"Halloween"

Based on the Episode Written by Carl Ellsworth

The following story is copyright © 2021 by Mark Moore.


At Pop's Pumpkin Patch, Buffy landed flat on her back on top of a pumpkin on the ground aglow with a candle. She looked up at the vampire that just threw her and saw him coming toward her. She grabbed a squash lying on the ground behind her and threw it at him, hitting him in the forehead. She followed it up with a pumpkin. The vampire staggered back a few steps. Buffy hopped back to her feet. She pulled a stake out of her shirt and launched it at him. He grabbed the scarecrow and pulled it over in front of him, so the stake impaled it instead. He shoved the scarecrow aside and came at her with a roundhouse kick. They started fighting hand-to-hand.

A few hits later, the vampire knocked Buffy into the hay wagon. She held onto the side of the wagon and kicked the vampire to the ground. She turned around with her back to the wagon and grabbed the railing as the vampire got back up. She raised her legs and grabbed the vampire's head in a scissor hold. She twisted her body and flipped him over sideways onto the ground. Stepping away from the wagon, she spied the sign counting off the days until Halloween and then looked down at the vampire. He tried to grab for her legs, so she jumped over him and somersaulted to the countdown sign. She pulled it out of the ground and swung it at his legs as he came for her, knocking them out from under him. She raised the sign and jammed the end of the signpost into his chest. The vampire fell to the ground, dead. Buffy left the sign stuck in him and walked out of the pumpkin patch.


At the Bronze, Cordelia spotted Angel sitting alone at a table, looking very bored. A huge spider web and other Halloween decorations adorned the staircase behind him.

Cordelia walked over to his table. "I know. Is the Bronze so not happening? Or what?" She set down her drink and sat down.

Angel smiled. "Hi."

Cordelia smiled. "Hi!"

"I'm waiting for the band to start."

Cordelia grinned. "Great! We're waiting for Buffy, but she's nowhere to be seen. It's like she thinks being in a band gives her an obligation to flake."

Angel smiled at the joke.

Buffy walked in, looked around, and saw Angel at the table with Cordelia, laughing.

"So I told Devon, 'You call that leather interior? My Barbie Dream Car had nicer seats!'"

Cordelia and Angel both laughed.

Buffy walked over to the table. "Hey. Sorry I'm late. Slayer shit."

Cordelia waved her away. "Whatever. As long as you made it."

Angel reached up to Buffy's hair and pulled out a piece of straw.

Buffy was embarrassed but smiled. "Hey, it's a look. A seasonal look."

Cordelia stood up and looked at her. "Buffy. Love the hair. It just screams street urchin." She went to the bar.

Angel rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to her. Please. You look fine."

Buffy shrugged.

Cordelia came back. "Cappuccino?" She held the cup up to Angel.

Angel looked at her and then at the cappuccino. He took it. "Thanks."

Cordelia sat back down at the table and waved Buffy away again. Buffy walked onto the stage, where her bandmates had already set everything up.

Tara kissed Buffy on the lips. "Hey. How'd it go?"

"Good. Are we all settled on this song?" Buffy asked her.

Tara nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Because it's set in spring."

"Yeah, but remember when we had cheerleader tryouts and a delayed basketball season this past spring, due to deaths?" Tara asked her. "This town is used to things occurring out of season."

Buffy smiled. "Good point."

They went through a sound check and sorted out everyone's parts. Buffy looked at her bandmates for a signal. They nodded to her.

Buffy faced the audience and turned on her microphone. "Good evening. We're Buffy and the Slayerettes. Thank you all for coming. We hope you enjoy."

Cordelia took Angel's hand and stood up. Angel stood up. They walked onto the dance floor and held each other close. Tara kicked off the song on her keyboard. Buffy came in with her guitar. Katrina added her bass guitar. Amy added a drum beat. Buffy sang the first verse. Tara sang the second verse. Amy sang the third verse. All four of them sang the chorus and the various "Ooh" sounds.

"When in the springtime of the year,
When the trees are crowned with leaves,
When the ash and oak and the birch and yew,
Are dressed in ribbons fair,
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night,
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light."

"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."

"Who will go down to the shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year?
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That, when the fiddler plays,
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days."

"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."

"And so they linked their hands and danced
'Round in circles and in rows,
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone.
A garland gay we bring you here,
And at your door we stand.
It is a sprout well budded out,
The work of our Lord's hand."

"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."

"We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day.
Now returning back again,
We bring a garland gay."

The audience cheered and applauded.


The next day, at Sunnydale High School, sign-ups were being taken for the volunteer safety program for Halloween. Principal Snyder took one of the clipboards and looked around the hall. He grabbed the next girl that walked by and pulled her aside.

"Hey!" the girl yelled.

"You're volunteering." Snyder held out the clipboard and pen to her.

Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina witnessed this as they came in from the other hall.

