Sunnydale High Library, ten minutes after the shooting.

Kendra, Willow, and Buffy headed pushed the double doors to the library open as they walked in hurriedly, with Giles concerned as he noticed the looks of fear on each of their faces. The three young women then told the Watcher about the shooting in the hallway, news of which after Giles finished listening, he asked if everyone was safe.

"Yea," said Buffy as she and Willow went to the table while Kendra stood at the counter with her hands behind her back as if she was waiting for more orders from Giles. In the meantime, she was hearing, and looking at, everything around her. Kendra listened to Buffy telling them, and soon confirming the Blonde Slayer's suspicions, that the policewoman could have been a member of the Order of Taraka that was sent to kill Buffy; a piece of information that sent Giles pacing on the floor as the group continued talking. Kendra listened to Buffy telling Giles that she would have been a goner if it weren't for Kendra, "and the weird stuff that kept on happening."

"What weird stuff?" asked Giles as he stopped pacing the floor as he looked at Buffy, and then at Kendra, and then at Buffy again, "what happened?"

"She'd take out a gun, or a knife," said Buffy as she looked at Giles, and then at Kendra who nodded her head, and back at Giles again, "and they'd just fall out of her hands. Even the first gun she fired at me fell on the floor, and then it hit her."

"It hit her?" asked Giles as he looked at Buffy, and then at Kendra who told him that she only arrived at the scene and helped Buffy after hearing the first few shots. She didn't see the gun hitting the policewoman on her head, but she did see the other guns and knives being thrown out of her hands by an unseen force.

"Buffy is correct," said Kendra as she looked at Giles, "it seemed as if there was another power at work."

"It was really weird, Giles," said Willow as she nodded her head, "knives, guns… all on the floor. It was weird, I'm glad that Buffy and Kendra are safe….. I mean from that crazy gun lady."

"Yes, of course… as am I," said Giles nodding his head as he looked away from Kendra, to Buffy. However, on the way to looking at his Slayer, the Watcher glanced over at Willow who looked back at him and gave a little smile. While Buffy continued talking to Giles who was fixing his glasses and looking at the blonde, it was Kendra who noticed the small exchange of looks between Willow and Giles. She saw Willow look back down at the table and give a small smile while Buffy was talking to Giles about how they needed to get Angel back, and then kill both Spike and Drusilla.

"Yes," said the Watcher while Kendra was looking at Willow. She didn't know the redhead; the fact was that Kendra didn't know any of them. She just respected Giles because of his status as a Watcher, and she was trained to respect a Watcher since they were much more knowledgeable than her.

She didn't know any of them, but she knew that Buffy was a Slayer… the same as her. The both of them were warriors. But the redhead didn't seem like anything to Kendra, she didn't seem to have special skills and in fact she was hiding behind a table with the other normal people. Kendra knew that in the world of a Slayer, there was to be a certain amount of expecting the unexpected but she couldn't imagine that Willow was the one who helped them.

'She would be most ineffective in the open,' thought Kendra to herself while she heard Buffy, Giles and Willow talking, 'but then again no one else stepped out of the shadows to help us. No, this Willow is too protected... perhaps Mr. Giles believes that she is the weakest among Buffy's so called friends. She was smiling since he cared about her safety as well… yes, that is it. This girl is no warrior; Mr. Giles is just glad to see her safe. Form what I have since in my short time with them, he is very protective of them both… he even wishes that Buffy be more like me.'

It was then that the doors to the library opened as Xander and Cordelia, whose clothes were wet, thundered into the library. Willow was the one who looked back and wondered what happened to the brunette young woman who had a look of disgust etched on her face. Then out of the corner of her eyes, the redhead noticed that Kendra was suddenly nervous as soon as Xander stood close to her at the counter and asked what happened out in the hallway. Seeing how nervous Kendra was, something which surprised both Buffy and Willow given how gung-ho the second Slayer normally would be ever since they met, the two best friends were about to answer when Xander noticed Kendra, and turned towards her and started flirting. In the meantime, Cordelia sat across from the redhead while she was still complaining about some 'worm guy' and her dress being soaked. Cordelia then noticed that she was being watched, so she looked up at Willow looking back at her before she looked back down at her dress and started to dry it by squeezing as much water as possible out of it. She had wanted to go to her locker to change, but it was Xander who insisted on seeing Giles before they do anything else.

"New haircut?" asked Cordelia as she was flapping and then squeezing her shirt to dry it out as quickly as possible. She then looked at Willow with an eyebrow raised.

