The Dark Age: Through the Looking Glass

[Lyri]

::The night was empty and quiet as Anya Jenkins mader her way across the cemetery to the Alpert Family crypt.

::She was early, she knew that, but leaving always made her nervous, so worried was she about getting caught, that she liked to leave time to spare, just in case. But her causiousness no meant she had to wait alone in the cold, empty, silent cemetery.::

"Very good, Anya." She muttered to herself. "And what are you going to do for your next trick? Get yourself killed?"

::A noice from behind startled her and she spun around, her hands clenched to her chest.

::Buffy Summers, the Vampire Slayer, stepped out from behind a large headstone. She smiled at Anya.::

"Hello, Anyanka."

[Jenny]

The moon cast long slivers of jagged light over the graveyard. Black tombs stood like sentinels, causing eerie shadows to distort every living thing within, grass, weeds, trees. Moving slowly through the mottled graveyard, Tara kept to the shadows and out of sight. Her soft full face was furrowed in concern.

“Slowly,” she thought to herself. Her long honey-coloured hair blew gently about her, caused by the light breeze that barely ticked the treetops. “Mustn’t be seen.”

Closer and closer she crept until she found a safe vantage point behind a particularly gruesome-looking gargoyle perched atop a tomb. Looking at it, she gave a little shudder. She pressed herself flat along the tomb and inched forward slowly until she had a full view of the scene before her.

Buffy Summers landed flat on her back with a violent thud. She looked up at the distorted demonic face of the girl standing over her, someone she once knew. Anya. A dark gem amulet round her neck. Her demonic power source. Cold sweat trickled down Tara’s back, causing her to shudder more violently. Anyanka.

With a terrifying fury Anya flung herself on her prey, short-sword thrusting downwards in a death blow. Tara held her breath as Buffy shifted slightly, causing the sword to miss its target and sink deep into the hard cold ground. With cat-like reflexes she grabbed Anya’s leg, swinging her up and over onto her back. Tara watched as the demon’s visage changed from horrific to beautiful.

“Please,” the soft moan barely escaped her lips, eyes staring desperately up into Buffy’s. “Please, this isn’t right….”

“Trickery.” Tara thought to herself. Buffy reached down and tore the green gem from around Anyanka's neck, and as she watched it sail through the air and hit the ground next to her, Tara saw an opportunity. Walking casually towards it, a sick smile curled her lips. "A Vengence demon's power is in it's pendant." Without a second though, Tara lifted her foot, and brought the heel of her boot down, smashing the gem into a million pieces.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something moving rapidly into the fray. Before she was able to call out a warning she saw Buffy moving towards her now completely defenceless prey. With one swift movement she spun Anya onto her stomach and straddled her. Grabbing a fistful of hair, she heaved her head up off the ground and with the other hand lightly stroked her neck. She smiled the smallest of smiles and brushed her lips lightly round Anya’s ear, “I’m sooo going to enjoy this.”

Tara heard them almost simultaneously, the sickening crack of Anya’s neck breaking intertwined with the bloodcurdling wail of despair that escaped the lips of the thing that had been making its way to Anya’s aid. Darla.

As Tara watched, her eyes went wild, a slow sadistic smile spreading across her face, marring the sweet-natured expression she had worn only moments before.

Softly, but with pure and unreserved joy, she breathed to no one in particular, “I love watching the light go out of their eyes when they die….”

[Lyri]

:: Darla looked up at the moon, saw how high it was in the dark night sky and walked faster, almost until she was running. Around her, the cemetery distorted everything, shadows played against crypts and headstones, presenting dangers where there was only the dead.

::A bend in the path up ahead and Darla realized she was almost there. She hoped that Anya was already there, or at least on her way. She hated the cemetery. It was supposed to be safe, but how could she feel safe anywhere when she was haunting them all?

::The sound of a struggle reached Darla's ears, fists and feet hitting flesh and she did run then.

::Turning the corner, she saw them, locked in battle, Buffy Summers and Anyanka.

::With every bit of sped the demon inside her could offer, Darla raced towards them. But she was already too late. Buffy flipped Anya onto her stomach and took hold of Anya's head. Darla saw the Slayer whisper something in Anya's ear before she twisted sharply.::

"NOO!" she screamed, making her throat hoarse, drowning out the snap of bone as the Slayer broke Anyanka's neck.

::She dropped to her knees in the grass next to the corpse of her friend. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Tara, the Slayer's witch, and beneath her foot, the shattered remains of Anyanka's pendant.

::But Darla had eyes only for Buffy.

Buffy: "What have you done?! You killed her! You murdering, evil creature!"

::Tears stung her eyes as she looked at the body of her friend.::

Anya: "I failed you. I swore to protect you. Forgive me."

::Suddenly, she froze as the familiar scent of her boy reached her and she slowly rose to her feet and turned to face him as he melted out of the shadows.::

"Angel."

[Keanoite]

There was no doubt that Angel could appreciate a good kill. It was the easiest thing in the world to take a life but the secret was to make it mean something. Make it original, make it your own.

See that's the thing that most people didn't get. They assumed that death belonged to the victim. Fools. Death belongs to those that claim lives. To Him, To Buffy.

He had known beauty unparralleled in his time but nothing stirred him like the sight of the Slayer taking a life. It was exquisite. The light in her eyes as she hunted her prey, her flawless yet brutal movements. It was poetry in motion. And tonight was no different.

The sound of Anyanka's neck breaking, the SNAP...CRACKLE then POP! of her bones grinding together brought a smile to his lips and a twinkle to his eyes. Each sound was more perfect than the last.

He loved when they cried out for mercy, that look of terror/hope in their eyes. Such a perfectly cruel combination made even more so when their pleas were met with the gleam of her blade or the twist of her wrist.

Angel was pulled out of his reverie by a wail of horror that echoed in the night. He couldn't help the satisified smirk that spread across him mouth.

Darla.

He hopped down from his perch atop a mosoleum, flicking his cigarette butt carelessly as he moved out of the shadows he seemed to belong to.


"Angel."

He didn't walk so much as saunter up to Darla. Slow deliberate steps. He gazed down at her mockingly, his hands clasped in front of him.

Darla: "Well looky what we have here...mangled corpse, weeping loved one...gotta say this is my kinda night"

His wolfish grin only grew wider as another sob wracked Darla's body.

Sometimes I just love being evil

As much as he enjoyed Darla's pain her insipid whinging tried his patience and in one swoop he pulled her up by her hair, keeping her close to his long frame. She struggled against him which brought an insane giggle up from him chest.

Darla:"Mmm...thats it baby...you know I love it when you play hard to get"

Instantly her movements stilled and all that hung in the air was the heavy scent of her fear. It was delicious.

Darla:" As much as I'm enjoying our little dance we have a small matter to take care of. Namely you and your annoying little white hats. You've got a plan Darla. Don't bother denying it...you know I can tell."

As he spoke Angel languidly stroked Darla's neck with his thumb, he revelled in the shivers that overtook her body. He couldn't help but bend down and whisper in her ear. A delectibly menacing tone to his voice.

Darla:"Now I don't recall you being so quiet, actually as memory serves you were always a screamer...I like that in a victim"

His hands continued to travel her body, taunting her. She tried to pull away from him but that only succeeded in pushing her further against his chest. Without warning he spun her around, whispered his final words to her ear and planted a brutal, searing kiss to her lips.

Again, her breath hitched as he shoved her to the ground and the smell of fear surrounding him intensified.

Mission accomplished.

His parting words still sung on the night breeze.

You think you know

What's to come

What we are...

We haven't even begun.

[VisionGuy]

“It’s over?” Cordelia asked as she caught up to Buffy and Tara. She would have been there earlier but there was no way she was going to run in her new designer shoes. Especially since she had to return them to April Fool’s the next day. Ever since Daddy got locked up for tax fraud, she’s had to rely on “borrowing” clothes from her job. Being a manager at a boutique has it’s perks. “I was really looking forward to watching that bitch die.” She stepped forward, looked at Anyanka’s lifeless body and smiled. There were three things that made Cordelia warm and tingly inside: new clothes, jewelry, and death.

As Cordelia was examining the corpse, she spotted a shattered pendant. She bent down and picked it up. “Ooohhh sparkly.” She didn’t know much about vengeance demons, but she knew for certain destroying Anya’s beautiful amulet wasn’t necessary to vanquish her. Or was it the other way around? Maybe she should have been listening as Buffy and Angel went on and on about killing the little bitch. Either way, it totally matched her outfit. As she brushed the dirt off the pendant, it started to emit a soft green glow.

Suddenly, Cordelia got an excruciating headache. Images started to flash in her head. She saw familiar faces and not so familiar faces. Not only saw, but felt what they were feeling. She felt all their pain and anguish. The headache stopped and Cordelia once again came to her senses. As she wiped off a little drool from her chin, she said, “Holy crap. I think I just saw the future.”

[bufsum]

Xander.... Imaginary picture of Nicky's hot face...

::Xander was taking a leisurely stroll through Sunnydale High::

He had agreed earlier in the day to track down Darla, but he was feeling too restless. For an hour he had sat, and obligingly listened to Buffy and Angel drone on about how artistry must be at the forefront of all kills. It was all about there rep. No one bothered to point out the fact that it was his tips that enabled the group to find and eliminate a house on the edge of town holding a gaggle of white hats.

[Somewhere below the din of a late night band practice vibrated in the walls]

::sighing heavily he turned a corner::

A couple in the darkened hallway was nosily and sloppily making out.

I pity them.

There hearts beating with a rhythm of hope. Of love. Of shiny teenage angst. I almost remember when I was that pathetic.

“Hey! What do you think you are doing in here?

Girl (timidly): “Sorry, sir. We didn’t think anyone was here.

Xander: “Well, that’s a piss-poor excuse, if I’ve ever heard one.

Guy: “What? Who are you anyway?

Xander: “I don’t like your attitude. I’m asking the questions here, Spiderman.

