buffy: trick of the dark chapter 2

8/3/2019 Buffy: Trick of the Dark Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

Sunnydale

August 18, 2001

“I’m coming!” Giles growled irritably, hoping he’d sound surly enough to whomever had

decided to knock on his door at -- he checked his watch -- quarter to three? -- to dissuade themfrom ever even thinking about doing so again. Briefly he realized that it might be Buffy, and she

might be in real danger. As he unlocked the door he tried to put his anger back to sleep andawaken his other senses, but he yawned wide as he swung the door open. Eyes still shut, he

mumbled, “Now, Buffy , this had better be an emerg...” But Giles trailed off as he opened oneeye and saw that someone other than his charge stood on his doorstep.

“Mr. Giles,” Wesley breathed, “I am most dreadfully sorry for awakening you, but I’m

afraid this really is rather important.”Giles grimaced. “Somehow I doubt that. Couldn’t Council business wait until the

morning, or did you decide to be even more irritating by waking me up?”

“I’m not here on Council business,” Wesley argued.“Liar,” Giles snapped. “Tell Old Man James familiarity breeds contempt.” He peered at

Wesley over his glasses. “Buffy will do worse than break your arm.”“I’m not here to discuss the Council!” Wesley reiterated. “Mr. Giles, I know of your

distaste for the Watchers Council and your dislike of me personally.” He paused for a moment.“I know these things. I also know a proper gentleman does not wake someone up in the middle of

the night. And I’m aware that Buffy would be less than hospitable if she knew I’d come back toSunnydale. And I’m still here.” Wesley adjusted his glasses. “That should tell you that I’m

serious.”Having woken up just a bit more, Giles saw that Wesley’s face had drained of all color

and had gone horribly pale. Dark purplish rings surrounded his eyes; his hair had becomeunkempt, and he hadn’t shaven. Perspiration stains darkened his shirt, and the man’s left hand

twitched.“How long has it been since you’ve slept?” Giles asked, his tone softening.

Wesley closed his eyes and calculated. “Almost an entire day.”Giles sighed. “Come in,” he relented, opening the door wide enough to allow his fellow

Englishman in. Giles gestured to a chair and Wesley took it, grateful to be off his feet and in theair conditioning.

“It’s much nicer in here,” he breathed, inhaling deeply.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” Giles managed around a wide-mouthed yawn. “Now,” hemumbled, his eyes blinking shut, “what’s so bloody important that you woke me up out of asound sleep?”

Wesley licked his lips and looked down at his shoes. “It’s... it’s Faith.”Giles yawned. “We’ve been over this, Wesley. The Council can’t have her. Buffy forbids

it, and I agree with her.”“It’s not that,” Wesley spoke. “It’s...”

Giles regarded him through tired eyes. “It’s what?”

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Fear overtook Wesley’s features. “She’s gone.”Suddenly Giles found himself wide awake. “What?”

“Faith. She’s gone. She’s not in the hospital.”Giles stared at him. “Are you sure?”

“Bloody positive,” Wesley replied. “I went to her room, and no Slayer.”

“That’s impossible,” Giles argued. “The doctors said she would never wake up fromthat...” His eyes narrowed. “What were you doing in Faith’s room?”“That’s none of your business,” Wesley told him.

Giles removed his glasses slowly and leaned over toward Wesley. “You’d better tell mewhat you were doing in that girl’s room, Wesley, or Buffy won’t be the only Council castaway

you’ll have to worry about in Sunnydale.” Giles lowered his voice to a whisper. “Am I beingclear?”

“As Waterford,” Wesley assured him. Giles could see the younger man prepare to resisthim, but suddenly he deflated, as if the air had gone out of him, and he looked up at Giles. “They

sent me to kidnap her.”Giles’ look radiated menace. “They what?”

“The Council,” Wesley told him. “They’ve accepted that Buffy is a lost cause, that she’llnever work with us again. So they sent me to gather Faith and take her back to England.” He

looked away. “I’m fairly certain they meant to kill her. So that...”“So that a new Slayer would be born, one they could manage and mold and shape like a

little piece of clay.” Giles rubbed his nose. “And it’s a great mystery to you all why Buffy keepstelling you to sod off.” He slammed his hand down on the arm of Wesley’s chair. “They’re

people, Wesley. They’re frightened young girls who don’t know what the hell’s going on andthen we show up and teach them how to kill. We rob them of their lives and give them a new one

that’s nothing but responsibility and duty and then we fill their heads with stories of horriblemonsters and demons until they don’t know what to believe.”

“We help prepare these girls for their fate,” Wesley countered. “Without us, they would be lost, and you know it.”

“Funny,” Giles remarked, “Buffy doesn’t seem lost.”“Buffy’s different,” Wesley snapped back at him. “You of all people can attest to that.”

“She’s different because her Watcher didn’t try to crush her spirit. Because he learnedfrom her that letting a Slayer be a person is the most important part of being a Watcher.” Giles

shook his head. “Three thousand years it took us to learn that lesson, and you come waltzing back into town in complete disregard for it, ready to murder a helpless young woman because the

Council--”“Not so helpless,” Wesley cut him off.

Giles stared at him. “What did you say?”“Not so helpless,” he repeated. “Faith. In her room, there were two orderlies lying at the

foot of the bed. I’m sure they were dead.”“She was gone when you got there?” Giles rasped.

Wesley nodded. “My guess is that she finally regained consciousness.”Giles sat back on the couch, removing his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes. “Two years

of being unconscious. There’s no way to know what kind of damage her brain might havesustained. She could be severely impaired, or just confused, or an amnesiac...”

“She remembered how to kill,” Wesley noted glumly. “I’d say whatever else might bewrong with her, she’s dangerous, and likely still possessed of some if not much of her strength.”




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“When she finds out the Mayor’s dead...” Giles began, but Wesley beat him to it.“When she realizes who killed him,” Wesley spoke, “she’ll be looking for payback.”

Giles frowned. “Not right away. Faith has lain in a bed for more than two years. Unlessshe’s completely delusional, which she very well might be, she’ll have to realize that in her

current state, she’s no match for Buffy. She’ll likely hole up and bide her time until she can

recover her strength.”“You don’t think,” Wesley yawned, “she might realize her disadvantage and simply makea run for it?”

Giles paused a long moment to consider. “Not Faith, no. Revenge was a dish she never could turn down.”

Giles turned to Wesley. “Actually, it may be fortuitous, you being...” he trailed off as helooked at the younger man.

“Asleep,” he finished. Giles stood up and moved quietly to his closet and fetched a lengthof slender rope. He tied Wesley’s hands first, and then secured the younger Watcher to the easy

chair. Briefly he considered gagging the man, but Wesley looked exhausted and would likelysleep for several hours. Still, Giles thought, rummaging through the younger man’s pockets and

removing car keys, pepper spray, cellular phone, and wallet, it never hurts to be extra careful. He placed Wesley’s items in a brown paper grocery bag and set it atop the refrigerator.

“Three o’ clock,” Giles muttered, yawning. “Wonder if Buffy’s still awake?”

*Buffy giggled as Xander handed her another beer. “Spanish wrestling?” she asked,

popping open the beer and gesturing at two brightly clad men on the television as they capered

about.“Ah ah ah, Missy,” Xander said, easing himself down onto the footstool next to where

Buffy had parked herself on the floor. “That’s Mexican wrestling.” He thumbed the tab on hisown can, slurping at the foam that oozed out. “Big difference.”

Buffy gave him a doubting look. “What difference?” she asked, taking a long swig fromthe beer.

“One’s Mexican,” Xander supplied. “The other’s Spanish.” He drank deeply from his beer and belched.

Buffy gazed up at him. “Profound,” she muttered before she too belched.“You got a better idea?” he asked her. “Two Aliens movies are enough for me.”

“Especially when one of them’s Alien 3,” Buffy agreed, drinking more beer. “How manyis this?” she asked, holding up the can.

“Depends,” Xander replied. “Was that a new case tonight?”“You bought some?” Buffy asked. “I thought this was left over from Oz’s birthday.”

