Chapter 8: Reptile Boy
October 12, 1997 – Sunday
At Dawn's house, Faith and Dawn argued over which video to watch before settling on The Mask starring Jim Carrey. They snuggled on the couch and started the movie. They made it all the way to the moment where Jim Carrey finished singing 'Cuban Pete' before the necking started. It had started with some casual touches, holding hands, and Dawn leaning her head on Faith's shoulder. The kissing started lightly, and then moved into more passionate, heated contact.
Eventually, Dawn had straddled Faith's lap and taken Faith's head in her hands. She was kissing the other girl open-mouthed, exploring Faith's mouth and tongue with her own. She began unconsciously grinding down on Faith's lap. She brought her hands down to Faith's chest while she leaned into the other girl and moved her mouth to Faith's ear. She nibbled on the lobe before following the line of Faith's jaw and then down his neck with kisses.
While they were kissing, Dawn was aware of Faith's hands making tracery lines along her back and sides, but it hadn't registered that the hands were under her top until they moved along her stomach and one of Faith's fingertips ran along the bottom of Dawn's right breast.
Dawn's eyes went wide and she sat back. Faith swiftly moved her hands away from Dawn.
"Something wrong, Dawn?" asked Faith. "Don't tell me you're a virgin?"
"I know you're not," said Dawn breathing heavily, her heart racing. "But I am in both timelines. If we do this, if we go that far I just want to make sure that it's what you want, Faith. I don't want this to be a one-night stand. I don't know if I could take that. Not after loving you for as long as I have."
"Dawn," said Faith as she smiled at the other girl. "You're beautiful and sexy and I think you're great, and I cannot believe I'm about to say this given my past. But we don't have to go that far, not if you aren't ready. We can keep our clothes on if that is what you want."
"I have waited five years. So, what I want is to make mad passionate love to you," admitted Dawn.
Faith smiled as she reached for the remote, shut off both the video and TV. "Then let's go do it."
"Okay," said Dawn as she got off Faith and stood up. She pulled the other girl to her feet and then took Faith's hand in hers. She brought Faith's hand up to her lips and kissed it passionately. "Are you sure?"
"To feel what it means for someone to actually love me the way you do," said Faith. "I will admit I gave up on feeling that a long time ago, since my parents thought that abusing me was okay. This has been a nice surprise."
"If we do this, Faith," said Dawn. "It will take us to the next level of our relationship. Are you ready to be open about that?"
"You mean like holding hands, kissing, other kinds of romantic touching," said Faith as she smiled and kissed Dawn. "I'm ready."
Dawn smiled. "This is going to be fun."
"You better believe it," agreed Faith as she led Dawn up the stairs and into Dawn's bedroom.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Across town, in a sprawling, two-story California stucco mansion. The stillness of the night was shattered as a pretty girl crashed through the door on the second story, flung herself over the balcony, tumbled to a vast expanse of manicured lawn, and ran for her life.
A hooded figure darted from the ruined door onto the balcony, looked down, and ran back into the house. Within seconds, several dark figures in hooded robes emerged from other windows and doors like malevolent wraiths and chased the fleeing girl.
Panting with fear and exertion, the girl bolted into the woods. She ran fast, but her pursuers were faster.
They were closing the gap between them as she darted under tree branches and flew over roots. Under a large tree, she fell and rolled, then got to her feet and heaved herself up onto a stone wall with all her might.
As she dropped down to the other side, three hooded figures clambered over the wall right behind her.
She flew through the graveyard now, the moonlight highlighting the nightmarish setting and the names on the stones. Home free, she prayed, as she passed a strange, pyramid-shaped crypt. I am going to live.
Then suddenly, another robed figure stepped out from behind a monument and grabbed her. She screamed and struggled against him.
"Callie," the figure chided her. "Callie, where are you going?"
It was Richard, the good-looking blond boy who had enticed her to the frat house with the promise of a good time. "The party's just getting started," he continued easily.
Then, as the other figures caught up to them, he threw her into their arms. They began to drag her away. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she struggled for her life.
Richard looked around to make sure they had not been seen. Then he put on his hood and slowly followed the others as they returned their prey to her prison.
October 13, 1997 – Monday
Xander shifted uncomfortably. This was the single most important day of his life. Today a judge would determine whether he would be granted emancipation or if he would be going to foster care. Thanks to Dawn's attorneys they had gotten a court date set up faster than normally would have happened.
"I see you turn seventeen in April," the judge said, glancing down at Xander's file.
"Yes," Xander said.
"Is this your attorney here?" The judge nodded toward Aurora Hope.
"Yes," Aurora replied. "I am Aurora Hope of Paine and Hope Law Firm out of L.A. Mr. Harris has only been our client for a month now. A friend of his, another of our clients, agreed to pay our retainer."
"Is this the same person that he has been staying with since his parents were arrested?"
"Yes," answered Aurora.
"As a minor still in school," the judge said looking at the file. "I have to ask how will he provide for himself?"
"His friend, Dawn Summers, is emancipated herself. She has an inheritance from her parents Mark and Lyssa Summers."
"Mark Summers, that name sounds familiar," the judge said.
"Yes, your honor," said Aurora. "He was an associate with Paine and Hope. He and his wife, Lyssa died in a plane crash a few months ago."
"That's where I remember the name," said the judge. "Now you were saying something about Ms. Summers."
"As an emancipated minor with a trust fund of over a million dollars. Dawn has graciously offered for Xander to remain in her home for as long as he wants and even offered to give him an allowance."
The judge thought for a moment. There really weren't any good options in a case like this. Although he doubted if Xander was ready to be on his own at sixteen, he knew the harsh reality of the foster care system. Xander wouldn't be adopted at his age and group homes were not ideal.
At least Dawn was willing to help him, which was unusual.
"I'm granting emancipation," the judge announced.
