Rating: Same as the show.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, yada, yada, yada, Joss Whedon's and everyone else has rights to them. Scenes are similar to "I Robot, You Jane." All those scenes belong to the writer and junk. But with changes that belong to me.
Series: 6th, in the Rewriting Series... ooh, 6!!!
Author's Notes: The next ep in the series, "I Robot, You Jane." I liked the name so much, that I just added a few words around it.
Summary: Just like the ep.... but with my special twist to it.

Buffy sighed as she moved around her room. She had a big day tomorrow... helping Giles with some new book scanning computer mambo jumbo thingy. She was too tired from the slaying she did earlier, and all she wanted to do know was sleep for a week.

She stretched her achy back, then winced, *Make that two weeks...*

Tiredly, she pulled the covers back, got in, and turned off the light. The mattress felt great for her sore back, and she sighed with relief.

Then, groaned when she heard a soft tapping at her window.

"No...." She murmured, "Ooh!" She stood up, and shuffled towards the curtains, "If it’s that damn cat again, I'm so gonna launch him into deep space!"

She pulled the curtains away, then gasped at Angel who looked a bit worn.

Quickly, she pulled the drapes aside and unlatched her window, lifting it up. Angel got in quickly, then grunted at his pained shoulder.

Buffy gazed at him worriedly, "Angel, what happened?"

He grunted, "I, ah... ran into a few vampires... they bruised up, my bruised shoulder from when I got shot..."

Buffy stepped forward, "But you'll be okay, right?"

He nodded, "I just come over to get away from them... they were close by...."

"We'll take care of them." Buffy said, touching his shoulder gently.

"Yeah...." He replied, breathing in deeply, "Uh... so, what were you doing?"

She sighed, "I was gonna go to sleep. Giles is having us load and unload big books, and have them scanned by the computer."

"Why would he do that?" Angel asked.

Buffy shrugged, "I dunno."

"I'm more book oriented than computer..." Angel said, sitting down on her bed while favoring his shoulder, "I can vaguely remember... my first book..."

"Three little pigs..." Buffy said, glancing at her stuffed pig.

Angel chuckled, "My first book... was actually a colored ink book, filled with different types of famous vampires and demons...."

Buffy blinked, "I almost forgot... you had to start as soon as you were born..."

"It never really bothered me until puberty..." Angel said, chuckling.

"Hmm..." Buffy sat down beside him, "Uh... so, do... do you wanna just crash here for the night? Dawn's the one who always wakes me up in the morning with her poppy music... so, we won't have to worry..."

"I remember," Angel smiled, recalling what had happened that first night he had stayed. He sobered, "Buffy... do you really think that's a good idea?"

"No..." Buffy started, "Yes... I don't know... all I know is that I can't let you go home with that shoulder..."

He nodded as Buffy moved to her closet and placed the blanket he had used last, the one she would go to bed with sometimes when she wanted to smell his scent. It helped her go to sleep.

He smiled, taking them and settling down.

Buffy shifted in bed.

Once.

Twice.

Three times, until she moved toward the side of the bed and leaned down to Angel, "Angel?"

"Hmm?" Angel started, his eyes still closed.

"Do you ever... do you ever think about that... well, do you wonder about how... do you... do--" Buffy was caught off as Angel's lips sealed over hers.

She slowly started to retreat, but he simply followed, kissing her strongly until she was completely breathless. She shivered as Angel brushed his hands up and down her arms. She looked up at him, and licked her lips, "So... what do we do now?"

He gazed at her, and sighed, "We sleep, and figure it out in the morning..."

"Right... the morning..." Buffy gasped before they both locked in a heated kiss.

********************

"Oh, great! A book!" Buffy said sarcastically as the book-scanning project went underway. Willow and a few other computer science students were seated at the table, scanning the books into the library's computer system.

Buffy pulled said book out of the box and blew some of the dust off. She then made a face, before she sneezed with a tiny high pitch sound that Angel hadn't heard before. He chuckled at the sound, and Buffy promptly slammed the book into his rib cage.

"Oh, uh, I, uh... haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put it in, uh," Giles pointed with his book, "in, in that pile."

"Here, I'll get it." A student who Buffy recognized as Dave, got up from his computer and hurried.

"Oh, thanks, Dave. The Willow pile." Buffy said.

Dave took the book from Buffy and went over to the pile of books next to Willow. Angel plucked a piece of Buffy's hair into his hands, and she quickly snatched it back, sending him a look.

"Uh, when I've examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it." Giles started, trying to figure out of that was the right word from his frazzled mind.

"Scan it, Rupert." Ms. Calendar, a young teacher corrected, "That's scan it."

"Of course." Giles said, almost pointing his nose up into the air.

"Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!" Ms. Calendar smiled.

"Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box." Giles retorted.

"That's TV. The idiot box is TV. This," Jenny indicated one of the computers, "is the good box!"

"I still prefer a good book." Giles replied.

"The printed page is obsolete." Fritz informed, "Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive."

Angel shrugged, causing Buffy to frown, "Don't tell me you agree with your uncle G." Buffy started.

"Well, he does have a point." Angel started, "Books are the way to go when it comes to certain things..."

