciously looked down to see if something was wrong. Buffy's mouth quirked for a moment into a smile when she noticed the motion, and then told him, "Angel is in my room, the bearer of doom - why am I not surprised?"

"Ya . . . well . . . I . . ." Angel muttered not really knowing what to say. "You seem down, did I . . .?"

"No," Buffy told him depressed, "It's this thing at school-"

"Career fair," Angel supplied.

Buffy nodded, still depressed and turning away, "Yeah, it's this whole thing about the future and what you want to be, not exactly for me, with the whole preordained destiny . . ." Buffy blinked, rapidly turned back around to face the souled vampire, and asked, "And how do you know about that anyway?"

"Uh, I lurk," Angel answered nervously.

"Oh, I supposed you . . ." Buffy trailed off, thinking over his words, remembering many of Xander's. "And that's either really romantic, or really creepy . . ."

Angel swallowed as he felt himself sinking into his shoes, and almost stuttered out, "N-not much el-else to do for me during the d-day. I'll stop."

Buffy took him in with a thoughtful look, while at the same being wigged out, and she told him, "Angel, you need a hobby - seriously."

A new lump formed in the souled vampire's throat. Fidgeting he remembered the pictured he saw on the dresser, and decided a change of subject would be good. He turned a bit more to his left, gestured to the picture, and asked, "Is that you?"

Buffy looked over and looked at the picture Angel was pointing at. It was her in a skirt, gloves, scarf, and a woolly cap, mostly pink, standing on skates in an ice ring. "Oh, my god," Buffy said a little mortified. "That was my Dorothy Hamill phase. My mom and dad weren't all that okay at the time, and I escaped into that world. My room was a Dorothy shrine. I had posters on the walls, cut-out articles glued in notebooks; everything . . ."

"You wanted to be like her," Angel concluded with a happy smile.

"I wanted to /be/ her," Buffy corrected, a nostalgic smile on her face, remembering her innocent childhood time.

Angel smiled some more, and said, "When was the last time you were on the ice?"

Buffy let herself fall on her bed, sitting there and looking up trying to remember. "Uh, I'm pretty certain that was /before/ I was called, more than two years ago," Buffy said a little sadly.

"I know this ice ring just outside of Sunnydale, and I happen to know it's closed on Tuesday evenings," Angel said with a grin.

Buffy looked at him with large twinkling eyes, then got up saying excitedly, "Tomorrow is Tuesday."

Angel nodded with a smile. Buffy smiled back.

-----

Inside Spike's lair Dalton, the bearded, glasses-wearing brainiac vampire presented a golden cross to Spike. "I got it," he said, and Spike took the cross with a huge, evil grin.

"Perfect, now just translate the book, and you'll be as good as new, my love," Spike turned back to look at his lover sitting on her four-poster bed.

"Yeah, but the Slayer almost got me, and put a stop to that - again," Dalton pointed out to his master.

"DON'T YOU THINK I BLOODY KNOW THAT!" Spike yelled out angrily, stalking back and forth across the room like a caged animal. "It's Slayer here, Slayer there, and if it isn't the Slayer, it's one of her sodding super friends! They're the bloody thorns in my eyes, that's what they bugger well are!" Spike suddenly stopped, and looked up as if someone had turned on a light above him. "I think it's about time we call in the big guns, that should take care of them nicely." Dalton looked confused, while Spike looked at Drusilla on whose face a grin spread. "I'll call in the order of Teraka, they'll solve the problem for us," Spike spoke with a wide grin.

"The order of Teraka?" Dalton exclaimed in shock. "The assassins? Isn't that overkill?"

"Ooh," Drusilla spoke with a smile, starting to lay open cards, and Spike walked next to her bed. "Three of them are coming to my birthday party."

"Actually," Spike spoke grimly, before an evil smile spread on his face, "I don't think they're enough kill; it isn't just the Slayer we're dealing with here."

Drusilla danced her upper body left and right like a snake, saying, "Of course, Miss Edith, I forgot the threefold rule." Above the first row of three cards, Drusilla started laying another row of cards, while saying, "Three times three is nine big bad wolves, and the three little piggies don't have enough stone for a house . . ." A square of nine cards lay on the blankets in front of Drusilla, and the deranged vampire looked up at her lover with insanely evil smile, one Spike eagerly returned.

-----

"-MOTHEEEERRR!-" Lotion screamed with all her pent up rage into their apartment above the restaurant. "I /will/ kill!" Lotion stormed into the small living room, with a brown, cloth couch. A small table was nearby.

Deo came in from the kitchen and looked at her enraged daughter, and then noticing the ears, that were pulled back a bit with Lotion's rage, she laughed out loud. With a scream of rage Lotion charged forward and tried to grab Deo's collar, but the older and more experienced Amazon almost casually avoided her daughter's lunge. "Oh, calm down, it's not permanent," Deo told her daughter with a grin. "If Willow manages to pass the test, she doesn't turn you back the same way she made you a bunny, and if she doesn't come begging, then in a few days at most it will be over. Willow will return to normal, and so will you along with her."

"A FEW DAYS!" Lotion screamed out angrily. Then she growled, "-How- I will show myself school?"

Deo blinked, and then muttered, "Hmm."

-----

The next morning

Willow timidly stepped onto school property. She was in a drab yeans coverall with a red shirt underneath. She wasn't wearing any makeup, and her hair hung drably down her face. This was no time to get excited after all, and she had spent most of the morning pushing her magic down, not having had the time to properly get dressed anyway.

Nervously she walked onward into the school courtyard, and soon found Buffy coming excitedly at her. "Willow! Do I have something to tell you!" Buffy exclaimed out, as she reached her best friend, who tried to smile at Buffy's excitement, which died down when Buffy saw Willow. "What's with the drab look again?" Buffy asked her, and Willow gave an involuntary whimper, then she tried to unsuccessfully hide her pained face. "Hey? What's with the pouty face? What happened?"

Willow looked around, and then Buffy drew her along, quickly finding a bench with relative privacy. She sat both of them down, and out came the whole story. The date with Xander and how it started out so good, and then Deo, what she did, and what happened after, spending the night at Jenny's learning super control of super charged magic. It was the longest babble Buffy had ever heard Willow utter, and on more than one occasion she'd miss pieces. When Willow was finished and took a deep steadying breath, Buffy looked left, and since she was turned to face Willow, she looked at the large trough with plants. Buffy's eyes widened - where before it had just been a few dull, green plants, now flowers were sprouting out the ground everywhere, and plants were in bloom. Willow followed her friend's gaze, and her eyes widened. She quickly put her hands together in front of her chest, and breathing deeply she chanted very softly, "Calm, cool, down, down, all the way down."

"Wow," Buffy said at the whole story and the blooming flowers. "That bitch," she added after that. Buffy then turned concerned to Willow, and said, "You could have stayed home, you know, till we found a solution?"

Willow vehemently shook her head, and explained, "No, not going to lose my stake on Xander, and I still have a date to finish tonight."

"Which reminds me," Buffy said, smiling. If Willow didn't know better, she'd say it was a shy smile. Buffy continued, "I have a date tonight too." Willow's eyes lit up, and Buffy answered her unspoken question, "Angel."

"Really?" Willow asked, hope swelling into her - if Buffy wanted Angel, Xander would be free.

"Yeah, I thought if I have to decide who I want, I better figure out which," Buffy said with a grin.

"WAWAWAWAAAA!" somebody screamed, and Buffy and Willow looked up; seeing a guy slide across an iced pavement, swinging his hands wildly till he crashed into a wall. There he stayed for a moment, before slowly falling back over, groaning. Buffy let out a short laugh, and then looked at Willow, who smiled with her eyes closed, locking her magic away again. Across the courtyard some of the guy's friends walked over without trouble asking him what had happened. It seemed Willow's control had let the ice melt

"Oops," Willow said Buffy with a guilty grin. The two girls grinned at each other.

"Hey, guys!" Willow and Buffy looked up, and watched as Xander in simple jeans and a shirt came walking over. When he reached them he bent over and looked concerned at Willow. "You okay?"

"I should be asking you that," Willow answered him with a smile. "We're still on for the repeat tonight, right?"

"Yeah, if you can," Xander told her with a concerned smile.

Willow nodded vehemently, while Buffy smiled at her friends. Willow said, "Absolutely, not gonna let her get to me."

"Nihau," a sullen voice spoke, and they looked all to the left. For once Lotion wasn't all bright and positive. She was wearing a hat, underneath which she had hidden her bunny ears; and with extreme effort she had put herself in a skirt so it could fall - not quite successfully - over her tail.

Buffy blinked at the strange look for the Amazon, and then flashed back to what Willow had said. Lotion was a bunny; she could now see the strain on Lotion's face as she had to push her ears flat to fit underneath the hat. One moment of losing control and her ears would whip up, launching the hat away. The image came to Buffy instantly, and she saw the odd, small bulge on the back of the Amazon. While laughter threatened to overtake her, Buffy became aware of the piercing, angry eyes the Amazon was directing her way.

"/Don't/ you /dare/," Lotion growled at Buffy, having figured out someone had told her, most likely Willow.

Buffy crunched up her face, which twitched as it struggled to let out the laughter welling up in her. She was acutely aware of the cold gaze the Amazon was still drilling in her - laughter would mean getting her ass kicked. A few wheezes escaped Buffy's tightly pressed lips, and Buffy clamped her hand over her mouth. She looked up and saw Lotion still regarding her the same way.

Xander watched the exchange, looking back and forth between the two, and noticing Willow stare with wide eyes at Lotion willing Buffy not to laugh. Xander smiled, and then gave one short laugh. "Come on," he told them before they could say anything. He walked toward the school entrance and the girls followed. "Let's check what we got."

A few moments later the foursome arrived at the bulletin board outside of the school, where Cordelia was checking her result. "Ooh! Motivational speaker or personal shopper!" Cordelia exclaimed with happiness. "Great!"

"Motivate yourself to shop more?" Lotion questioned deadpan.

"Hey, I was going to say that!" Xander exclaimed in mock affront. Buffy giggled. Lotion kept smiling greatly, and Willow attempted to keep the giggles and her magic in check - just barely successful this time.

Cordelia looked at Xander. She wanted him, a romance that is, but no matter how much she wanted to woo him, her own pride and bitchy instincts did the answering for her. "Ha, ha, girly man, go check what you're going to be," Cordelia spoke to Xander with her arms across her chest.

"What?" Xander asked with a dreaded face. Cordelia gritted her teeth, and mentally slamming a hand in her forehead, forced a smile on her face. "What?" Xander repeated and then quickly went to the bulletin board, zipping passed names, then found his and read.

The others stayed silent as Xander reread it again. "What is it?" Buffy finally asked unable to contain her curiosity.

Cordelia smiled smugly at Buffy, and answered for Xander, "Prison guard." Buffy's face crunched up with mirth. Lotion looked confused, and Willow's eyes were wide with empathy.