Xander almost couldn't believe his ears. It took him a moment to digest what the judge had said. As it sunk in, Xander smiled slowly. He exhaled, releasing the breath he'd been holding. "Thank you."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Ha-ha ha-ha, oh, mmm. See?" Cordelia demonstrated for one of her Cordettes. Cordelia was holding a magazine folded open to a particular section. She explained to her faithful follower, "Doctor Debbi says when a man is speaking, you make serious eye contact and you really, really listen. And you laugh at everything he says." Again, she demonstrated: "Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha."
Dawn sighed as she and Buffy headed downstairs. "You dreamt about Angel?" she asked.
"I know it's over," said Buffy with a sigh, "that his curse could get in the way."
"I understand," said Dawn as she put her arm around Buffy. "I like him too. Out of all your boyfriends he was the best. I only am steering you away from him because of the curse. That said though have you thought about try and dating a girl?"
"I've thought about it," admitted Buffy. "Given what you told me about all the boys I dated. One broke up with me after only a couple weeks, another was a one-night stand, another broke up with me after a year and half and the last raped me. I have to wonder if the reason I have such terrible taste in men was because I was lying to myself all those years."
Willow and Faith slid into step with them.
"What are we talking about?" Willow asked cheerily.
"Nothing," said Buffy as she glanced toward Dawn.
As they neared that wacky reality field where Cordelia and her gal pals reigned supreme, Faith, Dawn, Buffy and Willow peeled headed over to the water fountain. They passed Cordelia as she said to her little clone wannabe, "There's really no comparison between college men and high school boys." She gave Xander a disdainful once-over. "I mean, look at that."
Buffy made a face as she looked at Faith and Dawn. "Ooooh, we told Giles and Chloe we'd meet them in the library ten minutes ago."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Chloe stood back watching as Giles circled Buffy, Dawn and Faith.
"Just because the paranormal is more normal and less . . . para of late, is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down," he said. It hadn't only been Buffy and Dawn who had been late but Faith as well.
"We haven't let our guard down," said Dawn.
"Oh, really?" he drawled. He circled back the other way. "Dawn, you yawned your way through weapons training last week. Buffy, you skipped the hand-to-hand entirely." Now he stood behind them. "Are you three going to be prepared if a demon springs up behind you and does this?"
Without warning, he swung at Dawn from behind. She grabbed his wrist, pivoted, and whipped his hand behind his back. One more upward yank, and she could break it without so much as breathing hard.
Giles grunted in pain. "Yes, well, I'm not a demon." He grunted again.
"Dawn," said Chloe. Dawn nodded and let Giles go.
"Thank you," Giles muttered. He straightened, massaging his wrist. He no longer looked annoyed with them, but he did look concerned. "When you live atop a mystical convergence, it's only a matter of time before a fresh hell breaks loose. Now is the time to train more strictly. Buffy, Dawn, you two should hunt and patrol more keenly. Faith, you should hone your skills day and night, in case you yourself are ever called."
"We know," said Dawn. "But Giles, remember when I am from."
"I remember," said Giles. "And I concede that you three should have some semblance of a normal life outside your calling."
"So, do I," agreed Chloe. "That said you three still have to train. Buffy and Dawn, you two still have to patrol."
"We will," said Dawn. "But just remember both of you, we are only sixteen."
"Actually, you just turned seventeen," said Buffy, reminding her sister that she was actually three months older than herself now.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Willow and Xander moseyed with the rest of the herd out of Sunnydale High. Xander said, "Boy, was that a long day."
Willow replied archly, "And you skipped three classes."
"Yeah well that's what happens when you go to court for an emancipation hearing," said Xander as he smiled at Willow. He looked up and cried, "Buffy! Dawn! Faith!"
Before them, Buffy, Dawn and Faith sat on the low wall as they approached.
Willow said gently, "Aren't you guys supposed to be doing your homework in the library?"
"We're taking our time," said Dawn. "I'm trying to drive a point home that Giles at least seems to keep forgetting."
"That you are from the future and know what's coming?" asked Xander.
"Well some of it anyways," said Dawn. "That and that we are not tools, but girls who happen to have a calling. Chloe gets it, or at least I think she does. Giles has been taking his time wrapping his head around it. He is after all old enough to be our father, unlike Chloe who is about our age. I think he has always seen us as his daughters, even though we aren't actually related." She looked at Xander. "Aurora called. She told me you won."
Xander smiled and nodded. "Completely emancipated."
"Congrats, X," said Faith.
"I'm happy for you, Xander," said Buffy as she stood and hugged her friend.
Just then, Cordelia, in a mad dash to make some kind of grand exit or grand entrance, bashed into Willow and didn't even register it. As the Scooby Gang mumbled about her bad manners, she tripped down the stairs.
A very wicked-lovely black BMW, fully loaded with a moon roof and all the other good stuff, pulled up to the curb. Cordelia took off her sunglasses like an aspiring spokesmodel and flashed her very large smile at the tinted window. The tinted window rolled down and there was, Richard Anderson. "Cordelia."
Cordelia smiled hugely at him and never blinked, just as Doctor Debbi instructed. "Hi, Richard. Nice car."
Some guy was sitting next to him. Cordelia didn't pay any attention to him as Richard said, "So, we're having a little get together tomorrow night at the house."
He glanced at his friend then at someone in the back seat, then to wherever his friends were looking.
"And it's going to be a really special evening." Richard said.
Now, Cordelia told herself, and let forth with a lovely trill of laughter: "Ha-ha ha-ha."
Richard blinked and said, "Excuse me?"
Mmm. She had laughed wrong. Recovering, she renewed her efforts to never take her eyes off his face and said, "Oh, I'd love, love to!"
Richard looked past her again. "Who's your friends?"
Cordelia turned. Buffy, Dawn were smiling and talking with Faith, Xander and Willow. "Them? Oh, they're not my friends," Cordelia announced.
