Charmed: Another Halliwell

by Brenna's Urbangirl Projects

Summary: Buffy Summers is the daughter of Joyce and Hank Summers. Joyce was born Patience Joyce Halliwell she was Prue, Piper and Phoebe's aunt. When Joyce dies Buffy is left in the care of her cousins. Pairings: Prue, Piper, and Phoebe (and later Paige) canon pairings. Buffy/Dawn (Yes, Forbidden Sibling Love). A/U Set during and after Charmed Season 1 and Buffy season 1.

55. Chapter 55: Band Candy

Chapter 55: Band Candy

November 11, 1998 – Wednesday

Restfield Cemetery

Buffy sat on one of the blankets she'd brought, the second draped over her crossed legs. She had a notebook and practice exam answer sheet on her lap, a No. 2 pencil in her hand. She listened to Giles, who stood behind a gravestone, reading from an open practice SAT exam booklet. "... and on that tragic day, an era came to an end. That's all there is. Are you ready?"

"Hit me," Buffy said, her pencil ready.

"Which of the following best expresses the theme of the passage? A) Violence breeds violence, B) All things must end, C)…"

Buffy looked down at her response sheet and filled in a bubble immediately. "B… I'm going with B. We haven't had a B in forever," she told Giles, who glared at her.

"This is the SATs, Buffy, not connect the dots," Giles reminded her. "Please pay close attention. A poor score might drastically jeopardize your chances of acceptance to college."

"Gee, thanks. That takes the pressure right off," Buffy remarked cynically.

"This isn't meant to be easy, you know," Giles reminded her. "It's a rite of passage."

"Is it too late to join a tribe where they just pierce or cut something off?" Buffy joked, returning her gaze to her answer sheet.

"Buffy, please concentrate," Giles urged, returning his gaze to his reading.

Buffy returned her gaze to Giles, waiting eagerly, when she noticed a vampire racing up behind him, clearly believing they were just ordinary humans who were dumb enough to study in a graveyard at night. She disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.

Giles looked up from his book and saw she wasn't where she was supposed to be.

As Buffy flamed in behind Giles she sent a flying kick at the vampire. The vampire flew backward and landed on his back on the hard ground. She grabbed his legs and pushed him away from her. He got up and tried to punch her. She found that she didn't even need to dodge the blow since it flew right by her, striking the air. She hit him in retaliation, only for her punch that was supposed to land in his stomach to be blocked.

Buffy evaded the vampire's strike, as well as the following blow he hurled at her. She sent him stumbling with a roundhouse kick. He managed to retain his balance and attempted a roundhouse kick of his own at her. She dodged it deftly and he tried to strike her again, growling. But she grabbed his arm and stopped the onslaught. As she deflected his second blow, she spotted an opening and stabbed him in the heart with her pencil before he exploded into dust.

"I wish you didn't do that," Giles said. "I never know where you're going."

"Sorry," Buffy said. "I figured you'd prefer it if I did that instead of jumping over you."

Giles nodded. "Well, thank you for your consideration," he acknowledged.

"Hmm. My No. 2 pencil broke. We'll have to do this some—" Buffy murmured, eager, gazing up from her broken pencil.

Giles extended his hand, a spare No. 2 pencil in his fingers. "C) All systems tend towards chaos," Giles murmured as Buffy pulled the pencil from his hands, her old pencil falling uselessly beside him.

Buffy plopped back down on her blanket, putting the second one over her legs to keep herself warm as she sank back into motionlessness. She retrieved her notepad and answer sheet. "I just know that we and the undead are the only people in Sunnydale working this late," she grumbled, pouting up at Giles as she awaited the next question.

November 12, 1998 – Thursday

Gateway High School

"…And then I was being chased by an improperly filled-in answer bubble screaming none of the above!" Buffy finished telling Willow, and Oz about her nightmare as they came down the stairs to the quad.

"Wow. I hope that wasn't a premonition," Willow said as Buffy gave her a startled hopeless, 'don't say that' look. "Probably not," she added hastily wanting to reassure her friend, fellow witch, and her Whitelighter.

"Hey you know I took it last year. I could help you get ready. There's this whole trick to antonyms, but… this isn't the place," Oz said conspiratorially.

Willow beamed at her boyfriend. "Oz is the highest-scoring person ever to fail to graduate," she informed Buffy her voice filled with pride.

Buffy smiled at Oz. "Isn't she cute when she's proud," she gently teased as they reached the bottom of the stairs and continued down the colonnade.

"She's always cute," Oz replied glancing at Willow giving his slightly red-faced girlfriend a smile.

"We could work on it tonight," Willow suggested to Buffy, just as Cordelia and Xander joined them.

"Work on what tonight?" Xander asked.

"Oh god," Cordelia groaned. "Are we killing something again?"

"Only my carefree spirit," Buffy replied deciding not to comment on the fact that Cordelia had decided to stay away from her.

"Buffy SAT prep," Oz explained to the newcomers.

"Oz is helping." Willow smiled proudly again. "He's the highest scoring…"

"We know. We did the impressed thing already," Cordelia said cutting Willow off with a small roll of her eyes.

Willow frowned in disappointment, she just wanted to tell everybody… and this was everybody that talked to her… it wasn't enough people to tell in her mind.

"I hate that they make us take that thing. It's totally fascist, and personally, I think it uh, discriminates against the uninformed," Xander said with conviction, as he worried over how he was going to do on the test.

"Actually I'm looking forward to it. I do well on standardized tests." Cordelia revealed as everyone looked at her in surprise. "What? I can't have layers?"

They lapsed into silence as they continued walking, headed towards the cafeteria.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

"So, Buffy, study tonight?" Willow asked breaking the silence.

"Uh, yes on the studying, no go tonight. I'm putting in family time. Prue's been drastic ever since I got back. And Giles is even worse. I'm supervised twenty-four-seven," Buffy stated, as they walked into the cafeteria. "It's like being in the Real World house, only real."

"Hmm," Willow hummed in a sympathetic, agreeing way.

Their attention was diverted by a table piled high with boxes labeled Milk bar fundraiser chocolate. Students were huddled around the table waiting for a box to be handed to them as Snyder checked off their names on a clipboard.

"Ooh candy bars! Lots of 'em!" Willow exclaimed as they walked over to see what was going on.

Snyder held out a box to them. "Principal Snyder thank you!" Xander exclaimed surprised as he took the box. "You weren't visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past by any chance?" he quipped.

Snyder gave Xander a look of annoyance. "It's band candy."

"Let's hear it for the band huh? Very generous." Buffy smiled uneasily, just knowing that there was more to it.

"You will sell it to raise money for the marching band. They need new uniforms." Snyder scowled at them.

"Yeah, those tall fuzzy hats aren't cheap huh?" Xander joked.

"But they do go with everything." Oz joined earning a smile from Willow.

"I'm sure we all love the idea of going all Willy Loman, but we're not in the band," Buffy said stating the obvious.

"And if I'd handed you a trombone that would've been a problem, Halliwell," Snyder growled holding out a box for her to take. Buffy reluctantly took the box. "Sell it," he demanded before leaving them all to stare down at their boxes with small frowns on their faces as they wondered who they could sell it to.

Halliwell Manor

Buffy sat on a stool at the kitchen island watching as Piper fixed dinner, the band candy box sitting on the island between them.

"But you're not in the band," Piper said confused.

"And yet," Buffy moaned.

"Buffy, what would I do with forty chocolate bars?" Piper asked looking at the box.

"You could hand them out at Payson's. Give them away with the drinks. It's a marketing ploy buy a drink get a free cavity." Buffy suggested hopefully, wanting to get rid of the bars as soon as possible.

Piper looked at her cousin considering, before reaching into the box and pulling out twenty bars of candy. "Twenty," she said out loud.

"You're good, my sister." Buffy smiled taking the box Piper handed back to her, and put it on the ground, already deciding who to sell the last twenty to.

"I'm the best," Piper agreed.

Buffy shook her head, as she picked up her glass. "No, I'm pretty sure the best sisters let their sisters drive," Buffy told her before taking a sip of her water.

Piper groaned at the not-so-subtle hint. "I'll talk to Prue again, okay? In the end, it's her decision."

Buffy set down her glass, being careful not to break it. "I took the class. And I watched all the filmstrips with the blood and the death and the corpses—I'm prepped! I don't understand why Prue won't let me…"

Piper spotting her eldest sister in the doorway turned toward the fridge grabbing a jug of chilled water.

"Maybe it's because you failed the written test," Prue said as Piper poured herself some water. "They wouldn't even let you take the road test," she said as Piper put the water back in the fridge.

"That was a year ago. And I don't test well…" Buffy said wincing slightly as she remembered the SAT test she had to take two days from now. "She said, two days before the SATs."

Prue to a seat to Buffy. "Tell you what, Buffy," she said looking her cousin slash baby sister in the eyes. "Pass your SATs and we'll see about you taking the written again."

Buffy grinned. "Deal," she said. "Well… I got to go," she said grabbing the box of candy and getting up from the table.

"You're going out?" Prue asked.

Buffy turned from the door. "Giles. Study/slay double feature… could be late," she said feeling slightly bad for lying to Prue. She had to though since Piper was standing there having returned to making dinner. She had yet to tell Piper or Phoebe that Angel was back.

"Okay," Prue said. "As long as someone is with you."

Buffy smiled. "Prue, you know me," she said. "I don't go out alone anymore when it comes to Slaying. I don't want to die on you all a fourth time."

Prue nodded, she did know that. It still didn't stop the worry though. "I know but we still worry especially when you're not out there with one of us. And nothing's going to change that."

"I know," Buffy said as she walked back over and sat the box down. "And you know something I'm glad you guys worry," she admitted as she pulled Prue into her arms. "It tells me you care."

Gateway High School

Buffy waited, holding still as Giles tied a blindfold around her eyes, sending her world into darkness. "Ow," she whined when Giles accidentally caught a strand of her hair.

