See Part One for Disclaimer and details. Hello all, welcome to the latest chapter! I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this fanfic – RavenWoodbane, thank you in particular for all your kind words. I hope you all continue to tell me what you think! And a virtual cookie to everyone out there, who spots my little homage to The Simpsons in this chapter... :)
Part Seven: Reunion, Part Two
A Place Where Nothing Need Be What It Seems
A Time Meaningless To Mortal Minds
A wave crashed onto the shore of the Sunnydale beach as Buffy, wearing only a summer dress, walked barefoot across the sand. Smiling, she stopped and looked out over the ocean. She then closed her eyes and raised her head to just feel the sun on her face, and listen to the waves come in.
This was Buffy's special place, the peaceful sanctuary she could go whenever life as the Slayer simply got too much for her. Here, she could still be that normal teenage girl who just wanted to graduate high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater and eventually die.
Feeling content ever since Halloween – she had finally repressed that nightmare of what life was like, living as a man – Buffy continued to bask in the sunlight and enjoy the mindless roar of the ocean. But opening her eyes after hearing human voices, the Slayer turned to the right and squinted slightly at the sight before her.
Jesse was building a sandcastle, and the expression on his face was one of childlike glee. Buffy frowned as she saw Willow join him, and the two started playing together like little kids.
"Can't understand why you're so surprised, pet. Different circumstances, that would 'ave been you over there as well."
The Slayer whirled around, only to see Spike standing there on the sand behind her. "You..."
"That's right, baby, I'm back," Spike sent Buffy a very annoying smirk. "Miss me?"
"How the hell-?" Buffy demanded, backing up and instinctively reaching for a stake.
"Oh, come on, Slayer!" Spike said in exasperation, his British accent grating on Buffy's nerves just like during Parent-Teacher Night. He gestured towards the sun, "Doesn't THAT give ya a great ruddy clue what's going on 'ere?"
"You're dead. I killed you," Buffy said belligerently, silently cursing the fact that she was unarmed.
"Yeah, that ya did. Shouldn'ta gone down that way, granted, but too late to cry over spilt milk now," Spike shrugged.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy demanded.
"I shoulda been your destiny, luv," Spike said with an evil grin, gesturing back and forth between them. "Thing is that, eventually, you and me? Well, let's just say I always knew that the only thing better than killing a Slayer, would be giving her a good hard shag..." He then thrust his groin forward to illustrate what he meant, just like one of the Three Amigos would have done it.
"You're nuts!" Buffy shouted, the blonde virgin feeling sick at the very concept of sexual relations with a vampire. "I kill your kind, not sleep with them!"
"She's got a point as far as that goes, Spike. Besides, I would have gotten there first; you'd have just helped yourself to my leftovers," a different male voice said from behind the Slayer.
Again, Buffy whirled around to see a vampire – a tall, pale and very handsome one. He was wearing a black duster and black leather pants that would have had many girls ready to swoon at how well they emphasized his taught masculine body, and Buffy quickly fought off a fluttery feeling in her stomach. "Who are you?"
"Name's Angelus. You might have heard of me," the new arrival sent Buffy an arrogant smirk.
"What? This isn't po- Darla said that you were dead, you've been dust for a hundred years!" Buffy said incredulously, recalling that conversation in the Bronze and still attempting to ignore how good-looking this guy was.
That only caused Angelus to laugh. "Well, yeah – I mean, I never said I wasn't. But c'mon, lover," Angelus told Buffy with an evil grin, one that only grew as she shuddered at the implication of his endearment. "Use your head; think. How can Spike and I both be here, standing directly in the sunlight and talking with you?"
"This is a Slayer dream of some sort," Buffy realized, trying with all her might to suppress nausea about another vampire claiming to have had sex with her. Or that he would have had sex with her, or whatever. ( My God, this has got to be some sorta nightmare... )
"Bingo! See, William, I told ya – it may have taken her a while, but the good old Buffster eventually got there in the end," Angelus said merrily.
"Oh sod off, ya magnificent poof," Spike said, annoyed from hearing his human name being spoken by his grandsire. "Don't you 'ave to go put on some extra hair gel, or something?"
