Chapter 90: The Initiative
Giles is holding a sketch pad, finishes a charcoal drawing as Xander pores over thick supernatural text books. "There, based on Buffy and Piper's descriptions, I believe the men we're after look something like... this." He turns the pad over, showing Xander the sketch. It's a commando. Ski mask, camouflage pants, rifle by his side.
"The latest in fall fascism, I like it. A little full in the hips for my taste, but..." Xander says.
"I think we can safely assume they're human. So, no need to research." Giles says.
"No studying... damn!" Xander says as he slams the big book shut. "Next you'll tell me I have to eat jelly doughnuts or sleep with a supermodel to get things done around here. I ask you - how much can one man give?"
"Not very much, I'm afraid. It seems, once Again, you and I won't be needed to help Buffy." Giles says.
"Really?" Xander asks, disappointed.
"Really." Giles says
They both sigh.
"Well, then how about this: we whip out the Ouija board, light a few candles, summon some ancient unstoppable evil – Mayhem Mayhem Mayhem - we show up, kick its ass." Xander says
"That might be unethical." Giles says
Buffy flames in and sees Giles' sketch. "Hey guys. Ooh, look. It's my late night stormtrooper pal."
"It's just for reference. But you'd say it's fairly accurate?" Giles asks.
Buffy nods, "That's your man."
"Your man, actually. You are patrolling tonight?" Giles says.
Buffy shakes her head, "Nope. I am going to a party tonight. Hopefully, a "no fighting, no biting" kind of deal."
"Someone's got to find out what those people are –" Giles says.
"Giles, the girls in Willow's dorm are throwing a party, I'm taking Willow, try to cheer her up." Buffy says.
"How's Will doing with the ...?" Xander asks.
"... The black hole of despair she's lived in since Oz left?" Buffy asks, shrugging. "She's dealing, I'm helping. It's hard. Ergo, party."
"Buffy, I appreciate your loyalty to a friend, but this..." Giles says.
"Look. No horns, no claws, no slime. The bad guy's just a guy, so you two can take patrol. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to pick out something slutty for tonight." Buffy says and she flames out.
Later Buffy is in Professor Walsh's class, lost in a sea of confusion, staring at her own two hands. Which are covered in ink. "Stupid pen..." She rips a sheet out of her spiral notebook, wipes her hands on it. Then realizes, "Oh, my notes!"
"Ballpoints are tricky." Willow says.
A bell signals the end of class. Buffy and Willow collect their books and head out with the other students. Willow stops at Riley's lecture desk.
"Hey. Riley. Hi. Um, I noticed you left a name off the role call today. Osbourne. Daniel Osbourne? Oz." Willow says.
"He's not in this class anymore. I heard he dropped out." Riley says.
"Oh, you heard way wrong then. He's not gone. He just left temporarily - to work out a few things." Willow says. "That sounds lame in its vagueness I know, but I assure you, Oz will be back."
"Not to my class he won't." Professor Walsh says. Willow starts to speak. But she silences her with one raised finger. "An educated guess: You know the rules. You know I hate exceptions. And yet you feel your exception is exceptional."
"Oh, but..." Willow says.
"It is. To you. But, since I'm neither a freshman or a narcissist, I have the whole class to consider. If your friend can't respect my schedule, I think it's best he not come back." Professor Walsh says.
Willow starts to protest. Then, choking on emotion, she leaves. Buffy watches. Then calmly she approaches Maggie.
"You know, for someone who teaches human behavior? You might try showing some." Buffy says.
Professor Walsh can't quite believe that one. "It's not my job to coddle my students."
"That's right. A human being in pain has nothing to do with your job." Buffy says.
Later in Willow's dorm, Riley walks down the hall, passing a group of giggling girls, past blasting hip-hop, to Willow's door. Slow, sad music comes from inside. Riley hesitates, then knocks.
"Come in." Willow says.
Riley opens the door and steps inside the room.
Willow's just sitting on the bed, listening to the sad music. She sees him but doesn't move much. "Oh. Riley. Hi."
"Hi. Gee, I hope I'm not interrupting anything really depressing." Riley says.
Willow shuts off the music. "What's up?"
"Right to the point. Okay. I was thinking of asking out Payson." Riley says.