"Yea," said the redhead, "I had a…"

"I don't need to know the story," said Cordelia as she put a hand up and looked away before asking Giles if it was safe to go back out there.

Willow smirked at the young woman as she talked to Giles before she turned to Xander who was ogling the newest Slayer; it was at that time that Giles had introduced Kendra to them as another Slayer who was called after Buffy's very, very short death. Willow wasn't sure if it was because her eyes were open for the first time, or if it was because of Niko's influence; but the redhead couldn't help but roll her eyes and then turn around when Xander attempted to flirt with Kendra again, and again.

Cordelia was the one who interrupted Xander's questioning of the shy Kendra, before telling the group that she and Xander had encountered one of the Order of Taraka's people at Buffy's house.

"You were at my house?" asked Buffy, "why?"

"If you'd answer your phone once in a…," said Cordelia when she noticed Willow was waving her hands, "what?"

"Ummm… Cordy," said Willow as she pointed at the young woman's shoulder, "Ummmm… eww."

"What?" asked Cordelia again as she looked at her shoulder and then screamed while at the same time she flicked away a long, fat worm that had dropped onto her shoulder. Once the dead worm landed on the table, both Willow, Buffy, and Cordelia got up from their seats and stepped back while Giles said "fascinating," and headed to the table where he looked down at the creature.

"You wanted to know what the guy that came after at Buffy's house looked like?" asked Xander as he pointed at the worm while Willow, Buffy, and Cordelia just shuddered, "well, there he is."

"Eww," said Buffy as she looked at Xander, and then back at the worm again, "ewww, at least tell me he's…. ewwww… I get wiggy even thinking about it.. anyway, please tell me he's gone and…"

"After the worms fell on Cordy?" asked Xander as Cordelia shuddered again in disgust as she recalled the thousands of worms that fell on her just as she and Xander were leaving the Summers house, "I think he's gone… I hope. But yea, that's him."

"You and bug people, Xander," said Buffy as she looked at him while Kendra still stood to one side nervously, "What's up with that?"

"But this dude was different than the praying-mantis lady," said Xander as he rubbed the back of his head while he was thinking of that particular unfortunate incident before shaking his head and coming back to the present, "he was a man of bugs, not a man who was a bug."

"O…k," said Willow, "and, huh?"

"I think the bugs literally make the man," said Xander as Buffy, Willow's, and Cordelia's faces twisted in disgust again while Kendra was looking down at the floor, trying to keep eye contact away from Xander who was occasionally glancing at her. It was a few seconds later that Giles told everyone that the most important thing was that everybody was safe and sound.

"Still, we seem to be under heavy attack," said Giles as he looked at everyone, "be on your guard. Now all of you get to class."

"And me, sir?" asked Kendra as she looked at Giles.

"Ah, yes… Kendra, if you would help me with completing my research. I seem to have found something interesting that bears a bit more study so if you would please.."

"Yes, I would like that," replied the second Slayer excitedly.

"Good," said Giles nodding at Kendra as Willow and the others got set to leave. Giles asked Kendra to wait in his office as the others walked towards the door. As Kendra headed for the back office, Giles walked over to Willow while Buffy and the others were preparing to leave the library and whispered "good job". Willow nodded her head and smiled before she ran towards Buffy and the others who were already at the library doors.

It was eight hours later that, when the Scoobies returned to the library, Giles gave the group the news that he and Kendra cracked the other keys to the ritual that was supposed to return Drusilla to perfect health. Buffy was about to ask what the other keys were when Kendra said that Spike needed Drusilla's sire, and that everything was supposed to happen at a church at the night of the new moon.

"Which is tonight," said Giles as he looked at everyone.

"Did you say Spike needed Drusilla's sire?" asked Buffy as she looked at Giles and then at Kendra with worry on her face.

"Yes," said Giles, as he noticed the worried look on the blonde Slayer's face and took off his glasses, "you know who sired her?"

"Angel," said Buffy as she grabbed the chair, "he's Drusilla's sire."

"Man, Angel got some major neck in his day," said Xander sarcastically as Willow slapped his arm while frowning.

