Allen Pitt – I got over the addiction. There was too much emphasis put upon it. Tuscany will probably spend the whole episode/chapters in the chair but for creative reasons.

Scorpian – Here I am with another update. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: same old same old

TABULA RASA (part 2)

"Did you guys see that," Buffy gasped.

"No!" Tuscany called, "What happened?"

"Vampires," Spike answered.

"Maybe it's Halloween," Tara suggested hopefully.

"It doesn't feel like Halloween," Dawn whimpered.

"Even if it is, those guys are definitely not kids, and those are definitely not costumes. Randy's right. Looks like we have vampires," Xander asserted.

"Ha!" Tuscany snorted.

"You're sitting there tied to a chair for being a witch and you're saying ha to vampires?" Willows voice was slightly hysterical.

"Slayer!" one of the vampires growled.

"And they're definitely not knocking for candy," Xander whispered.

"Okay, doors, we need to check to see if there's other doors, a-and make sure they're locked and put large objects in front of them. Come on," Willow dragged away her boyfriend.

Buffy was confused, "Monsters are real. Did we know this?"

"I Honestly doubt you know much," Tuscany muttered from her chair.

Tara ignored her and answered, "I don't know, but we n-need our memories back. We have to get to a hospital."

"As, uh, proprietor of a magic shop, I propose we fight them. We can use things here in the shop, you know, magic ... tricks or whatever," Giles suggested and Anya stared at him adoringly.

"Let me out of this chair and I'll give them a taste of my medicine," Tuscany suggested.

"Dream on Dumbledore," Anya spoke. Tuscany pouted.

"Send out Spike!" The vampires demanded.

"They seem to want spikes," Giles was puzzled.

"Oh," Spike smiled having a revelation. He ran off and returned with stakes, "Let's give 'em these."

Giles beamed at his son, "Well done!"

Buffy selected a stake from the pile. She shifted the weight in her hand and for some reason it felt oddly familiar.

"But wait, what are they going to do with them?" Dawn looked worried.

"Slayer, come out and play!" The vampires were growing louder.

Tara gasped, "'Slay her,' that's just what they said before. Th-th-they're gonna use the spikes to…"

"To slay someone? A female someone! Who do those jerks think they are?" Buffy was indignant. Tuscany groaned at the woman's righteous nature and hung her head back mumbling about some one slaying her.

"Bloodsuckers. They kill by sucking blood. Take it easy, Joan," Anya reassured.

"You guys," Willow hissed.

"Trap door in the basement, it seems to lead to the sewer," Xander said in an undertone.

"Lets go," Anya commanded as Giles helped her to her feet.

At that particular time the door was kicked open by the vampires. Every one shrieked as they strode into the room looking right and left. Like predators. Buffy felt an overwhelming anger towards them, Spike felt an unexplainable kindred and Tuscany, expecting to welcome another creature of the darkness, just wanted to get up and kick their ass. But she was tied to a chair so she settled for yelling, "Take the little one." She thought that sufficiently fulfilled her role as the evil one.

The others ran for the back door but another vampire kicked it's way in.

Xander fell on his knees with his hands clasped, "Now I'm not sure what I am so bear with me here. Now I lay me down to sleep, uh, shabat Israel, uh, om, om."

The two vamps went right past the praying man and grabbed Buffy and Spike. The one holding Spike slammed him up against the bookcase.

"You owe us!" The vampire spoke through his teeth.

"Fine take your damn spikes," Spike having no idea what the vampire was talking about rushed to comply. He then tried to walk away. The vampire laughed and pulled him back.

"Don't be stupid."

Buffy meanwhile was dangling in the air but she was putting up a hell of a fight, "Get your hands off me, you son of a.." The vamps hand muffled her across her mouth.

"I said you owe us," The vamp increased the pressure on Spike's shoulder.

"Who, me?" Spike stuttered. He couldn't figure out why they wanted poor little Randy.

"You've got the boss's kittens!"

"Kittens?" Spikes face was a mixture of disgust and perplexion.

At that point Buffy bit down hard on the vampires hand. He yelped and dropped the petit blond. She ran at the other vampire pinning down Spike.