Guy: “Spiderman, huh? That’s cool.

Xander: “Yeah, the only problem is… I’m the Green Goblin.”

::As Xander spoke he slipped on the glove that rested in his zippered pocket, and drew a blast of electricity over their faces, singeing flesh::

::Xander brought the glove to his lips, and blew::

“How’s that for artistry.”

Maybe I’ll see if anything worth my time is happening tonight, things might be looking up.

[Blondie Bear]

The moon did funny things to his insides, making him feel like a frisky puppy. His tail whipped crazily from side to side as he sniffed around the base of trees in Breaker's Woods. The wind kicked up some leaves, and he chased them around for a few minutes before getting bored and curling up with his tail over his nose to take a nap.

The bit of him that was still aware of his human self was lonely, and annoyed at his loneliness. There were two groups of people vying for his allegiance, but he couldn't in good conscience join either. Which, he guessed, made his loneliness his own fault.

With a long, huffing exhale, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift into a half-doze, the most he ever managed while in wolf form. He never felt quite safe like this, even though he was more dangerous as a wolf than a boy.

[Joyce Summers]

::She was always on a high after a kill. Especially as one as wholly satisfying as the little dyed-haired bitch that now lay crumpled and lifeless at her feet. She looked over at Tara and allowed a small slither of a cold smile to play across her lips. Of course, the high would not last long, she knew that already. It never did. The rush was there, but it always left her wanting more. No, wanting wasn't the word. It was more like hunger, she was hungry for more.
Of course, there was one thing that could prolong, feed that passion for heat, for murder rising inside of her. And that was Angel. Angel. Such a brutal killer, almost as brutal as herself. Almost, but not quite. She preferred it that way though. This way he was below her, no question, and that made her fine with him being on top in other instances. When she was in the mood for him to be. But the way he killed, the joy he took in it...it was exhilarating. It wasn't even the killing that got her heart pounding. Just to watch him torture a victim, taunt them was enough to have the blood beating in her ears like thunder, licking her lips, adding moisture to the plum-red gloss.
She looked down at the now lifeless Anya and gave her a small kick to her side for good measure with the toe of her new boots. The body slumped a little more before falling back into it's original position. Buffy sighed.::

Angel, Tara: A little chase was all she had? Prize kill, lame killing.

::The sound of Darla screaming was enough to send Buffy's shackles up. Darla and Angel had history, mega history, beacoup de history, as in been and gone. Buffy didn't like it one bit. Darla was always fussing around Angel, constantly trying to talk him around, win him around. Angel was Buffy's territory and Darla should back off. Like he was going to go back to a goody-two-shoes blond bit, whose tortured scream, which Buffy was presently hearing, sounded totally mentally challenged anyway? Buffy would have killed her in a instant long ago, if not for the voyeuristic pleasure she derived from watching Angel torture her to insanity. He would eventually kill her, Buffy had no doubt, but now she was just a toy and he the cat who wanted to play. He was toying with her now.::

“Well looky what we have here...mangled corpse, weeping loved one...gotta say this is my kinda night”

::The grin that spread across Buffy's face as she prowled around for a better viewing matched Angel's wolfish one and Tara and Buffy stood side by side to watch the display. Angel in his element, mentally torturing the girl and Darla doing nothing but sobbing. Sobbing, for crying out loud. It was sickening. Such a weakness. So...unattractive. And she wondered why she couldn't win Angel around::

Tara: I've always wondered what she'd look like with all of her fingers broken....

::She smiled to herself cruelly at the image that thought created in her brain::

Tara: Or you know, what her face'd look like while I broke them.

::Buffy continued to watch Angel's poetic movements, so calculated, so perfectly precise, so....masterful. And Darla continued to sob, as Angel grabbed her tightly and Buffy's breath hitched, her body responding to the hands that weren't even holding her. But they would be. Soon. He was speaking so softly to Darla that Buffy had to strain to hear, but like hell was she going to miss any of this. Like hell was she going to let Darla know something about Angel that she didn't. Like hell anything to do with Darla was going to pass her by. Including her eventual death. Oh that was something Buffy was anxious to see happen, she prayed for it nightly. Okay, not prayed, because hello? God so not the thing going on for her here, but you know...wishing..or something. Whatever, either way she wanted it to come. Fast. And Buffy wasn't a patient person when it came to things she wanted. It was when Angel gave Darla a bruising kiss that Buffy went to storm over and tear them apart, before tearing her limb from limb but Tara put a hand on her arm stopping her whilst not taking her eyes off the ex-couple, watching them with a fierce intensity. Rolling her eyes, bored with the scene, Buffy turned away and returned her attention to the body that had been Anya. Another kick. And ooh- ring. Pretty ring. Pretty her ring. Buffy knelt down and snatched it off the dead finger and slipped it on her own just as Cordelia came running up in impractical shoes. But damn, they did look good. The girl could dress, Buffy would give her that. And that was all she would give::

”It's over?”

Cordelia: It's over. Except for Cassanova over there, acting like a member of the Undead Poet's Society. She didn't even hardly fight. Just a little run, barely enough to work off a potato chip.

::Another kick to Anya. It was quite the temporary past time. Eventually Buffy felt rather than saw Angel break away from the form of Darla on the floor and Buffy turned on him, stalking over as he came to halt so their bodies were so close they pressed against one another::

Angel: Done, are we?

::It was not a question, it was a statement and she complimented it by teasing her fingers along the skin showing at the v of his shirt. They trickled up to his neck before teasing back down, the nails digging into skin, drawing blood slightly and causing him to wince::

Angel: Thought so.

::She continued the work of her fingers, drawing more and more blood bit by bit, waiting for Angel's reaction, daring him with her eyes to react at all and face the consequences of doing it. But don't react and there were consequences there too. Which did he want? How dominant would he allow her to be? More importantly how dominant was she going to let him be. She looked up at him with lust in her eyes and brought one finger to her mouth, licking off the very small droplet of blood there on the nail, ignoring the iron taste that slid down her throat as she maintained eye contact. It was just as Angel made a decision of how to act that Cordelia spoke up, her announcement grating on Buffy's impatient feelings of the moment::

”Holy Crap. I think I just saw the future”

::Buffy sighed and turned around to face the brunette with a look of disdain::

Cordelia: You think? What else could it be? A preview of a fabric softener commercial?

::She tapped her foot impatiently, gesturing for details rather than asking for them. Let someone else be Politeness Police::

[Crazy Flakes]

Willow quite liked the feeling of the cemetery at night. She didn't know if it was the crows that sometimes flew above letting out bloodthirsty cries or the stench of death that filled the atmosphere, but walking around in the dark graveyard gave her an inexplicable feeling of excitement; it gave her lust for the kill. And, because she knew something was going to happen there tonight, the feeling was even more intense. The witch loomed further into the cemetery, looking for signs of her companions; and, suddenly, she heard the loud, delightfully sickening sound of bones snapping nearby. Above it, she could hear the cries of a woman in despair. Her thin lips twisted into a sadistic smile as she loomed closer to the source of the noise. Soon enough, Buffy, Tara, Cordelia, and Angel were in sight, and she wandered closer to them.

As Willow walked closer, something in front of the group caught her eye; it was none other than Anyanka's lifeless and mangled body. With a pout, she walked closer, her eyes staying glued to the corpse. "Oh, you killed her without me?" she asked Buffy and Tara. Her voice was laced with disappointment, though she could not deny the fact that the site gave her a feeling of pleasure. Once she reached them, she started to gently shove the body with her foot, as if to make sure Anyanka was actually dead; then, she pulled her leg back and kicked the corpse in the side as hard as she could. Even if Buffy and Tara had handled her, Willow wanted to feel like she'd done something.

"A little chase was all she had? Prize kill, lame killing."

This made Willow feel slightly less disappointed. "Oh, so I didn't miss too much, then," she said rather matter-of-factly. Still, she could see why Buffy and Tara would feel annoyed, if not disappointed; it was always much more fun when they put up a fight. "Well, maybe the next one will be more interesting." Anyanka had a whole little group of friends that were asking to get killed; and next time, Willow wasn't going to miss a minute of it. Suddenly, the sound of weeping interrupted her thoughts; she looked over and saw Darla. Speak of the devil, she thought to herself. She had been the source of the cries she heard earlier; knowing where they came from just made them sound even more musical.

Another figure moved closer to Darla; its movement was so graceful that the mere look of its steps sent comfortable chills down Willow's spine. The moonlight soon cast over the figure, revealing a well-built male body; it was Angel, doing what he did best. He was taunting his prey, and his finely crafted words would inevitably make her demise even more satisfying. Another smile crept onto Willow's face as she listened to his words; well, what she could make out of them, anyway. In the middle of one of his sentences, the sound of loud footsteps and breathing covered Angel's voice. She looked over and saw that it was Cordelia Chase. She was late, as usual; but this time, Willow wasn't one to talk. As Angel made his way back, Buffy was, not surprisingly, the first to reach him. She watched the Slayer carefully slice his cold skin before a loud, female voice interrupted.

”Holy Crap. I think I just saw the future."

Buffy looked annoyed as she responded, though who could blame her? She was, after all, in the middle of getting close to her bloodsucking boy toy; Cordelia should've known better than to interrupt, but then again, it was her unofficial duty to make announcements without thinking. Willow's head turned toward the tall, slender brunette, hoping that this time, she had actually seen something that would be of use to them.

[bufsum]

Xander

::Xander stalked out of the school, flexing his new glove.::

As he walked he realized how much flack Angel would give him if he saw him with it.

He’d call me a pussy, 10 seconds flat.

“Damn, and I thought this would finally give me a leg up.”

::he zipped his glove back into his pocket, irritated with himself::

Gonna have to take a detour to the fun.

::Xander made his way to Jonathon’s house, and pounded on the door.::

“Open the damn door; I know you’re in there!”

Xander: Go away, I’m busy.