"Sorry," said Xander as he looked at Willow who in turn nodded towards Buffy, silently telling him to watch what he says in front of Buffy since she was already upset. Things weren't helped at all by Kendra, who insisted that they needed to get to Drusilla, that Angel was secondary. Buffy and Willow stood up for the ensouled vampire while Xander reluctantly agreed that Angel was Buffy's friend. And his friend too, although he didn't like him. However, Willow understood why Kendra wanted to kill Drusilla instead of rescuing Angel… the both of them were vampires with Drusilla being the greater threat. While a part of her agreed with the newest Slayer, something that Willow herself couldn't believe, she also knew that Angel was her friend and wouldn't harm them. In fact, they had helped them, he had helped Buffy, so in her eyes… he needed to be rescued while Drusilla needed to be destroyed. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed Buffy walking over to Kendra with her hands crossed over her chest.

"These Taraka guys can come after me if they want," said Buffy as she stepped up to Kendra, "but no way in hell are they messing with my boyfriend."

"Then the first thing we need to do is find this church," said Willow as she and the others got down to research.

Spike's Hideout, 8:30 pm.

Spike ran into Drusilla's bedroom where Angel was tied up so that the crazy vampire could have some 'fun' with her. He had heard Angel's loud screams and was afraid that his girl would go too far in her 'games', and would end up killing Angel; the one being that they needed to restore Drusilla to her full glory.

"Dru!" shouted Spike as he rushed into the room to see Drusilla pouting at him while holding a large bottle of holy water. Spike glanced at Angel who was panting while smoke rose up from the scars on his chest, scars made when Drusilla tortured him with the holy water. Spike glared at Angel who was looking back at him, before the blonde vampire looked at Drusilla and gently put his hands on her cheeks.

"It's almost time, Dru," said Spike as Angel started to laugh. Spike looked at the ensouled vampire who started to mock him. Drusilla could sense that Spike was getting angrier by the second as Angel told him that he was the only one who knew how to tease Dru, that his hands were the only hands that had ever pleasured Dru. Drusilla smiled, she loved having two alpha males fight over her, and would have let them fight just for the fun of it if it hadn't been for the fact that Angel was in chains and Spike was about to run a stake through him in anger.

"Spike, no," said Dru when she gasped and doubled over while grabbing her head.

"Dru!" shouted Spike as he dropped the stake and ran to the woman, "what's wrong, love?"

"I see a figure covered in blackness… a dark figure with black eyes," said Drusilla as she looked up at Spike while wrapping her arms behind the back of his neck and grinned, "face hidden… scent hidden… we will fall, fall into the darkness to fire and screams. My dark prince, we will be lost."

"You're make no sense, Dru," said Spike as he kissed her in front of Angel, the ensouled vampire visibly disgusted at the show of what the two vampires in front of him called affection. Spike then pulled back and then looked at Angel, "and now, the time has come for the sire to give everything he is to save his creation."

"Yes," said Drusilla with a smile and then looked at Spike again, "it's time."

All the while, Drusilla couldn't help but remember the dark figure, and vortex behind her.

Abandoned Church, 9:00p.m.

Willow knew she didn't do much.

With Buffy and Kendra holding onto Angel as they escaped, they had saved the ensouled vampire, and possibly killed both Spike and Drusilla. However, given the need to hide her abilities from Spike… Willow was forced to take on a 'waiting for the right opportunity' role.

It had only been fifteen minutes since she and the other Scoobies had burst into one of three abandoned churches in Sunnydale after Kendra ran back to the library after having left with Buffy earlier that night. She told them that she and Buffy had gone to see Willie the snitch, and they had gotten a location for where Spike was holding Angel.

They had followed Kendra who had leapt out of Giles' car immediately after stopping. She was then followed by Giles himself who was carrying a crossbow, and then Willow to whom Giles had whispered that she shouldn't use her powers in front of Spike, and finally behind the two of them were Xander and Cordelia… with the young man holding a can of sticky paint that was meant for the one he affectionately referred to as worm guy.

The right opportunity came after Kendra had burst into the church and started to attack Spike. Seeing that the vampire was distracted with fighting both Kendra and Buffy, Willow glanced around and saw a knife that was stabbed through both Drusilla and Angel's hands. The redhead could see a magical transfer of energy thanks to a glow around their hands… a glow that the others could see as well. The first thing she did was telekinetically take out the knife and let it fall to the floor before she was called by Giles. Frowning, Willow rushed towards a vampire that was beating on Giles, she then jumped onto his back and held an arm around the vampire's throat while she reached out with the other hand. Giles threw the stake towards the redhead who was holding on for dear life while using a burst of her telekinesis to grab the stake and bring it to her hand.

"Huh," said the surprised vampire as he stopped moving and looked at the stake that had just flown to Willow's hand before she pushed the pointed end into the vampire's chest. Willow wasn't ready for the resultant dusting as she fell onto the floor, the stake having also been dusted. Giles helped the redhead stand up and told her to be more careful before he looked around, and then looked at the redhead once again.