"But I have to get to class."

Snyder just shrugged. The team walked past him.

Amy frowned. "Snyder must be in charge of the volunteer safety program for Halloween this year."

Tara frowned. "Note his interesting take on the volunteer concept."

"What's the deal?" Buffy asked them.

They reached Tara's locker, and she worked the combination.

Katrina looked at Buffy. "Oh, a bunch of little kids need people to take them trick-or-treating. Sign up and get your own pack of sugar-hyped little runts for the night."

Buffy was filled with fear. "Yikes. I'll stick to vampires."

Snyder put his hand on her shoulder, and she spun around to face him.

"Miss Summers. Just the juvenile delinquent I've been looking for."

"Principal Snyder!"

"Halloween must be a big night for you. Tossing eggs, keying cars, bobbing for apples, one pathetic cry for help after another." Snyder led her to the sign-up table. "Well, not this year, missy."

Tara, Amy, and Katrina went and stood behind her.

Buffy smiled at Snyder. "Goddamn, I'd love to sign up, but I recently developed carpal tunnel syndrome and can tragically no longer hold a flashlight."

Snyder held up the clipboard and pen. "The program starts at six; the children have to be back at eight. Remember, costumes are mandatory."

Buffy reluctantly grabbed the pen and clipboard and signed herself up. Snyder held pens out to Tara, Amy, and Katrina, too. They looked at him, begging not to be put through this. Tara gave in and took a pen. Amy and Katrina followed. Buffy offered the clipboard to them, and they signed up. Then the four girls walked away, upset.

Katrina sighed. "I can't believe this. We have to get dressed up and the whole deal?"

Amy nodded. "Snyder said costumes were mandatory."

Buffy sighed. "Great. I was gonna stay in and veg. The one night a year things are supposed to be quiet for me."

Tara looked at her in surprise. "Halloween quiet? Oh, I figured it'd be a big night for vampires."

Buffy shook her head. "Not according to Giles. He swears that tomorrow night is, like, dead for the undead. They stay in."

Giles came out of the library. "Buffy!"

Buffy looked at him.

"Excellent! Yes, I-I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow night. As it should be, uh, calm, you might work on some new battle techniques."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "You're beginning to scare me, Giles. You need to have some fun. You know, there's this place you can go, right, and you sit in the dark, and there are these moving pictures, right, and the pictures tell a story."

"Yes, yes, ha, ha, very droll. I'll have you know that I have very, uh, many relaxing hobbies."

"Such as?" Buffy asked him.

"Well, um..." Giles paused in thought. "I enjoy cross-referencing."

"Do you stuff your own shirts, or do you send them out?" Buffy asked, completely misunderstanding him.

Giles looked at her in confusion.


After school, Buffy, Tara, Amy, and Katrina went to Ethan's Costume Shop, a new pop-up business in town, to shop for costumes. The store was full of mothers with their kids looking for Halloween costumes. Buffy was handling a plastic pumpkin when it suddenly lit up and screamed. She quickly put it back on the counter. Tara came over to her.

Buffy looked at her. "What'd you get?"

Tara held up a revealing fairy costume.

Buffy smiled. "Ooh! Sexy fairy!"

Amy walked over to them, holding a bag.

Tara looked at her. "What'd you get, Ames?"

Amy pulled a toy military rifle out of her bag and held it up for Tara to see.

Buffy was confused. "That's not a costume."

Amy looked at her. "I got fatigues from an Army surplus closer to home. Call me the Two-Dollar Costume Queen, baby!"

She smiled at Tara. Tara smiled back. Katrina walked over to them, holding a bag.

"What'd you get, Trina?" Amy asked her.

Katrina pulled a white lab coat and a pair of glasses out of her bag. "Sexy scientist." She looked at Buffy. "What about you, Buff?"

"I haven't decided yet." Buffy suddenly noticed a costume. She slowly started walking over to it: a frilly, red, billowy eighteenth-century gown. "Look at this."

Tara smiled. "It's amazing."

Buffy felt the dress. "Musta been wonderful. Put on some fantabulous gown and go to a ball like a princess...and have horses and servants...and yet more gowns."

Katrina stared at the dress. "Yeah, if you don't mind living back in the Suck Times, when there was no Discovery Science Network, and women weren't able to pursue meaningful careers."

Buffy frowned. "Thank you, Trina."

Ethan came over to them. "Please, let me." He took the dress off its dressmaker's mannequin.

Buffy was nervous. "Oh, i-it's-"

"Magnificent. Yes, I know. There." Ethan held it up to her in a mirror. "My. Meet the hidden princess. I think we found a match. Don't you?"

Buffy looked at Ethan. "Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this."

"Oh, nonsense. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse."

Buffy looked back into the mirror, took the dress from Ethan, and smiled dreamily as she held it up to her chin.


