Chapter 5: Bad Eggs

January 12, 1998 – Monday

Sunnydale Mall

Joyce, Dawn and Buffy walked past the shops in the mall, holding a few bags.

"Come on, Mom, please?" Buffy said.

Joyce shook her head. "I'm sorry, honey."

"But... don't you understand?" Buffy said. "This is so important!"

"It's an outfit. An outfit that you may never wear," Joyce said. One of the very few things she liked about the fact her daughter was a machine was she didn't have to buy clothes for Buffy anymore. Which given it was a favorite pastime of her daughter meant that pastime had manifested in other ways.

"But ... I looked good in it!" Buffy said.

Joyce shook her head. "You looked like a streetwalker."

"But a thin streetwalker!" Buffy said knowing she could make herself fatter if she really wanted to. "That's probably not gonna be the winning argument, is it?"

Joyce shook her head. "You're just too young to wear that."

"Uhm, mom," Buffy said. "You do remember what I am now, right?"

"As much as I hate it when you remind me, yes," Joyce said.

"And which means I can be as old or young as I want to look," Buffy said. She looked around and made sure no one was paying any attention then she took on the silver androgynous humanoid appearance before she took on her mother's appearance. "Now I'm old enough."

"Buffy," Joyce said as she shook her head. She watched Buffy took on the silver androgynous humanoid appearance again before she took on her normal appearance. She looked at her watched and frowned. "Oh. Stores are gonna close and I still need to order the flyers for the opening." She looked in her purse and pulled out a receipt. "Okay, I'll go to the printers and then get our food. You and Dawn go pick up my outfit from the tailors at Everyday Woman. Here's the receipt—"

"Everyday Woman?" Dawn asked.

"Why didn't you go straight to Muumuus R Us?" Buffy teased.

Joyce pointed her daughters in the right direction. "Do now. Make fun of your mother later."

Buffy and Dawn headed off toward the escalator that would take them down to Everyday Woman.

On the escalator Buffy noticed a guy in western-style clothes, who was clearly hitting on the girl standing next to him. Dawn poked her and then motioned toward the mirror they were passing. It showed the girl, alone. She looked to Dawn and handed her the receipt. "I'll take care of this. I will meet you outside Everyday Woman. Preferably with the dress."

Dawn nodded. "Be careful."

"Always am," Buffy said as she turned and followed the girl and the vampire and into an arcade that was already closed.

The vampire and the girl were up against a video game, kissing playfully. "You know ... you got about the prettiest neck I've ever seen," he said.

"Wow, you guys really don't ever come up with new lines, do you?" Buffy asked as he turned to face her, his demonic visage showing.

"Do you mind? We were talkin' here," the girl said.

"But you promised you'd never cheat on me again, honey ..." Buffy said to the vampire.

"Uh, I better go ..." the girl said, obviously uncomfortable.

The vampire turned on the girl and growled. "I ain't done yet."

The girl started back in horror when she saw his vampire visage and then took off at a run.

The vampire then stepped toward Buffy. "All right then, sugarlips. I'm all yours," he said as he lunged for her just as her arm morphed into the flame thrower. With her other hand she sent him reeling and then she fired the flame thrower causing him to dust.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy made her way to Everyday Woman to find Dawn standing outside, without their mother's dress.

"They said that I can't get it because mom wasn't with me, since I'm fourteen," Dawn groaned. "And I'm like, really."

"I know how you feel, Dawnie," Buffy said as she wrapped her arm around her sister. "But that's okay. Let me see the receipt." Dawn nodded as she handed the receipt to her sister and Buffy began counting out money. "Now," she said as she took Dawn's hand. "Phase us through the wall and we'll leave the receipt with the money and get mom's dress."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Several minutes later Joyce sat at a table in the food court with dinner as Buffy and Dawn approached, dress in hand.

"It took you two a bit to get that," Joyce said. "Tell me you didn't break in to get it?"

"No," Dawn said. "We phased through a wall, left the receipt and money and got it."

"Why didn't you get it before they closed?" Joyce asked.

"They wouldn't let Dawn get it by herself," Buffy said. "And before you say anything mom. I had to take care of a vampire or I wouldn't have sent Dawn by herself to get your dress."