"What if Spike had seen you?" whispered Giles at Willow, while Kendra kicked the former policewoman into a wall, before the old woman fell unconscious with a whole side wall falling onto her.

Willow told Giles that she'd be careful, but she can't help being a Ranger when her friends are in trouble.

"Or anyone else, Giles," said Willow when they looked at a screaming Spike who threw Buffy off him and rushed to Drusilla. Willow was about to fire off a telekinetic attack when a vampire pushed aside Giles and headed towards the redhead. She stepped back while looking around for any wood while remaining out of Spike's sight, as well as the sight of her friends. Looking around, Willow found Kendra who was already running towards her with a stake in her hand. Willow then turned to the vampire who was about to punch her face, so she ducked while Kendra went over her head and punched the vampire… making him step back. Willow then stood up and rushed to Giles, helping him to his feet while Kendra slayed that particular vampire.. and then headed to Willow and Giles.

"Are you alright, sir," said Kendra as he helped up Giles as well, the older man nodding his head before Kendra looked at Willow, "are you alright?"

"Yeah," said Willow before she looked back at Buffy screaming at Spike. Willow, Giles, and Kendra saw Spike knocking Buffy away before he went to pick up Drusilla in his arms. Willow knew that with everyone watching, she shouldn't do anything… but she didn't have to as Buffy got up and then threw something to the back of Spike's head that made him and Drusilla crash into the large organ at the back of the burning room they were in. Buffy then headed to help Angel, as did Kendra, just as Xander and Cordelia rushed into the burning room after Spike threw a torch at Buffy's head earlier that missed and hit some curtains.

As they rushed out of the church, Xander and Cordelia were talking about how they killed the 'worm guy', while Buffy was talking to Angel… telling him that everything was going to be alright. All Willow could do was look at Giles, who looked back at her before nodding his head... indicating that she did a good job.

However, Willow knew she didn't do anything; at least nothing of lasting consequence. The Ranger in her knew that there was something wrong, that they never saw Spike's body… but with the flames rising in the room, they had no choice but to leave. Willow wanted to do more to help Buffy, but she couldn't do it out in the open for fear that Spike would know it's her.

So, to Willow.. she didn't do much this time.

And she wanted things to change.

Sunnydale Army Surplus Store, 4:00 p.m.; the next day.

AS Willow opened the door to the Army Surplus store, she found that the place was devoid of people, very unlike the shop where she had bought her leather jacket, shirts, and jeans. However, there was only a large man sitting behind a counter reading a gun magazine. Willow looked around the store from the entrance, and then looked and smiled at the man who looked at her for a moment before he looked back down at the magazine he was reading. The young woman shrugged before she walked into the store and headed towards the man behind the counter; Willow kept on telling herself during the entire time she was cycling here from Sunnydale High that this was it…. If she got the stuff she needed to get from here, then there was no turning back. Willow put her hands on the counter and smiled before clearing her throat. It was something that made the man look back up at her with a knitted brow; the redhead could tell he was wondering why there was a slim redheaded girl in his store.

"Hi," said Willow sweetly as she waved at the man before she reached into her pockets and took out a list of things she needed. With Willow doing everything she could to prevent her hands from trembling, she handed the list to the man who looked at it, and then looked up at the young woman who was smiling at him, and then he looked back down at the list just to make sure that he was reading it right.

"Young lady," said the man finally as he looked at the redhead, and then placed the piece of paper on the counter, "is this a joke? I think you're in the wrong store and…"

"No," said Willow as she shook her head and started to babble, "no joke. I mean I'm not joking… you see a friend of mine got some stuff from here for his Halloween costume and I was afraid to get a Halloween costume like him. Instead I went as a ghost for Halloween because I didn't think I'd look good in a uniform. And so he dared me to wear an uniform with all the fixin's for next Halloween, so I thought what the hell, I'll get it now or else I'll chicken out. Well, everything's for the costume except the baton and the pepper-spray… those are for self-defence."

Willow stopped her babbling and panted while the man just looked at her with an eyebrow raised; amazed that she didn't even take a single breath during that whole time.

"So, you're getting this get-up for next Halloween," said the man as he looked at the list again, and then at the smiling face of the young woman in front of him, "you do realize that the baton you want is dangerous and…."