Richard's friend in the front seat spoke for the first time. "The blonde's amazing."
"So is the brunette next to her," said the one in the back seat.
"They are more like sisters, really," Cordelia amended without missing a beat. "We're that close."
Richard smiled at Cordelia and said, "Why don't you introduce us?"
Fuming on the inside, gazing and smiling for all she was worth, or rather, all Richard was worth, on the outside, Cordelia gritted, "Okay."
Xander said, "Okay. So tonight, channel fifty-nine. Indian TV—sex, lies, incomprehensible story lines. I'll bring the betel nuts."
Just then Cordelia walked up, grabbed Dawn and Buffy, and started to haul them away. "Come on," she hissed. "Richard and his fraternity brothers want to meet you two."
Dawn and Buffy stood their ground.
"Well, I don't really want to meet any fraternity boys," said Buffy.
"And I'm gay," added Dawn.
"Hey," Xander called after them, "I believe we were dawdling here."
Richard and the other two boys got out of the car. Richard flashed a full set of bonded porcelain at Buffy and Dawn and said, "Hi, sweethearts. I'm Richard. And you are?"
"So not interested," Buffy and Dawn said with feeling. They turned to leave.
Cordelia grabbed their wrists. "They're such little comediennes!" she chirped, digging her acrylics into Dawn and Buffy's upper arms.
"What, they like to play hard to get?" Richard asked.
"No, Richard," said the guy was interested in Buffy. "I think you're playing easy to resist."
With that as their getaway line, Dawn and Buffy walked away.
The other two guys stepped shyly in front of the Buffy and Dawn. The one interested in Dawn said, "Feel free to ignore him. We do all the time."
Buffy hesitated and glanced toward Dawn as if to ask. Were either of them one of the guys she had dated? Dawn shrugged she didn't know.
"I'm Tom Warner," the guy interested in Dawn said. He then jerked a thumb at the one who had been interested in Buffy. "This is Christopher Andrews. We're senior at Crestwood College and I know I feel just like a complete dolt meeting you this way."
"Same here," agreed Christopher. He crossed his arms. "So here we stand in all our doltishness."
Xander, eavesdropping, said to Faith and Willow, who was also eavesdropping, "Right. Like they're gonna fall for that."
"I'm Buffy Summers," Buffy told them. "And this is my cousin, Dawn."
"Nice to meet you. Are you seniors?"
"Juniors," admitted Dawn.
"Me, too," Tom said brightly, "except that I'm a senior, and I'm in college."
"They're going to walk away, right?" asked Faith as she glanced at Willow and Xander. She was feeling a tiny bit jealous of the attention the frat boys were giving Dawn.
Tom said, "So my friend asked your friend to this party we're having tomorrow night."
As if that were a huge, entertaining notion, Cordelia's most-fake laughter rang out across the land: "Ha-ha ha-ha ha-ha."
Tom lowered his voice. "You know, actually he's not really my friend. I only joined the fraternity because my father and grandpa were in it before me. It meant a lot to them."
"Come on," said Dawn as she tugged at her sister.
"I know, I talk too much. Anyway," Tom went on, "they're really dull parties full of really dull people, so would you two like to come and save Christopher and I from a really dull fate?"
"Oh, we wish we could, but we're sort of involved," Buffy said. She knew it was a lie at least for herself as she was no longer seeing Angel. But she wasn't sure about going to a fraternity party either.
"Oh." Christopher was let down, as was Tom. "Sure. Of course, you two are. Well, thanks for letting Tom ramble."
"Buffy! Dawn! Faith!" Giles called, clearly irritated.
"Excuse me," said Dawn as she walked toward Giles who stood near the front door of the school, tapping his watch. "Really? You know I am tempted to say no to training, Giles. I know you get it, but it's like your not getting it at the same time. We are not tools, we're girls who …"
"Are trying to have as normal a life as possible," said Giles with a sigh.
"We would have come eventually," said Dawn. "But you need to give us leeway to be with our friends, or our significant others. To do normal girl things. We're not forsaking our destinies. We will still train and patrol we are only asking for time to do our homework, see our friends."
Giles nodded.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Ten minutes later while Buffy trained solo on the punching bag, Faith rushed Dawn with a short sword. Dawn kicked it out of Faith's hand. Immediately Faith countered with a wooden rod, which Dawn broke in half with her foot without so much as blinking.
Faith lunged. Dawn sidestepped. Faith slid past on the tabletop.
"I think that's enough," said Chloe.
"Right," agreed Giles from where he and Chloe stood off to the side.
"I'm going to take Faith out, we'll patrol after dinner," Dawn said.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cloaked by the black night, Dawn and Faith moved through the shadows in the graveyard. Dawn had the sense that someone was watching her and Faith.
The moonlight glinted off something on the ground. Faith knelt to examine it. It was a piece of a very small and delicate ID bracelet.
Faith held it up for Dawn to look at it as she turned it in the dim light. There were three initials, E, N, andT engraved in a delicate scroll.
"There's blood on it," said a voice.
"Angel," said Dawn as she spun and saw the vampire. "I didn't know you were still in town."
"I've been debating whether to leave or not," he admitted. "On the one hand you and Buffy can use all the help you can, on the other …" He left the sentence unfinished.
"So, uh, blood," said Faith.
"Who's she?"
"Faith is a potential. In my future she was the Slayer that preceded me," explained Dawn. She looked toward Faith. "Angel is a vampire, he's good as he has his soul."
"If you are vouching for him," said Faith.
Dawn nodded and looked back at Angel. "You can smell it?"
"I can," he said.
"It's pretty thin," Faith observed looking at the bracelet. "Probably belonged to a girl."
"Probably," agreed Dawn as she and Angel both glanced around the woods.
October 14, 1997 – Tuesday
Buffy slowly gathered her books off her desk as Cordelia breezed in.
