See Part One for disclaimer and details. Thanks to those people who have reviewed, of course. By the way I got an email, a rather angry one actually, saying that Willow and Oz wouldn't have acted that way during the love spell; it was massively OOC for those two to just start humping the closest body around and not even think of one another. Not sure what to say to that, other than Buffyverse magic can and does have unanticipated consequences.

Part Three: Fallout

City Hall, Sunnydale

November 29th, 1998

The vampire known as Mr. Trick wasn't happy. But then he didn't have much reason to be, ever since Faith had killed Kakistos and he had eventually ended up a minion to the Mayor of Sunnydale.

It wasn't just the annoyance of working for a white man, even if Richard Wilkins was starting to feel less and less like a 'man' with every passing day. It wasn't even being treated like an office boy on occasion, or a retarded child thanks to that weird fetish of "cleanliness is next to godliness" thing which the Mayor had going.

Most of Trick's current ire had to do with the fact that he had "fallen in love" with a fellow vampire three nights ago, and his issues of being an undead 'top' or 'bottom' were something best left unmentioned at this point in time.

The black vampire schooled his face into a neutral expression as he arrived at the Mayor's private office and knocked on the door. Once he had permission to enter, Trick did so. "You sent for me?"

"Indeed, I did, Mr. Trick. Sit down, make yourself comfortable," Wilkins said in his usual manner. "And before we get started, I just want to say thank you. Yes sir, thank you indeed for stepping up and taking over Allan's old job like this."

Trick stared at the original father of Sunnydale after dropping into his seat. "The honorable Deputy Mayor Finch should have known better during that meeting of his, deciding to score with one of my people. 'Cause a female vampire not of the Caucasian persuasion can be a mite...ornery to deal with, afterwards." Then he grinned, "But still. With that spell and all, what a way to go..."

"Yes, well, I think that's enough on that particular subject. I am a family man, after all." Wilkins looked absurdly pious in Trick's opinion, but the vampire knew better than to say that to his employer's face. "Moving on. Everything's in place to finally lift the quarantine, I take it?"

Trick nodded. "Local school kid named O'Toole with the right reputation, he's been set up to take the fall for all this. Paid off someone who'll swear to seeing him break into the Army base that night, and committing his antisocial acts against the good citizens of Sunnyhell. No loose ends on that part of it."

"Good, good." The Mayor didn't look entirely happy with that information, but Trick had no idea why. And even if he had known it was because Olvikan wouldn't be able to munch on the high school psychopath when Wilkins ascended in about six months, the black vampire most likely wouldn't have cared.

"And that other matter?" Richard added.

"Counselling centre's been set up for the blood bags, the usual rape victim and unwanted pregnancy stuff. There's also some marriage counselors in the mix for the people who cheated while under the effects of the spell." Trick shook his head, "Still kinda hard for me to believe I've actually set up that sort of the thing. And according to the grapevine, some vamps are thinkin' of taking advantage of the facilities to talk to someone about their free will being violated-"

"No," Wilkins interrupted frostily. "I won't risk someone losing their temper and killing one of the counselors, not with all the media attention. Pass the word along, Mr. Trick: if you or any of your boys and girls attend those sessions, there'll be a little trip to the woodshed happening afterwards. Clear?"

Mr. Trick suppressed a feeling of anxiety. ( Don't show any fear, damn it. This cat will smell it like a shark smells blood in the water. ) "Perfectly, Mr. Mayor."

"Good. Then let's open Sunnydale up to the public again. Liaise with the CDC, show them your evidence that the 'chemical spill' has been cleaned up and is expected to have no lasting effects, and we can finally get back to business around here."

Mr. Trick, Master vampire in his own right and childe of the legendary Kakistos himself, was definitely getting tired of the lackey treatment. But for now, he obeyed orders and quickly departed the Mayor's office.

Hammersmith Park, Sunnydale

The same time

Buffy was being held up against a tree, her legs dangling and kicking in vain as she tried to get loose from the evil demon that had its hand wrapped around her throat. "Nnnrrf! Nnnrrf!"