"Certain things, meaning?"

"Like... demonology, and whatnot. Most of the stuff you look up on the internet aren't as genuine as the book." Angel explained.

"Alright, guys, let's wrap it up for today." Jenny shouted.

"I've just got a few more. I'll hang for a bit." Willow volunteered.

"Cool, thanks." Jenny said.

Xander grabbed his bag and pulled it onto his shoulder as Buffy and Angel slowly made their way towards the door.

"Xander, you wanna stay and help me?" Willow asked.

"Are you kidding?"

Willow bit her lip, "Yes, it was a joke I made up."

Xander smiled nervously, "Willow, I love you, but bye!"

"See ya!" Willow shouted.

********************

"Angel?" Buffy started.

"Hmm?" He answered, playing with her hair again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"What are we?" She asked, searching his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

She looked down, "I mean... relationship wise... are we friends... really, really good friends who like to kiss... or are we... are you... guy I'm dating?"

Angel smiled, "I haven't done this in a while, so I might be a bit rusty, but... how about we start with a date?"

"A date?" Buffy asked hopefully, "Like... you and me? Alone... without the vampires and stuff?"

"Without the vampires and stuff..." He said, touching her cheek gently, "There are things you make me feel Buffy... and it's hard to explain all of them... but I like `em."

********************

"Quick, quick, major help needed!" Buffy exclaimed as she stopped in front of Willow and Xander who were eating lunch.

"What is it?" Willow asked, worried.

"I... well, I have a date." Buffy said.

Willow smiled.

"With a bunch of vampires, right?" Xander laughed, then frowned when Buffy didn't laugh with him.

"No," Buffy started, looking at Willow, "With Angel..."

Willow stood up, and took her friend by the arms and did that little girly girl scream-jump thing that Xander had only seen really excited girls do before. But he was too busy wallowing in misery.

"Buffy, that is so great!" Willow smiled, "What are you gonna wear? Oh, where are you gonna go?" Willow smiled slyly, "What are you and Angel gonna do afterwards?"

"I don't know!" Buffy exclaimed, "All I know is that we're going to the Bronze, and he's gonna pick me up at eight...eeeie!"

Eeeie? Xander thought, I've never heard Buff make that kind of noise before...

"Ooh, uh, maybe we can do the girl thing," Willow smiled, "I'll come over, we'll pick out dresses and stuff! And then--oh, no wait! I can't." She hit her head.

"What?" Buffy started, "Why not?"

"I promised Ms. Calendar I'd finish scanning the rest of the books," Willow said, biting her lip, "Now I'm gonna miss all the Angel prep."

"Well... uh, if I get in early, I'll call you, okay?" Buffy started.

Willow nodded, "Yes! Please do. I want details."

"I want some tranquilizers..." Xander murmured.

********************

"I had so much fun tonight." Buffy confessed softly, "I mean, first time in like... forever..."

Angel smiled, their evening had been rather... magickal. He had picked her up at her home, and spent the first few minutes getting questioned by Joyce while Buffy was finishing getting ready upstairs, exchanging a few words with Dawn, an argument or two, and then good luck hugs before she left with Angel. They had gone to the Bronze, danced for a couple of hours until Buffy had confessed that her feet hurt. He had taken her to a park where he placed her on a park bench. He had set down beside her, brought up her sandaled feet, and had massaged them until she felt as if he had worked his way to her back.

"Me, too." Angel said with a smile, "It's nice. Granted it has nothing to do with vampire business."

"True." Buffy said, stepping towards him. She wasn't normally so forward, but she felt something so new and wonderful with Angel that she couldn't help but wind her arms around his shoulders and smile up at him. He smiled down at her, before closing the distance between them and kissing her.

Many more kisses were exchanged, until Buffy had to let him go. She gave him another kiss goodbye, a promise that she would meet him at the library in the morning, and then hurried up to her room.

She quickly grabbed a hold of the phone and punched in Willow's number, only to get the busy signal. Frowning, she put the phone away, and shrugged off her jacket. Glancing towards her drawer, she grabbed a hold of her diary and started scribbling away.

She had to tell somebody about what happened that night. And she doubted she could live through her mother's constant worry questions or Dawn's blunt curiosity.

********************

"Something's going on with Will." Buffy said softly, leaning against him. They were seated in one of the rows of library books. Buffy curled herself up against him, playing with the hand that had intertwined with her own, "She meet this guy... ah, Malcolm, on the internet last night and she's going totally gaga over him. I mean, I'm happy that Willow's getting off the Xander train of lust, but, I don't know if that's really healthy."

Angel looked down at her, "This just makes another point for books. Books are better than the computer."

"That's great help." Buffy said sarcastically.

He looked down at her, "I'm just saying, that I agree. I mean, you can fall in love with a story book character, but they can't hurt you..." Angel frowned, unless you live on the Hellmouth... or your very obsessed with things you can`t have."

Buffy sighed, "It happed about a week ago... don't know how... don't know why... well, actually, I do know how, I just don't understand how she could get so jazzed over the guy..."

"Maybe she`s feeling left out." Angel said suddenly.

