Q/A: RHatch - After this chapter there is exactly 2 Charmed (Look Who's Barking and All Hell Breaks Loose) and 2 BTVS (Prom and Graduation) chapters left and then we move on into season 4 starting with Charmed Again.
Chapter 72: Choices
Buffy's at the counter in the kitchen, breakfasting on toast and juice, as she peruses the newspaper.
"Buffy!" Piper calls out. Buffy stiffens as Prue, Piper and Phoebe walk into the kitchen. "When were you going to tell us?"
Buffy reaches up to the earrings she's wearing. "Okay, busted. Didn't think Prue'd miss them. Here's me taking them off."
Piper holds up an open piece of official looking mail. "You were accepted to Northwestern University?" She, followed by Prue and Phoebe, hug Buffy. "Buffy, we're proud of you. That's wonderful."
Buffy sighs, "Oh. Right. Wonderful."
Piper nods, "I mean, it isn't cheap, but I know we can make it work with the money your mom left you for college and if your Father pitches in. Not that Northwestern's your only option; it's a great school, though."
Prue nods, "We're proud of you. Maybe one of us can have a life outside demons and warlocks."
Buffy sighs, "Prue, Piper, Phoebe, you know I can't."
"Buffy yes you can. It's only for a couple years." Prue said as she looked at her cousin. "Phoebe, Piper and I can patrol for you in your absence. You should consider taking this opportunity to get away for a while."
Over at Willow's house… Sheila sits in the living room, "Willow."
Willow walks in to the living room, "Yeah, mom?"
Sheila pats the couch, "There is something I need to tell you."
Later at school Buffy, Willow and Oz sit on the lawn; Xander, under a shady tree, reading a book.
"Sounds like Prue, Piper and Phoebe are in a state of denial." Willow says.
Buffy nods, "More like a continent of denial. They got to realize I can't leave. U.C. San Francisco. At least I got in."
"Well, maybe not now. But soon. Maybe." Willow says. "Or maybe I too hail from Denialland."
Buffy sighs, "Faith's turn to the dark side of the force has pretty much put the proverbial kibosh on any away school plans for me. But, you... I can't believe you got into Oxford!"
Willow smiles, "It's pretty exciting..."
"You're into some deep academia there." Oz says.
"That's where they make Gileses!" Buffy says.
"I know! I could learn and have scones! Although I don't know how I feel about going to school in a foreign country." Willow says.
"Everything in life is foreign territory." Xander says as the others look at him. He holds up a copy of 'On the Road', "Kerouac. That's my teacher. And the open road is my school."
"Making the open dumpster your cafeteria." Buffy says.
"Go ahead, mock me..." Xander says.
"Think she just did." Oz says.
Xander nods, "We Bohemian, anti-establishment types are used to being persecuted."
"Well, sure. You're all so weird." Oz says.
Cordelia passes by them just then.
"I think it's neat, you doing the back-packing, trail mix, happy wanderer thing." Willow says.
"I'm aware it kind of scores a bit high on the hokey-meter, but I think it'll be good for me. Help me to find myself." Xander says.
"And help us to lose you. Everyone's a winner." Cordelia says.
The others look up at her.
"Well, look who just popped open a fresh can of venom. Hey, Cordy, hear about Will gettin' into Oxnard?" Xander says.
"Oxford." Willow corrects.
"And MIT and Yale and every other college on the face of the planet? As in your face I rub it..." Xander says.
"Oh, whoopie. Oxford. Four years in Tea Bag central sounds like a thrill. MIT is a clearasil ad with housing, and Yale's a dumping ground for people that didn't get into Harvard." Cordelia says.
Willow smirks, "I got into Harvard."
"Any clue what college you'll be attending? So we can start calculating minimum safe distance..." Xander says.
Cordelia shakes her head, "None of your business. Certainly nowhere near you losers."
"Remember to breathe between insults, guys." Buffy says.
Cordelia shakes her head, "I'm sorry, Buffy. This conversation is reserved for people who actually HAVE a future."
Buffy powers up a fireball. Willow frowns and grabs Buffy's hand forcing her to extinquish it.
"Angry young woman." Oz says as Cordelia walks away.
"Buffy, she was just being Cordelia. Only more so. Don't pay any attention to her." Willow says.
Xander nods, "She's definitely got a chip going."
"Well, if you didn't goad her so much-" Willow says.
"I can't help it. It's my nature." Xander says.