Joyce sighed. "Well I guess that's alright. At least you didn't leave Dawn to get the dress for some boy or clothes."

Dawn looked to Buffy. "You didn't tell her?"

Buffy shook her head. "It never seemed the right time. Especially after finding out I was …"

"What didn't you tell me?" Joyce asked.

"I'm gay," Buffy said as Joyce looked at her in surprise.

"Are you sure?" Joyce questioned. "It doesn't matter to me if you like girls over boys. But I just want to make sure that you are sure."

"I'm sure, mom," Buffy admitted.

January 13, 1998 – Tuesday

Sunnydale High School

Velvet skin flowed against her fingertips as Buffy moved her hand up to the base of Willow's neck. There was a small smirk tugging at the corners of Willow's mouth, her eyes glinting with an unspoken dare and the promise of.. what? Buffy couldn't exactly be sure but she intended to find out. The Terminator watched, possessed, as the redhead bit her lip in an effort to conceal the grin that was slowly growing.

Buffy took a small step closer, their bodies aligned, and she felt lightning course through her. She shuddered, "Willow," she let out wantonly. Willow's hand snaked around her waist. Her own hand moved up Willow's neck, gliding through the soft red hair, and pulling the Willow close.

Buffy felt Willow's fingers slide down her other arm, softly tangling her against the Willow's body. Her world was on fire. Here in the darkened room, alone, her body ablaze; Willow's breath stoking the roaring fire as it passed from her forbidden lips to Buffy's yearning mouth.

Buffy let out a sigh of contentment as Willow leaned forward and rested her forehead against her own. Buffy felt everything slide into place and the world seemed a little more right than it had before. Her lips pressed softly against—

Willow suddenly pulled back as she remembered where they were and where they were supposed to be. "Buffy?" she said.

"Shh," Buffy said.

"I'm just worried that we're going to miss class—" Willow said as she turned on the overhead light of the janitorial closet.

Buffy sighed. "Will, I thought you were okay with this. That you wanted to see what may come?"

"I am," Willow said.

"Then what is it?" Buffy asked.

"I just," Willow said. "Why don't we just tell Dawn and Xander and get it out in the open. I just don't like hiding this from them."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Willow said.

"Okay," Buffy said as she took Willow's hand and led her out of the closet. "We'll tell them after class."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"S-E-X"

The teacher spelled out as Willow and Buffy entered the classroom. "The sex drive in the human animal is intense—You two are late." He looked directly at Willow. "Which is unusual for you, Ms. Rosenberg."

"I know, I'm sorry," Willow apologized.

Mr. Whitmore turned back to the class as Buffy and Willow took their normal seats in front of Xander and Dawn. "How many of us have lost countless productive hours plagued by unwanted sexual thoughts and feelings?"

Willow glanced at Buffy in fear and she could feel the heat spread throughout her chest.

"What is wrong with Willow? I can detect an increased heartrate."

Buffy glanced over at Willow, who was scratching at the base of her neck in an attempt to cover the blush she saw in the redhead. "It's hard to explain," Buffy muttered to Cameron.

To Willow it suddenly felt like the entire classroom knew what she and Buffy had been doing, why they had been late to class. As her eyes darted from side to side, surveying other students' expressions, she was relieved when she heard a loud "Yes!" come from behind her.

Turning, Buffy, Dawn and Willow all saw Xander with his hand in the air and nodding along in agreement.

"That was a rhetorical question, Mr. Harris. Not a poll," the teacher told Xander who lowered his hand. "We've all been there. And no matter how hard you might try to stay focused; hormones take their toll and a lot of times people get so caught up in how good sex may feel that they don't take the time to remember that there can be some unpleasant side effects of the act. Can anyone give me an example of a negative consequence of engaging in sexual acts?"

Cordelia's hand shot up. "That depends. Are you talking about sex in a car or out of a car? Because one time - a friend of mine, not me—kicked the gear shift in a Miata that was parked at the top of this hill and—"

"I was thinking of something a little more... commonplace, Ms. Chase," Mr. Whitmore said as Xander shot Cordelia a look and put his hand up.