Cordelia said, "Did you lose weight? And your hair . . ." Despite the fact that Buffy was ignoring her, Cordelia gave a little shrug and said, "All right. I respect you too much to be dishonest. The hair's a little..." She laughed. "Well, that's not the point here, is it. The Zeta Kappas have to have a certain balance at their party, and Richard explained it all to me but I was so busy really listening that I didn't hear much. Anyway, the deal is they need you and Dawn to go. And if you don't go"—she touched her chest as her eyes welled—"I can't."
Buffy looked at her, then looked down.
"I'm talking about Richard Anderson, okay?" Cordelia continued. "As in Anderson Farms, Anderson Aeronautics . . ." She almost burst into tears, "and Anderson Cosmetics." She caught herself and moved on. "Well, Buffy, you see why I have to go. These men are rich. And I'm not being shallow. Think of all the poor people I could help with all my money."
"I can't speak for my cousin," said Buffy. She knew that Cordelia knew that Dawn was actually her sister from the future but she had to be careful in case anyone was listening. "But if I can I will talk her into going with us."
"Thank you." Cordelia's tears instantly dried. "Great! I'll drive. Oh, Buffy, it's just like we're sisters... with really different hair!" She sailed away.
Buffy found Dawn in the library and pulled her sister out and away from Giles. "Dawnie," she said. "I need you to come with me and Cordelia."
"You know how I feel, Buffy," said Dawn. "I'm gay what makes you think I would be interested in men?"
Buffy sighed as she looked at her sister. "Please?"
February 29, 2000 – Tuesday – Original Timeline
Faith stood in front of the bathroom mirror, a towel wrapped around her, her hair wet. In the mirror Buffy's reflection stared back at her. "Why yes, I would be Buffy, may I help you? Buffy buffy buffy buffy buffy buffy. You can't do that. That would be wrong. Hey. I'm Buffy Summers, I'll kick your ass with my righteous fiery Slayerness. You can't do that. Because it's naughty. Because it's wrong. You can't do that, it's wrong. I'll kick your ass, you're evil…"
A knock came at the bathroom door and Faith opened it to reveal thirteen-year-old Dawn. "Hey, Dawnie."
"Buffy," said Dawn slowly, staring at her hands. "I have something to tell you."
Faith motioned for Dawn to come in and she closed the door behind the younger girl. "What is it, Dawnie?"
"I... uh well... I'm sorta..." Dawn sighed and blurted it out quickly. "Buffy, I'm gay."
Faith blinked once, then twice. In this instance she regretted swapping bodies with Buffy. For Dawn needed her sister. She sat down on the edge of the tub and sighed. She couldn't do it, could she? Could she actually pretend to be Dawn's big sister especially with something as intimate as this?
"It's okay," said Faith as she remembered the day, she had realized she herself was bisexual. "You being gay changes nothing, Dawn. If you are one hundred percent sure. Then you just be you, okay?"
Dawn smiled at Faith and nodded. "Thanks, Buffy," she said as she hugged Faith, who stood stiffly before eventually returning the embrace.
October 14, 1997 – Tuesday – Current Timeline
Dawn sighed as she looked at her sister. She hadn't known till later that Faith had been in Buffy's body during the reveal.
"You don't have to do anything with any of those guys," said Buffy. "But before I try dating a girl. I need to at least make sure myself. You knew didn't you when you told me?"
"Technically I never did tell you," admitted Dawn. "It was during your freshman year of college. Somehow Faith switched bodies with you. It was Faith I told. When you were back in your original body, I found out you knew without me actually saying anything. I don't know if Faith left you a note or told you or what."
"She might have," admitted Buffy. "But I look at you," she patted her chest to indicate her heart, "and I just know. Maybe it's a sister thing."
"I'll go, but only because you asked," said Dawn.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn held Faith's hand as they along with Buffy, Willow, and Xander strolled through the library's double doors.
Giles straightened and said, "Oh. Didn't see you three creeping about. How did it go last night?"
Dawn showed him the bracelet. "Faith and I found this."
Willow looked at it as Giles took the bracelet from Dawn.
Giles read the letters aloud. "E, N, T."
Willow ventured, "I've seen something like that before."
"It's broken in two," Faith said. "And there's blood on it."
"Oh, I didn't see any," Chloe offered looking over Giles shoulder at the bracelet.
"Angel," said Dawn glancing over at her sister. "He's still in town, he could smell it."
From his perch on the counter, Xander said, "The blood? There's a guy you want to party with."
"Blood," Giles said, mentally starting a list of clues.
"Not much to go on, I'll admit," said Chloe. "Too many demons and vampires to narrow down simply by that one clue."
Xander slid off the counter. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. Buffy and Dawn should probably make the rounds tonight and we should try to figure out who that bracelet belongs to."
Giles nodded at Xander's strategy. "Good idea. She'll patrol, and we'll reconvene—"
"Buffy and I are unavailable," said Dawn. "We …"
"I've got a mountain of homework to do," Buffy interrupted. "And mom called earlier and said Elizabeth wasn't feeling well."
"Then I will take Faith for a quick patrol," said Chloe as she realized that what Buffy was saying was a lie. After all she had been sixteen not too long ago. She looked at the girls and nodded letting them silently know that their secret was safe with her.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Cordelia sat across from Dawn and Buffy as if she were visiting them in the big house instead of the student lounge. She said, "This isn't about fun tonight. It's about duty. Your duty to help me achieve permanent prosperity. Okay?" She paused a moment to let the import of the mission sink in. "Okay, dos and don'ts. Don't wear black, silk, chiffon, or Spandex. These are my trademarks. Don't do that weird thing to your hair."
"For me the don'ts is kind of hard to do," said Dawn. "Half of my closet is silk."
"Don't interrupt," Cordelia said. "Do be interested if someone should speak to you—may or may not happen. Do be polite, do laugh at appropriate intervals—" she did the weird laugh, "Ha-ha ha-ha."