The next afternoon, in Buffy's room, Buffy was at her long mirror, wearing her gown and a long, black wig. She put on the second of a pair of earrings. Tara was in the bathroom, changing.

Buffy turned to the bathroom door. "Okay, Tara, come out. I want to see my sexy fairy girlfriend."

Tara opened the door and walked out wearing black knee-high boots; a short, black leather skirt; a burgundy, long-sleeved, V-necked, midriff-baring top; and translucent plastic wings. She walked into Buffy's bedroom.

Buffy smiled. "Wow! You're a dish!"

Tara smiled. "You like?"

"Yeah. Close the door."

Tara kicked the door closed behind her. Buffy put her hands on Tara's shoulders and gently pushed her back against the door. Then she dropped to her knees and lifted Tara's skirt. To her delight, Tara wasn't wearing panties. Buffy grinned and kissed Tara's pussy. Tara put her hands on Buffy's head and ran her fingers through Buffy's hair, enjoying the oral sex that Buffy had by now become so proficient in providing. Buffy licked and ate Tara's pussy eagerly, savoring her wetness. Eventually, Tara had a pleasant orgasm, letting out moans from her mouth and cum from her pussy. Buffy drank all of the cum, quenching her thirst. Buffy stood up and kissed Tara on the lips. They lazily french-kissed for a while until...

The doorbell rang.

Buffy broke the kiss. "Fuck! That's them. Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Just give me a moment to catch my breath." Tara stepped aside.

Buffy opened the door, walked into the hall, went down the stairs, looked through the peephole, and opened the door. Amy and Katrina entered the house, wearing their costumes.

Amy saluted with her toy rifle in her hand. "Private Madison reporting for doody!"

Buffy laughed.

Tara walked downstairs. "Hi."

"Ready to head out?" Katrina asked.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah. Let's get this over with."


At the school, children were arriving in costume to be taken trick-or-treating. Buffy was standing in the hall by the stairs, holding a clipboard, waiting for her charges.

Snyder brought them to her. "This is your group, Summers. No need to speak to them. The last thing they need is your influence. Just bring them back in one piece, and I won't expel you." He started to leave.

Buffy bent down to the kids. "Hi."

"Uh-uh!"

Buffy straightened back up and rolled her eyes.

Cordelia came into the hall, wearing a tight-fitting catsuit, and walked up to Daniel Osbourne, the lead guitarist of Dingoes Ate My Baby, who was checking his guitar at his locker.

"Oz. Oz."

Oz looked up at her. "Hey, Cordelia. Jeez, you're like a great big cat."

"It's my costume. Are you guys playing tonight?"

"Yeah, at the Shelter Club."

"I might stop by, if there's enough time left in the evening."

"Thanks?" Oz guessed, confused.

Cordelia turned and walked off. Tara walked down the hall in her fairy costume.

Oz turned around and bumped right into her. "Oh! I'm sorry."

"Sorry."

Tara and Oz continued down the hall on their separate ways.

Amy was briefing her group. She got them all lined up and standing at attention. "Okay, on sleazing extra candy: tears are key. Tears will normally get you the double-bagger. You can also try the old 'you missed me' routine, but it's risky. Only go there for chocolate. Understood?"

They all nodded their heads.

"Okay, troops." Amy turned and faced down the hall.

The kids followed her lead.

"Let's move out."

Nearby, Katrina observed the situation. "She's way too into character." She looked at her group of kids. "C'mon, everyone!"

The kids happily followed Katrina.


Out on the streets, Buffy's group was coming back from a house. They walked by a student, dressed as a vampire, escorting a group of kids.

Buffy crouched down to see what her kids got. "What did Mrs. Davis give you?"

They all pulled out toothbrushes.

"She must be stopped. Let's hit one more house." Buffy got up. "We still have a few more minutes before I need to get you back."

A wind began to blow. Buffy sensed something wasn't quite right.


Elsewhere, Tara followed her charges along the porch to the front door of a house. One of the kids, wearing a green monster mask on his head, rang the bell and stepped back. An old lady opened the door. The kid with the mask pulled it down over his face.

"Trick-or-treat!" the kids exclaimed.

The lady smiled. "Oh, my goodness, aren't you adorable!" She looked into her empty candy bucket. "Oh, dear! Am I all out? I could've sworn I had more candy."

The kid wearing a red rubber cap with horns morphed into a horned, red-skinned monster.

"I'm sorry, Mister Monster." The lady bent down. "Maybe I-"

The kid with the green mask had changed into a monster also and grabbed the lady by the neck and began to choke her. The other kids screamed and ran away.

"No! Let her go!" Tara yelled.

The red monster attacked the green one, and he let go of the lady. The two monsters were at each other's throats.

"Stop! What're you doing?!" Tara yelled.

The lady ran into the house and slammed the door shut.

"Stop! Hey!" Tara tried to pull them apart.

The two monsters kept fighting.