'Buffy,' Dawn thought through her the implant, currently wrapped around her cerebral cortex, that Cameron had given her. 'What's going on with Xander and Cordelia?'

'I'm not sure, but I've been wondering,' Buffy thought back as they and Willow watched as Xander and Cordelia threw insults back and forth. 'I've noticed that Xander's and Cordelia's fights have escalated in frequency as well as ferocity. Something is definitely up with them.'

"You want to talk negative consequence? How about the heartbreak of halitosis? I mean, a girl may seem spiffy, but if she ignores her flossing, the bloom is definitely off the rose—" Xander said.

Cordelia shot her hand up again. "Like that compares to kissing a guy who thinks the Hoover technique is a big turn on—"

"Okay. Anyone—" the teacher started.

"What about having to feign interest in her vapid, little chit-chat just to get some touch?" Xander cut in. "Boot cut jeans, pro or con? Can you say - get a life!?"

As Xander and Cordelia continued to bicker across the classroom, Willow, raised her hand and offered the teacher a real consequence, "What about pregnancy? Unplanned pregnancy I mean"

Mr. Whitmore smiled, "Thank you Ms. Rosenberg! Among teens unwanted pregnancy would be the number one negative consequence of sexual activity. This is partly because some teens think of a baby as a toy, or as a companion who will give them love. The truth, of course, is that a child is a relentless, needy tyrant. Which leads us into your assignment for the week."

The class groaned, but Buffy, Dawn and Willow could barely contain their joy. For Buffy more assignments meant more time she had to do to pass the time. For Dawn, well she just loved assignments and for Willow it meant something to focus on aside from her attraction to Buffy.

They watched as Mr. Whitmore lifted 3 cartons of eggs onto his desk. " Ladies and gentlemen, meet your new children. Your assignment is as follows. You will split into parenting teams. You and your partner will share equally in the daily task of raising your egg," he said as he held up a small composition notebook. "Every aspect of your child's care will be recorded in this daily log. If your egg breaks—you have killed your child. Naturally, this will affect your grade. Now, please, choose a partner and pick up your children."

"So," Xander started. He looked at Cordelia, who apparently had already chosen a partner. He looked back at his friends.

"I'm with Will," Buffy cut in as she looked at her girlfriend who nodded in agreement.

"That means its you and I, Xander," Dawn said as they and the rest of the students filed into a line. They received their eggs.

The students filed into a line and Willow watched as Cordelia and Xander fidgeted beside each other. Quirking her eyebrow, the redhead rolled her eyes, they're acting like 5 year olds. She received her egg baby, and an egg for the ever-absent Buffy, right before the bell rang.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Isn't that just a little weird?" Xander asked as he, Buffy, Dawn and Willow entered the library. "I mean, Buffy, you're not even human, anymore."

"So?" Dawn said glaring their only male friend. "Xander, it shouldn't matter…"

"Dawn's right," Buffy agreed, her arm wrapped around Willow. "Even if I still were human, two girls together are not much different. Beside with the sexuality program, I can feel pleasure."

Xander sighed. "I can see your point. It just seems unnatural is all."

"Believe me," Willow said as they stopped before Giles who was looking through some books. "Buffy and I thought about this before we decided to see what might come of it."

"And what are we talking about?" Giles asked as he looked up at the four of them.

"Me and Willow dating," Buffy answered as she took Willow's hand in her own.

Desire coursed through Willow as she felt Buffy's hand in her own.

"With the fact that I'm a Terminator," Buffy continued. "Xander thinks it's a little weird and unnatural. We were trying to explain to him that it is no more unnatural or weird than two human girls dating, instead of one human and one Terminator."

Giles looked to Xander and nodded. "They do have a point. Despite that Buffy is what she is now. She is still human inside, and that should be really what matters. She should be allowed to find love, if she wants. With whomever she wants."

Xander nodded and looked at Buffy apologetically. "I'm sorry, Buff. Sometimes I forget that you're still, you."

Buffy smiled and kissed Xander on the cheek. "Apology accepted," she said before turning back to Giles. "Any word on the vampire I faced last night?"