"You need a better nature." Willow says before she turns to Buffy. "Can I see you for a moment, Buffy. Privately?"
Buffy nods and they walk away from the group, "What is it Will?"
Willow looks at Buffy unsure how to proceed, "I wanted to tell you first before I told the others."
"Tell me what?" Buffy asks.
Willow sighs, "Mom decided I was old enough now to know the truth about me."
"What truth?" Buffy asks.
"I was adopted." Willow says. "I was adopted when I was a year old."
Buffy's eyes go wide, "That's big."
"There's more Buffy. This part you may not like." Willow says. "You know how we were looking for Faith's sister."
Buffy nods, "Yeah."
"You're looking at her." Willow says. "Mom showed me my adoption records. I was born Hope Willow Lehane in Boston. I'm Faith's sister."
"Wow, Will. You're sure?" Buffy says.
Willow nods, "I got on the internet and hacked into adoption agency records and they corroborate the records I have. Proving they aren't forged. I also found an internet article talking about my parents bringing me home."
Buffy nods, "What do you want to do?"
"I know Faith went bad and all. But If I really am her sister like all the evidence says I want to try and reason with her." Willow says. "I seriously think finding her missing sister will bring her back to our side. That Faith is only the way she is because she refused to stop looking and anything that got in her way…"
"Alright." Buffy says. "We'll talk to Giles."
Later in the library Wesley and Giles face Buffy.
Wesley is perturbed - Giles, pensive. "I don't understand."
"I don't think I can talk any slower, Wes. I want to leave." Buffy says.
"What - now?" Wesley asks.
Buffy shakes her head, "Not now - after I graduate! College!"
"But you're a Slayer." Wesley says.
"I'm also a person! You can't just define me by my slayerness or my Charmed status; that's... something." Buffy says.
"Buffy, I know we talked about your going away—" Giles says.
Buffy smiles, "I got into Northwestern."
"That's wonderful news. Good for you." Giles says, warmly.
Wesley shakes his head, "All right, everyone: Monsters, Demons, world in peril..."
"I bet they have all that stuff in Illinois." Buffy says.
Wesley sighs, "You cannot leave San Francisco. With the power invested in me by the Council, I forbid it."
"Oh, yes. That should settle it." Giles says.
Wesley nods, "With Faith gone bad, and the Mayor's Ascension coming up—"
"I know it's complicated. I'm aware that my graduation may be, among other things, posthumous. But what if I stop the Ascension. And I think I have a plan for Faith that actually might bring her back to our side." Buffy says.
"I very much hope you will, but—" Giles says.
"I do that, then all you two have to do is keep the run-of-the-mill unholy forces at bay through mid-terms. I'll be back here in time for homecoming, and every school break after that... Can we at least think about it?" Buffy says.
Wesley makes a conciliatory attempt at sympathy. "Perhaps if circumstances were different..."
"I'll make them different." Buffy says.
"What?" Wesley asks.
"I'm sick of waiting for Mayor McSleaze to make his move, while we sit on our hands counting down to Ascension Day. For once, let's take the fight to them." Buffy says.
"No, no... Much too reckless. We're at a distinct disadvantage. We don't know enough—" Wesley says.
"She's right." Giles says. Wesley shoots a look at Giles. "Time is running out. We need to launch an offensive. So, what's your plan?"
Buffy's satisfied grin disappears in a microsecond. "I gotta have a plan? Really? I can't just be pro-active with pep?"
Giles can't help a small smile. "You want to take the fight to them. I suggest the first step would be to find out what exactly they're up to."
"I actually knew that. I thought you meant a real specific plan, you know, with maps and stuff. So. Great. Find out what they're up to. Before I go, Willow!" Buffy says.
Willow walks into the library. "I found out something." She hands Giles the paperwork proving she is Faith's sister.
Giles looks over it and then takes his glasses off and cleans them, "Dear lord."
"What?" Wesley says and looks over the paperwork. "Is this right?"
Willow nods, "I believe so. I'm Faith's sister. I believe I can reach her bring her back to our side."
That evening at City Hall, stepping out from the shadows, across the street, is Buffy, who watches as a limousine pulls up in front of city hall and comes to a stop.
Faith gets out of the car, carrying an ornate box. She tucks it under her arm, takes a quick look around, then climbs the steps and enters the building. The limo then pulls into an adjoining alley-way.
Buffy quickly checks the coast and starts off across the street.
