~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~~~~~~

Joyce was busy making fresh-squeezed orange juice while Dawn sat, munching on Trix cereal. Buffy came into the room, dancing and singing, wearing her cheerleader outfit, "Macho, macho, man! I want to be a macho man. Macho... Oh, hey, juice!" Buffy reached over and grabbed the glass and drank, "Mm... Quality juice. Not from concentrate!"

Joyce glanced at Buffy, "You're in a good mood." Buffy cheered, "I am! I'm on the squad, which is great, 'cause I feel like cheering and leading others to cheer. Ooo, hey, juice!" Buffy took the second glass and drank again. Joyce started, "Listen, honey, about yesterday, I really..." Buffy shook her head, "Mm! That is totally yester. Besides, it's not like you were wrong, y'know. I did get kicked outta school. I'm just wacky that way!"

Dawn looked over at her sister strangely. She would get into some moods where she was happy and perky but today she was super duper perky. "Still, I just want you to know that, despite the problems you've had, I really..." Buffy cut her off, "Mom, you just don't get it. And, believe me, you don't want it. Y'know, there are just some things about being a Vampire Slayer that the older generation..."

"A what?" Dawn asked. Buffy frowned at her sister, "It's a... long story." Joyce reached to feel Buffy's forehead, "Buffy, are you feeling well?" Buffy frowned, "What? Oh, I'm, I'm fine, y'know? What, like, I can't be in a good mood? Is it, like, a new house rule? Fine, y'know? It's just fine, fine, fine, 'cause... I'm a macho, macho man! I want to be a macho man!" She bobbed her head while picking up her things, "Macho, macho man!" She bounced out of the kitchen, "I want to be a macho man!"

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"Giles, Buffy's been acting kinda weird today." Willow said while she and Xander were leaning over the counter to look at him. Angel came down the stairs of the library, books in arms, he brought them over, behind the counter and handed them to his uncle. "How so? I haven't exactly seen her this morning," Giles said while taking out a clipboard and looking at the books.

"Well...." Willow looked at Xander for help who nodded, "She's practically been bouncing off the walls. I don't know, maybe she's super giddy today, but we think something's really wrong. She's never been *that* giddy." Willow widened her eyes, adding, "She kept singing ‘Macho Man' all day!" Giles glanced at his nephew who only shrugged. "Ah, well, the three of you, why don't you go and check on her?" They all nodded, "Consider it done." Xander said while he and the others went down to the gym where Buffy was practicing.

When Angel, Xander, and Willow came in, they saw Buffy, jumping gleefully, and shouting, "Willow! Xander! My buds are here! I love my buds! Hi!" Then she noticed everyone staring, "Hi... Oh..." She got back in line and the routine continued. Xander looked to Willow, "Is it me, or is Buffy a bit moved?" Willow cast a worried gaze as the cheerleaders continued with a series of assisted cartwheels., "We better get her outta there." Xander nodded, "Yeah, before she..."

Buffy overthrew Joy's aerial, sending her crashing into the gym wall. Angel finished Xander's sentence, " ...hurts someone." "Ay..." Xander said. Joy got to her feet as Buffy came running over, "Did I do that?" Joy sneered at the girl, pushing her away, "You are *so* out of here!" Willow, Angel, and Xander came running up, and Willow and Xander each grabbed one of Buffy's arms. Willow started, "It's not her fault!" Xander glanced at Joy, "She's on medication." Joy stared, "Well, obviously not enough. Who's our next alternate?" She glanced and saw, "Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader."

Buffy shook her head, "No, no, no. You don't want her, she's a wi-" Xander quickly covered Buffy's mouth with his free hand, "A wise choice indeed!" He and Willow pulled Buffy away, nodding and casting nervous smiles at Amy and Joy. Amy stared after them.

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Willow and Xander were supporting Buffy between them as they came down the hall while Angel walked beside Xander. "She's a witchy!" Buffy complained. Willow started, "Buffy..." Buffy glanced at her friends, "I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?" Xander sighed, "I don't think it was your fault." Buffy smiled, "Hmm, I know you don't, that's 'cause you're my friend. You're my Xander-shaped friend!," leaning her head on his shoulder, "Do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?"

Willow frowned, "We gotta to get her to a..." Xander stopped Willow with a gesture, "Let her speak!" Buffy weakly grabbed him by the chin, "I'll tell you! You're not like other boys at all. You are totally, and completely one of the girls!," She turned to Willow, "I'm that comfy with him." Willow smiled widely. Angel couldn't help but smile, too. Xander sighed, "That's great."