Lifting a brow, Buffy eyed him, "Left out?"

"Yeah," Angel started, "Maybe, since we've spent the whole week going out on dates, she felt she needed some sort of contact. Possibly the male kind."

"But that's what Xander's for." Buffy protested.

"Buffy," He started, "Not to dis on Xander, in terms of your friendship with him, but, he's not exactly tactful when it comes to Willow. He sees her as his friend, not the way Willow sees him. She wants to feel special, just like anyone else. Do you see we're I'm going with this?"

Buffy nodded, "I'm just concerned. Can't blame me for that, can you?"

"No." He kissed her forehead.

The soft chime of the bell went off, almost like lightening. Buffy sighed, standing up with Angel.

"I have to go." Buffy said sadly.

He smiled, "That's okay. Look, I'll see you later okay?"

She nodded as he leaned in to kiss her, "Bye."

********************

Willow had thoughts of Malcolm on her mind as she bounced down the ever-familiar stairs. She was happily off in her own little world, wondering when she would talk to Malcolm again. So infatuated with him, she didn't notice someone come up behind her until big hands clamped over her eyes.

"Hup, guess who?" Willow heard the all too familiar voice. "Uh, Xander?" She asked.

"Yeah, but keep guessing anyway." Xander said.

"Xander." Willow repeated, playing with her hands anxiously.

"Oh, I can't fool ya, you see right through my petty charade." Xander said, pulling away, "We goin' to the Bronze tonight?"

"Not me," His red headed friend said with the brightest of smiles, "I think I'm gonna call it an early night."

Xander nodded, "Oh, Malcolm, right?" At Willow's smile and nod, he continued, "Yeah, I heard. But you're gonna be missin' out. I'm plannin' to be witty. I'm gonna make fun of all the people who won't talk to me."

Willow smile grew, "That's nice. Have a good time!"

All too quickly, she hurried off.

Xander watched her go, but still felt a bit worried. The bell rang and it startled him out of his thoughts just as Buffy waltzed right up next to him, "She certainly looks perky."

Xander nodded, "Yeah, color in the cheeks, bounce in the step... I don't like it. It's not healthy." He turned to look at her, "So, are you goin' to the Bronze tonight? Oh, probably not, you probably have some vampire slaying or some lame endeavor like that, don't you? Everyone deserts me."

He let out a sigh as they started to walk. Buffy giggled, "Check out the jealous man..."

Xander frowned, confusion evident on his face, "What are you talking about?"

Buffy smirked, "You're jealous."

"Of what?" Xander asked.

"Willow's got a thang, and Xander's left hanging." Buffy explained.

"Oh, that's meaningless drivel. I'm not interested in Willow like that." He informed the Slayer.

"Yeah, but you got used to being the Belle of the Ball." Buffy said, egging him on.

"No, it's just... this Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged." Xander said, concern in his voice.

"Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like." Buffy replied.

"Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I can say I'm a high school student." Xander said, with his naturally all-knowing voice.

"You are." Buffy reminded him.

"Okay, but I can also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?" Xander explained.

"I get your point!" Buffy said, then frowned, getting his point, "I get your point. Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird, or crazy, or old, or... He could be a circus freak. He's probably a circus freak!"

"Yeah." He said, agreeing with her hysteria, "I mean, we read about it all the time. Y'know, people meet on the 'Net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show, horrible ax murder."

Buffy froze, "Willow ax murdered by a circus freak... Okay, okay, what do we do?" She stopped, realizing her paranoia, "What are we doing? Xander, you get me started! We are totally overreacting!" She slapped his arm.

"But it's fun, isn't it?" Xander asked, sheepishly.

********************

The typing never seemed fast enough for him, but he worked on. In the dark computer lab, Fritz stared at the computer, scrolling down, "I'm jacked in. I'm jacked in. I'm jacked in." He chanted slowly.

It didn't matter.

The carving in his arm felt hot.

"I'm jacked in."

********************

"You're the late girl." Buffy commented, turning as Willow ran into the girl's locker room, rather late into the day.

"I overslept." Willow said in her hurry to change into her P.E. uniform.

"Till fifth period?" Buffy asked suspiciously, "Talkin' to Malcolm last night?"

"Yeah." She stared at Buffy, "What?"

"Nothing." She answered.

"You're having an expression." Willow said, fiddling with her necklace.

"I'm not. But if I was, it'd be saying, 'This just isn't like you.'" Buffy mumbled.

"Not like me to have a boyfriend?" Willow asked, hurt.

"He's boyfriendly?" Buffy questioned.

"I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. I mean, boys don't chase me around all the time. I thought you'd be happy for me." Willow said.

"I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face. In daylight, in a crowded place with some friends. Y'know, before you become all... obsessive." Buffy regretted the last word, but knew that the first part had to be in.

"Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off a couple classes." Willow said, then bit her lip, realizing she had let it slip.

"I thought you said you overslept." Buffy said, hiding her slight anger.

"Malcolm said you wouldn't understand." Willow said.

"Malcolm was right." Buffy said, hurrying out.

********************

"I'm attack girl." Buffy said as she hurried out of the lab room.