Giles nodded. "He was a fellow of some repute, it seems," he said as he turned the book he was looking through and motioned towards an old photograph of Lyle and another guy in western garb. "Lyle Gorch. The other one is his brother Tector. They're from Abeline. Made their reputation massacring a Mexican village in 1886."

"Friendly little demons ..." Dawn quipped.

Giles shook his head. "No, that was before they became vampires," he said. "The good news is, they're not among the great thinkers of our time. I doubt they were up to much; they were probably just drawn here by the hellmouth's energy."

"Enough said," Xander said. "I propose that Buffy slays them. All in favor?"

Willow looked at Buffy and smiled as she raised her hand. "Aye."

Buffy leaned in and kissed Willow. "With Lyle already dusted, I just got to find his brother," she said. "Will, do you mind taking care of Junior tonight?"

"Of course," Willow said as she took the egg from her girlfriend.

January 14, 1998 – Wednesday

Summers Home

"I didn't hear you come in last night," Joyce said as Dawn and Buffy entered the kitchen.

"I didn't want to wake you," Buffy explained. "So, I crept in very lightly."

"You know that I worry, despite what you are now," Joyce said.

"I know, mom," Buffy said.

Sunnydale High School

"Why are you three about? Don't you have class?" Giles asked as he re-shelved several books.

"Teen health got canceled," Dawn informed him.

"Mr. Whitmore's out today - couldn't get an egg-sitter or something," Xander said as Dawn and Willow sat heavily at the table and laid their heads on the table.

"Well, then could you give me a hand?" Giles asked as Xander went to help him.

"No," Willow replied as Xander went to help Giles re-shelve the books.

"Willow?" Buffy asked concerned. "Are you both okay?"

"Just a little tired," Willow said. "Or it could be something I ate."

"How did the hunt go last night, Buffy?" Giles asked.

"No sign of Tector," Buffy informed him.

Dawn knelt down next to Willow. "Are you sure you okay, Will?" she asked sharing her sister's concern for their friend.

"Perhaps it's the burden of parenthood. Notice how seriously you have taken this egg thing—while I, in turn, chose a more balanced approach—" Xander said as he produced his egg from a jacket pocket. He started juggling it.

Dawn watched the egg nervously. "Xander. Maybe you shouldn't—"

"See? That's just what I'm talking about. You can't stress over every little thing. A child picks up on that—which is a one-way ticket to neurotic city—" Xander said as he missed a catch and the egg dropped to the floor.

Dawn, Willow, Buffy and Giles gasped out before noticing that the egg was still in one piece.

"It didn't break!" Dawn cried and then she narrowed her eyes as she looked Xander.

"Why didn't it break?" Willow added looking at the egg in surprise.

"That's the other secret to conscientious egg-care," Xander said as he scooped the egg up. "A pot of scalding water and about eight minutes."

"You BOILED our young?" Dawn yelled.

"I know it sounds harsh. But sometimes you have to be harsh to be kind. You can bet little Xander here in thick-skinned now—" Xander told them.

"Technically, that would be called cheating, yes?" Giles asked.

"We are supposed to be partners," Dawn groaned. "You just failed us both."

Xander shook his head. "No! It's just like taking a shortcut, you know, if you're running a race."

"That would also be cheating," Buffy said.

"So, says the girl with the robot brain that can do a million things at once and now gets straight A's," Xander said.

"He has a point," Willow said as she looked at Buffy. She then looked back at Xander. "Still you should be ashamed."

"I suppose there is a sort of Machiavellian ingenuity to your transgression ..." Giles said.

"I resent that!" Xander said. "Or, possibly, thank you ..."

"Bit of both would suit," Giles said as Cordelia walked through the doors.

"Figures, you four are hanging in the dungeon while something major is going on at Sunnydale High," Cordelia said.

"And what would that be, Cordelia? Barrette appreciation day?" Xander asked.

"Mr. Whitmore didn't show today," Cordelia said.

Buffy nodded. "That news is of the past."

"He can't be reached. He's missing," Cordelia said. "And presumed dead."

"Presumed by whom?" Giles asked.

"Well, me," Cordelia said as if it was obvious.