"Don't YOU have to come up with a poem containing something that rhymes with 'effulgent', Willy Wannabite?" Angelus shot back.
"Least I never went drivin' around LA in a bloody convertible – hell, mate, why didn't you ever get a damn license plate saying 'irony'?" Spike replied nastily.
"Why didn't you ever admit to yourself that everything you did, it was to win approval from the girl – whether that was Buffy, Dru, or even your own mother?" Angelus threw back roughly.
"Okay, how old are you two – twelve?" Buffy said, starting to look exasperated with her undead companions. "Now answer my question. What. Do. You. Want?"
"It's your dream, Buff. You tell us," Angelus said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, making Buffy want to smash that smirk off his face with her bare fists. "All right, fine. The Big Bad is coming, no weapon forged can kill him, Darla won't be there to help you, blah-blah-blah. Ugh, someone up there really needs his ass kicked for making me do this!"
"Yeah, Peaches, and to think – the only one who can help her now is ol' Droopy Boy," Spike added in disgust, even though the Slayer had no idea who the vampire meant by that remark. William then said, "Look!"
Buffy looked towards where Spike was pointing, and a man engulfed by green fire walked out of the ocean. Day abruptly turned into night as Angelus and Spike disappeared; and Buffy found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move as the burning man headed towards her. He smelled acrid and vaguely sulfuric...
Buffy screamed the moment she saw that the young man wreathed in green flames had Xander's face.
Sunnydale High School, Sunnydale
November 4th, 1997
Buffy sat in the History classroom, deliberately not looking in Xander's direction. She also ignored the concerned looks of Jesse and Willow, who always knew it when their superheroine friend was in some sort of funk.
"Okay, let's discuss the basis of the French Revolution," the female teacher said, trying to stir up some interest amongst the students. "You should have all done the reading, so what are your impressions of the reigning monarchy?"
"Well, it seems to me like Louis XVI was just sort of a weak king," one of the boys piped up, looking rather embarrassed as everyone stared at him.
"That's fair enough. Ah, any other impressions?" the teacher asked hopefully.
Cordelia spoke up, "I just don't see why everyone was always picking on Marie Antoinette. I can so relate to her. She worked really hard to look that good, and people just don't appreciate that kind of effort!"
The teacher looked a little nonplussed at hearing that. "Yes, well, that's a very interesting perspective..."
"Right, and I know the peasants were all depressed and cranky and everything...I mean, it's no wonder they ended up all 'let's lose some aristocrat heads' or whatever. But still, Marie Antoinette cared about them. She was gonna let them have cake!" Cordelia said passionately.
"I thought that French cake was about as nourishing as a Twinkie without all the creamy white goodness on the inside," Xander spoke up, as Cordelia turned to stare at him. "In other words, she told them to eat garbage or something?"
"That's – not all that far from the truth, actually. So, would anyone else like to comment-" the teacher started to say, before the bell rang to indicate the end of the period. "All right, everyone, before you go – make sure you study chapter five of your textbook carefully. There just might be a quiz on the subject matter next week," she told the class, which caused all the students to groan in dismay as they packed up their stuff and vacated the room.
"Wow, Buffy – that Xander guy kinda put Cordelia in her place, huh?" Willow said with an admiring smile as she, Jesse and Buffy walked away from the classroom.
"Oh, I dunno – I think maybe he was just trying to show that he'd done the required reading. Which, after the Slayer dream I had last night, I found kinda hard to remember," Buffy replied, still trying to figure out what Xander burning with green fire could possibly mean.
"C'mon, Buffy, 'fess up – what did you dream about? By any chance, was it me finally knowing the love of a woman, in the full body sense of the word?" Jesse wisecracked. By this time, he was pretty much back to normal, having rejected all his Halloween memories of Dusty Bottoms – because practically everything that McNally had inherited from that 1916 movie star just didn't fit in with who he was, and who he wanted to be.
"Sorry, Jesse, but Darla didn't put in an appearance last night. That Spike guy did, though – and so did someone calling himself Angelus," Buffy said, carefully omitting any reference to Xander until she could discuss the dream with her Watcher.