Xander charged the enemy but the demon casually knocked him away, a big blob of mucus hitting Harris in the face before he landed in the dirt. Luckily, Faith was also present with a big ol' knife, and she hit the bad guy directly where it hurt. The mucus-y demon fell down dead at once, taking a gasping Buffy with it.

Faith helped her fellow Chosen One up. "You okay, B?"

Miss Summers tried to get her breath back. "Yeah, thanks. Just gimme a sec..." Then she noticed her best male friend. "Xander? How about you?"

"Oh, I'm peachy," Harris wisecracked as he got up, wiping away the demon mucus. "Because hey, this is more fun than being under that kooky love spell, like any day of the week."

Buffy winced at Xander's tone. The Slayer knew it was lucky how she had been with Angel when the mojo had hit and they were used to restraining themselves; otherwise, God forbid what would have happened. Angelus on the loose again was the last thing anyone around here needed. "Either of you guys thinking of attending those counselling sessions?" she asked.

"No way," Xander replied at once. "If Cordy's parents ever hear that I spent the night with their daughter in the bedroom sort of way, then I am the deadest man in the state of Deadonia!"

"Nothing I was planning to attend, either," Faith shrugged. She had moved on after that particular three-way with a couple of chess club geeks, which was not entirely unexpected for her.

"Either of you have any idea what's happening with Willow? I mean, she was a no-show yesterday as well," Buffy asked.

Xander snorted, "Like that's a surprise? Buffy, Willow's a complete mess after what happened, just like Oz. Why else do you think I asked Giles to talk to both of them? He's the closest thing to a counselor they'll be able to confide to about any of this."

"You're right," Buffy replied, secretly glad that Willow wasn't completely catatonic after joining her as a member of the 'I've Had Sex With Vampires' club. "And while we're on the subject, thank God my mom didn't do it with the next door neighbour. But honestly, Xander, what about you and Cordy? You should talk to someone about this too-"

"Not without talking to her about it first," Xander interrupted firmly.

"You guys STILL haven't sat down and hashed it all out?" Faith demanded.

"I've tried to get in touch with her, but I swear she's been avoiding me. Well, tomorrow's Monday, so hopefully I'll be able to corral her somehow in between classes," Xander replied optimistically.

"Good luck with that," Faith said cheerfully.

As it turned out Xander was only imagining things, and he and Cordelia quickly cleared the air between them. But the brunette girl also made it clear that she hadn't been ready for sex with him yet, and so he wouldn't be getting lucky again anytime soon. It didn't matter that it had been the most incredible night she had ever experienced in her life so far. Some things Miss Chase just couldn't be rushed into, and her boyfriend dipping his asparagus into her vichyssoise was one of them.

Thus Xander's little affair with Willow ended very differently from the way it otherwise would have, with no one other than Tara ever even knowing about it. And the vengeance demon known as Anyanka was never summoned to Sunnydale...

Demon lair, Europe

January 7th, 1999

It was a scene straight out of the worst parts of Dante's Inferno.

In a dull and gloomy cavern there existed quite a number of human prisoners; people who were being tortured by demons. Tortured in fashions known to the Inquisitors of old, and in ways which even those experts had never had an inkling.

Some were being twisted apart on three-dimensional frames. Others were being stretched to snapping point on racks. A few were being drawn and quartered, chains intermittently but relentlessly tearing their limbs off. Still others were being lowered into pits containing liquid of intolerable temperature or corrosiveness, or were attacked by a foul-smelling vapour that ate away their tissues little by little.

If one had the sight, it would have been possible to see the demons in charge of the operation emitting multi-colored beams towards their dying prisoners. These beams touched the auras of the victims, and clung with grim determination. As they clung the white auras shrank and, in some cases, eventually vanished altogether.

The demons were ghoulishly feeding on the ebbing souls of their human prey, and they were enjoying every single moment of their sadistic orgy.