"I think we might wait a few hours before we give up on him completely," Giles said.

"Well I think we should look around," Cordelia said. "Don't you, Xander?" She gave him a pointed look, revealing an ulterior motive—which he obviously missed.

"It can wait," Xander said.

"You're awfully gung-ho," Buffy informed Cordelia.

"Well, his body could fall out of a closet somewhere," Cordelia said. "We should check every closet to see if he's in a closet."

"Of course," Xander said as he moved towards the door with Cordelia. "There could be a closet ... Let's go. You guys look for other clues. We'll meet back here."

Willow watched Xander and Cordelia walk out the door. "Are they getting weirder? Have you noticed the weirdness of them?"

"Something is definitely going on," Buffy said.

"Buffy, think back to what and Willow did yesterday."

"It couldn't be, Cameron," Buffy countered.

"What?" Willow asked. "What did Cameron say?"

"She told me to think back to what you and I were doing yesterday," Buffy said and then her eyes went wide. "You don't think…the mention of closets?"

Willow's eyes went wide and thought back to hers and Buffy's explorations in one of the closets of Sunnydale High. "Maybe," she said. "But Xander and Cordelia. I mean we've always hated Cordelia."

"Maybe Cameron is wrong," Buffy said. She glanced toward her Watcher. "Giles, do you think I should look into Mr. Whitmore's disappearance?"

Giles shook his head. "Not till we know more. For now, just concentrate on Tector Gorch."

Summers Home

That night after a fruitless search of Tector Gorch, Buffy lay in bed staring up at the ceiling.

Just then she heard some sort of clicking sound and looked over at her egg on the nightstand. Suddenly it exploded and Buffy jumped out of bed her arm morphing into the plasma cannon. A slimy creature burst out of its shell and leaped at Buffy as she ducked.

"Buffy, don't destroy it. We need to analyze it, see what it is. Just kill it."

Buffy nodded as her arm morphed back to normal. She watched as the creature skittered across the floor and under her bed. She moved to the shelf and grabbed a book and then kneeled next to the bed looking underneath it.

Suddenly the creature fell on her from above, hitting her neck and trying to scuttle down her back. She dropped the book as her arms and head did a full-on exorcist twist and she grabbed the creature with both hands and held it as it squirmed in her grip. She moved towards her vanity and opened a drawer pulling out a letter opener and then stabbed the creature, killing it.

Buffy quickly set down the creature and picked up her phone and dialed. "Come on, pick up."

"Hello?" Willow said over the phone.

"Willow. Are you okay?" Buffy asked.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Willow asked.

"Your egg," Buffy said. "Is it doing anything?"

"Doing what?" Willow asked.

"Break it. Right now. Smash it with something heavy," Buffy said.

"Buffy, what—" Willow said.

"My egg just went postal on me. It hatched—some kind of crawly monster thing jumped on me—" Buffy said.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, but your egg—" Buffy asked, concern creeping into her voice.

"It's totally normal," Willow said. "I put it in the fridge."

Buffy sighed. "Okay ..."

"Maybe it was a trap," Willow said. "Something Tector Gorch planted for you."

"Maybe ..." Buffy said. "Okay. I'm sorry to wake you. Love you. Get back to sleep."

"You sure?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow," Willow said as she hung up.

Buffy frowned.

"She didn't say I love you back."

"I know, Cameron," Buffy said. "But our relationship is still new. She just may not be able to say it yet."

"Buffy, who are you talking to at this ..." Joyce said as she stood in the doorway.

Buffy motioned toward the creature. "That thing just hatched from my egg. I was calling Willow to make sure hers was okay. Sorry to wake you."

Joyce sighed and nodded. "Okay."

"Sure," Buffy said.

January 15, 1998 – Tuesday

Sunnydale High School

Dawn and Buffy walked up to Cordelia as they were entering the front doors of the school. "Nice bear," Buffy said as she noticed Cordelia's bear backpack. "Listen, is your –"

"I'll have you know my father brought this backpack for me from Gstaad years ago," Cordelia interrupted. "Then all of a sudden these trendoids everywhere are sporting them. So, I've been totally not wearing it. But then I was—Hey! I started this whole nation-wide craze. What am I ashamed of?"

