The funeral for Xander's parents had taken place over the weekend, the reading and execution of most of the will's provisos carried out, with a buyer for the house found fairly quickly considering it was still a hot crime scene by listing it at ten percent under value. About two dozen family members and friends had shown up, Willow's parents telephoning Willow to provide up to one thousand dollars towards the wake and such, but not coming back from their conference. The wake was held at Don Harris' house, and with minimal alcohol offered, it remained a quiet affair.
It was now the Monday after Amy's rescue from Moloch and his followers. Fritz and Dave had apologized profusely, and were told to be available for research and computer-related matters should they be needed. In fact, Xander already had had them accomplish a few tasks.
Xander stayed home from school for one more day, meeting with a lawyer and his uncles regarding emancipation, living arrangements, his own will and testament, opening or transferring of accounts, and other matters. Xander met with Angel late in the afternoon, finding the vampire ready for the coming evening. Xander geared up, ate and slept until the sun began to set.
"You hear from Giles since I napped, DB?"
"He said he'd put them off as long as he could, then meet us back here to keep an eye on our friend, here."
"Oka—" he was interrupted by knocking on the door. Drawing a .45 and a soaker, he signaled Angel to open the door.
Giles entered slowly, the girls quickly forcing their way in to find themselves wet and facing the barrel of a gun.
"Xander!" Willow gasped as Buffy froze in shock.
Xander lowered the gun as Buffy backed up, "Buffy, never charge into a room unexpected when assassins and the Master's vamps are running around, hon. You gave me a heart attack. Why are you here?"
"Don't blame Giles, we followed him. What are you two up to?"
Sighing, "We're going after Darla before most of the minions get moving. If we're lucky, by late tomorrow night we'll at least have put off any more Tarakans coming to town."
"They didn't seem all that tough, Xander," Buffy put forth, "Why the big worry?"
Giles intervened, "because now that they would expect real opposition, they might simply blow up your house, or your mother's gallery, o-or some such extreme eventually. They don't care how many it takes, the contract i-is everything."
"So what's the plan, then?" she responded.
"Now that you're here, Giles will be using the tranquilizer gun on Darla as soon as he gets a shot; Angel and I will rush in and grab her; Amy, Willow and Marcie will protect Giles with super soakers. You will stay with Giles until Angel and I rush in; we'll be running out as fast as we can, and might need you to put the hurt on any vamps trying to stop us," Xander suggested.
"Why you and not me?" she pressed. "I'm the Slayer."
"We've already prepared and practiced a little, Buffy, and you're our best fighter for covering our escape," Angel added.
"Also, w-we've arranged for the blood-bank delivery information to leak out, a-and that you'll be taking out a nest of demons in Oxnard. So, even if Darla doesn't show up, we'll nail a bunch of vamps, maybe disabling and questioning a few as to her a-actual whereabouts," Giles finished.
No one having anything to say, the super soakers were handed out and they moved out.
Sunnydale Memorial Hospital receiving, 9 PM
The blood delivery was due in fifteen minutes. Xander and the others quietly out of sight except Marcie, who sat atop Angel's car with two water pistols under her clothes. When she'd suggested it on the way over, Angel, Giles and Xander had looked in awe at her location, Giles and Angel actually managing to notice her outline and a little detail as a result of such focus. As a result, she was to take her best shot if Darla came up next to her, or if she was near when Giles took his shot. Everyone in position, the tension mounted.
SMH 9:30 PM
As the delivery vehicle pulled up to the hospital, a group of 12 vampires accompanied Darla along the street, while near Marcie, four more came up out of the sewer. Apparently, the Master planned to grab the entire shipment to re-strengthen his hold over Sunnydale's vampires.
Darla drew closer and to the front, asserting her control of the situation. The human guards looked up at the approaching figures and ran to the hospital, leaving their responsibility behind, their fear-scents amusing the vampires. When they got within 10 feet of both the delivery vehicle and Angel's car, one turned to Darla, "Mistress, isn't that Angelus' car that's running?"