"Sorry," Giles apologized taking a step back.

"Why do I put up with this?" Buffy asked as she shifted her head tracking Giles as he walked around her.

"Because it's your destiny and because I just bought twenty chocorific candy bars," Giles said using the word she had used to wheedle him into buying her last twenty bars off her. He placed a large red rubber ball into her hands and stepped back.

Buffy tilted her head again tracking Giles with her hearing as he moved. "Okay you're just doing this to take funny pictures of me," she decided.

Giles walked around her. "I'm doing it," he corrected, "to test your awareness of an opponent's location during a fight in total darkness. Now wait five seconds and then throw the ball at me," he commanded as he silently backtracked toward the book cage, being careful not to make a sound.

"You ran out of new training ideas about a week ago huh? Ok. Five, four, three, two, one." Buffy turned so that she faced the door to Giles' office, causing Giles to smile confident that she had no idea where he was. She threw the ball, and it hit the wall, high above the counter an amused smile on her face. The ball bounced off with a small hollow, rubbery ding.

"It's not that simple, is it…" Giles stopped talking when the ball hit him in the head proving his sentence wrong. He readjusted his glasses which had slipped slightly at the impact. "Ow. Ahem. Yes well, very good," he complimented.

Buffy pulled off her blindfold and threw it on a table. "Thanks," she beamed, before heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Giles stuttered. "We have patrol!" he said indignantly.

Buffy paused and turned back to face him. "I can't. Prue's in hyperdrive. She wants me home tonight. I told you," she said turning and walking away again.

"But I…"

Buffy cut him off. "I know. She's out of control. Enjoy the candy," she called over her shoulder, before walking out the door.

Giles watched the swinging library door. Her actions were odd, and there was something in her face that made him wary of her excuse to miss patrol.

Crawford Street Mansion

Buffy paused when she reached the garden and found Angel shirtless, glistening with perspiration, and doing Tai Chi. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it instead and just watched.

Angel turned gracefully and spotted her holding a grocery bag. "Buffy," he said.

Buffy smiled. "I didn't know you could do that," she admitted as he walked toward her.

"I'm doing better…" Angel replied before stumbling a bit.

"Angel!" Buffy cried as she grabbed and steadied him. She put her arms around him and helped him through the curtain and over to a chair. As she sat him down they became instantly aware of the contact.

Angel looked at everything in the room with the exception of Buffy. "It's late. How did you get away?" he wondered.

"Easy. Started a fire in the prison laundry, rode out in the garbage truck," Buffy quipped. She smiled. "Joking. No garbage. Smell me."

"How is… Scott?" he inquired.

"Oh, Scott, Boyfriend Scott, actually he's not—He's fine," she said as she handed him the grocery bag. "I brought more… for you. From the butcher's."

Angel looked into the bag and removed a takeout container. He could tell without opening it that it was filled with blood for the lid was stained red. "Thank you," he said as he set the container on the table next to the chair awkwardly. "You're being careful, right?" he asked finally looking at her as their eyes met.

"With Scott?" Buffy wondered.

"The slaying," he corrected her.

"Oh, of course," she said sheepishly like she should have known that. "Yeah, sure I am. I'm full of carefulness."

"I worry about you," Angel admitted.

Buffy nodded as she smiled at him. "Likewise."

"I'm getting stronger."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah. Soon you won't need me or Prue coming around."

"That'll be better," Angel agreed.

"Yeah."

Halliwell Manor

Buffy walked through the front door and closed it behind her with a soft click. She turned around to go up the stairs only to stop startled at seeing Prue standing by the foot of the stairs, staring at her calmly as she ran her fingers over an opened chocolate bar.

"Hey!" Buffy said. "Uh, sorry I'm late."

"Hello, Buffy."

Buffy spun at the voice and her eyes widen slightly as Giles stepped into view, standing beside Prue, his arms crossed over his chest, a stern look on his face. She glanced back at Prue with a raised eyebrow, wondering what Giles was doing there.

She needed to talk to Prue alone and Giles being there was going to make that hard, so she tried to distract him. "Do you want to watch some television? I hear there's a very insightful Nightline on."

"Buffy you lied to us. And you made us into your alibis. That's playing us against each other and that's not fair," Prue scolded her cousin, her arms folded across her chest.

Buffy gave at Prue confused, wondering at her cousin's speech pattern.

"I called Willow," Giles said as Buffy shifted her gaze to him. "You also lied to her about your whereabouts. We were all concerned." Prue held the chocolate bar toward him, and he snapped off a piece. "Thank you."

"I'm sorry. It's just, I had to go—" Buffy said and then looked pointedly at Prue and mouthed, 'Angel.'

Prue nodded in understanding why Buffy hadn't said anything earlier about where she would be after leaving Giles. Piper had been there and they still had yet to tell Piper or Phoebe that Angel was back. "Were you at The Bronze?" she asked. "I know you weren't at Payson's because I called Piper. What was happening there that was so important?"

Buffy nodded her understanding of what Prue was doing. She was sure that she and Prue would be having a conversation later. "Bronze things. Things of Bronze," she answered.

Prue chewed on a piece of chocolate that she had in her mouth. "You're acting immature, Buffy," she scolded.

Giles finished chewing the piece he had in his mouth. "I know I'm not your parent, but I am responsible for you. I think Prue's right," he said backing Prue.

"Ok, fine. I'm acting like a child. Maybe that's because you both are treating me like a child."

"Buffy!" Prue cried, her voice hurt. This was only supposed to be a lie for Giles' benefit till they revealed that Angel was alive. Now Buffy was going much, much further.

"No, Prue," Buffy snapped. "Listen. I'm torn fifty different ways. There are you two who want to make sure I train so I come back alive. There is Piper who wants to make sure I know everything there is about Payson's since unofficially I am the owner. Phoebe is the only one who hasn't been on my back about something. Then there is the fact I am Willow's Whitelighter. I just want to be able to do things on my own."

"The last time you did anything on your own you split," Prue stated disapprovingly, popping another piece of candy in her mouth.

"Yeah, and I took care of myself. I don't need this much active parenting," Buffy argued.

"You can't be using this summer as a reason you should be trusted," Prue said incredulously, as she broke off another piece from the bar, and popped it in her mouth.

Buffy looked at Prue with wide eyes, she could have sworn they had settled the issues over what happened during the summer. "Prue, you got to back off some! I don't need to be babysat."

Giles held up a hand, gesturing for silence, and peace between the two women. "Uh, alright come on. Let's not uh, freak out," he said firmly.

Buffy gave him a weird look. "Freak out?" she repeated, growing slightly concerned, Giles didn't say 'freak out'!

Giles made a noise of agreement, as he stood up. "Uh, I think you should go to bed," he suggested slipping back on the glasses he had taken off whilst the women were arguing. "Um, we're all tired."

"Okay," Buffy agreed and then looked at Prue. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" She glanced briefly at Giles before looking back at Prue. "Alone?"

Prue nodded as she looked at Giles. "Excuse us," she said. She turned and followed Buffy upstairs and into Buffy's room. She closed the door behind her cousin.

"Prue, what's going on?" Buffy asked perplexed. "I thought we were past the stuff from last summer."

Prue sighed as she sat down on Buffy's bed. "Well I did have to make it look good didn't I?" she said. "That said you began to take it a little farther than I intended."

"Sorry," Buffy admitted sadly. "But I did have a point down there. I hardly have time for myself. And one thing you, me, Piper, and Phoebe agreed on when we became witches was trying to have as normal a life as possible. Which for me is way harder since I am not only a witch, but a Slayer and a Whitelighter."

"I know," Prue sighed. "I'm sorry. So, you were with Angel?"

"Yes."

"How is he?" Prue wondered.

"Getting better," Buffy informed her. "A few more days a week or two tops he should be able to do things himself."

"Then we tell the others," Prue stated.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah," she agreed. "I just wish we could have found out why he was back though. I even flamed up there and they didn't know or if they did they weren't saying."

"I know, so do I," Prue admitted. "But without Rupert's help, we may not find out."

November 13, 1998 – Friday

Gateway High School

A boy threw a wad of paper at another student, as they waited for their study hall teacher to show up. "Think fast." The targeted boy turned in his chair, almost managing to catch the projectile. Snagging the wad of paper before it rolled off his desk he set it aside. Only to pick it up a moment later turning again, his eyes fixed on the boy waiting for the perfect opening.

Cordelia sighed in her seat next to Buffy, a row behind the boy who was now holding the wad of paper. "I heard that there was a secret rule that if a teacher is more than ten minutes late we can all leave."

Buffy looked up from the notes in front of her. "It's Giles' turn to watch study hall. He'll be here." She looked back down at her book with a small frown of concentration. "He's allergic to late," she joked.

Cordelia sighed again. "He is wound a little tight. I had this philosophy book out from the library for like a year, and he made me pay the fine, even though it was huge." Buffy gave her a look. "I was sad to return it." She gave a small smile at no one. "It was perfect for starting conversations with college boys." She giggled. "Of course that was B.X."

Buffy looked up from her notes again. "B.X? Before Xander. Clever." They looked down at the books in front of them trying to drill the information there into their brains.

At a table behind them, Xander and Willow sat next to each other. Willow's head tilted down toward her books. Xander sat busily munching on one of the chocolate bars he was supposed to be selling, the books in front of him closed, having been left untouched since he sat down at the desk.

"I like chocolate," Xander commented, making Willow look up at him. "There is no bad here."

"You still have some left? I went to like four houses and they were gone. It's like trick or treating in reverse," Willow said smiling up at him.

"I know these things are selling like hotcakes…" They exchanged a look. "Which is ironic cause the hotcakes aren't moving…" Xander chuckled as they rubbed their legs together playfully under the desk. "And it's uh, ahem, fun to sell chocolate ahem," he added as Willow rubbed her calf along his shin.