"You do remember I am gay, right?" said Dawn. "I am only doing this for Buffy. Here are my rules. I will wear what I want and do what I want or I won't attend. And since they gave you the ultimatum that Buffy and I attend or you don't. I think you will agree to my terms."
"Fine," said Cordelia bitterly. "Oh, and do lie about where we're going, it's a fraternity, and there will be drinking."
On that happy note, Faith, Willow and Xander wandered over. Xander said to Cordelia, "So, Cor, are you printing up business cards with your pager number and hours of operation or just going with the halter top tonight?"
"Ahh, are we a little envious?" Cordelia dished it back at him. "Don't be. You could join a fraternity of rich, powerful men. In the Bizarro world."
Buffy smiled invitingly for Faith, Willow and Xander to take a seat. "You guys want to...?"
"Nah, I got to digest and all," Xander drawled as he and Willow moved away.
Faith glared at Cordelia as she sat next to Dawn. "I happen to know what men are like," she said. "So, since I am dating Dawn, you should know…"
"Got it shovel speech," interrupted Cordelia as she tapped her fingers, thinking hard. "Makeup, makeup. Well, just give it your all and keep to the shadows."
"I happen to like Dawn the way she is," said Faith.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
It was a mad scene, cars squealing up the drive, music blasting. The Delta Zeta Kappa house was enormous, and the party inside it sounded huge.
And up roared the vehicle belonging to the ambassadress from the Planet of Ambitious High School Girls: personalized plate, QUEEN C.
Buffy glanced over her shoulder at Dawn, who sat in the back seat.
Cordelia rammed the car in front of hers and said testily, "Why do they park so darn close to you?" She smiled at Dawn and Buffy. "You two up for this?"
They had dressed like they were up to this: Cordy in a very cool ice-blue Chinese satin dress, Dawn in a red low-cut v-neck silk dress and Buffy in black spaghetti straps and an extremely short skirt.
Buffy hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe it isn't such a good idea."
"Me, too," Cordelia enthused. "Let's do it!" She plastered on her Doctor Debbi face and got out of the car.
"This was your idea," said Dawn as she saw that Buffy was hesitating.
Buffy nodded as she and Dawn got out and followed Cordelia.
Cordelia led the invasion. Buffy brought up the rear.
The Delta Zeta Kappa house was like a well-furnished home of a rich family. There was partying going on, loud music and the tinkle of ice cubes. The waiters were apparently new frat brothers, forced to run around in their underwear or girls' underwear and full makeup, with signs around their necks that read, Pledge.
The other guys looked rich and the other girls were very pretty.
As Dawn, Buffy and Cordelia breezed in like they knew what they were doing and where they were going, a big guy with a thick neck and dark hair guzzled a huge stein of beer and looked them over with lust in his heart. He elbowed his compadre, a guy with a blond buzz job, and said, "Beaucoup babes."
"Yaaaah!" his pal agreed.
Dawn, Buffy and Cordelia made it to a far corner of the room before they took stock. Dawn found herself a chair and sat down while Buffy leaned uncomfortably against some wood paneling.
Cordelia stood up straight and smiled as eagerly and sincerely as a flight attendant ready to collect boarding passes. "You know what's so cool about college?" she said. "The diversity. You've got rich people and you've got all the other people." She perked up. "Richard!"
Richard approached with a drink for each of them. "Welcome, ladies," he said.
"Thank you," Cordelia answered. Dawn and Buffy said nothing.
Richard toasted them and drank. Cordelia did the same.
Dawn looked at her drink. Ever since the cave-Slayer incident Buffy had never touched a drop of alcohol. Of course, for this Buffy that encounter was still in the future, assuming it happened at all. But when Dawn had learned of that incident she had sworn she would never drink alcohol. "Uh, is there alcohol in this?"
Richard was comforting. "Just a smidge."
"Come on, Dawn, Buffy," Cordelia urged. "It's just a smidge."
"I'll just . . ." Buffy set her drink down.
"Same," said Dawn as she set hers next to Buffy's.
"I understand," Richard said. "When I was your age, I wasn't into grown-up things, either." He looked at Cordelia. "Have you seen our multimedia room?"
Wearing her "really-listening, ha-ha" face, Cordelia said in one long run-on sentence, "The one with the cheery walnut paneling and the two forty-eight-inch televisions on satellite feed? No. You want to show me?"
They headed off, Richard gesturing to Dawn and Buffy. "What about—"
"They're happiest by themselves," Cordelia replied.
"So much for Cordelia," said Dawn.
"Yeah," agreed Buffy. "But that was kind of to be expected. We were just her way in."
Ditched, Buffy watched them go. What had she expected?
Couples danced closely together. Lots of couples. Guys and girls were meeting, smiling, talking. Then, across the room, a guy who was pretty much of a honey smiled at Dawn and Buffy and raised his glass to them, looking very serious, like he thought they looked good.
Not to be unpolite Buffy and Dawn picked their drinks back up, did the toasting thing, and took a very small sip. Whoa. Way strong.
Then the thick-necked, dark-haired guy of "beaucoup babes" fame started making like he was going to dance all the way over to her. As she watched, wide-eyed, he got his mojo workin'. "New girls! Come on, sweethearts! Dance! Ahhhyeeahh," he yelled as he barreled toward them.
Just as the guy was about to land on them, Tom wrapped a hand around Dawn's upper arm while Christopher did the same with Buffy and pulled them out of the end zone.
"May we have this dance?" Tom asked as he and Christopher ushered Dawn and Buffy to the dance floor as the guy broke on through to the other side.
Tom pulled Dawn into his arms, and they slow-danced. "Thanks," Dawn said.
"We're not all a bunch of drunken louts," Tom said apologetically. "Some of us are sober louts." He smiled and glanced down shyly. "I'm really glad that you decided to come." He waited a beat, then peered into her eyes. "And you're not."