"Why would someone want to attack such a pretty girl?"

Buffy smiled, turning to look at him, "I dunno. You tell me... Mr..?" Buffy took a step towards him, "I'm sorry, but I think you're not supposed to be here... corrupting students... shame on you."

Angel smiled, "Don't worry about me." Then he took a more serious look, "What's the matter?"

Buffy sighed, "Come to the library with me? There's stuff I have to tell you and Giles. Stuff I don't really want to repeat it."

He nodded.

Quietly, the two of them hurried to the library. Buffy couldn't help but wondering why Willow had been so defensive and why Dave had been so... upset when she had mentioned Willow earlier. He seemed normal... and by all means, he seemed to be more of the type of guy Willow could date... but Malcolm? No. Willow needed a nice, normal, solid, guy.

Not some empty e-mails and a computer screen.

********************

"I'm telling you, something is going on. It's not just Willow. Dave, Fritz, they're all wicked jumpy." Buffy said as she followed Giles around the library along with Angel.

"Those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is." The librarian replied.

"Giles, trust me." Buffy insisted.

"I-I do! I-I-I really don't know how to advise you. Things involved with a computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such I'd be more in my element. Well, I-I suppose you could, um, tail Dave, see if he's up to something." Giles told her.

"Follow Dave? What, in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I can work this out myself." Buffy said, sounding insulted.

********************

Buffy tilted her head to the side as Giles hurried to finish his short conversation on the phone. From the way he was arguing with whoever was on the phone, Buffy was almost certain that it was Ms. Calendar.

"Tense?" Angel asked.

Buffy glanced at him, "Yeah. Very."

Angel moved to stand closer to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed.

"Mm." Buffy said with a sigh, "Oh, wow... you have Godly hands..."

Angel chuckled, "I guess this means that computer takes another dive down."

Letting out another sigh, and sending Xander a glare as he made slight gagging noises, "Whatever Dave is into, it's large."

"What was the name of this place?" Giles asked as he walked out of his office. Angel removed his hand from her arm, much to Buffy's dismay and Xander's delight.

"It said CRD." Buffy looked at Angel for confirmation. At his nod, she continued on, "But, I couldn't get close enough to see what it was."

"Me neither." Angel added.

"Calax Research and Development. It's a computer research lab. Third largest employer in Sunnydale till it closed down last year." Xander said easily, then stared back as the others stared at him dumbly, "What, I can't have information sometimes?"

"Well, it-it's just somewhat unprecedented." Giles said.

"Well, my uncle used to work there. I-in a floor sweeping capacity." Xander said with a sheepish shrug.

"But it closed?" Angel asked.

"Uh huh." Xander nodded.

"Looked pretty functional from where I stood. I don't have a clue what they were doing." Buffy said.

"And what do they need Dave for?" Xander asked.

"Something about computers, right? I mean, he is off-the-chart smart." Buffy looked at Xander.

"We still don't know an enormous amount. Whatever is going on there may be on the up-and-up." Giles said, scratching his head.

"No, if CRD opened, it would've been on the news." Xander informed.

"Besides, I can just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is tingling." Buffy said, off handily.

"Your... spider sense?" Giles asked, stumped.

"Pop culture reference. Sorry." Buffy murmured.

Giles nodded, "Yes, well, I think we're still at a stand still. Uh, uh, short of breaking into the place, I don't see..."

"Breaking in!" Buffy said with slight excitement, sliding off of the table, "Then this is the plan!"

"I'm free tonight!" Xander informed.

"Tonight it is!" Buffy said, jumpy.

Giles turned towards them, calm in his voice, "A moment, please, of quiet reflection. I do not suggest that you illegally enter the..." He froze when he saw her enter, slapping himself mentally for forgetting that she had said she would hurry over. "...data into the file so the book will be listed by title as well as by author."

"I just came by to check your new database, make sure your cross-

reference table isn't glitching, like I said I was going to. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone anywhere near it." Ms. Calendar said, staring at Giles.

"Uh, I'm still sorting through the chaos you left behind you." Giles mumbled.

"You're here again? Kids really dig the library, don't cha?" Ms. Calendar eyed them.

"We're literary!" Buffy supplied.

"To read makes our speaking English good." Xander said, feeling awkward.

"We'll be going now." Buffy grabbed Xander.

"Uh, w-we'll, uh, continue this conversation at another time." Giles said, with a look of warning.

"I think we're done." Buffy said, turning to leave, "Makes our speaking English is good?"

"I panicked, okay?" Xander replied.

"Angel?" Giles turned to his nephew.

He nodded, "Got it."

********************

Malcolm: I've never felt this way about anyone before, Willow.

Willow: I know what you mean. I feel like you know me better than anyone.

Malcolm: I do.

Willow: Do you think we should... meet?

Malcolm: I think we should soon.

Willow: I'm nervous.

Malcolm: I'm not. Isn't that strange?

Willow: That's what Buffy doesn't understand, how comfortable you can make me feel.

Malcolm: Buffy just makes trouble. That's why she got kicked out of her old school.

Willow: How did you know that?

Malcolm: It's on her permanent record.

