Buffy Episode Guide

At the Bronze, Xander is practising asking Buffy to the Spring Dance on a rapt Willow. Meanwhile Buffy herself is out doing what she does best, slaying vampires, while nearby Cordelia makes out in a car with her latest flame, Kevin.

At the same time, Giles is busy reading, as ever, in the library, his expression changes as he finds something he doesn’t like the look of. As he does, there is a rumble and an earthquake hits Sunnydale, sending a crack across the library floor, in the Bronze, Xander and Willow run for cover, while outside, Cordelia, Kevin and Buffy feel the quake too, only The Master and Collin down in the abandoned church seem unconcerned and actually, rather pleased.

The next morning Buffy visits a more than usually distracted Giles who looks like he has been up all night. Which is probably because he has. His distraction is particularly annoying if you are a slayer who has been laying your life on the line doing a job which seems to be becoming scarier and scarier these days. Still she has trouble raising his interest and, giving up, heads off to her classes.

A boring biology class over, Buffy, Xander and Willow make there way to the school grounds. With a little hinting from Xander, Willow makes a seriously lame excuse and leaves Xander and Buffy alone. Telling Buffy he wants to talk to her, he leads her to bench and tentatively approaches his subject. It’s awkward at first, but then he just comes out with it. Will she go to the dance with him, as his date. Buffy is firm but kind with her answer, she just doesn’t and can’t think about him in that way. Xander leaves, dejected.

In his office Giles speaks on the phone to someone who he arranges to meet after sundown. He replaces the phone to find Ms. Calendar standing in the doorway. She has been receiving mail about strange apocalyptic type happenings and a Monk has been ranting about the Anointed One and a prophecy. Giles is interested, but unsure whether to trust the techno-pagan with all he knows.

In the hall Cordelia is making plans for Kevin to help her set up for the prom at the Bronze when she spots Willow. Needing someone who can hook up a sound system she hurries over to her and tries to bribe her with compliments. She need not have bothered though as Willow, distracted by the sight of a sullen Xander throwing a ball in an empty classroom, agrees without a fight. She joins Xander in the room and tries to sympathise with him over his recent failure. He doesn’t realize just how incredibly much he is hurting her when he asks her to go to the dance with him. She lets him know when she turns him down; she doesn’t want to be his second best. She leaves him musing about going home to wallow in self pity by listening to country music, the music of pain.

Meanwhile Buffy goes to the bathroom to freshen up before the nightly hunt. She turns on the taps and his horrifies to see the sink fill with blood. A vampire’s dream, blood on tap! She hurries into the library to tell Giles, she finds him in his office in earnest conversation with none other than Angel. She approaches the door, but stops as she hears what they are talking about. The prophecy that says that the next night Buffy, only just 16 years of age, still really a child, will face the Master, and she will die.

She breaks their conversation with a kind of mad laugh and then makes it very clear she is not ready to die before, despite their protestations that it doesn’t work like that, she quits.

That night Willow rings Xander from her bedroom, in his bedroom, Xander lies on his bed, a sad figure, listening to the music of pain, hardly moving he picks up the phone and replaces the receiver and then leaves the phone off the hook

Buffy, too is in her bedroom, looking through nick knacks, pictures. Her mother comes in, aware that there is something on Buffy’s mind. Seeing an opportunity to avoid her horrible destiny, Buffy has the bright idea that they should go away for the weekend. Thinking that she is being incredibly insightful, Joyce comes to the conclusion that Buffy’s mood is down to her not having a date to the dance. She opens the closet to reveal the very dress Buffy has been looking at longingly. Amazed that her mother has bought the dress, Buffy rethinks going to the dance.

The next day Cordelia and Willow arrive at the school, discussing the fact that Cordelia actually thinks it’s cute that Kevin hasn’t taken all the equipment to the Bronze like he promised. Could it be Cordy has actually found someone she likes. The two girls chat merrily as they make their way to the TV room, looking through the window they find the miscreant Kevin watching Saturday morning cartoons. This she doesn’t find cute. As they look through the window they notice that something is very wrong with the picture, they enter the room to find Kevin, and three other students, horribly, horribly dead.

