Coricopat was still looking through books in his office, the phone cradled against his shoulder. He glanced at the clock, six am. They'd been at this all night, and still couldn't seem to find much. He sighed, speaking into the receiver, "Tugger?...No, I still haven't heard from her. I think you should go to her house and check on her." He looked a bit closer at the book in his hand, "Right away...I don't know, get Bombalurina to drive you." He hung up and rushed into the main library.

He paused when he saw Misto asleep at the computer. Slowing a bit he moved over and gently shook his shoulder, "Mistoffelees."

The teen jerked up. "Don't warn the tadpools!" he glanced around and his eyes widened.

Coricopat startled back, his nerves on edge from the situation and the complete lack of sleep he'd gotten in the past twenty-four hours, "Goodness! Are you alright?"

"Cori?" He blinked. "I am awake? Because you're not usually here when wake up." He blinked again. "Oh, right, I'm awake. I'm functional now."

"You're at the library," he reminded gently. "You fell asleep." His brows arched a bit, "By the way, 'Don't warn the tadpoles'?"

"Yes, I'm awake, feel asleep during reading," he shook his head and blushed. "I... frog fear. Anyway."

"You've gone quite beyond the call of duty-you needed the sleep. And, fortunately, I think I've finally found something."

"Oh, finding is good," Mistoffelees ran a hand through his thick hair, still blushing.

Coricopat didn't seem to notice the blush as he turned to the book in his hands, "I had to go back to the Lutheran Index. But I found a description of the missing du Lac Manuscript. It's a ritual, Misto. I haven't managed to decipher the exact details - but I believe the purpose is to restore a weak and sickly vampire to full health."

"Like Cassandra?" Mistoffelees asked, running his hand through his hair again. He hated that moment when he first woke up, he was always so disoriented and having Cori there just made it worse.

"Exactly." The librarian paused, "Are you alright?"

"Me?" Mistoffelees asked a little too quickly.

"Yes, you."

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, I may be imagining things. It tends to happen after this much time staring at the printed word."

Mistoffelees swallowed and shrugged. "I just don't like waking up," he muttered, looking down at the book he'd fallen asleep against and rubbing his cheek. "So, they're trying to restore Cassandra. Why the order then?"

"Why the wh-Oh, right." He desperately needed either sleep or caffeine, "I would imagine Jerrie called them here to get Grids out of the way. I'm sure he wants nothing to come between him and his plans to revive his lady love."

"So, this is good. We know what the deal is now," Mistoffelees offered.

"I wish I could agree. But all we know is the goal of the ritual. We don't know where it will take place or when. We don't know what it entails..."

"Which puts us back into the bad square..."

"No." Cori shook his head firmly, "No. We just have more work to do." He glanced toward his office, "I'm going to go set some tea on to brew and then I'll be back to rejoin you in the researching."

"Only so long as you're making two cups," Mistoffelees said, rubbing his eyes.

"Of course," Coricopat answered absently as he retreated to his office again. Biting his lip, Mistoffelees returned the book he was trying to read.

o.o.o.o

Bomba pulled her car to a stop in front of Grids' house, getting out and slamming her driver's door, still mid-tirade at Tugger, "I can't even believe you. You drag me out of bed for a ride? What am I, mass transportation?"

Tugger gave her a long look, trying the door and finding it locked. "Well, it's locker room talk, which I pay no heed to, but yeah, a lot of guys say that."

She glared at him as she moved over to one of the windows and tried it, "Great. So now I'm your taxi and your punching bag."

Finding an unlocked window Tugger shrugged, getting it open. "Well, I would call you my witless foil more of but hey, have it your way."

She scowled at him, "You know what? I'm going home and get ready for school. Have fun walking."

"Come on, Bombs," Tugger said, catching her arm. "To be part of the Scooby gang, you're gonna be woken up and dragged out of bed from time to time."

She grimaced, pulling her arm out of his grip, "Oh, right. Cause I lie awake at night hoping you dweebs will be my best friends. And that my first husband will be a balding, demented homeless man -"

Tugger's face twisted and he shook his head. "Grids could be in trouble..."