"And we're raising a lot of money for the band," Willow breathed.

Xander looked between Willow and his chocolate bar, before taking another bite of the candy. Willow turned her attention back to her book fiddling with her pencil as she did so, their legs still rubbed against each other's.

"The band. Yeah. They're great. They march," he said.

"Like an army," Willow agreed. "Except with music instead of bullets, and… usually no one dies," she added flustered and distracted as they started to play footsies.

Cordelia turned her attention to Willow and Xander. "I can't believe this!" she cried, making the two jump apart guiltily, the table lurching with the sudden movement, both silently praying that they hadn't given themselves away. "Where is Giles already? I'm bored and he's not here to give me credit for it," she whined.

Buffy looked over at the classroom door a concerned look on her face. Her mind played back the weird behavior Prue and Giles had displayed last night, and the even odder behavior of Giles being late or as it seemed not turning up at all!

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Down the hall, Snyder and Ms. Barton were walking toward the study hall. He gripped a chocolate bar in his hands. "The big pinheaded librarian didn't show up, and I don't want to do it," he whined, before pointing at Ms. Barton with his candy bar. "You do it," he demanded.

"Alright fine I'll do it," Ms. Barton agreed reluctantly. Turning to walk into the classroom she rolled her eyes behind Snyder's back.

Snyder continued to walk down the hall muttering to himself. "Everybody expects me to do everything around here because I'm the principal. It's not fair."

Ms. Barton walked into the science room where the study hall was being held, clapping her hands a couple of times to get the students' attention. "Hey! We're all stuck here ok? So now let's just sit quietly and pretend we're reading something." Buffy furrowed her brow slightly in confusion at Ms. Barton's behavior. "Until we're sure Commandant Snyder is gone. Then we're all out of here!" she exclaimed with a wide happy smile.

"Does anyone else want to marry Ms. Barton?" Xander asked.

"Get in line," Cordelia joked.

Buffy shifted in her seat her concern for Giles growing.

"I guess Giles isn't coming," Willow said surprised.

"I guess not," Buffy murmured.

Giles' Apartment

Buffy walked up to Giles' door, her expression still worried. She hoped that she would find him here otherwise she'd be at a loss. She had checked the library before she left the school, and the only other place Giles hung out… was at his apartment. Leaning up on her toes slightly she peered through the window in the door, relief flooding through her when she saw him crouched down by a cabinet, looking over an album.

Buffy smiled as she walked through the door and closed it behind her, causing Giles to look up at her. "Buffy," he greeted slipping the record back into the cabinet.

Buffy walked further into the apartment. "Uh… sorry… I was worried, Giles. You were a big not there in study hall, and after your lecture to me on not ducking out…" she said confused, spotting Prue her eyes widened in surprise, "…and what's Prue doing here?" she asked.

Giles stepped over to Prue almost protectively, chewing on a mouth full of chocolate. "We had an opportunity for um, you might say a summit meeting. It took priority over study hall. I called in."

"Oh," Buffy breathed confused the small frown back on her face.

"We decided that you made a good point last night, Buffy," Prue piped in, trying to sound like everything was normal. She nodded with Giles as if confirming with each other.

"I did. Yes… And that was…?" Buffy asked her confusion increasing as she looked between the two.

"About us over-scheduling you," Prue said looking at Giles hoping that he'd back her up.

"Pulling you in multiple directions," Giles said as he sat down on his coffee table. "Uh, your home life, your duties as a witch, your duties as a Slayer, your duties as Willow's Whitelighter, and of course your duties as the unofficial owner of Payson's."

"Oh. That was a good point," Buffy agreed, still looking between the two adults.

"We're working out a coordinated schedule for you," Prue beamed.

"It'll be tight, but uh, I think we can fit in all your responsibilities," Giles said with his smile.

Buffy gave a small wary smile, not liking the way it was sounding. "Sounds nice and structured," she muttered.

Prue bit back a sigh of impatience. "We've got more work to do here, Buffy. Why don't you give us a little more time?" she said with another smile. She dug into her purse whilst Giles stood up from the couch wandering over to his fireplace mantel to look at a picture that was resting on it. She pulled out her car keys as she stood up. "Um… take my car and, um Rupert can drive me home," she offered holding out the keys for Buffy to take.

Buffy stared at Prue wide-eyed. "What?" she yelped surprised, before shaking her head. This was so unlike Prue. She remembered the last time she let Phoebe drive the car, Phoebe had almost run over a little girl. Prue was super possessive when it came to her things. "Excuse me I meant what?!" she asked as she eyed the keys.

"Keys. Take them," Prue urged trying to not let her impatience show in her voice.

"You don't have to tell me twice. Well, you did but…" Buffy snatched the keys before Prue could think better of it. "Bye!" she called over her shoulder as she rushed out the door.

"Bye, Buffy. Drive safely," Prue called with a wide smile of satisfaction.

"Uh huh," Buffy yelled from outside the door.

Prue turned back to face Giles. "Do you think she noticed anything?" she asked.

Giles turned from the mantel a cigarette dangling from his lips, as he held a lighter up to it, lighting the end. "No way."

Prue smiled and reached down for a bottle of beer she had hidden under the table when Buffy had come in. He flipped closed his lighter, and took a deep drag of his cigarette, breathing out smoke as he exhaled.

Streets of San Francisco

"Tell me again how it happened," Willow said nervously as Buffy drove them down the street in Prue's car.

"Told Prue I wanted to be treated more like an adult and voila! Driviness," Buffy said with a smile. She took a corner without slowing down and the car skidded around the bend. Willow clutched at her seat, her breaths coming quicker as her nerves shot up. "Also I think Prue wanted me otherwhere. Considering she and Giles are planning my future. I think it's easier for them to live my life if I'm not there," she muttered.

Willow looked down and noticed that the parking brake was still on. "Do you know that you have the parking brake on?"

"Uh-huh." Buffy nodded. She released the parking brake, without easing off the accelerator and the engine revved higher, the car speeding up.

Willow glanced around nervously, a funny feeling going through her that they were going to crash. "Are, are you sure about Payson's?" she queried with a nervous smile. "I mean the SATs are tomorrow."

"I can study at the club. A little dancing, a little cross multiplying." Buffy smiled wickedly. "You know what we need?" She reached across to the radio her fingers touching the station dial as she fiddled with the stations wanting a better one than Prue listened to.

"Eyes on the road! Eyes on the road!" Willow squealed when Buffy bent too low to see above the dashboard.

Buffy accidentally pulled on the steering wheel making the car turn. Fortunately, it was a turn off so they didn't crash into one of the buildings.

Giles' Apartment

Giles lay on the floor, his coat and tie gone, strewn somewhere around the room, his shirt unbuttoned far enough to reveal his undershirt. Two cigarettes were in his hand as he prepared to light them.

Prue sat cross-legged in front of the record cabinet looking through his albums. "You got good albums," she said over the music.

Giles shrugged. "Yeah, they're ok."

"Do you like Seals and Croft?" Prue asked. Giles turned his face toward her giving her a look. "Yeah me neither," she said quickly not wanting to sound like she liked them if he didn't. Giles handed her one of the cigarettes he held in his hand. "Thanks," she said taking a small drag, not wanting to choke in front of him. "So how come they call you Ripper?" she asked with a small blush.

Giles sat up. "Wouldn't you like to know… hmm wait a minute listen to this bit," he said bobbing his head and waving his cigarette to the beat. "It rocks!" he exclaimed when the guitar riff between verses was over.

"It's good," Prue agreed.

Giles stood up from the floor. "Man I got to get a band together," he said as he walked over to his mirror, running his fingers through his hair, making it stick out on end.

Prue closed the cabinet and stood up. "Hey, Ripper, you want to watch TV?" she asked leaning against the cabinet getting a little bored with listening to music she didn't have all that much interest in. "I know how to order pay-per-view."

Giles slipped off his outer shirt not looking at her as he checked out his reflection again. "No, let's go out and have some fun. Tear things up a bit."

"Ok," Prue agreed eagerly. "We could go to Payson's."

"Not bloody likely that place is dead," Giles grumbled.

Payson's

Up on stage, Devon danced around to the lead in of the song they were playing. Leaning over to Oz before the song began. "Hey, they're digging us, man!" Not caring how odd it was to see adults acting as they were tonight.

Willow and Buffy walked down the stairs, Willow was grateful to be out of the car for the time being. They stop dead as they look around the crowd. The unusual sight of the adult populous jumping around to the music caused them to worry.

"Not a bad crowd," Buffy said appreciatively. "Got to hand it to Piper that whatever she did… Ms. Barton?" she asked surprised when she saw the back of what looked like one of her teachers in front of her.

Ms. Barton stopped moving and turned to face her. "Buffy? Whoa!" she yelped when she almost slipped.

"Are you ok Ms. Barton?" Willow asked concerned, exchanging a worried look with Buffy.

Ms. Barton smiled widely. "Oh, I'm cool Willow…" She fell silent giving Willow an odd look as she came to a realization. "Willow… that's a tree." She giggled. "You're a tree!" Willow exchanged another look with Buffy, their belief that something was wrong growing. She looked around. "Yeah uh, uh, are there any nachos in here little tree?"

"I think maybe you need some fresh air, Ms. Barton?" Buffy stated pointing toward the stairs.

Ms. Barton laughed hysterically. "Okay," she agreed before going back into the crowd ignoring them.

"Hey this is not normal," Willow muttered. Buffy gave her a look that clearly said 'duh'. "Maybe that goes without saying," she corrected, with a nervous smile at Buffy.

From behind them, Snyder spotted them through the crowd. He walked toward them, moving quickly so that he didn't accidentally lose them in the crowd. He came up to stand between them surprising the two girls. "Hey gang!" he greeted with a huge smile that the girls felt just looked odd, and out of place on Snyder's face. He placed his arms around their shoulders making them shift uncomfortably and exchange truly worried looks. "This place is Fun City huh?" he said with a laugh trying to make conversation with those that he had decided to be friends with.