The limo pulls into a parking space. As the vamp-lackey shuts off the ignition, he hears a noise behind him and whips his head around to find...
Nothing. After a beat, he turns to face front again and...
SMASH! A fist comes punching through the window, grabs the Vamp-lackey by his tie and yanks him halfway out of the car. He looks up to see Buffy, stake-in-hand, poised to strike.
"So, what's in the box?" Buffy asks.
The next day Buffy, Wesley, and Xander stand around the table in the library on which are strewn various research books.
"The Box of Gavrok. It houses some kind of great demonic energy or something which His Honor needs to chow down on when A-Day rolls around." Buffy says.
Giles and Willow enter, unrolling a floor plan, which Giles lays out on the table, weighting the corners with textbooks.
"What's that?" Wesley asks.
"Maps and stuff." Giles says.
"Plans for city hall. They were in the Water and Power mainframe." Willow says.
Buffy nods, "The box is being kept under guard in a conference room on the top floor." She scans the blueprints and points. "There. Unfortunately, that's all I could get out of my informant before his aggressive tendencies forced me to introduce him to Mr. Pointy."
"Well, now ... Here's what I think we should—" Wesley says.
"I figure best to hit it from the roof. I'll take Angel with me." Buffy says. "And have Prue, Piper and Phoebe in place as backup."
"Agreed." Giles says.
"There's a fire-ladder on the east-side of the building of the building." Xander says.
"Yes, fine. But you'll still need—" Wesley says.
"It won't be enough to simply gain possession of the box." Giles says as he starts to look through a book.
"Right. We have to destroy it. Not just physically, but magically." Buffy says.
"Hang on, we don't know what such a ritual would require—"
Giles shows the book to Wesley. "I think the breath of the Entropics is standard for this sort of thing. Fairly simple recipe." Wesley starts to look, but Giles hands the book to Xander. "Xander..."
Xander takes the book, "I know. I'm ingredient-gettin' guy." He starts to exit.
"All right. Stop! I demand everyone stop this instant." Wesley says. Xander stops and looks at Wesley, as do the rest. "I am in charge here! And I say this is all moving much too fast. We need time to fully analyze the situation and devise a proper and effective stratagem."
Buffy gets nose to nose with him. "Hop on the train or get off the tracks."
"The Mayor will most assuredly have supernatural safeguards protecting the box. Oh, we all forgot about that." Wesley says.
Buffy nods and looks to Willow, "Want to help me out with that?"
Willow smiles and nods, "You think I'm ready?"
Buffy nods, "Yeah, I think you're ready. Let's get to work." They disperse.
That evening behind City Hall an unmarked van and a car pulls into the alley. A door slides open and Buffy, Willow and Angel get out of the van as Prue, Piper and Phoebe get out of the car. They approach the front passenger window where Giles is sitting; Wesley, next to him, at the wheel.
"Remember, if something should go awry, Wesley and I will try to create a diversion." Giles says.
Prue nods, "And don't hesitate to call for us, Buffy."
"I won't." Buffy says.
"Let's synchronize our watches. I have exactly eleven six..." Wesley says and he stops when he notices Buffy, Willow and Angel holding up their wrists, illustrating that none are wearing watches. "Yes. Typical."
"Maybe we can just count one-one thousand, two-one thousand..." Willow says.
"Be careful. All of you." Giles says.
Prue, Piper and Phoebe get back in their car and drive around to the otherside of the building.
Buffy nods as Angel pulls down the ladder to the fire escape and gives Willow a boost.
They climb up on the roof and crouch around a skylight, looking down.
The box is directly below them, sitting in the middle of a conference room table.
Angel opens the skylight and then helps Buffy into her rigging. Willow kneels, book in hand, she sprinkles a fine powder down through the opening...
The powder settles on some invisible force field encircling the box, causing soft blue sparks to shoot off it.
Buffy moves over next to Willow and together they read from the book, "Sis modo dissolutum exposco, validum scutum! Diutius nec defende a manibus arcam, intende!"
With a FLASH, the field vanishes and the powder falls onto the box and table.
Buffy shakes her head, "I hate trying to cast spells written in Latin. Someone needs to update some of those books. Okay Wil. Take off. And if you see Faith. Wait till you have backup before confronting her. I know she's your sister. But it's better safe than sorry."
Willow nods, "I will, Buffy." She heads for the ladder and climbs down as Buffy and Angel make their way to the lip of the skylight.