Xander frowned. “I thought this was left over from my birthday.”“No, we got you Rolling Rock,” Buffy said. She frowned. “I think.”

“Well,” Xander burped, “assuming this was a new case...” He ticked off fingers, his lipsmoving, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “That makes five for you.”

“Five?” Buffy asked. “How many for you?”“Seven,” Xander answered her. “I think.”

“Pig,” Buffy said, smacking him on the shin and chugging her beer.“Ouch,” Xander said calmly. “Drunk Slayer not hit friend, please.”




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Buffy laughed, and he laughed along with her. She lay back on the floor, chuckling, andXander gazed down at her. Eyes closed, blonde hair spilling out like a cloud behind her on the

pale grey carpet, Buffy slipped her hands behind her head. Her white tank top rode up, exposingher stomach, and for a long moment Xander’s eyes settled there, drinking in the tanned flesh

framed by the top and her dark shorts. His brown eyes flicked down to her firm, shapely legs,

and Xander let out a long sigh.“Tired?” Buffy asked up at him without opening her eyes.He let his eyes linger over her legs before running them up over her stomach and breasts

to her face, which wore a contented, peaceful look. “A little,” he admitted, admiring the way her nose curled at the tip and melded with her pink lips, her small, rounded chin, at how a lock of

hair curled perfectly along her cheekbone.“Maybe we should go to bed,” Buffy suggested, shifting her position slightly.

Xander blinked for a moment, wondering if he’d heard her correctly; then he felt historch for Buffy flare up, no doubt fueled by the alcohol, he mused. He couldn’t tear his eyes from

her face, and his voice came out husky and low as he spoke, “Hey Buff.”“Mmmm?” she moaned sleepily in response.

“You ever wonder...” He stopped, suddenly very self-conscious and nervous.“Wonder what?” Buffy mumbled.

“You ever wonder... what might have happened if, say, oh... “ He faltered for a second, but then continued, “Angel had never come to Sunnydale?”

Drowsy hazel eyes parted slightly, gazing up at Xander. Buffy saw the intensity in hislook, and the slight anxiousness that played on his features. And I’m lying here sprawled out on

the floor half-naked, practically flaunting myself in front of him. Real fair, Buffy. “I think,” she managed, the cloud of sleep invading her faculties quickly, “that I would

have found someone else who mibabaaba...” Her head went slack, and her breathing deepened, aslight snore issuing from her.

“Great,” Xander whispered. “Just terrific. Real conclusive there, Miss Slayer.” Xander propped his head on his hands and watched her sleep, taking advantage of an all-too-rare

opportunity to simply indulge himself by staring at her unabashedly, his emotions careeninginside him.

He noticed his own eyelids fluttering and shook his head, fighting off the imminence of sleep. He moved silently into Buffy’s bedroom and retrieved two pillows and a sheet. Gently he

lifted her head and slipped the pillows beneath it, then covered her with the sheet. He gazeddown on her, smiling at the adorable picture she presented. She always looks so beautiful when

she sleeps, Xander mused, forcing himself to turn away from her as the urge to lie down next toher threatened to overwhelm him. He turned back, watching her again, mulling over the thought

of cuddling up next to her, when the phone beeped.Xander leapt to answer it before it could awaken Buffy. He picked up the receiver and

whispered, “Yeah?” glancing to make sure Buffy still slumbered.“Xander?” Giles asked.

“Giles,” Xander replied. “What’s shakin’?”Xander winced at the look that had to be on Giles’ face on the other end of the line.

“Is Buffy there?” the Englishman queried.“Yeah,” Xander told him, “but she’s sleeping.”

“It’s rather urgent,” Giles insisted.“She’s not feeling well,” Xander told Giles. “She went to bed early.”




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“Really?” Giles asked. “Is she alright?”“She’ll be fine once she gets some rest,” Xander assured him.

Giles paused. “I suppose we should let her sleep,” he mused, thinking aloud. “Better tohave her rested and well.”

“For what?” Xander inquired. The haze of sleepy drunkenness, which he had welcomed

just half a minute earlier because it had allowed him to pore over his feelings for Buffy andactually consider them in front of her, now annoyed him. He needed to think, clearly, andquickly, a distinct difficulty at the moment.

“I’ll tell you in the morning,” Giles told him firmly. “Get some rest yourself. I’ll need tosee you both here at ten o’clock.”

“Here your place,” Xander wondered, “or here the university?”“My place,” Giles answered him. “And please don’t be late. It could be dreadfully

important.”“We’ll be there,” Xander managed to get out before the phone clicked dead. He hung up

the receiver and turned to look at the still-sleeping Buffy.“Good night,” he whispered to her, gazing at her for a long moment before he clicked off

the lights and headed off to his bedroom.

*“Did Giles say what he wanted?” Oz asked as Willow climbed in the van.She shook her head no and leaned over and kissed him, long and full, slipping her tongue

into his mouth briefly before pulling away.Oz favored her with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile. “Tongue-kissing before noon,”

Oz murmured. “Somebody’s in a good mood.”Willow blasted him with her full megawatt smile. “Yup,” she said. “It’s Saturday, it’s

finally cooled off a little, and I get to spend the whole day with you.” She slipped on her seatbelt.“What could be better than that?”

“But that’s pretty much what we do every day,” Oz reminded her, starting his van.“I know,” Willow said. “But just because it’s not out of the ordinary doesn’t mean it isn’t

really special, ‘cause it is.” She reached over and ran her finger down his nose.Oz shook his head. “I really love you, you know.”

Willow flashed him a devilish grin. “I know.”Chuckling, Oz drove off, heading towards Giles’ apartment. The ride passed

uneventfully; Oz took his time winding through the backstreets of Sunnydale, the two of themappreciating just how pretty the town could be under the full light of day. Oz let the van idle at

just over twenty; at Willow’s prompting, they’d left early, and in any case the musician felt nogreat urgency to be in Giles’ apartment on such a lovely Saturday. Not only the weather, Oz

thought as he made a lazy right hand turn. I just don’t like hanging out at Giles’ place all that much. It’s okay when it’s necessary, I guess. He shook his head. I mean, the guy’s been good to

us and all, but... Oz shrugged internally. I already have a father figure. My father. Not really inthe market for another one.

“Whatcha thinkin’?” Willow wondered.Oz glanced over at her. Violins, roses, all that sort of stuff, he answered silently. “I’m

just thinkin’ we should take a ride up to the shore if Giles doesn’t put us all on Defcon 1. You




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know, a nice beach picnic lunch. Make some little hat-shaped boats out of newspaper and sailthem in that little creek. Build a sand hovel or two.”

“Don’t you mean sand castles?” Willow teased him.“I’m just starting out with this whole ‘sand dwelling’ concept,” Oz countered. “Don’t

want to have delusions of grandeur.”

Willow smiled at him.“Besides, I already got the princess,” he mused aloud. “Why would I need a castle?”Willow leaned over and kissed him. “You are too much,” she murmured.

“Hey,” Oz told her, “with the right inspiration, I can do anything.”Willow gave him a wicked smirk. “I’ll say,” she purred.

Oz blinked at her but bit back his reply as they neared the entrance to the CapesideApartments, still Giles’ housing complex. Oz aimed the van into a visitor’s spot and killed the

engine; the two students hopped out, and, hand in hand, made their way to Giles’ door.“Come in,” he invited them after their short knock. “Willow, Oz, thank you for coming,

and for being timely.” He glanced at his watch.“Relax, Giles,” Willow told him. “They’ve still got a few minutes. They’ll be here.”

Giles looked skeptical. “Yes, well...” he trailed off. “Can I get you anything?” he askedas he led them into his living room.

“Water,” Willow replied. Oz seconded the suggestion. Then he nudged Willow in theribs, gesturing at Wesley, who remained tied up and unconscious in the easy chair.

“Giles,” Willow called out.“Hmmm?” a reply wafted back from the kitchen.

“Anything you want to tell us?”“I beg your pardon?” Giles wondered.

