Pranks and Posturing

"Giles…what is it?" Willow asked, peering at the note.

"I don't why I didn't think of it before."

"What?" It was a chorus of voices now, all growing impatient.

"Ethan."

"Who's Ethan?" Faith asked.

"Ethan Rayne. An old…well we used to be friends. He's worships Chaos now."

"Chaos huh?" Faith couldn't help but snicker.

Suddenly, a light dawned in Willow's eyes. "Wait…the…same Ethan who was behind the presto-change into your costume on Halloween last year?"

"One and the same." Giles sunk into the chair behind him, pulling his glasses off to clean them.

"Guess this Ethan guy is pretty powerful," Faith muttered.

"Very powerful, yes."

Willow turned to the girl beside her. "Giles and Ethan used to some pretty dark magics in their teenage years."

"No way. Giles was badass? Rock on."

"Can we please get back to the present dark magics please?"

"So what…he sent Buffy back in time?" Xander asked.

"It appears so, yes."

"But why…and how? I don't get it."

"Giles, what did the note say?" Angel asked.

"He wanted to return something to me…something from our past," he answered.

"What was it?"

"I don't know. There was nothing in the envelope besides the letter."

"Maybe whatever it was…Buffy found it?" Willow suggested.

"It's possible." Giles stood up, sticking his glasses back on his nose and reached for his coat.

"Where are we going?" Xander asked, jumping to his feet.

"We're not. I'm going to find Ethan. Alone."

"But we can help…we could hold him down while you beat him for information."

"While appreciate the offer, this is between the two of us."

They watched him head for the doors of the library. Just as he was about to exit, he turned back around.

"I want to find whatever you can on Chaos. If Ethan isn't forthcoming with information, we'll have to try and decipher the magic ourselves."

"Got. More research." Xander let out a sigh as he sunk back into a chair.

Faith picked up a book and started flipping through it. She never had been very good with research. She was more of a doer. Still, if it helped get Buffy back, she'd do it. Willow reached over and was about to hand a book to Angel only to find him gone.

"I hate it when he does that…does anybody else hate when he does that?" she asked.

"Who does what?" Xander muttered.

"Angel. When he just disappears like that."

"He probably went after Giles," Faith said.

Not far from the school, Giles stopped walking. He'd been a Watcher long enough to know when he was being followed.

"I do not need your help."

Angel moved to stand beside Giles. "No…you don't want my help. But you are going to need it."

"I am quite capable of taking him on alone."

"Giles, I get that you want to take him down. But he's given you the slip before."

"It won't happen this time."

Angel moved to bar Giles' path. "Think about what you're doing. Last time you went off all half-cocked about someone you cared about, you nearly died. Or do you not remember nearly getting burned alive."

Giles features hardened. "It would be wise for you not to bring her into this."

"Just trying to make sure you don't get yourself killed. Buffy would never forgive herself if anything happened to you."

"Fine. Come. But don't get in the way."

"Yes, Sir." Angel followed Giles off the school premises.

The pair walked for a while in silence. Giles had no idea where he was going but at the moment he was too angry to admit it. Angel stopped walking, closing his eyes and taking a breath in.

"Sense anything?" Giles asked.

"Well considering I don't know what this guy smells like...it's kind of hard to tell."

"He wouldn't stay anywhere nice. I suppose we ought to search the hotels."

"That's a lot of hotels, Giles."

"Do you have a better idea then?"

"Yeah. Actually I think I do. Come on."

He led Giles in the opposite direction. Some ten minutes later they arrived at Wily the Snitch's bar. Giles tried to hide a smirk as they walked in and approached the bar. Willy looked up and gave a little hiccup of laughter.

"A-Angel...what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for someone...British guy. Ethan Rayne."

"Haven't seen him. I swear."

"Maybe you want to think a little harder about that." Angel leaned on the bar, glaring at the man.

"Honest...I don't know any Ethan."

"He's been in town before. Last year around Halloween," Giles said, sitting down on one of the bar stools.

"I don't know. Look...if I uh...hear anything I'll let you fellas know." He was about to back away when Angel changed, reaching over the bar to grab the man by the shirt.

"Do you really want me to beat it out of you?"

"Take it easy...really. Ok...so maybe I heard something...this Ethan guy you're looking for."

"We're listening," Giles stated coolly.

"I hear he's staying at the Sunnydale Motel...that's all I heard."

"Thanks, Willy. Have a nice night." Angel returned to his human form and they left.

"See, told you it would work."

"Come on. We've got to hurry."

"You think he'd skip town if he found out the spell worked?"

