Matti Hollis stepped aside to let Giles enter. She looked at the three students standing on her porch. "You should come in before you drown standing there." She turned and followed Giles. Oz stepped forward. Willow grabbed him by the arm.

"She's a teacher," she hissed. "Why are we here?"

Oz shrugged. "Giles went in, so I'm guessing it's… acceptable, plus standing out here makes us look like crazy people."

"And Miss Calendar knew who we were," Buffy pointed out.

"Yes, but she was a techno-pagan." Willow threw up her hands. "Am I the only one who thinks this is a major danger-type thing?"

Buffy sighed. "Willow, I respect your dedication to the Peter Parker of it all, but I'm with Oz."

Willow scowled. "Okay, but don't blame me if we end up in cages in the basement."

"Not a problem. It'd be flooded, so the cages would be useless." Oz crossed the threshold. Buffy and Willow exchanged a look and followed. The living room was empty. As the students looked around, Matti and Giles came in from another room. They stopped and stared at the three friends, who stared back.

"Oh," Giles said, startled, "I am so sorry." He shook his head. "Please, sit down." Buffy, Willow, and Oz dropped onto the sofa and looked at the librarian, simultaneously trying to side-eye Matti Hollis.

Giles took a step forward and gestured at Matti. "Ms. Hollis is a Knight of the Cross."

"Well," Buffy said, "that certainly ripped off the band-aid."

"What's a Knight of the Cross?" Willow's tone dripped suspicion.

"Actually, we're the Chevaliers du Croix," Matti said, hands on her hips. "Sounds better in French."

"They are a society dedicated to the struggle against supernatural evil." Giles pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose.

"Like the Watchers," Buffy said.

Giles and Matti looked at each other. "Not exactly," said Giles.

"Not even a little bit," said Matti.

"There's more of you?" Oz said.

Giles hemmed and hawed. "There are actually several groups aware of the existence of demonic activity. Most of them are small and regional. The Knights are one of the larger organizations."

"As big as the Watchers?" Willow said.

"No," Giles said.

"Pretty much," said Matti.

As the adults looked at each other, Oz said, "So you guys rehearsed this bit."

"See, Will," Buffy said, "she knows about the boogedy-woogedies."

"Okay," Willow said, "but this falls under the 'techno-pagan' exception."

"I hate to interrupt a good circular discussion," Oz said, "but why are we here?"

"You did mention Cordelia." Willow's eyes widened.

"Okay," Matti said, "I guess this is where I say 'Right this way'."

The group crowded into the bedroom. Cordelia lay on the bed, unmoving, her face still and placid.

"She's asleep," Willow said.

"At this point, she's been 'asleep' for almost thirty-six hours." Matti crossed her arms.

Willow started. "Oh, that is a long time."

Matti spoke to Giles. "What did you find out?"

The Watcher shook his head. "Precious little. I looked through all the standard texts and couldn't find anything, then I went to the secondary texts, then I just started looking at random, trying to find even a coincidental reference or connection. I found nothing."

"So it's not a spell?" Willow leaned over the silent girl's form.

Giles rubbed his jaw. "I suppose it could be, but if it is, it's nothing I've seen before. There are none of the signatures or traces one would expect."

"Maybe she ate a poison apple," Buffy suggested.

"Oh, don't be silly," Giles shot back. "That's a fairy tale."

The Slayer bridled. "So that's the bar for silly? After an actual living mummy and a snake boy, a poison apple is where you draw the line?"

"Could it be the same thing that happened to me last fall?" Willow noticed Matti's questioning face. "I got hit with a voodoo hex. It was, uh, a busy semester."

Matti nodded. "Sounds like it."

"There is no evidence of poison, no wounds, no magical aura or residue." Giles sighed."

Oz extended a hand, palm up. "Have you tried shaking her?"

"No." Giles's reply was firm.

"When Cordelia got here, she was hysterical. Really round-the-way. She went…" Matti stopped. "She passed out. I put her on the bed, and she hasn't made a sound since." She glanced down at Cordelia's slack visage. "I don't care how tired you are, thirty-six hours is too long for it to be sleep."

Giles took over the narrative. "If this is supernatural in nature-"

"If?" Buffy's voice dripped skepticism.

Giles ignored the Slayer. "As I was saying, if this is supernatural in nature, it's entirely possible that Cordelia must be awakened in the proper manner or she will be at some risk."

Willow nodded. "Oh, I see. If it's magicky and you try to wake her up by, say, shaking her…"

Oz finished the thought. "The cure would be worse than the disease. My bad."

"See Giles, fewer words can be better." Buffy was the soul of innocence.

"What's the downside of letting her sleep?" Willow asked.

"At first, I thought this was a good thing." Matti looked down at the comatose girl. "You know, that it was a stress response, a way to deal with whatever caused this, and it seemed like she was relaxing." She looked up at the others. "But now, I'm worried. This doesn't seem like relaxing. It seems like slipping away."

"Oh, that's bad." Willow leaned over Cordelia again. "When I got hexed, I was dying but I was awake."