"Principal Snyder?" Buffy asked surprised.

"Call me Snyder. Just a last name, like… Barbarino," Snyder insisted trying his best to be cool and failing miserably. He let go of the girls and in a sudden move pumped his arms in the air and hollering like a teenage boy.

Willow leaned away from him slightly not wanting to get hit by one of Snyder's flailing fists.

"Ooh I'm stoked!" he yelled.

Willow gave Buffy a nervous look she had never seen a teacher act like this, and it was freaking her out! Teachers were supposed to be calm and collected, and responsible!

Snyder calmed down from his sudden outburst and looked back at the girls. "Hey did you see Ms. Barton? I think she's wasted. I'm going to have to put that in her next performance report cause, 'cause I'm the principal!" he said with a laugh. To the girls' relief, he turned and headed back into the crowd.

Willow stepped over to Buffy. "I don't like this. They could have heart attacks."

"Uh well…" Buffy said looking around hopelessly. "Maybe there's a doctor here," she suggested, but as she looked around she doubted that if there was that they would be much use.

An older shirtless man pulled himself up on the stage, pushing Devon out of the way of the microphone. He grabbed the microphone and screamed into it. "Yeah!"

Willow looked at the man feeling horrified. "I think that is my doctor." The man jumped from the stage expecting to be caught by the crowd, but the crowd wasn't expecting him, and he plummeted to the ground, and he didn't seem able to get up. She and Buffy cringed at the sight. "He, he's usually less… topless," she added.

"I think I need to find Piper before she gets sued by someone…" Buffy stated as she began looking around for her middle cousin.

Suddenly Snyder remerged from the crowd surprising the girls as he stuck his head between them. "I got a commendation for being principal," he told them, trying to impress them, but only sounding impressed with himself. "From The Mayor. Shook my hand twice."

"That's nice," Buffy said distractedly just wanting the older man to leave them alone… it was more than kind of freaky to see him like this.

Snyder took a deep breath as he caught sight of two women walking past clutching drinks as they talked merrily with each other. He made eyes at them hoping to draw their attention. "Whoa! There are some foxy ladies here tonight!" he exclaimed rushing off after them to try his luck.

Buffy and Willow walked in the opposite direction. "What's happening?" Willow asked of Buffy, looking out around the crowds of adults that were acting, totally… delinquent!

"I don't know, but it's happening to a whole lot of grownups," Buffy said eyeing the crowds as she walked. She then spotted Piper up on the bar dancing. "Piper!" she cried.

There were several men standing around the bar whistling and cheering at Piper. She knelt down and poured a shot of alcohol into a man's waiting mouth. (A/N)

They paused by the stairs that led to the balcony and looked out over the crowds again. At the clusters of crazy adults. "They're acting like a bunch…" Willow trailed off at a loss for how to describe the behavior.

"They're acting like a bunch of us," Buffy finished for her. "Especially Piper."

Willow looked at her friend and Whitelighter confused. "I don't act like this. Maybe you might," she said motioning with her eyes toward the heavens.

"Might not be a bad idea," Buffy agreed knowing what her friend was thinking. "Dad!" she called out.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Oz joined the girls and Leo having finished for the night, all four observed the crowd. "Something's changing them," Buffy told her father, her eyes shimmering with concern.

"A spell?" Willow suggested as her eyes traversed The Bronze.

"I'd say it's possible," Leo admitted.

"They're teenagers. It's a sobering mirror to look into huh?" Oz said, not quite believing that anyone he knew behaved this badly.

Snyder broke through the crowd across from them, his eyes landing on Oz's hair as he closed in on them. "You've got great hair," he said with a wide smile on his face.

Oz gave the others a look, feeling rather out of place in this environment of crazed adults.

They all look up when the music suddenly cut out, fearing that something terrible had happened, only to see a group of older men standing in front of the microphone. They stared in horror as they started to sing. The words were offbeat, and out of sync, their voices grating against their ears, but the crowd on the dance floor was happy enough to dance to them.

"Maybe you should go up there and ask, Dad," Buffy said. "And Dad if you find out something go to the Manor and call me on the phone. The least exposure we have the better."

"Good idea," Leo agreed. "Be careful."

"Promise, Dad," Buffy said as Leo walked away.

"It just gets more upsetting," Willow said sadly as she watched people she considered role models doing things that were stupid, and crazy. She looked up at the ceiling when several of the older couples on the dance floor began to kiss passionately.

Buffy took no notice of them as her eyes remained glued to the stage. "No vampire, demon, warlock, whatever has ever been that scary!" she exclaimed pointing at the stage where the older men were still singing. "I don't think we're going to be able to wait on Dad for information. Be right back." She turned and walked over to the bar. She pulled Piper down. "Piper!"

Piper smiled. "Hey, Buffy," she said cheerfully. "Hey everyone it's my sister."

"Piper close it down," Buffy instructed. "Send everyone home."

Piper frowned, she wasn't going to do that. "No way, Buffy," she insisted.

"Piper," Buffy said forcing her cousin to look her in the eye. "Listen to me. You are under a spell."

Piper smiled. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Buffy stated. "Do you remember how Prue and Phoebe were acting when they cast a spell on themselves to see fairies and trolls?"

"Yeah," Piper said.

"You and every grownup here, is acting just like Prue and Phoebe were that day," Buffy informed her. She glanced around. "Is Phoebe here?"

"No, she didn't want to party," Piper pouted.

Buffy looked past Piper to the club's manager. "Abby, can I have the phone?"

"Sure thing, Payson," Abby answered as she handed the phone to her boss. "Wow did you know you have great hair?"

"Yes, thank you," Buffy said turning her attention back to Piper as she dialed the phone. "Piper, close the club, now. We don't want to be sued if someone has an accident."

Piper pouted as she thought about it. "Alright," she agreed reluctantly.

"Halliwell Residence, Phoebe speaking," came Phoebe's voice from the other end of the line.

"Phoebe, it's Buffy," Buffy said looking around the club. "We got a situation. I have Dad talking to the Elders, while we wait on him, I need you to look in the book and see if there is anything that can make an adult act like you and Prue were that day we dealt with trolls."

"Why what's going on?" Phoebe questioned, obviously concerned.

"Not sure but everyone at the club at least is acting like their teenagers," Buffy explained. "I'm getting Piper to close it down for the night, reluctantly since she is affected also."

"Okay," Phoebe said. "You got your cell?"

"Yeah," Buffy answered. "Let me know if you find anything. Also, Dad will orb to the Manor when he is done with the Elders. That way we can minimize the exposure risk. I'm going to hit the streets and try and find out what's going on."

"Okay," Phoebe said. "Be careful."

"Promise," Buffy said as she hung up the phone. She then reached over the bar and flipped the switch that flickered the lights getting everyone's attention. "Hi, everyone. I am Payson Halliwell, co-owner of Payson's. I'm sorry to be saying this but we are closing for the night. Everyone who does not work here please exit the building."

Several people jeered the announcement but they otherwise made their way to the exit.

Buffy turned back to Abby. "Can you make sure all the staff gets home?" she asked.

"Sure, Payson," Abby agreed.

Buffy turned back toward Piper, "As soon as the staff leaves, lock up and go home," she instructed. "I got Phoebe researching this and Dad talking to the Elders. I'm going to hit the streets and see what I can find out."

"Okay, Buffy," Piper said.

Buffy turned and walked over to Oz and Willow. "We're going," she said. They nodded and followed her as they headed for the exit.

Buffy paused by the door spotting the bouncer taking a bite out of a chocolate bar, chewing the bar noisily. Snyder ran up behind them slightly out of breath. "Hey where are we going?" he asked looking at three of them.

None of them answer as they hurried out of the club, trying to leave Snyder behind, partly because it was safer for him, and mostly because he was an annoyance they didn't need. They managed to leave Snyder behind for a moment as they rushed over to Prue's car.

"Wait up you guys!" Snyder called as he chased them, determined to not be ditched. "Hey! You guys aren't trying to ditch me are you?" he said his voice teasing and mirthful, but inside his gut churned with anxiety, wishing that someone wouldn't want to leave him out.

Buffy, Willow, and Oz made it to Prue's car, opened the car doors, and climbed in.

"While we wait on your cousin or your dad, we should find Giles. He might know what's going on," Oz suggested looking from Buffy to Willow.

Snyder ran up to the backseats of the car, frowning in dismay when saw all the places were taken. He ran as fast as he could around to the passenger side door. He pulled open the door beside Buffy and clambered into the car, slamming the door behind him. "I said wait up!" he snarled slightly out of breath.

"Uh, Snyder…?" Oz questioned.

Buffy shook her head. "No time. He's coming with us," she replied to Oz's unfinished question, before gunning the accelerator, the screech of tires could be heard as she accidentally burned rubber.

"Whoa, Halliwell! You drive like a spaz!" Snyder exclaimed as he grabbed hold of the handle on the roof of the car, his knuckles white.

Streets of San Francisco

Buffy tore down the street, as she drove, not sure as of yet if going to Giles was the best idea, but they needed to start somewhere.

"It'll be okay when we get to Giles'," Willow told the group in the car, more for herself than the others.

"Of course," Oz agreed. "I mean even if he is sixteen, he's still Giles right? He's probably a pretty together guy."

Willow frowned with worry, a nervous smile on her lips. "Yeah… well…"

"What?" Oz asked looking between the two girls again, as he wondered what he was missing.

"Giles at sixteen? Less together guy, more Bad-Magic-Hates-The-World-Ticking-Time-Bomb Guy," Buffy admitted.

Oz was silent for a moment as he absorbed the information, slightly stunned by the news. "Well, then I guess Prue's in a lotta trouble."