"And, what, exactly, are you going to do about it if she is? If you hadn't noticed - you're the lameness. She's the superchick or whatever," Bomba was in fine form that morning, dressed down from her usual coiffed self with her hair pulled back into a ponytail and more than a bit bitchy about being woken up and dragged over to break into a classmate's house.

"At least I'm the lame ass that cares," he snapped. "Which is more than you can say," he added, gesturing to her. "I'm going to check up stairs," he added and stomped off.

She scowled after him, finally slipping in through the window and starting to look around the living room. She jumped slightly at the sound of a knock on the front door. Bomba moved carefully over and looked through the window next to the door, a salesman with a suitcase advertizing skin care products stood there. She unlocked the door and opened it a crack, "Yeah?"

The unremarkable man spoke, "Good day. I am Norman Pfister with Quintessence Skin Care and Cosmetics. I was wondering if I could interest you in some free samples?"

Her brows rose slightly at that, "Free?" Stepping aside she let him in.

o.o.o.o

Grids lay curled in Mac's bed the next morning, holding one of his pillows to her chest. She blinked her eyes open, tensing slightly as she heard a sound in the apartment. She woke fully as she had to roll out of the way of a short axe that landed where she had been laying moments before. Leaping off the bed, she took a ready stance to face the girl in front of her, "You must be number two."

The same girl who had locked Mac in Admetus' wine cage swung the axe at Grid's head again rather than replying.

Grids ducked, trying to spot a weapon to use, "Thanks for the wake-up, but I'll stick with my clock radio." She caught the girl's arm as the axe swung at her again. To her surprise and rising horror she couldn't seem to wrest the weapon away.

They remained locked in the struggle over the axe for a long moment, neither budging and evenly matched. Grids finally met the other girl's eyes, something vaguely familiar clicked in her mind , ut she moved swiftly, kicking the other girl's legs out from under her.

The other hit the ground hard, but twisted her legs up in Grids, bringing the Slayer down with her. They rolled on the floor, the attacker still keeping firm hold on the axe even as they traded off the upper hand several times. As they fought, they smashed into Mac's table, and just about overturned his tasteful bookshelf.

Grids had had just about enough, "Come on. Do not make me do the chick fight thing."

"Chick fight?" The other asked in confusion.

"You know..." She grabbed a handful of the other's hair and yanked hard, digging her fingernails into the hand holding the axe until the weapon was dropped. Grids swept up the axe and straddled the other girl, pinning her. She drew the axe back at the ready, "Clichéd, but effective."

"Who are you?" the other asked in confusion.

Grids stopped herself before she brought the axe down, "What do you mean who am I? You attacked me. Who the hell are you?"

"I am Kendra, the vampire slayer," the pinned girl snapped.

The blonde just stared at her, "Come again? You're who?"

"The Slayer," the girl repeated. "Of vampires."

Grids rolled her eyes, "Nice cover story. Here's a tip - try it on someone who's not the real slayer next time."

"You cannot stop me," Kendra glared at her. "Another Slayer will just be sent to take my place.

"Stop with the slayer thing! I'm the damn slayer!" the blonde snapped.

"Nonsense! There is only one and I am she," the girl insisted.

Griddlebone considered how earnest the other sounded and finally spoke again, "Okay, here's a new scenario. I back off. You promise not to go all wiggy until we go to my watcher and figure out what this is all about. Kay?"

"Wiggy?" Kendra asked in confusion,

"You know...no fighting? No kicking?"

"I accept your scenario," Kendra admitted finally and they got off each other, rising, but still looking at each other in suspicion and contempt. "You're English is very strange," Kendra told her.

"Yeah, it's something about me being woken by an axe," came the biting reply. "It makes me talk crazy." There was a pause before she spoke again, "So you were sent here?"

"Yes," she said. "By my Watcher."

"To do...what?" She started for the door, but kept a wary eye on the other girl.