::Xander held up his glove, about to blast the door::

I might as well make this little bitch worth it.

[The door opened hastily, Jonathon’s pathetic face appeared just beyond it]

“I’ve got things to do, and this cramps my style.”

::Xander threw the glove at Jonathon, and slid off the railing of the porch::

Xander: I spent months working on that for you!

“Yeah, well… what can I say… I like to feel the bones crack underneath a good sword. Any more attitude and you’ll get a big prick.”

[Jonathon shrunk a bit, and began closing the door]

“And not the under-the-covers action you’re drooling for.”

::Xander made his way to the cemetery, and reached the group in record time::

Good thing this town is so damned small.

Seeing Cordelia and Willow standing causally about he thought it best to approach them; the big cats seemed occupied. Smiling menacingly, seeing he missed some fun, he asked lazily:

Cordelia and Willow: “What’d I miss?”

[Keanoite]

:: Darla was already descending into a crumpled mess at Angel’s feet when he felt it. A burning gaze at his back. The Slayer observed his torment of the simpering Whitehat with an intensity that caused sparks of lust-filled anticipation to course through his veins. The lady is not pleased he thought, amused at Buffy’s obvious displeasure at his dalliance with Darla. This will not do. Slowly he turned away from the pathetic old hag bellow him and moved to find his lover.::


::The moon still languidly draped silver slivers of light about the graveyard, infusing the intimacy of the night. He crept to her with assured, deliberate movements. Her vanilla scent filled his head and his nostrils flared. Creeping an arm out he quickly pulled her lithe frame against him. Buffy’s breath caught and her eyes darkened with desire. He would have found this amusing if the feeling of her body pushed up against his didn’t distract him so much. He knew she was talking, could hear the annoyance in her tone but he was transfixed by the movement of her lips. They were full and pouty as she gently licked them with her tongue. He didn’t know if it was intentional or not but it drove him to the edge of his control. She continued to speak but his attention was now drawn by her deceivingly gentle hands as they made their way around his neck. She continued to caress his chest and neck seductively. Just as he was about to claim her mouth he felt a sudden sting on his neck and the distinct smell of blood in the air. His blood. Buffy brazenly looked up into his eyes and continued to tease out the blood with her fingertips. It was always like this between them. A game. Cat and mouse. Who played which role depended wholly on who had the itch in most need of scratching. He revelled in the utter debauchery they indulged in. It was a fiery passion that seemed to consume them both.::


::Ever so slowly she brought her middle finger to her mouth and suggestively licked his blood from the tip. An uncontrolled growl erupted from his chest that he knew caused the Slayer’s nimble knees to quake. His grip on her hips tightened, no doubt leaving dirty bruises for him to admire later. Once again their gazes locked. Jealousy, rage and lust. They came off her in waves that threatened to drown him. Purposefully he bent to claim those full, pouty lips for his own. He was a heartbeat away from his luscious prey when an astonishingly annoying voice shattered the silken silence they had created.::


Holy crap, I think I just saw the future.


::Another growl escaped Angel’s lips but this one was borne out of pure frustration rather than arousal. Angel dropped his head on Buffy’s shoulder in an attempt to restrain himself from ripping Cordelia’s tongue out.::


I’m going to tear her f*&king head off and mount it on my wall.


::Buffy didn’t seem to be fairing much better and impatiently spoke to the cheerleader. Angel cursed under his breath, once Cordelia started talking there was no hope of shutting her up. Angel learned that the hard way. He stuck it to her a few times. That small fact was probably the only reason why he hadn’t killed her yet. That, and the fact that she had a great rack.::


And they say romance is dead.


::As they waited for Cordelia, Angel pulled Buffy around so that her back was against his chest. His fingertips sneakily crept down her torso and came to rest on her lower abdomen as he slid a couple of fingers underneath her pants and stroked the soft skin there. He smirked knowingly as his other hand rested on her hip. He knew this drove her wild. Refusing to lose any ground to her, Angel carefully bent his head and pulled a fang along the slender column of her throat, leaving a rosy red trail behind him. This was as much a claim of ownership as her nails in his neck was earlier. They both quivered with anticipation, the only thing that stopped him taking her there and then was the thought of other eyes roving over her body. The thought alone caused him to pull her tighter. At first he had wrestled with his need for her to be his. He even continued to bring others to his bed but it had been months since he had done that. Every morning he fell asleep with her in his arms and woke with her every night. His thoughts were making him steadily more agitated given their inability to act on such thoughts. As he moved to Buffy’s ear he kissed her neck, tasting the delicious coppery tang of her blood. He received another shiver for his efforts. Smiling and with a voice laced with unbidden promises, he whispered in her ear.::


Buffy: “ As truly riveting as this conversation is how do you feel about taking our little interlude to a more…intimate setting?”

[Lyri]

::When Angel released Darla from his grasp, her knees refused to hold her any longer and she fell to the dark grass next to the body of her fallen friend. Tears streaked down Darla's face as she gazed into Anyanka's glassy eyes once more.::

"I'm so sorry."

::She glanced up again as Angel returned to his 'friends', the most evil people Darla had ever had the misfortune to meet. All of the big shots were present now, Buffy, Angel, Tara, Willow, Cordelia, and she could hear Xander's heartbeat as he rushed across the cemetery to join them. Everyone was present...and she was all alone.::

"Oh, God..."

::She scrambled back on her hands, trying to get her knees to hold her, to carry her back to the mansion on Crawford Street, the place they called home. But they still weren't cooporating and she stumbled into a marble statue of a cross. Darla bit her lip to stop her screams as her skin began to smoke and sizzle from her contact with the holy object. Blood ran down her chin as her fangs pierced the skin.

::And suddenly her legs were working again and she was able to get up and run to the relative safety of the mausoleum Spike had been using recently. She forced her demon away again as the pain subsided and she waited patiently until she heard the heartbeats fading, leaving.

::Part of Darla wondered why Buffy was leaving. She was alone, no help, no friends, and Buffy was surrounded by allies. She could have easily killed the vampire, and it would have been over. The war they seemed to be fighting would have been gone...she would have won.::

I'd be dead and Dru would be all alone.

::Without thinking another thought about their motives, Darla let herself out of the mausoleum and back towards Anayaka's body. Gently, she bent down and picked the body up, cradling it softly in her arms. The young woman had given her life for Darla's cause, she deserved a decent burial.

::As Darla turned towards the gates of the cemetery, she heard the soft exhalation or an animal settling down to sleep. She looked up at the bright full moon and smiled.::

"Perhaps I wasn't as alone as they would like me to be."

[Jenny]

Tara breathed in deeply the sweet smell of death. Watching Buffy take a life was like watching poetry in motion. The memory of it brought a small smile to Tara's lips.

Movement from the edge of the graveyard flitted just outside her field of vision. She turned, ready for the enemy that might spring on them, hoping to catch them unaware. But it was needless to be on guard so. It was only Willow. Her Willow.

Oh, you killed her without me?

Willow: Sorry baby, you know how she gets when she gets her bloodlust on. There's no stopping her. It wasn't much of a fight anyways.

Holy Crap. I think I just saw the future.

Tara stepped towards Willow, feeling the intoxicating hum of electricity she always felt when the two touched. Seperate they were two powerful witches. Together...they were sheer destruction. She slowly walked behind Willow, tracing a line up her bare milky arm, up her shoulder and along the back of her neck. Electric. She moved Willow's dark hair over one shoulder, exposing the swanlike and delicate neck. The hairs on her arm started to tingle. Leaning in almost close to touching, her soft honey locks blending and twisting magically with Willow's jet black ones she murmered softly:

Willow: Looks like you're going to have some fun after all ... of one sort or another....

[Mesektet Ra]

Night had fallen. Drusilla had woken late, the moonlight spilling through the open windows like milk across the concrete floor.

She stretched and yawned, every churn of her muscles catlike. She look around her room, her clothes lain out across her vanity, like always. Not a speck of dust crossed the noses and cheeks of Miss Edith and Miss Samantha.

She unfurled herself from the sheets and walked across her room, trailing her fingers across the gossamer pinkness of the dress Darla had chosen for her. Tonight was a big night - Grandmummy had told her so, in her dreams. The demon made of veins and poetry was coming with news.

Drusilla smiled a little. They were getting so close, they were. To this war coming to an end. With the help of Anyanka, they would win back Daddy to side of light and that rotten little Buffy child would be in the ground. Where she belonged.

She crept from her room into the main living area. "Grandmummy?" She called, even though her senses told her that Darla wasn't home, and hadn't been in some time. "William?"

No one. She stopped at the edge of the fireplace, the moonlight spilling across her eyes.

Drusilla's eyes widened. Her hands reached out for the mantle, but she swooned and fell instead. She lay in a patch of moonlight, her nightgown pooled around her like...like blood...

The sound of bones cracking, rending shrieks. Darla's tears across the dead hands of the demon, Buffy's crude smile and Willow's raven hair. She felt the iron grip of Angel's hands on Darla's shoulders, the cold burn of his kiss on her lips. It tasted like betrayal and heartache, the witches watching with glee.

"ooooOOOO..." She moaned. She pulled at her hair, trying to will away the vision even as it came to her. "All the dark angels, they've all come out to play, and the demon's dead, she's all dead..." She muttered, scrambling away from the moonlight.

Tears spilled down her face as she crawled back into her bedroom. She reached a lithe hand and grabbed at Miss Edith, clutching the doll to her chest as she curled up in the fetal position against the side of her elegant four-poster bed. "Grandmummy, grandmummy, won't you come home to me? The angels, they're playing, they're coming for you grandmummy...come home..."