"Angelus? The One With The Angelic Face?" Willow asked in confusion, having read up on the guy ever since last month. "But didn't Darla tell us-"
"-that he was dust? Sure," Buffy interrupted. "That didn't stop him and everything else in the dream from majorly freaking me out, though. I woke up screaming, and my mom came running into my bedroom, demanding to know what was wrong."
( Oh, I sure wouldn't mind running into Darla's bedroom that way, ) Jesse thought to himself with a slight smirk as the trio reached the student lounge. "Well, I say we get your mind off your troubles by having a wild dance party at the Bronze. What do ya say?"
"Myself I'd suggest a box of Oreos dunked in apple juice, but maybe she's over that phase," Ford said as he arrived behind Buffy.
The Slayer whirled around. "Ford?"
"Hey, Summers," Fordham smiled as Buffy threw herself into his arms. "How've ya been?"
"Oh, my God, Ford! What are you doing here?" Buffy exclaimed as the two let go. She then quickly grabbed hold of Ford's hand; an action did which did not go unnoticed by Jesse and Willow.
"I'm matriculating," Ford said by way of explanation, starting down at their hands before returning his gaze to Buffy's face.
"Huh?" the Slayer asked cluelessly.
"I'm finishing out my senior year at Sunnydale High. Dad got transferred," Ford clarified his earlier remark, even though he was completely lying his ass off.
"Oh, well – that's great!" Buffy gushed happily.
"I'm glad you think so. I wasn't sure you'd remember me, actually," Ford said self-deprecatingly.
"Remember you? Duh! We only went to school together for seven years. You were my giant fifth grade crush, and we dated for a while during freshman year!" Buffy said happily.
Jesse cleared his throat. "So, I take it you two know each other?"
"Oh!" Buffy stammered, hurriedly making up for the social faux pas. "I'm sorry, guys. Um, this is Ford! Uh, Billy Fordham, this is Jesse McNally and Willow Rosenberg!"
"Hi," Ford said to the Slayerettes politely.
"Hey,", "Hello," Willow and Jesse said back.
"Ford and I went to Hemery together in LA," Buffy said to her friends, before turning back to Ford. "And now you're here. For real?"
Ford nodded, deciding to expand a little on his lies thus far. "Dad got the transfer, and boom, he just dragged me outta Hemery and put me down here."
Willow smiled. "So you two were sweeties ever since fifth grade? Buffy, why didn't you ever mention anything about this before now?"
"No, uh, back then I was a manly sixth-grader; I couldn't be bothered with someone that young. We didn't date until her freshman year, and that ninth grade beauty contest," Ford said with a genuine smile.
"Ford! Stop that. The more people you tell, the more I'll have to kill afterwards," Buffy blushed slightly.
"So, just outta interest, why'd you two ever break up?" Jesse asked curiously.
"Good question. She never did give me a satisfactory answer after Summers ended it between us, way back when," Ford raised an eyebrow at the Slayer.
Buffy flushed, her cheeks becoming very pink. "Well, well, I...had a lot happening in my life at the time, I was going through all these...changes. Plus your best friend wasn't exactly happy about, y'know, 'us'," the Summers girl somehow made up a plausible excuse on the fly.
"True, but I-" Ford started to say.
"Anyway! My friends and I, we're all going to the Bronze tonight. It's the local club, and you just have to come," Buffy jumped in before Fordham could mention Xander's name. "Please, Ford?"
"Sure, I'd love to! But, uh, if you guys already had plans...would I be imposing?" Ford asked hesitantly.
"Nah, the more the merrier. Feel free to join us," Jesse offered graciously.
Buffy then dragged Ford away to the admissions office in order for the guy to get his paperwork in order – or so she thought, anyway. Jesse watched them leave after the hurried goodbyes, and his smile suddenly vanished.
Willow saw it and asked, "Jesse, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just – well, last week it was that Xander Harris guy, and now it's this 'Ford' character. It's like we're being invaded here, Will! I mean, who's it gonna be next week, some girl who the Buffster traded Barbies with during second grade? And notice how quickly she ditched us for her ex-boyfriend, just now. That is so not friendly to us, her best friends!" McNally said in annoyance.