Buffy slowly repells down into the room below.
As Buffy's feet are about to touch down on the table, she lets herself fall forward, effectively hanging upside down. Inches from the box, she carefully moves to touch it, anticipating an alarm to be triggered. She grips the box, lifts it off the table, and...
WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP, an alarm blares!
"Got it!" Buffy says. Angel starts to pull her up until the rigging jams. Angel struggles with it as Buffy continues to hang upside down. "Angel?!"
"It's jammed." Angel says.
Buffy hears running footsteps, approaching, getting louder. "Like very much to come up now, please." She hears a jangle of keys, as the door is hurriedly unlocked. "Angel!"
"I know!" Angel says.
WHAM! Two vamp-guards burst into the room and momentarily freeze at the sight of the strung up Slayer. After a moment of awkward silence...
"Don't suppose you want to help get me down." Buffy says as the vamps SNARL... "Didn't think so."
Angel, lands, feet first, on the table in front of the vamps. He gives one vamp a kick to the head, sending him sprawling into the other. He turns to Buffy, who, in one moves, tosses him the box, deftly pivots her body right side-up and unhooks herself from the cable.
Buffy and Angel square off with the vamps in a big-ass fight, all the while passing off possession of the box.
Finally, Buffy manages to tip the huge conference table on top of the vampires. Angel grabs her hand and they run out.
The two of them careen around a corner and down the twisting hallway. After a beat, the vamp-guards appear, in pursuit.
Angel and Buffy emerge from the front entrance and immediately escape into the shadows. As they hear the screech of tires. They turn to see Wesley and Giles peeling out with the vamp-guards running after it.
Diversion successful, Buffy and Angel retreat further into the darkness as Buffy pulls out her cell phone, dialing Prue. "Got it, flaming back to the library."
Back inside the city hall the Mayor, in street clothes, stands amid the debris, looking up at the shattered skylight, addressing the two chagrined vamp-guards. He's not happy. "Well, this is VERY unfortunate. I just had this conference room redecorated, for Pete's sake. At taxpayers' expense!" He straightens a tipped over chair and slumps into it. "And, oh, yeah... THEY'VE GOT MY BOX!"
"Yeah. They do." Faith says as the Mayor swivels to see her standing in the doorway. "But lookee what we got." She roughly yanks a captured Willow into view.
At the library Wesley, Prue, Piper, Phoebe, Giles, Buffy, Xander, Angel. All in mid freak. Oz totally silent, watching them.
"How did you - you - how did this happen?" Buffy asks.
"We thought she stayed with you." Giles says.
"Prue?" Buffy asks.
Prue shakes her head, "She didn't come around our side of the building."
"They must have grabbed her when she hit the ground. Buffy, I'm sorry –" Angel says.
Buffy shakes her head, "It's nobody's fault; we just gotta focus and deal. Oz, I swear I won't let them hurt her."
"We go back. Full on assault." Xander says.
"They'll kill her." Giles says.
"We're assuming they haven't already." Wesley says.
Buffy shakes her head, "No. They know what she means to us. She's too valuable, and as long as we've got the box – The box. We trade."
"We can't." Wesley says.
"It's the best plan, it's the safest way, right?" Buffy says.
Prue nods, "I think so, Buffy. In this instance Willow is an innocent and it's our duty to protect her."
Giles nods, "It might well be –"
"We call the Mayor, arrange a meeting." Buffy says.
"This box must be destroyed." Wesley says.
"I need a volunteer to hit Wesley..." Xander says.
"Giles, you know I'm right about this." Wesley says.
"Wes, you want to duck and cover at this point." Buffy says.
"Dammit, you listen to me!" Wesley says. "This box is the key to the Mayor's Ascension. Thousands of lives depend on our getting rid of it. Now I want to help Willow as much as the rest of you but we will find another way."
Phoebe shakes her head, "I think the Charmed Ones are all in agreement." Prue and Piper nods. "There is no other way."
Wesley frowns, "You're the one who said take the fight to the Mayor and you were right. This is the town's best hope of survival - it's your chance to get out!"
"You think I care about that? Are you made of human parts?" Buffy says.
"All right, let's deal with this rationally –" Giles says.
Which naturally, sets every one off. They speak over each other, voices rising:
"I can't believe you're taking his side!" Buffy says.
"Nobody said I was taking his side!" Giles says.
"None of this is helping." Angel says.