Feeling nauseated at the sight of all the inhuman atrocities, not to mention the screams of the damned that constantly assailed his ears, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce nonetheless stubbornly went in. He was looking for someone, and stealthily began searching for his target. The Watcher had few illusions about remaining forever undetected, despite the masking spells he was using; and luckily for Wes, his backup provided cover fire once the inevitable happened and he was discovered.

The demons were thus kept busy, even though the Council wet-works team knew that wouldn't last long. "Hurry up, Pryce!" the man named Weatherby shouted.

Wesley ignored him, as he finally found the man he was after. "The Belial siphon spell?"

The prisoner was too far gone to be rescued, and he knew it. He'd lost a hell of a lot of blood, over half of his skin had been flayed off and all of his limbs were broken in various places. Wesley couldn't do anything for him except put him out of his misery, and they both understood that.

"The Hellmouth," the psychic croaked out, before blissfully escaping this version of Hell on Earth the only way he could.

Wesley ran for it, the men known as Smith and Collins just barely able to prevent a demon from getting its claws on him as the Watchers escaped a nightmare that even Satan himself would be somewhat challenged to match.

Watchers Council Headquarters, London, England

The next day

Quentin Travers finished examining the reports, and leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

The Council official was getting concerned about Wesley. Because Quentin was a politician, and politicians always made long-term plans to achieve and maintain power. Thus, the man was already thinking about when he would become head of the organization and would need like-minded people in high places. Unfortunately young Wyndam-Pryce, although having been groomed to one day become part of the inner cabinet, was getting a bit too fond of 'field work' if this latest report was anything to go by.

Travers knew that the six-month time limit he had imposed with regard to investigating the Belial siphon spell expired today, yet his former apprentice was still checking out the Berlin Hellmouth, doggedly determined to find his answers. It was laudable of the man in one sense; in Quentin's opinion far too few Watchers took their oaths and duties seriously enough these days. And yet, there was the nagging suspicion that Wesley's assignment had turned into an obsession for the young whippersnapper. And that simply wouldn't do at all.

Travers grabbed some older reports on his desk, and gave them a quick once-over. The Council regularly monitored the news coming out of Sunnydale, and so had become aware of the situation when that love spell had been performed. Quentin had been surprised though, when Rupert's report a day or so later had placed the blame on William the Bloody of all people.

And then, about a month afterwards, Angelus himself had had an encounter with the entity known as the First Evil. Whether that was connected to what the Scourge's grandchilde had previously gotten up to, Quentin didn't know. But the miraculous appearance of snow in southern California during Christmas had made Travers wonder if someone or something was trying to find a way to recreate whatever it was the Belial siphon spell had erased.

( Well, at least both women of that particular vampire pack are dust now. The females were always the more dangerous members of the group. Even though the job won't be fully done till both their men join those blasted wenches. )

Finally Quentin made a decision. He would recall Wesley to London and have him study up on both Spike and Angelus, or Angel, or whatever the damned thing wanted to call itself these days. Travers had the feeling those two were definitely going to be trouble for him at some point in the future.

And with the Cruciamentum coming up for Miss Summers soon, if Rupert failed to pass his part of the test...Wesley might just be the perfect choice to send over there to replace him.

Sunnydale High School Corridor, Sunnydale

January 13th, 1999

Xander Harris was feeling very uneasy about current events.

Not in the romantic department, oddly enough: here and now, his relationship with Cordelia was stronger than ever, and Oz and Willow had finally gotten over what had happened with that love spell and moved on with their lives together. Luckily, Harmony had done her best to simply repress what had happened that night despite the bass guitarist's coolness factor. Not only did she not want to be known as the girl who'd stolen Willow's boyfriend, Miss Kendall had as many issues about having sex under the influence as Cordelia did.

Be all that as it may however, two nights ago Buffy and her mother Joyce had found two murdered children after a run-in with a vampire. The marks on the hands of that little boy and girl had suggested a ritual murder by a human cult rather than a bogeyman monster, which was unusual for Sunnydale.