“I’m thinkin’ Wesley tied up in a chair is a good place to start,” Oz spoke as Giles brought them their water. “Unless that’s one of those ‘more information than I needed to know,’

situations.”“Hmm?” Giles frowned. “Oh, Wesley, yes.” He nodded. “He dropped by uninvited early

this morning.”“I’ll remember to call,” Oz assured him.

Giles shook his head. “No, he passed out. He’d been going non-stop since he’d gotten infrom England, and...”

“Still avoiding explaining the ropes, Giles,” Willow pointed out.“Yes, well, I don’t trust him. He works for the Council, and he...” Giles stopped.

Now it was Willow’s turn to “Hmmm?”“It was three a.m.,” Giles explained hurriedly. “I was too tired to sit up and watch him,

and I didn’t want him rifling through my things.”“Makes sense,” Willow concurred, sipping on her water. “Oz?”

Oz shrugged. “Works for me. ‘Course, I’m not Wesley.”Giles gestured toward the dining room table. “Why don’t you both have a seat. Can I get

you anything else? Something to eat?”“I’m good,” Willow informed him. “Ate before I came over.”

Giles nodded. “Oz?”“Got any Alpha-Bits?” Oz asked.

Giles stared at him.“You know what, toast is fine. And grapefruit juice, if you have any.”




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“Tomato juice alright?” Giles asked.Oz shook his head yes. “That’ll work.”

Oz and Willow took adjacent seats as Giles entered the kitchen. “Does anything aboutthis strike you as weird?” Willow whispered to Oz.

“ Everything about this strikes me as weird,” Oz replied. “No grapefruit juice?”

Giles returned with Oz’s juice, silencing their conversation. “Toast will be up shortly.Willow, are you sure I can’t...” he trailed off as a knock sounded on the door.“Buffy and Xander,” Giles predicted.

“On time?” Oz queried. Willow made a face.Oz raised an eyebrow. “Come on,” he said softly, “they’re so regularly late you could set

your watch by them.”Willow curled one end of her lip up in a grin. “This from the man with twenty-one tardies

last semester.”“Granted, it’s a pot-call-kettle-black kinda thing,” Oz assented. “But it’s my familiarity

with being late that makes me an expert on the subject.”Willow gave him a look.

Oz shrugged and sipped on his tomato juice, making a face.“Oz?” Willow asked.

“It’s like drinking blood,” he murmured, grimacing and sticking out his tongue.Giles opened the door to find Buffy and Xander hastily covering their yawns. Both wore

loose fitting t-shirts -- his a faded Sunnydale Swim Team t-shirt, and hers advertising a desire tosmash pumpkins -- and running shorts. Both also sported sunglasses, and Buffy’s long hair had

been pulled back in a ponytail. The much-anticipated ‘we didn’t have time to shower’ uniform,Giles noted.

“Buffy, Xander,” he greeted them. “I hope you’re feeling better, Buffy,” he added.“Huh? Oh, yeah, lots better,” she answered in an attempt to be casual. “What’s up,

Giles?”“Come in,” he waved, closing the door behind them. Giles stayed by the doorway and

watched Buffy’s body language stiffen as she spotted Wesley.“What the hell is he doing here?” she demanded, removing her sunglasses.

“I’m bettin’ you’re not happy to see him either, Giles,” Xander offered.“Nor will you be when you hear what he has to say,” Giles informed them.

The toaster oven dinged. “Be right back,” he announced. “Xander, Buffy, any breakfast?”“Toast works,” Buffy answered.

Xander called out, “Whatcha got?”“Toast,” came the terse reply.

“Toast is good,” Xander muttered, making his way over to the table. “Oz, Will, mornin’.Missed you guys last night.”

Willow glanced at Oz and replied, “We were doing couple stuff. We figured youwouldn’t be interested.”

Xander shrugged, taking off his sunglasses. “Probably a good call.”“You okay?” Oz asked.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Xander snapped.“You look kinda... tired,” Oz said, choosing his words carefully. For some reason he

could never fathom, Xander resented him on a certain level. He suspected it had something to dowith Willow, but to the best of his knowledge Willow had harbored a secret crush on Xander for




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years and not the other way around. Try as he might, Oz couldn’t see any reason for Xander to be anything less than friendly toward him -- and usually, he was. But every once in a while,

Xander seemingly forgot how happy Oz made his friend, and acted like Oz was some sort of anintruder. Oz usually shrugged it off as it didn’t happen too often and he knew how much Willow

cared for her oldest friend.

Xander nodded. “That’s because I am tired. Channel 52 shows Mexican wrestling at 2a.m. The bastards.”“That’s why you have a VCR,” Willow chided him, “so you can tape that sort of stuff

and get some sleep.”“It’s not the same when it isn’t live,” Xander began to explain. “See--”

“Guys, can it for a minute,” Buffy said from the living room. “Tied up Watcher,remember? Maybe we should pay a little attention to this and have a little less friendly chit chat.”

At Willow’s look, Buffy added, “Not that I’m against chit-chat. Usually. But Giles called our place at three a.m. This has to be sorta big.”

Giles returned to the dining room and set a plate of toast down. “I’m afraid it is,” he said,coming over to them. He reached over and shook Wesley. “Time to wake up,” he spoke firmly.

Wesley blinked twice and opened his eyes, squinting in the light. When his eyes focused,the first thing he saw was Buffy. At the exact same moment he realized his hands had been

bound and he sat roped in a chair. “Gaaaaah!” was the most he could manage.“Relax,” Buffy snarled. “I’m not gonna hurt you. For now.”

“I sincerely hope not,” Wesley replied. He turned to face Giles. “Could I have a glass of water?” he asked.

“We’ll ask the questions here,” Xander spoke, coming over closer.“Down, boy,” Buffy told him.

Xander glanced at her and back at Wesley. “So what does bring you to our neck of thewoods, Wes? Didja miss that sunny California weather, or were ya maybe lookin’ for another co-

ed to hit on?”Wesley stared back at Xander. “Mr. Giles, could you please untie me now?” he asked.

“I’m hardly a threat. After all, you do outnumber me five to one.”Giles started to approach Wesley when Buffy held up a hand. “Leave him like this, Giles.

After all, there’s no reason we should go out of our way to make him comfortable.”“Buffy,” Willow spoke. “He can’t hurt any of us. There’s no reason to keep him tied up.”

“I can think of a few,” Xander offered. Willow shot him a dark look.“I tell you what,” Buffy said, leaning close to Wesley. “You tell us what you came here

for, and we’ll decide if it’s worth letting you free.”“You can’t keep him here forever,” Oz suggested.

“Watch me,” Buffy shot back.Giles raised an eyebrow. “I’m inclined to agree with Willow,” he spoke, drawing his

pocket-knife and slicing the rope around Wesley’s wrists. “Besides, I’ve already taken away his pepper spray.”

“You frisked me!” Wesley accused Giles.“You came to Sunnydale to kidnap a defenseless girl. Of course I frisked you.”

“Defenseless girl?” Buffy echoed, an edge to her voice.“That sounds about right,” Xander added.

“Why don’t we let Wesley tell his side of the story?” Willow suggested. “You know,innocent until proven guilty? Remember that?”




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“He’s already proven he’s guilty,” Xander growled.“That’s enough for now, all of you,” Giles said, cutting the remainder of the rope and

pulling it free of the chair. He began wrapping the rope in neat coils. “Wesley, tell them whatyou told me.”

The younger Watcher glanced up at Giles with a sour expression and then turned his

attention to the four youths. “I was sent here by the Council, as you probably suspect. But not toapproach Buffy.”Buffy tilted her head. “They’re learning,” she muttered.

“I was sent here to bring Faith back to England,” Wesley continued. “We wanted to see if we could revive her from her coma.”

Silence met his explanation, until Oz spoke, “Any reason why you couldn’t just bringwhoever it is you’re gonna have examine Faith here? Or would it be too easy to fly conscious

people across the ocean?”“Oz,” Willow scolded him.