"Okay, soliloquy girl," Dawn interjected. "Buffy and I just wanted to know about your egg."

"My egg?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy nodded. "You know the egg that Mr. Whitmore gave to you?" she informed the cheerleader.

"I've got it in my bear. I'm going to ace this experiment. No sweat. You think keeping an egg intact for a week is effortful? Try not breaking a silk-wrapped nail," Cordelia said.

"And your egg isn't acting ... odd or anything?" Buffy asked.

Cordelia looked at the sisters like that was the dumbest thing Buffy had ever heard. "It's not acting anything. It's an egg. It doesn't emote," she scoffed and then continued on toward one of her friends.

"Sorry about calling you so late last night," Buffy said as Willow walked up to her and Dawn.

"That's okay. I was awake," Willow said.

"What were you doing up?" Dawn wondered.

"Just couldn't sleep, I guess," Willow said. "So, was there any more hatchling activity last night?"

"Xander boiled ours so, sadly no," Dawn said.

Buffy shook her head. "No. I think you may be right. My egg may have been some kind of booby trap the vamp laid for me. So far, it seems like everybody else's are normal."

"You didn't bring the thing that attacked you, did you?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. I called Giles and he's in research mode. Wants to see it," she said as they headed down the hall.

"Well, take it to the science lab," Willow said. "I'll get Giles and we can analyze it."

"Great," Buffy said as she smiled at Willow. "I always say a day I can watch you perform an autopsy is like a day without sunshine, I love everything about you."

Willow simply smiled as Xander suddenly screamed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Xander and Cordelia stare down at the Buffy's creature and his egg with varying levels of disgust. "Can I just say—" Xander said with a shudder. "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

"What is it?" Cordelia asked.

"We don't know what it is, Cordelia," Xander told her. "That's why we're here. Capiche?"

"Capiche?" Cordelia asked. "Like you're Mr. World Traveler."

"Where's Giles?" Buffy asked as Dawn and Willow walked into the lab. "I know he'd hate to miss this."

"He said we should get started," Willow informed them.

"And he'd be by as soon as possible," Dawn added.

"So. Okay. Get started Buffy," Xander said handing her the scapel. "Dissect it or something."

Buffy looked at Xander. "Dissect it? Why me?"

"You're the Slayer," Xander said.

"Was," Buffy corrected. "I'm a Terminator, remember? Which is the only reason I am not disgusted as much as you are as I can control my emotions and choose not to feel. Someone else can do it." She handed the scalpel back to Xander.

"Oh no. I almost ate one of these things," Xander said. "I've fulfilled my gross-out quota for the decade."

"Guys?" Willow said as she took the scalpel and cut into Buffy's creature as its blue blood spurted out.

"Do we have any idea what to look for?" Xander asked. "I mean, how are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?"

"Turn it over. Maybe we missed its I.D. bracelet," Buffy said sarcastically.

"So now I guess we know what happened to Mr. Whitmore," Xander said.

"He saw one of these things and ran away?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Try—best case scenario."

"It's possible that Mr. Whitmore wasn't harmed," Willow said.

"Maybe the offspring simply used him to return to the mother Bezoar," Dawn added.

"Yeah. Maybe he—" Xander said and then he realized what Dawn had said. "What?"

Buffy frowned. "What's a Bezo—"

"Buffy!"

Buffy ducked at Cameron's warning as Dawn tried to blind side her with a lead pipe. She looked down at Xander who had been rendered unconscious by Cordelia. She frowned as she realized what had happened; her girlfriend, her sister and Cordelia were now under the control of the creatures from the eggs. "Where is it, the Bezoar?" she questioned looking at her girlfriend and her sister.

"We are not telling you," Dawn said, her expression completely blank.

"What are you?" Cordelia questioned. "You are not human."

"Correct," Buffy said. "I'm not." She looked at her sister and girlfriend. "And if you two can access Dawn and Willow's memories you would know what I am."

"She is a Terminator," Willow informed Cordelia and Dawn. "A machine. We have no use for her. But she could prove a threat."

"Agreed," Dawn said. "Do as we say or your friend will be killed."