Darla faltered in her step, causing Marcie to draw and spray her and the minions closest to her. The screams of pain triggered the rest of the group to strike; Angel bursting out of the trunk lunging for Darla; Giles firing and winging her with a dart; Marcie running around to the driver's seat for escape, and Xander bursting out from the back of the delivery vehicle, firing four flares from as many guns bound to his wrists with cords . These erupted into bunched vamps closing on Darla to help against Angel. Flames exploding, Xander ran directly for the four-hundred-year-old vampiress, dodging eight burning and panicking undead as he went. Drawing out Darla's revolver he'd taken previously, he fired four blessed shots into the faces of four vampires that had gotten close to him, then two into a resistant Darla's head.
Running faster than the vampires could expect, Angel flung himself and Darla into the trunk as Xander lunged after him with a wounded minion. The car peeled out, leaving eight dead and two wounded minions in disarray.
Master's Lair, Tuesday 4am
"That's for your failure to protect my childe," the Master lectured after ripping the unbeating heart out of the released minion. "Call Taraka, cancel the contract. I will not give these humans the satisfaction of taking Darla from me."
Tuesday, Backstage in the Sunnydale High School Auditorium
A number of students are practicing their acts. Among them are Lisa playing her tuba and Marc rehearsing his magic act. Morgan's with his and his dummy, Sid. Morgan rubs his temples a moment and then looks around. Cordelia is singing "The Greatest Love of All" off key.
Giles is suffering in the seats, not wanting to be there, and still hazy from lack of sleep from the previous night's adventures. After a couple more lines Giles interrupts, "Thank you, Cordelia. Tha-that's going to be lovely."
"But I didn't do the part with the sparklers!"
"Um, w-we'll, um... save that for the dress rehearsal. Uh, Lisa! Please!"
"Uhhh!" Cordelia sounds as she puts the microphone back on its stand and leaves the stage as Lisa sets up with her tuba. Buffy, Willow and Amy come down the center aisle.
Buffy, drawing a breath as they go into the seats around Giles, "If it isn't the great producer!"
"Oh. You three," Giles sighs.
"The school talent show," Buffy smirks, "How ever did you finagle such a primo assignment?"
"Our new Führer, Mr. Snyder."
"I think they call 'em 'acting principals' now," Willow helped.
"Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but, uh, he would have none of it."
Buffy, smiling widely, evilly turns to her Watcher, "Giles, unto every generation is born one who must run the annual talentless show. You cannot escape your destiny."
"If you had any shred of decency," Giles winced, "you would have participated, or at least, um, helped."
"Nah! I think I'll take on your traditional role... and watch!" Buffy smirked, very satisfied with events.
"And mock!" Amy added.
"And laugh!" Willow followed up as they all laughed.
"O-kay," Buffy continues, "I think maybe we better leave our Mr. Giles to this business he calls a show." The three of them get up and start back up the aisle to find Acting Principal Snyder waiting there for them.
"So," Snyder begins, "We think school events are stupid, and we think authority figures are to be made fun of." No response from the teens. "And we think our afternoon classes are optional. All three of you left campus early at least once last week...so you need to integrate into this school, people. I think I just found three eager new participants for the talent show."
"W-what? Who?" Buffy stammered back. "Us?"
"No!" Amy moaned, "I'm just..."
"Me?" Willow asked, shocked. "But I'm the good one!"
Amy and Buffy look betrayed, but Snyder ignores them.
"I've been watching you three," the troll-like man stated. "Always getting into one scrape or another. At least that Harris kid seems to have gotten his act together."
"Well, we're really, really sorry," Buffy whined, "but about the talent show, pleeease, you can't make us—"
Snyder waved her off, "My predecessor, Mr. Flutie, may have gone in for all that touchy-feely relating nonsense, but he was nearly eaten." Sneering, as he starts past them heading for the stage, "You're in my world now. And Sunnydale has touched and felt for the last time. I know the three of you will come up with a wonderful act for the school to watch. And mock. And laugh. At."
