Chapter 18
Giles got a stack of old papers from the cage and blew dust off them. Buffy looked at a book.
“I don’t even know what I’m looking for. Plus, I can’t turn the page.”
“Well, alright, l-let's, let's, let's review. Um, so everybody became, uh, whatever they were masquerading as.”
“Right. Xander was a soldier and Willow was an eighteenth-century girl.”
“A-and, uh, your, your costume?”
“I’m a ghost.”
“Yes. Um...w, uh, uh, uh, the ghost of what, exactly?”
“I had a ghost sheet over this, Giles. You should see what Cordelia was wearing. A unitard with cat ears and a tail.”
“Good heavens. Uh, sh-sh-she became an actual feline?”
“Nope. She was the same old Cordelia. Just in a cat costume.”
“She didn’t change.”
“No. Hold on… Party Town. She said she got her costume from Party Town.”
“A-a-and everyone who changed, they, they, they, they acquired their costumes where?”
“A new place. Ethan’s.”
****
Willow ran through an alley.
Cordelia, Angel, and Xander were looking for her. Xander had his rifle raised.
“Are you sure she came this way?”
“No.”
“She’ll be okay.”
“No, she’s helpless. C’mon!”
Spike and some of the child monsters heard the conversation from behind a tree.
“Do you hear that, my friends?” The monsters nodded and growled. “Somewhere out here is the tenderest meat you’ve ever tasted, and all we have to do is find her first.”
****
Willow looked around, trying to decide what to do. She lifted her skirt a bit and started walking. Looked behind her, and took a few steps back. Turning around again, she spotted Pirate Larry. He smiled at her, showing rotten and dirty teeth.
“Pretty, pretty!”
She ran.
****
Giles and Buffy look around Ethan’s shop. “Hello! Anyone home?”
Buffy spotted the curtain to the back. “Giles…”
They slowly moved in and saw the statue of Janus. Its eyes were glowing green.
“Janus. Roman mythical god.”
“What does this mean?”
“Primarily the division of self. Male and female, light and dark.”
“Chunky and creamy. Oh, no, sorry, that's peanut butter,” a third voice said.
“Buffy, get out of here, now.”
“But--”
“Now!”
She left.
“Hello, Ethan.”
“Hello, Ripper.”
****
In the alley, Willow backed away from Larry. She turned to run, but tripped and fell. Her gown billowed out around her.
Larry 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.
Xander came running and tackled Larry to the pavement. He got up; pulling Larry up and into a metal warehouse door, then punched him in the face and gut.
Larry pushed him off and into the opposite alley wall and punched him back in the gut. Xander grabbed Larry's arm and pulled it behind his back, forcing him to bend over, and kneed him in the stomach.
Cordelia arrived behind Willow with Angel. “Willow! Are you okay?”
Willow cowered from Angel and hid behind a box.
“What’s your deal? Take a pill!”
Larry attacked Xander with his pirate's sword. Xander sidestepped him, grabbed him by the wrist, and twisted his arm around, making him drop the sword. He lifted Larry back up and punched him, sending him sprawling into a pile of trash.
“He’s, he’s a vampire!” Willow exclaimed.
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “She and Buffy have this thing where they think… Ugh, forget it. It’s okay. Angel is a good vampire. He would never hurt you.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely. He’s our friend.”
Angel joined Xander. Xander punched Larry, sending him into the pile of trash and a stack of boxes again. Several boxes fell on Larry. He was knocked out.
“It’s strange, but beating up that pirate gave me a weird sense of closure.”
Buffy ran down the alley from the other end. “Guys!”
“Buffy!”
“You have to get inside.” She looked back and Spike and his gang were coming.
“We need a triage!” Xander yelled.
“This way! Find an open warehouse.”
Xander picked up his rifle. “Ladies, we’re on the move!”
Cordelia and Buffy followed him. Angel picked Willow up and carried her away. Spike and the monsters were quick behind.
****
“What? No hug? Aren't you pleased to see your old mate, Rupert?”
“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 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. 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 a left, making him double over, and followed up with a right to the face.
****
Angel got ahead of the others and found an open door. “Over here!”
Xander pushed the door aside and they hurried in. “Check if there are other ways in!” He slid the door closed.
Angel set Willow on her feet next to Cordelia. “Just stay here.”
The monsters started pounding on the door. Xander set barrels and things in front of the door. Willow clung to Cordelia.
“Oh, faboo. More clinging.”
Xander picked up another grate and set it behind the first. The monsters got the door open. They pounded against the barrier.
“GOOO!”
They ran. The barrier fell. Two monsters pushed the barrels aside. Spike came in and looked around.
****
Ethan was on the floor, beaten and bloody. “And you said the Ripper was long gone.”
“Tell me how to stop the spell.”
“Say pretty please.”
Giles kicked him hard in the side. Ethan yelled in pain.
****
Buffy got her friends up to the manager’s office. Hopefully, Angel could get them out to the roof through the windows and off to safety.
It was time to stall Spike. She faced him with her hands on her hips.
“Look at you. Alone,” he said.
“Look at who’s compensating with a bunch of sidekicks. I’m flattered, but it sure doesn’t help your rep, Spike.”
“Oh, I don’t need them to kill you, love. Just block all the exits.”
She wanted to gloat he couldn’t touch her ‘cause she was already dead, but the Guardians wanted her to help him. So… “Look, we can make threats all night, or cut to the chase. You said the last time we met that you need help with something. I’m willing to hear you out.”