Buffy looked at Dawn, Willow and Cordelia and then at Xander and sighed. "Alright," she agreed. "Can I ask something?"

"You may," Dawn said as Cordelia and Willow dragged Xander out of the room, she and Buffy following.

"Is my sister and my girlfriend still alive inside of your hosts?" Buffy asked.

"They are," Willow answered. "But they are suppressed. As long as we remain attached, they will remain suppressed for the remainder of their mortal lives."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy paced around the janitor's closet that she and Willow had been making out the day before. "The last time I was in this closet was with Willow," she said.

"I know the feeling," Xander said as he slowly regained consciousness. "The last time Cordy dragged me in here was a lot nicer ..."

"I knew it," Buffy said as she narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You and Cordelia have been doing what Willow and I have."

Xander nodded with an obvious sheepish look. "After you and Willow revealed you two were a couple. I tried to talk to Cordy into doing the same. She prefers her status as Queen C more than people knowing she and I are, well whatever we're doing." He sighed as he looked at Buffy. "What the hell is actually going on? Dawn, Cordy and Willow ..."

"The hatchlings," Buffy answered. "From what I gather they have taken them as hosts. The hatchlings suppress their hosts. Dawn, Willow and Cordelia are still there but the hatchlings control them completely. They also know I am no use to them. I figure the only reason they haven't left you a gift is to make sure I cooperate. It wouldn't surprise me if they have a guard outside the door."

"So, what did the hatchlings come from?"

"I think the mother Bezoar," Buffy answered. "But I'm not sure. And I have no idea how to defeat it."

"So how do we get out?" Xander wondered as he looked at the door.

"I'm a Terminator, remember?" Buffy answered with a smirk. "One of the privileges of not being human any longer is I am actually a heck of a lot stronger than I was as the Slayer. I will kick open the door and if there is someone guarding it, I will knock them out."

"Sounds like a plan," Xander agreed.

Buffy spun into a roundhouse and kicked at the door which went flying off its hinges. Harmony was standing outside and before the possessed cheerleader could turn around Buffy had hit her knocking Harmony to the ground and into unconsciousness.

"Next stop, the library," Xander said as they darted down the hallway. "I just hope Giles isn't possessed."

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Giles?" Buffy called out as she and Xander rushed into the library. They found the room eerily quiet. "Giles?"

"He must be possessed also," Xander said. "I doubt he would have left here willingly otherwise not when he had something to research."

"Your right he wouldn't have," Buffy agreed. "Which means we need to do the research ourselves. I can't fight these things unless I know how to un-possess our friends and my sister."

"Willow said something ... a name ... what was it?" Xander said.

"Bezoar," Buffy reminded him as she moved to the books sitting on the counter. She found a book sitting there open to the Bezoar. "Okay, Giles found something."

Xander stepped up beside Buffy and stepped on something that crunched underfoot. He looked down at the broken egg on the floor. "Well that answers that, they definitely possessed him."

Buffy looked at the book. "Let's find out about this thing. A pre-prehistoric parasite... the mother hibernates underground, laying eggs. Offspring attach themselves to a host, taking control of their motor functions through neural clamping."

"Neural clamping?" Xander grimaced. "That sounds skippable."

"Buffy?"

"Yes, Cameron," Buffy answered.

"The part of ourselves that we gave Dawn should still be wrapped around her cerebral cortex.

We should be able to talk to her directly bypassing the hatchling."

"Good thinking, Cameron," Buffy said as she looked at Xander. "A little while back Cameron gave Dawn a piece of ourselves to her. It acts like an implant and allows telepathic communication between her and us."

"If she is conscious while possessed that will give us a clue on where she is," Xander said. "Now the next question. We know the hatchlings are controlling our people and their taking orders from their mother. So, what does the mother want?

"I don't know," Buffy admitted. She then closed her eyes. 'Dawn,' she thought. She received no response. 'Dawn, can you hear me?' She sighed as she looked at Xander. "So much for hoping for help from Dawn. The thing controlling Willow said their hosts were suppressed."

"Must be that their minds are completely shut down," Xander said with a sigh. "Sorry, Buffy."