"She's not here." Willow says. "She's probably at the Manor."
"I know. See, I don't know much about Payson. But I'm interested in what she likes, and so far, the only thing that I know she likes is you." Riley says.
"But what do you want me to do?" Willow asks.
"Just tell me something. Anything, some kind of clue to… Something to start us talking. I'm thinking "How 'bout them Broncos" won't cut it." Riley says.
Willow sighs, "Okay. Let's say I help. And you start a conversation. It goes great. You like Buffy. She likes you. You spend time together. Feelings grow deeper, and one day without even realizing it, you find you're in love. Time stops and it feels like the whole world's made for you two and you two alone until the day one of you leaves the other and rips the still-beating heart from the other who's now a broken, hollow mockery of the human condition."
"Yep. That's the plan." Riley says.
"I figured it was." Willow says.
"Look, if you wanna tell me to go to hell that's okay... Maybe this is the last thing you wanna talk about. I just feel like - well I've never courted anyone like Payson before. I don't think I've ever met anyone like Payson before." Riley says.
"Why should I trust you?" Willow asks.
"I was just hoping you'd think I have an honest face." Riley says, smiling.
Willow shakes her head, "I've seen honest faces. They usually come attached to liars."
Riley rises, defeated. "All right, I guess I'm not gonna win here. I appreciate you wanting to protect your friend. I guess she kind of brings that out in people. Whatever's causing that music, I uh, hope it works out." He is about to open the door.
"She likes cheese." Willow says.
"What?" Riley asks.
"I'm not saying it's the key to her heart, but Buffy? She likes cheese." Willow says.
"That's a start." Riley says.
"And she has a stuffed piggy named Mr. Gordo, loves Ice Capades without the irony and she's dragging me to a party at Lowell House tonight." Willow says.
"Oh you're going! That's my house. I live there." Riley says.
"Then that will give you a chance to interact. But don't get fresh!" Willow says.
Riley shakes his head, "Fresh? I don't even know if we like each other yet. Does she ever talk about me? Has she ever ?"
"Sorry." Willow says with a polite smile.
"That's discouraging. Still, I feel like I've got a fighting chance with my new accomplice." Riley says.
"I'm not your accomplice." Willow says.
Riley nods, "No, no, course not."
"I'm not." Willow says.
"You're not." Riley says.
"We're clear?" Willow asks.
"We're clear." Riley says. "Can I ask you something?" Willow sighs and nods. "Why do you call her Buffy?"
"Once upon a time it was her name. Her mom passed away three years ago. So she changed her name in honor of her mom. Her dad wanted to name her Buffy Anne. Her mom wanted to continue her family's tradition and wanted to name her Payson Patricia. Her dad won out, so she was named Buffy Anne Summers. When her mom died she found out what her mom wanted to name her and changed her name to that… Payson Patricia Halliwell." Willow says.
Riley nods, "That's nice."
That evening at the party at Lowell House. U.C. San Francisco students dance, talk, eat, drink, flirt as Buffy and Willow enter.
Buffy looks to Will to make sure she's into it. Will smiles faintly. "Looks cool."
Willow nods, "Uh huh."
"'Cause we could go..." Buffy says.
"No, no. we're here for fun." Willow says. She's not hugely convincing, but she pulls Buffy a ways in.
Buffy spots some kids off to one side. "Hey!" She waves. "Your whole dorm is here, of course. You wanna...?" She indicates going there.
"You go, I need a soda." Willow says.
"You want me to –" Buffy says.
"I'm okay. Really." Willow says.
Buffy checks Willow's eyes to see she's telling the truth. Satisfied, Buffy goes. And the second Buffy's gone, Willow's eyes narrow, she's on a mission. She scoots over to Riley, talks to him while looking elsewhere. Pure accomplice.
"Okay. She's wearing the halter top with sensible shoes. That means mostly dancing, light contact, don't push your luck and heavy conversation's out of the question." Willow says.
"So, what do I do?" Riley asks.
"You ask her to dance." Willow says.
"Right. Dance. Wait. No." Riley says.
Willow sighs and looks at Riley, "What's wrong?"
"I can't dance." Riley says.
Buffy, now surrounded by a small group of cute boys, laughs out loud at something one of them's said.