Matti's hand flew to her throat. "That sounds horrible."

Willow straightened up and nodded. "It was pretty bad."

"So here we are, at a dead end." Giles shook his head. "Maybe there are other sources-"

"Really?" Buffy looked around as the other stared at her. "You mean, this time I'm reasoning girl?" She turned to Matti. "So, Cordelia showed up at the door in this storm. Her car isn't parked outside, so I'm guessing she walked. Right?" Matti and Giles nodded. "Okay, where did she walk from? The Bronze was closed, so she wasn't there." Buffy began to tick off the points on her fingers. "When did you last see her?"

Matti frowned. "At… lunch? Day before yesterday?" She shook her head. "That doesn't seem right."

"Did you have cheerleading practice?"

"No, we canceled because of the storm."

"Did you stay after school anyway?"

Matti shrugged. "Sure. I used the free time to catch up on some work."

"Are you really a teacher?" Willow asked.

"Yes," Matti said, but her eyes were on Buffy.

"So, Cordelia didn't walk here from school, because she could have seen you at school. Where did she come from? Where did this all start?" She stared at the others who looked at her blankly. "Wow, I can't believe it. Her house. We have to go to Cordelia's house."

There was a beat, then Giles said, "Of course. Excellent deductive reasoning, Buffy."

"I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I'll take the compliment."

Giles turned to Matti. "It is the best lead we have. Maybe we can find something there." He turned to the students. "Do you know how to get there?" Buffy and Willow nodded.

Oz held up his hand. "Not to bail, but I think while you guys go to Cordelia's house, I'm going to swing over to Xander's." In response to the quizzical looks, he continued. "I went by his house last night, to see how he's doing." He looked at Willow. "It was weird, and not dysfunctional family weird. It really made the hair on my neck stand up. I don't ignore that these days."

"Do you think he's in danger?" Giles asked.

Oz shrugged. "That wasn't the vibe, but Buffy got me thinking. We've pretty much decided this storm is freakedelic, Cordelia's… whatever this thing is, and there's a connection between the two of them." Oz shrugged again, a more expressive lifting of the shoulders. "Xander kept talking about how he was responsible for everything, but not in a good responsible way. More of a responsibility I can't face way." A third shrug. "I feel like we should keep an eye on him."

There was a moment of silence, then Giles nodded. "I agree. Three people should be enough to visit the Chases." He turned to Oz. "And I think your observation is very astute. Xander is alone. Cordelia was alone. The three of you-" His gesture encompassed the trio "-have been together. Perhaps there is some sort of safety in numbers. Very well." He turned to Matti. "Buffy, Willow, and I will go to the Chase home. Oz will watch over Xander-"

"Incognito style," Oz said.

"Of course. Miss Hollis, you stay here with Cordelia. When we have talked to Cordelia's parents we will meet back here."

"We'll call you," Willow said to Oz.

"Yes, yes we will." Giles nodded. "Very well, I think that is the outline of our plan."

"Should we put our hands in the middle and yell 'go team'?" Buffy asked dryly.

"Hey, don't mock," Matti said.

The gray Citroen DS paddled it way through the flooded street. Giles sawed the wheel back and forth, fighting the current, while Buffy scanned the houses.

"There." She pointed. "That one, right, Willow?"

Willow leaned forward from the back seat and nodded. "Yeah, that's it."

Giles carefully turned the wheel. They could feel the torrent pushing on the car as it turned sideways to the current. For a sickening heartbeat it seemed that the Citroen would be swept back down the street, then it crested the wave and pulled into the Chase driveway. Giles killed the engine and sat back in his seat, hands trembling.

"That," he said, "was far too stressful."

Buffy flipped up the hood of her raincoat. "Might as well go now. It's not letting up."

"I don't think it's ever letting up," Willow said, scooching to the door. "Ready?"

Buffy nodded and the three of them piled out of the car. They were almost immediately soaked as they rushed to the front door and huddled in the minimal protection of the entryway.

"Okay." Buffy turned to Giles and shouted to make herself heard above the rain. "Are we gonna try to pick the lock, or magic it open, or do I just brute Slayer it?" Giles stammered and shrugged.

"Or we could just go in." The Slayer and Watcher turned. Willow pushed on the door, which swung inward. "It's unlocked," she said.

"Why would it be unlocked?" Giles yelled.

"I'm guessing that Cordelia just walked out and left it open." Willow peered into the darkness. "If she was zombie girl like she is now."

"Okay," Buffy said, "but you guys stay behind me." Giles and Willow gladly fell in line as the trio entered the dark house. They carefully went through the rooms on the ground floor: atrium, living room, a smaller room that seemed to be a sort of combination home office/gym, formal dining room, kitchen.

"Nothing so far," Willow whispered.

"Upstairs?" Buffy looked at her Watcher.

"What is through there?" Giles pointed at a door at the far end of the kitchen.

"Garage, probably." The Slayer thought for a moment. "Let's check it, just in case. I don't want any baddies coming up the stairs behind me."