Willow thought about it. "Did you consider the possibility that Buffy may be so desperate for a decent guy, that she didn't want Ford to meet any other girl here on his first day? Plus, I think she might have been feeling a little lonely lately."
"With us around? Willow, surely you jest!" Jesse exclaimed.
"Well, it's just that sometimes, I-I think Buffy feels kinda left out with the two of us, y'know? I mean, we have this whole history together that she's not a part of, and that must be kinda hard on her to deal with – especially when we talk about all the normal things we used to do, in the old days."
"Yeah, maybe," Jesse said thoughtfully, before his expression brightened and he changed the subject. "Hey, you think Darla will be at the Bronze tonight? 'Cause I think I'm wearing down her resistance, and I'm kinda hoping she'll give me two dances this time instead of one!"
Willow shook her head and sighed. Obviously, her male friend had only one thing on his mind these days, just like ninety-nine percent of his peers. It also made discussing the new feelings arising as a consequence of her Halloween experience far more difficult with Jesse.
After all – Willow couldn't simply say, "Oh, by the way, I think I'm kinda gay now," to McNally, at least not just like that.
Well, actually, she probably could – but Jesse would almost certainly try to swallow his foot with something like, "Oooh, could I watch you and your girlfriend go at it like a pair of gibbons in the back seat of Noah's Ark?"
The Bronze, Sunnydale
Later that night
Cordelia was holding court in the teen hangout, discussing various topics of interest with her Cordettes – such as lipstick, the latest fashions from Paris and why she had dumped Devon yesterday, after he had flaked on her once too often. Suddenly, she saw Xander Harris come in and excusing herself from her friends, the young woman chased after the young man in question.
"What did you think you were doing, challenging me like that during History class today?" Cordy demanded, as soon as she and Xander were alone.
"Excuse me?" Xander replied with a look of honest confusion on his face.
"You heard me," Cordy said impatiently. "What was it with that whole 'eating garbage' wisecrack?"
Xander shrugged. "What was it with you trying to play mind games with the teacher?"
"What are you talking about?" Cordelia inadvertently took a step back.
"You think I couldn't tell what you were trying to do?" Xander said with a small smirk, one that quickly vanished. "Cordelia, we may not know each other all that well yet, but after Saturday morning, there's one thing I do know – and that is, you're smarter than the 'airhead' image you presented in class today. The only thing I can figure is that you were deliberately trying to appear like a vapid idiot, for whatever reason. None of my business why," Xander shrugged again. "You want to put on a false mask like that in public – that's your issue, not mine."
Cordelia was momentarily stunned at his insight, at how this boy had stripped away her outer defenses. But with the aid of being the Oracle of Delphi for one night, Miss Chase quickly decided on a new course of action and went on the attack. She said with a haughty smile, "I have no idea what you're talking about, but just for that – you're going to have to take me out to dinner and a movie on Friday night, to make up for it. Pick me up say, around, seven-ish?"
But to Cordelia's astonishment, Xander shook his head. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm flattered – I really am – but I'm also not into the dating thing, at least not right now."
To say that Cordelia was flabbergasted was like saying the Earth was a little bit round, or the sun was a little bit hot. Harris had completely stunned her again and the brunette could only stammer, "What the-? Are you actually saying 'no' to the offer of a date with me? There are seniors at Sunnydale High who'd be willing to get down on their knees and BEG me for the opportunity I just gave to you! Wait, is it me? Like, is there something wrong with my hair tonight-?" Cordelia started grasping at straws concerning the incomprehensible rejection she'd just suffered.
"It's not you. It's me," Xander reassured her hastily.
"What are you talking about?" Cordy demanded, she wasn't handling this well at all.
"You remember what I said in the library during the weekend? Well, I didn't tell you guys all of it because I didn't want to gross you out, but fact is I can remember things from Soldier Guy's life that aren't exactly pleasant on the old memory banks. Rape victims, villagers who sold their own daughters into prostitution, there was even one case of a pregnant woman and a West Point Abortion-"
"What's that?" Cordelia interrupted, looking somewhat ill at Xander's words.