Xander got up, turned to face his friends and groaned out, "Nooo!"

"What's so bad?" Lotion wondered out, and Buffy just laughed out loud, gaining a glare from Xander. Cordelia smirked, while Willow remained empathic.

"What's so bad?" Xander asked the Amazon in shock. "I'd be babysitting a bunch of losers, psychos and worse all in grey! Grey walls! Grey uniforms! And Grey bars! Do I look grey to you?"

Buffy laughed out loud, and Willow couldn't help but giggle. Cordelia's smile faded as she felt herself lift into the air. "Huh?" she muttered, and then looked down in shock. "Hey! I'm floating away!" she said in shock, desperately grabbing for the board. She got it and pushed herself down, staying a few centimeters above the ground.

"Oh, god," Willow said, and quickly clamped down again, placing her hands together in front of her.

Splash! Willow's guilt over making Cordelia fly away, made a splash of water fall right over Buffy. The Slayer stood there, looking in shock as she was wet and cold. Her shirt and skirt clung to her body; and Xander couldn't help but smirk and take in the now the form fitting outfit - or rather what was underneath. Luckily for them, they were standing around Buffy, so nobody noticed the impossible event.

As Cordelia floated down again, Lotion couldn't hold back a starting giggle. The cheerleader breathed a sigh of relief, taking a step away from Willow and behind Xander, as Buffy suddenly whipped around, and wet through to the bone, she glared at the Amazon, raising a warning finger. "I didn't - with you," Buffy hissed out. Then she looked up, and whimpered, "My hair."

As Lotion gave a few final muffled giggles, Willow wined, "I'm sorry, you guys. It's what Deo did to me."

"It's not your fault, Willow," Buffy reassured her, and looked back at Xander, who quickly looked at the career board. Buffy pouted, and looked sadly at her wet clothes, pulling up her shirt, and asked, "Please, Xander, give me some good news to cheer me up."

Xander finished finding Buffy, and said, "Law enforcement."

"Uh?" Buffy asked with a horrified look, while it was Cordelia's time to giggle.

"What's so bad about law enforcement?" Lotion asked dumbfounded. "You get to kick bad guys' asses."

Xander grinned, perfectly grasping Buffy's mind set after spending all those months being her friend. "Polyester, donuts, nightsticks, and bad accessorizing," he spelled out for the Amazon.

Lotion looked confused, while Cordelia asked softly with an evil grin, "Can a Slayer get fat on donuts?"

"Uhuh," Buffy muttered out in horror, as Cordelia giggled, and Lotion looked up herself.

"My condolences, Buffy," Xander said gravely.

"AAAAH!" Lotion screamed, making everyone jump to see her, a sudden gust of wind made a group of students close by fall over, making Willow look guiltily away again.

"What?" Xander asked her.

"P-p-p-pe-per-personal as-assitant," Lotion stammered out with horror. They looked blankly at her. Out of herself, Lotion explained, "All day long with a smile, being nice to some man or woman, 'yes, sir,' 'yes, sir', 'right away, sir'. The horror. How can they think I would be good at that?"

They looked at her for a moment, before Willow got fed up with waiting. "Well, what am I?" she asked with a little dread taking in how three of her friends got horrible advices.

Xander and Buffy turned to the board, and checked it. "Uh . . ." Xander said confused after a while.

"You're not on there," a still very wet Buffy said in surprise.

The other three looked confused, while Willow spoke, "What? But- but I used a number 2 pencil, and I delivered it in the right box."

The five of them stayed silent, looking at Willow. Finally Cordelia spoke up, and said, "Typical, so in the 'out' crowd, she can't even stay in a career test."

"Now that's mean," Buffy spoke up, while Lotion still seemed horrified into silence about the receptionist, and Willow glared at Cordelia. Suddenly a gust of wind rushed up from the ground and mad Cordelia's clothes whip up, including her skirt.

"Aah!" she yelled, as she got whistles from guys around. Her four friends chuckled.

The wind died down and Cordelia glared at Willow.

"Not my fault, blame her mother," Willow whimpered. Cordelia's glare narrowed with suspicion, then put her head up, and walked away.

Buffy sighed, and took in her wet clothes, "Oh, man. I gotta get to Giles and to his report- in-first-thing phase; and I can change into some of my spare clothes."

Buffy marched on, and her friends only then kicked in, following her. Not expecting that, Buffy suddenly found her walking ahead of the other three, completely visible for everyone. They looked, but halfway to the entrance the true horror happened. Harmony Kendall and the other Cordettes came out the school, and once she spotted Buffy, the nasty blonde spoke, "What's the matter? Needed to fish /yourself/ out of the river?"

Buffy grimaced, her left eye twitching once, thinking, -Can't kill humans, can't kill humans, that would be bad.- Buffy noticed Harmony still walking into the shadow of the building heading toward sun. -Be a vampire, be a vampire,- Buffy thought with a hopeful gaze. Harmony walked laughingly into the sun: no sizzling, no smoking, no pain, no bursting into flame. "Damn," four voices spoke as one.

-----

There was a slight knocking coming from the back door, making Giles look up suspiciously. He quickly went over to the weapon cage in the middle of the library, and took out a sword. He went over to the back door, up the stairs, and there made sure he had a good grasp on the sharp object bringing it up. A small voice told him opening the door was stupid without a Slayer present, but then sighed, and opened it. He looked directly at a hooded, quite hairy figure. He grimaced and prepared to slash down the demon.

"Rupert, it's me!" the figured hissed, holding up, now obviously, her hands disarmingly.

Giles held his sword still, took a better look, blinked, and then with a dropped jaw said, "Jenny?"

A feline purr came from her throat and she jumped over the threshold, grabbing him around the neck, and putting her lips against his. She kissed him deeply, dueling with his tongue, and he eagerly returned the favor - still holding the sword comically over his head. His eyes jumped back open when he felt her canines, her nails embedding into his back, and her tail wrapping around his waist. She broke the kiss, and he staggered back, then staggered some more waiving his arms around for balance. The sword was too much and he dropped to his ass, looking up dumbfounded as Jenny removed the long cloak, showing more of her new feline form. "Wh-wh-what happened?" he stammered out.

Jenny grinned and went to close the door, simultaneously explained, "Willow, or rather the test Deo placed upon her. I'm going to have a hardy word with that irresponsible bitch tonight, but first I gotta look for a cure for Willow here - it isn't like I can barge into her restaurant at broad daylight - it should reverse my and Lotion's condition as well."

"Lotion?" Giles muttered taking Jenny's offered hand and slowly getting up, taking in the catfied Jenny more precisely, eyes still wide.

"She's a bunny," Jenny explained with a smile. "Hmm, now that I think about, Xander didn't change into anything, perhaps his curse stopped that from happening." Jenny quickly walked - or perhaps stalked was a better word - over to a specific section of the library containing the darker magic books.

"Uhm," Giles muttered, still taking in his half-cat girlfriend. It was confusing, and somehow . . . no, Giles would not entertain that thought - that way lead to improper thoughts. "Wh-what about the kiss? I-I thought y-you . . ."

"Relax, Rupe," Jenny positively purred as she pulled out a few books, her tail lazily flipping about, "After last night's unfortunate events, I realized the moment I decided to take Willow under my wing, I should have expected the worst . . ." Jenny paused and took in the still collecting himself Giles. She smiled, and then walked to the tables down in the lower area. As she restarted talking, Giles followed her, "it's not your fault, what you did, you did a long time ago - I love the Rupert Giles of today; not the Ripper of then." Jenny purred as she reached the table and placed the books down. She turned around suggestively, continuing the sexy purr, and said, "Although I hope there's just a smidgen of Ripper left in you, delicious, just in the right places, with the right dosage."

Giles eyes were wide, and then he swallowed deeply. Jenny was beautiful, and she was promiscuous, but she wasn't /this/ promiscuous, never this overly sexual. It had an odd effect on him - okay, quite a common effect. She smiled as she opened up the books and started researching. Giles took a deep breathe and prepared to help her when the doors to the library whipped open.

A very wet Buffy summers entered the library, yapping (according to Giles) about, "Giles! I'm here for our morning reporting-in ritual, and I need some dry clothes from the spare st- . . ." Buffy noticed Jenny sitting at the table with a magic book in front of her. "Giles!" Buffy said, afraid for his life seeing the 'demon' sitting there. She took several rapid steps forward, not bothering with taking each and everyone of the few steps down to the lowest floor of the library, saying, "Look out! The- . . ." Buffy halted in her tracks, blinked, remembered Willow's story and said sheepishly grabbing her wet shirt, "Oh, Jenny. Uhm, sorry, Willow told me what happened."

Cat-Jenny smiled at Buffy as Giles asked, "What happened to you?"

Buffy looked down at herself, and said, "More Willow hijinks, she doesn't have it fully under control yet, but I think there won't be animal transformations anymore." The Slayer then quickly walked behind the counter and into the office, while talking, "Come on, Giles, let's do this briefing thing while I change; I'm going to be late for class."

"O-okay," Giles muttered and walked to the counter, closer to his office so he could here Buffy speaking. He turned around before he started not to accidentally catch a glimpse - and be pummeled to death because of it. "Start with telling me what happened on patrol."

Buffy's voice was muffled as she pulled her top up over her head, as she spoke, "Nothing much. Came across some vamps, staked them. Came across one odd demon that was attempting to dig up a corpse, probably to eat it, staked it too and turned into a goo before it disappeared into the ground.

"Oh, and there were those couple of vamps stealing something," Buffy finished, already busy with her underwear. "One of 'em got away."

"Stealing?" Giles spoke up suddenly, starting to pace.

"Yeah, from this tomb, they had flashlights and everything," Buffy's voice sounded from the office.

"Do you know what they stole?" Giles asked concerned suddenly, still pacing back and forth.

"Uh, no," came the answer.

Giles abruptly stopped, and asked a little irritated, "Did you even think to check?"

"I just thought it was your average day vampire hijinks," Buffy's voice sounded closer now.

"Well, what if it wasn't?" Giles asked, just as Buffy re-emerged from his office, in a pair of jeans and short-sleeved shirt having a v-neck. "If for once you bothered to use your head-"

"Hey!" Buffy interrupted, irritated herself now. "If you don't like me being the Slayer so much, why don't just ask someone else? Oh, wait, I forgot, there aren't any others. /One/ Slayer, that's all there is, me, and none else till I die. Hey! I don't have to be the Slayer, I can be dead."

Giles slumped, a little guilt creeping in, as well as defeat over Buffy's behavior. Jenny spoke up suddenly, sitting turned around to watch the interaction of Slayer and watcher. "You know, Buffy, ever considered the possibility Giles is so hard on you, to get you to use your head more, because that's exactly what he doesn't want: you dead? That if you listened to him a bit more, you have a much bigger chance to survive?"