[Joyce Summers]

::She was waiting impatiently for Cordelia to reveal the details of her vision when she felt Angel's strong hands forcefully move her around so her back was against his chest. She fell into the enjoyable hold, loving the feel of his chest brushing against her back. He was so cold, no heartbeat, nothing that would signify life but it just seemed to make her own body feel alive. Tingling all the way down to her fingers, the same fingers that had brought blood on his chest, the same fingers that had wrapped around Anyanka's slender neck before she broke it with an elegant twist. Everything about Angel brought life to her and ultimately led her to thoughts of death. It was a circle. A wonderfully vicious one.
She was vaguely aware of Xander joined the steadily increasing crowd as Angel became to tease her, using one fang to gently cause a trail of blood along her neckline. It was all temptation....all so much temptation....okay, maybe too much temptation. They both always went as far as they could, without risking the darkness they shared.
Xander glanced over at the two of them and Buffy sensed him avert his eyes almost immediately after giving them a nod of hello and recognition. Typical Xander. All for seizing the moment, if it was his moment he was seizing. But God forbid Buffy and Angel should have a little necking during Group Time. God, it frustrated her. But the family that kills together stays together. Or puts up with each other together. Or doesn't kill the other...or something. Okay, why was she even thinking such totally irrelevant thoughts when Angel had his arms around her? Xander's mini-look apparently prompting the vampire to hold her that little bit tighter, almost possessively.
It was as she reached up with one hand behind her, draping it around Angel's neck in equally possessive style that he leaned forward to whisper in her ear, his non-existent breath tickling over her neckline.::
“As truly riveting as this conversation is how do you feel about taking our little interlude to a more intimate setting?”
::She couldn't deny it was tempting. There was that word again: temptation. It was all that their relationship was made up of. And as she considered his words, her Slayer senses carefully took in their surrounding wondering if it were possible and if so where.
Willow and Tara were too busy indulging in some not-so-private alone time to care what she and Angel went off to do.
Something else caught Buffy's attention- a yelp of pain and her eyes immediately flickered over to where it came from.
Darla.
The ditz had walked herself into a cross. Too distraught to have direction apparently. Buffy let out a quick, sharp laugh at the sight and it seemed to reverberate around their entire surroundings. Buffy was sure the girl was crying. Again. God, was that all she ever did? It was seriously boring. I mean hello, repetitive much? It was like a really bad re-run. Like being forced to watch the pilot episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show for like the millionth time. Watching Darla getting almost quietly hysterical, Buffy decided this was way more amusing to watch than any retro supposedly comedy show.::

“What a waste of skin....”

::She pointed her out to Angel with one slender arm extended, one perfectly manicured and painted finger marking out Angel's ex-lover::

Angel: I don't see why we haven't put her out of her misery already. She really bores me.....in the extreme sense of the word. She has more interesting friends. Drusilla is more entertaining. All those mad ramblings. It's like deciphering Klingon. Only...less nerdy. Way more pass timey than Miss-I-Like-to-Cry. I don't get why you have such a Jones for her anyway.

::Buffy sighed to emphasize her feeling of boredom over the situation, though if she were truly honest with herself it was really to mask her jealously. Angel and Darla had history and Darla definitely wasn't over him- after all you only needed eyes to know he was goddamn attractive- but that wasn't what bothered Buffy. Till recently she just assumed Angel liked to torture Darla, for twisted old times' sake. But what if he wasn't quite over the other blond either? If that was the case Buffy would just have to take matters into her own hands.
It was irrelevant now though. Presently she had the more pressing issue of her and Angel getting some more private time. She glanced over at the tall, pristine brunette that initially broken into their smoochy time. Cordelia had yet to talk about her vision, but was instead presently detailing what running through a cemetery had done to her shoes. Which as wicked annoying as the time-wasty was, Buffy could so relate too. Too many suede boots had been ruined by blood in recent times. Buffy's closet was slowly breaking down. She needed to go shopping....::

Angel: And as for private time and mondo seclusion...I'm all on board with that. But first, vision update? I hate to sound all white hat but we kinda need to know if it's something important. Remember last time? That whole ambush warning we missed? That stupid attempt had my hair frazzled for weeks.

::As she finished talking she craned her neck to look into Angel's eyes (Hey, wasn't that a song?). They were dark, bottomless, absorbing and completely consuming her as she stood there, almost turning her legs to jell-o. And the passion that lay within them, passion for her was more than she could stand. He wanted her. She wanted him. But they both wanted it without the audience. It wasn't a spectator sport for crying out loud. She really couldn't wait much longer.::

Angel: Vision Girl doesn't spill in oh say thirty seconds we bail for....other business.

::As she said this she smiled seductively at him, giving him so much promise and raising his already fired passion so much more. Gosh he was good, but by god in hell was she better. Now if only Cordy could get a move on....::

[Black Eye Guy]

Faith stood back from the group hidden by the shadows, the whole gang was out to play tonight, it was a big occasion destroying a enemy from within their own circle. She had arrived on time, actually she was there before anyone else. She saw Anay paceing around.

She looked at her and she had the overwhelming feeling to kill her, that she must die. She had betrayed them. and yet there was another feeling, a small glimmer of something Faith wasn't used to feeling, empathy.

She understood why Anya did it, there was something about how they went about their lives that felt wrong. It was a horrible feeling, and it was seriously slowing down her game. Instead of running down their to but a knife in her stomach she was standing here thinking from her point of view. And now she had lost her change as Buffy and the others had shown up and delt with her, and she was still hiding out here in the shadows.

Faith roller her eyes and then made her way to the commotion.

"Hey kids, sorry I missed the fun."

She stood behind the group, her dark features only visible from the moonlight above, and being reflected off her leather pants. Her red lips twisted into an evil grin.

"I came across a demon trying to help a kitten out of a tree. I think the kittens now eating whats left of the corpse."

She looked over at Cordelia, "What's wring with you, you look like someones just slapped you, which to be honest I get."

[bufsum]

Xander sighed as his entrance was ignored. Glancing from Tara and Willow to Buffy and Angel he curved his impulse to grab Cordelia, and stick his tongue down her throat.

::he folded his arms in front of chest, and stared at hers::

He had learned long ago that if he appeared halfway interested in what was going on he could get away with a great deal. He pulled more than his weight in this group, gophered himself around the whole damn town. All he wanted was a few hours of release with Cordy. He sensed Buffy's eyes on him as Angel not so subtly played with her. He glanced away from Cordelia's juicy orbs, and ticked his eyes to Buffy's face. She and Angel were locked in their typical holding pattern, and Xander struggled to keep his face placid as his fantasies took him far from the cemetery, as Cordelia droned on.

::Xander smelled Faith, before he laid eyes on her::

As she made her excuses Xander focused on her blood red lips.

"What's wring with you, you look like someones just slapped you, which to be honest I get."

Faith: She’s telling us about her vision, very important… shattering of the Earth type stuff. And, there are shoes involved. And they’re now very dirty. Very, very dirty.

He smirked at himself, speaking the last directly to Cordelia. Xander knew that he could play up the sexual tension between him and Faith, and drive Cordelia wild. She could be such a jealous little tease.

Feeling more eyes on him, he smiled broadly, and looked again at Cordelia’s breasts.

Cordelia: So, you wanna get the hell out of here, or do you have more cataclysmic shoe tragedies for us?

[Blondie Bear]

His paws twiched and a faint whine escaped his throat as he dreamed. Like most of his wolf-dreams, it was an insane mix of the wolf's fantasies and the human's worries.

He ran freely through a patch of woods too large to be Breaker's Woods. His paws found the solid ground between logs and rocks almost on their own. The wind swept his ears back and he grinned, tongue lolling.

A flicker of motion beside him caught his attention and he realized he wasn't alone. There was another wolf with him. In fact, there were several wolves with him, nearly thirty, enough for a single large pack or a few smaller ones. His wolfish heart rejoiced; he was not alone.

He stopped running to greet the other wolves, twining around them and sniffing at them. Something about them smelled off, and he backed away, head low, a whine creeping from his throat.

The one nearest him transformed, shaking off its wolf pelt to loom over him. He tucked his tail between his legs as he recognized the slim, blonde figure of the Slayer.

"Come on, Oz," she said, a manic light gleaming in her eye. "You're either with us or against us." She crouched down, elbows resting on her knees. "And we kill those who are against us."

Another wolf turned into Willow, complete with sardonic smile and brunette hair. "Don't you like me anymore, wolfy?" she asked.

One by one, the wolves turned into the members of Buffy's gang. One or two tossed out insults, a few spoke to him coaxingly, but most just looked at him.

He swung his head to look to his right, and found that the other half of the wolves had turned into the White Hats.

"Help us," Darla whispered, reaching for him.


He woke with a jerk, panting. His paws scrabbling in the leaves he had bedded down in, he got to his feet. Dawn was coming. Another night was almost over. He'd head back to his van, parked at the trailhead, and wait for the change.

[Crazy Flakes]

Sorry baby, you know how she gets when she gets her bloodlust on. There's no stopping her. It wasn't much of a fight anyways.

The mere sound of Tara's voice caused Willow's disappointment to wither away. She slowly looked toward the other witch, and as soon as she laid her pale green eyes on her, she became overwhelmed. In Willow's eyes, she was nothing short of perfection. "Oh, no need to comfort me," she told her, growing anxious to feel her touch. "I can deal." She stood perfectly still as Tara moved behind her; the feeling of Tara against her seemed to send a soft flow of energy through her body.

When Willow felt Tara's gentle touch on her skin, the energy that had been slowly drifting through her began to rush. Her eyes fluttered shut as she let the feeling consume her. When Willow was alone, she had great power, and she could feel it. But when she was with Tara, the power felt pure, absolute. It made her feel complete. Her thin lips curved into a small smile as Tara's finger moved to the back of her neck, and she noticed her straight, dark hair being pulled back. She watched as Tara's light hair intertwined with her dark locks, then noticed her leaning in closer. She could feel her warm breath on her long, exposed neck.

"Looks like you're going to have some fun after all ... of one sort or another...."

The sound of her soft whisper sent shivers down Willow's spine. Though she could feel Tara right behind her, she couldn't help but to think she needed to be closer. "Mhm," she replied softly, too consumed by lust to think of anything else to say. She only managed to constrain herself because she knew that there was work that still needed to be done.