Willow can't believe this sits down in a seat as Buffy spaces out and moans. She goes back into Giles' row, sits next to him and looks to him for sympathy. He has none to give, and doesn't even try to hide a smirk. The tuba solo is over. Willow just stands there with a big frown on her face.
"Thank you Lisa!" Giles calls out, and watches as the next act sets up. It's Morgan with his dummy, Sid. An act that is disturbing and to the gathered participants, amusing.
Girls locker room.
Emily is changing back into her regular clothes. She puts her ballet outfit and shoes into her locker and closes it. She hears a noise.
"Is anybody there?" Emily asks as she walks to the end of the row of lockers and peeks around the corner, "Hello?"
"Hello?" She continues down the row toward the showers. The demon comes up behind her. Emily turns and screams.
The talent show tryouts, Wednesday.
Principal Snyder and Giles come in through the doors at the back of the auditorium. The camera slowly pans down to them as they walk down the aisle.
"Kids today need discipline," the Acting Principal sounded off. "That's an unpopular word these days, 'discipline'. I know Principal Flutie would have said, 'Kids need understanding. Kids are human beings.' That's the kind of woolly-headed, liberal thinking that leads to being eaten or attacked by animals."
"I, I think perhaps it was a little more complex than, um..."
"This place has quite a reputation. Suicide, missing persons, spontaneous cheerleader combustion..." he rants, "You can't put up with that. You've gotta keep an eye on the bad element...like those three." He indicates at Buffy, Willow and Amy practicing some kind of dramatic scene. "Kids. I don't like them. From now on you're gonna see a very different Sunnydale High. Tight ship, clean, orderly, and quiet."
Girls Locker Room
A girl screams loudly when she discovers Emily's body.
Paramedics prepare the body for transport as Giles comes out of the locker room into the hall. He ducks under the yellow police tape and goes over to the team.
"It was Emily from the talent show," Giles informs them.
"Oh, man! I hate this school," Amy went off, "Xander's right. Our high school is hell."
"Uh, it must have happened just after, uh, dress rehearsals," Giles continued, ignoring the girl. "There was a cross-country meet at Melville. Sh-she never showed up for it.
"Vampire?" Buffy asked, frowning.
"Um, I think not. Her heart was removed." Giles added. "There are various demons which, which feed off human hearts, but..."
They watch as the knife is being put into an evidence bag.
"But demons have claws. And teeth," Buffy considered, "And like to use them."
"They have no use for a big old knife," Amy injected, "so does that mean the killer is a regular person.
"No, wait. I-I'm not buying, you guys," Buffy frowned, thinking. "Remember the Hellmouth? Mystical activity is totally rife here. This to me says demon."
"I'd like to think you're right, Buffy," Giles sighed. "A demon is a creature of evil, pure and very simple. A person driven to kill i-is, um, it's more complex."
"The creep factor is also heightened," a disturbed Willow agreed. "It could be anyone. It could be me! It's not, though." They gave her a look.
"Uh, demon or no, we have some investigating to do," Giles asserted. "I suggest we start with your... your talent show compatriots. One of them may have been the last to see her alive. I'll page Xander and have him 'use his nose' on this while Marcie does h-her thing."
Outside
Giles is interviewing Marc as he shuffles a deck of cards. Xander walks by, nodding to Giles and making an 'M' sign, to indicate Marcie is with him on his way to the girls locker room. He pauses, then whispers to Marcie between gritted teeth, "Did something smell 'off' to you back there?"
Giles, interviewing the wannabe magician, "Do you remember the last time you saw her?"
"She was talkin' to someone."
"Who was it?" Giles asked.
Classroom.
Willow and Elliot come in, Elliot responding, "That smart guy. The one with the dummy. What's his name?"
"Morgan?"
"Yeah, that's it. He was actin' kinda strange."