Buffy looked at the intruder, having taken a step back at the power of the meaning. She looked back up at Giles, a little guilt creeping in, which she quickly shut down. "Buffy, we need to go find out what they could have stolen. Do you still remember where the tomb was?" Giles asked softly.

"Yeah," Buffy answered somewhat deflated from her earlier anger.

"Let's go then," Giles spoke, and gave Jenny a grateful look. "We'll be right back, don't let anyone see you."

"Cat ears and cat nose," Jenny said with a grin, touching said sensitive sensory organs. Giles nodded.

-----

"Hey, Xander," Willow spoke with a smile as she walked through the school halls. Career stands were everywhere, and students were milling about. Xander was walking at her, and smiled his own smile, quickly coming over. "Do you know where Buffy is?" Willow asked him, somewhat worried, and still subdued for fear of doing more magic - and this time it might not be so harmless.

"Yeah," Xander answered, smiling at his long-time friend, and potential girlfriend. Dang, how come he never really noticed? Even without makeup Willow was quite beautiful. Must have been the friend- and unwilling-to-stand-out factors. "Just ran into her and Giles, said they had to go check something out about . . . you know."

"That's not good," Willow said worryingly. "Buffy is supposed to be here, if Snyder . . ." At that point, Snyder came down the stairs behind her, and Xander quickly grabbed her right upper arm to make her face him. She hesitated a single moment before continuing, ". . . did a great job on this year's career fair, isn't that right, Xander?"

"Absolutely, I really like the decorations, so uplifting," Xander said with a fake happy smile.

"Spare me your speech, Harris," Snyder told him gruffly, "It's a toxic-waste dump that serves no purpose, nor does the process that produces it. You're below low."

Xander's eyes had narrowed, then slowly and deliberately he said, "Really? Well, sir, I can only hope than one day I'm in the position to be just as honest with you as you are with me, sir." His voice was sweet, but carried an undertone of cold venom the old Xander would never have dared to place in his voice.

Snyder who had been disinterestedly looking around, suddenly turned to face Xander. He quickly dismissed him, and turned his gaze to Willow, "So, Miss Rosenberg, you wouldn't happen to know where Summers is, would you? And spear me the 'I just saw her, she's around here somewhere' crap."

"But . . ." Willow started, paused for a moment but realized she wasn't actually able to say something else, and so continued, ". . . she /did/ just see her, and she /is/ around here somewhere." She actually looked around, gesturing to 'around' with the seeming expectation to spot her a moment.

Snyder just shoved his hands further into his pockets, and with a final glare, walked off.

"Well, that concludes that," Xander said with distaste, "now I get to go spend my time at a booth for prison guards . . . sometimes I understand why the demons wish to destroy the world. Wish me luck, Willow."

Willow went up on her tiptoes, having gathered her courage while Xander spoke, and planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. When Xander looked astonished at her, she said, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Xander said, his heart breaking as he walked off, hating the fact that he had to make a choice sooner or later between all his suitors, and inevitably ended up breaking several amazing girls' hearts - in some cases, again.

That left Willow looking around forlorn. She had no clue what to do, she wasn't assigned to a career booth, she wasn't even /on/ the board. Perhaps she should go and help Buffy? Or perhaps help her by keeping Snyder somehow from finding out she wasn't here. "Miss Rosenberg," a voice startled her. As she whirled around, a water dispenser at a booth burst open, spraying water over students who shrieked out. Willow cringed, reigning in her magic.

"Who are you?" Willow asked, taking in the two suited men.

"That is not important," the man who spoke earlier, started. "Just enter here," he spoke gesturing to a few white curtains to Willow's left barring some room from the rest of the hall.

"Not important?" Willow asked incredulously. "Do you think I just go wherever with some stranger for him to do . . . uh . . . some bad things with me?"

"I apologize, if that's what this looked like," the second man hastily covered, "we're from the career week, and this is your destination."

Willow blinked, looked at the curtains, and said, "But, I don't even have an outcome of the career placement test."

The first man spoke up again, "That wasn't necessary, Miss Rosenberg. We keep an eye out, and on, certain promising individuals. In fact, there's only one other student in Sunnydale who fit our criteria." He gestured to the curtains again.

Willow peered at the curtains for a third time, and considered. "Fine," she spoke forcefully, "but you better not try anything, I don't think you'd like should I get mad right now." Willow then strode over to the curtains, a little intimidated nonetheless, especially when she wondered that although what Deo did kept her from accidentally harming someone directly, did it also keep her from harming someone deliberately? Burned to a crisp came to mind.

The men did come inside with her. Inside being a small room with a comfortable couch and a low table. On the couch sat a boy, her age, blonde spikes for hair on his head. He seemed interesting enough at first glance, although why he seemed to examine the tray of treats he was holding on his right hand so diligently Willow didn't know. The guy looked up and did a double take - except that it was so imperceptible, Willow wasn't sure he did - she wasn't even sure he moved.

"Hi," he said, just a tiny hint of breathlessness at the very end there; one Willow didn't even notice.

"Hi," Willow returned, then shrugged off some of her remaining timidness, while pushing herself further down into herself, not wanting her magic to come out again. She walked over to the couch and sat down.

"I'm Oz," the guy introduced himself. "Daniel Osbourne," he quickly clarified.

"Willow," Willow returned the greet, "Rosenberg."

Oz looked down at the plate, and then turned it toward Willow. "Caviar?"

-----

"Buffy, would you slow down," Giles spoke as he ran a bit to catch up to the Slayer.

They just entered the cemetery, and Buffy, holding a flashlight, complained, "First I'm not moving fast enough, now I'm moving too fast, make up your mind, will you."

"Could you try and stop acting so immaturely?" Giles told her with some annoyance as he just managed to catch up, breathing heavy.

Buffy bit back at him, "I /am/not/ mature! I am a teenager, I have /yet/ to mature. I'm /supposed/ to act immature."

"Ah, yes," Giles said, remembering. "Well, I'm not used to you being /this/ immature, I perhaps forgot that little tidbit. Could you try getting back to your usually level of maturity and immaturity?" Buffy gave a huff. "What is bothering you so?"

Buffy stopped and turned around to face Giles. She was about to start a diatribe about how there wasn't anything bothering her, but one look into Giles' eyes removed that option. She looked down and dejected, saying, "It's this career fair. The others, even Lotion, get to got through the whole 'what could I be' a few years down the line. Me, whatever I think up, I'll know it's just a fantasy that'll never become true. I'll be Slaying till the day I die."

"I hadn't thought of that, I'm sorry," Giles spoke, and then his face lit up. "But I'm sure that you can find some other way to be gainfully employed next to Slaying. Look, I'm a watcher and I have a job."

Buffy looked at him disbelief, and then shrugged, saying, "You're a librarian. See how that goes nicely with being a Watcher, that's practically /being/ a librarian. Exactly what will allow me to be out at night, and slay during office hours? Prostitution?" She then turned around irritably and started walking again.

"Well, no, of course not," Giles said, looking down as he followed her. "Say, have you thought about law enforcement."

Buffy whipped about, and pointed a warning finger at Giles, and said, "Don't - mention that again." The she added defeated, "It isn't like it matters anyway. I'll probably be dead before I can get a full time job that isn't flipping burgers."

Buffy started to turn, but suddenly found Giles having a strong grip on her right upper arm. She turned back, and looked up in Giles eyes - steel eyes. She shivered for a moment, now grasping Giles really could have been 'ripper' in his younger years. Giles spoke with a surprising gentle voice, "Don't. Don't think like that, Buffy. You're stronger now than any Slayer I've read about and you were strong before Xander came back and started training you. He and Lotion are both stronger than you still, surprisingly, so you can become even more powerful. Deo is several orders of a magnitude more agile and strong than the three of you combined, it seems, and I think Xander is pretty dead set on not only equaling her, but surpassing her." Buffy still looked very moved and surprised up into Giles' eyes, but he wasn't finished yet. "Keep training, you'll grow that strong as well, I'm certain. Better yet - you are not alone. The Slayers before you, were just a Slayer and a watcher, you have two friends fighting alongside you, both stronger than you are, a mother of one of those friends even more strong who agreed to fight when necessary, a witch friend whose magic is growing, and her teacher committed to this fight as well. I think you'll be old and grey before you die."

Tears sprung in Buffy's eyes, and she herself didn't even know where they came from. "You think so," she whimpered hopefully, and Giles nodded. Buffy slumped forward and hugged her watcher. "Thank you," she muttered as he returned the hug and she slowly regained control of her emotions, "I suppose that's what Xander was trying to tell me yesterday; when he said if I died early we'd be dying together. I just didn't want think about making a mistake that got them killed." Buffy's tears returned, but she forced herself out of Giles' hug. Swallowing a lump, she said, "They'll be fighting alongside me." A small smile crept up her face, and then turned around, staying still.

"Better?" Giles asked. Buffy pointed at the tomb where the vampires had been stealing. Giles took a better look, and read the writing above the entrance. "Du Lac . . . oh, dear god." He turned around and started walking.

"What?" Buffy spoke up, and quickly followed Giles. "This isn't good, is it?"

"No, Buffy, this is bad," Giles spoke.

"Shit, just my luck," Buffy muttered and shook her head as they came passed a wall holding urns. Something caught the corner of her eyes, and she paused for a moment. She turned to face the wall, and took in one urn seat that was adorned with flowers among many barren ones. Wondering she took a step forward and read the name underneath cared for urn. "Jesse McNally," she whispered out the name, and her eyes widened in shock, feeling a lump form in the pit of her stomach.

"Are you coming?" Giles called from a bit far away.

Buffy turned, and said, "Yeah, I'm coming."

-----

While Jenny was looking through another book for a cure for Willow, and through it herself and Lotion. Willow, and Xander sat in chairs at the same table looking through more books, while Buffy leant on the chairs they were occupying. Giles came from behind a book case, and explained, "Du Lac was a priest, a brilliant magician, mathematician and demonologist at the turn of the century. Unfortunately, his experiments went much too far, and too dangerous according to the Catholic church, and so they excommunicated him and his followers."

"Banished, /and/ sent to Sunnydale," Xander said impressed. "This guy had to be seriously bad news."

"Indeed," Giles answered. "He performed rituals with virgin sacrifices, summoned demons, and many more things. It is said he wrote all his secrets down in a book - which happened to be the one stolen from the Sunnydale museum two weeks ago. They say it contains many dark magics and rituals, but written in an unbreakable code."

Willow was the one who ventured nervously, "Rituals? Like the ones you need to open Hellmouths and stuff like that?"

"Yeah," Buffy spoke dejectedly, "and I suppose with them stealing from the tomb, they found a way to translate the code."

Giles placed the book he was holding down on the table, sighed, and said, "Exactly. It is said he created a cross, the Du Lac Cross. It was designed so one could decipher texts and take hidden meanings from them. All but the one buried with him was destroyed. Which means we got to find out what's in that book before the vampires do. This will be an all night research session."