"Any other guy who'd give me a bracelet, they'd... wanna date me, and be like a..." Buffy cringed, "Oh! I, I don't feel so good." Willow started holding more of her weight, "Buffy?" Buffy collapsed into their arms. "Oh my God." Willow whispered. Angel moved beside Willow, "Let me," He said, gently moving Willow out of his way.

He pulled Buffy to stand up straight, without any help from the two. Angel swiftly lifted her into his arms while saying, "C'mon, Giles will know what to do." With that he started quickly for the library while Willow chased after him with Xander.

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Angel had placed Buffy in a chair with a wet cloth on her forehead. Willow supported her head and kept the cloth in place with her hand, "We've gotta get her to a hospital!" Giles sighed, "They can't help her. This is a bloodstone vengeance spell." He took her pulse, "Hits the body hard like a, a quart of alcohol, and then it e-eradicates the, uh, immune system." Xander started, "A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Buffy?"

Buffy breathed in deeply, "'Cause she knows I know she's a witch." Giles continued, "The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um..." Buffy looked at Giles, "Kill?" Willow glanced between Buffy and Giles, "How much time do we have?" Giles stammered, "Oh, uh, I'm sure, uh..." Angel sent his uncle a serious stare, "Truth. Please."

Giles sighed, "Couple of hours... Three at most." Xander asked, a little frantically, "Well, how do we reverse the spell?" Giles got up, "Well I, I've been researching that, and, uh, we can reverse all the spells if, um ... we can just lay our hands on, on Amy's spell book." Willow looked at Buffy, "And if we can't get a hold of it?" "Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off." Giles placed his glasses back on. Xander raised his hand, "Show of hands!" Buffy looked at Xander, "It's not Amy's fault. She only became a witch to survive her mother."

Xander looked down at Buffy, "Look, I don't care why, I just care that you go on breathing." Buffy smiled faintly, "Giles, where would she be casting these spells?" Giles exhaled, "Oh, she needs a, a sacred space. A-a-a pentagram, um, large pot." Buffy nodded, "Her home. Okay. Help me up." Angel helped her up while Buffy went on, "We'll just go to her house and we'll get her book." Willow nodded, "Okay, we'll go with you."

Angel looked at them, "No. You guys stay here and keep an eye on Amy." Giles took Buffy by her other arm, "And keep her away from the science lab. We'll need it to cast our counter-spells." Willow and Xander looked at each other. Xander exhaled.

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Catherine was sitting on the couch, a plate of brownies on her lap. She just bit into one, when someone knocked on the door loudly. She looked up, startled.

Giles knocked again. Angel glanced at Buffy, holding her to him, supporting her. He was worried about her; she looked tired and really out of it. When the door opened, Catherine Madison peeked outside, "Who are you? Wha, um, uh, is there something wrong?" Giles started, "Mrs. Madison, we need to talk to you about your daughter."

Catherine shook her head, "I'm not allow... You'll have to come back later." She tried to close the door, but Giles prevented her and pushed his way in, "Excuse me." He turned to his nephew, gesturing for him to help Buffy inside. "You alright?" Angel asked her while looking for a place to sit her down, "Um, in here." Giles led them into the living room, "Your daughter is meddling with something very dangerous, are you aware of that?" Giles asked while Angel sat Buffy on the couch. He touched her forehead gently as she stared up at him, tiredly.

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about." Catherine said. "Oh, I think you know only too well. You've got to go. She's gonna be home soon, and you..." Giles indicated Buffy, "This girl is very sick. Now you will shut up and you will listen to me! Your daughter has access to some very powerful magic's, and somehow your obsession with cheerleading has made..." Incredulous, Catherine shook her head, "I don't care about cheerleading! It's not my fault she's doing stuff."

Buffy took her eyes off of Angel, and glanced to her side. Her brows furrowed at the set of brownies she saw. "As her mother you should assume some responsibility for her actions." Giles said. Catherine laughed nervously, "Well, you know, these kids today! I..." she calmed down a bit, "She's out of her mind. Ever since dad, her dad... left I can't control her." Buffy slowly started to get up. Angel gently helped her.

