Q/A - Megagalvatron - 1) Hope's relationship to Faith will be revealed in chapter 65. 2) Who Hope is will be revealed in Chapter 72. She is a canon character just not by the name of Hope. She is not the Hope from the episode dealing with Pandora's Box. 3) Faith will turn evil briefly. Hope is tied into Faith's redemption. 4) Yes both the Mayor and Glory will be seen. 5) X-Mas episode was skipped. 6) Halliwells won't invite Faith to live with them. Where would she sleep? After Faith's redemption it's likely Hope will invite Faith to live with her.
Chapter 62: Helpless
Buffy falls, her brow sweaty, muscles taut, straining, her hands gripping the shoulders of Angel.
A moment, and she brings her knees up hard, flipping him over her and onto his back. THUD! Buffy springs to her feet. Angel quickly recovers and he rushes her.
They tussle. She sweep kicks his legs out from under and he hits the floor hard, knocking the wind out of him.
Swiftly, Buffy snatches the French bread, rolls over to Angel's prone body, then kneels on his chest, pinning him, the bread poised over his heart like a stake. "Gotcha."
"Right in the heart." Angel says.
Buffy tosses the bread back. They are still entwined, still close. "Satisfied?"
"I'm not sure that's the word..." Angel says.
A little close to home - self-awareness intrudes and discomfort sets in.
Buffy quickly stands. "Well, I didn't mean satisfied like-"
"No, I wasn't trying to –" Angel says.
Buffy nods, "'Cause we're not having satisfaction, in the personal sense..."
"Of course." Angel says.
Buffy gathers her stuff, "I should take off. Giles is –"
Angel nods, "Waiting for you. I know."
Buffy stops, realizing the moment has passed and she can relax. "Thanks. For the work out."
"Am I going to see you this weekend? You probably have plans..." Angel says.
"Birthday, right. Actually, yeah, I do have a thing." Buffy says.
Angel nods, "A thing? A date?"
Buffy smiles, "Nice attempt at casual. It is a date. Older man. Very handsome. Likes it when I call him "Daddy.""
Angel smiles, "Your father. It is your father..."
Buffy nods, happily. "He's taking me to the ice show. It's great fun. And I could definitely use a little more fun."
Later at the library Buffy's face is glum. She is staring at a crystal dangling right in front of her from a leather string.
"And this one?" Giles asks holding the string. She scrutinizes the crystal with a lack of enthusiasm.
"Amethyst." Buffy says.
"Used for?" Giles asks.
"Breath mint?" Buffy asks stumped.
"For charm bags, money spells, and cleansing one's aura." Giles says growing impatient.
Buffy nods, "Okay, so: how do you know when your aura's dirty? Somebody come by with a finger and write "wash me" on it?"
Giles shakes his head, "Buffy, I'm aware of your distaste for studying the vibratory stones, but as it's part of your training, I'd appreciate your glib-free attention."
Buffy sighs, "Sorry. I just figure with Faith on one of her unannounced walkabouts someone should be out patrolling."
Giles shakes his head, "Faith is not interested in proper training, so I rely on you to keep up with yours."
"I hate being the "good" one." Buffy says.
"And as for patrolling, you'll be out there soon enough, why so anxious?" Giles says.
Buffy appears self-conscious. "Let's just say I've got a lot of energy to burn off."
"Due time. For the present, if it's not entirely beyond your capabilities... try to concentrate." Giles says as he places a large blue crystal before her. Buffy sighs heavily, then lazily eyes the crystal.
Later in a playground a vampire screams as it flies into the top of a slide. Gravity takes him for a ride to the ground.
Buffy is in prime fighting mode, easily dominating her adversary. "Wow, that was really funny looking. Could you do that again?"
"I'll kill you for that!" The vamp says.
Buffy shakes her head, "For that? What were you trying to kill me for before?" She deftly roundhouse kicks the vamp in the face, sending him sprawling onto the whirligig. She whips out a stake and holds it high. "Okay, so here's the deal –"
WHOOF - Buffy suddenly is dizzy and staggers a bit.
The vamp eyes her suspiciously. Then, seeing an opportunity, he lunges, throwing her to the ground.
The vamp grips the stake in Buffy's hand and, with little effort, twists it until the sharp point touches her chest. He pushes down on the stake hovering over her heart and whispers to her in a manner both intimate and obscene, "Let me know if I'm not doing this right."
Buffy is terrified and struggling, but weak and disoriented, so disoriented she forgets that she could flame out. The vamp presses the stake down on her chest.
The pain brings her focus back and she gives the vamp a ferocious headbutt. He rolls off her, nursing a bleeding brow.