After a few more moments, Willow managed to open her eyes and leave her state. She had almost forgotten that anyone else was there; Buffy, Angel, Xander, Cordelia, and Faith were all surrounding them, though they still seemed like little more than parts of the background. Once she had completely entered reality again, she looked over at Cordelia anxiously, ready to find out what she had seen in her vision.

[Lyri]

:: Darla hurried as fast as she could through the streets of Sunnydale. Anyanka's corpse weighed heavily in her arms, slowing her progress. She stumbled across the sidewalk, tripping over the pavement and the hem of her dress, as she tried to get Anya home safe.

::But she was hurt, the burn from the cross was bad. She could feel the material of her dress sticking to her skin as her body repaired itself. She knew it was not going to be fun when it came time for her to remove the dress.::

"And it's not like Dru's got that gentle touch."

:: Darla stumbled to a stop as the wound at her back began to tingle, and the pain got worse.

::Looking up, her eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening.::

"Sunrise."

::Her demon leapt to the fore as Darla began to run, racing towards home, Anya's bidy still hanging limply from her arms. She would not let go of her friend, even if she didn't make it, Anya would get home.

::Suddenly, the mansion on Crawford Street, her home, loomed ahead and she put on a burst of speed, flying through the blackout curtains that hung over the entrance and falling in an ungraceful heap in the middle of the lounge.

:: Darla looked up through a curtain of blonde hair and stared at the figure in front of the fireplace.::

"Dru, sweetie, why are you lying on the floor?"

[Mesektet Ra]

Drusilla, during the course of her shaking and screaming, had crawled back out into the living room. She sat in front of the fireplace, her arms curled around her middle.

She closed her eyes, Miss Samantha held tightly against her chest.

The Bad Ones were laughing. The dark witch, her hair the color of nightshade, leaned provocatively against the light witch with her sunshine hair.

Drusilla curled deeper in a ball at the sight her mind showed her. She was a good girl, after all. Grandmummy said so, and so had Daddy, all that time ago...

And there he was - Angel, with the dark little Slayer, whispering.

He used to whisper to Drusilla a long time ago...too long. And then the witch had given him his...his...

"His soul," she whispered, shaking like a leaf. Tears sprang to her eyes. "Grandmummy, come home to me."

But Darla was already on her way. She could feel it in her bones - she could feel the weight of the dead Anya as she ran, and Drusilla's demon roared along with Darla's as the sun rose.

Seconds later, Darla burst through the curtains and unceremoniously dropped the body of Anya on the ground.

Darla's soft voice called out to her. Drusilla, stricken, rolled over, her hand striking a patch of uncovered sunlight.

She yelped, pulling her hand in close. "I saw the Evil Ones," she said softly, her knees pulled into her chest. "I saw them kill the Anya demon, 'Mummy." Drusilla let her singed hand float in the air, waving of it's own accord. She didn't look up from her lap, where tears freely stained her nightgown. "And Daddy, and the Slayer..."

Sensing something, Drusilla looked up sharply. She saw the familiar sight of raw, burned flesh peeking out from Darla's dress. "'Mummy, you're all hurt!" She exclaimed, leaning over again. Her fingers danced on the edges of the bright shards of sunlight. "Can I help?"

[Blondie Bear]

As the dawn cracked through the night, Oz shook off his wolf pelt and rose to two legs, quickly hopping into the van to cover his nakedness. The van was almost big enough for him to stand upright in, and he got dressed slowly. He threw himself into the fat, low couch he'd wrestled into the back of the van to put on his socks and shoes. He checked the dashboard clock. It was just past 6 AM. Class didn't start for two more hours.

As always, he considered not going, but the mundane people of the world would frown on it. If he ever wanted to get out of this town legitimately--without his parents or a truant officer coming after him--he had to finish college. No matter how much of a hell it was.

He buried his head in his hands. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to see these people, listen to their harping about joining their team, with us or against us, pick a side, pick a side, blah blah blah. He really didn't want to see Willow, who he'd misjudged so badly the first time he'd met her. She could still make him feel all melty inside, and it was a wrong feeling, but his insides didn't care.

With a sigh, he snuggled down onto the couch to catch a quick nap before he had to leave for school. With any luck, he'd manage to avoid the Scoobies today. That was all he could really hope for these days.

[bufsum]

Xander decided he would make an appearance at UC Sunnydale. The night wore heavy on him, and he was determined to enjoy the day ahead of him. The monotony of his life was catching up to him. Plot during the day, and hunt at night… and occasionally a nightly romp with a sweet young thing… and repeat. If only Cordelia would show some sign of obligation, of trust. He needed something he could sink his preverbal teeth into.

Maybe I can find Oz, devise a kick ass plan to blow the goodlies away. That boy’s underrated! And besides… he seems to be keeping to himself lately... hardly ever around for our nighttime fun.

“And too bad, when he’s a wolfer, he’s such a beast.”

::Xander walked through the school, making his way to his first class::

He had British Lit, a class he had skipped more often than he’d attended. However, he shared it with Oz… and was curious for werewolf details of the night before.

::He took his seat, back left corner… and waited for Oz to arrive::

[Blondie Bear]

British Literature. Be still, my heart.

Though the thought was sarcastic, Oz rather enjoyed the class. It was interesting to learn about ancient mythologies, which were practically the history of his kind and the other crazy things he dealt with on a daily basis. It wasn't so great to have Xander hovering over him, practically breathing in his ear, trying to be the big intimidating manly man.

As if I couldn't tear him to shreds if I felt like it.

Oz quickly clamped down on that thought. That sort of thinking lead to Buffy and her ilk. He didn't want to be bad--well, not evil, anyway. But he wasn't sure he could be good.

He snuck into the classroom behind a herd of giggly girls, hoping he would be noticed, and slunk to his seat in the back.

[Joyce Summers]

::Class, Giles, Class, Giles, Class, Giles...okay this whole decision making thing could go on for like ever. The sort that never ended. She guessed that was the regular kind of forever::

Okay, go to class and get bored out of my skull by Shakespeare or Marie Antoinette or whatever the hell it is we're meant to be studying. OR go to the library for Watcherly check-in which has a slightly less boredom factor. Unless he starts talking about his new books again....

::Less boredom factor won. She'd go to Giles::

"Oh shoot"

::He'd probably wanna know how last night went. Extra detailiness on the Anyanka sitch.Or just the sitch in general. She looked over at the clock on the wall above the corridor and considered the time. Half past eight in the morning? Way too early for detail check-in. At least in class she could catch some Zzz's. Class it is. She marched off in the direction of...erm...::

"To where am I marching?"

::Her class schedule was...somewhere in her room. Or in the trash. Filed under all parents' famous 'You didn't move it so I assumed it was waste paper' category. So she was up the class creek without a paddle...or schedule...or a textbook on cannoing...nyeh, she'd never been that good with metaphors. No problem. She'd just wait in the hall. Will would no doubt show up soon and lead the way to all things teacherly and lesson-y. Unless Snyder caught up with Buffy first. Not likely though; he never noticed any student until he'd had his morning coffee. Years of observation and trial and error had taught her this. She walked down to the main corridor, to where Willow would be more likely to walk past, and on her way saw a girl reading from a magazine in one of the front lounge seats::

"Hey, you done with that?"

::She smoothly snatched it from the girls hands before she could protest and walked on with it to her Waiting for Will place. Also known as the corridor wall::

"Ooh, Cosmo, I haven't read this one"

Eyebrow waxing with leftover candle wax? Ow much?

[bufsum]

Xander perked up as he saw Oz enter the room. He passed a group of girls, and gave them a look like he might tear them apart.

That would cause quite a party.

Maybe it was his imagination, but Oz seemed irritated this morning. But, really… Xander could never tell what Oz was thinking. He was a mystery to the entire group; especially since Willow went all homosexual, and dumped Oz… like well… a dog.

Xander thought this was a big downer, at least with Oz around Xander felt like he could relate to another male, who had a pulse.

Maybe he just needs a bit of prodding… like cattle prod little…

::Xander gave an exaggerated nod hello::

Oz: Hey, man. I was hoping you’d show. You missed some big fun last night. We could have used your… skills.

[Blondie Bear]

As eye contact was made, Oz suppressed a wince and a recoil.

So much for not being noticed.

He supposed completely ignoring Xander wasn't a good idea, though; if he felt snubbed, he might go whining to Buffy, who would then kick Oz's ever-loving ass, wolf or no wolf.

It's all her fault, he thought. None of these people would have the impetus for real evil if they didn't have the Slayer backing them up and egging them on. Well . . . maybe Angel would, but Xander definitely not.

Xander: Really?

Hoping that would be enough, he continued slide down in his seat until his eyes were level with the top of the head of the girl who sat in front of him. It didn't take much; she was a good five-foot-six.

[bufsum]

Sensing that he wasn’t going to get much out of the wolf Xander nodded again.

Oz: Look, why don’t you come to the library after class… it’s been awhile since we’ve hung. Besides, the Scoobies miss you.

::Xander smiled to himself::

Oz: Cordy was talking about you the other day, I know she misses you, and with the… skills, and all.

Xander knew that Oz wouldn’t respond with a soliloquy, but he was hoping he’d grunt yes. The group had another strategy session loosely planned for the afternoon. Xander planned on battening down for several hours with Giles. His Ripper stories really had a rebel without a cause vibe, and gave a normal guy like him hope.

Besides, maybe if we have guy bonding time Oz will start hanging around more.

Xander had spent a lot of time talking to baddies of the underground (they were great sources, after they stopped wanting to rip is innards out), and it gave him a plethora of ideas on how to defeat the white hats. The way he figured it is if he had both Giles and Oz backing him up the group would have to hear him out.

He looked at the clock, watching the seconds tick by until the bell released them from his holding cell.