"Hey!" Willow called out in annoyance, "Xander and I were supposed to be going on the repeat date tonight. I wanted him to go as Lexa even, test out female - female date!" Willow pointed out.

"I'm sorry," Giles said, as Xander was about to say something.

Buffy though stopped him, as she started speaking while slowly backing away, "Well, I can't. I still have homework from my law enforcement booth, my mom wants me to do the dishes, and even vacuum the house while she's away. And I'm not good with books anyway, you guys are much better than that. Right, Willow?" Buffy gave a open-mouth Willow a look, and then turned around.

"Hold it right there," Willow spoke dangerously, several sparks of energy flowing around her, and a splash of water landing right in front of Buffy. The Slayer's reflexes made it so she wasn't wet again, turning around rapidly, looking at her best friend. The witch said in no uncertain terms, "If we're not going on a date, you're not going on a date with Angel."

"Willow," Buffy whined with disappointment. She noticed Xander's dark look, and winced.

"Buffy," Giles spoke with a little disappointment, and heard giggling coming from Jenny. He looked over, and she quickly ducked back into her book.

"Come on," the Slayer whined again. "I'm really bad at researching anyway, must be a Slayer thing."

"But you go on the donut runs that provide the necessary sugars to get the Xan-man's super research mind the proper stimulation," Xander pointed out with a grin, making the Slayer pout.

Willow tried again, "Please, Giles. Just one uninterrupted date with Xander. We'll research till the time to comes to leave, we'll come back right after. Those few hours and a translated book can't possibly be the end of the world. Look how strong we are together, especially if we ask Deo to come along and help fight, she did agree to that - despite her annoying . . ." Willow trailed of.

Before Giles could explain the danger of what might be in that book, Xander spoke up, "Yeah. Besides, can't you find two other suckers to fill in for us while we're gone?"

"Nihau!"

The Slayerettes turned as one to the door, where Lotion entered followed close behind by Cordelia. The cheerleader told the Amazon, "Can't you quit using that annoying word?" She folded her arms across her ample chest.

"I don't ask you to stop doing those annoying cheers at sports games, do I?" Lotion returned just as snidely. "I respect your culture, even though I despise it." Cordelia's eyes narrowed at the other girl.

Buffy watched it happen with a shiver of delight, happiness, hope, fear and a tinge of jealousy. After a moment of taking in the two new arrivals Xander and Willow turned back toward each other. Just one moment of silent communication with their eyes showed they were already on the same page, and then sweet, yet evil smiles lit up their faces. Smiling still, they turned back to the new arrivals.

"What?" Cordelia asked noticing the smiles she most definitely did not like. Lotion looked behind her confused for a moment, and turned back just as Cordelia repeated a bit more forcefully, "What?"

-----

The bus stopped at the bus stop. The door opened, and up front came a powerful-looking man, with scars in his face, and long, black hair. A white sleeveless shirt, having only straps adorned his torso. His left eye was gone, a scar running across it. He looked around for just a moment, and walked off.

-----

The man wore a drab brown suit, he was bolding and small. He carried a suitcase, and with a thin smile he walked through Buffy's neighborhood. Soon he found Buffy's house, and took it in for a moment, the wind lovely breezed through the tree in the front garden. Then he turned to his right and walked up the drive way of the house opposite of Buffy's. He rung the bell, and a moment later an older, thickly-set woman with curls opened. "We don't buy at the door," she bit out at the man.

The man just smiled, and said, "Can I interest you in some free samples?"

"Free?" she said. A few moments later he walked in, and once the door closed, the woman shrieked out a final scream.

-----

Powerful arcs of electricity, almost lightning bolts in there right, arched around the thick electric wires that lead electricity from a far off electric plant. Once the arcs reached the edge town, they crunched together and shot down to the floor. A cloud of electricity formed, electric bolts sizzling around and out; a vague outline that looked just a bit like a face formed higher up in the electricity. The only material thing, a odd glistening metal object swirling about. Then it shot underground, and into Sunnydale, the gliding along on the ground.

-----

A speed boat surreptitiously entered Sunnydale's harbor. Inside sat a woman with an amazing figure. Blonde hair flowed above the thin white vest that showed off her breasts and offered plenty of cleavage. It didn't even reach her belly button. Her clothes continued with a short black skirt that barely reached her thighs. Dark green boots finished her outfit. She picked up several bags, put them over her shoulder, and stepped out of the boat, walking onward with sure steps.

-----

The plane smoothly landed on Sunnydale airport and taxied to its spot. A little while later a airport attendant drove up to the belly of the plane in a cart. He opened the cargo compartment, and read off of a clipboard with a piece of paper. From the corner of his eyes he noticed a shadow moving. He frowned, and went into the cargo hold. "Hey!" he called out loud as he moved deeper into the hold. "Anyone in here?" He thought he saw another moved and turned to his left, walking towards the many suitcases and other cargo. "Nobody is allowed in here!" he called out.

A moment later he was clobbered, and beaten. He gives one last groan, before sinking to the ground. A moment later an exotic girl in a red tight pants, heavy makeup, earrings, and a black top with long sleeves. It stopped right beneath her breasts, and the round collar of the top, made a sharp, narrow downward slit in the middle, stopping only just low enough to show glimpses off her cleavages. Carefully she looked around for others, and then quickly slunk away.

-----

The sexy black-haired girl smiled sweetly at the man in the red sports car, as he drove his car into Sunnydale and aimed at the nearest motel. Parked, he told her, "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Indeed, a short while later he arrived with some keys, and the two entered a room. Once the door was closed he started kissing her almost desperately. He pulled her toward the bed, and she started kissing down his neck. Suddenly her eyes opened, turning to slits, but he couldn't see that. Large fangs slid down from her lips, and with a quick motion struck into his neck. He gasped, and then gave a yell, pulling away easily. He jerked back, falling on his ass onto the bed, having grabbed his neck. He pulled it, seeing blood on his hand. He looked at the beautiful girl, who smoothly gained scales, the legs disappearing. The body elongated, becoming smoother, uncoiling, her head turned into a large flat one, a forked tongue flicked out once, looking at him.

Fear gripped him, and he tried to move, but he started convulsing. With ever greater terror in his eyes he tried to wiggle away, but he moved less and less. Falling onto his back on the bed, he went into shuddering convulsions. Finally he lay still, a flow of drool from his mouth. His eyes were still wide open though - terror written in them. The snake quickly felt the man's pockets, removing his keys. Then its jaw opened, wider and wider, and engulfed the man's lower legs. The snake gulped, taking move of the man inside if its body. Once the feet and lower legs were passed the head, powerful muscles in the snake body contracted, and the man's bones crushed audibly. In the man's eyes, there was unfathomable pain and terror.

An hour later, the snake was finished eating the man. Once again it morphed, soon after having gained the man's appearance. Smilingly it tossed the car keys up, and caught them, before exiting the motel room.

-----

The sand rippled and shuffled at the edge of Sunnydale. First a few small points emerged, but they grew ever larger until a two meter tall porcupine stood there. Except its eyes glowed green, and it stood on its hind legs. Its stings were easily over a meter long. It sniffed and snorted, and then hurried toward a sewer entrance. It opened it, pushed its stings flat, and entered the sewer.

-----

The LA police helicopter landed smoothly in the middle of a clearing in the woods on the mountains at the south of Sunnydale. A red-skinned demon in a long brown cloak stepped out of it. Its yellow, narrow eyes were ominous. Its muscled body deadly. The lower and upper fangs coming over the lips even more so. Its green hair hung gently down its face. It took a look at the policeman pilot and the other two police occupants. They looked slackly ahead, only the pilot was a bit more alert, since it had to fly. The demon made a flick with its finger, and the pilot nodded. Then the helicopter lifted off again, flying away. The demon turned to Sunnydale and started walking.

-----

Smoothly the car drove into Sunnydale. Inside sat a woman, black hair, black skin tight, easy to move in outfit. The outfit had multiple sheaths, for daggers, knives, swords, two of them on her back. She was casually polishing one sword, as she drove and steered with her feet alone.

-----

Buffy glided smoothly across the ice. Her skates moved perfectly as she prepared, and jumped. She swivelled through the air perfect, and landed . . . she felt herself losing balance, and then went down. Sliding on her ass over the ice till she landed at the boards surrounding the ice rink. Dang; she realized Slayer agility was not built for ice. Her instinctive attempt at keeping balance had produced the exact opposite, and she knew it too. Her trainer once made her train to not do what she just did to try and keep her balance - it was the wrong thing to do on ice. She had gotten rid of the impulse, but now it was back, which must have come from her Slayer activation.

An arm reached from above her, and wrapped around her just under her head. She smiled, saying, "Angel." Suddenly she was yanked up, and a second arm wrapped around her, now around her neck, the first hand joined and they squeezed. Behind her was the long-haired man who had come with the bus. Buffy panicked as she noticed her attempts at dislodging the impossibly strong hands were useless. She kicked, attempted to gasp for breath, but all was useless.

"Buffy!" a voice called out that she recognized instantly: Angel. A few moments later the souled vampire smashed into the man squeezing the life out of her, and he let go. Coughing for air Buffy slumped back down to the ice.

Behind her a vamped out Angel smashed his fist across the man's face, but other than a quick movement with his head, it had no effect. The return punch from the man however, made Angel stagger back. Angel attacked again, with a flurry of blows; after the third however, the man grabbed Angel's wrist, smashed his own powerful fist into Angel's stomach, and lifted the vampire up. He tossed Angel painfully against the wall, and then rammed his foot into Angel's face. Fed up with the distraction, the assassin turned around and walked back toward the ice rink, walking onto the ice through an opening in the surrounding boards without fear.

Buffy had just scrambled up from her position, and landed a solid blow on the assassin who shrugged it off, and bashed Buffy over her cheek. She stumbled sideways, grunting in pain, and this time didn't make the same mistake as earlier. She stayed standing and quickly skated off, making a quick circle and coming back at the assassin. Her right foot whipped out, and the skate crashed into the assassin's throat. The man grabbed his own throat, gurgling as blood streamed from it. Buffy already skated onward to where Angel rose from his position. A moment later the assassin sunk to his knees, and then fell over, the ice staining red with his blood.

"Are you all right?" Buffy asked concerned, holding Angel. The vampire tried to turn away, but Buffy pulled his face back. "You're eye," she said concerned as she noticed a gash on Angel's vamped out brow. He turned away again. "I didn't know you were a crybaby," Buffy said, pulling his face back yet again.

"It's not that," Angel told her. "You shouldn't have to see me when I'm like this."

Buffy smiled, and pulled him back, then placed a kiss on his vamped-out brow. "It doesn't bother me," she said gently. Then she leaned forward, and kissed Angel fully on the mouth.