"Oh that trouble could go both ways," Buffy corrected. "Remember who my cousins and I are, Oz?"

"Right," Oz agreed.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Down a street lined with boutiques Prue and Giles strolled arm in arm. Prue chewed her gum as they walked, she didn't usually go for smokers, but she could put up with it if it was Giles. There was just something about him. Usually, guys like him went for Phoebe instead of her. But she found that she liked having the bad boy that everybody else envied on her arm.

"Must be exciting being from England," Prue gushed as she chewed her gum a slight pink tinge shading her cheeks when he looked across at her.

"Not particularly," Giles drawled as he kicked a can. He believed it was much more interesting here than in bloody stuffy old England. "You cold?" he asked as he blew out some smoke from his mouth a burning cigarette in the hand that wasn't touching Prue.

"Nah uh. I feel…" Prue paused, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Special, like I'm just waking up… kind of."

"Oh yeah?" Giles asked with a smirk, humoring her.

"Yeah like uh, raising my sisters, Grams dying, and now raising Buffy was just a dream. And now things are back the way they're supposed to be."

"Yeah," Giles agreed with a grimace, as he thought about joining The Watchers Council. It felt like a dream. A bloody bad one! How could he have ever wanted to be one of those poncy know-it-all stuck-up bastards was beyond him, he must have gone crazy… for the last 25 years!

They walked past a shop with a mannequin on display wearing bright clothes, and a fluffy feathered wrap draped around it. "That's cool," Prue commented, as they stopped to look at the display. "Very Juice Newton."

Giles checked his hair in the reflection of the window. "You fancy it?" he asked calmly.

"Yeah." Prue nodded. "But the shops closed," she pouted she wanted that feather wrap.

Giles took a final drag of his cigarette, taking the smoke deep into his lungs before blowing it out in a large puff of air. Tossing aside the still-burning butt, he idly picked up a trashcan looking it over, before taking a couple of quick steps, and smashing it into the shop window, breaking the glass with a crash.

Prue took a couple of quick steps back, to avoid the sharp falling pieces of glass. The alarm sounded, ringing out through the otherwise quiet street. Giles climbed in through the window, as she giggled hysterically. He took the wrap off the mannequin as she looked around to see if anyone was coming in response to the pealing alarm.

Giles jumped out of the shop the wrap in hand. "Woo hoo!" he hollered as adrenalin pulsed through him.

"Oh, Ripper! Wow, that was so brave!" Prue gushed, smiling happily when he helped her on with her wrap, his closeness sending warm tingles through her, and heat pooled in her belly.

"Hold it!" came a male voice from behind them. They look over to see a policeman with a gun aimed at them, a serious frown on his face as he fingered the trigger.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy sighed as she drove. She wished that Snyder would shut up already the man was infuriating! No wonder he hated students. No one had liked him when he was one… nobody liked him now either! She checked the light of the upcoming intersection. Seeing that it was green she didn't slow down.

"This is great! Let's do doughnuts on the football field huh?" Snyder suggested practically bouncing up and down. He either ignored or just didn't notice the annoyed glares he got. Even Oz couldn't keep a blank expression fixed on his face as the short man continued to talk.

Unnoticed by Buffy another car approached them from the left. The driver of this car was busy unwrapping a chocolate bar… too busy to notice that his light was red.

"Oh my God look out!" Willow shouted when she noticed that the car wasn't going to stop.

Everyone in the car tensed for the impact trying to brace themselves against it. The other car hit them hard in the left rear door, and back panel, making them all scream as they went skidding to the side.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Giles let go of Prue, and she backed away from him fear showing in her face as she eyed the officer, who was pointing a gun at him. He took the hat that he had taken from the display off his head and tossed it aside, his eyes fixed on the policeman. With a smirk he stepped towards the officer waving his arms around in challenge, taunting him.

"Ooh… Copper's got a gun!" Giles jumped around testing and taunting the officer's mettle. Wanting to know what kind of a man he was dealing with. "You'll never use it though man," he stated firmly his cocky smirk firmly in place. He glanced down at the officer's front jacket pocket and noticed the candy sticking out of it.

"Ripper, be careful!" Prue cried as she fought the urge to bite at her nails. Her sudden outburst distracted the officer. It was only for a moment, but that was all it took, for in the next instant Giles took that final step forward and batted the gun away from him, and held onto the officer's arm as he head-butted the officer.

Giles kneed the officer in the balls, before nailing him in the gut. He smirked in satisfaction as the officer doubled over in pain. He twisted the officer's arm up over his head making the officer lose his hold on the gun. He gave the officer one last look before kneeing him in the face, hard.

The cop fell over unconscious, from the assault. Giles stuck the gun down the back of his pants, lifting his shirt so that it covered the butt of the gun, concealing it from view. "Told him he'd never use it," he crowed, with a triumphant smile.

Prue looked at him adoringly as she leaned against the hood of the police car that the officer had pulled up in. "You are so cool." She giggled. "You're like Burt Reynolds," she exclaimed when Giles was in front of her.

In a quick, sudden movement Giles had a hand around her neck and his other wrapped around her back. Prue didn't panic though, reading the heat in his eyes, and feeling an answering call in her own body. Taking the gum from her mouth, she threw it to the ground, just before Giles' mouth claimed hers, a passionate moan escaped her as his tongue dueled with hers. He leaned over her gently lowering her back against the hood of the police car.

The fact they were doing this out in the open on the hood of a police car made it so much hotter, for the both of them.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy and her group sat dazed in their car almost disbelieving that they were all okay. They looked across at the other car when they heard his car door open. The stranger looked at the two cars for a moment, before he smiled at them, amusement plain in his eyes. "Sorry got to go!" he said before running off his laughter carrying back to them.

Buffy pushed open her door, looking after him, wanting to chase him and get his insurance details so that Prue wouldn't kill her when everything went back to normal. She turned nervous eyes to the dint in Prue's car. "Oh, Goddess," she moaned, to the others who had managed to get out of the car, their legs only a little shaky. She swung her door closed. Snyder copied her, but his door wouldn't close properly and her eyes took in the damage anew. Turning her gaze to her friends she looked them over. "Are you guys okay?" she asked. "Do either of you need…?"

Snyder nodded his eyes on the car and the dents. Willow and Oz walked around the car looking for any more damage.

"Is anyone else all creeped out and trembly?" Willow asked her voice slightly shaky.

Before anyone could answer Snyder cut in, having not paid attention to the conversation around him. "Oh, Payson." He started rubbing at his sore shoulder. "Your cousin's going to kill you," he said with a small grin.

Buffy ignored Snyder, her eyes looking past her group of friends to the other side of the street. Where five adult men were hanging out by a tree, laughing and joking like teenagers. "Something's weird," she muttered her brow furrowed as she tried to put the pieces together.

"Something's not?" Oz asked wondering what on Earth wasn't weird at this moment in time.

"No grownups," Buffy muttered to herself.

Two women strutted past the men wanting the guys to notice them. They munched on chocolate as they walked past, sneaking glances at the guys. The guys look at the girls with heated gazes making noises of approval, making the girls smile in delight.

"No one's protecting their houses. Everyone's just… wandering," Buffy finished.

Snyder cried out in protest as a man stole the candy bar he had just unwrapped, running off with it. "Hey give it!" he yelled running after the man with his candy bar.

Willow and Oz watched them, not sure if they were amused yet or still horrified.

"Defenseless," Willow muttered in agreement turning her gaze from Snyder and the candy thief to look at Buffy.

"So where are all the vampires? The demons? The warlocks?" Buffy asked a frown on her face. "Soups on, but no one's grabbing a spoon."

"Something's happening somewhere that's else," Oz stated.

Buffy nodded in agreement. "I'm guessing something pretty big."

Snyder returned at that moment upset, and pouting. "That guy took my candy!" he whined.

"The candy. I, it's got to be the candy! It's cursed." Buffy exclaimed, as her mind ran over the events that had happened since they had sold the band candy. The strange behavior of Prue and Giles, as they munched on the chocolate bars.

Willow and Oz exchanged a look of sudden understanding, Buffy's words helping them come to the same conclusion.

"A curse?! Oh… I've got a curse." Snyder said worried looking at Buffy confused.

"God using candy for evil!" Willow muttered, shaking her head slightly at the low depths evil had sunk to in her mind now.

"My parents ate a ton," Oz monotoned wondering where they were around the crazy town.

"Yeah, and it's probably my fault some of the patrons of Payson's are the way they are," Buffy said. "I sold Piper some of the candy to use in the club." She looked over at Snyder with a frown, before jumping at him, and forcing him up against the stranger's car, her eyes flashing angrily. "Who's behind it?!" she demanded.

Snyder looked at her with scared confused eyes. "I don't know. It came through the school board." He shook his head. "If you knew that crowd…"

Buffy cut him off, losing all her patience as she gripped Snyder harder, making him wince. "Where did it come from? Do you know where to get it?"

"Yeah." Snyder nodded, relieved when she eased up a bit.

Buffy turned her attention to Willow and Oz. "You guys get Xander and Cordelia. Go to the library and look it up. Keep in contact with Phoebe. She's at the manor looking through the Books."

"Candy curses?" Oz confirmed with a nod.

"Disturbing second childhood. Got it." Willow added, taking Oz's hand. "Is Phoebe?"

"Phoebe's fine. Piper said she hadn't had any of the candy," Buffy answered. She then looked pointedly at Willow. "If you need me, call for me or Dad."

"I will," Willow promised.

Buffy turned to look back at Snyder. "Ratboy and I are going to the source," she said shoving him toward Prue's car.

Snyder got into the car without complaint, too nervous as to what the angry blond would do to him if he should try to resist.

Buffy reached into the car and grabbed paper and a pen from her purse and wrote down the license plate of the car that hit them. She then got into the driver's seat, slamming the door behind her.