[Blondie Bear]

As much as Oz disliked being anywhere near these individuals--let alone a group, he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid it forever. And, heck, who knew, he might be able to figure out what they were doing so that if he did actually pick a side, he'd at least know what was going on.

I'd so much rather be a normal person than a monster, he thought. Especially when being a monster comes with choices like this.

He gave Xander a grunt of assent and slid just a little bit further down in his chair.

[bufsum]

::Xander entered the library with Oz in tow::

As he had expected it was empty, except for Giles who was bent over a large volume. He seemed to be whispering to it.

Probably working up something particularly nasty.

There was a time when Giles only did his evil deeds by the cloak of night. He would stay at his post well into the night, raising hell. However, after Jenny Calendar’s death he had gotten more reckless. Funnily enough no one bothered to bat an eye. It seemed that the students of UC Sunnydale had no problem avoiding the school library like the plague. Xander had heard rumors flying in the halls concerning Giles, and his strange behavior. These rumors pegged him to be the anti-Christ, a vengeful old warlock, and simply mad. Xander had no problem reporting to Buffy, and having her stick up for Giles… and soon after that he didn’t hear much complaining.

It always amazed Xander what caught the citizen’s attention, and what flew under the radar. For example, the Scoobies continued to move up in school, despite their obvious lack of attendance and school work. Giles had seen to that, and the Scoobies never questioned it… and neither did anyone else. He knew that students spoke about how they were weird, mean, and frequently bunkered down in the library… yet no one looked into their comings and goings. The town had adopted an air of silence and fear.

::Xander took a deep breath::

Whatever Giles was doing was resulting in the library smelling coppery and slightly like incense, though he didn’t see any burning.

Oz and Giles: I love the smell of death before lunch.

Giles gave a brief nod of hello, and turned back to his book. Xander grabbed a book off of the shelf, and turned it open to page 314. He turned to Oz, and smiled.

Oz: It’s a good that you’re here. Check this out.

::He passed the book to Oz, so he could read the passage that Xander had taken liberty to mystically highlight (with the assistant of Giles)::

The spell had been locked away in one of Giles’ darkest books.

It was a detailed invisibility spell that would not only grant the Scoobies invisibility to the White Hats, but it would leave them undetectable to Drusilla. It essentially stored the spell-makers essence in another dimension until a powerful force can restore it. When Xander first discovered the spell, he brought it to Giles’ attention. After several hours Giles agreed that everyone should find the spell productive. Then he cursed himself for not remembering about the spell himself.

Angel will love it.

With one word Willow would be able to reveal the group, and they will fight.

Oz: Pretty fu****** awesome, huh?

[Lyri]

:: Darla lay on the floor of the living room, the cold stone seeping into her body, soothing the burns she had endured.

:: Drusilla was hovering over her, and Darla could sense her unease, her unhappiness at both Anyanka's death and her grandmother's injuries.::

She always was so sensitive.


:: Darla forced herself to sit up, wincing as her dress, which had stuck to the burns on her back, began to pull and seperate the healing skin.

::She smiled tightly at Drusilla.:;

Drusilla: "Dru, sweetie, get me something to clean these wounds."

::But Drusilla was staring at the body of Anyanka, lying not five feet from where they sat, her lifeless face staring at them.::

Drusilla: "She neds to be buried. She deserves respect, and it's all we can give her now. Our respect."

:: Darla glanced back at the curtains and the muted sunlight that leaked through.

::She swallowed hard and took a deep breath.::

Drusilla: "Where is Glory?"

[Lindsey McDonald]

Darla: 'Well, I prefer "Your Most Beneficent Highness," actually. What's all the noise? I was getting my beauty sleep you know?'

::Glory strode into the room, not looking in the least like she had just woken up. Perfect hair, perfect make-up, looking immaculate in a tiny pink dress with killer heels.::

Darla and Drusilla: ‘So, where’s “little-miss-really-needs-to-moisturize?” I didn’t hear her come back last ni….’

::Her eyes fell on the body lying sprawled on the cold stone floor::

Anyanka: ‘Hey. Anyanka? Annie?’

::She took in the scene in it’s entirety for the first time. Her mind raced as she saw Drusilla crying pathetically and clutching her doll; Darla’s body covered in horrific burns, her beautiful dress stained horribly with blood; and Anyanka’s lifeless corpse, calling to her for a final act of vengeance and justice against those monsters that murdered her.::

::Fury and grief rose within her. Suddenly she burst into a frenzy of action, tugging at her hair and crying out to the room::

Darla and Drusilla: ‘I hate this place! This town! This whole frickin’ dimension! The pain is too much…It’s…It’s everywhere!’

::Turning, she slammed a tiny fist into a wall, sending cracks racing through the solid stone. Breathing heavily, she slowly regained her composure.::

Drusilla: ‘Shhh…shhh…it’s ok. Grandmummy’s wounds will heal up fine. Glory’s here.’

::She took the vampire into her arms, soothing her. Looking over Drusilla’s shoulder straight at Darla she asked the question::

Darla: ‘What’s the plan?’

[VisionGuy]

Cordelia walked down the halls of UC Sunnydale thinking about the vision she had the night before and what it could possibly mean. Everyone was asking about it but she decided to tell them it was some sort of brain freeze from the iced mocha she had earlier that night. As usual, they didn't ask questions. Keeping the visions to herself was for the best because Cordelia doesn't want to have any special ability to contribute to the scoobies. If she did, then she would have to accept that this in fact was her life. As she walked into the library, she overheard Xander talking to Oz about some invisiblity spell.

Xander: "So I guess GI Joe is trying to add spellcasting to his long list of attributes. What's next? You're going to walk on water? Don't you think Willow and her lesbian lover should handle all the hocus pocus?"

[Blondie Bear]

Oz's initial reaction to Cordelia's entrance was relief. Finally, someone else for Xander to pay attention to. He took a few steps back, attempting to fade into the background, which might have been easier if he'd had his brown hair instead of the bright blond he'd picked a few days ago.

However, when Cordy mentioned Willow and Tara, Oz felt his face tighten up. He couldn't help it; the thought of the two of them still made him uncomfortable and angry. He continued to say nothing, however, waiting for the others to get to the point.

[bufsum]

"So I guess GI Joe is trying to add spellcasting to his long list of attributes. What's next? You're going to walk on water? Don't you think Willow and her lesbian lover should handle all the hocus pocus?"

Xander turned to see Cordelia walk in, and wanted to respond with a biting retort, but he knew if he could get Cordy on board he wouldn’t be so anxious.

Cordelia: Hey babe, we’re just going over big important evil stuff I’m going to bring up at the meeting. It’s just this kick spell that will be the kingpin to demolish the Whiteys; Will and Tara will own it. And, Oz is down for it, right, buddy?

Better not let him say anything, in case he hates it.

Cordelia: I just think it’s about time we come up with a plan that doesn’t suck, and I am ready to pounce all stealthy-like. Instead of the full frontal attack this is more… better!

Xander turned to Oz, as if expecting a response, and then kept talking.

How can I pitch this in a way where she’ll be on board?

Cordelia: And did I mention that you’ll be able to inflict some major damage? We’ll all be invisible, and then—BAM! We kill them all. That's it... well, essentially that’s the short version.

Giles walked out of his office, and greeted the three Scoobies.

Cordelia, Oz, Xander: Hello all. Good to see you, Oz. Xander, I need you to hold the book for me, so I can prepare a brief demonstration.

Xander nodded, and followed Giles into the other room.

[Jenny]

Tara followed the dark mane of hair that was Cordelia into the library just in time to see Xander and Giles disappear through Giles' office door. She inhaled deeply the smell of old tomes and dust. Tara had grown to love it here, because she loved it here. Her Willow. She flourished in her element.

Cordelia: S-s-so what was the big rush, what's this new plan we're all supposed to be so excited about?

Before Cordelia could reply, Tara got the uncomfortable feeling that she was being watched, and watched hard. Uncomfortable, her mouth twitched as she slowly turned her entire body to find Oz staring right through her.

Great, he just had to be here, thanks to Xander no doubt. I know he's strong, I know he'd be a great allie, but it's so...awkward. And he looks....hungry.

[Lyri]

: Darla watched as Glory went into melt down over Anya's death, but the pain in her injuries prevented her from going to the upset Goddess, and she could only watch as Glory tore at her hair and punched at the wall.::

One day, she really is going to tear this place down.

::Slowly, Glory pulled herself together and turned to look at Darla.::


Darla: ‘What’s the plan?’

:: Darla sighed. Sometimes she hated being the one in charge, the one everyone turned to when things started to wrong. The one everyone turned to when they needed to be told what to do.::

But I don't have all the answers. I don't even have most of the question.

Glory: "Anyanka. She needs a proper burial. I refuse to leave her lying here like a piece of muck they scraped off their shoes. She was our friend, our ally, and she gave up her life trying to find a way out of this war. She was the bravest person I have ever known."

:: Darla looked up at Glory and tried not to let the pain or the humiliation show in her eyes.::

Glory: "If I'd do it myself, I would. But sunlight and third degree burns are too much to handle even for a vampire as old as myself."

::Carefully, Darla pushed herself into a sitting position, wincing as her newly healed skin was ripped open again. She looked at Drusilla, who had returned to staring at the ceiling.::

Glory: "Spike is on one of his unannounced walkabouts. If I can find him, perhaps we can figure out a way to deal with this situation. Buffy and her little band of bloodthirsty hounds cannot get away with this."

[VisionGuy]

As Xander was speaking to her, Cordelia noticed Oz looked a little uncomfortable. She was going to ask what was wrong but she didn't care either way. The same way she didn't care about Xander and his stupid plan.

"Listen Chicken Little, I don't see Buffy getting on board with this plan." She pulled up a chair and sat next to Oz, "You know she loves the thrill of the slaying. If the victim's aren't fighting back, what's the point?"

Tara: "S-s-so what was the big rush, what's this new plan we're all supposed to be so excited about?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. Ever since her and Willow started dating, Tara has been hanging around like a bad plague. She doesn't know what caused Willow to go lesbo, but whatever floats her boat.