Buffy wearily pushes herself up, she spots the stake lying on the ground where it was dropped. She scrambles toward it on all fours as the vampire recovers and sees her.
Snarling, the vamp dives at her. Too late. Buffy turns over, and he impales himself on the stake propped up in her hands. Dust.
Buffy sits up, brushing off dust, trying to shake off her near death experience.
She opens and closes her fists, feels her arms. Finally, concerned, she stands, takes a last glance around, and walks away.
Buffy stands and walks over to Phoebe who was knocked out during the fight. She helps Phoebe to stand up.
"Dang I really need to work on my fighting skills. When a vamp can knock out a Charmed One…" Phoebe says.
The next day Giles enters the library, carrying his case, engrossed in some old book he notices Buffy is there early.
Buffy has a throwing knife in hand, concentrating intently at some unseen target.
"Bit early in the day..." Giles says.
Buffy lets the knife fly - THWACK - then grimaces. It's obvious the knife missed it's target. "Giles, something's wrong."
"Wrong?" Giles says as he follows her gaze to the target with knives everywhere; sticking out of walls, a bookcase, book bindings - only one or two made the target, though none in the immediate vicinity of the bull's-eye. "Ah. Maybe you shouldn't –" Buffy hurls another knife - thwacks way wide. "— do that anymore."
Buffy sighs, "On top of that, I got a bad case of the dizzies last night and almost let a vamp stake me. With my own stake!" She throws another knife it too goes wide. "I am way off my game, my game's left the country, it's in Cuernavaca, what's going on here?"
"Well... probably you've just contracted a flu-bug or something." Giles says.
Buffy registers the possibility with grave disappointment. "Oh, no. Not sick. I can't get sick."
"Buffy, with precautions, there's no reason to think you'll end up in the hospital like last time." Giles says.
Buffy shakes her head, "No, my father's coming up to take me to the ice show. We do it every year for my birthday. If I cancel on him, it'll break his heart."
Giles nods, "Perhaps you should take it easy for the next forty-eight hours. Forego any more patrolling until you're feeling yourself again."
"No, no - I think I need to spend a little more time training..." Buffy says as she throws another knife, followed by the CRASH of breaking glass. "I'm gone."
"Thank you." Giles says.
Later outside in the quad Buffy sits with Xander, Willow and Oz, under a tree, having their lunch as other students mill about.
"An ice show. A show performed on ice. And how old are we, again?" Xander says.
Willow smiles, "I saw "Snoopy on Ice" once when I was little. My dad took me backstage and I got scared and threw up on Woodstock."
"I know you all think it's just a big, dumb, girly thing, but it's not. Some of the skaters are Olympic medal winners and my dad buys me cotton candy, a different stuffed animal wearing fuzzy skates every year and okay it is a big, dumb, girly thing, but I love it." Buffy says.
"Not so girly. Ice is cool. It's water. But it's not." Oz says.
Willow nods, "I think it's sweet you and your dad have a tradition, 'specially now that he's not around so much. Ixnay on the caramel corn if you're goin' backstage..."
"Okay, but we're still talking party, right? I mean, some of us relish celebrating the birth of the Buff." Xander says.
"Maybe it's time to call a moratorium on parties in my honor. They tend to go badly. Monsters crash, people die..." Buffy says.
Willow nods, "Eighteen is a big one, Buffy. You can vote now. You can be drafted. You can vote not to be drafted."
"Still, I think maybe I'll just celebrate this one with quiet reflection." Buffy says.
Xander nods, "Where's it written quiet reflection can't be combined with cake and funny hats?"
That evening at the Manor Piper is at the stove, stirring sauce. She hears a door slam. "Prue, Phoebe, Buffy?"
Buffy enters the kitchen, "Just me." She notices the decorations around kitchen. "Oo, presents!"
"They're not... They're from your father." Piper says.
It takes Buffy a nanosecond to register its meaning. Her face goes slack as she notices a small card with two tele-tickets attached to the bouquet. She sits down at the table, her back to Piper.
Piper sighs, "He said something about his quarterly projections are unraveling and he can't afford to take off right now. He promises he'll make it up to you. It's all there in the note... Personally I think he might be bailing."
Buffy sighs as she removes the note and tickets and eyes them stoically.
"If you want, I could go with you." Piper says as Buffy crumples the unread note. "That's assuming you want me to go."
Buffy pulls herself together and puts on a brave smile, then turns to face her mother. "That's okay. Really. I was thinking earlier how nice it would be to have a quiet birthday."
Piper sighs, "Well were still on aren't we. A little birthday shopping?"
Buffy sighs, "Sure." She turns and walks out of the kitchen.
Piper shakes her head, "Poor Buffy."