Dawn sighed and smiled tightly. "No. It's just . . . I shouldn't be here."
"Because you're seeing someone," he finished for her.
"Yes."
"You're big on responsibility. I like that. But there's such a thing as being too mature. You should relax and enjoy yourself once in a while."
Dawn looked at him curiously, he didn't suspect, did he? "You think I'm too mature?"
He laughed at himself. "I talk too much. Have you picked up on that yet? Anyway, the Hulk is gone so you don't have to dance with me—" He started to step back.
Dawn didn't let him go, putting his arm back around her as she said, "He might come back."
Dawn could feel something was wrong. What she wasn't sure. It was like something was clouding her thinking. "I need some air," she said.
Tom nodded and led her outside, something crunched beneath her shoe.
She looked down. It was a shard of glass.
She straightened and looked up at the second story. A door was boarded over with slats that looked hastily nailed into place.
"You okay?" Tom asked.
"I think so," answered Dawn.
They were pumping up the volume inside. Richard the Smarmy strolled out, a little tipsy, and handed Dawn and Tom each a drink. He clinked their glasses with his own. "To my Argentinean junk bonds, which just matured in double digits!" He held up his glass and guzzled down the contents.
Tom gave Dawn a look and said, "To . . . maturity." He raised his glass.
"What the hell," Dawn said. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she could feel something was terribly wrong. Like she didn't have control over her body anymore or something. Unable to stop herself, she downed the drink.
Tom smiled.
So did Richard.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Dawn could barely see the spinning room as it shifted and pitched. She mumbled, "Tom?" but no one answered.
Weaving, she found some stairs and headed up them, bobbing like a cork on the ocean. Down a hall, she pushed open a door and stumbled into someone. She slurred, "Oh, sorry," then realized it was a dresser or a statue, or something.
She looked across the room and saw a big, inviting bed. Yes. She minced across the room and climbed onto it. "Okay. Nice bed. Just need to stop spinning for a . . ." She lay down, completely out of it.
Richard opened the door and crept toward the sleeping girl. She lay on her side. He rolled her over onto her back and trailed his fingers across her skin.
Someone grabbed him and threw him against the wall. It was Tom, who said angrily, "Get away from her."
Richard frowned. "I wasn't doing anything."
Tom glared at him. "I saw what you were doing."
"I just wanted to have a little fun," Richard argued.
Tom said in a menacing voice, "Well, she's not here for your fun, you pervert! She's here for the pleasure of the One we serve."
Richard slid his glance to the side and said obediently, "In His name."
"And that goes for the other ones, too," Tom ordered him.
They both turned and looked at the inert forms of Buffy and Cordelia.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
The party was over.
It had served its purpose, and now it was time to fulfill the promise.
A male figure, stripped to the waist, knelt before the dark pit. His upper body was a mass of raised diamond-shaped scars. The others, robed and hooded, kept a respectful distance.
A cup and a sword rested on the edge of the pit Richard slowly carried the sword over to the kneeling figure. Holding it very formally, he began to slice into the figure's back.
The pain was cleansing; the pain was good.
"In His name . . ."
Dawn had just come to. Chained to the rock wall, she looked on either side of her and saw Cordelia and Buffy chained as well. "What are we?" she asked.
"In the basement, far as I can tell," Buffy replied.
"What's happening?" wondered Cordelia. "What did they do to us?"
"They drugged us," Buffy replied angrily.
"I knew I felt off," said Dawn. "But whatever they gave us did more than just drug us. I think it robbed us of our self-control."
"Why?" Cordelia demanded. "What are they going to do to us?"
"No idea," said Dawn with a sigh. She looked at Buffy. "This is one thing you never told me about."
"For obvious reasons apparently," said Buffy. "Dawn, can you portal?"
"Portal sure, out of the chains no," said Dawn.
Tom turned around and looked straight at Dawn. Two of the hooded figures slipped a teal-green robe over his shoulders. He strode over to the girls as if he were the king of beasts. He gazed at Dawn for a long, creepy beat. Then he said, "She's last."
Cordelia spoke up. "Last? For what? Who's first? Answer me! Who's first?"
Tom ignored her. He walked back to the pit and emptied three stones out of a small black pouch.
"Three stones," Buffy noted. "Three of us."
"Dawn! Buffy!" Cordelia pleaded.
"Stay calm," Dawn said firmly. "We'll get out of this. That's one thing I do know."
"Assuming this isn't a result of a change you made already," said Buffy.
"Possible," admitted Dawn reluctantly. "There is no way to know for sure."
Tom poured water over the stones and put them on the side of the pit.
"Why'd I ever let you two talk me into coming here!" Cordelia wailed.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Summoned by Giles; Chloe and Faith arrived at the library. "We found the bracelet in the cemetery, near the south wall," admitted Faith.
Giles pondered a moment. "South wall."
"South wall, that's near the college, and ..." said Willow as she looked toward Faith. "Oh, no."
"The fraternity house," Faith said reading Willow's expression.
"A fraternity?" Giles asked.
Chloe put in, "Could that be where they're taking these girls?"
"My guess would be yes," said Faith. "We need to get there now."
"I will call Dawn," said Giles as he moved toward his office.
"Dawn's already there," said Faith. "With Buffy and Cordelia. They went to a party at the Zeta Kappa house."
"That was what they were doing tonight?" asked Chloe as Giles looked at her. "Why do you think I offered to take Faith and patrol tonight? In the month I have been Dawn's Watcher. And I got her to open up to me about the other timeline. I have learned things. Not only things about Dawn, but things about Buffy as well. If what I believe is the reason for going to this party is correct then Buffy needed to see if Dawn was correct in her thinking."
"To see who she truly loved. A man or a woman," said Giles with understanding.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Stony-faced and very much in command, Tom stood on the stairs that led to the frat house main floor—and freedom—with the long sword in his hands. He said reverently, "Machida."