"Be grateful that you don't know," Xander replied, a haunted look on his face as he recalled that horrific incident. "But my point is that magic spell seriously screwed me up, and it's too soon for me to...I haven't forgotten enough yet, Cordelia. Maybe in a few weeks or months I'll be okay again, but not now. I swear, at the moment – I'm not the kind of guy that you or any other girl should be dating. It wouldn't be fair to you, if nothing else."
Cordelia stared at him for a moment before she turned around and left, her mind whirling. ( Oh my God. That boy has certainly got issues! Almost as many as I do... )
The next moment, Cordelia was hit by a vision of the future. She foresaw Lance Brooks and her second-in-command, the blonde girl named Harmony Kendall, approach her before Lance suddenly looked sick and vomited all over her Todd Oldham turquoise dress.
Snapping out of it, Cordelia saw the pair approach her and just like in the vision, she heard Lance say to Harmony, "Yeah, babe, I'm definitely going places! In fact, after I graduated high school, I got into the management program for-"
Cordelia moved, scant moments before Lance would have emptied the contents of his stomach onto her clothing – thanks to food poisoning from eating at the local Doublemeat Palace. ( Eww! ) the brunette thought to herself in disgust.
"Oh, gross!" Harmony whined, as Lance ejected his latest meal all over the floor. But as soon as the ditzy blonde caught sight of that letterman jacket, it was as if she'd forgotten all about Lance's little social gaffe. "Come on, let's get outta here!"
As they did so and one of the Bronze employees came over to clean up the mess, Cordelia continued to stare at Lance.
Or, rather, at Lance's enchanted jacket, as everything she'd learned about magic suddenly came to the fore of Cordelia's mind.
Sunnydale High School, Sunnydale
November 5th, 1997
Rupert Giles was a man in a hurry this morning, and he had two major things on his mind. One of them was where exactly he and Jenny Calendar were going to go on their date tonight, and the other involved what was the current situation with his Slayer and the Hellmouth.
The British man saw Buffy and Ford walking along and called out, "Buffy!"
When the two teens came over Giles went on, "Um...yes, uh...Ms. Calendar and I are going...somewhere tonight, and she's given me the number of her beeper thingy, uh, in case you need me for, um..." He trailed off, eyeing Ford uncertainly, "study help, uh, or anything like that. I'll just give it to you now." He reached into his pocket and passed the blonde girl a slip of paper.
Buffy smiled. "He knows, Giles."
"What?" Rupert didn't get it.
"Ford knows that I'm the Slayer, so no need to speak in code," the Chosen One replied, Fordham had said as much to her the previous evening after seeing her slay a vampire outside the Bronze.
"Yeah, I know what Summers gets up to at nights," Ford added. "Have known for about a year now, actually."
"Oh! Uh, very good, yes. Uh, um, Buffy..." Giles quickly led the Slayer aside as he said to Ford, "Excuse us a moment, please." The Englishman then said to his charge, "Does EVERYONE on this campus know who you are, nowadays?"
Again, Buffy smiled at her Watcher's typical flustered expression. "I didn't tell him, Giles. Ford already knew, just like Xander did – guess I really wasn't as careful with the Slayage as I thought I was, back in LA."
"Yes, obviously..." Giles exhaled. "Well, I-I-I suppose one more person who knows your secret identity hardly makes any, um, significant difference at this stage. Anyway, uh, just remember, if you..."
"Go, Watcher mine! Experience this thing called fun. I'll try not to have a crisis during this evening," Buffy smiled even wider this time.
As Giles left, Buffy returned to Ford and looped her arm through his. "So, where were we?"
"Discussing the past. And the future," Ford smiled down at the petite beauty hanging onto him tightly.
"Oh! Wait, I can't believe I haven't mentioned it before now. Have you seen Xander on campus yet? I don't know if he knows that you're here – hey!" Buffy exclaimed as Fordham instantly screeched to a halt. "Ford, what's wrong?"
"WHAT did you just say?" Fordham demanded of the Slayer, his eyes flashing wildly.