They slipped through the door into a mudroom. By the dim light from the window they could see a pair of red rubber boots beneath a bench and a raincoat hanging on a peg. Buffy put her hand on the door to the garage and slowly eased it open. She slipped through at an angle, Willow close behind. She stood still, willing her eyes to adjust to the dark.

Both girls jumped and screamed when the overhead lights snapped on. Willow grabbed Buffy, then let go quickly lest the Slayer be hampered. Buffy whipped her head around.

"Sorry," Giles said, removing his hand from the light switch. "I thought that might help."

Buffy nodded. "Well, at least we know my cardio is up-to-date." She took a deep breath and looked around the brightly lit garage.

"Three cars," Willow said. "That's Cordelia's, and that one, I don't know-"

"It's a Jaguar XJ8 Vanden Plas," Giles said in a hushed tone. Buffy and Willow looked at each other, then back at the librarian.

"Hey, Giles, you might wanna wipe the drool off your chin," Buffy said. "Honestly," she said to Willow, "guys and cars."

"So, three people, three cars." Willow frowned. "Where is everybody?"

"We know where Cordelia is," Buffy said, looking around the room. "They have a lot fewer boxes in their garage than we do."

"What's that?" Giles said, pointing toward the far wall.

"It's a freezer," Willow said. "Lots of people keep them in the garage. When you need more room than your refrigerator."

Buffy slowly approached the boxy appliance. "It looks like a lock should go there."

"Lots of them lock," Willow replied. "So you can keep kids from climbing in. Kids used to suffocate in them all the time."

Buffy looked over her shoulder at her best friend. "Will, you know a truly disturbing amount about freezers."

Willow grinned in spite of herself. "Granny Rosenberg had one. She kept meat in it. Brisket, mostly."

Buffy nodded and turned back. She bent down and peered at the latch. "So why doesn't it have a lock in it? Why is there a screwdriver stuck in there?" She reached out toward the appliance.

"Don't," Giles warned. "Something demonic could be trapped inside. We don't want to free it."

The Slayer nodded. She crouched and looked carefully around the icebox. "What is that?" She reached along the side of the freezer and pulled out a bottle. An empty bottle. "Okay," she said, "now we know what brand of whiskey one of Cordelia's parents drank."

"Buffy," Willow said, her voice rising into a slight whine, "what's that?"

The Slayer looked down. A thick, dark-brown stain smeared the base of the thick glass. "Probably dried liquor."

"I don't think so," Giles said quietly. "Spilled whiskey evaporates."

"Okay," Buffy said as she placed the bottle on the ground, "it's time to see what's in there." She slowly withdrew the screwdriver, then gripped it as an improvised weapon. She motioned to WIllow and Giles. They each took a corner of the freezer. The Slayer pantomimed counting to three, then opening the nodded. Buffy held up her left hand and raised her fingers: one, two, three…

Giles and Willow threw open the lid. Buffy sprang forward, screwdriver raised. All three of them gasped simultaneously. Willow and Giles dropped the lid as Buffy stepped back. They looked deathly pale. Buffy wiped a hand across her mouth.

"C'mon," she said, gripping the screwdriver. "We have to go upstairs."

They crept up the stairs, each slow footstep carefully tested lest a creaking tread betray them. They stopped at the top. Buffy vaguely remembered the floor plan. There were three doors: one to the left of the stairs, one straight ahead, and one to the right. The Slayer gestured at the left-hand door.

"That's Cordelia's room," she whispered. "Keep an eye on it. I really don't want to go in there." Willow nodded. Buffy hefted the screwdriver as she approached the middle door. The thunder of rain was helpful now; it masked any sounds of her stealthy approach. Giles stepped to the right of the door. Buffy caught his eye, nodded, then pushed open the door and went in low and fast.

It was a spare bedroom, and it was empty. The Slayer cautiously lowered herself in a push-up position to check under the bed. Nothing. Same for the closet. She went back to the landing, shaking her head to Giles. She made eye contact with Willow and jerked her head toward Cordelia's room. Willow shook her head. Buffy took a deep breath and turned toward the last room. She pushed the door open and entered, Giles and Willow close behind her.

They paused for a beat, letting their eyes, by now adjusted to the dimness, sweep over the room. Nothing stirred. This was obviously the master bedroom. The majority of the floor space lay to the left. The right-hand wall had two doors in it. Both were closed, but one had a thin line of light underneath it. Buffy pointed at Willow and Giles, then pushed her hand toward the floor. They nodded. She took a tighter grip on the screwdriver and threw open the door.

She stopped, frozen. Her brain overloaded; pure horror rushed through her system.

"Buffy, what-" Willow stepped in behind her friend and looked over the Slayer's shoulder. The redhead gagged, then lurched for the sink. The sound of powerful vomiting filled the room.

"Are you-" Giles leaned in, followed Buffy's eyeline, and felt his knees go weak. "Dear God," he breathed.

Buffy finally came to her senses. "We have to leave," she said, "and we have to get back to Cordelia. Right now."