"I'm still for the "let's hit Wesley" movement, if anybody cares—" Xander says.
Wesley's voice is the last heard, "Listen to you people! You'd sacrifice thousands of lives - your families, your friends? It can all end right here! We have the means to destroy this box—"
Piper raises her hands and the pedestal explodes.
Oz smiles, "Piper that was my thinking."
"Giles, make the call." Buffy says.
In City Hall Willow, struggles to unlatch a window that's obviously sealed tight. Failing, she backs away, eyeing the glass. Can she break it?
She crosses to the desk and begins pulling out drawers, looking for something, anything, to use. Pulling too hard on one, the drawer falls to the floor, a few paper-clips, rubber bands and a pencil spill out of it. She continues looking until she hears someone unlocking the door.
One of the Vamp-guards enters. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, um, just looking for a sucking candy. My mouth gets dry when I'm nervous, or held prisoner against my will..." Willow says as the guard licks his lips and moves in on her. "...and I'm suddenly thinking that "sucking's" not a good word to use around vampires."
Terrified, Willow backs away until she's pressed up against the wall. The vamp's almost on her.
"Hey, did you get permission to eat the hostage? I don't think so. You're going to be in some trouble when the Mayor—" Willow says as the Vamp-guard grabs her. "No!"
"Just a little taste." Vamp-guard says.
Willow can feel his hot, stinky, undead breath. She closes her eyes tight. Willow opens her eyes, staring dead into his as she uses her power to levitate a pencil.
The pencil slams into his back. He explodes into dust, the pencil exploding with him. Willow stumbles back, breathing hard, overwhelmed by what she just did. A moment of this, then she makes for the door.
Willow runs to a door. It's locked. She is forced to go down the lit hallway. She moves quickly but casually, trying to look like she belongs there.
Willow stealthily creeps through the hallway.
"They're not going to be brain-damaged enough to come back here tonight."
Willow ducks into a darkened doorway and sees Faith and the Mayor exit an office.
"Ever have a dog?" Mayor asks.
"What?" Faith asks.
"I did. Rusty. Irish setter. Swell little pooch. A dog's friendship is stronger than reason, stronger than its own sense of self-preservation." May says, rhapsodically. He and Faith exit down the hall, the Mayor's voice fading. "Buffy's like a dog. And, hey, before you can say "Jack Robinson", you'll get to see me kill her like one."
The coast clear, Willow crosses to the Mayor's office and she peers inside. Finding it vacant, she quickly slips inside, and almost completely closes the door behind her.
Her eyes search the room, his desk. She notices the wood cabinet and carefully opens it, revealing its macabre display. Willow stares at it all, dumbfounded. "Whoa."
In the midst of this, she notices a small lever in the inside of the cabinet. She reaches up to pull it down and a panel in near the base of the cabinet falls open. Crouching down, Willow can make out the bindings of five large books. Excitedly, she starts pulling them out, knowing she's found... "The Books of Ascension. Yay."
She immediately opens the tomes and scans its pages, absorbing whatever she can.
A few minutes later she hears Faith behind her. "Check out the bookworm."
Willow swings around to look up at... "Faith!"
"Anybody with brains, anybody who knew what was going to happen to her, would be trying to claw her way out of this place. But, you, you just can't stop Nancy Drewing, can you?" Faith says and she slams the open volume, narrowly catching Willow's hand in it. "I guess now you "know too much." And that kinda just naturally leads to killin'."
Faith takes a step closer.
"Faith, I want to tell you something..." Willow says.
"Oh, yeah, please give me the speech again: "Faith, we're still your friends, we can help you, it's not too late."" Faith says.
Willow thinks about what to say to get through to her sister. "It's way too late. It didn't have to be this way, but you made your choice. I know you've had a tough life. I know some people think you've had a lot of bad breaks, and that you've hardened your heart to protect yourself from the pain."
Faith softens, listening. Then Willow moves in and attacks.
"Well, boo-hoo. Poor you. You had a lot more in your life than some people. You had friends like Buffy. Now you've got no one. And you were a slayer! One of the Chosen. Now you're nothing. Just a selfish, worthless, waste. Hope would be so disappointed." Willow says.
This stops Faith cold as she stares at Willow, "How do you know about Hope. I told no one her name."
Willow smiles, "I know where she is."
"How could you know where she is?" Faith asks. "Mom, told me she was taken from me when I was two years old and she only a year old. It was the reason my mom started drinking."