"I asked if you'd seen Xander, since you got transferred here," Buffy didn't understand what was wrong.
"Xander? Xander Harris? As in, our old classmate from Hemery, Xander Harris?" Ford demanded roughly. "He's in Sunnydale?"
"Yeah, he arrived here like you did, not long before Halloween," Buffy frowned. "Ford, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing, it's just – we lost touch after you left LA. Fact is, I haven't spoken to him in ages," Ford said, trying not to panic.
"But I thought you two were, like, best friends?" Buffy continued to frown.
"Things change," Ford said slowly, still figuring out how to best deal with this unwelcome news. "So do me a favor and don't tell Xan that I'm in town if you run into him, okay? I'll talk to him myself, when the time's right. Settle things between us, mano á mano."
As Ford led her away, Buffy continued to frown. The Chosen One didn't know what exactly was going on, but she suspected it had something to do with that stupid 'guy code' that Jesse was constantly espousing to her and Willow. It was tempting to do as her former honey asked, and drop the matter entirely...
But her Slayer aspect just wasn't satisfied with Ford's explanation for his behavior, and so Buffy Summers simply couldn't do that.
The Sunset Club, Sunnydale
November 6th, 1997
They say the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray, and that was certainly true in this case.
Buffy had sought out Xander and told him that Ford was in town, at roughly the same time Fordham had found the lair of the Anointed One and negotiated his sick and twisted 'deal' with the vampire in question. The next day after school, Xander had tailed Ford here to his club and started to demand answers.
"Ford, I am THIS close to completely snapping right now," Xander growled, he was currently in the former bomb shelter with his former best friend and Ford's sacrificial offerings. "Because I don't know what you're up to, but I know – I KNOW – something's not right about it!"
"Relax, bud. You'll get your answers as soon as Summers gets here," Ford promised Harris, taking another painkiller for the agony that had suddenly flared up within his head.
"And yet somehow, that's not good enough," Xander said, pulling out a pistol he'd stolen from his uncle's gun cabinet. Better safe than sorry in this town, and after Halloween, he'd not felt properly dressed without a gun anyway. He chambered a round and said, "C'mon, dude. I know how you're just dying to tell me everything, right?"
Fordham sighed and led Xander up the stairs to the balcony level – whereupon he confessed everything. Ford ended the explanation by saying, "Believe it or not, Xan, you weren't supposed to be here – I didn't want this to have anything to do with you. So, I'm afraid it's your own fault for showing up here today..."
Xander stared at his old friend in abject horror, before staring down over the railing at the club patrons below. "All of them are going to become vamp chow?"
"Basically, yeah," Ford nodded. "But in return, I'll become immortal. A vampire."
"Ford, have you completely lost it? These people may be idiots, but they don't deserve to die!" Xander shouted angrily.
"Well, neither do I! But apparently no one took that into consideration, 'cause I'm still dying!" Ford suddenly shouted back at him.
Xander finally began to realize the situation for what it was. ( So, that's why he's doing this! )
"I still look okay, don't I? But I've got maybe five or six months left, and if I do nothing, what my parents will bury won't even look like me any longer. It'll be bald and it'll be shrivelled and it'll stink to high heaven." For less than a moment, Billy Fordham looked furious at his lot in life, at the sheer injustice of it all – before he calmed down and looked Xander right in the eye.
"No thanks, pal. I'm not going out that way," Ford declared firmly.
Xander averted his gaze, as Ford kept on going. "Well, Xan, I can't help noticing how you've gone all quiet here. Mind if I ask why? I mean, did learning about all the tumors in my brain put a dent in your moralizing or something?"
Xander just shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ford, but I can't let you do this." He raised the gun, and pointed it directly at his friend's heart. "Now I want you to-"
"Hey! What's going on here?" Buffy's voice rang out, distracting Xander at the worst possible moment.
Quick as a snake, Ford lashed out with a crowbar he'd had hidden within his jacket. Xander went down like a sack of potatoes from the blow to his head – and the last thing he saw was the regretful expression on Ford's face, before everything went black.