Joyce had wigged out as expected. But then she had unexpectedly come to the high school the next day, and that night, when a vigil for the dead kids had been held at City Hall, Mrs. Summers had turned it into a pep rally for 'let's take this town back from the monsters and the witches and the Slayers'.

To be honest, Xander didn't get it. Human beings got murdered all the time around here, children and adults alike, and always before the Hellmouth had made people blind and deaf to the perpetually increasing number of unnatural deaths. So why wasn't it doing so now? Like Tara had told him over the phone, something funny had to be going on.

As Xander walked along the school corridor, he saw a gang of five jocks threaten Amy and her warlock friend, Michael Czajak. He quickly walked towards them, the white knight mentality surfacing. Once they saw the Slayerette, though, the football and basketball players backed off and left, not wanting witnesses.

"You guys okay?" Harris asked the two.

"Yeah," "I'm fine," were the hurried replies as Amy and Michael quickly left him.

Xander frowned. ( That...that wasn't just ordinary bullying. It was more like those guys were targeting a victim, Rodney King style. What is going on here? )

Sunnydale High Library, Sunnydale

Not long after sunset

Xander had almost literally no time to think about what was going on, as the usual Hellmouthiness suddenly reared its ugly head. First there was the student locker search, and both Amy and Willow got into trouble with all the rising anti-witch hysteria. Secondly, Giles had all his research books confiscated by the police with a gloating Principal Snyder present to witness the whole beautiful show.

Then Buffy discovered that her mother was behind it all, as Joyce was the founder of MOO. Which stood for Mothers Opposed to the Occult – an organization that had sprung up to try to stamp out the things in Sunnydale it didn't like, or didn't conform to society's normal standards. The Slayer knew her mom was only trying to help, but Joyce's meddling really was proving to be a major cramp in her style and the blonde girl wasn't reluctant to inform her parental unit of that at all.

Over at the Rosenberg residence, Willow got grounded after telling her mother that she was a witch and that she now had a boyfriend as well. Sheila Rosenberg, who was the type of mom who really should have had a case study instead of a baby, initially thought her daughter was making some sort of political statement before deciding Willow was trying to be a teenage rebel instead. So the Jewish woman grounded her child for an extra week, just to make sure that she didn't speak to the town's subversive elements or 'Bunny' Summers again.

Back at the library, the Scoobies finally got lucky as they discovered that a demon was behind all the fuss lately. A so-called Hansel and Gretel demon, incredibly enough, which was the original source of the fairy tale back in 1649 Germany. It was a creature that thrived on getting mortals to hurt and kill each other.

Which was why Michael the warlock eventually stumbled into the Slayage HQ, his gait unsteady and his nose bleeding badly. "Is, is this a safe place for me to hide?"

"What happened to you?" Xander demanded.

"I was attacked!" the young man said, wiping away the blood and smearing the white makeup on his face.

"By who?" Buffy demanded.

"My dad, his friends. They're taking people out of their homes, and I heard 'em talking about a trial down at City Hall. They got Amy!" Michael wailed.

"My God, this has become a witch-hunt. Most likely a-a-a mob will gather there to dispense what they'll consider to be justice, f-for the so-called child killings," Giles stammered.

"Willow," Oz said simply.

"And Tara!" Xander yelped, concerned about his secret friend.

"Who?" the others asked in confusion.

"Uh, I'll explain later. Michael, stay here and keep outta sight. Buffy, go find your mom; take Giles with you and make her understand what's goin' on so we can put a stop to this. Oz, you go find Willow, I wanna check on Tara!" Xander issued orders before running out of the library, cursing the fact that Faith had left town for a trip to LA and was unavailable to help.

The others looked a little confused at Xander abruptly taking charge like this, but still proceeded to do what he said.