Malcolm: You must have mentioned it.

Willow: I guess.

Malcolm: Let's not worry about her anymore.

Willow: I have to sign off. I'll talk to you later.

Malcolm: Don't.

Willow: Bye.

********************

"Do you think I'm being paranoid?"

"Paranoid, how?"

Buffy sighed, "I feel like I've cut Willow off. I mean, here I am, enjoying my yummy, brought lunch by my perfect boyfriend while Willow's munching on her lunch in front of a computer screen... not to mention that Malcolm could be a circus freak."

"The more you eat, the better you'll feel." Angel said.

Buffy frowned, "Again, I have this chubby issue with you, but are you saying I'm fat again?"

Angel chuckled, "No."

"Okay. Just checking." Buffy took another bite of her turkey sandwich.

"I know you're concerned, but Buffy... until we can figure out what's happening, I don't think there's much any of us can do." Angel said.

"Why are you so smart?" The Slayer questioned as she stared at him, "Is it cuz you're older? I mean, does this mean I'll get smart?"

"I've had a lot of time to think, Buffy." Angel replied.

"Right." Buffy nodded, "You're conversion from Cryptic Guy to Knowledge Guy." She glanced around, "How's the college thing coming?"

"It's easier than I thought." Angel replied.

"Yet?" Buffy lifted a brow.

"I'm staying here, Buffy."

She looked at him, "How'd you know that's what I was--"

"Thinking about?" Angel smiled, "It's been an egging issue. 'Sides, couldn't leave Uncle G alone with all of you. Might drive him crazy."

"That's if Ms. Calendar doesn't get to him first."

"She does go against most of his ways." He agreed, "But hopefully, they'll cool down the book vs. computer bit."

"Yeah." Buffy replied.

********************

"Buffy!" Dave said, hurriedly, out of breath.

"Dave! How're you doing?" Buffy asked, feeling odd around him.

"Okay. Uh, look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, y'know?" Dave said, shifting around on his feet.

"Don't sweat it." Buffy said.

"Willow was looking for you." Dave blurted out.

"Good, I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?" Buffy asked.

"She said she'd be in the, in the girls' locker room." Dave answered.

"Great. Thanks."

There was a moment where she couldn't place what seemed so odd about him. How he seemed so odd. Looking almost... lost. She gave him a small smile before leaving, hurrying towards the girl's locker room.

When she found the locker room, she found it almost deserted. Buffy slowly walked down the aisle and into a row of lockers.

"Will?" She walked further, "Willow?"

********************

Dave passed nervously outside the locker rooms.

Was... was what Moloch said true? Was it so important that Buffy had to be taken out of the picture?

He paced more hurriedly, his movements jittery, his mind processing what was to come. Moloch had shown Dave a world bigger than Sunnydale could offer. Insurance for a safe future where he could be respected no matter what.

But Buffy... she, though she did have a tendency to refer to him as a... nerd... she still cared about people. He had seen how she worked. How when she spoke to people, she meant it...

Taking one life for his insurance--a life that had treated him as a whole? As an actually person? Who had gone to him for help because she had been so concerned with her friend.

Moloch offered him a perfect life...

But who said he couldn't do it on his own?

"Buffy!" He shouted, running towards the girl's locker room, "Buffy! Get out!"

********************

"I've shown you a new world, Dave. Knowledge, power... I can give you everything. All I want is your love."

Dave shook his head. This wasn't happening. He saw what happened to Buffy. How she could have died. He knew she would have died, but she had been shaken off her feet. It wasn't right. "No. This isn't right. None of it is."

He watched, frightened and worried as the scratch pad came up on the screen. Moloch began to write, "I'm sorry. I've been a terrible person. I'm a coward, and I can't go on living like this."

Dave shook his head, stepping away from the computer as if it was a monster. *It is a monster!* Dave thought.

"Forgive me, Mom and Dad. At least now I'll have some peace."

"No." Dave started.

"Remember me. Love, Dave."

Dave turned, and shouted as Fritz came at him. "No!" Dave shouted, "You can't do this, Fritz! It isn't right!"

"Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." Fritz replied before latching onto Dave's throat with computer cords.

Dave fought as best as he could, but Fritz had always been larger, more powerful than Dave. It seemed, even in the end, Dave couldn't win.

*God, help me!* Dave thought.

When he was certain that the pain was going to snap him into unconsciousness, something let go and he fell to the floor. Coughing, gasping for air, Dave crawled towards his bag. The air that hit his lungs burned, his neck felt tight, but he was breathing.

Once the ringing in his ears slowed down, he watched as Fritz's feet past by him, scurrying away quickly.

Dave frowned, and then shouted as something grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

"I think there's a lot you might want to explain." Angel told him.

Dave coughed, clutching his bag, "He's inside."

"Who?" Angel asked.

Dave swallowed hard, "He's inside everywhere!"

********************

"In the dark ages the souls of demons were sometimes trapped in certain volumes. They remained locked within the book, harmless, unless the pages were read aloud. Unless I'm mistaken, this is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."

Buffy rolled her head back. Her skin was still prickling from being shocked in the girl's locker room. She felt like a baked pig, her skin itched and she knew her hair was very disheveled.