Elsewhere on the same street, Amy and Katrina were standing around, watching all of the parents and children running around them. Things were being thrown, and windows were being broken.

Amy and Katrina jerked back, feeling like they'd just been hit by something. Amy bent over slightly, looked down, and lowered her toy rifle. Slowly, she straightened back up and surveyed the scene around her. She raised her rifle again and cradled the fully automatic M-16 in her hands. She shouldered the weapon and spun around, scanning for a target. When she didn't immediately find one, she took the rifle from her shoulder and held it ready. Ignoring her and standing behind a tree, Katrina adjusted her glasses and took in the surrounding chaos in wonder.


Back on the porch, Tara suddenly felt the wings on her back - actually felt them. Her wings started flapping, and she rose into the air.

"Omigoddess! I'm a real fairy!" Tara suddenly grinned in delight. "Fucking cool!"

She heard automatic rifle fire and turned to look, suddenly landing on her feet with a thud.

"Amy?" Tara ran out into the street and came up behind Amy. "Amy!"

Amy spun around and pointed her M-16 at her.

Tara raised her hands, frightened. "It's me, Tara!"

"I don't know any Tara."

"Amy, quit fucking around. This is no time for jokes." Tara suddenly came to a realization. "Oh, shit."

"What the fuck's going on here?" Amy asked.

Katrina was taking in the situation and walked over to them. "Clearly, this is mass hysteria, perhaps the result of an airborne hallucinogen."

"You don't know me?" Tara asked Amy.

Amy lifted the rifle away from her. "I suggest you find cover." She started walking past her.

Tara got in front of her. "No, wait!"

Amy walked around her. Tara flew into the air and lowered herself in front of her.

Amy pointed her weapon at her again. "What are you?"

"Amy, listen to me. I'm on your side, I swear! Something crazy is happening. I was dressed as a fairy for Halloween, a-and now I am a fairy. And you were supposed to be a soldier, and now I-I-I guess you're a real soldier."

"You expect me to believe that?" Amy asked her.

A monster appeared across the street, growling. Amy pointed her rifle at it. It ran away.

Tara flew in front of her. "No! No guns! That's still a little kid in there!"

"Step out of the way!" Amy told her.

"No guns! That's an order!" Tara yelled back.

Amy lowered the rifle.

"We just need to find..." Tara looked around and saw her. "Buffy!"

Tara ran across the street, over to Buffy. Amy and Katrina followed.

"Buffy! Are you okay?" Tara asked her.

The monster was back with a friend, and they both roared as they approached.

Amy shouldered her M-16 again and took aim. "This could be a situation."

"Buffy, what do we do?" Tara asked.

Buffy fainted and fell to the ground. Amy fired off a couple dozen rounds at the approaching monsters. They turned and ran. Amy lowered her rifle. Tara kneeled beside Buffy, who was lying against a tree.

"Buffy, are you all right?" Tara asked.

"What?" Buffy asked, slowly waking up.

"Are you hurt?" Amy asked.

"Buffy, are you hurt?" Tara asked.

Buffy sat up, confused. "Buffy?"

Tara looked at Amy and Katrina. "She's not Buffy."

"Who's Buffy?" Amy and Katrina asked.

"Oh, this is fun." Tara looked at Buffy. "What year is this?"

Tara took Buffy's hand and helped her up.

"1775, I believe." Buffy was confused and hyperventilating. "I-I don't understand. Who are you?"

Tara smiled sadly. "We're friends."

"F-Friends of whom? Y-Your dress..." Buffy looked around. "Everything is strange! How did I come to be here?"

"Breathe, okay? Breathe. You're gonna faint again." Tara looked at Amy and Katrina. "How are we supposed to get through this without the Slayer?"

"What's a Slayer?" Amy and Katrina asked.

A monster came around the tree behind Buffy and roared, fangs bared and claws raised to attack. Buffy screamed and backed off. Tara got in front of her to protect her.

Amy jumped in and whacked the monster across the face with the butt of her rifle, knocking it down and out. "I suggest we get inside before we come across anything-"

"A demon! A demon! A demon!" Buffy screamed, clutching Tara in fear.

A sport utility vehicle came driving down the street with its headlights on.

Tara looked at Buffy. "That's not a demon. It's a car."

"What does it want?" Buffy asked her.

"Is she insane?" Amy asked Tara.

Tara looked at her. "She's never seen a car."

"She's never seen a car?" Amy asked in disbelief.

"She's from the past."

"And you're a fairy."

"Yes! Now, let's get inside."

"I just want you to know that I'm taking a lot on faith here. Where do we go?" Amy asked her.

Tara thought. "Where's the closest...?" She made a decision. "We can go to a friend's."


Amy opened the door and scanned the kitchen of the Summers' house. "All clear!" She walked inside.

Tara walked in. "Hello? Mrs. Summers?"

There was no response.