"In his name," the others chanted.
He started going down the stairs. "We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow, call upon you in this holy hour." He walked toward the girls without looking at them. Then he turned toward the pit. "We have no wealth, no possessions, except that which you give us."
His fellow psychotics intoned, "Except that which you give us."
He put the sword into Richard's outstretched hands. "We have no power, no place in the world, except that which you give us."
The brothers murmured again, "Except that which you give us."
Cordelia said to Dawn and Buffy, "What are they, some kind of cult?"
"A psycho-cult," Buffy answered.
"You've got to do something," Cordelia prodded.
"It has been a year since our last offering," Tom continued. "A year in which our bounty overflowed. We come before you with fresh offerings." He gestured toward the girls.
Uh-oh.
"Offerings," Cordelia repeated. "He's talking about us?"
Dawn and Buffy glared at Cordelia. "Do you see anyone else chained up in here?" asked Dawn.
"Accept our offerings, dark lord," Tom prayed. Buffy pulled on her chains. "And bless us with your power. Machida!" He extended his hand over the pit.
"Machida!" the others echoed.
One, two, three. Tom dropped the stones into the pit.
Cordelia asked shakily, "What . . . what's down there?"
"Come forth," Tom said. His arms were raised. "And let your terrible countenance look upon your servants and their humble offering! We call you, Machida!"
"In His name! Machida!"
They all knelt, Richard with the sword before him, like some knight in shining armor.
Cordelia began to wig. "There's something down there. And they're going to throw us down there with it!"
At the core of Dawn's being she felt something rising. That feeling preceded the ground shaking as if an earthquake had struck Sunnydale. Something powerful was working its way up the pit. "No."
Cordelia grabbed that notion and squeezed it for all it was worth. "No? Well, that's good. That's . . ."
Buffy hated to state the obvious. "I don't think we go to it. It comes to us."
A half man, half snake rose from the pit.
Cordelia began shrieking. She completely and totally panicked, no passing Go.
Buffy and Dawn looked at each other. They needed to get out of these chains.
The monster thrust out its chest and spread its arms over its followers as if to embrace them. Tom raised his arms and said, "For he shall rise from the depths and we shall tremble before him. He who is the source of all we inherit and all we possess. Machida!"
The others shouted, "Machida!"
Tom went on, "And if he is pleased with our offerings, then our fortunes shall increase."
The others cried, "Machida, let our fortunes increase."
"And on the tenth day of the tenth month he shall be enhungered and we shall feed him."
The monster wheeled on his long tail and examined the girls.
Cordelia yelled, "Feed him? Feed him?"
Dawn and Buffy yanked as hard as they could at their chains as the monster swooped toward Cordelia. They held fast. They kept struggling. There had to be a way out.
Dawn tried casting a shield spell and realized that while she could feel her magic, she couldn't command it. Tom and his brothers must have at one time held a witch and realized that if they wanted to be able to sacrifice a witch, they would need to bewitch the chains.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Faith, Chloe, Willow, and Giles climbed out of the Giles' car and headed for the darkened Delta Zeta Kappa fraternity house.
"Looks like everyone's gone," Willow said hopefully. Faith echoed her hope.
"Hi." Xander said, dressed in a hooded black robe. He pulled the hood back and said, "What are you doing here?"
Willow said in a rush, "There's a bunch of girls missing, the Zeta Kappas may be involved, and Dawn… Buffy ..." She paused. "Are you wearing makeup?"
Xander rubbed his face. "No. I think Dawn and Buffy are still inside somewhere with Cordelia." He pointed. "That's Cordelia's car."
Faith began to get very worried.
Giles gestured to Xander's robe. "Why are you wearing that?"
Xander said, "Oh, I found it in their trash." He gestured toward the house. "I saw them through the windows. They were wearing robes and went to the basement. I was going to use it to sneak in."
Giles said, "They may be involved in some kind of ritual."
Faith's fear lit her impulses like a fuse.
Willow added, "With Cordelia, Buffy…"
Faith looked at the house, her anger mounting. "With Dawn," she said.
"Faith," said Chloe, her voice barely more than a whisper in Faith's ear. "We'll get her out."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Machida rose up in all his sickly blue, leathery glory, ready for the first course: Cordelia.
Cordelia shrieked and struggled as he dove toward her.
"Hey, Reptile Boy!" Buffy shouted at him, hoping to divert his attention.
Machida turned his gaze on her.
"No woman speaks to him!" Tom commanded.
"You don't want her," Buffy said to the monster. "She's all skin and bones. Half an hour later, you'll be hungry. Why don't you try me?"
"I told you to shut up!" Tom backhanded Buffy hard, knocking her out.
Dawn closed her eyes as anger began to flow through her. "You will not lay a hand on my sister."
Tom drew the sword and angled it across Dawn's neck. "Speak again and I'll cut your throat."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Xander knocked on the door to the house. It opened. Xander kept his face hidden inside the robe and mumbled, "Got locked out dumping the trash. Let me in. I don't want to miss the 'you know what.'"
The frat guy was a little suspicious, but they unlatched the door and mumbled, "Come on."
Xander spun out of the way as Faith flew at them hard as she could in the face. The frat guy staggered backward as Faith said, "Where are they?"
The frat guy charged Faith and she decked him. She led the way inside.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Two of the robed guys unchained Cordelia and held her as she fought them in a frenzy.
From above, the sounds of fighting and crashing alerted Tom, who said, "Something's going on upstairs. Go. Go!" to several of the hooded figures. They dashed up the stairs. Tom said to Machida, "Feed, dark lord."
Cordelia thrashed and screamed as the hooded figures clutched her.
Machida dove at her.