Willow smiles, "Help me Faith and I'll reunite her with you."
"Girls?" The Mayor says. Willow notices he is standing behind Faith. "Something's come up..."
Faith doesn't move as she glares at Willow. Trying to decide whether to trust Willow or not.
"Faith, you know I don't like repeating myself." The Mayor says.
Faith complies. "I got someone. I got him."
Willow shakes her head, "You could so have your family back."
Faith crosses away as the Mayor crosses in to Willow.
The Mayor plops Willow into an easy chair and grins at her. "I just received a heck of an interesting phone call."
Xander and Oz are checking the side doors of the Cafeteria - they're locked. Buffy stands by the kitchen, facing the front doors opposite her. Angel beside her with the box, Giles and Wes to one side. Prue, Piper and Phoebe stand behind Buffy.
"The place is locked down, except for the front." Oz says.
"Gives me that comforting 'trapped' feeling." Xander says.
"One way out means one way in. I wanna see them coming." Buffy says.
At that moment, the lights go out.
"I guess they're shy." Xander says.
"I can see all right." Angel says.
Xander and Oz pick up a couple of weapons.
They wait.
"Be careful," Prue whispers to Buffy.
The front doors swing slowly open as two vampires enter, steeping aside to allow the Mayor in. He is followed by Faith, who holds Willow.
The two groups eye each other from across the room. They are laid out almost identically, chess pieces waiting for the first move.
The Mayor takes a step forward - Buffy mirrors him. "Well, this is exciting, isn't it? Clandestine meeting by dark of night, exchange of prisoners, I just, I feel like we should all be wearing trench coats."
"Let her go." Buffy says.
"Not till the box is in my hands." The Mayor says looking Buffy over. "So you're the little girl who's been causing me all this trouble. She's pretty, Angel. Little skinny... Still don't understand why it couldn't work out with you and my Faith... Guess you kinda just have strange taste in women."
"Yeah. I like 'em sane." Angel says.
Faith grips the knife to Willow's throat.
Oz registers this. "Angel, chill."
"Well, I wish you kids the best, I really do. But if you don't mind a bit of fatherly advice, I, well gosh I don't see much of a future for you two. I don't sense a lasting relationship, and not just because I plan to kill the both of you. You have a bumpy road ahead." The Mayor says.
Buffy shakes her head, "I don't think we need to talk about this."
"You kids, you don't like to think about the future, don't like to plan but unless you want Faith to gut your friend like a seabass you'll show a little respect for your elders." The Mayor says.
"You're not my elder. I gotta lot of years on you." Angel says.
"And that's just one of the things you're gonna have to deal with. You're immortal, she's not. It's not easy. I married my Edna Mae in aught three and I was with her right until the end. Not a pretty scene. Wrinkled and senile and cursing me for my youth, it wasn't our happiest time." The Mayor says.
Buffy and Angel both stare steely-eyed at the Mayor, neither admitting that he is making sense. He moves slowly toward Angel.
"And let's forget the fact that any moment of true happiness will turn you evil. What kind of life can you offer her? I don't see a lot of Sunday picnics in the offing. Skulking in the shadows, hiding from the sun - she's a blossoming young girl! You want to keep her from the life she should have till it's passed her by and by God I think that's a little selfish. Is that what you came back from Hell for? Is that your greater purpose?" The Mayor says and he's face to face with Angel now, and dead serious. Nobody says anything. Angel stares at him but has no comeback. Nor does Buffy. He's hit the mark, and in front of everyone.
"Make the trade." The Mayor says.
Faith steps forward, bringing Willow. Angel steps past the Mayor and meets Faith in the middle. She passes Willow off to Buffy and Angel hands her the box. Lots o' eyeballin'.
"Well, that went as smoothly as could be –" The Mayor says.
BAM! The side door opens and Snyder strides in with two security guards. One locks the door behind them as a third enters from the front and locks those doors.
The Mayor takes a step into the shadows.
"Nobody moves. I knew you kids were up to something." Snyder says.
"Snyder, get out of here." Buffy says.
"You're not giving orders, young lady." Snyder says and he goes up to Faith and takes to box. She looks to the Mayor, not sure what to do. "I suppose you're going to tell me I won't find drugs in this box." He hands it off to the guard with him.
Faith pulls out her knife—
"Wait." Buffy says.
"Boss?" Faith asks.