Giles stared at her, "You're afraid of her?" "Amy?" Buffy called. Catherine looked at her, realizing she's been found out. Giles looked at Buffy, still puzzled. "Are you Amy?" Buffy asked again while holding onto Angel for support. Giles looked back at Catherine, "I don't understand." Buffy breathed, "She switched. She switched your bodies, didn't she?" Catherine looked down, defeated. Giles stared at Catherine, "Good Lord." Angel added, "She wanted to relive her glory days." Catherine looked back up at Giles, "She said I was wasting my youth. So she took it."

~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~~~~~~

Catherine had moved with Giles to sit on the couch and she was explaining what happened, "I didn't know anything about her powers. I mean, when dad was here they would fight and yell and he would... call her a witch and... I mean, I would, just thought he meant... Oh, God, when he left I wanted to go with him. But she wouldn't even let me call. She went crazy, I mean, she'd lock herself upstairs for days, and she was always coming down on me, telling me I didn't deserve to have it so easy, and that I didn't know... how hard it was to be her, and... I guess she showed me, huh?" She said sadly.

Buffy reached over and took her hand, "Amy, it's gonna be okay." Catherine nodded, "A few months ago, I woke up in h... her bed! I didn't know where I was, and... then I looked in the mirror..." Giles asked, "She locked herself upstairs?" Catherine "Yes." "Where?"

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Buffy waited with Angel as Giles and Catherine went up stairs. She closed her eyes then opened them again. She was getting very sleepy and she couldn't feel anything. Angel was still holding her hand, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you." Buffy said, in a weak voice, "For helping me." Angel gently squeezed her hand, "You don't have to." Buffy sniffed, "Listen, if we can't stop this and if I don't...." "Ssshhh." Angel shushed her, "You're not going to die. Giles won't let you. I won't let you." She gave him a little nod, "*But* if I don't... I want you to take care of Xander and Willow for me. They mean a lot and I don't ever want them to get hurt..."

"I promise," Angel said, "But you don't have to worry. I won't have to protect them because you're going to be around." Buffy sighed, "I guess. Y'know, there's something I never asked you... why are you so strong? I mean, with fighting. I had a boyfriend who-well he wasn't as tall as you, but he was around the same age as you, and I could always beat that pants off of him. How come when I fight you its always a challenge?"

Angel smiled, "My mom... well, she was a Slayer. And Giles trained her. So, I have the same amount of strength as she did." Buffy whispered, "I'm sorry." "It's okay," Angel said, "She died in battle. The way she always wanted to die. Fighting." Buffy gazed up at him, "I'll fight, too." She said, hinting about the spell on her. Angel gently nudged her chin, "Good."

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Angel carried Buffy into the science lab and laid her down on a lab table, knocking everything off of it in the process. Giles was busy with Catherine, helping her set all the ingredients onto a table nearby. Angel took off his coat and folded it, placing it under her head. "Giles will stop this. I promise." Buffy looked up at him, vision blurred, "Hang on." He told her.

Giles reached in to get Amy's spell book. Catherine glanced at Buffy and Angel, concerned, "How is she?" Giles looked at Buffy, "We only have a few minutes left."

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In the gym, the cheerleaders were cheering and shouting and getting the crowd all wild up, "Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go! Six, seven, eight! Go Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go, Sunnydale go! Go!" Amy smiled at the crowd.

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Catherine was cutting an eye from a frog, and was squeamish about it. Giles started, "Right. Here we go." Buffy closed her eyes as Angel wiped her brow. Giles recited as he mixed the potion, "The center is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!"

The cheerleaders were doing a counting chant. Amy stopped chanting and glanced around, startled. Her vision flashed to what her old body saw, in the science lab, the book and the frog. She snapped back in the gym and took up the count again, but couldn't help the worried look on her face.

Catherine blinked at what she just saw outside of her mother's body, "Oh, it's... it's working!" Giles took the book up from the table and continued, "Unlock the gate. Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear." Catherine staggered back and covered her face. "Show me..." The lights went out in the classroom. Angel glanced around for a moment, then back at his uncle to see if he was alright. Catherine gasped as her vision changed again, "She's coming!" Giles begins to worry.

Amy violently pushed open a door and Willow hurried, stopping her. "Amy!" "Get out of my way!" Amy snapped. "W-wait! I-I-I need to talk to you, I-I can help you." She stammered. Amy snickered, "Help me? With what?" " Uh, well, y'know, all your witchcraft! I, I know this really good cauldron." Willow said just as Xander snuck up behind Amy. "Do you actually ride a broom?"