Tara: "Xander has a master plan to kill all the white hats. And guess who he wants to cast that sure fire hit spell."

[Lindsey McDonald]

Glory: "Anyanka. She needs a proper burial. I refuse to leave her lying here like a piece of muck they scraped off their shoes. She was our friend, our ally, and she gave up her life trying to find a way out of this war. She was the bravest person I have ever known."

::Glory nodded silently in reply. She could see Darla’s shame in not being able to do even this simple thing, and she felt for her. That was the problem with this plane; so much damn feeling. Her grief was lying deep in her stomach, leaden and numbing; her rage was boiling in her head, her hands, her fingers; and empathy swamped her heart with sorrow.::

‘How do they do it? Every day, there’s so much pain…'

::The Goddess usually buried her agony in shopping and clothes. She and Anyanka had shared a love of money: one would earn it, the other spend it. Now, even that escape was stained with innocent blood.::

Darla: ‘I’ll do it now.’

::Where Glory came from, she would never have dug a grave. Mostly because there weren’t any, but also because there would have been hordes of worshippers lining up to do it for her. But not today. She knew this was something she had to do herself. She knew this was something she wanted to do herself. Leaving Drusilla silently staring at the ceiling, she carefully lifted Anyanka’s body in her arms, and carried it outside.::

::Walking slowly around to the back of the mansion in the glare of the cruel, uncaring sunlight, she prepared to bury the body of her best friend. She had been like family. Darla and Drusilla were never as close as Anya. They were young, too young for that. Anya was different. Once you reach 1000, something changes. Placing the body on the grass, Glory lifted a shovel.::

[TheHeartist]

Spike

Watching from the shadows, he saw Glory begin to shovel up the earth in the garden, digging their fallen comrade a grave fit for such a brave soul.

Spike looked down at what he had bought back from his travels with him: a book and a ring. Removing the ring from his pocket, he looked upon it briefly, knowing the power it contained, especially for someone like him. This was not a decision to be taken lightly. Retreating, Spike decided not to reveal himself quite yet. He had something he needed to do first, some planning. He looked once more at the items he had retrieved, hoping that Anya's life was worth it.

'No,' Spike thought to himself ', it will never be worth it. But I have to make it count...'

A surge of guilt rushed through him as he realised that her fate may have been different had he been there to save her.

"No," Spike muttered grimly, a single tear rolling down his cheek ", I make this count. They pay, and they pay big. When they least expect it."

[Keanoite]

:: It was rare that Angel ventured out during the day. All the cheerful happy people grated his nerves and the fact that the glaring, vengeful sun prevented him from rushing out and ripping the smiles of these disgustingly cheerful peoples' faces pissed him off. Today, however, he had a feeling, Angel had learned a long time ago to trust his gut and right now it was telling him to be in the library of UC Sunnydale. The second he entered the library from the stacks he was certain of two things: Buffy had yet to arrive and his gut had been right, he most definetly was needed here, the room reeked of magic::

The Group: "Well looky what we have here...is Watcher playing Merlin again? Tut tut...not trying to resurrect your ex for old times sake, are you Rupe? I thought we had spoken about this?"

:: Angel sauntered through the shadows and down the steps, taking his pretty little time, as he addressed the group, ok Ripper, but the rest were there too. He revelled in the knots of rage that contorted the old Brits face. It was a cheap shot and he knew it but it just brought forth the most deliciously potent emotions from the old fella that he coulnd't resist.::

I'm evil what do you expect?

Group:" So what's this I hear about turning us invisible? Now why would you go and deprive the world of my handsome mug?"

:: All jokes aside, although he was only joking a little about his handsome mug, he didn't like the plan. His dislike for it increased when he was told who found the spell: Xander boy-wonderless himself. He looked around the room and studied those assembled. Ripper, totally cracked since, well I cracked his whore's neck but he was unpredictable and powerful. Angel eyed him cautiously, he pushes him but only so far. Then there was evil-lite, Xander. Angel would have killed him long ago but Buffy, for reasons unknown to him, finds the boy amusing. Angel just found him extremely annoying. Cordelia, well she...likes shoes. Nothing really else worth adding is there? Oz though, he was very interesting indeed. Angel was wary of him. He had untold potential but as far as he could tell the colour or the wolf's hat was still white. He didn't trust him, especially after that Anyanka business. Then there is Tara, such a wonderfully sadistic soul. Angel actually found himself quite found of the witch. Also, something that he found extremely amusing was the waring emotions both she and Oz were fighting within themselves over Willow::

Someday those raging emotions are going to spill out...I truly hope I'm around to see that.

[bufsum]

The Group: "Well looky what we have here...is Watcher playing Merlin again? Tut tut...not trying to resurrect your ex for old times sake, are you Rupe? I thought we had spoken about this?"

::Giles raised his eyebrows, and turned to Angel, and spoke quietly.::

Angel: Ah, yes... very clever, Angelus.

Xander's eyes flicked to Angel's face, he knew that merely calling Angel Angelus could set him off. Angel did not react; he was in his own head. This was hardly surprising.

I just hate that guy. Slipping on his broody black and Buffy everyday, all cool and mysterious.

He had would have to settle with working the deck from his hand.

Group:" So what's this I hear about turning us invisible? Now why would you go and deprive the world of my handsome mug?"

What a pompous ass.

::Xander stood up, with the spell book in hand.::

Angel: Maybe you should worry less about yourself, and more about how we can bring down the Whities. Besides, Will, Giles and Tara can rock this one. It's gonna be like HP, without the cloak.

::He stopped himself from explaining what "HP" meant, and walked over to where Giles was drawing a symbol on the floor.::

It was as if Xander had proverbially passed the baton to Giles, he clearly was looking for Ripper back-up. He knew that as long as the rest of the group kept Giles and Angel in check there wouldn't be any fireworks. He also enjoyed making stabs at Angel’s expense, whether or not the group would go with his plan.

::Giles nodded, pulling the invisible string that lie between himself and Angel tighter::

Angel: Good show, Xander. Quite right. Angel... stop being such an ass, and have patience. This plan could work. It's a sneak attack... quiet different from the normal rabble-rousing approach that has thus-far only resulted in the death of one pathetic little vengeance demon. Perhaps you should give stealth a try.

::Xander gave a nervous laugh, and continued to draw on the ground.::

[Joyce Summers]

::Buffy had had no idea what had been going on in class. Okay something about....no, gone. Oh come on- like she was ever gonna use English or whatever it was in the real world? And who cares about...whatever it was they were teaching? Okay it was so much harder to bitch about a class when you didn't remember what was being taught. It didn't matter anyway- wasn't the whole point of her vent in the first place?- she was headed to the library now. To check in with Giles to see if anything needed killing or maimed. She hoped it was a bit of both. If she just maimed things felt incomplete, but if she just killed then she felt unsatisfied. Maimyness followed with a side order of killing would be perfect. She was still on a high from Anyanka. The way she had felt her neck- the bones so thin and fragile in her superstrong hands. One simple swift movement and SNAP. It had been beautiful. Poetry Angel called it and Buffy was beginning to know what he meant by that. It was an art in itself really- to have the ability to take someone's life however and when you wanted to. To have so much control- whoa. Buffy stopped where she was in the corridor, a few paces away from the library doors, and shook her head as if to clear it::

I am getting way too deep for a school morning. I'm all...profoundy. Mornings are not the time for profoundness. They are time for much in the way of sleep...and the eating of candied things. Ooh, I wonder whether Xander's brought any Twinkies?

::With the thought of soft chewy cake bars on her mind- and maybe a Hershey Bar or two- Buffy strode the last few paces towards the library using both her hands to boldly knock open both of the swinging doors::

Group: Never fear, Buffy is- whoa why does it smell of funky symbols in here?

::She slowed down her 'striding in' pace to wander round and see what Giles and Xander crouched over and discovered the origin of why she felt something wiggy when she walked in. Magic stuff always got her wigged out- symbols, spells, symbols with spells...the whole shebang. It just...wigged her. I mean if you were meant to make bunnies hop outta hats wouldn't they do that their own without wand waving and abracadabra bibbity bobbity boo?
Shaking away the wig and instead focusing on curiosity, she hopped up onto the library table and let her legs swing childishly. She could sense Angel stood behind her but she wasn't going to say hello to him till he said hello to her first. A girl had to have some pride and Buffy Summers NEVER looked desperate. Not that saying hello would look desperate..but she needed to be all cool and aloof like that book was always saying/ Men are from Mars, Women are from Veuns It talked of women being all glacier like...or something. And so she was. Being glacial. Cool as a Valley Girl Cucumber. Or maybe not saying hi wasn't cool and just looked kinda bitchy. The bad kind of bitchy, not the good kind...so should she say Hi? Or would that ruin the whole 'cool and aloof I'm not desperate plan?' Argh! Now she was all confused::

Quick focus on something else!

Giles: Whatcha dooo-in?

::Giles began to give her a quick run-down of what he and Xander were working on and Buffy tried her hardest to not let her eyes glaze over- this spell would lead to getting the white hats after all, but still unless she was in the action punching and kicking Buffy found it hard to pay attention. Besides something non-symbol relatedly weird was going on. Giles was all stiff and Xander was all edgy...Angel more quiet than usual...::

Group: Okay, what's going on? Did I miss something? You guys are all...bad moody. Bad moodier than usual anyway. What gives?

[TheHeartist]

Watching from a dark corner of the library, Spike eyed his foes and kept track of what they were doing.

'A stealth spell of sorts eh? You're not the only one staying hidden...' Spike thought, looking down at his right arm self consciously. They still stung his skin, being fresh and all. But it did mean a definite advantage. Without his new arsenal of tricks, the brooding poofter would have most definitely sensed him by now.