Tara shrugged. "I guess she's gone."

Buffy and Katrina walked in. Amy closed the door.

"Where are we?" Buffy asked Tara.

"Your place. Now, we just need to-"

There was a banging at the front door. Amy went to investigate, and Katrina, Tara, and Buffy followed.

"Don't open it!" Tara told Amy.

Amy briefly looked at her. "Could be a civilian."

"Or a mini demon."

Buffy noticed a picture on a table and went over to look. She picked it up and saw it was of her wearing a spaghetti strap top. She turned around as Tara came over to her.

"This..." Buffy paused. "This could be me."

"It is you. Buffy, can't you remember at all?" Tara asked her.

"No! I-I don't understand any of this! Uh, uh, th...this is some other girl!" Buffy put the picture back. "I would never wear this, that low apparel, and I don't like this place, and I don't like you, and I just wanna go home!"

"You are home!" Tara told her.

Buffy was practically in tears. Tara hugged her. Buffy started to resist but felt a sense of comfort in Tara's arms and slowly calmed down.

"Do you see anything?" Katrina asked Amy.

Amy scanned the outside through one of the small windows in the door. She moved away just as a monster punched through the glass and reached for her. It pulled its hand back as Amy raised her M-16.

"Not a civilian!" Tara told her.

"Affirmative!" Amy took aim through the broken portal.

"Hey! What did I say?!" Tara asked her.

Amy let loose a volley of bullets. Tara winced at the noise. Buffy bowed her head and covered her ears. Tara hugged her tightly. Katrina stared at Amy in awe. Amy rolled away from the door when she'd finished her burst.

"Big noise scare monster, remember?" Amy asked Tara.

Tara nodded. "Got it."

They heard a woman screaming outside.

Amy looked out again. "Shit!" She opened the door and went out to rescue whomever it was, pulling the door closed behind her.

Katrina shook her head in wonder. "What a woman."

Tara and Buffy walked over and watched through the window.


Outside, Cordelia screamed as she ran from a sasquatch. "Somebody help me!" She looked back at the monster chasing her and screamed. When she turned back around again, she ran into Amy. "Amy! Help me!"

"Come inside!" Amy took her by her elbow and led her to the house.

Amy opened the front door, and she and Cordelia quickly went in.

"Cordelia!" Tara exclaimed.

"Wait a..." Cordelia paused in confusion. "What's going on?"

Tara walked over to her. "Okay, your name is Cordelia, you're not a cat, you're in high school, and we're your friends."

"That's nice, Tara. And you went mental when?" Cordelia asked her.

"You know us?" Tara asked in surprise.

"Yeah. Lucky me. What's with the name game?"

"A lot's going on."

"No shit. I was just attacked by Jo-Jo, the Dog-Faced Boy. Look at my costume!" Cordelia showed the torn sleeve. "Do you really think that Party City's gonna give me my deposit back? Not on the likely."

Tara started walking toward the door. "Okay. You guys stay here while I get some help. If something tries to get in, just fight it off."

Buffy looked at her. "Well, i-it's not our place to fight. Uh, surely some men will protect us."

Tara stared at Buffy in horror.

Cordelia looked at Tara. "What's that riff?"

"I-It's like amnesia, okay? They don't know who they are. Just sit tight." Tara started to go.

"Who died and made her the boss?" Cordelia asked.

Tara opened the door, walked outside, flapped her wings, and flew into the air. Buffy stared in wide-eyed amazement.

Cordelia put her hands on her hips. "Show-off."

Amy closed the door and looked at Katrina. "You! Give me a hand with that table."

Katrina frowned at her. "I don't respond well to orders, babe. Try asking nicely. You never know. I might say yes."

Amy frowned in confusion. "Why do you call me 'babe'."

Katrina paused in thought. "I suppose...because I like you."

Amy laughed. "Dykes aren't allowed in the military."

Katrina felt like she'd been stabbed.

"Now, give me a hand!" Amy ordered.

The two of them walked over to the table, picked it up, and upended it against the window. Amy went into the dining room. Katrina stared after her, upset.

Amy brought a chair over from the dining room. She looked at Cordelia. "You! Check upstairs. Make sure everything's locked up." She positioned the chair to help hold the table in place.

Cordelia headed upstairs.

Buffy looked at Amy. "Surely, there's somewhere we can go. A safe haven."

Amy looked at Buffy. "Tara said stay put."

"But-"

"Ma'am, in the Army, we have a saying: sit down and shut the fuck up!" Amy yelled.

Buffy gasped. "Such foul language! A proper lady would never say such things!"

Amy saw a picture on the floor. "Whoa!"

She picked it up. It was of herself, Katrina, Buffy, and Tara.

Amy stared at the picture. "She must be right. We must have some kind of amnesia."

"I don't know what that is, but I'm certain I don't have it. I bathe quite often!" Buffy declared.