The next day in the library Buffy sits again at the large reference table, as Giles lays out the chorus line of stones and crystals before her. She's making conversation, he's all business. "I mean, I know there's cartoon characters but they also do pieces from ballets and operas... Brian Boitano in Carmen, it's a life changer... He doesn't actually play Carmen... But a lot of sophisticated people go."
Giles moves the large blue crystal in front of Buffy. "I thought we'd start with the Grounding Crystal again."
Buffy sighs, "... it's the kind of thing fathers do with their daughters..."
"Now, look very carefully for the tiny flaw at its core." Giles says.
"I mean if someone were free they'd take their daughter or their... student..." Buffy says. "... or their Slayer..."
Giles sighs, "Buffy, I think we need to concentrate now." Buffy sighs a little, looks at the crystal. "Look for the flaw at its center." Buffy keeps a fixed stare at the flaw, her eyes no longer blinking. "Buffy?"
Giles studies her for a bit. She's frozen – in a trance. And Giles doesn't seem a bit surprised. He reaches under the table, picks up his case and from it produces a small leather box. He opens it to reveal one freakin' huge hypodermic needle filled with a faintly yellow liquid. Turning back to Buffy, he swabs her arm and injects her. She doesn't flinch.
One more swab then he quickly shoves the hypo back into the box, the box back into his case, the case back under the table. Satisfied that all is as it was, he reaches out... and envelopes the blue crystal, breaking the optic connection.
Buffy blinks back to life. "What? Did I zone on you? Sorry, must be this flu-bug I'm nursing."
"Best take care of that. Why don't you..." Giles says.
Buffy nods, "Call it a night. Good idea. See ya'." She turns to leave.
Giles watches her intently, his warm look quickly evaporating and replaced with a steely-eyed demeanor. "Good night."
The next morning in the quad, amid the mid-morning bustle, Buffy and Willow emerge.
"How goes it with Amy the rat?" Buffy asks.
Willow nods, "Good. She really likes the new exercise wheel. When she runs, her little nose wiggles so happily..."
"I meant, how goes it with changing her back into a human being?" Buffy says. "That really was a difficult spell. Even I wouldn't have tried it."
Willow nods in agreement, "Neither would I. But I'm working on it. But I did get her the cutest little bell –" She stops when they hear some guy.
"You don't do that to me!" Buffy looks over to see Cordelia and a hulking wrestler-type, hovering menacingly over her, in a secluded corner. Though speaking in reasonably hushed tones, Guy's anger is unmistakable. "I waited for you at Payson's all night! What's the story?"
"Came to my senses. And the big deal is...?" Cordelia says.
The guy grabs her arm, roughly. "You made me look like some kind of dork in front of my posse."
"First of all, "posse?" Passe. Second, anyone with a teaspoon of brain would know not to take my flirting seriously. Especially, with my extenuating circumstances." Cordelia says.
"What circumstances?" Guy asks.
"Rebound. Look it up." Cordelia says as she turns to leave and he throws her against the tree. "Hey!"
"I'm not through here." Guy says.
Buffy grabs his arm, "I beg to differ." She pulls. His arm does NOT budge. Guy looks at her like she's a loon. Buffy tries again with both hands, straining. He casually shoves her away - she slams into the wall and slides to the floor. Willow immediately rushes to her side.
Cordelia stares aghast at the prone Buffy, then turns to Guy and rains blows on his chest and shoulders. Guy cowers. "What is wrong with you?"
"The chick started it." Guy says as he continues to retreat from Cordelia's assualt...
"Are you okay?" Willow asks.
Buffy stares up at her, looking very not.
Moments later in a hallway Buffy catches up to Giles. "Okay, I just got swatted down by some no-neck and rescued by Cordelia. What the hell is happening, Giles?"
"All right. Calm yourself." Giles says.
"Are you getting the big picture here? I have no strength. No coordination. I throw knives like... like..." Buffy says.
"A girl?" Giles asks.
Buffy looks at him, her face a mask of fear and vulnerability. "Like I'm not the Charmed Slayer."
They stand speechless for a moment.
Giles tentatively reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, then notices the black and blue mark where Guy shoved her. "Nasty bruise."
"Should see the one farther south." Buffy says.
"Buffy, I assure you, given time, we'll get to the bottom of whatever's causing this... anomaly." Giles says.
"Promise me?" Buffy asks.
Giles eyes her uncomfortably. She's too upset to notice. "I give you my word."
Later in the day Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz are scattered about combing through piles and piles of books in the library.
"Aha! A curse on slayers - oh, no, wait. It's "lawyers."" Willow says.
Xander sighs, "Maybe we're on the wrong track with the spells, curses and whammies. Maybe what we should be looking for is something like slayer kryptonite."