"Strange how?" Willow questioned.
Cheerleader practice.
Amy is talking to Cordelia, who was laying it on thick, "It's just such a tragedy for me. Emma was, like, my best friend."
"Emily..." Amy corrected.
Band room
"Well, Morgan's just strange," Lisa told Buffy. "He's always rubbing his head a lot and moaning. Especially the other day."
Outside
"He seemed kinda paranoid..." Marc went on, "Lookin' around at everyone..."
Classroom.
"And I think I saw him arguing... with his dummy," Elliot continued, "crazy, huh?"
Outside.
Cordelia, still going on, "All I can think is, it coulda been me!"
"We can only dream," Amy sighed.
Girls locker room
Xander carefully looks around the crime scene, sniffing and eying for clues. After about ten minutes, he leaves when Marcie declares the hall clear.
SHS Library
Willow, Buffy and Amy come in.
Amy, exasperated, shakes her head and declares, "Okay, next time we split up someone else is on Cordelia detail. Five more minutes with her and we woulda had another organ donor."
"I think I had a bit more luck," Willow shared as they went into Giles' office. "Everyone I talked to seemed to point their fingers at the same person."
"Morgan," the group concludes together.
"Well, what do we do?" Amy asked. "We don't slay him, right? We wanna bring him to justice."
"We could set up a complex sting operation where we get him to confess!" Willow exclaimed, looking hopeful. "Uh, I should wear a wire!"
"Whoa, hey, you guys, all we know is that Morgan is a grade A large weirdo," Buffy states. "That doesn't lead directly to murderer."
"Guy talks to his puppet!" Amy asserts.
"And for his puppet," Willow agrees.
"And thinks he can pick up girls with his puppet," Amy concludes.
"Well, yeah, but what about the whole 'it's a demon' theory?" Buffy demurred.
"I'm looking into that, but, uh, my investigation is somewhat...hampered by our life in the theater," Giles grimaced painfully.
"Uh, priority check, Giles?" Buffy questioned, hoping to get out of the school assignment, "Talent show, murder."
Xander and Marcie enter the library, Xander greeting them. "Hey guys, anything on your ends?"
"Maybe Morgan," Willow responds as he sits close and puts an arm around her, "You?"
"Well, there was an odd smell, I think I smelled it on my way to the locker room also," Xander replied, thinking.
"Wha-What did it smell like, Xander?" Giles asked, reaching for his volumes.
"Well, not-human. Didn't you catch a whiff out in the courtyard when Marcie and I walked by?"
"No, I'm afraid I didn't. Which students were around?" Giles pressed.
"The student you were with, Amy—and it's not her or Marcie," he answered as he replayed events in his mind. "Cordelia—evil but not demony, and a couple others. I'd have to compare smells somehow, but it was distinctive enough.
"Why don't you take a trip around the boys' locker rooms and see if any stick out, then maybe walk by lockers Willow will find the numbers for while you're out?" Giles suggested. "Further, we have this talent show the rest of you need to concern yourselves with; fortunately, it concentrates our avenues of pursuit nicely."
"Giles, the murder is more important than the show," Buffy whined as Amy vigorously nodded agreement.
"Acting-Principal Snyder is watching us all very closely. Now, if he chooses, he can make all our lives extremely difficult," Giles answered. "A Slayer cannot afford that! We will find this murderer, but in the meantime... the show must go on. Buffy, you, uh, watch Morgan. Check his locker, see if there's anything there."
SHS hall after school
Buffy quietly comes through the doors from the stairwell, looking around to see if anyone's there. She goes looks for Morgan's locker and finds it. She starts to work the combination.
"Okay..." Buffy murmured to herself. "Two to the left, three to the right..."
She looks in both directions again, and then slams her palm into the lock. When she takes her hand away there's a clean hole. She reaches in with her fingers and undoes the latch. She looks around in the locker, and is about to take Sid's case out when Principal Snyder grabs her hand from behind, startling her.