"Like Dave's." Xander said.

"Dave, and who knows how many others." Giles said.

"And Moloch is inside that book?" Buffy questioned, looking at the book, warily.

"Not anymore."

"You released Moloch? Way to go!" Xander snapped.

"I didn't read it! That dreadful Calendar woman found it and, and it was already blank." Giles explained.

"Okay, so a powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale, and nobody's noticed?" Buffy questioned.

"I-if he's so big and strong, why bother with Dave? I mean, why didn't he just attack Buffy himself?"

"I don't know." Giles replied.

"I think I know someone who does." Angel said, walking into the library.

"Angel?" Buffy gazed at him.

Angel looked towards the door, and gestured for the lonesome boy to walk in. Dave did and at the sight of him Xander felt his gut reaction was to pound the smaller boy into the ground.

"Dave." Buffy said, staring at him.

"I know about what happened." Angel said, "Are you okay?" He asked, coming next to her and touching her arm.

"I'm fine." Buffy answered, "But what does Dave--"

"He knows. He knows how Moloch got onto the net." Angel replied, glancing at Dave who wouldn't turn his gaze to look at them, "Dave?"

"I don't know who could've read that book. It wasn't even in English." Giles said, still feeling confused.

"Didn't have to. He was scanned." Dave said.

"What?" Giles asked, the gears in his mind already turning.

"And that released the demon?" Xander asked.

"He's not out here." He gestured to the computer, "He's in there."

Giles stared at it, "The scanner read the book. It brought Moloch out as information to be absorbed."

"He's gone binary on us." Buffy said.

"Okay, for those of us in our studio audience, who are me? You guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer?" Xander asked.

"And every computer connected to it by a modem." Dave murmured.

"He's everywhere." Angel said.

"What are we gonna do?" Xander asked.

"Willow scanned him into her file. It may be... a futile gesture, but I suggest we, um, uh, delete it." Giles suggested.

"You can't do it that way." Dave said, "He's too strong."

"But couldn't we try?" Buffy asked, sitting down in front of the PC.

"Don't get too close." Xander warned her.

"No." Dave said, "He..."

"He what?" Buffy asked, "Dave, if you know more, tell us. Willow's in danger. I won't let him take her.

Suddenly, Moloch's demonic face appeared on the screen. Xander shouted. Moloch growled, "Stay away from Willow! All of you! It is none of your business!" The screen quickly reverted to normal.

"So that's what Malcolm looks like." Buffy said, "So much for delete file."

"Are we overreacting? He's in a computer! What can he do?" Xander said.

"You mean besides convincing me to try and kill Buffy? I don't know. How about mess up all the medical equipment in the world?" Dave suggested.

"Randomize traffic signals." Angel said.

"Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles." Buffy added.

"Destroy the world's economy." Giles finished.

"I think I pretty much capped it with that nuclear missile thing." Buffy mumbled.

"Right, yours was best." Giles said, fixing his glasses.

"Okay, he's a threat, I'm on board with that now. But what can we do about it?" Xander questioned.

"I should tell you." Dave said, glancing at them, "About Moloch."

"Okay, um," Buffy glanced at him, "I think the first thing we do is find Willow. She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out!" She glanced at Angel, "I'm gonna go see if she's still here while Dave gives you all the low down on Moloch."

"What does he want with Willow?" Xander asked, looking at Dave.

"He's--"

Buffy hurried out.

"He wants to reward her."

"Reward her for what?" Xander asked.

"For getting him out." Dave replied.

"Try Willow's number." Angel told Xander.

"You can tell us what happened." Giles said.

********************

"They--we were making him a body at CRD."

"A body?" Xander asked, "You mean like real, breathing zombie body?"

"No." Angel said, "CRD works with computers... their making him a robotic body, aren't they?"

Dave nodded, "It would have taken a single person forever to make his body. But Moloch got into CRD and corrupted all of the old workers, too... He... its so weird. He talks to you. Makes you feel welcomed and then... he's like a real living, breathing weirdo on the net. Only he's a... a..."

"Demon." Giles supplied, "He must of hid it until you started to get far too deep into it."

Dave nodded.

"How does Fritz fit into all of this?" Xander asked, "I mean, I know he's a grade A wiz with the comp and a nut ball to boot, but--"

"Fritz has always been sucked into the computer." Dave said, "He's too deep into it. If it wasn't Moloch, I'm almost certain he would have become a type of Moloch himself."

"Where is Fritz?" Angel asked.

"He's probably with Moloch." Dave said, "Either he's reporting about you being a new player in his game or Fritz is... he's... dead. Moloch doesn't like being disappointed... ah, if it wasn't for you, I could have died."

Angel stared, "Don't worry about it."

"The key figure is Willow." Buffy said as she burst into the library, "I talked to Cordy's cheerleading squad. They said they saw her walking home... after they took the moment to attack my hair. You said it was my best hair ever!"

"We should go to CRD." Angel suggested, "Or go to Willow's and check if she's there."

Dave shook his head, "I can't--"

"You'll stay here." Angel informed, "You can help Giles try to seal Moloch back into the book."