Oz shakes his head, "Faulty metaphor. Kryptonite kills."
"You're assuming I meant green kryptonite. I was referring, of course, to red kryptonite which drains Superman of his powers." Xander says.
"Wrong, gold kryptonite's the power-sucker. Red kryptonite's the one that mutates Superman into weird –" Oz says.
Buffy rolls her eyes, "Guys!" They turn and look at he. She indicates their environs. "Reality."
Buffy and Willow now settle in a quiet corner away from the geek squad.
"Buffy, I know you're definitely, without a doubt, going to get your powers back..." Willow says.
"Thanks, Will." Buffy says.
"But - what if you don't?" Willow asks. "Oh have you tried using your Charmed powers to see if their affected also?" Buffy looks at Willow, thrown. "I mean, there's a slight, eensy possibility and it just seems like, maybe, it's a good thing to get on out there and discuss. Just in case. Right?"
Buffy tries to cover her fears on the matter. "Okay. If I don't' get my powers back - I don't. I'll deal. And yes I still have my Charmed powers. Thank goodness for small favors."
"That's good." Willow says.
Giles enters just then and Buffy anxiously stands, her brave front disappearing.
"Did you find out... anything?" Buffy asks.
Giles takes a deep breath, considering his answer. "Not yet." He looks pained as Buffy registers resigned disappointment.
Later at the mansion Buffy and Angel sit together as she unwraps a book: an old edition of Browning's Sonnets. She lifts the front cover and sees a one word inscription, signed by Angel: "Always."
Buffy, clearly touched but also clearly bothered by something, closes the book. "Angel. Thank you. It's beautiful."
Angel looks unsure, reading her mood. "You really like it?"
Buffy tries for more enthusiasm. Leafs through the book. "Of course I do. It's thoughtful and sweet and, uh, full of neat words to learn and say like "wilt" and "henceforth...""
"Then why did you seem more excited last year when you got a severed arm in a box?" Angel asks.
Buffy sees that she's nailed. Lets down. "I'm sorry. Really - I love the book. And I love what you wrote. It's just... Suddenly, there's this chance that my calling as the Slayer could be a wrong number. I guess it's freaking me out a little."
Angel nods, "That's understandable.
"What if I have lost my Slayer powers, Angel? I mean, for good?" Buffy asks.
"You lived a long time without them. You can do it again. Beside you still have your Charmed powers, right?"
Buffy stands - agitated. "Yeah I have them… But what if I can't my Slayer powers back? I've seen too much now. I know what goes bump in the night. Not being able to fight it - what if I just hide under my bed, all scared and helpless... Or what if I just get pathetic? Hanging out at "The Old Slayer's Home" - talking people's ears off about my glory days... showing them Mr. Pointy, the stake I had bronzed..."
Angel moves to her, speaks soothingly. "Buffy. You couldn't be helpless or boring. Not even if you tried. Besides you can still do that stuff with your Charmed powers. You would just have to be more careful."
Buffy sighs, "Oh, don't be so sure. Before I became the Slayer I was... well I don't want to say shallow, but... let's just say a certain person who shall remain nameless, let's call her "Spordelia", looked like a classical philosopher next to me. If I'm not the Slayer, I mean... what do I have to offer? Why would you like me?"
"I saw you before you became the Slayer." Angel says.
"What?" Buffy asks shocked.
Angel nods, "I watched you, I saw you called. It was a bright afternoon, out in front of your school, you walked down the steps and I loved you."
"Why?" Buffy asks.
"Because I could see your heart. You held it before you for everyone to see and I worried that it would be bruised or torn. More than anything in my life I wanted to keep it safe, to warm it with my own." Angel says.
Buffy folds into his arms, whispers. "That's beautiful. Or, taken literally, incredibly gross."
"I was just thinking that too." Angel says. "Still Buffy you do have your Charmed powers. Even if your Slayer powers don't come back you will never be defenseless. Don't ever think you would be, not for a second. Because it's not true."
Later Buffy walks along the empty street, lost in thought as she peruses her new book, completely unaware of the two figures in her path. Startled, Buffy stops and looks up to see two drunk construction workers loitering on a corner, eyeing her. As she passes them, one calls out.
"Hey, sweet girl... how much for a lapdance for me and my buddy?" Drunk guy says.
Buffy freezes. Slowly she turns and starts toward them. Then stops. What's she gonna do about it? Frustrated, she keeps walking, turning down a back alley. "Walk me home? Don't be silly, Angel. I can take care of myself."
Then, she hears something: humming. Low, guttural, tuneless. She looks around. Nothing. Unnerved, she looks behind her.