Buffy is trying on her prom dress when her mother runs into the room with the news of what has happened at the school.

In Willow’s bedroom, Buffy, still in her prom dress, is trying to offer comfort to a distraught Willow. The reality of what is happening around her finally sinking in now it has happened to someone she knows. Her face set, Buffy realises what she has to do, accepts her fate. Making Willow promise she will stay in, she sets off to do what she has to do.

In the library, Ms. Calendar, a little stunned, repeats what Giles has told her, as if to get it clear in her head, the signs are all saying that the Master, once stuck in the Hellmouth, is going to get out, thus opening the Hellmouth and ending the world. All that information, and what’s really stunned her is that tiny Buffy is the slayer.

Giles having paid his part of the bargain, Ms. Calendar shares what she knows. Pooling their knowledge and resources, they have come to the conclusion that the Anointed One, not being the vampire that Buffy killed, is a kid, when Buffy herself interrupts Giles’ surprising announcement that he and not Buffy is going to face the Master. Buffy disagrees. Now that she has made up her mind, she is not going to be thwarted. Knowing she won’t win the argument with words, she takes out Giles with one punch and, picking up a crossbow, she’s gone.

Outside in the night it’s not long before she runs into Collin. Taking his hand she lets him lead her to the Master.

Having totally ignored Buffy’s advice, Willow has managed to get hold of Xander and the two of them are at the library being brought up to speed by a, now conscious, Giles. Xander just can’t stand around and chat, he has to help Buffy, and he thinks he knows a man who can help him do just that. Despite the other’s protests he’s gone too.

While Collin leads Buffy through the tunnels to the Master’s lair, Xander pounds on Angel’s door. Angel is surprised to see him but Xander, bursting in and brandishing g a cross, soon makes the purpose of his visit perfectly clear. Buffy’s in danger and they need to help her. The two really don’t like each other, but they do have a common purpose.

Meanwhile in the library, Ms. Calendar has a good question, where exactly will this Hellmouth open.

In the tunnels, Collin has lead Buffy to the lair and left her there. She enters, looking around; the Master speaks, right behind her. Without turning, Buffy replies, suddenly she spins and fires the crossbow. She is right on target, but the Master is ready, and he catches the arrow before it connects. As she reloads, the Master tells her that she is not the hunter here, but the lamb and disappears into the shadows.

Xander and Angel have reached the tunnels and are making their way down, while in the library the research continues, but it is common sense that leads them to the realisation that the Hellmouth is going to open in the Bronze. Willow and Ms. Calendar head to the Bronze while Giles gets on with yet more research. The two girls run out of the school, only to find themselves surrounded by vampires, they’re not going to the Bronze, that’s for sure. They look around them, vampires in all directions. They’re trapped.

In the church, Buffy looks around for the Master, she can hear him but she can’t see him. Suddenly he appears, knocking the crossbow out of her hand, the ensuing fight is short, beckoning with his hand, the master draws her too him, she is frozen, as if in a trance, and he sinks his teeth into her neck. Having taken what he needs, he lets her lifeless body fall, and she goes, face down into a pool of water. Approaching the mystical barrier, the Master puts his hand right through it; it disintegrates as the rest of him follow. Angel and Xander rush into the church, but they are too late, grabbing Buffy’s body Angel can only say two words. She’s dead.

But Xander will not be so easily defeated. It’s possible she drowned; in that case CPR might just work. Angel having no breath, Xander has to do it. Working desperately on Buffy, Xander refuses to give up, while Angel sits by not really believing that it will work. Just as they think it’s not going to, Buffy eyes open, she breathes and she coughs. She’s back.

Meanwhile, outside the school, Willow and Ms. Calendar are thinking they are about to breathe their last when Cordelia pulls up beside them. They quickly get in the car, the vampires advance and Cordelia makes for the library, in the car! Racing down the halls, the vampires hot on their heels, Cordelia pulls up outside the library and the three girls make a run for it, barricading the door after them. They needn’t have bothered as a slimy, definitely non-human arm appears out of the crack in the library floor caused by the earthquake and on the roof the Master surveys his kingdom.