"No. I have no doubt the spell was meant for me. And if Ethan really wants to get rid of me, he's going to continue trying."

"What's he got against you?"

"I gave up toying with forces I had no business invoking."

"You've met him before, you know. Last year...when that demon was after me."

"Oh right. Didn't like him then either."

--

Buffy stood in the kitchens, washing dishes while William watched from the doorway. He could not believe almost half a year had passed since he'd begun courting her. Every day she never ceased to amaze him in some way. Buffy looked up and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing. You are even graceful when you wash dishes."

"I am, huh?"

"Most certainly." He crossed the threshold to stand by her.

"Well, it's almost sundown."

"You will be making your rounds I expect."

Buffy nodded her head, trying to focus on washing the dishes. "I've been thinking."

"Yes?"

"What if you came with me tonight?"

"Oh I would not presume to hinder your efforts."

"No I mean...I want you to come...I could train you to fight...who knows, you might even slay your very own vampire one day."

"You believe so?"

"I know so. How about it? You and me...I know you don't always feel comfortable with me going out so late by myself."

"Alright. Tonight then. We will go together."

Buffy failed to hide a smile as she began to dry the dishes. William gave her a smile back and picked up a rag to help.

"You don't have to."

"I want to."

On the other side of town, Angelus and Darla sat in their home. Angelus paced back and forth. He had waited too long to engage the Slayer. He needed to attack her now.

"Angelus, sit down. You're making me lightheaded."

"Tonight...we're going to kill her tonight."

"Are you still going on about the Slayer? Let her go, darling. You aren't going to kill her."

"Now what sort of attitude is that, Darla? Not one befitting such a beautiful woman of your station."

The blond stood up, wrapping her arms around the man in front of her. "I just think it's suicide to try and take her on. Why don't we go somewhere? I'm growing so dreadfully bored of London. Perhaps...Italy? It would be a nice change."

"After the Slayer is dead."

"Fine. Go confront the Slayer. She obviously means more to you than I do."

"Darla...don't be this way, my love. You are the most important thing to me. I simply made a promise to kill her. And what sort of man would I be if I didn't keep my promises."

"Alright. Go and kill her. But bring some back for me."

Angelus moved to open the door, waiting to see if the sun had gone down. It had disappeared enough from the sky that he could freely move about.

"I hope you're ready, Slayer."

By the time Buffy and William were out doing their rounds, Angelus had been searching for nearly an hour. He finally caught her scent on the wind near the cemetery where Anne had been buried.

"Are you certain we will find something tonight?" William asked in a whisper.

"Not necessarily but it's worth a shot."

"Oh, you'll find something, Slayer," he whispered from where he hid behind a clump of bushes.

Buffy stopped moving, putting her arm out to stop William as well. She looked around. She could tell there was something there with them, something evil.

"What is it?" William asked.

"Shh. Stay here." She began to move towards where Angelus crouched.

"Come on out. I know you're here," she called.

"If you insist," the vampire called, moving into view.

"Ok...seriously...get a new obsession."

"I made a promise and I wouldn't be a very good man if I didn't keep it."

Buffy raised her crossbow and fired, landing an arrow in his shoulder. He looked shocked to see the piece of wood sticking out of his arm. With a grunt he pulled it out.

"Next time, I won't miss."

"You're too scared to take me on, Slayer."

"Not really. Already killed you once. Won't be hard to do it again."

Angelus let out a laugh. "You're some kind of crazy."

"No...really not." She took a step back before running at him, slamming the crossbow against his jaw.

He went stumbling backwards, tripping over a headstone. She advanced on him.

"I'm going to tell you this one time. Get the hell out of my town."

--

The moon had begun to rise as Angel and Giles reached the Sunnydale Motel. They shared a look before they entered the lobby. The man behind the desk looked up, setting his paper now.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes. We'd like to ask you a few questions about one of your more recent guests."

"You with the police or something?"

"Or something," Angel replied through fangs.

The man at the desk let out a yelp and nearly fell out of his chair.

"Ethan Rayne. We know he's staying here. What room is he in?" Giles asked, trying to take the focus off of Angel.

"What the hell is...?"

"Scaring him isn't helping," Giles muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

Angel took a step back and turned around. Giles cleared his throat and addressed the man behind the counter again.

"Ethan Rayne. What room?"

The man reached for the notebook near the phone and began to look through it.

"Room 15C."

"Thank you. And I trust you will keep this between us," Giles said.

"Yeah...sure whatever you say."

Giles nodded and he and Angel left the room.