"Principal Snyder, I think we have a problem..." The Mayor says as he steps out of the shadows.
"Mr. Mayor, I... I had no idea you were - I'm terribly sorry." Snyder says.
"It's I who should apologize, coming here at night, what must you think..." The Mayor says. Unnoticed by anyone, the guard opens the box. "See, I just needed to – Oh. Don't do that."
Everyone turns to look at the guard as he peers into the box.
A black spidery thing comes shooting out of it and attaches to his face.
For a second nobody can move. The guard drops to the ground, spider on his face. The box also falls to the ground, remaining open. A second later the spider skitters off the guard into the shadows.
The guard is very dead.
"Oh, God." Wesley says.
"Where did it go?" Xander asks.
"Get that door open." Snyder says.
"No! We can't let that thing out of here." Prue says.
The guard fumbles for his keys, dropping them in his panic.
"I still want to know where it went..." Xander says.
"Piper." Buffy says.
"I don't want to try and it either not work on the creature or I accidentally hit someone." Piper says.
Buffy nods, "Listen." She cocks her head. Then slowly looks up.
It's too dark to see if there is something crawling up there.
The Mayor looks up at the ceiling. The spider lands full on his face.
"Boss!" Faith says and she runs to him, wrenches the spider off his face and throws it to the ground. It skitters into the corner where Wesley and Giles stand. They scramble to high ground.
The mayor stumbles back against the table, his face also having been ripped off.
A moment and it begins to reform.
Snyder is completely wigged and takes a step back, unable to speak.
Everyone is looking around for the spider again. Another spider is about crawl out of the still open box.
The Mayor shakes off the experience and looks at the box. "I wouldn't leave that open..."
Buffy turns and dives for the box. Slamming it shut as the second spider is about to crawl out. She severs two legs in the process.
The first spider climbs up the wall behind Wesley.
Faith sees the spider and throws her knife directly at Wesley's face. Wesley manfully screams like a woman and ducks, the knife pinning the spider against the wall.
The security guard finally gets the front door unlocked, the vampires bolt out taking the guard with them.
"Is that all of them?" Phoebe asks.
The Mayor grabs the box. He holds it, ready to open it. "Not really. There's about fifty billion of these happy little critters in here. Would you like to see?" Buffy makes a move for him - and he cracks open the box. "Raise your hand if you're invulnerable... Faith. Let's go." Faith throws a glance back to her knife. "Faith!
"Faith!" Willow says suddenly. "Do you want to see Hope?"
Faith suddenly stops and turns to Willow.
Willow smiles, "Your sister, Hope?"
"Your sure you know where she is?" Faith asks.
"Faith!" The Mayor says. "Now!"
"Yes I do." Willow said. "You held a knife to her throat just now."
Faith's eyes go wide, "Hope?"
Willow nods, "Yes Faith. I'm Hope… Hope Willow Lehane. My mom told me I was adopted and showed me the adoption records. I'm your sister, Faith."
Faith looks between Willow and the Mayor unsure. "Prove it."
Willow smiles and nods. "Come with me to the library. If you don't like what you see then you can leave, we won't stop you."
Faith nods and looks at the Mayor, "Boss, I have to see if she's telling the truth. If she is my sister I have to know."
The Mayor nods, "Don't take too long Faith. If I don't hear from you in an hour then I will be coming back for you."
Faith nods, "Gotcha, Boss."
The Mayor walks out with the vamps.
Buffy looks over at Snyder, sees a man in mental crisis. "Snyder... you alive in there?"
"You... all of you... why couldn't you be dealing drugs like normal people?!" Snyder says as he takes off.
Willow leads Faith out the door and they head towards the library.
Buffy crosses to the knife. She pulls the knife out of the wall and looks at it.
"Well, that went swimmingly." Wesley says.
"We did all right." Buffy says.
In the library Faith and Willow walk over to Willow's book bag. Willow pulls out a large envelope and hands it to Faith.
"I did some research after mom showed me the adoption records." Willow said.
Faith opens the envelope and looks at the adoption paperwork. She looks at it her eyes wide. "Mom told me I had a sister who was kidnapped when we were babies. Said she would be a year younger than I am."
Willow nods, "I am a year younger than you, Faith."
Faith looks at internet articles that Willow has printed off corborating the adoption records. Finally she comes to a picture. "Where did you get this picture?"
"Mom took it when she brought me home." Willow said. "Why?"