"Then talk. Keep eye contact, funny is good, but don't be glib and remember: if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel." Willow says. Riley stops looks at Willow likes she's nuts. She smiles. "A vague disclaimer's nobody's friend. Have fun!"
Riley readies himself. Gets his confidence. Approaches Buffy, passing through the group of guys. "'Scuse me. Pardon. Hi. Payson?" The music stops. Buffy looks to Riley. "Uh... You do the reading on chapter nine?"
"Yeah." Buffy says, confused.
"Wow. Some theories, huh?" Riley says. Awkward pause; everyone's looking at Riley like he's king of the doofus people. He thinks fast - reaches to a nearby snack table, hands Buffy a little cheese cube on a toothpick. "Cheese?"
Later Willow and Riley stand together in a corner, watching Buffy dance with a cute guy.
Riley's got the glazed-over thousand-yard stare of a shell-shocked veteran. "I can't believe it. I choked."
"You really, really did." Willow says.
"You don't understand. I'm good at things. That's what I do. Work hard, apply myself, get it done." Riley says.
Willow shakes her head, "You failed extremely well."
"That's a great comfort to me." Riley says.
Willow smiles sadly, "You have to relax. You're not proposing – I sincerely hope - you're just making contact. Getting a reaction. Any reaction is okay, except projectile vomiting and what are the chances of –"
A Dingoes song comes on. Willow stops, gut punched.
"Are you okay?" Riley asks.
"The song..." Willow says.
"It's a tape of some bands from last year's party. Associations?" Riley says.
"Big." Willow says, her voice small.
"Bad?" Riley asks. Willow just nods. He turns to the his friend by the sound system – "A.J.!" He mimes a throat cut. A.J. shrugs and changes the music.
"Thank you. Now go find Buffy." Willow says.
"There's no hurry... If you want to talk..." Riley says, kindly.
Willow stands. "I want you to tell Buffy that I went home and not to worry about me. Which will at least give you something to say."
"Thanks." Riley says.
"You'll do fine." Willow says and she leaves.
A moment, and Riley moves to a place where Buffy is in view. He gets himself together. He approaches Buffy. Taps her on the shoulder. She turns to face him, "Hey, Willow said to say she took off. She's okay. Kind of blue, but said not to worry."
"Thanks." Buffy says.
"You know, I wanted to ask you something." Riley says.
"Ask away." Buffy says.
Riley smiles, starts to speak. Then suddenly Xander enters, breathless, puts his hand on Buffy's shoulder pulls her away.
"Buffy! I've been looking all over for you. We..." Xander says as he spots Riley staring. "Need to talk. Not here. It's sort of, uh, unfinished business."
"Business. Right," Buffy says. "Excuse us?"
"No problem." Riley says and she leaves with Xander.
Later at Giles' apartment Piper, Buffy, Giles and Xander sit around Giles' table.
Buffy's got her game face on, just got the news that Spike's back in town. "Doesn't Spike get that this is my town?"
"He's resilient..." Giles says.
"And it's my night off!" Buffy says.
Piper shakes her head, "You know we don't get nights off, Buffy. All part of being a Charmed One."
"I'm sure he'd pick another night if he knew you were busy with the Teutonic boy toy." Xander says.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy asks.
"Nothing." Xander says.
"Riley's a doof. He's not Teutonic." Buffy says.
"We have to assume you're Spike's main target, Buffy." Giles says.
"That's my thinking also," Piper says.
"Fine. He's worn out his welcome. Tonight, I kill him." Buffy says.
"You have a plan?" Giles asks.
"I am the plan. If Spike wants me? I go alone, lead him away from the popular spots, and give him what he wants." Buffy says as she starts out.
"Wait. Take this." Xander says and he hands her a flare gun.
"A flare gun? Xander, if I see Spike I'm staking him, not signaling ships at sea." Buffy says.
"You get into trouble..." Xander says.
Buffy looks at Xander a moment and then nods. Using the flare gun to signal for help would be better than possible exposure doing the same. "I'll flare."
"And we'll come a-runnin'." Xander says.
Piper nods, "And just in case I'll have Leo listening for your call."
Buffy puts the flare gun in her big, oversized coat. Heads out, the door closes. Xander turns to Giles and Piper.