"Hey! Stay away from Randy!" And she drove the stake into his heart. She watched in amazement as the vampire turned to dust. What had happened? And how the hell did she know what to do.

The other vampire was pissed off as he watched his co-worker explode into ash. He advanced on Buffy who was still too shocked to notice. Tuscany did.

"By the dragons light,
on this maiden's night,
I call to thee to give me your might,
by the power of three,
I conjure thee,
to protect all that,
surrounds me,
so mote it be,
so mote it be!"

Tuscany's voice rang out loud. The vampire was thrown away from Buffy.

"Whoa!" Dawn stated.

"What did you two just do?" Willow demanded.

"I don't know but it was cool," Buffy was grinning. Tuscany wasn't.

"It felt wrong. Like I didn't know where it came from," Tuscany mused more to herself than any one else.

"The boss ain't gonna like this! I'll be back. And I won't be alone!" The vampire panicked and ran. Spike leapt forward and secured the door and the metal casing.

"I think I know why Joan's the boss. I'm like a superhero or something!" Buffy grinned widely. She liked this feeling of extreme power.

"And I think I know why she's tied to a chair," Giles said slowly walking towards Tuscany.

"Hey what's her name any way?" Xander queried.

"I can hear you, you know," Tuscany snapped, "And we don't remember right."

"Probably your own fault," Xander sulked.

"She has a T pendant round her neck," Anya observed, "It's pretty."

"Should we gag her?" Buffy addressed the room, "I mean we just saw what happened then."

"I don't think it was necessary," Giles was surprised by his lack of cautiousness. He had a feeling deep down that he was a man to cover all bases but he also had a gut feeling that she wouldn't do anything to harm them.

"Truthfully I couldn't do anything. I don't remember any spells. That one must have been brought out by the danger. Like your obvious super hero skills," Tuscany surmised.

"Fine. But you are staying tied up," Buffy relented.

"Cause you'll kick my ass other wise," Was Tuscany's sardonic reply.

"Yes! And take that stupid hat off. It's irritating me," Buffy reached forward and swooped the large purple hat off.

"Oddly I feel better with it off."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"They've been out there for hours," Tuscany whined.

"Please make her be silent," Giles winced and put a hand to his head.

"You're the one who said don't bother gagging her, Dad," Spike glared at his father.

"Okay. I've got a plan," Buffy turned away from the window to face her new found friends, sister and arch nemeses.

"I'm all ears," Xander joked nervously.

"They seem to want Randy. And I seem to be pretty strong. Wicked strong. So, you guys go through the sewers to get to the hospital, and Randy and I'll give the monsters a run for their money," Buffy finished with a large grin.

"That's your plan?" Spike stared in disbelief.

"Yes," Buffy told him with a look of growing disappointment.

"Right," Spike let the word trail off.

"I'm not leaving the shop. I have to protect the cash register, and ... do some spells," Anya perked up.

"Oh. Well, magic might help, yes, it's worth a shot," Giles put a hand on his fiancées arm.

"And I can't exactly crawl through the tunnels," Tuscany said.

"Fine. Rupert, you and Anya stay in the show. Alex, you told me there was a back room? Let's lock our friend up there. Dawn I want you to stand guard."

"Me?" Dawn squeaked.

"Her?" Tuscany was insulted.

"Yes," Buffy's voice left no room for argument, "All right. You work on that then. We need to go. Ready, Randy?"

"Ready, Joan," He nodded. The pair bolted out the door. Xander quickly locked it behind them.

Willow, Tara and Xander made their way out the back. Giles, Anya and Dawn all moved Tuscany to the back room. Then they locked Dawn and Tuscany in a room together.

"Well," Tuscany had a big wolfishgrin on her face, "This should be fun."

AN: This chapter was big on exposition so next chapter is gonna be completely different because it will focus on Tuscany and Dawn alone in a room! It will be more exciting but I had to get there. Plus this chapter introduced something interesting about Tuscany. You probably picked up on it and went huh? But it was intentional. Please review or at least let me know if you read it or not! Thanks!

MD666