She screamed and screamed as the creature grabbed her; and while it appeared that all hell was breaking lose, Dawn and Buffy broke lose, too. With every ounce of their strength, they ripped her chains right out of the wall. As Machida gripped Cordelia and opened wide for the first delectable bite,
"Enemies fly and fall, circling arms raise a wall!" Dawn yelled and suddenly Machida and the two hooded Zetas were thrown backwards from Cordelia.
In a rage, Tom picked up the long sword and charged Dawn and Buffy. They ducked and backed away.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Upstairs, the Zetas met the cavalry.
Faith decked a robed guy knocking him to the floor. Willow jumped over the guy's body and headed for the cellar door, disappearing inside. Xander rode another piggyback, and hit the guy on the head over and over and over.
"That's for the wig," he said. Wham. "That's for the bra." Wham.
Giles rattled another door. A Zeta charged him. Giles straightened and decked him, looking mildly pleased with himself.
Chloe decked two more guys.
Willow flew back out through the cellar door and shouted, "Some guy's attacking Dawn and Buffy with a sword!"
Then she processed what she'd just seen downstairs and added, "Also, there's a really big snake."
Faith turned and headed past Willow and down into the cellar.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Tom swung at Dawn who scrambled away from him as he smashed the sword into the ground.
"You two..." he said dangerously. "I'll serve you both to him in pieces."
He swung this time at Buffy, who ducked and countered with the chain from the wall, wrapping it around his neck.
His eyes went wide with surprise and pain.
"Tom," Dawn said, "you talk too much." She gave him a rockin' roundhouse punch and he flew across the room, demolishing a table with candles and stuff on it.
Then she registered that Faith, Chloe, Willow, Xander, and Giles were tearing downstairs as Machida tried to get past Dawn's shield spell.
Buffy jumped up on the ledge of the pit with the sword and swung at Machida. "Back off, wormy!" she shouted.
The monster growled. She brought the sword down hard and fast in the middle of its body, hacking it in two.
It was over.
Dawn waved her hand and the shield around Cordelia faded away.
"You're going to jail," Dawn said as Giles went to collect Tom.
"For about fifteen thousand years," Cordelia added.
Tom glared at them and went up the stairs, Giles following closely behind.
Chloe stood alone with Dawn, Faith and Buffy. "I hope this answered your questions, Buffy," she said.
"I think so," admitted Buffy.
"I think I understand what Giles feels now, why he does what he does," said Chloe looking at the three girls. "Dawn, Buffy, He knows what you two have to face. And I honestly believe he does not want to see either of you die."
"He cares," said Dawn. "As if he were our father. Buffy started suspecting it around now. I suspected it a couple years from now."
October 15, 1997 – Wednesday
It was the Bronze.
It was night.
It was a short, eager freshman, who said, "C'mon, c'mon," to the coffee-making person as the cappuccino machine fizzed and spit. "Hurry up."
Then everything was ready, and he scurried off, bearing gifts—a frothy cup and a plate with a muffin on it—to Queen Cordelia, who looked at him with utter disdain.
"Thank you, Jonathon," she said, giving him the regal eye. "Did we forget something?"
He glanced down worriedly, and muttered, "Cinnamon, chocolate, half-caff, non-fat." Then it came to him: "Extra foam!"
She plucked the muffin off the plate and gave him a series of well-go-get-it flicks of her hand. He whisked the coffee away.
Cordelia walked over to the table where Faith, Dawn, Willow, and Xander sat. Xander was reading the Sunnydale Press.
"Young men," Cordelia drawled. "The only way to go." She strolled off.
Xander told the others, "It says here they'll all get consecutive life sentences. Investigators found bones of the missing girls in a huge cavern beneath the frat house, and older bones dating back fifty years. A surprising number of corporations whose chairmen and founders are former Delta Zeta Kappas are suffering falling profits, IRS raids, and suicides in the board room." He quipped, "Starve a snake, lose a fortune. Well, I guess the rich really are different, huh."
Willow said to Faith and Dawn, "Have you two talked?"
"Not yet, Red," admitted Faith as Dawn looked at her. "I was angry pure and simple, Dawn. The thought of losing you…"
Dawn nodded in understanding as she leaned over and kissed Faith.
"So where is Buffy?" asked Xander.
"On a date," answered Dawn.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy took a long sip of her soda to calm her nerves before she glanced around the restaurant looking for any sign of her date. Looking for anyone who matched the description of the woman that Dawn set her up with on a blind date. Her date in question was described to be about 5 foot 7 inches in height with long brunette hair, blue eyes, and was about five years older than she was. And she would be wearing carrying a red rose.
Buffy had never pictured herself as being gay, but given what Dawn had told her of her future boyfriends, she had decided it was worth the risk to see if maybe a woman would be better for her than a man would have been.
Buffy touched the red rose that laid on the table next to her. Then, she moved her hand and picked up her glass. She considered for a brief moment on taking another sip of her soda. She quickly dismissed the idea and pushed the half-filled soda glass to the side.
Buffy looked down at her watch and sighed. Five more minutes, and then she was leaving.
"Buffy?"
Chloe's cheeks turned red as she looked at the flower next to Buffy. And then she followed Buffy's gaze to the matching rose in her hand.
"It seems I am to be your date for this evening." Chloe said.
Buffy froze for a long moment. Her mind processing the recent turn of events as her shock switched from her initial embarrassment to something of a pleased warmth that swirled in her chest. She knew that Chloe was Dawn's Watcher and surrogate sister/mentor/confidante when she and Dawn could not talk about something. But she had never expected that Chloe would be the person that Dawn would have set her up with. Not that she truly minded, Chloe had come in the space of the few weeks they had known each other to become a friend to her.
"I should go." Chloe said, shaking Buffy out of her thoughts.
Buffy gave Chloe a warm smile. "No, please stay." She waved to the empty seat across from her.
"Are you quite sure?"
Buffy's smile grew into a broad grin. "I Insist."
And as Chloe sat down, both she and Buffy couldn't help but think that this blind date wouldn't be so terrible after all.