"Think Spike'll find her?" Xander asks.
"I'm sure of it." Giles says, concerned.
"So am I." Piper says. "Which means I'll go back to the Manor. If he goes after her he may head that way."
In the Administration Office Spike is looking at a list of names. He finds the one he's looking for: HALLIWELL, PAYSON – STEVENSON HALL RM 214.
Spike leans back in his chair and grins. "Hello, gorgeous." He grabs his coat and whips out of the room.
Somewhere on campus Buffy sits alone on a park bench waiting, pretending to read a book. She hears a twig snap. Leaps to her feet, whirls, pulls a stake - and sees Riley. She hides the stake fast. "Riley! What are you doing here?"
"Didn't get a chance to say goodbye at the party, you left so fast. You know, with your friend who's a boy." Riley says.
"Who, Xander? Oh, he's not ... anyone I want to talk about. You know, I don't want you taking this the wrong way, but I need a little alone time now. Alone." Buffy says.
They slowly circle around each other. Buffy keeps an eye out behind the other for Spike attack.
"Why?" Riley asks.
"I need space." Buffy says.
Riley shakes his head, "We're outdoors."
"I mean emotionally." Buffy says.
"You know there's plenty of space back at your house. Why don't I take you?" Riley says as he places a hand on Buffy's shoulder, leading her away. "You wouldn't believe the weirdos out at this hour."
"Whoa! It's a free campus. Who died and made you John Wayne?" Buffy says.
Riley sighs, "I'm trying to help you."
Buffy nods, "You think I need help? Believe me, I don't. And if you were a real gentleman you would go. Far, far away by now. Well? Go on. Shoo!"
Riley frowns, "Are you drunk?"
"Yes. Report me." Buffy says.
"I'm taking you home." Riley says as he starts escorting her away.
Buffy spins around and starts escorting him away. "Maybe I'm taking you home, ever thought of that? What is it, you think boys can take care of themselves and girls need help?"
Riley nods, "Yeah."
"Oh, that is so Teutonic." Buffy says.
"Look, Buffy, as long as you're out here, I'm staying." Riley says.
"And as long as you're out here, I'm staying." Buffy says.
An ear-piercing shriek comes from far off. They both freeze.
"Gotta go." Riley says.
"See ya." Buffy says.
Riley and Buffy both split in different directions instantly.
In Willow's dorm room, she's listening to her sad music on the stereo. There is a knock on the door. "Come in." The door opens. Spike enters. Inspects the room, nods in approval, walking to Willow ... "Spike. Wh-what do you want? A spell? I can do that ..."
Willow bolts for the door.
Spike easily catches her by the throat, throws her back. Willow lands hard on the floor. "I'll give you a choice: Now, I'm going to kill you. No choice in that. But..."
Willow backs up against the far wall, cowering. Spike keeps coming, slowly, all the time in the world.
"I could let you stay dead .." Spike says as he slides down the wall, brings his face close to hers. Speaks in a soothing tone. Like a lover. "Or bring you back. To be like me." He morphs into vampface. Fangs near her throat.
"I'll scream." Willow says.
"Bonus." Spike says.
Willow screams but can't be heard - Spike easily reaches over to the volume knob of her CD player, turning it up full. Willow breaks away. Spike grabs her. None of this is pretty or well-choreographed. It's ugly and awkward and violent. Spike falls on Willow hard, knees first. She bats at him. He grabs her wrists. Smiling at his own power. Holds her down. Opens his mouth, rears his head back, showing fangs, and flashes down. Sinks his teeth right into her neck. Willow struggles.
The CD keeps playing, drowning out the sounds of struggle as we pull back, out into the dorm. No one's coming to save Willow. Students study and talk and head out...
Moment later it looks like a crime scene. Book are splayed out on the floor the bed is overturned. The sounds of whimpering, like a last dying cry.
Spike is on the edge of the bed, staring ahead with a glassy look in his eye. Sniffling. Pathetic. Willow, wigged but alive, looks on. Holding her own neck. "I don't understand. This sort of thing has never happened to me before."
"Maybe you were nervous." Willow says.
"I felt all right when we started. Let's try again." Spike says as he suddenly lunges at Willow, mouth open. "Ahh!" He's stopped short, grabs his skull in pain. Lunges again. "Ahh!" Stopped again. Crippled. He staggers back, sits. "Damn it!" He kicks a waste basket across the room in frustration.