In the church, Buffy gets up, strengthened with new power and resolves she sets off out of the church and through the streets to the school, flanked by Angel and Xander, casually knocking vamps out the way without breaking her stride.

While in the library, Giles and the others battle the seemingly never ending onslaught of vampires, and the horrible Hellmouth demon that is coming out of the crack in the floor, Buffy reaches the roof access, and, leaving Angel and Xander guarding the door, she heads up to face the Master a second time.

Angry and surprised, but not really frightened, to see her, the Master draws her to him again, but this time when she gets near she gives him a fierce headbutt sending him flying back. They fight, each getting in and taking some powerful blows, finally, the Master grabs Buffy, is about to end it when Buffy spots the skylight leading to the library, and below it, an upturned broken table. With a heave, she throws him through the skylight. He falls, landing with the precision on the broken table, exploding into dust. Unlike other vampires, he leaves his skeleton behind. Their Master gone the vampires and Hellmouth demon slowly withdraw.

Minutes later, the group all gather at the devastation that used to be the school library. There’s only one thing to do. Go to the prom.

Cider 22/08/04

It's night-time in Sunnydale and a girl and boy break into the school, they look around in the dark until suddenly the girl morphs into a vampire and kills the boy.

It's a bright and sunny morning in Sunnydale when Buffy wakes (after obligatory prophecy dream) to her new bedroom and her new house. Buffy and her Mom have relocated from L.A. to start a new life after the revelation that she was a slayer led Buffy to burn down her old school gym (Hemery High) and get expelled.

At Sunnydale High, Buffy meets with Principal Flutie who is less than impressed with her past record but tells her that she can start with a clean slate so long as she is not found anywhere near the gym with a box of matches. After her successful meeting with the Principal, Buffy bumps into a student and drops all her things. Xander (the class clown), smitten by the new girl, helps her pick up her things and introduces himself, awkwardly. Having picked up her things Buffy hurries off leaving behind a stake, which Xander picks up puzzled.

In history class, Buffy is befriended by Sunnydale Queen, Cordelia who, after sharing her textbook, tell Buffy she can get her very own at the library. Passing the coolness factor test with flying colours, Buffy is informed that she will get along just fine if she hangs with Cordelia and her gang. On the way to the library they bump into the shy, quiet, Willow at the drinking fountain. Cordelia soon sends Willow on her way, points out to Buffy that she should know her losers and invites her to the Bronze that night.

Buffy finds the library apparently empty, until she startled by Mr Giles the librarian who, to her surprise, instantly knows who she is and presents her with a book entitled Vampyr. Telling him that is not what she is looking for, Buffy leaves in a hurry.

Outside she meets up with Willow again and they are soon joined by Xander and his friend Jesse. They are getting on well until they are interrupted by Cordelia with the news that a body has been found in the girls' locker room. Buffy makes her excuses and heads off to investigate. To her dismay she finds that he has two holes in his neck. Suspect? Vampire. Heading back for the library, Buffy storms in and demands that Giles tells her what's going on informing him that she has come here for a new start and has retired as slayer. Giles best British efforts to persuade her otherwise prove useless and she leaves, followed closely by Giles who explains that it is no coincidence that she has come to Sunnydale, there have been lots of strange occurrences of late.

Xander, meanwhile, has made an unprecedented trip to the library and has overheard the whole conversation.

That night while Buffy is getting ready to go to the Bronze, vampires chant in an underground, ruined church. Their apparent leader, Luke, kneels by a pool of blood. Walking to the Bronze, Buffy is accosted by a tall, dark and gorgeous (in an annoying sort of way) cryptic stranger who lets her know that he knows who she is and informs her that he is on her side, tells her that Sunnydale is on a Hellmouth and warns her of a coming evil, the Harvest. Before disappearing into the darkness he throws her a jewellery box containing a cross on a chain.

At the Bronze Buffy bumps into Willow and they chat until Buffy spots Giles on the balcony and heads up to confront him. She tells him what cryptic guy said believing him to be one of Giles' friends. Giles denies all knowledge and continues to try to persuade Buffy to continue her duties as slayer. Telling her that she does not yet know or understand her own powers he asks her to pick out a vampire in the crowd. Scanning the clubbers, Buffy picks out a likely candidate in dated clothes and notices that he is chatting to Willow.