"My duty, to kill vampires," Kendra replied as if that was the simplest thing in the world.

"Right...It is so time to go talk to Cori."

"Who?" the darker haired girl asked in confusion.

"My watcher."

"Oh," Kendra said. "Alright."

They arrived at the library a short while later. Cori was alone in the immediate sight. His look of relief upon seeing Grids faded to confusion quickly, "Grids? What's going on?"

"Meet someone who attacked me with an axe and claims to be the Slayer."

"Not claims, I am, "Kendra protested in annoyance.

Grids shrugged, perching herself on one of the library tables. Coricopat considered the other girl present, "Who's your watcher?"

"Sam Zabuto, sir," Kendra replied, getting a great deal more formal around Coricopat than she had acted around Grids.

That earned a blink from the librarian, "Sam Zabuto?"

"You know him, Cori?" Grids asked.

"We've never met. But he is very well respected." He took off his glasses to clean them.

"What? So he's a real guy? As in...non-fictional?"

Coricopat nodded, glancing at the second slayer again, "What are you called?"

"The vampire Slayer," she responded promptly but sounded somewhat confused.

Grids rolled her eyes, "We got that part. He means your name."

"Oh, I am called Kendra. I have no last name, sir."

"Can you say 'stuck in the 80s'?" Grids muttered.

"Griddlebone, please." Cori rubbed his temple, he needed sleep to deal with this, "There has obviously been some kind of misunderstanding here."

Mistoffelees choose that moment to enter the library. "Hey-" he started and suddenly Kendra was in front of him, voice harsh.

"Identity yourself!"

Eyes widening Mistoffelees took an abrupt step backward, trying to understand what just happened in his sleep addled brain.

"Hey!" Grids snapped, moving swiftly from where she had been perched, getting in Kendra's face, "Back off. This is my friend!"

"Friend?" Kendra asked with a frown as Mistoffelees inched around her, sliding up to Cori.

"I have clearly not gotten enough sleep. What's going on?" he murmured.

Coricopat shook his head slightly, "She's apparently a second slayer."

"You know? Person you hang with? Amigo?" Grids was still trying to explain.

"I do not understand," Kendra declared as Mistoffelees turned wide eyes on her.

Grids rolled her eyes, looking at Cori. "Your turn."

The librarian sighed, "Kendra. There are a few people, civilians if you will, who know Grids' identity. Misto is one of them. And they also spend time together. Socially."

"And you allow this?" Kendra demanded of Coricopat and Mistoffelees visibly bit his lip. Whether from something like nervousness or whether he was trying not to laugh was hard to tell.

"Well. Well, yes. You see..."

"But, the Slayer must work in secret," Kendra insisted and Mistoffelees tilted his head down.

"Of course." Coricopat agreed, "With Griddlebone however...it's, well, some flexibility is required."

"Flexibility?" Kendra demanded.

"The fact that Cori couldn't tell her what to do and have it be obeyed," Mistoffelees supplied. "Or, the fact he would be hard pressed to tell me I couldn't hang out with her either. Besides, we help."

"Help?" Kendra asked, as if he was instantly suspicious of any such help and Mistoffelees' mouth thinned.

"Okay, we're done with this conversation about Grids while said slayer is standing right here," Griddlebone cut in. "Cori, how can she be here? There's only supposed to be one slayer."

"Well...I don't know. The new slayer is only called after the previous slayer has died, and-"He broke off, "Good lord . . . You were dead, Grids."

"I was only gone for a minute!" she protested.

"Clearly, it doesn't matter how long you were gone. You were physically dead, causing the activation of the next slayer," the librarian reasoned.

"She died?" Kendra demanded and Mistoffelees sighed, going over to the computer rather than have to stand awkwardly by Cori.

"Just a little," Grids shrugged like it was no big deal though internally she was flipping over it again.

"Yes. She drowned, but was revived," Coricopat supplied.

"So there's two of them now?" Mistoffelees asked. "They really don't wait around to call up the second one do they?"

Cori nodded, "It would appear so." He settled into one of the chairs, "We have no precedent for this. I'm quite flummoxed."