“Sounds like a fair question to me,” Xander put in.“It’d be tricky explaining how you’re gonna sneak a comatose girl through customs, too,”

Buffy spoke.“All of that was to be taken care of.” Wesley glanced at Giles. “We only had Faith’s best

interests at heart.”Buffy and Xander scoffed; Giles turned away, and Willow asked, “Something’s not right

here. If you came to get Faith, why are you at Giles’ apartment?”“He botched it,” Oz offered.

“I did not!” Wesley answered quickly. “I...she was gone when I got there.”“Oh, so you didn’t have the chance to botch it, huh?” Xander charged.

“Not with her absent, no,” Wesley remarked, giving Xander a tart look.Willow looked around the room. “Faith came out of her coma?” she asked.

“Someone woke her,” Buffy said softly. “Someone took her.”Giles adjusted his glasses. “How do you know?”

Buffy turned to face him. “You didn’t see her before she was in the hospital, Giles,”Buffy told him. “I thought she was dead. I didn’t think anyone could survive that.” She took a

deep breath. “Nobody, not even a Slayer, gets up from an injury like that. No way.”“Who would want to kidnap Faith?” Oz queried.

“Ordinarily, I’d say the Council,” Giles replied, aiming a pointed look in Wesley’sdirection.

“But we already know their guy didn’t do it,” said Xander.“So who else would want a Slayer?” Oz wondered.

“Are you kidding?” Willow blurted. “Do you know how many vampire rituals involvethe blood of a Slayer? Why, there’s even one that specifies exactly how to...”

She stopped, glancing at the array of frowns surrounding her. “Right,” she mutteredapologetically. “Sorry.”

“So, vampires. And she was taken at night,” Xander reminded the gang.“But why now?” Buffy said. “Why wait until a member of the Watcher’s Council is here

to find out about her disappearance hours after it happened?”“Bad karma?” Oz asked.

“Or really terrible timing,” Willow suggested.




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“Suppose for a moment that it wasn’t vampires,” Giles told them. “Though more thanlikely it is. Who else would know of Faith’s condition?”

“Anyone who had worked for the Mayor,” Wesley piped up.“Not too many of those guys walkin’ around any more,” Xander informed him. “We

bagged most of ‘em at graduation, and anyone -- or given our graduation, anything -- that got

away, Buffy and I have likely staked or beheaded in the last two years.” Xander gave Wesley alook. “Don’t you follow current events?”“We don’t have too many more likely suspects,” Giles admitted. “Xander’s right that

most of the Mayor’s henchmen have been dealt with since his death. So I’d think we could ruleout any of them coming to get her.”

Xander nodded at Wesley smugly.“If we do except vampires for the moment,” Wesley spoke, “who else has the most to

gain?”“The Council,” Giles announced. “With Faith dead, they get a crack at a new Slayer.”

Wesley shot Giles a look. “We know it wasn’t the Council. I failed. I’m here.”“And anyway, the Council wouldn’t do that,” Willow argued. “They may not be on our

Christmas card list, but they’re more or less on the same side.”“Remember my eighteenth birthday?” Buffy snapped. “Lock me in a house with no

powers and a crazy vampire? Hello? These guys would too kill Faith, if they thought it couldhelp them get their hands on another Slayer.”

Willow frowned, unable to speak. “They wouldn’t...”The others remained silent for a moment. At last Wesley spoke, his voice barely more

than a whisper. “I’m afraid they would, Willow,” he admitted. “They didn’t send me herespecifically to kill Faith, but I have to confess that’s what they had in mind.”

“No,” Willow maintained. “Don’t say that!”“It’s the truth,” Giles confirmed softly, his voice grim, as Oz slid an arm around Willow.

“Maybe they know some way to revive her,” Willow ventured. “Something they didn’ttell you.”

The look on Wesley’s face suggested otherwise.“So Faith may be dead?” Xander murmured.

Giles and Buffy made eye contact.“Could be,” Buffy spoke. “But this is Faith we’re talking here. We have to be sure. I do

not want that psycho bitch running around loose.”Giles nodded. “I concur. We must be certain.”

“Just how’re we gonna accomplish that?” Oz inquired.Giles removed his glasses. “I hate to ruin your entire Saturday, but I’m afraid this is

rather important. Willow and Oz, you check and see if there have been any reports of anyoneremotely resembling Faith surfacing. There’s always the possibility she woke up and took off on

her own.” He gestured to the others. “We’ll take a look at the hospital, see if we can turn upanything there.”

“I can’t go with you,” Wesley told him.Buffy eased herself in front of him, glaring at his face. “You wanna repeat that? That

sounded like a ‘no’ to me.”“It was,” Wesley told her. “I was there last night. They’ll recognize me and detain you. I

won’t be of any use to you.”“He’s right about that last part,” Xander said.




36

“He’s right about all of it,” Buffy stated.“Why would they detain us if they recognized you?” Giles asked, thinking. “Oh, I see,

you asked about Faith and she was suddenly gone.” Giles adjusted his glasses. “Why didn’t theydetain you?”

“They tried,” Wesley answered softly.

“What, did you clock a guard or something?” Xander asked.“Or something,” Wesley replied sheepishly.“You?” Buffy inquired, scoffing. “I doubt it. You’re just trying to throw us off the trail.”

“But if he wanted to throw us off the trail wouldn’t he want to go with you to thehospital?” Willow queried. “To cover up and everything?”

“We don’t have time to second guess ourselves just now,” Giles told them irritably.“Buffy, Xander and I will visit the hospital. Wesley will stay here with Oz and Willow.” He

looked over at the couple. “You did bring your laptops, no?”“Always do,” Willow assured him.

“Excellent,” Giles sighed. “Well, let’s not waste any more time. Shall we?” he asked,gesturing toward the door. Xander followed him, but Buffy stopped in front of Wesley.

“Anything happens to these two,” she hissed at him, her voice low, “and you’re gonna beeating through a straw the rest of your life. Got that?”

“Emphatically,” Wesley replied quickly.Buffy made sure the door slammed on the way out.

“Hasn’t changed much, has she?” Wesley asked when he felt certain she had left thevicinity.

Oz and Willow merely stared at him.

*Sunnydale Memorial proved a quick dead end. Giles had distracted the police while

Xander and Buffy had snuck into Faith’s room. Aside from chalk lines denoting where the two

slain orderlies had fallen, there remained no sign that Faith had ever been there. Buffy could picture the other Slayer in her mind, remembering the brief moment when they had seemingly

shared their thoughts. I’ll never really know what that was, Buffy had mused as she and Xander had performed a fast sweep of the area. Probably all in my head.

Their next stop had been the police station, but the desk officer had told them they had noleads on Faith’s disappearance. Buffy and Xander had posed as friends of Faith wishing to visit

her on her birthday to allay the suspicions of the police. But the officer had remained stoicallydisinterested, doling out the non-information with the practiced air of a man to whom the crimes

he discusses are impersonal affairs, just part of his job. Giles had thanked him and the three hadleft with little more information than when they had departed Giles’ apartment.

“Sounds to me like whoever nabbed Faith didn’t really want us to know about it,” Xander theorized. “They waltzed in, no one heard saw or heard anything, and bam, they’re out the door.

I think whoever it was just chose a really crappy night, with Wesley bein’ in town and all.”Buffy frowned. “I’m not big on that much coincidence,” she spoke, sucking on her

Frosty.“Neither am I,” Giles agreed glumly, “but the facts, such as they are, do support Xander’s

hypothesis. Faith seems to have simply disappeared.”




37

“Wait a minute, though. Are we really sure she had help?” Xander queried. “You know,ol’ crazy Faith wakes up, starts lashing out, orderlies come in to restrain her, bam, boom, two

dead guys and one ex-Slayer takin’ off in her hospital gown.”Buffy pursed her lips. “I don’t think so. I just have a feeling she had help. And from what

that room looked like, those kills were clean, Xander. Fast. Faith didn’t operate like that even

when she was in top form. As a semi-veggie, I’d expect Faith would have battered the guysaround a little bit, you know, made a mess. Threw things. Seems like kind of a long shot that shewoke up from a two year coma with no brain damage or loss of coordination.”

“You heal fast,” Xander countered.“I don’t heal that fast,” Buffy argued.