Making for the stairs she finds she is too late and they have gone, following them she is startled by Cordelia and turns on her with her stake. Realising her mistake she heads back into the club. Giles returns to the library to research the Harvest and Buffy goes off in search of Willow and the vampire, on her way out she passes Jesse chatting to Darla, the vampire from the opening scene. Outside the Bronze she bumps into Xander who, to Buffy's exasperation, reveals that he knows she is the slayer, or she thinks she is. The two set off to look for Willow.

Meanwhile in the underground church the chanting continues, until from the pool of blood rises an age-old vampire, The Master. He reaches out to Luke who takes his hand and tells his Master that, though he is weak now, his strength will return after the Harvest. The time for which is fast approaching.

Willow herself has wandered into the graveyard with her vampire date in search of ice cream. Instead of the ice cream, however, he takes her to a mausoleum where they are soon joined by Darla and Jesse, (who appears to have rather a bad love bite. Hot on their trail Buffy and Xander soon arrive and Buffy is surprised to learn that the two vampires don't know who she is. It's not long before Willow's date gets the bad end of a stake and, turning on Darla next Buffy tells the others to get out of there which they do.

As Darla and Buffy fight, Luke comes in from behind, grabs Buffy from behind and throws her across the mausoleum. Luke tells Darla to leave while he takes care of Buffy. As Buffy and Luke fight, Xander, Jesse and Willow meet with three other vampires in the woods. Backing away they find their path blocked by Darla.

In the mausoleum Luke tells Buffy of the forthcoming Harvest which will rid the earth of the plague of mankind. Getting the better of Buffy, Luke throws open a tomb and with one swift strike Buffy is laying there, leering he bends over ready to bite..

TO BE CONTINUED.....................

Cider.

Buffy lays trapped in a tomb, Luke bending over her ready to bite, as he leans in closer he comes across the cross that Angel gave, smoking he jumps back. Seizing the moment Buffy kicks him back and runs into the cemetery to find Willow and Xander struggling with the vampires. Seeing the vampires off Buffy realises Jesse is missing.

The next day Buffy, Xander and Willow meet Giles at the library and he brings a doubtful Willow and Xander up to date on the whole Vampire/Slayer tale. With a little help from Wicca they soon find the entrance to the electrical tunnels where the vampires are hiding and, skipping class, Buffy sets off to rescue Jesse, leaving the others to research the Harvest.

Meanwhile, the Master and Jesse have become introduced. Hearing that a slayer has come to town, the Master upgrades Jesse from dinner to bait.

At the mausoleum Buffy finds the entrance to the tunnel and Angel waiting for her. Still with the cryptic he advises her not to go down there and then tells her how to find the vampires. Making her way through the tunnels, Buffy is startled by Xander who as followed her. The pair soon find Jesse and, followed by the waiting vampires, manage to find their way to a room that turns out to be a dead end.

As Buffy frantically tries to close the door, Jesse morphs into vamp mode and Buffy throws him out of the room into the other vampires. Together, Buffy and Xander shut the door and look for a way out. Finding a grate above them they escape into the daylight, vampires hot on their heels.

In the underground church the Master isn't best please that his second helping of dinner got away but managed to console himself with the thought of the upcoming Harvest and his freedom.

Back at the library, Giles and Willow update Xander and Buffy with what they have discovered about the Harvest. Some sixty years ago the Master came to Sunnydale looking to open the mouth of hell. Unfortunately and earthquake stopped him and got him trapped underground in a church. The Harvest is a ritual whereby a vampire known as the vessel, drinks the blood of his victims in order to strengthen the master so that he can free himself. The time for the Harvest is of course that very night and Luke is getting all chosen as the vessel as they speak.

The obvious place for the nights suckfest is the Bronze, so the Buffy (making a quick stop home for weapons where she gets grounded for not skipping her classes) and the gang set off for that very place. Sadly, they get there too late and the vampires have already locked themselves and the unsuspecting clubbers in.