"Hummers - big turnoff. I like guys who remember the lyrics." Buffy says.
No response. She turns back around and GASPS, finding herself smack up against a vampire, Kralik.
"Wish I could. But my mind's not what it used to be." Kralik says.
Buffy tries to pull away, but he grabs her sleeve. Instinctively she hits him in the face. Twice. He doesn't feel it at all. Her terror builds as she whimpers. "Let me go."
"Didn't say please." Kralik says as he pulls her closer, fangs bared.
Buffy flames out and back in a couple feet away. She looks around for a moment trying to figure out why she didn't flame back to the manor like she had planned. She turns to run and finds another vamp, Blair, blocking the way. She takes off in the opposite direction, running for her life. "Help! Somebody help me!"
Kralik gestures with his head and Blair gives chase.
Buffy looks around, desperately, then spots a high chain-link fence and makes for it. "Help me please!" She lunges for the fence, but, with her leaping ability on the fritz, she can't... quite... reach the... top.
Frantic, she suddenly notices a small hole in the chain link a few yards in front of her. She looks back to find Blair is almost upon her. Sprinting as fast as she can to the opening, she clumsily pushes herself through. The jagged cut links in the fence scratch her face, her arms.
Blair grabs her leg. She screams, then manages to pull away, staggering backwards. Blair's hand is reaching for her. Before she can get her baring, she's bathed in an increasingly bright light. She turns and squints into its source.
Headlights from an oncoming car. Buffy tries to wave it down. "Stop! Please! I need-" The car never slows, almost mowing her down. "Stop!"
Buffy looks back to the fence to see Blair scaling it. She screams and turns to run, failing to notice the lights from another oncoming car, heading straight for her.
Too late to jump out of the way, Buffy braces to be hit. At the last instant, the car swerves to her right and screeches to a halt. The passenger door swings open and Buffy sees Giles.
"Hurry!" Giles says.
Buffy gets in and Giles puts pedal to metal even before she has the door closed, which is pertinent since Blair is at her door pulling on it. Finally Buffy manages to kick him off. He hits the road and rolls for a few feet.
Buffy shivers uncontrollably, her breathing sharp and erratic. "I... couldn't... couldn't fight them... I was... I tried to flame back to the manor… I couldn't make it more than a couple feet…"
"Don't speak." Giles says.
Shame washing over him, Giles swallows hard, then turns his eyes back to the road. Buffy is welling up with tears.
"I was helpless..." Buffy says.
Later back at the library, Buffy is wrapped in a blanket to stave off shock. She speaks to Giles quietly, "I hit him... it felt like my arm was broken, it hurt so much... Giles, I can't be... just a person, I can't be helpless like that... We have to find out what's happening to me."
Giles places the box in front of her, opens it to reveal the hypo and a vial of pale yellow liquied. "It's an organic compound of muscle relaxants, adrenal suppressors... The effect is temporary. You'll be yourself again in a few days. It's likely why your Charmed powers didn't work is because you were scared. You've told me they work based on your emotions. You were in the wrong emotional state for them to work effectively."
With a quivering hand, Buffy takes it from him and stares at it with growing revulsion.
Giles deposits something on the table in front of her. The blue crystal. "A mesmerizing crystal. Stare at it for more than a few seconds and it puts one in a deep trance. While you were... under, I-"
"You..." Buffy says stunned.
Giles swallows hard. "It's a test, Buffy. The Tento di Cruciamentum. It's given to slayers when they reach - if they reach their eighteenth birthday." He pauses for a reaction, but Buffy just stares at the hypo. "The Slayer is disabled then entrapped with a vampire foe whom she's to defeat in order to pass. The vampire you were to face has escaped. His name is Zackary Kralik. As a human, he'd murdered, tortured, more than a dozen young women before being committed to a sanitarium for the criminally insane when a vamp-"
Giles ducks just in time as the leather box comes flying at his head, the hypo and vial shattering against a bookcase. He looks over at Buffy, on her feet, still shaking, though now more with rage than shock.
"You bastard! All this time you saw what it was doing to me. All this time and you didn't say a word!" Buffy says.
"I wanted to..." Giles says.
"Liar!" Buffy says.
"In matters of tradition and protocol, I have to answer to the Council." Giles says. Buffy buries her face in her hands. "My role in this was specific... I was to administer the injections, then direct you to the old boarding house on Prescott Street down at the end of the street from the Manor."
"I can't hear this, I can't..." Buffy says.
"Buffy, please –" Giles says.
"Who are you? How could you do this to me?" Buffy asks.
Giles reaches for Buffy's arm, "I'm deeply sorry, Buffy, you have to understand-"
"If you touch me I'll kill you. You will get a fireball up your …" Buffy says.