In the back of the ice rink, an exotic girl appeared, took in the vampire couple kissing, and then slowly snuck out.

Back on the ice, Buffy and Angel slowly slid apart, her heart beating in her chest. Was it possible to love more than one person, Buffy wondered. The kiss was odd, sure, his skin cool. So very different from the burning hot, seemingly feverish lips with Xander. But the kiss was pretty nice after all. Angel was nervous, and to cover it up he went over to the dead assassin. He shrank down and turned him over. "The corpse is more fascinating than the kiss?" Buffy asked slightly miffed, slightly amused.

"Uh, no-no, of- . . ." Angel's eyes fell on the ring on the assassin's right ring finger, and he immediately stopped talking.

"What?" Buffy asked not understanding.

"Buffy," Angel said with dread as he took the ring off of the man's finger, "do yo know what this is?"

"Uh . . . Super bowl championship ring?" she guessed.

Angel looked up at her, and got up. "No, it's a ring warn by the member of the Order of Teraka; an assassins guild."

"So? He's dead," Buffy said, pointing at the corpse.

"There will be others," Angel spoke fearfully.

-----

Willow had her arms wrapped around Lexa's bare midriff. She was pushed against the wall, while Lexa was feverishly kissing her. Both were in short skirts, and sexy tops, and were obviously enjoying it on each other. They broke apart, and Lexa looked down at Willow, a little hint of guilt in her eyes. Willow smiled broadly, looking up, and whispered, "I definitely like girl-girl kisses."

"Hmm, me to," Xander as Lexa. Willow placed her head against the taller girl's shoulder, partly on her breasts, and just took in the empty street and the houses around them. The small strip of the moon above gave a romantic notion to the event, but not quite.

"We should have kept our hands off of each other till we reached the beach," Willow said with a smile.

"Y-you know thi-this is not- . . ." Lexa started guiltily, still feeling the love for Buffy, and some for Lotion and hating putting the girls in this position - of course, they had put themselves in the position he reasoned, but that didn't quench that little voice of guilt.

Willow put her finger on his mouth to shush him, saying gently, "I know, you haven't made up your mind yet. Don't worry, I won't take anything as a commitment except sex or a ring . . ." Lexa was about to point something out. Willow quickly added, "Buffy doesn't count, she screwed up what she could have had on her very own."

Willow looked up into Lexa's face, imprinting it in her. So much like Xander, and yet so different, both sides were equally thrilling, equally sexy, equally heroic. The possibilities were dizzying - she so immensely hoped the double gender exchange artist would be hers someday soon. As she thus looked up, she saw something. She quickly looked alongside Lexa, far in the difference, some hundred or so meters, on a low roof of a house. Blonde hair just visible over the top, glistening in the moonlight, and a some flickering light. Willow's eyes widened, immediately grateful for all the times Xander and Jesse made her watch action movies with them. "XANDER!" she screeched in fear, pointing. At the same time three streetlights exploded.

Lexa whirled around, instantly tossing aside the pleasant haze of the kiss. Her right hand shot out . . . and caught a long steel-tipped arrow right from the air. As he focused on the shooter in the difference, he twirled the arrow absentmindedly angrily taking several steps toward the party pooper.

The blonde in the distance looked up from her scope, the crossbow she had used casually in her hands. Two more arrows were on it, and it smoothly slid into place, as she said, "Interesting."

Lexa stopped as she reached the middle of the road. The same thing that drew his attention to his left, drew the female shooter's attention away, as well as Willow's. There was a sizzle, and a flash of light. Looking toward it, all three saw the mass of electricity and plasma float up from the street, forming a two meter high and one and a half meter wide cloud, having a face-like appearance in the middle.

"What the hell?" Lexa muttered, and then some electricity came forward, pointing toward her. She took a step back, examining the strange thing. Suddenly a burst of electricity shot from the outstretched limb-like mass of electricity, and struck Lexa square in the chest. "AAH!" she screamed out, instinctively raising whatever chi she could gather to protect herself, but it wasn't enough to keep from being launched backward. Eventually she reached the corner of the street, slammed with her lower back against the fire hydrant standing there, and fell over it backward, legs in the air.

"-XANDER!-" Willow screamed out in fear and pain at the possibilities, losing all control. Energy whipped and boiled around her in an instant, every window in a fifty meter radius exploded outward, showering everything in shards of glass. "You will pay!" Willow growled out at the cloud of electricity, its face turned toward her, a vaguely surprised expression on it. "AAAAH!" Willow yelled out, firing energy balls from her hands without even knowing how to do it; the poles of the streetlights groaned then folded. The metal was squeezed all over and they were bent in multiple directions, many sticking out almost horizontally.

The energy balls though, hit the creature, and evaporated in it. It pointed at Willow as it pointed at Xander and another burst of electricity shot out. It penetrated Willow's chi and magic seemingly easily, slammed in her chest the same way, and flung her backward, smashing into the wall. Groaning with pain, and her face crunched up, she sank to the floor. Slumping into unconsciousness, her energy bleeding away. A few more tendrils of electricity sizzled around and in her body, making it jerk.

The cloud of electricity took in a job well done, and prepared to disappear back into the ground. "Hey, you!" a female voice called out, and the electricity creature turned back, taking in the female form of Xander, who .

"Astounding," the electric creature spoke with a crackling voice as it floated toward Lexa, "I was surprised enough I saw you turn into a female when I observed you earlier; but I still didn't believe my employer's claims of your power. You're only the third human to survive one of my electric bolts, and is still able to stand."

Lexa sneered at creature coming ever closer, telling it, "We have a saying, 'Come to momma, you piece of shit'." Lexa grabbed the fire hydrant, twisted it partially, and bashed off one of the hose connection. A big powerful jet of water shot out, and doused the cloud of electricity in water.

"NOO!" the thing screamed in pain, its electricity shooting out through the water in all directions. Bolts flew up, and down, many smashing back into its 'body', as water burst through it, tearing at its innards. The electricity short-circuited, long-circuited, crackled about and more, until it finally died away. Xander quickly ran passed the large jet when he realized his plan had succeeded. Coming closer to window he looked back up to the roof, but the blond sniper was gone. He quickly knelt down next to Willow, and put his hand on her chest.

"Willow?" he asked with painful concern. He sighed relieved when he felt a strong, but slightly irregular pulse. The irregularity steadily became less, and she started wiping some pieces of glass off of Willow. The witch groaned then, and opened her eyes. She looked in Lexa's face, and wrapped her arms immediately around her neck. "You're okay," she whispered happily, and gave a happy sob.

They hugged, and then their attention was drawn by a sound. They looked toward the spray of water, and saw a small metallic object being dragged along across the asphalt by the flow of water. They got up, walked over and Lexa picked up the object, which turned out to be a ring. As the spray of water started to die down, Willow muttered angrily, "First Deo, now a sniper and an electric demon." Then she looked sadly up at Lexa, and whimpered, "Why can't we have just one complete date?"

"We're having one," Lexa said, slung her arm around Willow's shoulders and after putting the ring in a pocket started to walk. "The ring can wait, Giles is busy with the Du Lac stuff anyway. We go to my place, enjoy the ocean view, take a nightcap and then go to Giles. What do you say?" Willow nodded happily.

-----

Lotion sighed as she put away another magic book. Once again she had found nothing of interest. Across from her sat Cordelia, reading as well, and Giles was behind another table. Jenny had gone out, saying she had an errand to run. Lotion complained, "I can't believe we're here sitting and reading, while the Slayer, Xander and Willow are out on dates."

Cordelia looked up. She glared at lotion, saying, "Do I /look/ like I need to hear that?" Xander and Willow were frighteningly efficient team that she would never underestimate again. Ten years of experience with each other, they had laid a string of arguments and the occasional guilt trip upon them, never letting Cordelia or Lotion get a word in. At the end, when they had said half of the first letter of respectively 'yes' and 'okay', the two were already out the door, dragging Buffy along.

"I'm just saying," Lotion returned a little gruffly, and went to grab a new book.

There was a roar and a crash. The large porcupine demon came straight through the wooden floor of the library, and peered at Lotion. The three humans present, looked with surprise at the intrusion. It turned around, and shot a contingent of its spines at the two girls. The spines grew back almost instantaneously. Lotion having faster reflexes jumped forward, tackling Cordelia including chair to the ground. The spines sailed just past and embedded in multiple places in the library, including . . .

"Those are books!" Giles shouted in horror, before diving toward the weapons cage.

The demon ignored Giles and advanced on the girls. Lotions gritted her teeth as she got up, taking in the spines on the demon's back and arms. More spines shot out from its arms, and Lotion somersaulted backward, as Cordelia dove under the table to avoid the new spines. Lotion landed on a pillar, and jumped forward, slamming her foot in the demon. The demon stumbled back a bit, blocked her follow up punch, and bashed her aside with one of his own. Lotion kept herself from falling to the ground, and charged forward again, not being able to hit the demon anywhere than on full frontal where there were no spines.

Her first punch missed barely, her second was blocked while she blocked the monster's. Immediately after she hit it in the stomach, making it double over. It whipped its right hand out, catching her across the chin, and pulled back. The spines on the arm raked over Lotion's face, scratching her open. "Aah!" she hissed, and kicked out, slamming into the demon's gut. It grunted and jumped forward, twisting around and fired a new round. Lotion jumped high into the air, making a screw flowing into a somersault. "Sword!" she ordered as she jumped again. Giles had just retrieved two swords, and tossed one of them, aiming just above Lotion.

As Lotion came down she grabbed the sword and sliced it down. The demon put up his spines on his arms, and caught the sword against it, blocking it. Lotion grunted in frustration, making a quick backward motion. The demon fired another load of spines from his arm, one of which Lotion stopped using her sword as a shield. The others passed her, and Lotion jumped forward again, slicing the sword underneath the demon's arms. Grunting with effort she missed, and pulled the sword back before the demon's slam downward would have either destroyed it, or made her drop it. The demon came up, and the Amazon kicked the demon's head further away. Rapidly she moved into the demon's guard, and stuck her sword into its belly. The demon howled painfully as green blood oozed from its wound, and Lotion quickly pulled back, finishing up with a rapid horizontal strike. A moment later the demon's head came off, and bounced on the floor exactly once. "Die already," Lotion told the dead demon. A moment later it dissolved in a spectacular glowing goo, which quickly disappeared as well. Only a small object was spared the demon's fate, it dropped to the ground and stayed still there.

Lotion looked confused, went over and picked up the ring. "Mr. Giles, any idea what this is?"

-----

Jenny had hid her feline nature in a hooded robe, along with the darkness of night, nobody would really notice. She knocked on the door to Lotion and Deo's home. The door was at the side of the building that housed the restaurant. A few moments later the Amazon opened the door, and before she could say anything Jenny stepped inside.

Deo looked amused as she closed the door, and then a little surprised as she saw Jenny take off her hood. "So the witch got to you too, huh?" Deo questioned.