"Vice Principal Snyder!" she exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Snyder accused.
"Uh, looking for something," she replied, gathering her breath again.
"School hours are over. You, therefore, should be gone. There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed. And also smoking."
"Well, I don't do any of those things," Buffy responded. "Not... ever."
"There's something going on with you. I'll figure it out sooner or later. Do you need something here?"
"Oh! Yeah! Right! Um, a friend wanted me to get something... out of his case!"
She pulls the case partially out of the locker, opens it and is surprised to find it empty. She quickly closes it and looks at Snyder. "He must've taken it and just forgotten to tell me."
"Mm-hmm."
Morgan and Sid see what's going on from behind the door. Xander walks by quietly and quickly slams the door on them, then enters the room as Snyder and Buffy continue their staring.
"Get along home now. It's late," he says and heads down the hall. Buffy watches him go.
SHS Library a short time later
Xander, with Marcie in support, enters to find Buffy and Giles in the Library. They look up to see a dejected Morgan following Xander in as Sid complains.
"Could ya' at least hold me right side up! For crying out loud..."
"Be a good puppet and shut up a minute, okay?" Xander replies as Giles and Buffy stare at them warily.
Xander places Sid in a chair on some books, and points to Morgan and the adjacent seat.
"Marcie, if they try to get past you, use the flare gun," Xander directs flatly. Sid and Morgan stare at each other.
"Giles, Buffy, may I present Morgan, who doesn't smell in good health," Xander begins, "and a spirit-cursed puppet, Sid. Neither smell demony, but they seem to know what's going on, and were watching Buffy when she broke into Morgan's locker."
"Oh, uh, I... I may have found a possible demon culprit," Giles contributed. "The-there's a reference in here to a brotherhood of seven demons who take, uh, the form of young humans. Every seven years these demons need human organs, a-a-a brain and a heart, to maintain their humanity. Otherwise they, they, they revert back to their original form, which is, uh, uh, slightly less appealing." He hands Xander the book open to a sketch of one of the demons.
"So Morgan could still be the guy," Marcie asked, "Only demon Morgan instead of crazy Morgan?"
Morgan fusses with Sid's shoes, "Uh...no"
"It's said that these demons are, are, are preternaturally strong, and, and, and... Morgan is..." Giles paused, "Well, he seems to be getting weaker every day." Morgan puts his hand on his head. Buffy observes him. Sid speaks up.
"I've already killed the other six demons, there's just the one left." Giles and Buffy stare at Sid in wide-eyed and open-mouthed amazement. Marcie and Xander just stare.
"This is what I do. I hunt demons," Sid tells them, gesturing without Morgan. "Yeah, you wouldn't know it to look at me. Let's just say there was me, there was a really mean demon, there was a curse, and the next thing I know I'm not me anymore. I'm sitting on some guy's knee, with his hand up my shirt.
"And ever since then you've been a living dummy?" Xander asked.
"The kid here was right all along," Sid conceded, then gestured at Buffy, "I shoulda picked you to team up with. But I didn't because..."
"Because you thought I was the demon." Buffy finished, affronted.
"Who can blame me for thinking? Look at you! You're strong, athletic, limber... nubile..." he continues, drifting off for a moment. "I'm back! In any case, now if this demon's got the heart and brain, he gets to keep the human form he's in for another seven years."
The tea kettle is whistling. Giles gets up to tend to it, talking to Sid, "I must say, it's a welcome change to have someone else explain all these things."
"There were seven of these guys. I've killed six," Sid stated. "If I can get the last one, the curse will be lifted and I'll be free. I'm sure it's someone in that stupid talent show."
"The only things I could tell," Xander offers, "are that the demon is male, isn't Morgan or Giles or Snyder. No wood-smell in the locker room so it's not Sid. That leaves..."
"A-a much shorter list. Especially if there is a seven year repeat in ritual," Giles continued. "Xander, Marcie, who on this list would you guess at being our primary suspect?"