"You have to listen to me. Because I have told you this, the test is invalidated. You'll be safe, I promise. Whatever I have to do, to deal with Kralik and to win back your trust –" Giles says.
"You stuck a needle in me. You poisoned me." Buffy says.
"What's going on?" Cordelia asks, she just entered. "Oh god. Is the world ending? I have to research a paper on Bosnia for tomorrow but if the world's ending I'm not gonna bother."
Buffy starts out of the library.
"Buffy you can't walk home alone - It isn't safe!" Giles says. "And with your Charmed powers not up to full strength…" He moves toward her - she turns.
"I don't know you." Buffy says.
"Did something take her memory?" Cordelia asks. "He's Giles. Ji-ylls. He hangs out here a lot."
"Cordelia... could you please drive me home?" Buffy asks, her voice is small, plaintive.
Cordelia kindly responds, "Of course." Buffy starts out. Cordelia follows. "But if the world doesn't end, I'm gonna need a note."
At the Manor Phoebe is at the table studying when she hears something like a faint crying. She goes to the front door and opens it. A look of grave concern crosses her face when she sees someone balled up in a fetal position at the foot of the porch. She immediately recognizes the coat. "Buffy...?" She goes to 'Buffy' and touches 'her' arm.
The figure rolls over. "Cousin."
Later Buffy enters from the back door, still shaken and upset. She warily eyes the flower from her dad on the table, then grabs the bunch and tosses them in the garbage under the sink.
Then Buffy notices the front door is ajar. "Prue, Piper Phoebe?" As she looks closer, light from the porch spills in the open doorway illuminating a small square object. Buffy crosses to it and picks it up. It's a Polaroid photo Phoebe - with Kralik, his hand resting menacingly on her throat.
Buffy blanches, then turns the picture over. Written in silver marker, across the black backing: "COME."
Moments later in her room, Buffy is dressed for battle, throws her weapon's bag on the bed and proceed to stock it: stakes, crosses, crossbow... She stuffs a jar of holy water in her coat pocket, a cross in her back pocket.
Buffy then writes a note for Prue and Piper and leaves it by the phone so they might see it when they get home.
Done, Buffy grabs the handle of the bag and lifts the bag... with unexpected difficulty. She puts it down again, as she reacts to its heft, coupled with her diminished strength. She throws the bag's strap over her shoulder, and with great effort, she flames out.
Buffy flames into the foyer of the boarding house. She pulls a loaded crossbow from her shoulder bag. Not knowing where to go, and with no real sense of the layout of the place, she heads to the left, into the parlor.
Buffy moves through this dark space slowly as well, trying not to shake. There is a doorway at the other end and she approaches it. Summoning her courage, she opens it. It opens onto a brick wall.
Buffy drops her cumbersome bag. She inches forward, crossbow at the ready. She comes back out into the front hall as Blair steps out behind her.
Buffy spins, fires, but it goes wild, and he grabs the crossbow, wrenches it from her grasp. He grabs her throat - she wriggles free and ducks into the parlor and makes for her bag behind the sofa - Blair comes in and climbs on the sofa, grabbing at her over the back of it, she scuttles away, not time to get a weapon, Blair comes around the sofa and Buffy backs up next to a bookcase-
Buffy tries to power up a fireball, either she is too scared or too afraid for Phoebe. She only manages to get a flicker.
Blair comes and she pulls the bookcase down on him, lots of extremely heavy things fall on him, just his arm and head exposed. Dazed, he grabs Buffy's ankle - she grabs a table lamp and brings it down on his head - again - again - His hand goes limp.
Buffy is breathing hard, definitely more freaked than usual. A moment and she goes for her bag, taking the whole thing with her.
Buffy moves slowly out in the front hall looking about her. Looks toward the stairs, then in front of her, toward the anteroom. Moves that way, when a whisper seems to come from all around:
"Hide and seek!" Kralik calls out.
Buffy spins - where did it come from? A moment more and she moves into the anteroom. She comes near the crate, it is closed. She puzzles at it a second, approaching - and Kralik leaps out of it like a jack in the box, grabbing the girl. She squirms.
Kralik smiles. "Why did you come to the dark of the wood..." He takes the bag with one hand, looks in it. "... to bring all these sweets to grandmother's house." He tosses the bag aside, grabs her with his other hand. Makes with the teeth.
Buffy pulls a cross from her back pocket and holds it up to him. He lets go, moving back a bit and hissing.
Cross still held out, Buffy inches toward her bag. Kralik suddenly grabs her hand, cross in it. He pulls open his jumpsuit and shoves her hand in, holding the cross against his chest. He smiles as smoke begins to stream out of the jumpsuit. Moves her hand down just a bit to his stomach – "A little lower... there." – like he's got an itch. He beams with nearly sexual gratification.