Giles, Willow and Xander try to find a back way in while Buffy makes her grand entrance via the window and finds the party in full swing. She soon gets Luke's attention just as he is about to have a drink on Cordelia and the nights fighting starts. As Giles and co usher people out of the back door, Xander finds Jesse about to snack on Cordelia. But all's well that ends well and it's not long before both Jesse and Luke are dust and the rest of the vampires are running for their unlives.

The next day is a bright and sunny morning and, despite the nights events the students of Sunnydale High go about their business as normal much to Xander and Willow's surprise. As Giles explains that people try and rationalise what they don't understand and conveniently forget what they cannot rationalise the gang look forward to their next big adventure and getting kicked out of school.

Cider

Xander is treating biology class with the respect it deserves and daydreaming about saving Buffy’s life at the Bronze. The lesson is insect life and Buffy’s slaying duties have clearly got in the way of her homework again. Do when Dr. Gregory asks her to stay behind after class she is expecting to be in yet more trouble. Instead, he tells her that, despite what it may say on her permanent record, he thinks she is bright and intelligent and could do very well providing she does the homework thing. Pleasantly surprised in a teacher actually showing some confidence in her, Buffy leaves the class.

As she does, Dr. Gregory switches off the main lights and is looking at some slides when a huge and horrific, spiny claw, attacks him and drags him off for dinner.

That night in the Bronze, Blayne is boasts to his pals about his many sexual conquests as Xander walks by looking for Buffy and Willow. Xander interrupts their conversation with a quip and wishes he hadn’t when Blayne questions him about his sexually conquests. Spotting the girls, Xander moves off putting his arms around them in an attempt to prove his manly manness to Blayne. Willow is thrilled and clutches tightly to Xander, while Buffy is distracted by the fine figure of Angel standing in the doorway.

She goes to meet him, leaving Xander bemoaning Angel’s buffness to Willow. As Xander and Willow watch, Buffy and Angel talk and he removes his coat, placing it around her shoulders and revealing three long wounds to his arm. With some slightly more graphic than usual cryptic clues as to the thing that hurt him, he leaves. Buffy watches him go and then returns to her waiting friends.

The next day Buffy tells Giles what Angel said and he goes off to research it as Xander approaches her and Willow with the news that Dr. Gregory is missing. He is soon distracted from the news by a vision walking towards him. All boys stop to watch as the dazzling substitute science teacher walks across the school grounds and asks Xander the way to the science lab. Confused by her beauty and her talking to him, Xander has difficulty speaking and the near by Blayne takes over and leads her away.

Walking into Biology class, Buffy notices Dr. Gregory’s glasses on the floor and picks them up, wondering why he wouldn’t have done that himself. All the boys in the class, including Xander and Blayne are riveted by the new teacher, who introduces herself as Natalie French and gives a lesson on the Preying Mantis. When she asks if anyone wants to stay behind after class to help make some Preying Mantis egg sacks for the school science fair she is pleased to find that every male in the class is more than willing to help.

Lunch time in the school cafeteria and Buffy, Xander and Willow are queuing when Blayne dashes through with a plate full of goodies to set him up for his forthcoming one on one with Miss French after school. He gloats that he got picked first and Xander second and leaves as Cordelia comes marching in and towards the fridge in search of her medically prescribed lunch. As she opens the fridge, she finds not her lunch but the decapitated body of Dr. Gregory.

In the library the three friends discuss what just happened with Giles. He has been researching the “fork” guy that Angel mentioned and has found references to a vampire what cut off his own hand when he displeased The Master and also news of a homeless guy shredded to bits in Weatherly Park. Although they can’t be sure that it was fork guy who killed Dr. Gregory, Buffy’s up for looking for him anyway.

That night Buffy patrols the dark, empty park, at first nothing but a couple of homeless guys, but then a bush catches her eye. Something’s not right about it, she removes it to find sewer access from which appears fork guy. Their fight is evenly matched until it is broken by the sound of approaching police, one of whom turns out to be one of the homeless guys. Fork guy disappears and Buffy follows.