Summers residence, 1630 Revello Drive, Sunnydale

Later that night

Oz was unfortunately too late to warn his girlfriend of the danger. Willow had already been abducted by her own mother by the time he got to the Rosenberg house, and the girl in question ended up a prisoner at City Hall. Buffy and Amy also ended up there; the Chosen One unconscious and scheduled to be burned at the stake alongside her companions.

Xander had better luck at UC Sunnydale, Tara had kept underneath the radar well enough that no one had thought to target her and the other club members. They had all decided back in November to establish a low profile, given how much that love spell had adversely affected everyone. Cautioning the blonde Wiccan to lock the door and maintain appearances of normality, Harris then yanked Cordelia away as they headed for Buffy's house in her car.

"What the-?" Xander said upon arriving at the two-storey home. The door was wide open, as if someone had left in a hurry. He and Miss Chase went in, and Harris was even more surprised to find Buffy's Watcher on the floor. The British man had been knocked out cold. "Giles?"

"Giles, wake up!" The brunette girl started slapping his face to wake him up.

Rupert finally did so and catching her arm said, "That's enough! I'm awake."

Cordy grunted as she got up, "Well, it's about time! My hand hurts."

"Xander, Cordelia, w-what are you doing here?" Giles wanted to know.

"What do you think? Things are getting majorly out of control out there," Miss Chase said in annoyance as Rupert struggled to his feet. "First what happened at the school, then my mom confiscates all of my black clothes and scented candles. Xander drags me away to check on some girl I never even heard of before, then we come over here to find you all unconscious. How many times have you been knocked out, anyway? I swear, Giles, one of these days you're going to wake up in a coma."

"Wake up in a coma?" Xander echoed, looking at his girlfriend peculiarly.

"Come on! We've got to get back to my apartment to obtain the supplies I need, and then head for City Hall!" the Watcher shouted.

City Hall, Sunnydale

A short while later

Buffy finally woke up, amidst the pleas from Amy and Willow to the mob for them to be released. "What-?"

Joyce beamed cheerfully at her daughter, completely under the influence of the Hansel and Gretel demon. "Good morning, sleepy head."

Buffy could easily put two and two together as she looked around and saw how the three of them were tied to the stake. "Mom, you don't want this..."

Her mother looked somewhat annoyed at hearing that. "Since when does it matter what I want? I wanted a normal, happy daughter. Instead, I got a Slayer." Sheila handed Joyce a torch with which to light the bonfire and the blonde woman said to her, "Thanks! This has been so trying, and you have been such a champ."

"Oh, you too, Joyce," Mrs. Rosenberg replied perkily.

"We should stay close. Have lunch," Joyce offered.

Sheila nodded. "Oh, I'd like that. It sounds very nice."

The book pile kindling was finally set aflame, and Willow for one knew the fun and games were over. "No! Don't do this. This is murder!"

"Mom, don't!" Buffy pleaded with Joyce.

Miss Madison decided to take matters into her own hands. "All right! You want to fry a witch? I'll give you a witch! Goddess Hecate, work thy will!" Her eyes changed colour, becoming entirely dark red. Lights started to spin around her as Amy chanted, "Before thee, let the unclean thing crawl!"

The lights intensified and then disappeared as Amy's body vanished and her clothes fell to the floor. Willow and Buffy subsequently saw a rat run out of the pile of clothing and escape through the startled crowd.

Buffy said despondently, "She couldn't have done us first?"

"Buffy, it's getting hotter!" Willow replied, starting to panic.

At the moment, the two supposedly dead children appeared. "They hurt us," the little girl said.

"Burn them!" added the little boy.

There was a brief disturbance near the back, as Oz tried to force his way through. "No! Stop!" he shouted.

Various members of MOO quickly grabbed and restrained the male teen. The full moon wasn't due for weeks yet, and the werewolf was Joe Normal apart from those three nights a month. So Oz could only struggle and watch as the flames leaped higher.

"Buffy! I can't take it anymore! It's too hot!" Willow screamed.

"I'm sorry, Willow..." Buffy started to say, preparing herself for death.