"I cannot believe you are this irresponsible," Jenny hissed at the Amazon, her whiskers twitching with anger.

Deo shrugged and walked passed the cat-woman, not really caring about her objections. Both of them walked further onward, into the small kitchen, and Deo asked much too politely, "Coffee?"

Jenny growled as she grabbed the amazon's shoulder and yanked her around so she faced her. "You're playing with lives, Deo," Jenny growled out in a feline manner.

Deo smiled coolly, and said, "She can't harm anyone, and your transformations are not permanent. All she has to do is request me to disrupt the technique, and remove any claims on my future son in law, and the problem will be solved."

"Not directly," Jenny corrected angrily. "Tell me what you did, and how I can reverses it."

"No," Deo stated with resolution.

A growl came from Jenny's throat, and lashed out with her close, long nails shooting out the tips. Deo smoothly grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her over her shoulder. Jenny landed with a smack against the counter. Growling cat-Jenny stood up, and realizing she couldn't defeat the Amazon, hissed, "/This/ is /not/ a game."

Deo took two steps forward and grabbed Jenny by her collar tightly, growling back. "You /think/ I treat this as a /game/? My daughter's honor, my daughter's future, and my daughter's happiness is /not/ a game to me. She /will/ marry Xander Harris if I have anything to say about it. I love my husband, and I'm happy with him - most of the time. There are times when I'm frustrated with him, wished he had more of a backbone, wished he dared talk back to me. Just wished for once he initiated the sex. My daughter can have that; and I will do anything in my power to make sure she does."

"Reverse it, before people get hurt, or worse," Jenny said one final time, but knew what the Amazon's answer would be.

The doorbell rang, and Deo let go of Jenny. The cat-woman trailed behind in defeat as Deo went through the narrow hallway to the door. The Amazon opened it, and there stood a tall imposing red demon. Deo was surprised for a moment, and the demon's golden eyes glowed. "Go to your daughter, and kill her," the demon spoke almost bored. "Then kill the rest and finally yourself."

Deo dazedly nodded, as the demon looked up, and casually looked at Jenny's silhouette in the door opening to the kitchen. "You stay here," the demon said, still bored. Its eyes widened when a throaty, feline growl came from the human he had dismissed as unimportant earlier. Perhaps he should have looked better. Jenny crouched as Deo started to walk forward, her eyes flashed as the light of the moon fell just fell on her eyes. "What the?" the demon muttered in surprise as Jenny suddenly ran forward, half on her hind legs, half on all fours. With a hiss Jenny jumped over Deo and slashed at the demon. The demon rapidly stepped back, raising his cloak, saving his torso from being scratched open, instead his cloak was ruined.

The demon rapidly walked backwards, and Jenny jumped out of the house. In the alley, she hissed, her tail up and her hairs straight up like a house cat. "I'm going to rip you apart," Jenny growled out.

"Stay back, you bitch!" the demon said in anger and a little fear. Jenny jumped, attacking once more. The demon brought its fist forward, but Jenny just bit into it with her fangs, holding onto the bigger demon. Screaming in pain, the demon shook his hand, and kicked at Jenny. It hit, and with a painful growl Jenny let go of the arm, falling backward. She ignored the pain, and got up, ran forward. She through a punch that the demon clumsily blocked, and flung a fist with his other one. It slammed in Jenny's chin, but she shrugged it off. Her smaller size allowed her to easily duck underneath his next punch, and she jumped forward landing one in his stomach. The demon coughed, and Jenny made a jumping uppercut, but not with her fist, with her opened claws. A loud scream of pain tore from the demon's throat, and behind the two, Deo shuddered to a stand still. As yellow blood started to ooze from the demon's wounds, Deo shook her head to clear it and Jenny came down with her claws. The demon backed away, but her left claw still grazed his shoulder.

Grimacing, the demon kicked out viciously, and hit Jenny in her chest. The cat-woman was sent flying backward, and the demon quickly turned around and ran.

Jenny got up, and for a moment considered going after the fleeing demon, but then turned around and went back to Deo. "You okay? What was that?" Jenny asked the Amazon.

"It controlled my mind, somehow," the Amazon told her.

"Why not mine?" Jenny wondered.

Deo shook her head, and said, "I don't know, perhaps it can't do it with more than one person."

"I suggest we get to the resident demon expert and ask," Jenny told the Amazon, and she agreed readily. Deo was pretty sure she wouldn't have been able to shrug off the control when facing her daughter, but she didn't want to not have an option if she was wrong.

-----

In Spike's and Drusilla's hideouts, Drusilla turned over one card, then a second above it, and finally a third in the upper corner. "Ooh, three down, six left," Drusilla sang out. "You were right, Spike, three wasn't enough. Such good fighters we face, but the stars are still in our favor, Miss Edith says."

"Good," Spike said with a grin. "Succeed or not, it'll keep the bloody white hats busy till it's far too late. Well, Dalton?"

Dalton was translating the final passage using the golden cross. "I got it!" he said and handed over the paper.

"Oh, bloody brilliant, all this time looking . . ." Spike trailed off with a smile.

Drusilla finished for him, "and it was right beneath our entrails."

-----

The door to Xander's apartment opened smoothly, and Lexa and Willow entered the place, sharing a kiss. Lexa closed the door behind them, and then they took in the lovely centered living room, and the ocean view through the windows, and past the balcony behind it.

"Hmm," Willow muttered, and then looked up in Lexa's eyes. "I gotta go the bathroom."

"I'll get us some root beers," Lexa said with a smile. Willow smiled back and went to the bathroom.

Lexa circled the counter, entering the kitchen. She pulled out two glasses and poured root beer in it. Then she went to the table in the middle and placed the glasses down. The building bell rang, and Lexa frowned. Who could it be at this hour? She went over and pushed the intercom. "Hello?"

#Hey, Lexa, it's Buffy,# sounded through the machine.

"Oh, hey," Lexa said, a little disappointed at another interruption, but it had to be important. He opened the outside door with a push of the button, while saying, "You can just use the key I gave you, you know."

#Don't have it with me,# Buffy answered, and Lexa nodded. A few moments later the doorbell of Xander's apartment rang, and she opened the door.

"Hey, Buffy," Lexa said and stepped aside. Buffy took the non-explicit invitation, and walked in.

"I'm sorry to barge in like this," Buffy said, her hips swaying sexily as she walked toward the couch. Lexa was close behind, unable to keep himself from checking out the Slayer's ass wrapped in a tight black skirt.

-Damn,- she thought, -Angel is one lucky son of a bitch. The date!- Lexa walked close behind Buffy, asking, "Didn't your date go well?"

Buffy seductively turned around, her eyes teared up a bit. "No," she whimpered, eyes slightly teary, "that is, I just realized he's not for me. I made such a big mistake Xander." Lexa was drawn to Buffy's big, blue, sad eyes. The Slayer wrapped her arms around Lexa, and gently maneuvered him down to the couch, telling her, "I'm for you, even with the gender switching, I'll adapt."

"R-really?" Lexa said dreamily, a pang of guilt for Willow as she let herself slip down in Buffy's embrace. Her eyes were so mesmerizing. Lexa knew Buffy's eyes were a powerful weapon on the weak minded, but she never considered this. Buffy's lips touch touched Lexa's, and they kissed, making Lexa groan. Buffy slowly started kissing down Lexa's chin toward her neck. Lexa closed her eyes with the pleasure of the fluttering kisses.

The toilet flushed, and a moment later Willow came out. As she tucked her top back in her skirt she asked absentmindedly, "Who was that, Lexa?" Willow looked up, and a moment of pure jealousy raged through her when she saw Buffy kissing Lexa down her neck. The jealousy disappeared with one shocking thought raced through Willow's mind, -Since when does Buffy have giant fangs!-

"-GET OFF HER!-" Willow screamed out, waving her hand at the female figure. Everything seemed to explode. The Buffy-like figure was blasted off of Xander, crashing through the already exploding windows as her shape twitched in pain and reverted to a much more snake like appearance. Then it fell down behind the balcony and was out of sight. Water came exploding from the faucet, spraying the apartment. The glasses shattered, making the root beer spill. A fire flame of anger surrounded Willow and flashed around the room for a moment, heating the water from the fountain. The couches and chairs were flung in all directions, crashing against the walls and falling down - luckily not broken. Lexa was pushed upward as the couch she was on flew away. The warm water reverted her back to Xander, and he painfully landed on his butt, making him groan out loud.

Willow rapidly walked out on the balcony and looked down. The man-sized cobra with arms looked up at her, slitted eyes narrowing with anger and annoyance. Then the shape coiled back in, and a moment later the snake was a man, whose gaze lingered on the astonished Willow for one more moment. Then he ran off.

"Ow, what hit me?" Xander groaned out, slowly getting up, looking a little comical in a skirt and top, but Willow's concerns didn't even notice it.

"Are you okay? Did it hurt you? Did I hurt you?" Willow whimpered hopefully.

"No, I'm fine; oh, god, Will, what happened?" he said, looking around, and then everything rushed back. "Will, when I'm on a date with you, I wouldn't kiss some other girl, even if it was Buffy; there was something about her eyes . . . where did she go?"

"It was a Cobra snake demon, Xander," Willow whispered, a sob coming from her as the emotions and adrenaline drained from her system. "It ran off as a man in a business suit, it could change its shape; I guess it can hypnotize with its eyes too."

Xander blinked, and then reached underneath his skirt, pulling out the ring from under her panties where he had stashed it. "I guess this can't wait after all," Xander said holding up the ring. The two looked at each other sadly. "I'll go put on something male, and then we go to the library," he said, and Willow nodded sadly.

-----

Buffy barged into the library, saying, "Giles, we've got- . . . whoa." She looked around the mess that the porcupine demon left; and Lotion wearing very satisfied grin, casually stretching - like the cat that ate the canary. Giles was bent over a book, holding something shiny in his hand. Cordelia was looking through another book.

As Giles got up to look at Buffy, she heard him mutter, "I've seen it before, where have seen it before?" Then he said out loud, "Buffy?"

"Giles," Buffy send and quickly jumped down to the lowest level and walked to the table at which he stood. She put the ring on the table and said, "Some seriously strong bastard wearing that ring tried to kill me . . ." Buffy's eyes widened as she now took a better look at what Giles was holding: another ring the same one. Subdued she continued, looking back at the smiling Lotion, "I see there was a visitor here for me as well. Angel was freaked Giles, said the ring belonged to something called the Order of Tenaka."

"Order of Teraka, oh dear god," Giles spoke out loud.

"I hate it when he says that, don't you, Will?" Xander's voice sounded, and the occupants of the library looked back to see him and Willow standing just inside the library. Willow nodded vigorously, and Xander punted something from his hand with his thumb. It sailed through the air, and Giles caught it. Holding it up, they could see another ring, the same one. "I took that off of a electric demon I killed by spraying it with water," Xander explained, making Buffy's eyes widen in shock. "There was a sniper with a crossbow, that got interrupted by the electric demon, then at my apartment . . ." Xander looked at Willow.