"Hopefully Willow will be okay." Buffy said as they started out.

********************

"I have the binding rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my idiom." Giles said.

"Well, I can help! I think... I hope, I mean, well," Ms. Calender sat in front of the PC, "this is my first real... Do you know how he got in?"

Giles cleared his throat, "He was, uh, 'scanned' is the term, I believe."

Ms. Calendar stared at him, "And you want him back in the book?"

The Watcher was about to answer the computer teacher when the phone range. He hurried towards it, hoping that for once, it was good news on the other end of the line. "Buffy?"

"Yeah." He heard her voice, tired and antsy.

"Willow?" He asked hopefully.

He heard her sigh, "Not at home. It looks like she was taken somewhere."

"Where are you?" Giles asked. If she was at Willow's, he wanted her to hurry back to the library, or to at least stay put.

"CRD. Whatever Moloch wants Willow for, it's probably in there." Buffy informed.

"Ms. Calendar and I are, uh, working to get Moloch off-line." Giles explained.

"Here's a tip: hurry!"

Once cut off, Giles let the phone drop back onto its cradle. Ms. Calender glanced at him, "Is everything okay?"

Giles cleared his throat, "Um, yes, uh, we should try to get this blasted thing to work."

********************

Willow winced quietly as she came to. Her head was spinning and for a moment, she felt as if she couldn't move. After a moment, she found her strength and sat up, looking around curiously. Her startled eyes landed on Fritz who was just standing there. Beside him was another man and just beyond them was a computer monitor. Willow stared, wondering what on earth Fritz was up to.

"Welcome, my love."

Willow swallowed hard.

"I can't tell you how good it is to see you..."

She couldn't keep the terror off of her face as a slow realization began to stir inside of her brilliant mind. Just then, something metallic slapped down on the monitor. Willow's frightened eyes snapped towards the metal being and she gasped at the planes of various metal.

The robot seemed to be staring at her, "...with my own two eyes."

Willow inhaled sharply, feeling her heart flutter up and down as fear finally made its home inside.

"Willow." The robot said again, as affectionately as a robot could.

"Malcolm." Willow whispered.

She was startled as Fritz and the man suddenly come towards her. They took her by her thin arms, standing her up completely as the robot--

Malcolm--drew towards her.

"This world is so new, so exciting. I can see all of it. Everything flows through me." Malcolm said, "I know the secrets of your kings. But nothing compares to having form again. To be able to walk," He moved, placing his hand on Fritz's head, "to touch," A sudden turn and an sickening cracking sound, "to kill."

Willow watched helplessly as Fritz's body fell to the floor. She began to shake, looking back up at Moloch.

Buffy, Willow wanted to shout. She had been right all along. Malcolm wasn't who he had appeared to be and she felt full on the pain of trusting someone. She had put her faith into a total internet friendly stranger, and now it seemed to be costing her her own life. She hadn't listened to the warnings her friends gave her; all she could see was Buffy and her new boyfriend, holding hands, sharing kisses, going on their dates. All she had wanted was a companion, someone who could look at her the way Angel looked at Buffy. Maybe if Xander had opened his eyes...

No, Willow thought to herself, this is all my fault. She couldn't depend on Buffy. She needed to depend on Willow. That meant she had to think. So she did a moment, before turning her pained eyes towards the robot, "I don't understand. What do you want from me?"

"I want to give you the world." Malcolm answered.

"Why?" Willow questioned. The robot--Malcolm--didn't make any sense. Why would he want to give her the world? Didn't he want to hurt her? Wasn't that what he was planning to do? He had killed Fritz, what made her so different from the others? She had little doubt in her mind that Malcolm had killed many before Fritz.

She just prayed she wouldn't be next.

"You created me." Malcolm explained, "I brought these humans together to build me a body. But *you* gave me life. Took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you."

Though the words almost sounded sincere, the open wounds Willow still felt weren't ready to heal just then, "By lying to me? By pretending to be a person? Pretending you... loved me?" Her voice choked out brokenly.

"I do!" Malcolm said earnestly.

It was a lie, it had to be. It was impossible for him to love her. Especially if he could do such a thing to Fritz, to those people, to her. He doesn't love me, Willow told herself, he can't.

"Don't you see?" His voice suddenly broke her train of thoughts, "I can give you everything! I can control the world!" He seemed to take pride in his knowledge, "Right now a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his mother's life." He paused a moment, an nonexistent smile playing over his metal face, "Good for him."

Willow's eyes grew wider, "Let me leave." She begged silently.

"But I love you!" Malcolm protested.

"Don't say that!" She snapped, "That's a joke! You don't love anything!"

"You are mine!" He said, tight and solid.

"I'm not yours!" Willow nearly screamed, "I'm never gonna be yours! Never!"

She watched, her breath coming out in quicken puffs as Malcolm lowered his head and, for a moment, she thought, considered what she had to say. She watched and waited that moment and nearly shouted when he raised his head again.

"Pity."

Willow swallowed hard as he suddenly had her cornered. Malcolm reached up and placed his cold, metal hand on her head. She felt a scream rearing in the back of her throat.