Amy showed her the picture. "How do you explain this?"

"I don't! I was brought up a proper lady. I-I wasn't meant to understand things. I'm just meant to look pretty, and then someone nice will marry me. Possibly a baron."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Sooner or later, you're gonna have to fight!"

"Fight these low creatures?" Buffy asked in a snotty tone. "I'd sooner die." She crossed her arms.

"Then you'll die."

Angel came in from the kitchen. "Oh, good! You guys are all right. It's total chaos out there."

Buffy, Amy, and Katrina all looked at him. "Who are you?"


In the school library, Giles was going through a stack of cards that he'd pulled from the card catalog. He heard yelling and sirens outside and looked up, wondering what was going on. He saw Tara fly though the doors and jumped in complete surprise, letting the cards fly all over the place.

"Jeez!" Giles exclaimed.

Tara slowed down her flying, landing on her feet. "Hi."

Giles calmed down a bit. "Uh...ah...huh..."


"Okay, somebody wanna fill me in?" Angel asked.

"Do you live here?" Amy asked him.

"No, and you know that." Angel looked at Buffy. "Buffy-"

Buffy jumped.

"I'm lost here. You..." Angel paused in confusion. "What's up with your hair?"

Cordelia came back downstairs. "They don't know who they are; everyone's turned into a monster; it's a whole big thing." She smiled at Angel. "How are you?"

The lights went out. Buffy grabbed Cordelia in fright.

"Do you mind?" Cordelia asked her, annoyed.

Buffy let go of her.

Amy looked at Angel. "You take the princess and secure the kitchen." She looked at Cordelia. "Catwoman, scientist, you're with me."

Cordelia and Katrina followed Amy as Angel and Buffy headed for the kitchen.

Angel saw the kitchen door was open. "I didn't leave that open." He quietly moved toward the door as he looked around for an intruder. He closed the door.

The basement door behind Buffy opened, and a vampire attacked her. She tried to push the door closed on him.

Angel grabbed the vampire and wrestled him to the floor. "A stake!"

"A what?" Buffy asked.

"Get me a stake!" Angel yelled.

Buffy looked around and grabbed a knife that she saw on the counter.

"Hurry up!" Angel turned to look at what was keeping her.

Buffy screamed at the top of her lungs. She ran for the door.

"Buffy, no!"

Buffy opened the door and ran out.


Giles was in the cage, getting a stack of old papers. He blew the dust off them and walked back out.

Tara was looking at a book. "I don't even know what I'm looking for."

"Well, all right, l-let's - let's - let's review." Giles set the papers on the table. "Um, so everybody became, uh, whatever they were masquerading as."

Tara nodded. "Right. Amy was a soldier, Katrina was a scientist, and Buffy was an eighteenth-century girl." She smiled. "And I'm a fairy!"

"How whimsical."

"Well, this is nothing. You should see what Cordelia was wearing. A-A-A unitard with cat things, like ears and stuff."

"Good heavens. Uh, sh-sh-she became an actual feline?" Giles asked.

"No! She was the same old Cordelia. Just in a cat costume."

"She didn't change."

"No. Hold on..." Tara paused in thought. "Party City. She told us she got her outfit from Party City."

"A-A-And everyone who changed, they - they - they - they acquired their costumes where?" Giles asked.

"We all got ours at a new place. Ethan's."


Cordelia, Angel, Amy, and Katrina went out on the street, looking for Buffy.

Amy had her rifle raised and ready. "Are you sure she came this way?" she asked Angel.

"No."

Cordelia looked at him, detecting worry in his voice and realizing he still had feelings for Buffy. "She'll be okay."

"Buffy would be okay. Whoever she is now, she's helpless."

Cordelia stared at him. "You don't know Buffy."


Buffy ran between all of the trash that was piled up in an alley. She stopped running and leaned against a crate. She sniffed and looked around, frightened. She tried to decide what to do. She lifted her skirt a bit and started to walk. She turned around to look behind her and took a few steps backward. When she turned back around, a pirate startled her.

He smiled widely at her, showing his rotten teeth. "Pretty, pretty!"

Buffy tried to run away, and he gave chase.


Giles looked around as he walked into Ethan's Costume Shop. Tara flew in behind him and landed next to him.

Giles was startled. "Are you going to fly everywhere?"

"Wouldn't you?" Tara asked him.

"Hello! Anyone home?" Giles called.

Tara saw a curtain to the back room partially open. "Mr. Giles..."

They slowly went in and saw a statue there. Its eyes glowed green.

"Janus. Roman mythical god."

"What does this mean?" Tara asked him.

"Primarily the division of self. Male and female, light and dark."

Ethan arrived. "Chunky and creamy. Oh, no, sorry, that's peanut butter."

Giles stared at Ethan as though he'd seen a ghost. "Tara, get out of here, now."

"But-"

"Now!"