“You want to negotiate? Now?” Funny how his eyeballs popped out of his head like that.
She shrugged. “Good a time as any. You don’t exactly have an address.”
“You are the most infuriating--”
“Oh, come on, spill already.”
A tendon was popping out of his neck and he’d started to pace, clenching his hands. Uh-oh…
He charged. She sidestepped the effort. He ran into a table and reversed direction, trying to catch her again. Passing through her, he crashed into some boxes.
“What the--”
“Got that out of your system, yet?”
“What the bloody hell are you?”
“That’s a really long explanation we don’t have time for. Do you want my help or not?”
He cracked his neck, let out a long breath, and relaxed his stance. “Fine. Do you know how to cure a weakened vampire?”
“You’re sick?”
“No, my sire—Drusilla. Can you do it or not?”
“Possibly. Have to do some checking. But I want something in return.”
“What?”
“No snacking on the locals until I have your answer. These people are under my protection. If one hair is harmed by you and yours, all bets are off and you can go to Hell. Deal?”
“We need to eat, Slayer.”
“Then leave town. Take it or leave it.” She neared him and looked up into his golden eyes. “How important is she to you?”
“My world.”
“Then you’ll do what it takes.”
He growled and looked to the ceiling. “Fine. Deal. Bitch.”
“Watch your tone, William. You don’t want to piss me off.”
His eyes widened, then narrowed, and his head tilted as he studied her anew. She didn’t think he felt it, but his game face had worn off, leaving the handsome young man he used to be.
“See you soon, Slayer.”
“It’s Buff--” She disappeared.
****
Giles threw the statue to the floor, smashing it into tiny pieces. He looked behind him and Ethan was gone.
****
Outside.
“Hey, Will. Welcome back,” Xander said.
“You, too.” She removed the wig.
“You guys remember what happened?” Cordelia asked.
“It was way creepy. It’s like I was there, but I couldn’t get out,” Xander said.
“Yeah, I know the feeling. This outfit’s totally skintight.” Cordelia looked up at Angel.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” For a moment, it was just the two of them in the alley. He led her away.
“Well, I guess we better get them back to their parents,” Willow said.
“Yeah, everybody seems to… Where’s Buffy?”
****
Buffy awoke and got up, pulling the ghost costume off. It felt weird to be in her body again and made her a bit out of breath. She tossed the costume into a trashcan and headed home.
She’d just finished cleaning up when the doorbell rang. Angel was there.
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll live.” Her lips twitched. “Bad pun.”
“What happened tonight?”
“Our costumes were hexed. Giles took care of it.” She shuddered. “Glad it wasn’t me in that silly dress.”
“Me, too.”
“Why?”
“I hated the girls back then. Especially the noble women.”
“Really.”
“They were just incredibly dull. Simpering morons, the lot of them. I always wished I could meet someone exciting. Interesting.”
“And you found Darla.”
He winced. “Doing your homework.”
“You killed her for me. Did I thank you for that?”
“Don’t have to. You were in danger; she was a threat.”
“Still…”
“She was part of the distant past, Buffy. Let it go.”
She looked down at her hands. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to touch a nerve.”
He placed his hand on her arm. “You didn’t.” He stepped back. “I should…”
“Okay.”
She put her hand on the door, ready to close it when he left. He paused on the porch.
“Buffy?”
“Yeah?”
“Do me a favor: stop going out at night? You’ve died twice now.”
“Kinda--”
“Seriously. It’s probably not my place, but… You’re not the Slayer anymore. You and Willow and Xander…and Cordelia, you need to get out of this town as soon as you can.”
She smiled. “I’ll be careful. Thanks for looking after them tonight.”
“You’re welcome.”
She shut and locked the door.
****
Kendra searched the high school for her friends. Once the evil enchantment broke, the innocents wandering the streets had all flocked back here to reconnect.
She finally spotted Willow in a ridiculous pink dress, meaning Xander couldn’t be far away.
“You are unhurt.”
“Kendra! Hey. Boy, was it a crazy night. Have you talked to Buffy or Giles?”
“I have not seen them.”
“Oh. Well, Xander’s around here somewhere. The poor kids…I hope they think it was just a nightmare.”
“I just wish I could have stopped it.”
Willow’s big green eyes were sympathetic. “If there’s anything I learned from Buffy, it’s that one girl can’t be everywhere. I say, tonight’s a win because nobody died. Permanently.”
Kendra nodded and moved on. She finally heard Xander’s loud voice carrying down a hallway to her right.
“Xander!”
He turned, and his eyes swept up and down over her body. “Ay caramba.”
She blushed. She had chosen this comic book character costume just for him. “You are alright?”
He neared, looking up and down again and again. “I am now. Wow.”
“Buffy said Americans dress like someone else.”
“We do, but how do you know about Cat Woman?”
“You leave books inside Mr. Giles’ books. At least, I assume it is you?”
He grinned. “Guilty. But don’t tell him that.”
“I suppose I can keep a secret. Just this once.”
“Bronze is still open. Care for a tasty beverage of your choice?”
She fell in step with him. “That would be nice.”
****
At Ethan’s the next day, the place was empty. Giles walked in. He looked around, and saw a note propped up on a counter.
Be seeing you…
Giles cursed under his breath. You never know whether Ethan was screwing with your head, or had more mischief planned, until you caught him in the act. Showing up on the Hellmouth couldn’t be a coincidence.
The only question was, how long before Ethan showed up again…and how many people would be hurt when he did.
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