Rayne Industries Warehouse

Buffy and Snyder came to a screeching halt outside the factory, the impossibly large crowd in front of the factory growing larger as they walked towards it. She paused and turned back when it registered that she had just passed Prue and Giles, turning back to face them. "Prue? Giles?!"

"Go away. We're busy," Giles said without missing a beat hardly even looking at her.

Buffy gave him a disbelieving look, knowing instinctively that this wasn't the Giles that she knew. "Prue!" she demanded, taking Prue by the arm and pulling her away from Giles.

"Hey!" Prue whined, looking angrily at her cousin.

"…Where did you get that coat?" Buffy asked shocked looking at the feathered wrap that was draped around her eldest cousin. "Never mind. Listen…" She was cut off when Giles grabbed her by the arm, turning her to face him.

"Back off!" he snarled glaring at her.

Buffy fixed him with a hard stare. "Giles think about this. You want to fight me, or do you want to let me talk to Prue?"

Giles looked at her for a moment, before shrugging coolly and backing off, yanking his hand from her arm and up the side of his face, to grab the cigarette that was behind his ear. He reached into his pocket for his lighter.

Buffy looked at Prue searchingly. "Prue, look at me. Do you know who I am?"

Prue nodded. "Of course. You're Buffy. They're giving away candy. Want some candy?"

Buffy shook her head firmly. "No you don't need any more candy, neither of you do," she said looking at Giles.

"For God's sake just let her have some soddin' candy," Giles snarled wrapping an arm around Prue and moving to turn away.

Buffy grabbed Prue's arm, forcing her to look back at her. "Prue, you are under a spell."

"A spell?" Prue questioned her brow knitted in confusion.

"Like the one you and Phoebe cast to help Kate," Buffy said. "So was Piper. Someone put a spell on the candy."

Giles cut her off getting more than annoyed now. "For god's sake, leave Prue alone. She's not under a spell. Come on, Prue."

Buffy grabbed Prue's arm again, forcing her to look back at her again. "Prue, look at your car. Look at that dent the size of New Brunswick. I did that," she told her trying to get an adult reaction out of her.

"Oh, my God!" Prue cried giving Buffy hope that she had reached the adult she knew her cousin to be. "What was I thinking when I bought the geek machine?" she gasped incredulously.

Giles burst out laughing, silently agreeing with his girl about the car that Buffy claimed was hers.

Buffy shook her head with disbelief and gave up on Prue, and walked over to Giles, hoping to reach him. She snatched the cigarette out of his mouth throwing it to the ground, and stomping it out with an angry, irritated twist of her foot. "Take her home!" she demanded pointing at Prue.

"No, you listen to me! I'm your Watcher so do what I tell you." Giles pointed angrily at Prue's car. "Now sod off!"

"Fine if you won't I will. And you know I can, Giles," Buffy reminded him pointing at Prue.

Buffy turned and pushed her way through the crowd, heading towards the platform where the men were throwing free candy to the waiting masses.

Angry Giles grabbed Prue's hand and started after Buffy. "Prue…" He followed Buffy as she shoved people aside, a small sense of curiosity eating at him as well as he wondered just what Buffy was up to.

Buffy made it to the loading dock, stepping up on a crate, she slammed her fist into the knee of one of the workers, making him crumple and fall into the crowd. She rolled onto the platform and flipped to her feet, dodging the box of candy that the other worker up there had just picked up.

Buffy dodged a punch from another worker, before delivering one of her own hitting the worker in the side. She heard someone climb up behind her, looking over her shoulder she saw it was Giles and Prue. She kicked the worker in the back sending him into the wall.

Buffy grabbed the employee by his shirt and swung him around and off the dock and into another wall, the impact knocking the man out. She turned to see Prue and Giles stuffing their pockets full of candy bars. Marching over she pulled Prue up onto the platform.

"Hey!" Prue yelled wanting to get more candy bars.

Giles looked up. "Oy! You leave her alone!"

Buffy ignored him and turned to the factory door, kicking it open, just as Giles scrambled up onto the platform. Following Joyce and Buffy into the building.

In the crowd struggling to get up onto the dock Snyder saw them disappear into the building. "Hey Brit-face wait up!" he called finally scrambling up to join them.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Buffy pulled Prue into the large shipping area and let her go. "Hold it!" Giles cried as he and Snyder followed Buffy and Prue.

"It smells so chocolaty," Snyder said in awe as he looked around.

Buffy sighed. "Would somebody please shut him up!" she muttered getting annoyed with Snyder, she had thought for sure that they had lost him in the crowd! He was like a piece of gum that no matter how hard you tried you just couldn't get off the bottom of your shoe. She looked around, across the room from the conveyer belt where the boxes were sealed she spotted a man on a phone listening to someone on the other end.

"Say. This is all right," Giles said awed at the large amount of candy-filled boxes in the factory, the chocolate smell inflaming his senses and he itched to take one of the candy bars and eat it. His attention was caught though by a familiar voice not too far away, his eyes drifting to him.

"Yeah, I've been out there. Town's wide open. You guys can go anytime," the man said into the phone.

Buffy's eyes narrowed as she recognized who the voice belonged to… Ethan Rayne. She crossed her arms over her chest and walked toward him. "Ethan Rayne," she stated coldly, as she advanced closing the distance between them.

Ethan turned to where the voice had come from, his eyes widening in surprise as he saw Buffy and Giles. She came to a stop beside him. She crossed her eyes scanning the room, before coming back to land on him. The anger and hatred in his brown eyes made Ethan shiver with fear.

"Might want to make it fast," he muttered nervously into the phone before hanging up.

"Ethan," Giles growled his eyes angry, bright with the light that Ethan had used to love about his old friend.

"Ripper," Ethan replied with a small friendly nod. He wasted no time in scurrying away, his legs moving as fast as they could.

"That's the guy from the costume shop?" Prue asked as Giles simply nodded.

"Why do they always have to run!" Buffy whined as she ran, Giles and Prue beside her.

Ethan raced around the inclining end of the conveyer belt, pulling a gate behind him to slow them down.

Buffy, Prue, and Giles jumped over the low end of the gate following after him, trying to at least keep him in view.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Ethan ran through the maze of boxes, reaching the end of the aisle he turned left, fighting the urge to look behind him as he heard the pounding steps of his pursuers closing in on him. Buffy, Prue, and Giles pushed themselves to keep up, making several twists and turns before they came around a corner to find that they had lost him amongst the boxes.

Giles ran around the corner stopping before he crashed into Buffy, breathing hard. "Where…? Bloody hell!" he wheezed as he coughed, and tried to catch his breath at the same time.

"That's what smoking will do to you," Buffy stated.

"Where?" Prue questioned as she came to a stop next to her cousin.

"Prue, can you astral project?" Buffy asked as she tried to listen for any indication of where Ethan might be.

Prue nodded and closed her eyes.

"Well… where'd the bastard go?" Giles demanded as Prue closed her eyes.

There was a red flash as Astral Prue appeared before them. "Wow," she said. "It appears that whatever magic affects me, doesn't affect my astral form."

"Where is he, Prue?" Buffy asked. "Since you can astral project you can search faster than we can."

"Oh, I already found him," Prue said. "He's just around the corner," she said leading Buffy around the corner and stopping. "This one," she motioned toward a crate.

Buffy nodded and sent a hard kick into the crate. Yanking away a chunk of wood she reached in and grabbed onto the lapels of a shirt and yanked. Pulling out Ethan's head. "Oh look. A box full of farm fresh chicken," she quipped.

Ethan gave Buffy a nervous smile, that quickly faded when he saw the angry expression on her face.

"So," Buffy began as she confronted Ethan. "Ethan, what are we playing? We're pretty much in a talk or bleed situation. Your call."

"Hit him," Giles demanded, his blood boiling to see his old friend's blood.

Buffy glared behind her at Giles. She looked back at Ethan her eyes still hard.

"I'd just like to point out that this wasn't my idea," Ethan explained hoping for some slack.

"Meaning…?" Astral Prue asked.

"I'm subcontracting. It's Trick you want. I'm just helping him collect a tribute… for a demon," Ethan informed them.

"He's lying. Hit him!" Giles demanded as he paced.

"I don't think he is, and shut up!" Buffy demanded.

"You're my Slayer," Giles said excitement clear in his voice, as he pointed at Ethan. "Go knock his teeth down his thr…"

"Giles!" Buffy interrupted annoyed. "I'm also Charmed and as much as I hate to say it Giles, Ethan is human."

Giles turned away from Buffy with a huff, before taking up his pacing again.

Buffy focused her attention back on Ethan. "What demon?"

"I don't remember," Ethan said defiantly.

Buffy gave him a look before she slammed her fist into his nose, making the older man stumble back against the broken crate.

"Yes!" Giles crowed with an excited, triumphant smile, leaping p in the air.

Buffy shot Giles another glaring look and the smile slid right off his face.

"Lurconis. Demon named Lurconis. They wanted a way to get the tribute away from people," Ethan explained as he wiped at the blood that was running down his nose with the end of his sleeve.

"So your just diversion guy?" Astral Prue queried wanting to be sure.

"More than a diversion," Ethan bragged his pride not letting him acquiesce to being just a diversion. He didn't elaborate though as he saw Buffy's raised eyebrows. "Well, they said the tribute was big. So big that people would never let them take it. That people had to be out of it. And later on, when the candy wore off, they'd blame themselves."

Buffy sighed in relief at the knowledge that the effect of the candy wasn't permanent. "Hence land of the irresponsible. So where's Trick?"

"I don't know exactly."

"Hit him again!" Giles demanded.

This time Buffy didn't bother looking over at Giles, as she was in complete agreement. She raised her fist, a threatening look on her face.

Ethan held up his hands in an attempt to ward her off. "No! I don't know. Delivering the tribute," he yelped, not knowing any more than that.