And with what he still carried in his pocket...maybe the time was right. He should go see Darla...and if he could stand it...Dru. He still needed to talk to her, to try and make her see the desperate situation they were in, without his own personal feelings and her madness clouding the conversation.

'Damn those Scoobies...' Spike thought to himself, before quietly leaving the library for his new crypt hideout to prepare for dusk.

Because when night fell...whatever happened was either going to make or break him.

[bufsum]

::Xander continued to work on his drawing, Giles told him once they started one had to be focused on it, or it wouldn’t work. He was extremely happy that Buffy was finally here.::

She looks really hot today.

He half listened as Giles went over the plan.

Wonder where Will is.

He knew that Willow had been out, doing her magic… and Tara a lot lately. Which he was totally cool with…. Totally. It was just annoying when it messed with the planning parts of life. He was certain that Willow would be in for whatever spell him and Giles presented her with. Magic had become like crack to her. She was Sabrinaing herself all over these days. Xander was also down with that; especially when just the two of them went out hunting together. She was like to Phoenix status… she seemed indestructible. Plus, they were both fiery hot redheads. She seemed to be looking for something to satiate her appetite.

::He drew the final symbol, and stood to face the group::

Group: Okay, I think we’re ready.

::Giles turned to him, and nodded::

Group: So… Scoobs… gather around the symbol, and face us.

::As the group moved over to them, Giles began his chanting::

::Xander grabbed the companion book, and read, stumbling over some of the words of this unfamiliar language. The two men moved over the symbol, reading from the books as the symbol glowed a blinding white. Xander tried to focus on the book; his eyes were burning. Finally, just as he reached the end of the passage there was a tangible silence, and a notable wind filled the library. It felt as if his whole body was humming, like an electric charge was passing through him. It subsided quickly, and he knew that it had worked.::

Giles confirmed it; he loudly declared that everyone was now invisible. He challenged them to test out the theory, as Angel had doubt written on his face. Xander himself stayed behind, he was supposed to be with Giles on this one.

Group: We will be invisible for half an hour, then Giles and I will pull us back.

Giles told them that they should not only have invisible fun, but decide whether this would be a good way to alienate the White Hats.

Cordelia: Wanna go have sex in public?

[Mesektet Ra]

Drusilla: "Dru, sweetie, get me something to clean these wounds."

Drusilla wrang her hands as she stood over Darla, her eyes jittering left to right. The Anya demon was dead. She was Drusilla's friend - always brought her her dollies when she needed them. Whispered to her when she was lost in the darkness in her head.

She nodded once to Grandmummy and went into the next room, walking quickly down the hall to where they kept the bandages. She grabbed a magickal salve that sped up the healing process, and bandages.

She came back down the hallway and knelt gently besides Darla.

She needs to be buried. She deserves respect, and it's all we can give her now. Our respect."

Drusilla nodded, sitting with her knees curled against her chest. She nodded, not saying a word, staring at the corpse of Anyanka laying so still across the floor. Drusilla's heart didn't beat, and she didn't need to breathe. But she still cocked her head to the side at the sight of Anya's still chest.

She crawled over to the demon, reaching a flitting, waving hand out to touch her dress.

Drusilla: "Where's Glory?"

Drusilla sensed the goddess before she entered the room. She turned her head and looked pointedly to the hallway, where Glory emerged a minute later.

She turned her attention back to the demon. "Grandmummy's hurt," Drusilla said aloud, to Glory. She turned around and looked at the goddess, her eyes wide and child-like. "And Annie's still."

Drusilla turned away, closing her eyes. She sensed the built-up rage in Glory - being trapped here was still so very hard for goddess. Glory smashed her fist into the wall, screaming. Drusilla flinched. "Such loud noises," she said quietly. "And Annie's still quiet."

She glanced up as Glory came over to her, holding her. Drusilla squeezed her eyes shut and leaned her head on the goddess's shoulder, tears threatening. "They hurt them, Glory," she said into the other woman's shoulder. "I can still see the blackness swirling around their heads. They took my Daddy, they try to take my Grandmummy..."

Glory rose, speaking to Darla. Drusilla craned her head at the ceiling, bright shards of sunlight cutting a swath of death across the otherwise dark and dank manor. The sunlight was glittering, a pretty shade of death.

Glory: "Spike is on one of his unnanounced walkabouts..."

Drusilla's head whipped around. William had whispered to her in her dreams...he was going to watch the Dark Ones. She wasn't supposed to tell Grandmummy.

Something painful and dark roiled in the pit of her stomach. She moaned a little and closed her eyes. "My William..." she hissed. She clapped her hands over her ears and curled up tight next to the body of Anya. "He's spying, with his hawk's eyes. He sees them dancing and cavorting. They speak words..." Her eyes snapped open. She crawled, skiddish, over to Darla. She wrapped her arms around the other woman's legs. "Don't let them take my William, 'Mummy! They speak in dead tongues, trying to end us all!"

[Lindsey McDonald]

::Smoothing the earth over the newly filled grave that housed the body of the fallen demon, Glory smiled ruefully. It was done. As she straightened up, she hesitated a moment looking down across the disturbed earth.

“Pull yourself together. You’re a Goddess. Capital G.”

::Fluffing her hair, she strode confidently back towards the front of the mansion. She wasn’t going to let this make her look any less radiant than was befitting of such a deity – even if she was bleeding inside. Just as she was getting her old strut back (she could tell from the reflection that she glanced at in every window she passed), just as she was feeling impressive again, just as she knew she was the hottest thing on this damned earthly plane, she was suddenly struck by a wave of dizziness. She stumbled, and fell face first into the mud.

“Son of a BITCH!!!”

::Clambering onto all fours in a most undignified fashion, she steadied herself as her head swam. She rose to her feet slowly. She hadn’t been in this dimension for long, but she knew for sure that that wasn’t normal. She shook her head to clear it of the befuddling dizziness that had taken up residence. Big mistake, it merely danced around in there more furiously. Stumbling into the house, she addressed Darla.

Darla: “Those damned kids are playing with big magicks. Serious stu…..Look at what they did to my dress!!”

[TheHeartist]

"It'll be more than your dress that gets ruined if you lot don't pull yourself together RIGHT NOW," Spike said, appearing from a dark corner of the room ", Beat 'Em Up Barbie and her merry gang are preparing to finish us off. Lucky I got other things in mind."

Spying Darla, he threw her the book he had been lugging around.

"Darla love, you best read these incantations quick," Spike continued, before turning to a surprised Drusilla.

"And Dru, pet...I've missed you," Spike finished, walking over and pulling her close to him, "it's alright now...dear William's back...and he bought payback with him."

As he spoke those words, he slipped out a green jewelled ring from his pocket and put it on. Giving Drusilla a long and passionate kiss, he turned to the others and started for the front door. Darla was about to shout when he stepped into the sunlight, unharmed.

"I got planning to do. Stay in here, you'll all be safer, Glory, come with. I could use some firepower where I'm going," Spike said with a grin.

[bufsum]

::As the spell broke, everyone was reassembled in the library.::

Xander looked around at the satisfied faces around him. Clearly, they had enjoyed their invisibility. Xander and Giles had discussed the fact that if they had playtime beforehand, it would allow their bodies more time to adjust, as well as be a turning point for everyone whom was skeptical.

Hope it worked, I had my fun.

Group: So you see, damage to the max can be done with the invisibility.

He turned to Giles to make a point; he seemed to be swaying slightly. He had warned Xander that the spell would have the greatest effect on the two of them. Giles really seemed to be taking it hard.

::He muttered something about tea, and stumble/walked to his office.::

Great, all eyes on me. Think of something clever.

Group: So, likey?

[Lindsey McDonald]

"I got planning to do. Stay in here, you'll all be safer, Glory, come with. I could use some firepower where I'm going," Spike said with a grin.

Come with? Come with?!?

::Glory was incredulous. Nobody spoke to her like that, like a dog, like a human! She was a Goddess! She looked up from her dress to issue a scathing reply,

Spike: “You littl- Huh?”

::He was already halfway down the path, sauntering along in the sunlight. She sighed, deflatedly.

Glory: “Vampires. Why are there so many vampires in my life...”

::A couple of seconds later, a blur pulled up alongside Spike. He had barely reached the gate, and there Glory was, resplendent as ever in a brand new red dress. It would complement the bloodstains she intended on making nicely. It seemed that justice for her friend’s murder was indeed at hand.

::Glancing down at William, she noticed the new ring that adorned his finger. It was golden, with an inlaid emerald of some sort.

Spike: “So, nice to see you’re embracing the metro with your sexual. I suppose the nail polish should have been a clue. You couldn’t have chosen something a bit more…this century though?”

::Moving with a confident and carefree stride to counteract William’s swagger, Glory kept herself from asking the obvious question. Well, obvious in the way that billowing smoke and flames were rather noticeable when absent. She’d never actually admit that she didn’t know why he could walk freely in the sunlight, but from the smug look on the vampire’s face, she could tell that he had noticed her fishing. She swiftly changed the subject:

Spike: “You mentioned firepower. Do I get to hurt someone yet?”

[TheHeartist]

Spike: “You mentioned firepower. Do I get to hurt someone yet?”

"Oh yeah, my brazen hellgoddess friend. Pain o'plenty. We're on our way to that wonderful pit of hormones that is UC Sunnydale. We've let them dictate the pace of this war for too long, for once, we hit 'em first, that's where I've been this whole time: gathering up firepower. We both know you're stronger than the Slayer, and I'm more than a match for the rest of 'em, especially the quiffed ponce. We hit them now, burn down their little library of goodies, even if we don't kill 'em all...I reckon they'll be reeling for weeks. Better yet, they won't see me coming during the day. And just in case anyone gets any ideas about relieving me of my shiny little bauble..." Spike explained, as he pulled out some duct tape, and wrapped it around the Gem of Amarra.

"In case you were wondering, yeah, it's in the ring. This thing...well, let's just say it puts the IM in IMmortality," Spike said with a grin, as the two of them drew closer to the campus.