"You're probably just trying too hard. Doesn't this happen to every vampire?" Willow says.
"Not to me, it doesn't!" Spike says.
"It's me, isn't it?" Willow asks.
"What are you talking about?" Spike asks.
"You came looking for Buffy, then settled. You didn't want to bite me, I just happened to be around." Willow says. "By the way Buffy don't live here anymore. She crashes on occasion but she lives in the Manor."
"Don't be ridiculous. Why, I'd bite you in a heartbeat." Spike says. "She doesn't live here? Stupid University records have her listed as living the dorm."
"Really?" Willow asks. "You'd bite me?"
Spike nods, "Thought about it."
"When?" Willow asks.
"Remember last year? You had on that fuzzy pink number with the lilac underneath..." Spike says.
Willow nods knowingly. "I never would have guessed. You play the blood-lust kind of cool."
"I hate being obvious. All fang-y and *grrr.*" Spike says, and he shrugs. "Takes all the mystery out."
"But if you could, you'd ..." Willow says.
Spike nods, "If I could, yeah."
Awkward silence. They both sit in sadness a moment.
"You know, this doesn't make you any less terrifying." Willow says.
Spike scoffs, "Don't patronize me. I'm only a hundred and twenty-six."
"You're being too hard on yourself. Why don't we both just wait half an hour and try again?" Willow says before she realizes. "Or ..." She bashes Spike in the head with the table lamp, knocking him off the bed. She nimbly runs for the door. Spike rises, vampface back on. Willow grabs the door handle. And the door automatically locks itself and the lights go out.
WHOMP! Something smashes into the door moments later, splintering wood off the hinges.. The three beams of light converge, illuminating the room.
Willow gets shoved out right into the guys, scattering them.
"Hold your fire!" One of the men says, obviously a commando.
Spike comes leaping out after Willow, full vamp-face, attacking. He lands on Graham, grapples with him.
"It's on me!" Commando #2 says.
Spike tries sinking his teeth in Commando #2. Again, the searing pain stops him. Spike rears back his head and howls.
Commando #1 jams a thick canvas hood over Spike's head. Pulls a leather strap shut, tight around the neck. Pulls Spike back, off Commando #2. Commando #3 gets in there instantly, trying to cuff Spike's hands behind his back. Spike pulls free. Makes a two step run for it before running into the brick wall that is Commando #2. Commando #2 punches Spike so hard that it doubles him over and sends him reeling to the ground.
"Bag and tag it - we're gone." Commando #1 says.
Commando #2 reaches down with one hand and lifts the limp Spike back up into frame. Starts marching him down the hall.
Commando #3 stops. Doubles back. Pulls Willow by the arm. "Sir!" Commando #1 turns. Sees Willow. And behind his mask, he recoils. "Civilian. Could have turned."
"Leave her." Commando #1 says.
"We can't neglect quarantine, sir!" Commando #3 says.
As they argue, Spike breaks free of his cuffs. Rips off the canvas hood. Clips Commando #2 right behind the knees and the big man goes down, hitting the floor with a thundering crash. Spike makes a run for it. Commando #1 nails him.
Commando #1 slams Spike up against the wall, pins him there. But with his one free hand, Spike smashes open the glass on the fire extinguisher. Grabs it. Commando #3 fires his taser at Spike. Misses. Hits the metal canister instead. It explodes a heavy foam mist, filling the a ten-foot-square section of the dorm hallway. A cloud.
Willow turns, stumbling, away from the mist. Choking and coughing, eyes, watering, she feels her way along the wall heading for her room.
Commando #2 running into the mist, yells. "Stop her!"
"She's contained." Commando #3 says as he raises his gun butt, meaning to smash Willow in the head.
"Contain this." Buffy says.
Commando #3 whirls. Through the green visor of his night vision goggles, he sees a racked-focus shot of the business end of a flare gun - pointing right in his face. PAF! The gun fires and the whole screen flares out super-bright. Blinding.
The flare itself bounces crazily around the hallway, bouncing off of ceiling and walls. The commandos all give a pained yell as they grab for their visors.