Just then, a miracle arrived in the form of her friends. Xander, Giles and even Cordelia showed up, and Harris instantly smashed the glass door of the nearby firehose box.

"Stop him!" Joyce yelled to her followers.

The young man quickly turned on the water, and sprayed the gathered people with the pressurised liquid to force them back. Cordelia went to release Buffy and Willow, as the people holding Oz finally let go and he rushed towards the captive females as well. Giles started chanting in German, casting a spell to make the demon appear in its true form and release its thrall on the townspeople.

"Xander! Water!" Cordelia yelled. The flames were now too high to safely approach any closer.

"On it!" he yelled back, and quickly doused the flames. The rescuers then quickly got to work.

Giles saw the so-called 'children' approach him, and quickly finished the spell. He then smashed a potion bottle on the floor at their feet. As the fumes enveloped them, the pair turned to each other and embraced. Their outlines quickly shifted and grew, changing into one huge-ass demon.

"Okay, that's different," Xander muttered to himself, momentarily taken aback at the demon's unorthodox reaction.

"Oh my God!" Joyce said, eyes wide as she was released from the demonic mojo. The rest of the MOO organization suddenly decided the climate would be more congenial elsewhere and began running away.

"Protect us! Kill the bad girls!" the giant demon growled with an inhumanly deep voice.

"Yeah, y'know what? Not as convincing in that outfit," Buffy muttered. As the demon charged towards her, with her hands finally free Miss Summers grabbed the wooden pole she'd been tied to and shoved it into the demon's left eye as soon as it was close enough.

"And they all lived happily ever after. Oh, and that's no fairy tale," the blonde Slayer quipped in relief as the Hansel and Gretel demon fell down dead.

UC Sunnydale, California

January 14th, 1999

"So you really think you can de-rat Amy?" Xander asked.

"Yeah," Tara nodded, attempting to concentrate. "I think so." The Amy rat was on the table, and the Wiccan knew enough about animal transmogrification to know it wasn't going to be easy to reverse what the female teenager had done to herself.

Xander got the unspoken message to be quiet. It had taken quite a lot of effort on his part to make Willow give up the witch-turned-rodent, and he had finally confessed about Tara's existence as well. Willow had been annoyed at him for that, but then she'd calmed down once he'd promised to introduce them and have Miss Maclay give her some pointers on the magic stuff.

Finally after all the proper preparations Tara chanted the Italian spell, "Cio che fu fatto disfa. Passato e il pericolo, finita e la minaccia. Metti le cosa a posto."

Red lightning briefly flashed, then Amy morphed back into human form. Sitting naked on the edge of the table with her legs pulled up to her chest, the young woman suddenly screamed, "AGGGGHHHHHHHH!" Amy looked somewhat freaked at her sudden transformation, then the girl noticed her nakedness.

"Clothes!!" she screamed again.

Xander tossed her some threads, making sure to keep his eyes averted and cursing himself for not taking that part of it into consideration. "Bathroom's at the end of the hall on your left."

Amy didn't waste time on a reply; she just tore out of the dorm as fast as she could. Xander shrugged and said, "Well, that was the kind of fun that's not. Look, Tara, I gotta go. That is, if you're gonna be okay here by yourself?"

"Yeah, Xander, I'll be fine," Tara said tiredly. The spell had drained her of a lot of energy. "I'm just gonna get some rest and sleep it off. I'll, I'll see you and your friend Willow tomorrow."

Mobile location, downtown Sunnydale

The same time

Michael stood before Rack defiantly. "I came here because I wanted to talk to you," young Mr. Czajak said.

"About what, kid?" The magic dealer had a somewhat lazy smile on his face as he raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sick of living like this," the boy replied angrily. "I want to be able to stand up for myself, and not let people just push me around or beat me up whenever they feel like it. I want you to help me increase my powers, both offensive and defensive. And I'm willing to pay you to do it. So what do you say?"

Rack gestured behind him. "Step into my parlour, and we'll talk."

TBC...