Marcie and Xander look at the list, and come to the same conclusion, "Marc."
"So, where do we find this Marc...and by the way," Sid says, turning to Buffy, "what's your deal, kid? I don't figure you for a demon hunter."
"I'm a Vampire Slayer."
"You?! You're the Slayer?" Sid exclaims as she nods, "Damn! I knew a Slayer in the 30's. Korean chick. Very hot. We're talking muscle tone. Man, we had some times. Hey, that was pre-dummy, alright? Now, I was a guy!"
"So, you kill the demon and the curse is lifted, right?" she asked.
"That's the drill."
"You don't actually turn into a prince, do you? I-I mean, your body..."
"...is dust and bones. When I say free..."
"You mean dead."
"Don't get sniffly on me, sis. I've lived a lot longer than most demon hunters. Or Slayers, for that matter. Of course, if you want to snuggle up and comfort me..."
"So, that horny dummy thing really isn't an act, is it?"
"Nope!"
"Yuck!"
"Anyway, Buffy, Sid a-and Morgan should go deal with Marc this evening; we'll have Willow provide an address," Giles decides, "While Marcie, Xander and I will take care of our other business, as we've been contacted and a location arranged."
"Sounds like a plan, G-Man." Xander declares, heading for the door, "Marcie, we ride!"
Buffy and her new demon-fighting companions met in front of the building indicated as Marc's address. It turns out to be an apartment. Knocking on the door, Buffy hears a scrambling for the window. Racing outside, she lunges at the fleeing Marc and tackles him to the floor. She leg sweeps Marc, kicking his legs out from under him as he tries to get up. She stands, waiting for his next move. As Marc tries to get up again, she manages a kick to his face, and floors him again. Marc growls as he starts to get up, and Buffy notices that the skin on his face is beginning to revert into its demon state.
"Ewww!" Buffy exclaims, disgusted at the sight.
Marc takes advantage of her distraction and jumps up and punches her, then follows up with a backhand fist to her face. She spins around and falls to the floor. The rope stretches and snaps, but Morgan runs and pushes the demon into the wall. Buffy gets up, but is punched by the demon and falls again. Morgan throws Sid's case at the demon, allowing enough time for Buffy to get up again, grab Marc and fall backward, to slam him over her and onto his back, hard.
Sid finally shows up, jumps onto the demon and begins stabbing with his knife.
"I found you!" Sid yells, stabbing it in the eye and rendering it unconscious, "And now for the big finish." He moves atop the demon's chest with his knife.
"What are you doing?" Buffy asks.
"It's not enough to simply stab it; He'll come back," Sid sighs. "You have to get the heart. Then all of this'll be over."
"Let me, Sid," she offers, holding out her hand for the knife.
"I got it, cutie," he replies, "Thanks."
"Hey, Sid..." Morgan nearly whispers, "Good-bye, huh?"
"Yeah, Morgan. Thanks for your help. See ya soon, kid" Sid quietly bids. The demon hunter turns and pulls back with the knife and plunges it into the demon's heart, then slumps over onto the demon with the knife still in his hands, a lifeless puppet.
Buffy looks at Sid with a sad expression, letting out a deep sigh, "It's over, Sid." Buffy gently lifts Sid from the demon and holds him in her arms.
The four scoobs waited on the arrival of Tarakans and the Master's minions across from the Police Station, two cars idling. Police vehicles came and left until about a half-hour past seven a rental sedan pulled up nearby, followed by eight minions walking down the sidewalk to meet in plain view.
"Where's Darla?" asked a hulking vampire, nearly growling.
"A b-better question..." Giles replied, "Where is Taraka? It is with them we are transacting business."
"Taraka is here," announced a voice out of the shadows, four figures entering the light a moment later. "The contract is canceled with the fee paid. Your codicil of one year is also accepted by the Contractor."
"A-And what will Taraka pay for one of its assassins who was subverted by Moloch?" Giles continued. "I believe we mentioned that as well."