"It was a shape shifting snake demon, about five meters long body I think, came at Xander as Buffy," Willow added hurriedly.

"Then they aren't just coming for Buffy," Cordelia observed from her position at a table.

Buffy blinked, and dreading guessed, "What? Me, Xander, and . . ."

"Lotion," spoke Jenny. Giles, Buffy, Cordelia and Lotion turned around, to watch Deo and Jenny walk in from the book cases - obviously having snuck in through the back door. "A demon took Deo's mind under its control and I heard it order her to kill her daughter. I chased it away, for some reason it couldn't control me."

"O-okay," Buffy said, her voice wavering a bit as she attempted to gain control of the situation. "We just find these bastards, how many are there?"

"Nine at least," Willow spoke always the mathematician. "Xander had three different ones after him, we can assume that means each one of you has at least three as well, making nine."

"That makes at least six remaining," Giles added with a concerned frown. "Each one of you has killed one of them, we've seen another three, which means that there are at least three more of which we have no idea what they look like, or what there abilities are, one more that can change shape, and one that possibly has enough mind control ability to make you not see him . . . this is bad." He looked up, and said, "I have a book on the Order somewhere here. We should look if the assassins you've seen are already known, and whether they have weaknesses we can exploit, but . . ."

"Great!" Buffy said, with hope. "Three down, six to go, time to kick some ass."

"Buffy," Giles said, deeply concerned. "This is not going to be that easy. The Order of Teraka is a deadly order that dates back to the time of King Solomon."

"And didn't they beat the Elks this year in the Sunnydale adult bowling championship?" Xander wondered walking down the few steps, making everyone frown at him.

Giles continued, "Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary."

"Bowling is a vicious game," Xander said with a grin.

"That's enough Xander!" Giles snapped, making Xander look up at him, and the others down. "This is no time for jokes."

"Personally, I think it's the perfect time for jokes," Xander said, surprising himself with his bold statement, and the others gave him a quick look.

Giles shook his head, and said, "I think you three should find a place out of the way to hide, at least until we've learned more."

"Wait," Buffy spoke up, with fearful look in her eyes. "Angel told me to head for the hills as well. What are you saying? That we can't handle this? That these guys are too much for us?"

Giles explained, "Buffy, the order is a breed apart. Unlike vampires, the assassins have no earthly desires except to collect their bounty." Willow and Cordelia look stricken, and Buffy just listens a little defeated. "They find the target, and . . . uh, eliminate it." Buffy takes a step back, and looks down. "You can kill as many of them as you'd like, it makes no difference. Where there is one, there is another, and another . . . they won't stop coming until the job is done." Xander tried to speak up, but this time Giles waltzed right over him, continuing, "Each on works alone, in his own way. Some are human, some are not, you won't know who they are until they strike."

"B-but . . ." Buffy said and then bolted out the library.

"Buffy!" Xander called out desperately.

But the Slayer was already out the door, muttering an inaudible final two words, "Y-you said . . ."

"Oh, that was brilliant, Giles," Xander muttered out bitterly, turning back. The girls looked up at the pissed Xander, a slight bit of hope returning if he wasn't defeated.

"Uh, I may have overdone it?" Giles asked.

Jenny crossed the distance between her and Giles, and slapping his arm said, "You think?"

"You're not even correct," Xander added with a little irritation. "What you described is putting a bounty on someone's head and bounty hunters come for the bounty. The Order are assassins, there's a difference. Assassins you pay up front, and they take out the target. They fail though, and you want more assassins to try, you'll have to put up more money before another one comes. Whoever hired the order, hired multiple assassins."

Giles looked a little sheepish, as Deo said, "He is very much correct."

"How do you know, Xander?" Lotion asked him.

Xander pointed at his head, "Halloween, soldier boy." He sighs, and walks to the door, "I'm going after her, hopefully I pick the right direction, and I'll catch up with her."

"Xander!" Cordelia called out, and he turned around, everyone looking at him. "Be careful."

"I can handle myself, don't worry. You guys find Du Lac, and the Terakans' weaknesses, I'll find Buffy," Xander said, and was out the door.

-----

Buffy had run aimlessly through the darkened streets of Sunnydale. She stopped, and cried. Tears streamed down her face. For only a few moments she had allowed herself to hope, hope for a better future, a long future, with her friends by her side; as Giles had said was possible. And now it was gone, just like that. A never ending train of Assassins would be coming for her and two of her friends - and sooner or later they'd succeed.

Buffy wanted to feel safe now; despite its impossibility. Have strong arms wrapped around her. She thought of Xander, but dismissed it. First he was most likely still back there, where she didn't want to be, and if he wasn't he was a target. Which made going to his apartment useless as well; if her assassins didn't track her there, Xander's would get her. Mom wasn't home, the rest was still back there . . . that left Angel. That was good! The vampire wouldn't be listed anywhere, good chance the assassins didn't know where he lived. Whether he was there or not, she'd be safe, at least for a little while. So, Buffy headed off toward his apartment.

-----

Xander arrived at Angel's apartment. He checked it out for a moment, looking for a way in. "Buffy?" Xander called out. "Buffy? Angel?" He shrugged, and easily kicked down the door. "Buffy!" he called again, quickly checking all the rooms - all empty. He gritted his teeth, closed the door behind him, and left.

-----

Not long after Buffy arrived there. She opened the door and entered, too distraught to wonder why the door was unlocked. Looking around, she called, "Angel? Angel?" There was no answer, so put herself down on his bed, and with tears leaking from her eyes, attempting to sleep.

-----

"We're closed!" Willy, the proprietor of the dingy bar called to the figure in the doorway.

"I'm not here for a drink, Willy," Angel said, and came inside the bar.

"Angel! Buddy! How have you been?" Willy called with a big grin.

Angel shortened the distance quickly, and hissed, "Spare me the theatrics, Willy. I want to know who hired them."

"Hired who?" Willy asked innocently.

Angel grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back on his own bar. "The Order of Teraka, obviously."

"Angel, friend, I swear I don't know. I went legal, no more funny business," Willy explained with a smile.

Angel squeezed his hand around the man's neck tighter, and said, "Willy, Willy. We don't really want to see how much I remember about torturing from my days as Angelus, do we?"

"Okay, okay, it's Spike!" Willow called out frightened.

"Why?" Angel asked dangerously.

Willy swallowed, and whimpered out, "I don't know, all I heard is something about a restoration ritual, that's it, I swear. Now you got to protect me, Spike'll kill me if he finds out I spilt."

Angel was about to offer a return when he was suddenly launched off of Willy with a painful impact. "Holy Mary," Willy muttered with drool as he saw who was his savior. Angel crashed off to the side against a wall, and ground out.

"Get out, leettle man," the exotic girl spoke with a heavy accent.

"Right, no problem, won't get in your way," Willy said and quickly ran out his bar.

Angel slowly got up, taking in the dark-skinned girl, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Your death," she spoke and rammed a right cross across Angel's face. He stumbled off to his right, and turned around to face her. Bad choice, because the girl was in the air and both her feet came flying at his chest.

"Aargh!" Angel groaned out as he was launched back, crashed through a half-closed door and tumbled down a short staircase, to land in the bar's dirty basement.

With effort he got back up, and saw the girl land in front of, jumping down the five steps in one bound. "I don't wish to hurt you," Angel tried one last time, but got a fist in his face for his effort. He vamped out, having had it, and attacked. He avoided her second hit, and slammed a fist in her face. To his surprise, the girl took it without much effort, only her face whipping to her left. He blocked her next punch, but got her rapid kick in his stomach. He stumbled back, moaning in pain, quickly collecting himself.

His centuries experience helped, as he managed to deflect the next right punch, and whipped around, slamming his foot in the side of her face, making her stumble backward, passing carrying beams, and into a section of the basement holding kegs with who knew what. The girl collected herself easily, and looked at Angel with a dangerous intensity. She jumped forward and twisted with a devastating roundhouse punch, that connected with Angel's face and made him stumble backward. Before he could do anything, the girl had already slammed her shoulder in his stomach, making him double over and tumble further back, directly at an opened door of a caged off section. A followup immensely powerful kick to his chest, made him stumbled backward all the way into the caged area.

Angel looked up from his position and got up readying to continue the fight, till he saw the cruel smile adorning the girl's face. She reached for the still opened, heavy steal-barred door. Angel's eyes widened and quickly jumped forward . . . the girl was faster though, and the door slammed shut. Angel slammed against the heavy bars that separated his section from the rest of the bars. He yanked at them, but it was all steel, too thick for even a vampire to budge; almost as if built for one.

The girl looked coolly at him, and asked, "De girl . . . de one I saw you weeth earleeur."

"Don't you dare hurt her, or I'll- . . ." Angel snarled, trying to grab her through the bars.

She interrupted him, "Den I suggest you hurree." She pointed up to her left with her eyes. Angel looked where she was pointed and saw a small barred window. "Eastern exposure," she told him with an even crueller smile, "dee sun weell be high enough in at most two ours." Angel locked shocked, and then she simply turned and walked away.

-----

"Willow, Cordelia," Giles called, and the two girls suddenly jerked awake.

"Don't wake the tadpoles," Willow called out, and then looked around confused.

Cordelia just looked around wide eyes, noticing Lotion rubbing sleep from her eyes, obviously just getting awake as well. Jenny was off to her left, the cat-woman oddly, or perhaps not so oddly quite alert. Next to her was Deo, gulping down large mouthfuls of most likely black coffee - strong black coffee.

"Giles, what are you doing here?" Willow asked the watcher, as Cordelia was still blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"You fell asleep during researching, you're in the library," Giles said with a smile.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You don't have to, all you girls went well beyond the call of duty today," he said, looking around the sleepy girls. "Tadpoles?"

Before Willow could answer thought, both Lotion and Cordelia came to the same realization. "Xander isn't back yet?" they asked simultaneously, fearfully.

Giles shook his head, and said, "We figured out what's in the book though; there's a ritual to restore master vampires back to full health."

With wide eyes Willow asked, "Master vampires like Drusilla?" Giles nodded solemnly.

"Somebody should go looking for Xander," Jenny pointed out calmly. "And I should stay with Lotion; the demon with mind control, can't control cats."

"I'll go, I can take my car, and they're not after me," Cordelia said, and rose up. "That black coffee," she asked as she wobbled about. "What time is it anyway?" she asked, as Deo poured Cordelia easily a cup. Jenny glared at the Amazon with unmistakable hostility, Cordelia supposed the techno-pagan still hated the woman for not lifting the test off of Willow in this dire situation. Her yelling about it had kept her longer awake than she thought had been possible for her last night.