"Yaahhh! I'm blind!" Commando #3 says.
"What the hell is that?" Commando #2 says.
Buffy doesn't hesitate. She round-house kicks Commando #3 in the head, sending him staggering into the wall. Buffy grabs Willow and shoves her into the dorm room, out of range. "Go." She slams the door shut. Turns back to see ...
THWOCK! Commando #2 comes flying out of the extinguisher mist, landing heavily on his back. Spike emerges from the cloud, his vampface a mask of pain.
Buffy pulls out a stake, ready to hurl it straight into his chest. When a black-clad arm pulls her back, out of sight.
Spike looks around at the chaos around him. Cloud to left. Slayer fighting commando to the right. "Too weird."
Spike makes a run for it down the hall ...
Buffy breaks free of the arm-grip holding her. Turns. Faces Commando #1. He's masked. And blind - one hand still cast over his eyes. Neither one knows who they're fighting. Buffy clocks him with a left hook. Then hits him with an overhand right. Then goes back for another left.
Commando #1 catches the wrist. He twists. Buffy flips over and down, hard, to the floor. She returns the favor, flipping him over herself, back down the hall. They continue to fight, neither of them able to see very well...
Spike makes it to the end of the hall and - CRASH! - goes cannonballing out the window, sending glass and wood shattering.
Buffy gives Commando #1 a solid blow. He lands on his back. The mist is dissipating now, filling the entire hall with a thick layer of fog.
Commando #2 and #3 are by the window, looking out at where Spike ran.
"Hostile's escaped, sir!" Commando #3 says.
"Orders?" Commando #2 asks.
"Abort!" Commando #1 says and he scrambles back and joins his men. They exit the hall. Buffy watches, when with an electronic hum, the lights come back on. With multiple, repeating "Click!"s, all the dorm doors unlock. Slowly, one by one, students poke their heads out dorm rooms. Buffy looks around at the war zone of a dormitory.
Willow steps out. Holding her neck. In shock. Without a word Buffy checks to see she's all right. She is. Buffy leads Willow back inside. Closes the battered door.
The next day in the campus quad Buffy walks, by herself as Riley catches up to her.
"Hey." Riley says.
"Hi." Buffy says.
"Listen, sorry about last night." Riley says.
Buffy shakes her head, "No, I was rude –"
"No –" Riley says.
"Just felt like being alone. Sometimes, at night, it's nice to be out by yourself." Buffy says.
Riley nods, "I hear that. Gotta be careful though. Lotta strange... people out there."
"Oh yeah." Buffy says.
"How's Willow doing?" Riley asks.
"Okay. 'Course that stupid fraternity prank on her hall didn't help any." Buffy says.
"That's right, she lives in Stevenson." Riley says.
Buffy shakes her head, "How'd you know that?"
"Well, Willow and I were... I thought she might be able to help me on a project." Riley says.
"Really? That work out?" Buffy asks.
Riley shrugs, "Don't know yet."
"Was there something - at the party, you wanted to tell me something?" Buffy asks.
Riley nods, "Oh yes. Very important stuff. Interesting, a little edgy, daring views on... I don't remember any of it now, but you would have been fascinated, possibly very moved... Did Willow tell you I like cheese?"
Buffy stops, looks at Riley like she's seeing him the first time. "You're a little peculiar."
Riley smiles; he knows what that means. "I can live with that. Can I ask you something?"
Buffy nods, "Sure."
"Which name would you prefer to be called?" Riley asks.
"Willow told you, hunh?" Buffy asks. "About the whole name deal?"
Riley nods, "Yeah she did. I think it's nice that you decided to change your name in honor of your mom."
Buffy smiles, "Thanks. Payson or Buffy either way is fine. I answer to both. Though mostly only my friends and family still call me Buffy."
"Well am I a friend?" Riley asks.
Buffy smiles, "Sure why not."
Author's Note: Yes of course Buffy is not in Stevenson Hall. To make this chapter work I'm working it as she never checked out of Stevenson Hall when she moved back into the Manor. She did that so she would have a place to crash after patrolling if she didn't feel like going back to the Manor. Willow moved in to Buffy's dorm room when Kathy disappeared. Since I didn't add the episode that explained why Kathy is gone I will leave that up to your all's imagination.