Buffy stepped closer. "Which brings us to the bonus question, and believe me when I say a wrong answer will cost you all your points." Behind her, Giles leaped up in the air excitedly a huge smile on his face as he anticipated a good fight. "What's the tribute?"

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Ethan leaned against a table with Snyder crouched nearby keeping an eye on him, while Buffy was on the phone that Ethan had been using before. Prue had astral projected to the Manor so they could try and tackle this from two sides.

"Right Lurconis," Buffy repeated when Willow double-checked the pronunciation.

"Lurconis. A demon. What's his deal?" Willow asked from the other end of the phone as she poured through a book trying to find something.

"See if it says anything about a tribute."

"A tribute like what?" Willow asked with a small frown, demons, and tributes were never a good thing.

"I don't know," Buffy muttered glaring over at Ethan. "My sources are all tapped out," she snarled annoyed and angry at the holdup, that one stubborn demon was causing.

"Where is he, Prue?" Buffy asked. "Since you can astral project you can search faster than we can."

"Oh, I already found him," Prue said. "He's just around the corner," she said leading Buffy around the corner and stopping. "This one," she motioned toward a crate.

Buffy nodded and sent a hard kick into the crate. Yanking away a chunk of wood she reached in and grabbed onto the lapels of a shirt and yanked. Pulling out Ethan's head. "Oh look. A box full of farm fresh chicken," she quipped.

Ethan gave Buffy a nervous smile, that quickly faded when he saw the angry expression on her face.

"So," Buffy began as she confronted Ethan. "Ethan, what are we playing? We're pretty much in a talk or bleed situation. Your call."

"Hit him," Giles demanded, his blood boiling to see his old friend's blood.

Buffy glared behind her at Giles. She looked back at Ethan her eyes still hard.

"I'd just like to point out that this wasn't my idea," Ethan explained hoping for some slack.

"Meaning…?" Astral Prue asked.

"I'm subcontracting. It's Trick you want. I'm just helping him collect a tribute… for a demon," Ethan informed them.

"He's lying. Hit him!" Giles demanded as he paced.

"I don't think he is, and shut up!" Buffy demanded.

"You're my Slayer," Giles said excitement clear in his voice, as he pointed at Ethan. "Go knock his teeth down his thr…"

"Giles!" Buffy interrupted annoyed. "I'm also Charmed and as much as I hate to say it Giles, Ethan is human."

Giles turned away from Buffy with a huff, before taking up his pacing again.

Buffy focused her attention back on Ethan. "What demon?"

"I don't remember," Ethan said defiantly.

Buffy gave him a look before she slammed her fist into his nose, making the older man stumble back against the broken crate.

"Yes!" Giles crowed with an excited, triumphant smile, leaping p in the air.

Buffy shot Giles another glaring look and the smile slid right off his face.

"Lurconis. Demon named Lurconis. They wanted a way to get the tribute away from people," Ethan explained as he wiped at the blood that was running down his nose with the end of his sleeve.

"So your just diversion guy?" Astral Prue queried wanting to be sure.

"More than a diversion," Ethan bragged his pride not letting him acquiesce to being just a diversion. He didn't elaborate though as he saw Buffy's raised eyebrows. "Well, they said the tribute was big. So big that people would never let them take it. That people had to be out of it. And later on, when the candy wore off, they'd blame themselves."

Buffy sighed in relief at the knowledge that the effect of the candy wasn't permanent. "Hence land of the irresponsible. So where's Trick?"

"I don't know exactly."

"Hit him again!" Giles demanded.

This time Buffy didn't bother looking over at Giles, as she was in complete agreement. She raised her fist, a threatening look on her face.

Ethan held up his hands in an attempt to ward her off. "No! I don't know. Delivering the tribute," he yelped, not knowing any more than that.

Buffy stepped closer. "Which brings us to the bonus question, and believe me when I say a wrong answer will cost you all your points." Behind her, Giles leaped up in the air excitedly a huge smile on his face as he anticipated a good fight. "What's the tribute?"

Halliwell Manor

Astral Prue stood next to Phoebe as her sister flipped through the family's Book of Shadows. "Lurconis," Phoebe said. "Do we have a description or anything?"

"Well, we know that it needs a tribute of some kind," Astral Prue answered as she sighed. "You know I will be glad when the effect of the candy wears off."

"Why?" Phoebe asked glancing at her sister.

"Simply because under its effects I'm kind of like you were back in High School. You know the Freaky Phoebe phase," Prue answered.

Phoebe grimaced. "You know I hated that nickname," she groaned.

"Sorry," Astral Prue said sympathetically. "The only saving grace right now is that my astral form isn't affected."

"Weird," Phoebe admitted. "You would think it would be. Maybe the magic of the chocolate doesn't mix well with our powers."

Astral Prue shrugged. "Maybe. That said I have a thing for Rupert."

Phoebe looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?"

"He's under the influence of the chocolate also," Astral Prue explained. "And under its influence, he's pretty much flashing back to the days when he and his friends were summoning Eyghon."

"So the bad boy type," Phoebe said in complete understanding.

Rayne Industries Warehouse

Snyder couldn't help noticing Ethan's bruised face, the bit of dried blood staining his face, and he couldn't resist putting in his two cents worth. "She whooped you good huh?" He threw two sloppy punches. "Yay! Wah!" He stood up proudly. "I can do that. I took Tae Kwon Do at the Y," he informed Ethan, ignoring the looks he was getting from everyone. Going into a series of punches and kicks. Trying to impress Prue, who he didn't know wasn't conscious of his words or actions since she was projecting astrally to the Manor.

"No, definitely a demon. A big one," Buffy said as she turned away from Ethan.

Ethan seized the opportunity and grabbed a large piece of metal that had been lying on the warehouse floor. He moved past Giles and Snyder and raised it over his head, ready to clock Buffy.

Pulling out the gun he had stolen from the officer, Giles pulled back the hammer and pointed the weapon at the back of Ethan's neck. "I wouldn't," he growled.

Ethan stopped cold in his tracks.

Buffy turned her attention being caught by the commotion. She swung the receiver she had been listening to hard into Ethan's chin, sending him down to the ground.

Giles pointed the gun at the back of Ethan's head prepared to fire.

"Willow, hold on," Buffy said as she turned toward Giles. "Giles give me the gun," she said firmly holding out her hand for the weapon. Giles looked at Buffy the gun still aimed at Ethan, not wanting to give in.

Buffy stared back. "Giles…" she said as you would to a naughty child, her expression firm and unforgiving. Giles kept the gun where it was, as Astral Prue appeared in a red flash. "Now," she said sternly holding the phone out to Astral Prue who took it.

After another moment of silence and uncertainty, Giles reluctantly handed over the weapon. She stuffed it into the back of her pants like she had seen people on TV do, not sure where else to put it on her person. She glanced at Prue. "Reminded me to give that to Darryl later."

"I will," Astral Prue said. "And I have some information," she told her cousin. She then lifted the phone to her ear. "Hey, Willow. Phoebe found some information. We got it."

"Are you?" Willow asked confused about how adult Prue sounded.

"I'm currently talking to you with my astral form," Astral Prue answered. "The magic of the candy must not mix well with our powers. Anyways stay by the phone just in case we need you further."

"Will do, Prue."

Astral Prue hung up the phone before turning back to Buffy. "The tribute to Lurconis is made every thirty years. It's a ritual feeding and its preferred meal is babies."

Buffy didn't need to hear anymore and grabbed Prue by the hand. "Astral back, Prue."

In a red flash, Astral Prue was gone and Prue was blinking her eyes signaling she was back in her body.

"What about that man?" Prue asked with a nod in Ethan's direction.

Buffy turned to see Giles holding the crowbar over Ethan, ready to knock him down again if it looked like he was going to regain consciousness. "Uh, see if you guys can find something to tie him up with," she decided, with a small nod, liking the idea.

"Um…" Prue said as she reached behind her, pulling out a set of handcuffs from her back pocket, dangling them from her thumb giving her cousin a mischievous look.

Buffy took Prue's face between her hands, her face utterly serious. "Someone has been naughty!" She chuckled. "And here I thought Phoebe was the bad one." She then let go of Prue and snatched the cuffs. She stalked over to Ethan, unaware that Prue was following her with her gaze, a warm smile on her face.

Bay Area Hospital

Buffy stood over one of the empty cribs an identification band dangling from her fingers. In the room just outside the one they were in Giles questioned the nurse.

"I didn't see anything. I don't know where they are," the nurse said with a shrug not sounding overly worried.

Prue looked down at the empty cribs sadly. "Something's going to eat those babies," she said as Giles walked back into the room.

"She says she never saw who took them. Lazy cow," Giles muttered.

"I know who took them," Buffy stated.

"Well, then let's do something. Let's find the demon and, and… kick the crap out of it," Giles snarled.

"Is that what happens now?" Snyder asked slightly confused.

Buffy looked at him in annoyance. "Yeah. If we knew where they were," she grumbled as she paced in between two empty cots trying to think of something.

"Hold on," Prue said.

Halliwell Manor

"Phoebe?" Astral Prue said as she appeared in a red flash in the attic.

"Prue?" Phoebe called as she came running into the room from the stairs.

"Did you remember if the page on Lurconis had a location?" Prue asked.

Phoebe nodded as she moved back to the family's Book and flipped back the page on Lurconis. "Lurconis dwells beneath."

"What?" Astral Prue asked in confusion.

"That's all it says," Phoebe informed her. "Maybe check the sewers, it might be beneath the city somewhere."

"There are a lot of sewers, Pheebs," Astral Prue reminded her sister.

"I'll try scrying for it," Phoebe said.

Astral Prue nodded. "Buffy has her cell once you have a location call us. I dread going back, I'll be glad when that spell wears off. How's Piper?"

Phoebe sighed. "Buffy was right to have her close the club. Piper would have lost money tonight."