"About four o'clock in the morning, and somebody finding Xander is why I woke you," Giles said gravely. "The library is easily defendable, we should be here till we have a plan of attack."

As Cordelia finished her coffee and went for the exit, Lotion told her, "You better bring him back alive." Cordelia nodded once at the Amazon girl, and then left.

-----

Cordelia drove through Sunnydale, making several wrong guesses, but finally spotted Xander walking along the pavement. She slowed down next to him, and lowered her window with a touch of a button. "Hey Xander, anyone attack you?" Cordelia asked him with a relieved smile.

Xander turned to her, and give her a tired smile. "Apart from a couple of vamps, no," Xander answered her, and leaned on the door of her car, obviously tired.

"You haven't found her, you don't think?" Cordelia asked him with a little fear, surprising herself that she actually let Xander see she had come to care for the annoying, short blonde.

Xander smiled at her, telling her, "Hell, no, if Buffy was dead, we'd have know. She wouldn't go down without a fight big enough to level Sunnydale with the ground. But where she is I don't know, I don't know. I've looked everywhere, cemeteries, the Bronze, her house, even Angel's apartment."

"You went back to her house yet?" Cordelia asked him. Xander shook his head. "Then get in, dumbass, she could have gotten there after you checked, you know."

"Right," Xander said sleepily and slid across the hood of the car to get in next to Cordelia.

"God, you need coffee - hell, you probably need something stronger," Cordelia told Xander in no uncertain terms, and peeled off toward a slowly lightening horizon.

-----

They arrived at Buffy's home and got out of the car. Xander opened the door with his key, and called, "Buffy!" He went up the stairs, as Cordelia walked into the living room, checking the couches, but they weren't occupied.

Across the road, a man carrying a suitcase opened the door of the other house, and came walking over with a creepy smile. He banged the gold-colored knocker several times. Cordelia came over and opened the door.

"Hi, I'm Norman Phister, can I interest you in some free samples?" he asked with a big smile.

"Free?" Cordelia asked her face lighting up. Smiling the man stepped inside, and followed her to the living room. The man opens the briefcase with the samples, and casually looks around the living room, as Cordelia is like a kid in a candy store, taking out one piece of makeup after another. "How much is this? After I try it for free of course," Cordelia asked picking out a nice lipstick.

"Nine ninety-nine, tax included," Norman spoke in a completely even tone. "Say, are there any other ladies of the house?"

"Now, they're not at home right now," Cordelia answered, checking out some mascara. She looked up, and said, "And how much is- . . ." Cordelia swallows her choke as she notices a mealworm run along the man's cheek. He turns to look at her, just as Xander comes back down the stairs. He realizes she notices something.

"Buffy's not- . . . hey, who's this?" Xander asked confused.

"He's a nice businessman," Cordelia replied backing away toward Xander, "Who's just about to leave, right?"

The man turned, and smiled just a bit more, several more mealworms come crawling out of his sleeve. Xander noticed it, and also noticed the ring on the demon's finger. "Well, well, a bug Terakan assassin," Xander said, crackling his knuckles. "I've actually been looking forward to some payback on your kind." The assassin just looked a bit confused at this. Xander brought his right fist back, and threw a rapid, devastating punch - which simply passed straight through the assassin, who turned into a mass of mealworms at the impact. "What the?" Xander exclaimed, as Cordelia shrieked in fright and ickiness. Xander pulled his arm back and tossed some of the mealworms off of him, while the bug assassin already finished reconstituting himself. "Shit," Xander muttered, and tried again with a roundhouse kick, with the same result although there's less of the body left. "Run," Xander said, and pulled Cordelia along, heading for the kitchen. The cheerleader shrieked, and worse once more when they reach the kitchen and the bug assassin is already there waiting, just finished reforming there. A casual smile was on his face, which made him extra creepy.

Xander immediately reversed course, continuing to pull Cordelia along. He reached the hall and the stairs but the bug man is there waiting for them, making Cordelia shriek once more. In one move Xander twisted, picked up Cordelia, and put her in a fireman's carry. She looked completely dumbfounded at her sudden prone position. He grabbed the railing of the stairs and swung around it, kicking out his feet. He caught the assassin in his head, spraying some bugs along and landed at the bottom of the stairs. With one single bound he went all the way upstairs. Cordelia gave a horrified shriek, and yelled, "GET THEM OFF ME!"

Xander didn't listen. He went left and ran down the short hall, to the window at the end. "Sorry, Mrs. Summers," he said, and with one kick shattered the window and sent the frame flying out the house and down.

"Xander? What-?" That was as far as Cordelia came, when Xander put one foot on the lower edge of no longer window, and jumped high through the air. "AAAAH!" Cordelia screamed.

A moment later Xander landed on the roof of the next house, some ten meters away and two meters higher. He put Cordelia down and quickly wiped away the few mealworms that had managed to stick to her legs throughout the flight. Then he did the same with his own legs, after which he turned and looked down at Buffy's house. The assassin stood there, at the window, looking up at them with a cool, unreadable expression. Xander narrowed his eyes at him, and then put his arm around the waist of a still terrified Cordelia, who looked at the assassin as well. "Come on, Cor, let's get away from here," Xander said, and pulled her along. She ran along with him across the roof. His grip tightened when he reached the edge, and Cordelia tensed up with nervousness. The next moment he jumped and smoothly sailed through the air before he landed on the next house, at which point Cordelia learned to relax a little.

-----

Buffy lay sleeping in Angel's apartment, on his bed, which stood with the long side against a wall. Luckily for her, Slayers never slept tight, because when the wooden stake came down at her heart, she rolled up against the wall, making the exotic girl miss. With a rapid motion, Buffy crunched up, and twisted, bringing out her right foot, and kicking the stake out of the girl's hands. Holding on to the wall with her superior strength, she shot out her left foot and hit the girl in her stomach. She staggered back, and Buffy smoothly got to her feet.

"You must my number two," Buffy sneered at the girl, ruthlessly pushing her fear away. "I'm so gonna kick your ass." With a growl of frustration she attacked, throwing a punch which the dark-skinned girl deflected. The exotic one returned the punch, but Buffy ducked underneath it, immediately going into a leg sweep. With unnaturally fast reflexes, the exotic girl jumped over it, but Buffy sped up, twisting fulling around and coming back up, kicking out right in the other girl's stomach as she came down.

With a groan, the exotic girl was launched away from Buffy, he stalked after her quarry with an angry growl - fear starting to ebb away when she realized she could take this bitch. The exotic girl landed painfully on her ass, rolled back and jumped up in on smooth motion. She came at for another attack, throwing a powerful punch, which Buffy blocked with open palms at wrists, and pushed back. With grunt she twisted around, slammed her elbow across the girl's face, and followed it up with a knee to the gut. With the other girl bent over in pain, Buffy grabbed her neck, planning to twist the girl around and slam her on her knee. Instead the girl rapidly brought her right leg all the way up and over her head, slamming into Buffy's face, and making her stagger back. The dark-skinned girl made a short quick somersault using her momentum and a boost from her left leg, or else she would have fallen flat on her face.

With an grunt of effort from herself, Buffy's opponent attacked again, determined to kill Buffy. Buffy counterattacked exactly as the girl planned - throwing a high punch. "Rah!" she yelled as she ducked and rammed both her fists into Buffy's stomach. Buffy grunted and stagged one step back, to the girl's surprise, but she smoothly adjusted, ramming a left, right combo across Buffy's face. She followed up with a high kick that Buffy blocked with her left fore arm. Buffy rammed her right open palm on the other girl's stomach, making her stagger back and groan in pain. Not giving up, she stepped forward again, and made a rapid jab at Buffy's chest. Buffy twisted her upper torso, put her left arm on the girl's outer forearm in the same motion, and twisted the punch out of harm's way. Buffy grabbed the arm, and twisted it onward, and up as she said, "Three months ago . . ." Buffy rammed her right hand in the girl's stomach again, making her double over once more, but holding on to the girl's right arm, made it impossible for her to get away from Buffy. " . . . you could have beaten me," Buffy finished. "HAH!" Buffy yelled out, as her right arm moved upward, ramming the lower cushions of the palm in the girl's chin.

"Nng!" she yelled out with pain. Buffy followed up with rapid roundhouse kick that sent the exotic girl flying several meters away from her, crashing into one of Angel's low tables painfully, and rolling onward to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Now you're too late," Buffy hissed, jumping on the table and then down on the girl. She grabbed her arms and pinned them above high above the girl's head, while putting a knee down on her throat. "Now, Terakan bitch," Buffy said with an angry look, "tell me who hired you! You can send all the creepy crawlies . . ." Buffy paused and remembered the man whose throat she slit with her skit, then continued, "and not so creepy crawlies you got after me, but when you succeed, you can say bye bye to money, because a corpse won't pay much, now will it?"

The exotic girl was scared, but she didn't show it, her eyes darting around for a way to get out of this, while stalling the blonde on top of her. "Teraka? I not Teraka," she told Buffy.

"Ri-ight, and you were probably coming to give me a back rub," Buffy replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Check for dee reeng," the exotic one implored, while trying to find some leverage to kick Buffy off of her.

Buffy frowned, and looked up at the girl's restrained hands. Indeed, there was no Terakan ring on the girl's fingers. Buffy blinked, and looked down at the girl's determined face with confusion. "Okay," she said slowly, wheels almost audibly creaking in her brain. "Sooo, who are you if you're not a Terakan assassin?"

The girl debated for a moment whether it was wise to give her captor the truth, but then decided the reputation might help out. "I'm Kendra de Vampire Slayer," she told Buffy, whose eyes bugged out in surprise.

To Be Continued . . .

Author's notes:

Wow. I'm back it seems. After several slow weeks, slowed down even more when my mother went to the hospital, died Saturday two weeks ago, and I had to cremate her last Friday. The whole ordeal hurt like hell, was depressed quite a long time, and then yesterday . . . yesterday I read a story of Buffy going to her mother's grave meeting Xander there, called "Sometimes you can't make it on your own" by Lexie (aaalex55) over on the yahoo group BXfanfic. It hit me right in the heart, hurt like hell, and had me crying in no time. It's beautifully written, and I came out of it . . . the old me. The heavy heart is now gone. I started writing on something else first, but something told me I had to start writing more on this part and . . . shocker, it went like a smooth ride. (Thank you, Lexie!) Page after page came, and with it the heavy heart cleared up. There's still a bit lingering there, but . . . I feel like me again. Twenty+ pages in a session of just a few hours yesterday, and if I didn't get interrupted so much today by RL, I would have finished this most likely midday, another 13 pages onward. Ah, well, part of the section before those 30-something pages I struggled through, undoubtedly several attempts at humor failed miserably.

Give me feedback, as always please, also the bad parts, and the bad humor heavy heart is no excuse. I would prefer them of course to be constructive: how could I have done it better. Mail me here: 3d.masterchello.nl.