"Ahhh! Get it off me! Get it off!" came a cry from the hallway. Buffy and Xander rushed out to find Jonathon getting to his feet.

"Are you all right?" Buffy asked.

Jonathon nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I slipped," he said as he moved past them and walked down the hallway.

"I think I hear mommy calling," Buffy said as she and Xander turned and followed Jonathon.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

down into the boiler room and up to a hole in the wall.

"Do we really wanna go in there?" Xander asked, they stood before a hole in the wall of the school's boiler room where Jonathon had led them.

Buffy shook her head. "We really don't," she said as they climbed into the hole and down a short tunnel into an underground cavern.

"What are they digging up?" Xander whispered as he noticed two of the students haul off a broken chunk of rock, widening a small hole in the ground. They could see a piece of the mother Bezoar through the hole.

"Well that explains what they are digging up," Buffy said.

Xander looked around and then nudged Buffy and pointed at Cordelia as she took a crate loaded with eggs down a tunnel.

"We can't let them spread those things," Buffy said.

"I know. I'll handle it. Can you hold the fort? Better yet—can you kill the fort?" Xander asked.

Buffy looked around for a moment. "I can try. Most of my weapons though would be useless with all the civilians. But I'll try."

Xander nodded as he followed Cordelia.

"I need a weapon," Buffy said. "One that will kill the Bezoar but not the civilians."

"We possess no weapons that would not be able to not hurt civilians."

Buffy sighed as she moved back into the boiler room to search for something to use as a weapon and ran right into Tector Gorch.

"You are so cute and little," Tector said. "And I am going to make you pay for killing my brother." He rushed Buffy and she parried, sending him flying back. He was quickly back on his feet and hurled himself at her and they went flying through the hole back into the cavern. They landed a bit apart. As he stood, he noticed the faculty and students in the chamber. "What the hell is this?"

Buffy stood and found herself face to face with her sister. "Dawnie?"

"Kill them," Willow said as she looked up at Tector and Buffy.

Dawn swung her pickaxe at Buffy, who blocked it.

Tector fended several students who had come at him. "What's going on?" he asked when he and Buffy were forced back to back.

"Long story!" Buffy said as she pushed away a teacher.

Tector knocked someone out one of the students as he and Buffy turned toward each other and started trading blows. Then more students attacked causing them to turn their attention back to the students, teachers, Willow, Giles and Dawn.

Giles hit Tector on the back of the head with the flat end of an axe and the vampire went flying, landing on his belly with his face right over the hole. "What is that...?" Tector asked as the Bezoar looked up at him.

Suddenly a tentacle shot out and wrapped itself around Tector's head and he was pulled into the hole before he had chance to scream.

Buffy watched and listened as somewhere down below, Tector finally found the moment to scream. She listened to it chomped on Tector and the vampire's screams died out.

"Buffy!"

Cameron's warning came too late as a tentacle grabbed Buffy and pulled her into the Bezoar's mouth.

Buffy smiled and morphed her arm into the plasma cannon. In here she could kill the monster without hurting the civilians. She fired the plasma cannon as the Bezoar screamed.

Willow, Dawn, Giles and the others stopped what they were doing and listened as the Bezoar died.

And then the hatchlings fell off their hosts and fell to the ground. Their hosts blinked, obviously dazed as they too fell to the ground in a dead faint. Buffy pulled herself out of the dead mother covered in its blue blood.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"Yes, it was a gas leak, just get some air and you'll all be fine..." Giles said a little groggy as he approached Xander who was helping the faculty and his fellow students. "What really happened?"

"Go with Gas leak. I'll fill you in later," Xander said as he walked over to Dawn, Willow and Cordelia. "How're you guys doing?"

"Did I really hit you?" Willow asked.

Xander nodded. "Knocked me out."

"Did I hit you?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes, everybody hit me," Xander said.

"Me?" Dawn asked.

"No, Dawn," Buffy said as she walked up behind her sister. "But you did try and hit me."

"Sorry," Dawn said.

"It's alright," Buffy said as she hugged Dawn. She then turned to Willow and pulled her redheaded girlfriend into her arms and kissed her deeply.