Amy twisted around, growled, and holding out her hand like she was grabbing Xander's neck. His hand went to his throat as Amy made a fist and twisted it. Xander collapsed to the floor, choking, "Xander!" Amy spun back around and punched Willow hard in the face, knocking her to the floor.

Giles held up his arms and chanted "Corsheth and Gilail! The gate is closed! Receive the dark! Release the unworthy! Take of mine energy and be sated!" He plunged his hands into the mixture. Angel winced a little at the sight while Catherine nearly fainted. Angel glanced at the door. Without a doubt, Amy was hammering at it. Trying to get it open. Giles took his hands out of the brew while Catherine looked at the door and saw it being yanked on. "Be sated! Release the unworthy!" Giles chanted again.

"Release!" Amy began to chop down the door. Giles continued, "Release!" Amy made a hole, reached through and got the door to open. She marched in, axe in hand, straight over to Buffy, but Angel moved to block her. "RELEEEEASE!" Giles shouted as Amy started to wield the axe, but stopped when a flash of light appeared. Amy blinked, She looked around, a bit confused, stepping back and lowering the ax. Buffy moved, standing up, moving around Angel. "Buffy?" Amy stared at her. "Amy?"

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Buffy panicked. One moment, Amy was herself again, the next, Catherine had attacked her with violence, Angel and Giles with some quick magic, and Amy with verbal abuse. But Buffy had managed to get Catherine away from her daughter. Now Buffy was struggling with a way to get rid of Catherine. She had just started chanting, her eyes had gone black.

She spotted the pole holding up the mirror above her. "Corsheth, take her!" Catherine cried just as Buffy knocked the pole out from under the mirror and let it flop down. Catherine's spell leaps from her hands and is reflected by the mirror back at her. The power of the spell enveloped her and she screamed. The energy twists around her and disappeared with a roar, taking her with it. Buffy surveyed the scene, seeing that Amy is badly shaken. Buffy moved her gaze to Giles, who was unconscious on the floor, Angel by his side. He started to wake up, "Well, that was, um, interesting." Angel helped him up, "You guys okay?" Buffy asked.

Amy sighed, "I'm fine." "I assume the, uh, all the spells are reversed. It was my first casting, so..." Giles inhaled, "I may have got it wrong." Buffy frowned, "You saved my life! You were a god!" Amy started, "Well, I didn't think you'd pull it off." Suddenly Xander came rushing in and grabbed Amy tightly. "I got her! I got her! Cut her head off!"

"Xander, what are you doing?" Angel asked. Xander frowned, "Saving Buffy?" "Get your hands off of her." Buffy said. He glanced at her, "But she's evil." "It wasn't exactly her." Giles started. "I was my mom." Amy explained. "Oh!" He released her just as Willow came running in, too, wielding a bat, "Where is she?!" Xander noticed, "Uh, hey Willow! It's cool!" She frowned, "It is?" Xander nodded proudly, "Yeah, I took care of it."

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Buffy laughed with Amy as they walked down the stairs and into the quad. School was over and Amy had invited Buffy over with Willow to swing by later that day. Buffy noticed Angel reading a book on one of the benches. Buffy glanced at Amy, "Um, can we talk later?" Amy noticed Angel, too, "Oh! Sure, yeah." Amy smiled then went in another direction. Buffy approached Angel, standing in front of him.

Angel was very engrossed in his book, that he didn't notice her until she placed two of her fingers on the inside of his book. He shook his head and looked up at her. "Hey." He said. "Hi," She said, "Um, look, I just wanted to say thanks. Again. For y'know, helping me while I was all-" "All," Angel made a small gesture, "ditzy like?" "Sick." She corrected.

Angel placed the skinny golden string inside the book and closed it, "No problem." Buffy clasped her hands together, "Uh... there's something I kinda don't get. Why did you watch me all that time? I thought you hated me." Angel sighed, standing up, "I don't hate you." "Okay." Buffy said, "You confuse me." Angel laughed, "You've confused me, too."

"Really? Hmm." Buffy mused, "Well, maybe we should have a truce." She exchanged a look with Angel as they started walking together, "Nah." Buffy smiled, "Okay, so where were we? I believe I beat you all four times." Angel shook his head, "No, I did." "Oh, please!" Buffy gaped at him, "Maybe you hit your head too hard when I knocked you done." "I don't think so." Angel said, "Oh yeah? You. Me. the library, right now." Buffy tugged on his arm, "Let's go." "You're on." Angel said.

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