"What's the flum?" Grids asked, "It's a mistake. She isn't supposed to be here. She goes home." She looked at Kendra, "No offense. But, I'm not dead and it's a teeny bit creepy having you around."

"I cannot just leave!" she insisted. "I was sent here for a reason by my watcher! A dark power is going to rise in Sunnydale and I was sent to stop it."

Cori sighed, rising again, "He's quite right. I'll need to contact him."

"So what was your plan for fighting this dark power?" Grids looked over the new slayer, "Just sort of attack people till you found a bad one?"

"Of course not!" she snapped.

"Then why the hell did you attack me with an axe?"

"I thought you were a vampire," she replied bluntly. That even got Mistoffelees to look up from the computer at her.

Grids looked singularly unimpressed, "Swing and a miss for the rookie."

"You were with a vampire, held in his embrace!" Kendra protested.

"Grids would ne-" Mistoffelees started in a fury and paused. "Oh, well, she would do that with one vampire. But he's a good vampire!"

Grids nodded her agreement with Mistoffelees, "You saw me with Mac. He's a vamp, but he's good."

"Mac? Surely you do not mean Macavity? I have heard of him and he is one of the world monsters on record," Kendra gaped at her.

"No, he's good now," Cori piped up from where he'd paused in his office doorway.

"He had a gypsy curse," Grids explained, her tone even, but just barely.

"Really," Mistoffelees piped up. "He's quite housebroken now."

"A what?" Kendra started. "After all, he looked like just another animal when I-" suddenly she stopped, for the first time looking shameful.

Grids froze, turning to fully face the other girl, "When you what?" Her voice grew dangerous, "What did you do to him?"

"I..." Kendra started and stopped again.

"What did you do?" Her voice rose sharply, a hint of panic tinting it.

"I locked him in a room with a window," Kendra murmured, looking down.

Grids paled, reaching out and grabbing the girl by the arm, "Where?"

o.o.o.o

Hours after originally fleeing, Admetus slunk back into his bar, glancing around and not quite noticing Mac hunched in a corner, trying to hide as the sun spread itself across the cage.

Jerrie stepped out of the shadows in the back of the bar, the easiest exit to get to the sewers, "'Metus. 'Bout time you showed, been waitin' for a while. I need you t' keep an eye out for somethin' for me."

The auburn haired man did a double take, having nearly jumped atop his own bar. "Oh, Jerrie. It's been a while. What can I do for you now?"

The vampire grinned, taking a final drag from his cigarette before extinguishing it under the toe of his boot, "I need you t' watch for-" He broke off as his gaze flickered around and landed on Mac, "Well, looks like y've got 'im for me already..."

"I have what?" Admetus asked, following Jerrie's gaze and freezing. "Oh."

"Get 'im outta that cage."

"I," Admetus started to protest.

"There ain't no way I'm goin' inta that sunlight t' get 'im out. So, 'ere's y' options. Y' get 'im outta that cage an' bring 'im 'ere, or in about five minutes there's really jus' gonna be a pile a ash there an' I'll be back t' deal with you tonight."

Admetus blinked, considered, and then shrugged. He unlocked the cage and dragged Mac out, the vampire not coherent enough to protest.

Jerrie withdrew a couple of bills absently as he met Admetus at the place where the sunlight ended. He hauled Mac to his feet, draping one of his arms around his shoulders and holding out the bills to the barkeep. "Talk an' I'll know. Cass has been lookin' for new toy."

"What're you going to do with him?" Admetus couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, I'm thinking - maybe dinner and a movie. I don't want to rush into anything. I've been hurt, you know," Jerrie replied airily as he dragged Mac back the way he'd come.

Admetus frowned after that and sighed, going to put his bar back together for that night.

o.o.o.o

Bombalurina stood, examining the make-up in the salesman's case. She held up a lipstick, "Do you have this in raisin? I know you wouldn't think so - but I'm both a winter and a summer."

The man just stared at her, finally speaking, "$9.99, tax included."