“I think your first idea was nearer the mark, Xander. I think this was someone who cameand absconded with Faith in a fast, professional manner.”

“No one saw anything,” Buffy reminded them. “At least according to the police.”“Vampires are good at staying hidden,” Xander pointed out. “Especially in a house of

mirrors.”Buffy gave him a look.

“It fits the way they work,” he added.“It’s the best theory we have so far,” Giles agreed hesitantly.

Buffy set her Frosty down and reached for her fries. “Why do I get the feeling there’s anunsaid ‘but’ ?”

Giles shrugged. “I cannot help but share your feeling that it’s too coincidental,” he toldBuffy. “They let Faith sit and wait two years and decide, the very night the Council sends

someone to reclaim her, to act? That’s too easy.”“So you’re saying...what? Whoever did this knew the Council was going to make a

move?” Xander wondered.“It would seem so, yes,” Giles replied.

“Or the Council sent them, too,” Buffy offered, munching on her fries.“Then why send Wesley?” Giles asked her. “That seems unnecessarily duplicitous. Hand

Wesley to us and hope we trust him so we eliminate them as a suspect?” Giles gave Buffy askeptical look. “I’m not sure if the Council is capable of that level of intrigue. They’re not MI5.”

“Maybe they didn’t tell him,” Buffy suggested.Giles shook his head. “Wesley knew the Council meant to kill Faith. They may not have

told him directly, but he was well aware that was their intention.” Giles removed his glasses. “Ithink he had difficulty accepting that, but that’s irrelevant at the moment.” He shook his head. “I

don’t think the Council is involved.”“But that’s what they would want us to think,” Xander spoke.

“I admit that’s so,” Giles conceded, “but nonetheless that’s likely the truth.”Buffy cleared her throat. “Okay, for the moment we’ll go with the skanky old guys not

being a part of this. That makes vamps the primary suspects.” Buffy picked up a fry and pointedit at Giles. “Except one thing. There are no big vamps in town any more. Me and Xander took

care of that. Only little brain vamps, and they don’t think of things like kidnapping a Slayer in acoma. They think about things like blood, I want blood, where’s the blood?” Buffy popped the

french fry in her mouth. “Something like this needs a Spike, or a Trick, or...” she trailed off.“Or an Angelus,” Xander finished, his voice low. Buffy rapped him on the shoulder.

“Are we certain there are no vampire kings in town?” Giles pondered. “I’ll agree this sortof thing is a little out of the league of most lesser vampires.”




38

“Pretty sure,” Xander replied. “Of course, one could’ve come into town last night, and wewouldn’t know.”

“Yet,” Buffy said. “But we know someone who would.”“Willy,” Xander muttered.

Giles raised an eyebrow. “He still cavorts with vampires? After all you’ve put him

through?”Buffy shook her head, chewing on the last french fry. “Some people learn way slow.”“Very well,” Giles agreed. “You two check with Willy, and I’ll stop back and look in on

Willow and Oz, see if they’ve uncovered anything. Call if you learn anything.”“We will,” Buffy assured him.

“Oh, and try not to hurt Willy too much,” Giles half-joked.“We won’t,” Buffy told him.

“Too much,” Xander added.They stood up and left, Giles heading back to his Beetle and Buffy and Xander moving

on foot toward Willy’s bar. I still feel like we’re overlooking something, Giles couldn’t help but think as he started his

car and aimed it down Main Street.

*

“The police have it reported on their log,” Willow announced, pointing at the screen.

“Two men dead, patient Faith Wilkins missing--”“Wilkins?” Oz queried. “He adopted her?”

“I don’t think so,” Willow spoke. “Not legally, anyway.” She scrolled down a little. “Oh,and a nurse was incapacitated. With a stun gun. Maybe she saw something.”

“I don’t think so,” Wesley mentioned.“What makes you say that?” Oz asked him.

“Because I was the one who stunned her.”Willow frowned. “First pepper spray, and now zapping people with stun guns?” She

looked at Wesley. “I thought you were supposed to be one of the good guys!”“You try sneaking into a town with a hostile Slayer,” Wesley challenged.

Oz shrugged. “He’s got a point.”“Oz,” Willow scolded.

“All I’m saying is that if Buffy was mad at me, I’d want protection too. Or distance.Distance would work.”

“Buffy wouldn’t hurt you,” Willow assured Oz. “Or you,” she told Wesley.“She broke Hugh Witley’s arm,” Wesley pointed out. “That tends to make one cautious.”

Willow hmphed and returned her attention to her search. “No one matching Faith’sdescription has been sighted. There’s an APB out on her, though. That’s good, I guess. Lots of

people besides us looking for her.”“You can get access to police reports?” Wesley asked, rising slowly from the easy chair.

Willow glanced up at him. “When it’s necessary. Why, do you have anything else you’dlike to confess?”

“No,” Wesley answered hastily. “I just stunned a nurse so she wouldn’t call security.That’s all I’ve done.”




39

Oz gave him a lingering glance before suggesting, “Check and see if there were any other crimes committed shortly afterward.”

“Like?” Willow requested after clicking on the SEARCH tab.“Like clothing being stolen from a store. Women’s clothing. Shoes. Or food. Things

you’d need if you suddenly acquired a comatose teenage Slayer.”

“Good idea,” Willow grinned up at Oz.“It is a good idea,” Wesley mumbled. “Was Buffy patrolling that time last night?”“Why?” Oz wondered as Willow typed.

“If she was attacked by a group of vampires at or around the same time Faith wasabducted, they may have been a diversion to keep Buffy busy.” He clasped his hands behind his

back and added, “If it was vampires.”“You think it wasn’t?” Oz inquired.

“I think it’s possible it wasn’t, yes,” Wesley told them. “You may not be aware of this, but...” He stopped.

“Go on,” Willow urged him.He made a pained face. “I’m not supposed to discuss Council business with outsiders.”

“Can’t get much more outside than us,” Oz remarked.Willow ignored Oz’s statement. “Would it help us find Faith?”

Wesley considered for a moment. “I’m not sure.”Willow smiled warmly. “Try me. I can keep a secret. I won’t tell anyone you told us.”

Wesley moved to speak, but stopped.“And just think, it might save Faith’s life.”

Caught between his desire to serve the Council and his instincts to do good, Wesleysighed, “Very well. But you must promise not to tell Buffy.”

“Sure thing,” Willow promised.Oz nodded. “That’s cool. Shoot.”

Wesley removed his glasses. “You serve with Buffy every day, so likely you’re not awarehow the rest of us see her.” He inhaled deeply. “Buffy is an extraordinarily successful Slayer, the

most powerful the Council has seen in over a century. Word of her has spread throughout thevampire community. Most of the older vampires are avoiding Sunnydale these days. I’m sure

you’ve noticed there haven’t been any kings here in a while.”“Kings are the really old powerful ones, right?” Oz checked with Willow.

“Yup,” she answered. To Wesley she directed, “Go on.”“Well, it seems that only great need drives them here. Now, the lure of a Slayer in a coma

might be enough to bring a king here, but they’re afraid of Buffy.”“They should be,” Willow spoke.

“And you don’t think Faith was bait enough?” Oz queried.“I don’t, no,” Wesley admitted. “I think someone human took her.”

The laptop beeped. “Search done,” Willow announced. “Let’s see...” She peered at thescreen, reading the list. “No, no, no....” She chuckled.

Oz raised an eyebrow. “Someone broke into Victoria’s Secret at the mall.”She looked up at Oz. “You don’t think...”

Oz flashed his grin. “Yeah, two years in a coma, first thing she wants when she wakes upis a purple teddy.” He ruffled her hair. “Not everyone shops there.”

Willow turned a deep crimson. “Oz!” she yelped.Oz smiled. “Did I mention you, Miss ‘guilty conscience’?”




40

“I didn’t hear you complaining last Saturday,” Willow muttered.“I’m not complaining now.” He leaned over. “Green really is your color,” he whispered

in her ear, renewing her deep blush.“Ummmm....” Willow searched the list, desperate to shift the topic to something else. “A

Gas-N-Sip was held up.” She frowned. “Just money, no food.”