Buffy jerks her hand away, frightened and repulsed. She bolts away from him, down the hall into the kitchen where she slams the door behind her. Gets her bearings-nothing useful here-and moves across to exit out the other side, which puts her in the front hall again.
She looks up the stairs - this must be where her Phoebe is. She moves slowly toward the foot of the staircase, expecting Kralik to seep in from the anteroom and head her off. He doesn't. There is only silence.
Buffy reaches the stairs and moves quickly up them.
Kralik's hand bursts through the rails and grabs her ankle.
Buffy's halfway up and he's on the hall floor, having followed her through the kitchen. One yank and her legs come out from under her, she falls, her head hitting a step hard, a white flash of pain as she momentarily blacks out. As she comes to in a second, he's still grabbing at her - she fumbles for a splintered rail, jabs it at his face. He snarls and withdraws enough for her to get up.
Blood is coming down her face where she hit her head - a small stream, but more than the Slayer is used to shedding. Hand to her head she limps up the stairs as Kralik comes around to the foot. She enters the upstairs hallway and quickly dashes into a bedroom and slams the door shut behind her, bolting it.
It's pitch black in here. Buffy stumbles, looking for a light.
A huge slam and the door shakes, Kralik outside trying to break through. Again. Buffy still stumbles about - till her hand finds a dangling light cord. She pulls it.
The room is lit by a bare bulb. Every square inch of wall space is covered with polaroids of Phoebe. Every inch. Buffy wigs at first - then looks more closely. Behind Phoebe is clearly the boiler. She's in the basement.
Kralik's fist bursts through the door, starts reaching for the bolt. Buffy looks - there's another door and she goes out it, coming out again into the upstairs hallway.
To one side is the laundry chute. The other leads back downstairs - she heads that way but Kralik steps in the way, grabs her. Not smiling. "If you stray from the path you will lose your way."
Kralik bears down on her neck - she fights wildly but she's just a girl, pinned and wriggling as he gets his mouth closer to her, he whispers urgently, "I won't take it all, I won't take it all..."
Buffy is helpless, still making one last effort to push him away - and he rears back, roaring. Clutching his head.
Buffy tries to take the moment to get by him, but he slams her against the wall. She's dazed as he fumbles in his pocket, pulls out his bottle of pills. With shaking hands, he tries to open it.
Buffy darts forward and grabs the bottle, racing away from Kralik, down the hall and she dives into the laundry chute, two feet in front of him reaching for her:
Buffy shoots down it, head first, as Kralik - obviously too big to fit - grabs futilely for her. He is screaming.
Buffy comes out of the chute and hits the ground hard. She almost can't get up.
"Buffy?" Phoebe asks. Buffy looks up to see Phoebe tied to the chair. She pulls herself up, clothes torn, head bloodied, shaking. But not down. "Buffy, we have to get-"
Buffy holds her fingers to her lips. Looks around for a weapon, an idea. Then she smiles. She runs over to the glass of water and pours it out replacing it with holy water from the bottle in her pocket.
The door is just BLOWN off its hinges by the force of Kralik's blow. He comes down the stairs, screaming, "Where are they?! Where are they?!" He's dazed with pain, but twice as lethal. He moves into the cellar - sees Phoebe still tied up -
Buffy tries to slip by him upstairs but he grabs her, throws her against the wall. He pulls the pills from her fingers and rips off the top, pouring them into his mouth. He grabs the water glass and washes them down.
The pain subsides almost instantly. Kralik turns to Buffy, who has sunk down into the corner. "You almost got away little girl. I almost lay down and –" He stops, sudden pain wrenching his gut. He is still holding the glass and the bottle of pills - he looks at Buffy. "What did you... My pills..."
Very calmly, Buffy shakes her head. She holds up a small the empty bottle of holy water.
Kralik's eyes go wide. As does his mouth, which smokes, sizzles, and is eaten away from the inside.
As Kralik's whole body begins to tremble and crack, Buffy stands.
"If I had the Slayer's power... I'd be punning right about now." Buffy says.
Kralik explodes.
Buffy stares her deadpan warrior stare at the space he used to occupy. A moment, and she moves to Phoebe, starts untying her.
"Buffy, thank God you're okay." Phoebe says.
Buffy nods, "I can't get these. They're too tight."
Phoebe nods, "Fireball?"
Buffy looks at her, "I could try but I was so scared for you that I could only produce a flicker."
Buffy doesn't notice as Blair comes up behind her, looking pissed.
"Buffy!" Phoebe says.
Buffy spins, Blair moves - and is tackled from the side by Giles.