The redhead looked at him like he was crazy, "You - you said that already. Do you have anything in the berry family?"

He didn't reply, just taking the lipstick back and dropping it back in the case, "Are there more ladies in the house?"

"They aren't home." She looked him over, "Nothing personal - but maybe you should look into selling dictionaries, or som-" She broke off as a single maggot appeared from under the man's coat and skittered across the floor. The girl backed away, her gaze flickering up to the man who stared impassively back at her. He looks totally human. Creepy stare, but human.

Coming down the stairs finally, Tugger paused. "Hey, what's goin-Bomba, tell me you didn't let someone into Grids' house!"

"I..."She glanced at him a bit sheepishly, though there was something nervous in her expression as well, "He was just leaving." She looked back at the salesman, "Right?"

Tugger blinked and shook his head. "Okay, Mary Kay, it's time to..." he moved forward to shoo the guy out, only to have his face ripple, as if something was crawling under it. "Time to..." Tugger took one more look at the salesman and turned to Bomba. "Run."

She didn't need to be told twice, she bolted for the back door, hearing Tugger right behind her.

As they reached the back door the salesman who had turned entirely into bugs suddenly reformed. Letting out what could only be described as a shriek, Tugger bolted for the cellar. Slamming and bolting the door, the bugs started to crawl through the bottom.

Bomba screamed, bringing her heel down on a group of them. "Find something to block the crack!" Tugger yelped, hitting the worms with a broom.

She turned, searching frantically as she kept brushing worms off of herself. She finally located a roll of duct tape and shoved it at him, "I-I don't do worms."

"Here," Tugger said, shoving the broom at her and starting to tape the cracks around the door. Bomba took her turn swinging the broom to kill the worms while trying to avoid hitting Tugger in the process.

Once the door was taped and all the worms smashed, they looked around the cellar. There was one old window that looked rusted shut, and no other way out. Tugger sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Just when you think you've seen it all, a man of bugs comes along to destroy your illusion."

Bomba shuddered, nodding.

o.o.o.o

Kendra led Grids into Admetus' bar.

"Can no one read the closed sign!" Admetus wailed.

Grids offered him a glare for his trouble, but ignored him otherwise, turning to Kendra, "Where'd you lock him up?"

She pointed. "There's no ashes, so he didn't die," she said, primly.

"Course he didn't die," Ademtus rolled his eyes.

"Good, that means I don't have to kill you," the blonde told Kendra before turning to Admetus, "Where is he?"

"He," the bartender started and stopped. "Left."

Her eyes narrowed and she walked over, "Left? Where'd he go?"

"Um, home?" Admetus tried and even Kendra didn't look like she believed him.

"When?" the original slayer demanded.

"Little bit ago?" he offered. "Through the sewers."

"...Right. Why don't I call him and check that?"

"Well, I hear he wanted sleep," Ademtus tried, so far off his game even he wasn't amused anymore.

"I'm sure he'd understand if I explained it was because I wanted to make sure he was okay after someone locked him in a cage and waited for the sun to burn him to ashes," she answered, starting for the phone.

"Okay, he's not home," Admetus shook his head. "And isn't this the chick that locked him up in the first place?" Kendra gave him a long look. "Look, I can't just come out and tell you, but really, who else would pick Mac up in the middle of the day through the sewers?"

Grids froze and turned to face the man, paling, "What does he want with Mac?"

"Don't know, wouldn't say," Admetus shrugged. "But he picked him up and took him off and I'm sorry but there wasn't much I could do."

She thought for a long moment and then finally nodded, "Where is he, do you know?"

"Some factory?" Admetus offered. "That's where those types usually are, and I think he picked up the Anointed One's haunts, but damned if I actually know."

She sighed, "Great. If we find otherwise we'll be back."

"Of course you will," Ademtus sighed. "Because no one pays attention to the closed signs."

There really aren't enough CATS characters to cast everyone, sorry Kendra! We hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, sorry for the long pause between updates. Please leave a review, it makes your author team feel so much better!