“What about that?” Oz asked, pointing at the screen.“What?” Wesley said, standing tiptoe to peer down at Willow’s computer.“Hey!” Willow snapped. “No peeking.”

Wesley told her, “But if I am to assist you in --”“Would you want me checking out what you have on your computer?”

Wesley looked chagrined at the prospect. “Not especially, no.”“Well, then,” Willow instructed him, waving a hand at him, “shoo! Sit down.”

Glumly he followed her orders.“Dragon’s Cove. Isn’t that your magic shop?” Oz asked. “That place where you get

your...” Willow elbowed him, stopping him from saying anything more. “Stuff,” he concludedlamely.

“It is,” Willow noted, clicking on the name of the store and pulling up more detail on the break-in. “Four-oh-five a.m. the alarm went off. The cops got there eleven minutes later and

found it empty. Nothing broken, no property damage...”“Do they have a description of what’s missing?” Oz wondered.

“Lemme check.” Willow said, hitting another link to access more detail. A list of missingitems popped up, and Willow read them silently.

“That’s some strong stuff,” Oz commented.“What is?” Wesley queried them. “What did you find?”

Willow frowned deeply. “I’m not a hundred per cent positive, but it looks like whoever hit up the store stole just what he or she would need to perform a resuscitation.”

“A resuscitation?” Wesley echoed.Willow nodded. “It’s a very powerful spell. Only a very experienced mage or witch can

cast it and survive.”“What exactly does it do?” Oz asked her. “I mean, resuscitation, I get the basic gist,

but...”Willow looked up at him with troubled eyes. “It restores mind and body to what they

were before they were grievously injured,” she told him as if reciting it from rote. “The subject just has to be alive. The worse they’re hurt, the more the spell takes out of the mage, but anyone

not dead can be restored to health.”“So you’re tellin’ me Faith was kidnapped by some wizard?” Oz suggested.

“That doesn’t sound promising,” Wesley murmured.“It isn’t,” Willow agreed. “It may not be the single worst case scenario, but it’s a definite

candidate.”

*“I’ll be right over,” Zack said, hanging up the phone.“Trouble?” Joyce asked from her desk, a stack of papers swaying slightly in the air

conditioning.




41

Zack shrugged. “Could be. I doubt it. There was a break-in at one of our customers lastnight. I sold her the system, so I get to go take a look.”

Joyce smiled up at him. “Anything to avoid helping me tally all this up,” she teased him.“If you’d like, I can stay here and fiddle with the adding machine, and you can go talk to

the hippie.”

“Hippie?” Joyce laughed.“Yeah, some dopey chick who runs a new age place. Dragon’s Cave or something likethat.” Zack made a face. “She sells crystals and potions and all that stuff. Nice girl, but a few

flowers short of an arrangement.” He took a sip from his coffee and added, “Always in a goodmood, you know, always talkin’ about how we have to be in harmony with ourselves and each

other and all that.” He snickered. “Born a few years late, if you ask me.”“Was anything stolen?” Joyce asked.

“The cash register was wiped clean, and she lost some roots or herbs or something. Nothing expensive. There wasn’t any vandalism, which is unusual in a break in.”

“Did they catch whoever did it?” wondered Joyce as she stood up to refill her coffeemug.

Zack scratched at his chin. “That’s the tricky part.”“Hmm?” Joyce inquired.

“Well,” he began, swirling his coffee in his mug, “whoever did it didn’t set off the alarm.Just got in, took his stuff, got out.”

Joyce poured her coffee. “That’s unusual.”“It’s more than unusual,” Zack noted. “Granted, the Sentry 11 is one of our cheaper

systems, but still, it should have gone off.”“Cheaper systems?” Joyce echoed, blowing on her mug. “Had a little trouble selling

security to this hippie chick?” Joyce teased him.“Aw, hell,” Zack replied. “She kept going on about how she had wards up all over the

store, how she had her own warning system in place, but she felt she needed something thatworked...” He squinted, trying to recall her exact words. “‘On this plane,’” he told Joyce,

chuckling. “I was thinkin’ she oughtta lay off the peyote.”Joyce felt a shiver run through her. “This place wouldn’t happen to be on Noffler Street,

would it?”Zack raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, how’d you know? Ever been there?”

“Nope,” Joyce told him, sipping on her drink. “Just know of the place, that’s all.”He nodded. “Well, I better get down there and talk to her, see what happened. Maybe

something shorted out.” He moved to the sink and poured out his coffee. “Be back as soon as Ican.”

“Be careful,” Joyce told him, her voice serious.Zack gave her a long look. “I will be. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Joyce assured him. “Just be careful.”“Promise,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Be back by lunch.”

“See you then,” Joyce said, trying to smile as he left but unable to shrug off her feeling of concern. Concern? she wondered to herself. He’s going down to that creepy magic store where

Willow buys all of her witch stuff. I’m more than a little concerned. She sat at her desk for a long moment, undecided as to whether she should do anything or

not. Anxiety won out over anger, however, and she picked up her phone and speed-dialed




42

Buffy’s number. After four rings, she got the answering machine, and she slammed the phonedown.

“There’s a surprise,” Joyce snapped. “Never around when you need her.”Zack, meanwhile, pondered Joyce’s words as he started his Camry and headed off toward

the east end of town. Noffler Street ran close to the university, so Zack avoided the main streets

and stuck to shortcuts to speed him to his destination. The downtown galleria area where Joyce’sgallery was situated had become quite popular in the last two or three years, and traffic had become terrible on the weekends. Zack skipped across the main intersection and turned down an

old access road mostly used by trucks to make deliveries. His kidneys argued that choice as thecar thumped up and down over the cracked pavement and potholes, but he neared Noffler Street

much faster than he would have playing tag with the tourists and sightseers putting around. Zack lucked out, finding an open parking spot across the street from the shop; he fed the meter even

though the sticker posted inside the window of the meter reminded him Saturday was free of charge, and headed across the street, tool bag in hand.

A wind chime sounded as he opened the door and stepped into the shop. A pleasant odor reached him as he entered, and Zack inhaled, trying to place the scent.

“Morning, Mr. Crenshaw,” the young woman behind the counter greeted him cheerfully.Cheerier than I’d be in her shoes, Zack thought.

“Hello, Daisy,” he replied. “Wish I could have stopped by for a better reason,” he toldher, sniffing at the air again.

“Sage,” she informed him. “Cleans the air of any negative essences, especially anythingthat would leech at our energy.”

“Can’t have that,” Zack agreed amiably.“Well, after someone disturbed the place last night...” Daisy shook her head, long honey-

colored hair shaking back and forth. “I’d rather not deal with all their residual negativity.”Zack nodded. “I understand,” he lied.

Daisy gave him a bright smile and he realized after a moment that cleaned up and dressedin something less baggy than the shawl and flowing skirt she wore, this young woman might

actually be attractive. Her choice, he mused.“So,” he continued, assuming his business tone, “I understand the Sentry didn’t even go

off?”“That’s right,” Daisy nodded. “Not that I blame you. Everyone makes mistakes, Mr.

Crenshaw, even machines.”“Mind if I have a look?” he asked. “All the remote tests the boys at HQ ran on it said it

was in perfect working order.”Daisy led him through a doorway filled with hanging beads. “You know,” she said, “even

those eternally on their guard can be tricked by someone with dark intent, or someonedetermined enough.” She gave him a serious look. “What can a mere machine do against that?”

He nodded. “Well, we’ll see,” he told her, moving into her office and keying in asequence on the box. It beeped agreeably, and he opened it up, withdrawing a small flashlight

from his tool bag and flicking it on.The chime sounded again, and Daisy excused herself to answer the door.

“Blessed Be!” she greeted the newcomers. “Good to see you!”“Good morning, Daisy,” Willow responded. She inhaled deeply. Sage, she realized.

“Something bad happen here?”“Someone broke in,” Daisy told her breezily. “What can I get for you, Willow?”




43

“Actually, that’s kind of why we’re here,” Willow told her softly. “We, um, werewondering if you could tell us anything about what’s missing?”