"I'll miss you." Malcolm answered calmly.

She let it out. Long and hard until she couldn't muster the strength to do it anymore. His hand began to move--then out came a scream of his own. Malcolm's arms raised in the air, as if he was being attacked himself. Like a vampire and the sun, Willow watched as he writhed. Her breath coming in sharply. He was short-circuiting, that had to be it, but how?

Suddenly, Buffy came in through the door along side Angel, with Xander close behind. She leapt into a jumping sidekick, making a dull thud when she connected with Moloch's chest, but to Willow's horror, he only staggered. Buffy fell to the floor just as Angel gave it a try. He too, ended up sprawled on the floor.

"Ow..." Buffy started, scrambling to her feet.

"Guy's made of metal!" Angel finished for her.

Willow darted her gaze towards the man from earlier just as he grabbed a hold of Xander from behind.

"No! I won't go back!" Malcolm cried out.

"Buffy, what's going on?" Willow asked, shaking. The Slayer only grabbed Willow's hand, quickly guiding her out of the lab.

Malcolm's screams were still heard.

********************

When Moloch crashed through the wall, Willow nearly screamed. He looked at Xander, then backhanded him, sending the boy falling to the floor. Moloch turned and advanced on the girls, but Angel intercepted his swing, only the robot-demon didn't budge. Like a doll, he pushed him away, sending him into a nearby wall.

"Angel!" Buffy shouted.

"I was omnipotent. I was everything!" Moloch screamed before sending Buffy towards Angel, "Now I'm trapped in this shell!" He reached out to grab her by the head.

"Malcolm!" Willow found herself screaming, her hands playing with the fire extinguisher. He turned to face her. "Remember me, your girlfriend?!" Without thinking, she pounded the extinguisher into his chest hard enough to make him bend back, "Well, I think it's time we break up!" Again, She hit him, this time, harder. "Or maybe we can still be friends!" Willow shouted, trying again for his face. She screamed when his fingers wrapped around the extinguisher and threw it away. He grabbed her and she felt hard steel of his hands before he shoved her down the hall into Xander who had started to make his way off the floor.

Willow lifted her gaze, just in time to see Angel up, standing in front of Buffy. "This body's all I have left. But it's enough to crush you!" Moloch cried while Angel's dark gaze glanced around. They rested for a brief moment on a power junction box on the wall. He faced Moloch again, drawing him away from the dizzy Slayer and in front of the box.

"Take your best shot." Angel snarled.

Willow watched as Moloch reared back, then swung. Angel ducked away a moment before Moloch's fist connected with the electrical box. She watched as it shorted out, smelt the oddly familiar scent of burning wires, and Moloch as he became enveloped by high voltage electricity.

She watched as Angel moved towards Buffy, who held a hand to her head. He quickly pulled her towards Xander and Willow, protecting them as a Moloch's circuitry overloaded. She ducked her head and his body exploded. When she looked up again, she found his head right in front of them.

Willow found herself against Xander, her head resting there as she tried to hide the angry tears of betrayal, shame, and hurt.

********************

"Can't get outta here fast enough, can you?" Ms. Calender asked, a small tinge of anger rolling off of her body.

Giles turned back, "Truthfully, I'm even less anxious to be around computers than I used to be."

Ms. Calendar folded her arms across her chest, "Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, not a computer." She sighed, "Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?"

He stared at her, "The smell."

Ms. Calendar sighed again, "Computer's don't smell, Rupert."

"I know." Giles said, trying to explain to her what he felt, "Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a, a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences... long forgotten." He turned to look back at her, "Books smell. Musty and, and, and, and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it... it has no, no texture, no, no context. It's, it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um... smelly."

"Well! You really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?" Ms. Calender started, trying to hide her discomfort at his confession.

"Well, I-I don't dangle a corkscrew from my ear." Giles joked.

"That's not where I dangle it." She quipped on her way out.

********************

"How's Willow?" Angel asked.

Buffy tilted her head to the side, "She's dealing. She's majorly bummed. Xander and I are gonna treat her to a Yum-Fest and watch some boring afternoon TV tomorrow." She scooted closer to him, "Which means I have to... kind of bail on our date."

Angel only smiled, "I understand."

Buffy went on without a hitch, "And I'm really sorry! It's just, Wills my best bud and even though I really, really, want this to last, Wills gonna be my best bud forever and I've been totally ignorant girl, ignoring her all this time and I just wanna show her that I care--wait, what did you just say?"

He smiled, tilting his head up towards the night sky, "I understand. We've been pretty tight lately. That kind of kills other time. We don't always have to always be about each other, y'know? We can do other stuff. Separate stuff. You can hang with Willow and Xander, do stuff with your mom and Dawn, have alone time, and slay. Hell, I'm in college. I've been meaning to crack a book for a while."

"You really don't mind?" Buffy asked, "If we go slower?"

"No." Angel replied, cupping her cheek. He ran the pad of his thumb over it, "In fact," He leaned towards her, meet her lips, kissed her tenderly, then pulled away. She was breathless and he couldn't help the small smirk from showing, "It makes it all the better..."

" Uh-huh." She stammered.

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