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Chapter 2

The bathroom was filthy, things were crawling in the shadows, and Buffy was just DONE. Slinking off her top, she leaned over and turned on the faucet. The water poured out slowly, more stringy things plopping in the water as it filled. Shaking her head, she resigned her fate and pulled off her shorts and panties. Sliding into the lukewarm ‘water’, she felt an indescribable feeling of loss, like everything she had known was gone. Her cheek was cool against the porcelain. Her nipples peaked from under the water and were covered in the light slime. Grabbing the soap, she furiously rubbed it over her skin, to kill the whatever it was.

A knock sounded at the door, Giles sounded scared. “Buffy?”

She hesitated, waiting for him to go away.

“Buffy? Willow’s here and she wants to bring your clothes in for you. Will that be all right?” Buffy’s eyes got wide and she looked at the door in apprehension. No way was she having Willow come in right now, wasn’t happening.

“Set the clothes outside the door, Giles. I’ll get them in a minute.” She heard him set them down in the hall and then walk away. Lying back in the water, she stared at the ceiling, and for the first time since she got in there noticed something right above the tub. Tiny bits of what looked like paper balls, stuck to the smooth surface. She closed her eyes and plunged her head underneath the water, not really caring anymore what the hell was wrong with it. Spike’s spitballs, she thought to herself. How absolutely ironic, she being in the same place he was only a few short moths ago. Only, this time she wasn’t running from a super-secret government agency, she was running from everyone else. Everything comes full circle, she thought once again, before bringing her head above water and exhaling.

She rinsed everything off well and stood to let out the water. Reaching for her towel, she ran it over her head for few minutes and then wrapped it. Reaching even farther over, she grabbed another one off the stack and slipped and fell, cracking her rib on the side of the tub and sending her sprawling on the floor. She winced as she sat up, rubbing the affect area gingerly.

The door flew open, and she threw the towel over her head, cover some of her body as well. “Buffy?” Willow’s kind, best friend voice came through the fabric, making her want to put it down, but afraid of what she’d see.

“Hi, Will.”

“Did you fall?” A pause, “Oh, wow! I mean, wow Buffy, you have a nice bruise forming there under your ribs. Let me help you!” She reached down to pull her up and jumped back when Buffy tore her hand back.

“I’m fine Will, just needing some me time right now. Can you just go for right now?” She could imagine the look on her face, silently regretting even saying what she did, but she knew, deep down she wasn’t ready to see. And they weren’t ready for her reaction.

The door closed silently and Buffy stood, drying what was left of her off. She went to the door and listened for people, and when she was satisfied that there was no one there, she opened the door and grabbed the clothes that were there quickly. She then looked at herself in the mirror and saw something she hadn’t ever see before. She actually shone, like a candle. Her body was giving off some king of light luminescence. She reached for the brush and ran it through her hair and then grabbing on of her backup scrunchies she left here just in case, threw her hair up. She looked one more time in the mirror, steeling herself for the onslaught.

Her hand rested on the handle. Only for a moment, not sure if she was ready or she’d run, like before, but it was now or never.

The door opened and light came in.


Conversation was light and banter was casual as she headed down the hall to join what she assumed was the rest of the Scoobies. The first person she saw was Xander sitting on the edge of Giles’ desk, with his arms linked around Anya’s waist. He looked and stopped when he saw no reaction to his smile he gave her. Anya looked up in mid-sentence, and all Buffy could think of was—how lovely. She saw before her a young girl, of maybe 18 or 19, with flowing brown hair, cherry colored lips, and small lithe figure. It was then that she smiled, after noticing that if Anya looked this good, then there was no reason to fear the others. Xander just looked normal, and that was fine by her.

She turned the corner and saw Giles first. He was emanating a light red light from all the way around him, and looked even a little younger than usual. He smiled and reached for her in a hug. No words were needed, they just held each other for a few moments, which was what she needed so desperately. When she let him go, she turned and faced Willow and Tara.

Tara was right in her path, and she radiated the same light Buffy did, only hers was a comforting warm, where Buffy felt a little cold. Her smile made Buffy feel a lot better, and she actually laid her head on the taller girls chest in an informal hug. Tara stroked her hair and then whispered in her ear, “She has been so w-w-worreid about you.”

Buffy shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut and then let go. Turning to Willow, she opened them slowly.

Not what she expected.

She shrieked and jumped back, walking backwards for the door. Unfortunately, Giles beat her to it and blocked her way. “Buffy, what is wrong?”

She pulled him closer and pointed at her best friend. “Her eyes! They’re black, like her hair, and she’s smirking, covered in veins. Oh my God! What did you people do to her?” She grabbed the handle and ran to the fountain where she sat and took deep breaths, not understanding anything about she just saw.

Xander came out the door and actually scooped his friend off the concrete slab. “Buffy, what is happening?”

She looked up with tortured eyes and looked deep into his. “I don’t know Xan, I really don’t know.”


A few hours later, Buffy was lying on Giles couch, in the same position she’d gotten into when she came in. She was clutching a bottle of Evian that Xander had gone out to get her, and she had a tin of cookies on her lap, ready for her to eat whenever she felt up to it.

“So, let me get this straight,” Xander started, “Your mom was covered in black lesions all over the seeable surface of her body and it looked like part of her brain had rotted off?”

Buffy nodded, now chewing on one of the cookies.

Anya smiled, “Could have been worse! I mean, in my demon days, I cursed this one guy who had flirted with the neighboring, visiting princess in front of his wife with seeing nothing but pigs for the rest of his life!” Everyone looked at her and she of course didn’t notice. “Ah, the good old days.”

Buffy threw the cookie down to get a drink.

“Willow looked like a more Satanic version of Marilyn Mason, the water was gross, and we look like angels, with the exception of me, I have a red hue. Hmmm.” Giles took his glasses off to chew on one of the earpieces.

“Do you even know who Marilyn Manson is?” Xander smiled at the prospect.

“No, I was quoting Buffy, thank you very much. I’m sure by the description you gave me, I really don’t want to know though.” He ran a hand through is hair and looked down to Buffy. “I think we’re going to need to find another Denadi demon. That’s the only way that we can make you alright again.”

Buffy sighed. “Not going for it, Giles. Sorry about it, if I would have known, then it wouldn’t have been a problem, but not going to happen.” She leaned back, “Can’t we find another way?”

“Research it is then.” They all split up, but not before Buffy noticed something change in Giles’ eyes when he talked. They had pulled back on his head, causing them to go straight, as well as his mouth. It gave him a demonic expression, and as if it knew what she saw, the face smiled at her and his color changed to a reddish blue.

“I’m patrolling.” Buffy dropped everything onto the coffee table for the second time and headed out the door, not heeding everyone’s warnings.





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