Daisy raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm, well, who ever did it had a dark aura.”“How do you know that?” Oz asked.

“He left a wake of negativity behind,” Daisy explained. “Which I suppose is appropriate

for someone who thieves.”“He?” Oz asked. “You know it’s a he?”Daisy narrowed her eyes. “I think so, yes. If it was a woman, she was very dark, and very

strong of purpose, almost obsessively so.” She smiled apologetically. “Men tend to leave wider trails than women.”

“‘Course,” Oz agreed.“Anything else you can tell us about what’s missing?” Willow pressed.

Daisy considered, “Only that it seemed to be chosen by someone who knew their magic.It wasn’t simple stuff, like love potions or jewelry or anything. It was a very specific mixture,

and a powerful one. He either knows what he’s doing, or he thinks he does.” She went on to listthe missing items.

Willow nodded knowingly. “It was for a resuscitation, wasn’t it?”Daisy smiled. “Very good, Willow,” she spoke. “Only a handful of people would know

that. So whoever did steal the stuff must be well schooled in the arts.” Daisy shrugged. “It could be worse.”

“How so?” Oz wondered.“At least he took materials to perform a positive spell. He wants to save a life and heal

someone.”“I thought you said he had a dark aura,” Oz questioned her.

“Even the darkest heart knows a little love,” Daisy told him. “Even the truly evil arecapable of caring about someone.” She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. “It may merely have

been his desperation that left such an impression in the air. He may not be truly evil.”“We can hope,” Willow muttered doubtfully.

“Anything else?” Daisy queried. “Some wolfsbane, perhaps?” she asked, winking atWillow.

“Why would I want to keep him away?” Willow retorted.Daisy gave her a wide smile. “Why indeed?”

Oz glanced from woman to woman. “I think I just missed something here.”“We’re done,” Willow told him lightly. “Daisy, thanks so much for your time.”

“Time’s not mine to give, only to share,” she replied to Willow. “Come visit again soon!”Willow gave her a little wave and she and Oz left the shop.

Behind the beaded curtain, Zack shook his head. Kids talking about magic and spells and sorcery and auras... He closed up the box, finished with the inspection. The Sentry unit remained

in annoyingly perfect working order; he hadn’t been able to find any flaws in it“I sense frustration,” Daisy said, entering the office. “Puzzlement, maybe?”

Zack exhaled. “I can’t find a thing wrong with it, Daisy. I’m sorry. I can’t explain howanyone could have gotten in past the security sensors.”

“Some who walk the night can make themselves invisible,” Daisy intoned. “Bypassingyour little electronic eye would be child’s play for the undead.”

The undead? He thought, trying not to laugh as he zipped up his toolbag. “Can I ask youa question?”




44

“Of course, Mr. Crenshaw,” Daisy answered him.“If you feel that way about these night people, why’d you get a Sentry system?”

“Because the insurance rate is so much lower with one of your systems installed it notonly pays for itself, I actually save quite a bit,” Daisy revealed.

“Oh,” Zack mumbled.

*

“I swear I don’t know nuthin’!” Willy pleaded, his dark beady eyes shifting from Buffyto Xander and back. “You guys know I wouldn’t hold out on ya!”

“I’d like to believe that,” Xander admitted, “but ya know, Willy, we just really have to besure on this one.”

Willy wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. “Look, I already told ya. No big vamps arecomin’ to town. They’re all scared’a you, Buffy. Yeah, they know about Faith, but she’s off

limits. ‘Cause they know you’d come after her.”“They’re right so far,” Buffy hissed, relaxing her grip on Willy’s shirt a fraction.

“And trust me, Buffy, they know -- you ain’t worth messin’ with. Faith ain’t worth thekinda heat you generate. No way.” He swallowed loudly, looking up at Buffy. “Really.”

She let go of Willy; he retained his balance, barely, and stood straight. He smoothed outhis shirt and tried unsuccessfully to remove the crease where Buffy had grabbed him.

“What about the Watcher?” Buffy asked. “Anything about him?”“Hey, Buffy,” Willy spoke smoothly. “I work for with the underground, ya know? The

home team? I don’t know nothin’ about vampire killers. That’s your deal. No way am I intrudin’on that.”

“Better not,” Xander said. “We kinda like you right where you are, Mr. Shady.”Willy nodded. “That’s me, all right. Shady. But honest. I’d never lie to you.”

Buffy set her hands on her hips. “That’s because you fear me.”Willy pointed at her. “That’s very true,” he agreed.

Xander turned to Buffy. “We done here? You satisfied?”Buffy gave Willy a long, mean look. “For now.”

“Then let’s go,” Xander suggested.Buffy nodded. “If we find out you’re lyin’...” she warned Willy.

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m that stupid, I’d lie to you. I’d be wearin’ my guts as a necktie.”The Slayer considered this. “Ew, no,” she told him. “I’d just break your legs.”

Willy failed to repress a shudder. “Still bad enough.”Buffy turned to Xander. “Let’s vamoose.”

“Sounds good to me,” he agreed. They slipped on their sunglasses and headed out thedoor.

Buffy swore, long and low, as they made their way toward Xander’s car. Xander turnedto regard her. “You kiss your mother with that mouth?” he asked.

“I’m tired of freaking dead ends,” she spat. “Wesley doesn’t know anything. The policedon’t know anything. The hospital doesn’t know anything. Scumseed back there doesn’t even

know anything!”“‘Scumseed?’” Xander questioned her as he opened the door.

“Scumseed,” Buffy repeated as he unlocked her door. “Seed of scum. One who has scumas parents.”




45

“Ah,” Xander spoke. “So now where to, oh mistress of intimidation?”Buffy gave him a quiet smile. “He was pretty scared of me, wasn’t he?”

Xander chuckled, pulling out of the parking space. “Hell, Buffy, I was scared of you.”“But you’re always scared of me,” she teased him.

“I am not!” Xander said. “You didn’t look so scary last night all curled up under your

blankie on the living room floor.”Buffy looked out the window, pointedly ignoring him. “I dunno what you’re talkingabout.”

“Okay, one question. Where did you wake up this morning?”Buffy turned and regarded Xander. “Giles’ place.”

Xander lowered his sunglasses. “Still at the station on that train of thought,” heconfessed.

“Let’s go to Giles’ place,” Buffy said slowly, as if she were addressing a child or someone hard of hearing. “Compare notes. See if anyone else did better than we did.”

“That wouldn’t be hard,” Xander admitted. “Though you’re avoiding the question.”“What question?” Buffy wondered.

“The whole blankie incident,” he reminded her.Buffy turned to face him as he accelerated the car. “Need I remind you of the bathtub

fiasco?”“That’s different,” Xander countered. “You moved me in there when I was drunk.”

“So?” Buffy asked.“So,” Xander told her, “you set that up. Framed me, if you like. Whereas I, on the other

hand...”She shook her head. “You put those pillows and that blanket there.”

“Yeah,” Xander admitted. “But you looked so cute.”“Drunkenly cute,” she clarified. She turned to look at Xander. “D’you think he knew?”

“He who knew what?” Xander queried. “Hoppin’ the rails with that thought train again,Buff.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I see somebody bought a metaphor, Pat. You and trains today,Xander, what’s with that?”

“Just tryin’ to keep up with that keen Slayer intellect,” he admitted, taking a left turn.“I was just wondering if Giles knew we’d been drinking,” she stated.

“Does it make a difference?” Xander said. “We did patrol. It’s not like we shirked your holy duty or anything. And it doesn’t say anywhere in the manual that you can’t have fun.”

“Actually,” Buffy corrected him, “it does. There’s a whole chapter on it. That’s why Inever use the manual.”

Xander chuckled. “Yup. You even fired the guys who wrote it.”Buffy thought about that. “I did, didn’t I?” she asked.