"I've been getting private training on how to use it," said Willow as she looked at the glass counter and pointed at the one she had seen online, "I can prove it to you that I know how to use it. And…"

The man frowned before he reached into the case and took out the sheathed baton, before handing it to Willow. The redhead took it into her hands before looking at it, and then at the man. Willow smiled as she took out the baton and gripped the rubber handle while she recalled Niko's Ranger training. She may not have been able to do this two months ago, but Willow had been training ever since Halloween; training diligently. Enough that she could have telekinetically grabbed the weapon the Policewoman used the previous day during the shooting in the School, and then shoot the woman in the shoulder. Willow had been training every day the same way Niko did, combined with the exercises that Giles told her to do.

Willow stepped back while the sheathe was on the counter and the retracted baton in her hand. She then flicked her wrist, and extended the weapon before the man showed her to a dummy. Willow followed Niko's moves perfectly as she hit the dummy while the man nodded his head. He asked Willow if she had even been to the Police Academy because some of the moves she performed were similar to the training received by law enforcement officials.

"I have a distant aunt who's a police officer," said Willow as she retracted the baton and they walked back to the counter, "you know how Sunnydale is with all these gangs; she taught me how to defend myself."

All the while she was walking to the counter while talking to the man, the redhead was jumping up and down on the inside; she was excited that she manged to do what she just did without dropping the baton. The truth was that she was terrified. It had been the first time she used a baton, but Niko's training had kicked in and it felt to her as if she knew what she had to do; it felt as if she had done it her entire life.

The man, who revealed himself to be a former LAPD officer, helped the redhead look for a set of black boots, gloves, two sets of the exact same balaclava that covered her head, mouth, nose and neck, as well as two black tank tops. She asked the man if he carried goggles that were tinted red. The man shook his head before saying that he only had goggles that were tinted grey… a grey that looked black at night. Willow clapped while telling that man she was going to scare her friend next year; and at the same time she was going to win the bet. Laughing, the man then helped cash out the redhead, before wishing her good luck for next year.

The Rosenberg Residence, 11:00 pm.

Willow had excitedly finished her homework before she floated back down onto the bed, and then kept away her books and puzzle pieces. She rushed to her closet and took out the bags of clothes and the equipment she bought earlier that day. Willow then chuckled as she took out the Jeans and the jacket, and put them on the bed. She decided not to use the shirts she bought, instead she decided those would be part of her everyday wear, instead, she took out one of the tank-tops and put it on the bed alongside the other equipment.

Smiling, she then took off her clothes until she was in her underwear. The redhead's hands were trembling while she put on her tank-top while mentally telling herself that she was ready for this, that she'll take it slow.. but this was something she needed to do. She had these abilities and she wanted to use them in the open to help people; she wanted to be a Ranger.

She then put on the tight jeans, and chuckled as she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror while wondering what would Oz, or even Xander would say if they saw her in what she was wearing.

"Xander will still prefer Buffy,' though Willow to herself as she smiled and sat of the bed while putting her socks and then the boots. She then stood up and put on the belt that the man at the store had recommended to make the 'costume' complete. Willow hung the sheathed baton on the belt, on her right hip… with the pepper spray on the other side. The red head then put on her Balaclava and smiled under the cotton as it covered her face, and neck with only her eyes visible. She then put on the jacket and then zipped it up to her neck, followed by the gloves and then the grey tinted goggles which hid her eyes. The only thing missing was something that would hide her scent, but where she was going…. Willow knew that Spike wouldn't be there… at least she'd make sure that Spike wasn't there before doing anything.

'And how am I gonna get there?' thought Willow to herself as she looked at the mirror and smiled under the black material covering her head. The redhead looked down at her feet as she started to telekinetically lift herself up and down as few times, before she hovered off the floor. She then floated to the light switch and turned the lights off in her room before she landed back on the floor and walked over to the curtains. With the lights off, and the redhead dressed on an all-black outfit; it was difficult for anyone to notice her leaving out her window which faced the backyard. Willow then stood on the section of the roof outside her window before she carefully turned around and pulled her window down, before telekinetically locking the window shut. Willow then stooped low before she turned and looked up at the sky.

"Please let this work," thought Willow as she, in a smooth motion, jumped upwards while pushing herself using her telekinesis and then wrapping it around her body. The redhead silently screamed as she rose higher into the air, her bode propelling itself using her telekinesis until she just stopped moving. The redhead then just hovered in the air as she turned and looked around at the lights of the city all around her. It was then that she found out something that even she didn't know about herself.

"I think I'm afraid of heights," said Willow as she closed her eyes, "crap."

TBC.