Tara flew out of the room.

"Hello, Ethan."

"Hello, Ripper."


Buffy backed away from the pirate. She turned to run but tripped and fell. Her gown billowed out around her. He grabbed her as she tried to get up and shoved her against a crate. He pushed her hair away from her frightened face and moved in to kiss her. Amy came running and tackled him down to the pavement. She got up and pulled him up and into a metal warehouse door. She punched him in the face and gut.

He pushed her off and into the opposite alley wall and punched her back in the gut. Amy grabbed his arm and pulled it behind his back, forcing him to bend over, and kneed him in the stomach. Cordelia arrived behind Buffy with Katrina and Angel.

"Buffy! Are you okay?" Cordelia asked.

Buffy saw Angel with his fangs bared, yelped, and cowered behind a box.

"What's your deal? Take a pill!" Cordelia told her.

The pirate attacked Amy with his sword. Amy sidestepped him, grabbed him by the wrist, and twisted his arm around, making him drop the sword. She lifted him back up and punched him, sending him sprawling into a pile of trash.

"He's - He's a vampire!" Buffy exclaimed in shock, staring at Angel.

Cordelia looked at Angel. "She's got this thing where she thinks..." She stopped, exasperated. "Uhhh, forget it." She looked at Buffy. "It's okay. Angel is a good vampire. He would never hurt you."

Buffy slowly stood up. "Really?"

"Absolutely. He's our friend."

Angel headed over to Amy fighting the pirate. Amy punched the pirate, sending him into the pile of trash and a stack of boxes again. Several boxes fell off the top and onto him. He was knocked out cold.

Tara flew down the alley from the other end. "Guys!"

"Tara!" Angel exclaimed.

"Guys, you gotta get inside." Tara looked back.

They saw Spike and his monster gang coming.

"We need a triage!" Amy exclaimed.

Angel pointed the other way. "This way! Find an open warehouse."

Amy turned and picked up her rifle. "We're on the move!" She quickly headed down the alley.

Cordelia, Katrina, and Tara followed her. Angel lifted Buffy and carried her away. Spike and the monsters walked after them at a quick, deliberate pace.


"What? No hug? Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?" Ethan asked.

"I'm just surprised I didn't guess it was you. This Halloween stunt stinks of Ethan Rayne."

"Yes, it does, doesn't it? Don't wish to blow my own trumpet, but it's genius. The very embodiment of 'be careful what you wish for'."

"It's sick, brutal, and it harms the innocent."

"Oh, and we all know that you are the champion of innocents and all things pure and good, Rupert. It's quite a little act you've got going here, old man."

"It's no act. It's who I am."

"Who you are? The Watcher, sniveling, tweed-clad guardian of the Slayer and her kin? I think not. I know who you are, Rupert, and I know what you're capable of." Ethan stopped and considered for a moment. "But they don't, do they? They have no idea where you come from."

"Break the spell, Ethan. Then leave this place and never come back."

"Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?"

"You get to live."

"Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me."

Giles punched him in the gut with his left hand, making him double over, and followed up with a right hand to the face.


Angel had gotten ahead of the others and found an open warehouse. "Over here!"

Amy pushed the door aside, and they all hurried in.

"Check if there are any other ways in!" Amy slid the door closed again.

Angel set Buffy back down on her feet next to Cordelia. "Just stay here."

The monsters arrived and started pounding on the door from outside. Amy picked up a large grate and set it in front of the door on top of some barrels that she'd already moved into place. Buffy was holding on tightly to Cordelia.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Oh, faboo, more clinging."

Amy picked up another grate and set it behind the first one as the monsters got the door open. They pounded against it as she tried to hold it in place.

"Go!" Amy yelled.

They all started running again (except for Tara, who flew), and Amy followed when she could no longer hold the grating against the monsters. The grates fell to the floor as two monsters came in and pushed the barrels aside. Spike followed them in and looked around. He led the monsters off after them.


Ethan was on the floor, severely beaten up. "And you said the Ripper was long gone."

"Tell me how to stop the spell."

"Say 'pretty please'."

Giles kicked him hard in the kidney, and he yelled out in pain.


Spike had caught up with them, and the monsters held Amy and Angel. Spike slowly closed in on Buffy as she backed away, trembling.

"Look at you. Shaking. Terrified. Alone. Lost little lamb."

Buffy had backed up against a crate and couldn't go any further.

Spike slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. "I love it."

Angel struggled with the two monsters holding him. "Buffy!"

Spike put his left hand around her throat and bent her backward onto the crate. He stroked her forehead with his right hand. Amy struggled with her two captors. Spike grabbed Buffy's hair and closed in for the bite.


Giles kicked Ethan again. "Now, tell me how to stop the spell."

"Janus. Break its statue."

Giles grabbed the statue and lifted it over his head to smash it.