The rest of the evening only got worse, unfortunately. After Buffy arrived and Ford's minion, Diego, locked the door behind her, events pretty much followed their original predestined course – with two major exceptions.
The first being that since Spike and Drusilla were dust these days, there was nothing Buffy could do except save herself and Xander, once he had woken up, from the Anointed One's vampires – after they came storming into the club and started feasting on the deluded fools waiting for their 'blessing'.
The second was that Collin decided to take Ford's body with him after rewarding the dying teen for services rendered, despite the fact that the Slayer had managed to elude his grasp yet again.
That was part of why, when Billy Fordham initially rose as a creature of the night within the Anointed One's warehouse lair, the male vampire immediately got down on one knee before Collin and said reverently, "Master."
City Hall, Sunnydale
November 14th, 1997
It had been two weeks since Halloween, and life was starting to return to what passed for normal on the Hellmouth.
Buffy and Xander were still on the lookout for the vampire version of Ford, who was 'different' from other bloodsuckers in terms of being an undead killing machine. He was soulless and evil and not bothered by murdering and feeding on other people, but for some reason – the demon still considered Xander to be his best friend, even though they were now on opposite sides.
Giles had hypothesized that the feelings of friendship had been such a strong and enduring part of his personality, possibly as a result of Ford's illness affecting both his mind and his brain itself, that when he was turned, the vampire demon had somehow absorbed that facet of the human's psyche. To the point that Ford had actually gone out of his way to visit Xander after rising, as well as to promise to protect him and most importantly – prevent him from being turned.
Rupert hadn't spent much time worrying about such atypical vampire behavior, though. Because Jenny Calendar was still recovering from being possessed by the sleepwalker demon known as Eyghon, who had come to town in order to kill him. Jenny's nightmares had put a terrible strain on the relationship between the librarian and the Computer Science teacher, perhaps even damaging it beyond repair.
Career Week had come and gone at Sunnydale High, a relatively boring affair as no one named Kendra and no members of the Order of Taraka had come to town during that time. Willow had been wooed by two corporate recruiters, along with a young man named Oz – but unfortunately for him, the red-haired computer hacker had been too distracted by the questions regarding her sexuality to pay any attention to the signals the musician had been sending her way.
Cordelia had continued to keep a close eye on both Lance and Xander, and in the meantime, her career test results had come back saying that she was best suited to be a motivational speaker or a personal shopper. Both paths were equally appealing, and equally suitable as well. Cordy's speeches certainly motivated her Cordettes to be the best they could be in order to remain part of the popular clique, and the bumper sticker 'Born To Shop' the brunette had recently slapped onto her BMW said a lot about her favorite pastime.
Jesse had ignored the conclusion that he was best suited to be a gardener and continued to lust after Darla and even Jenny Calendar from afar, which had caused the ensouled vampiress some annoyance despite herself – deep down the demon growled at the concept of a rival, even though the soul only tolerated the male teenager at best and considered McNally's desire for her irritating. Darla's demon had never considered Cordelia any kind of serious competition – she was thought of as an annoying child – but the undercover gypsy was a different kettle of fish, regardless of whether Giles was who Jenny wanted..
Still, all that was of no interest to Allan Finch right at this moment. Because at long last, here within the safety of his private office, he was holding the box containing the Orbs of Nezzla'khan.
The new Mayor of Sunnydale studied the two glass orbs carefully, after he opened the box. They were small, roughly the size of paintballs – and the Orbs were colored red, with white or gold symbols drawn on them. Slowly, reverently, Allan took them out of their box and held them together, side to side. He thought to himself, ( Strength. Invulnerability. Everything I need to rule Sunnydale with an iron hand... )
Suddenly, a bright purple light exploded from each orb, surrounding Allan. The light began to pulse rhythmically from each globe, fusing them together; and then the purple light entered Finch's body. He gasped, as his eyes glowed purple. The man then started to laugh; feeling intoxicated by the power the Orbs had conferred upon him.
"Vampires of the world, beware," Allan Finch drawled, unknowingly echoing the words of Buffy's first Watcher, Merrick, from roughly a year ago.
TBC...