The two of them go crashing into a tool shelf - Blair turns on Giles, punching him with jaw-snapping force.
Buffy powers up a fireball, "Yay!" She throws it at Blair and he dusts. She turns back to Phoebe, "Hold on sis. I'll have those ropes burned in a moment."
The next day in the library…
"Congratulations. You pass." Travers says.
Buffy sits at the table, Phoebe is holding a wet cloth to Buffy's head. Travers stands before them, Giles, Prue and Piper stands nearby. Nobody looks wildly happy.
"You exhibited extraordinary courage and clearheadedness in battle. The council is very pleased." Travers says.
"Do I get a gold star?" Buffy asks sarcastically.
"Buffy," Prue says.
"I understand that you're upset –" Travers says.
Piper shakes her head, "You understand nothing. You set that monster loose and he went after our sister."
"You think the test was unfair?" Travers asks.
Buffy nods, "I think you better get out of town before I get my strength back. Or worse yet before my sisters decide to forget their protectors of the innocent and decide to do something with you they might regret later."
Travers nods, "We're not in the business of 'fair', Miss Halliwell. We're fighting a war."
Giles shakes his head, "You're waging a war. She along with her cousin's are fighting it. There is a difference."
"Mr. Giles, if you don't mind-" Travers says.
Giles shakes his head, "The test is done. We're finished."
"Not quite. She passed. You didn't." Travers says. "The Slayer isn't the only one who must perform in this situation. I have recommended to the council, and they have agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as watcher effective immediately. You're fired."
"On what grounds?" Prue asks.
"His affection for your 'sister' has rendered him incapable of clear and impartial judgment. He has a father's love for the child and that is useless to the cause." Travers says looking back at Giles. "It would be best for you not to have further contact with the Slayer-"
Prue shakes her head, "That's not happening. You see Buffy isn't only a Slayer but she is also Charmed, a witch as you well know. Rupert Giles is a valuable resource to the Charmed Ones, which includes Buffy. I highly suggest you do as my sister said and leave town."
Travers nods, "Very well but Mr. Giles if you interfere with the new watcher or try to countermand his authority in any way you will be dealt with. Are we clear."
Prue shakes her head, "And if your 'new watcher' countermands my authority as not only Buffy's legal guardian but also as a Charmed One. I will have him sent back to England and we will break all ties with the Watcher's Council."
Travers frowns at Prue and then looks at Buffy, "Congratulations again."
"Bite me." Buffy says as Prue, Phoebe and Piper laughs.
Travers turns to go, "Yes. Well. Colorful girl." He throws a look at Giles, Prue, Phoebe and Piper and walks out. No one says anything for a while.
Phoebe puts the rag to Buffy's head and Buffy winces, "Sorry."
"Ow, Pheebs!" Buffy says.
Giles moves over to Phoebe and Buffy, "Let me see..."
Phoebe and Buffy looks up at him. A moment of silence, and Phoebe slowly hands him the rag. Giles dips it in water and squats down, inspecting the wound, dabbing it with the rag.
Buffy says nothing. Lets him tend to her. Her eyes look at her cousins.
Later in the kitchen at the Manor Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander, Prue, Piper and Phoebe mill about. They have all been making lunch together, talking, making with the lemonade.
"I just can't believe Giles was fired! How could Giles get fired?" Willow says.
"So how did you manage to kill Kralik?" Oz asks.
"Oh, she was very clever." Phoebe says beaming at Buffy. "You go ahead and tell it, sweetie. You tell it better.
"But when you say fired, you mean fired?" Willow asks.
Xander shakes his head, "You're not cruising past that concept anytime soon, are you?"
"It's just-he's been fired! He's unemployed! He's between jobs!" Willow says.
Prue shakes her head, "Giles isn't going anywhere, Willow. He's still the librarian. Besides the Charmed Ones still can use his knowledge. He will still be helping us whether the Watcher's Council wants him to or not."
Willow nods, "Well I might write an angry letter anyways."
Buffy shakes her head, "Nothing's really gonna change. The important thing is, I kept up my special birthday tradition of gut-wrenching misery and horror."
"Bright side to everything." Oz says.
Buffy grabs the peanut butter, tries to open the jar, "Things won't ever be exactly the same, but once I... get back to... full..." She can't do it.
Xander smiles at her condescendingly. "Give you a hand with that, little lady?"
Playful daggers in her eyes, she hands him the jar.
Piper laughs, "You're loving this far too much, Xander."
Xander takes the jar, "Admit it. Sometimes you just need a big strong..." He completely fails to open it. He struggles, manfully, the smile fixed all the while to his face. "Uh, Will? You wanna give me a hand?"