"You have been granted a year by Taraka in which no contracts can be taken on anyone in Sunnydale, and the chance to counter any bids in the following year that may arise. Agreed?"
"V-very well," Giles agreed, waving to other face-disguised figures to release the occupants of the trunks. The assembled group waited as the handcuffed Tarakan and a weakened Darla made their way over to their respective colleagues.
"Taraka's business is complete," and with that four figures disappeared with the fifth back into the darkness, and the vampires turned away as they noticed flare guns pointed at them.
As Giles, Angel and Marcie returned to the vehicles, Xander noticed two red laser targeting beams leave off the retreating vampire's backs.
Talent Show, the Next Night
Xander rushed down the aisle as the curtain rose. Dressed in a big cloak and carrying more cloaks under one arm, Xander waved his sparkler-carrying hand forward where Marcy is carrying something shiny...making it look like it's floating by itself.
Climbing up the stage stairs as the previously-doomed but now-curious girls moved at his called directions to move to the front facing the audience.
"My lovely assistants," Xander calls out, "Sorry for the delay, but flying plate insisted on visiting its alma mater, the cafeteria...Our show tonight..."
Xander and Marcie, having taken pity on the others, and wanting to cheer up Buffy after the death of Sid, the other demon hunter, had quickly concocted a basic routine and raced to prevent the worse-than-demonic experience of Scooby singing.
Xander made the girls dress in the cloaks and walk around, Marcie getting dressed and wandering in at some point. They made Buffy throw knives, and have Marcie fake injury then cast of her cloak to "disappear" and then they made her reappear in the cloak from the disappearing act box...
Xander made Buffy and Amy (and secretly, Marcie) have Snyder pick a card, show it to Giles and two students, and have that card revealed by Xander a minute later as Marcie told him which ones had been drawn.
Xander floated plates and a few other tricks before having the girls exchange cloaks in a huddle to gain an assistant.
The show ended as all dropped the cloaks to the floor, Marcie presented to the crowd. To most this was a last disappearing act, but to three students it was an introduction to Marcie...as they could see her. Angel and Giles, warned in advance by Xander about this, took note of the students for later reference...Andrew and Tucker Wells, plus a Jonathon Levinson.
"Buffy!" her Joyce Summers called as her daughter and Amy chose to de-stage and leave via the aisle along which she sat. "That was great! Why didn't you want me to see this?"
"Uh, um, I didn't know this would actually be not of the embarrassing," she lamely tried a variation on the truth. "I'll see you after it's over."
Outside the auditorium, two figures followed Xander as he moved to join up with the gang. "Xander..." called out one of them, "That was actually quite good."
"Uh, thanks Uncle Jim," Xander replied. "What brings you here?"
"Actually," Don 'Hondo' Harris responded, "we're here to talk to you about last night near the police station. Is there any place quiet we could talk with you and Mr. Angel?"
Buffy moved to intervene, but Angel put his hand on her shoulder and carefully said, "Buffy, why don't you, Amy, and Willow let the rest of us go ahead to the main entrance of the library. We'll handle this there. I'm sure everything's fine."
The girls, realizing Marcie's name had been left out, nodded as the four males walked off.
"So, Uncle Don," Xander loudly asked as they passed into the empty Library, "Did you bring your laser sights with you tonight?"
"No," the retired special forces and police veteran grimaced as Jim 'Street' LaVelle snickered at his discomfort. "But we ARE here to discuss whatever it is you're involved in."
"Excuse me," Angel interrupted, "is this an official investigation, or a family matter?"
"Should it only be a family matter?" Hondo answered. "We've kinda been trusting you to keep Alexander out of trouble with this 'fork guy' running around. If there's a 'fork guy'?"
Sighing, Xander waved his uncles to chairs at the table, and for Angel to do the same. Calling out, "Sue, could you please put on a kettle for tea?" he joined them at the table.
"What do you want to know?" Xander asked.