Faith pulls out a locket from under her shirt. "No one other than I have seen what's in this locket." She takes it off and hands it to Willow. "Sis."
Willow opens the locket and her eyes go wide as she looks between the locket and the picture her mom gave her. It's obvious that the baby in her picture and the baby in Faith's locket are the same one. Willow smiles, "So?"
"I'm staying." Faith says.
"That's good to hear." Buffy says from behind Faith. "We can use you, Faith."
Faith looks to Buffy, "I don't know. I've done a lot of things B. Things I don't think Hope will forgive me for. Or you can forgive me for. Shoot I don't know I can forgive myself for them."
Giles nods, "Faith you are the only one with information on what the Mayor is planning." Wesley inches towards the phone. "Wesley, stop. If you call them we could lose our only lead into what happens."
Wesley frowns, "They will have to be notified."
"No they don't." Willow says angrily.
"I'm in agreement with Willow." Buffy says. "If you tell them I will flame you back to England."
"It's ok, Hope, B." Faith says and she turns to Giles. "What do you need me to do."
Giles smiles, "Tell us everything you know."
Willow smiles, "Before I forget I have a few pages that looked interesting from the Books of Ascension, but I didn't have time to read them fully." She glares at her sister, then she pulls ten or so torn pages out of her pocket. "See what you can make of 'em."
Giles takes them eagerly.
"This is your night for suave. You should get captured more often." Buffy says.
Willow looks to Faith and they say together, "No!"
Wesley nods, "Well, let's hope that Faith has something useful and that those pages are useful also. The Mayor has the Box of Gavrok. As of now we're right back where we started. Wouldn't you say?"
Faith looks to Willow and smiles, "We have, Hope."
Willow laughs as she hugs Faith. For a moment Faith stands there unsure of what to do and then she places her arms around her younger sister, and holds her never wanting to let her go.
The next day Buffy sits in contemplation as Willow joins her.
"Deep thoughts?" Willow asks.
"Deep and meaningful." Buffy says.
Willow sits. "As in?"
"As in I'm never getting out of here. I thought maybe if I stop the Mayor... but... I'm kidding myself. There's always gonna be something. I'm a San Francisco girl. No other choice." Buffy says.
"It must be tough. I mean, cause here I am, I can do anything I want, I can go to any college in the country, and four or five in Europe if I want." Willow says.
"Please tell me you're going somewhere with this." Buffy says, somewhat appalled.
"Nope." Willow says and she holds a letter of acceptance in front of Buffy's face. "I'm not going anywhere."
Buffy takes the letter. "U.C. San Francisco?"
"I will be matriculating with the class of 2003." Willow says.
"Are you serious?" Buffy asks.
Willow smiles, "Say, isn't that where you're going?"
Buffy throws her arms around Willow, tackling her with joy. "I don't believe it!" She stops, sits up again. "What am I saying? You can't."
"What do you mean, I can't?" Willow asks.
"I won't let you." Buffy says.
"Of the two people here, which is the boss of me?" Willow asks.
"But there's better schools –" Buffy says.
"U.C. San Francisco's not bad. And I can design my own curriculum." Willow says.
"There's safer schools. There's safer prisons. I can't let you stay here because of me." Buffy says.
"Actually, this isn't about you. Although I'm fond, don't get me wrong, of you. The other night, getting captured and all... things just got kind of clear. I mean, you've been fighting evil here for about three years, and I've been helping out some, and now we're supposed to be deciding what we wanna do with our lives and I realized that's what I want to do. Fight evil. Help people. I think it's worth doing, and I don't think you do it 'cause you have to. It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in. "
Buffy looks at Willow a moment. "I kind of love you."
"Besides, I've got a shot at becoming a bad ass wicca, and I have a great teacher!" Willow says as Buffy blushes at the compliment. "Also Faith is here, and I want to be close to her. She made mention this morning of turning herself in after we deal with the Mayor. If she does I want to be here for her. I don't want her to lose me again."
"I know what you mean. If it were Prue, Piper or Phoebe; I would be doing the same thing. You know I feel the need for more sugar than the human body can handle." Buffy says.
"Mochas?" Willow asks.
"Yes please." Buffy says as they rise and start to walk off. "It's weird. You look at something, you think you know exactly what you're seeing, and then... you find out it's something else entirely."
"Neat, huh?" Willow asks.
Buffy nods, "Sometimes it is. So how is Faith after you know everything?"
Willow smiles but says nothing.