Amy got free of the monsters and punched one in the face, the other in the gut, and then shoved the second monster into the first. Spike closed in on Buffy. Katrina and Cordelia ran over to him, jump-kicking him. He staggered a bit but then swatted them away. Katrina and Cordelia fell to the floor but managed to grab hold of his legs, causing him some difficulty. Tara swooped in and kicked Spike repeatedly in the face, but he grabbed one of her legs, swung her around, and threw her away. Amy turned her attention to Spike, grabbing her M-16.


Giles threw the statue hard to the floor, smashing it into tiny pieces.


Amy shouldered her toy rifle. "What the fuck?"

The monsters had all turned back into children and student escorts. The kids were frightened and began to cry and complain.

"I'm scared! I want my mommy!" one child yelled.

Spike looked back at them and straightened up. He pulled on Buffy's hair to pull her up and found he had just a wig in his hands. He looked at Buffy.

Buffy got up off the crate and smiled at him. "Go fuck yourself, you shit-brained, fuck-faced, ball-breaking, duck-fucking pain in the ass!"

Amy grinned. "She's back!"

Buffy punched Spike in the gut, twice in the face, and kicked him in the chest, making him stagger back into a set of mobile stairs. He grabbed a length of pipe that was leaning there and swung it at her. She caught the end of it and pulled him around and into the crate that he had her against. She used the pipe like a quarterstaff and swung it into his jaw and jabbed him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain.

"You know what? It's good to be me." Buffy brought the pipe up into his chin from underneath.

He flew back onto the crate, then slid off onto the floor.


Giles looked behind him and saw Ethan had gone.


Buffy was through fighting. Spike got up and growled at her, then made a hasty retreat. Buffy dropped the pipe and turned to the others, who walked over to her.

Katrina smiled. "Hey, Buff. Welcome back."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah! You, too."

"You guys remember what happened?" Cordelia asked.

Amy nodded. "It was way creepy. It's like I was there, but I couldn't get out."

Cordelia nodded. "Yeah, I know the feeling. This outfit's totally skintight."

She looked at Angel as he came over to her.

"You okay?" Angel asked her.

"Yeah."

Angel put his arm around her shoulders. Cordelia leaned in and kissed him on the lips. They walked away.

Tara indicated the kids. "Well, I guess we better get them back to their parents."

Buffy looked around. "Yeah, everybody seems to be here."

As Buffy and Tara tried to calm and organize the kids, Amy nervously looked at Katrina. Katrina stared back at her, upset.

"What I said..." Amy paused. "I am so sorry."

Katrina thought for a moment and then sighed. "It's okay. It wasn't you."

"But what if it was?" Amy asked. "What if there's part of me that's...homophobic?"

"Then you confront it." Katrina paused and stared into Amy's eyes. "Do you feel any sense of guilt or disgust when we're together?"

Amy shook her head. "Of course not. I love you."

"I love you, too." Katrina pulled Amy into a hug and kissed her passionately on the lips. "It's just...if you ever feel anything negative, talk to me. Deal?"

Amy smiled. "Deal."

Katrina and Amy held hands and walked out of the warehouse together.

Buffy looked at the kids. "Okay, kids, follow us."

She and Tara led the kids out of the warehouse. They walked along a street.

"I don't get something."

Tara looked at Buffy. "Oh."

"Everyone in costume got amnesia and assumed the persona of a character, right?" Buffy asked her.

Tara nodded. "Everyone that bought a costume at Ethan's, yeah."

"So why were you still you?" Buffy asked her.

Tara stopped in her tracks and thought about that. "I have no idea. Maybe I'm just a fairy at heart."

Buffy stopped and looked at a tag that was attached to Tara's costume. She took hold of it.

Tara looked at it. "Oh. Yeah, I left it on, so I could return it tomorrow."

"Assuming he hasn't closed up shop by then." Buffy noticed something and started peeling at the sticker on the tag with her fingernail.

"What is it?" Tara asked her.

Buffy pulled the "Ethan's Costume Shop" sticker off the tag. Underneath was text that read "Party City".

Buffy frowned. "This costume isn't from Ethan's. It's from Party City."

Tara looked at the tag in surprise. "Weird. I guess someone must have returned it there, and Ethan took it and decided to resell it."

"So it wasn't enchanted by Ethan's spell." Buffy looked at Tara. "Then how-"

Tara suddenly levitated. She looked at Buffy in wonder and then grinned. She flapped her costume's wings. The kids gasped in delight.

Buffy grinned. "Fairy cool!"

Tara reached out to Buffy with both hands. Buffy took hold of Tara's hands. Tara lifted Buffy up, and they hugged each other. The two girls rose into the air, and Tara kissed Buffy on the lips.


The next day, Giles came in the front door of Ethan's. The place had been emptied. He walked over to the main counter and looked around. He saw a note propped up on another counter and went over to it. He picked it up and silently read it: "Be seeing you..."