"From what Buffy said she was acting like a teenager also," Astral Prue stated. "Well, I better get back." She disappeared in a red flash.

Bay Area Hospital

Buffy smiled when Prue looked up at her signaling she was back. "Well?" she asked.

"Sewers, Pheebs said sewers," Prue answered.

"Okay. Sewers it is," Buffy said.

"Uh, good," Snyder said backing away slightly. "You go do that thing with the demon, and I'll stay here in case the babies you know uh… find their way back," he said lamely. He'd put up with a lot tonight, but going through poop was too much for him.

Prue looked down at the ground sadly. "The babies must be so scared."

Giles glared at Snyder for his cowardice. "You filthy little ponce!" he snarled walking towards him. "Are you afraid of a little demon?" he challenged his eyes flashing furiously.

"If you want to go splash in poo," Snyder shoved Giles violently. "Then you're the filthy one!"

Buffy stepped in between her Watcher and Principal, she could feel a headache beginning in her temples from the stress of having to keep up with the adults around her. "Ok, you know what? Everybody just stop it!" She looked at Snyder. "Ok listen to me." She turned to Giles. "I need help ok? Giles, I need grownups."

Snyder and Giles glared at each other trying to stare the other down while they couldn't get to each other to beat the hell out of the other guy.

"These children are going to die if we don't act now okay, and think clearly," Buffy said as Giles cocked his head to the side, her words getting his attention. "There is no room mistakes… besides which… you guys are wigging me out."

Snyder caved and looked away from Giles' hard glare, telling himself it was because he didn't want the babies to die, and not because the other guy scared him.

Giles gave Snyder one last withering look, before stepping back over to Prue. "Sorry," he muttered.

"We'll behave," Prue promised looking up adoringly at Giles.

Giles folded his arms around her, and Prue returned the gesture resting her head on his chest with a happy sigh.

"I will so be glad when the effect of the chocolate wears off," Buffy muttered before turning to Snyder. "Snyder, go home," she demanded wanting him away from her… and the battle to come.

"I can do that," Snyder nodded gratefully, before turning and hurrying out the door before someone thought to call him back.

Buffy turned to face Giles and Prue. "We're going to the sewers," she said, she cringed in horror and embarrassment when she saw them kissing. "And don't do that!" she cried, turning away from the sight, wishing that she hadn't seen it. It wasn't that she hated seeing Prue kissing anyone. She, of course, had heard many details when it came to her cousins' sex lives over the last year and a half. What got to her was seeing Prue kissing Giles. "One flame express coming up. We'll come back for your car later, Prue."

Prue and Giles broke off from their kiss reluctantly and then took hold of Buffy's hands after a slight pause before the three of them disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.

Sewers

In a large rounded chamber lit by metal torches hanging from brackets high above the ground. Mayor Richard Wilkens stood from his position at the back of the chamber from where he would observe the ritual from a safe distance. Pulling out his cell phone he dialed his secretary.

Trick stood nearby keeping sharp eyes on the four vampires that stole the babies, the tribute would be no good if the babies were dead. The vampires chanted in Latin their red robes flickering in a slight wind from a manhole above them. They stood on a concrete rim over a small pool. One of them stepped down with a shallow bowl filled with water taken from the pool and began to anoint each of the stolen babies with the cool water. All but one baby was quiet as the others were too afraid to voice their fear.

"Come on big guy. They're not getting any fresher," Trick muttered as he looked at a large pipe expectantly waiting for Lurconis to show himself.

Mayor Wilkens waited for his secretary to pick up the phone, hardly even letting her get out a greeting when she did. "Carol. Hi. Yeah." He looked around the sewer with distaste. "Call Dave on the public works committee tomorrow about sewer maintenance and repair. I have some concerns regarding exposed gas pipes, infrastructure, ventilation… and uh, cancel my three o'clock."

The vampire with the water finally finished anointing the final two babies as the Latin chant stopped.

Buffy appeared with Prue and Giles in a swirl of fiery flames. They had checked two locations before Phoebe had called with a location for the demon.

The Mayor turned his head to face them, slightly surprised at their sudden appearance.

"Hi," Buffy said cheerily.

Buffy moved in quickly not wanting to waste any more time before finishing this.

The robed vampires quickly moved to attack the intruders. The Mayor not wanting to chance being seen left hastily not looking back.

Buffy ducked as a vampire swung at her, his momentum sending him careening past her. She sent a roundhouse kick at the second vamp to try and attack her, her foot landing solidly, before turning to face the first one shoving him away from her and into the ladder. Turning back to the second one she kicked him again this time in the side.

"Prue, babies!" Buffy called toward her cousin.

Prue grabbed the babies, wheeling the table they were on out of harm's way.

The third vampire who had been waiting for a chance to attack did so now when he saw an opening. Jumping through the air he tried to kick Buffy, but she easily dodge the air attack.

The second vampire lunged at Giles, who kneed him in the balls and then followed up with a headbutt.

Buffy swung round quickly to the first vamp she had been fighting and punched him in the face, sending him staggering back into whom she believed was Trick.

A fireball formed in her hand.

Prue finally got the babies to a safe distance.

Giles clumsily kicked the vamp in the chin when Trick sent him stumbling back toward him after shoving him off of his person, which sent him straight back into Trick.

The third vamp attacked Buffy again, but before he could fully swing a punch, Buffy flung her fireball and he burst into flames before disintegrating to ashes. She then flung another fireball at Giles' vampire and he too burst into flames before disintegrating to ashes.

The last vampire rushed at Buffy, but she kicked him hard in the chest sending him flying back onto the rim of the pool, the momentum making him roll over it and into the pool. Suddenly there was a loud rumbling. The sound scared the vampire who was in the pool, as he stumbled to his feet, trying to wade through the water to the rim of the pool.

"What the hell's that?" Giles asked as the rumbling got louder.

"Something tells me, Lurconis," Buffy answered.

The vampire reached the pedestal in the middle of the pool, clambering on top of it, just as the huge demon snake shot into view of those in the chamber, seeing the vampire on the pedestal it engulfed him in a large swallow before retreating up the tunnel.

"Lurconis," Buffy muttered, shuddering at the image of the vampire being swallowed whole.

"Ordinarily I like other people to do my fighting for me, but I've just got to see what you've got," Trick taunted drawing everyone's attention from the tunnel Lurconis had just appeared, and disappeared from.

Buffy smirked with a shrug. "Just tell me when it hurts," she started to advance on Trick when Giles rushed past her pushing her back. "Giles! No!" she cried shocked at her Watchers actions.

Giles ignored her too revved up for battle to listen to anyone, but the dark call in him to kill. He threw a solid punch at Trick's face, but the vampire wasn't fazed by the blow.

Trick grabbed fists full of Giles' shirt and threw him effortlessly into the pool. He didn't stay to gloat his self-preservation instincts telling him to get out of the way.

"Giles! Get out of there!" Buffy cried.

Giles began to climb out of the water when the rumbling started again, quicker this time.

Buffy held up her hands above her head as she began to form the largest fireball she had ever created.

Giles pulled himself out of the water and rolled over the rim of the pool and onto the floor.

When Lurconis made his second appearance a moment later Buffy threw the fireball at him. The snake demon shrieked in pain as the fireball hit it and it burst into flames. The demon retreated into the depths of the tunnel still shrieking in agonized pain.

Above Trick watched from the manhole he had finally made it to, a dark smile lighting his face. "You and me girl," he said as Buffy spun round to face him with a fireball in her hand. "There are hard times ahead." He disappeared from view after saying his peace.

Buffy exhaled and shook her head. "They never just leave. Always got to say something," she muttered.

Prue stepped out of the shadows and over to Buffy. "Can we go home now?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah, let's go home," Buffy agreed. "I've got the SATs tomorrow."

"Oh, blow them off," Prue insisted. "I'll write you a note."

Buffy looked at Prue tempted by the suggestion. "No. That's okay."

November 16, 1998 – Monday

Gateway High School

Out front of the school, Buffy walked with Giles toward the street. "It was just so much to deal with. It was like nothing made sense anymore. The things I thought I understood were gone. I just felt… so alone," Buffy bemoaned.

"Was that the math or the verbal?" Giles asked looking across at Buffy.

"Mostly the math," Buffy sighed, mostly just glad that the SATs were over and in the past.

"Well if you scored low then you can take them again."

Buffy gave Giles a look of horror. "More SATs?" She sighed. "Is there any point? I could die before I even apply for college," she said. She looked toward the curb when she heard the screech of the brakes of Prue's car pulling up at the side of the road, and she took the steps down to the sidewalk.

"If there is one thing that your being Charmed has taught me. You very possibly might not," Giles said firmly not wanting Buffy to start thinking like that.

"Well, let's just keep hope alive shall we," Buffy sighed, giving Giles a weak reassuring smile.

Prue stepped out of her car and closed the door behind her stepping over to the curb to wait for Buffy.

"Hello," Giles said with an awkward smile fighting the urge to look away from Prue.

"Hi," Prue replied shyly.

Giles glanced at the dent in her car and pounced on a topic. "I say your car seems to have had an adventure, doesn't it?"

They all look at the severely dented rear door and back panel. "Uh, Buffy assures me that it happened while in the pursuit of her Slayer duties. She even got me the guy's license plate number and insists that she wasn't at fault that he ran a red light," Prue replied still feeling rather awkward but glad for a stress-less topic to talk focus on.

Buffy nodded. "Besides I offered to pay for it out of my allowance. Just in case the insurance wants to make a big deal out of it."

"True," Prue agreed. "You were careful though, at least that's what you said. And the only accident was another person's fault. I've been thinking Buffy maybe it's time for you to retake the written test. Get your learner's permit and then teach you to drive."

"Really?" Buffy said excitedly.

Prue smiled. "Really."

---

Author's Note: Piper dancing on the bar is taken from the episode Coyote Piper.