"How about telling us about last night," Hondo started. "That looked like a hostage trade."
"It was," Angel responded. "A couple of 'PCP' gangs had issues, and brought in some outside muscle. We got lucky, captured the gang leader's girlfriend and made him publicly lay off us for a year. That's all, right Xan?"
"Ur, yeah, actually," the dark-haired youth replied. "I'm surprised we went for the simple truth, though."
"How long have you been involved with gangs, Xander?" Jim asked, "I don't remember anyone mentioning it before. And it looked a bit heavier than street gangs."
"Give me a minute to phrase this the right way," Xander quietly considered, taking his time. "Since you're cops, and Uncle Don's had his special forces experience, I'll answer with questions. What kind of animal attack in the jungle or city stops at a single bite? What does the 'gangs on pcp/drug of choice' euphemism in police reports stand for? If you have the true answer to those questions, you'll have your answer."
"What are you talking about, Xander?" Jim pressured, "And what does it have to do with the...attack on your parents?"
"You do the research. Talk quietly to people who are NOT in Sunnydale's police force, and in general see how many deaths in the hospital records involve bites and blood loss?" Tea kettle whistles, and stops.
"Why can't you just tell us," Jim continues. "We'll believe what you tell us."
"Why don't you ask Uncle Don why his thoughts are elsewhere?" Xander rebutted. "He's almost ready to know, Uncle Jim. Come back in a couple of weeks and I'll explain how things work on La Boca del Infierno."
"Xander," Hondo interrupted, "the situation is too dangerous for us to let go. We'll go looking for the information after you show us something so we can ease off. After all, I trusted and backed you up after what happened with your folks. Now I see you in a stand-off situation that might be criminal?"
Xander looked at Angel, who gestured it as Xander's call as Giles entered the Library, alone. To his uncles, "Your words, this will remain between us, and no one else?" They nodded, Hondo qualifying that anything illegal will stop.
"Sue, please bring tea out to our guests" Xander called out. "No need to put your cloak on."
"Okay, 'Mr. Fantastic'" Marcie sassed, entering the room with a large tray of tea and snacks, "Where should I put them?"
"Right between...'Mr. Wizard' and the 'Archangel', please," the youth smirked, looking at his uncles as they finally noticed the tray moving apparently by itself.
"What the—"Jim started, leaning back in his seat as Hondo peered intently forward trying to figure out the trick.
"Gentlemen," Xander intoned, gesturing behind them, "allow me to introduce 'Sue Richards', the Invisible Girl. Sue, Hondo Harris and Street LaVelle" The two men looked decidedly uncomfortable as they heard a giggle, and turned to see no one there.
"Uncle Don, it's polite to shake hands with people introduced to you," Xander chided, causing Marcie to laugh. The shocked policeman smiled embarrassedly and held out his hand, actually put at ease as Marcie shook it.
"Please to meet you, Uncle Hondo," Marcie laughed happily at the chance to play her disadvantage. "Xander's said very little about you."
"I'm not surprised, Sue," Hondo replied as Jim shook hands uncertainly, then gestured at his nephew, "After all 'Reed' there never told us about a 'Mrs. Richards,' hmm?" At Xander's happy shock at having his geek references turned on him, Hondo continued, "So, invisible, huh? I guess we should hope after looking at Xander any kids better look like you?"
The tension in the room evaporated as Xander fell back to the floor in his chair, and the world for the first time in over two hundred years heard Angel double up in genuine non-evil laughter at his current nemesis-partner's expense, in turn falling back to the ground in his own chair to disprove the myth of the always-graceful vampire.
Everyone still seat-capable served themselves tea or grabbed a snack, the hidden scoobies coming out of the book shelves as the mood lightened.
"You'll have to forgive them," Giles melodramatically sighed, "they're obviously two of our 'special' students."
A minute later, when everybody had calmed down, Xander stressed that his uncles had given their word, and gestured to Giles, who leaned back with a self-mocking smile, "This world is older than..."