*Willow and Oz had waited for Giles to return before they had set out for the Dragon’s

Cove, so it came as no surprise to either of them that they arrived back at the apartment after Buffy and Xander, who had, Giles had explained, gone to visit local snitch Willy. Willow was

just as glad about that -- she didn’t care for bars all that much, especially one as overtly seedy asWilly’s, and she didn’t care for Buffy’s intimidation tactics with the snitch. Willow rationalized




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Buffy’s approach by accepting that fear likely really was the only thing that Willy understood, but she could never quite come to terms with how much Buffy seemed to enjoy throwing her

weight around with Willy. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he’d once handedAngel over to Spike, or maybe it was merely that he chose to willingly associate with vampires.

Whatever the reason, Buffy’s apparent satisfaction at being... well, at being mean, she told

herself, always unsettled Willow. Though I guess if it had been Oz who Willy had handed over, I’d be pretty nasty myself. Oz shook Willow’s shoulder gently. “You with us?”

“Huh?” Willow blurted, roused from her thoughts.“The here and now,” Oz explained. “As opposed to, say, wherever you went.”

“I was just thinking how mean I would be if Willy ever handed you over to Spike,”Willow muttered.

Oz raised an eyebrow. “You don’t daydream small, do you?” he asked.Willow turned to look at him, concerned. “No, I mean... what if you did get handed over

to some vampires? What would I do about it?”“I’m hopin’ that won’t be a major concern any time soon,” Oz assured her. “Or even any

time ever.”“Me too,” Willow agreed, “but say if it did. Could I get mean? Could I toss people

around a bar or through a window or something?” She frowned. “See, I know I would be angrythat someone would want to hurt you, but I don’t know that I could get, you know, mean.”

Willow’s green eyes widened as she told him, “I mean, I’d want to get all ‘medieval on their ass’and everything, but I just don’t know that I could.”

Oz reached over and clasped her hand. “Personally, I think it’s kinda sweet you might nothave a medieval mode. Getting nasty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Even if you win, there are

still bruises and hurt feelings. Not to mention property damage.” He ran a hand through her hair.“You don’t have to throw people through windows to prove you care about me,” he murmured.

Willow gave him a doubting pout.“Willow, we have someone to get nasty for us. Her name’s Buffy.”

Willow nodded. “I know,” she told him, “and I know she does a way better mean than Ido, but--”

Oz interrupted, “I’ll take that. Because you do a way better nice than she does.”“Really?” Willow asked, smiling.

Oz tilted his head. “I kinda doubt I could sidestep the accusations of bias on this question, but...yeah, I do. I think you do nice better than anybody.”

Willow kissed him.“You do that better than anybody, too.”

“You better say that,” she whispered, kissing him again, and then stopping. “Hey,” sheasked. “Just who are you comparing me to?”

“No one,” he answered. “No practical field test for that theory.”“Better not be,” Willow warned him teasingly, sliding a hand behind his neck and kissing

him deeply.When they parted, Oz reminded her, “Shouldn’t we go inside and tell them about your

theory of the evil magician?”“In a minute,” Willow said, kissing him again. She let her lips linger on his for a long

moment as they parted, and then she said. “Okay, now we can go inside.”“That’s not totally fair,” Oz spoke, following her out of the van.




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“See?” Willow smiled. “I can do mean. A little, anyway.” She took his hand as theywalked up to Giles’ apartment.

“Yeah, but you could try practicing on someone else,” Oz mentioned as he knocked.“Got anyone in mind?” Willow wondered, raising an eyebrow.

The door opened.

“Xander,” Oz announced. “Hey.”Xander gave them both a pleading look. “ Please tell me you guys learned something.”“As a matter of fact, we did,” Willow informed him.

“Well, don’t be bashful, little lady,” Xander told her. “Come on in and share it with us.”He paused a second and added, “Please?”

“I take it the shake down didn’t go well?” Oz asked Xander as he closed the door.“Went great,” Xander replied. “Willy cracked like a walnut. Unfortunately he cracked

like an empty walnut, but he did crack.” Xander flashed a lopsided grin. “Right method, though.”“That’s reassuring,” Oz noted as Willow moved into Giles’ living room and greeted

Buffy, Giles, and Wesley.“What’d you find out, Will?” Buffy queried.

“Daisy at the magic shop thinks we’re dealing with a dark mage who was trying to perform a resuscitation.”

Wesley blinked, Buffy’s eyes widened, and Giles removed his glasses.“Gee,” Xander murmured, “we shake down a snitch and nada. You guys talk nice to

some hippie and get all the answers.” He turned to Oz. “Not really fair,” he said.“It’s all in the approach,” Oz shrugged.

“A dark mage?” Wesley repeated.“Or witch,” Oz spoke up.

“How does she know that?” Buffy inquired.“Well, Daisy said whoever it was had a dark aura, an intensity to him. She did say that it

could be a really dark intense woman--”“Faith fits that profile,” Buffy interrupted.

Willow pointed at Buffy. “I know, I thought that too, but Faith doesn’t know enoughabout magic to even know about that spell, much less attempt it.”

“We hope,” Giles offered.“And then there’s the fact that whoever got in did so without tripping the alarm,” Willow

disclosed.“Faith could have managed that, no?” Wesley wondered.

“Healthy Faith could,” Xander answered him. “But ‘I just spent the last two years in acoma’ Faith? I doubt it.”

“So, someone’s helping Faith, someone male, most likely, with the knowledge of magic.”Giles frowned. “But Willy assured you there were no vampires like that in town?”

“Uh huh,” Buffy confirmed.Giles exhaled. “I don’t like this.”

“Maybe it’s a human,” Willow suggested.“Or something other than human,” Oz added. “Aside from vampires, of course.”

“What would he -- assuming it is a he, for the moment -- want with Faith?” Giles pondered. “And why a resuscitation?”

“At least he didn’t want to kill her,” Wesley spoke.




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“How did he get past the security system?” Xander asked. “Aren’t they supposed to befoolproof?”

“No system is foolproof,” Giles remarked.Willow added, “And anyone who could perform a resuscitation would have no trouble

with a concealment spell.”

“Coulda just been someone really sneaky,” Oz mentioned.“Spoilsport,” Xander joked.“Hey, sometimes the simple answer is the right answer,” Oz told him.

Buffy made eye contact with Giles. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” shemurmured.

“I hope not,” Giles confessed. “I don’t like how this looks.”“What?” Willow asked. “What are you both thinking? Or not thinking? Or...?”

“Male,” Buffy stated.“Not a vampire,” Giles added.

“Sneaky. Knows magic,” Buffy told the group.“Knows Sunnydale. Knows how valuable a Slayer is.”

Willow’s eyes widened. “It couldn’t be,” she muttered.“Who?” Xander and Oz wondered at the same time.

“Yes, don’t keep us in suspense,” Wesley prodded.“He’s in jail,” Giles remembered. “For that whole candy bar incident.”

“Candy bar?” Wesley asked, frowning as he saw recognition dawn on the face of theothers.

“Willow,” Giles directed, gesturing toward her laptop. “Please check the prison recordsand make sure he’s still there.”

Willow nodded, moving to the table.“What would he want with Faith?” Buffy asked Giles.

“The fact that he wants anything at all to do with Faith worries me,” Giles replied.Xander argued, “Even if he has Faith, what can he do with her? She’s...”

“Resuscitation,” Oz explained. “I don’t know exactly what that entails, but I doubt Faithis on an IV any more.”

“Will someone please tell me who you’re talking about?” Wesley demanded.“Oh, crap,” Willow exclaimed.

“‘Oh crap?’” Xander echoed. “That can’t be good news.”“It’s not,” Willow confirmed, clicking on the mouse.

“Please, by all means, do leave us in the dark,” Wesley complained.They all turned to stare at him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.“Ethan Rayne was released on parole early for good behavior,” Willow read from the

screen. “Two weeks ago.”“Son of a bitch,” Buffy swore softly.

“Indeed,” Giles agreed. “This is a bad situation.”Silence settled on the group for a moment. Wesley broke it by asking, “Could someone

please tell me who Ethan Rayne is? I’m afraid the name is not ringing a bell.”“The short version?” Xander asked.

Wesley nodded yes.“Just imagine an evil Giles with Faith at his side,” Xander offered.




Wesley closed his eyes. “Oh dear,” he said.

* * *

buffy: trick of the dark chapter 2

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