Out on the street, fork guy spies a woman walking home from shopping, alone, he vaults the fence and follows the woman, Buffy is just a few paces behind, she arrives in time to see the woman turn and face the vampire. Seeing her, the vampire stops, turns and runs for cover, as Buffy watches, more than a little surprised she sees that the woman in substitute teacher, Miss French.

The next day Buffy reports what she has seen to Giles before heading to biology class to keep an eye on the vampire-frightening substitute teacher. She is intercepted by Mr. Flutie who insists that she see a counsellor due to the previous days horrific events. Buffy does so under protest and by the time she gets to class, they are half way through a test. Buffy stands at the window and watches as Miss French speaks to Xander, she notices that Blayne’s place is vacant, and as she does so, Miss French, who has her back to the door, swivels her head right round, Buffy ducks out of the way just in time.

After class, Willow and Buffy head to the library to research, Giles is already there. Willow hits the computer while Buffy, figuring that while nothing human can turn it’s head all they way around but some insects probably can, heads into the stacks to find books on bugs. Meanwhile, in the biology class, Miss French is making a sandwich when Xander arrives. She tells that she has mistakenly left the materials needed to make the egg sacks at home and arranges to meet Xander that night at her place. Xander willingly accepts and as he leaves Miss French tucks into a nice healthy bug sandwich.

Back in the library it’s all coming together, Buffy has found the very insect which can rotate it’s head one hundred and eighty degrees, the Praying Mantis, Willow has discovered that Blayne didn’t come home last night and Giles has a vague recollection of an old college buddy who may well have come across Miss French just before he went mad!

Buffy rushes off to warn Xander, while Willow hacks into the Coroner’s Office to try and get autopsy results on Dr. Gregory and Giles heads to his office to make a quick trans-Atlantic call, pretending he never saw Willow use the computer, nevermind doing spot of illegal hacking.

Buffy catches up with Xander has he is leaving school, she tries to warn him about Miss French but he just thinks that Buffy is jealous because he has found someone.

That night Xander calls at Miss French’s house at the appointed time, he finds her dressed to the nine'’ in a very revealing dress. She asks him in and offers him a martini, when he’s done babbling he drinks down in one gulp, to Natalie’s satisfaction. As Natalie comes on to him suggestively, Xander here’s the sounds of someone shouting for help, Natalie distracts him by touching his hand, feeling a little woozy from the drink, Xander flash’s back to his fantasy where Buffy touched his hand and starts to become a little maudlin about her. He thinks he hears someone shouting for help, but Natalie asks if he would like to touch her, her hands feel strange and as Xander passes out they have turned into praying mantis claws which drag him off towards the cellar.

In Natalie’s cellar, Xander wakes up to find himself in a cage, meanwhile, oblivious to their friend’s plight, Buffy, Willow and Giles research into the night in the school library.

Xander soon finds that he is not alone, the cage next to him is occupied by none other than a severely traumatised Blayne who proceeds to describe in detail what is about to happen to them while the She-Mantis prepares for the mating ritual.

Back at the library, the research pays off, Giles learns about the She-Mantis, a beast that lures virgins back to her lair, mates with them and eats their heads, while Willow becomes increasingly worried about Xander, especially when she learns that he has gone out to meat his teacher. They gear up for battle, Willow hacks into the school computer to get Natalie’s address, Giles finds the video library to record some bat sonar (which will apparently send a mantis over the edge while Buffy looks for something sharp and pointy.

All ready for action and address of Miss French in hand, Buffy and co set off. Arriving at the house, Buffy is about to take drastic action and kick the door down when a little old lady opens the door and confirms that she is Natalie French, retired substitute teacher. The She-Mantis has been using false records.

Meanwhile, Xander tries to comfort a distraught Blayne by pretending he has a plan while the She-Mantis plays eenie, meenie, miny mo to select her next victim. She picks Xander.

The She-Mantis unlocks the door and, gripping one of the iron bars from the cage, Xander comes out, hits the mantis with the bar and makes a run for it. He doesn’t get far before the mantis grabs him and he finds himself tied up while the mantis lays her eggs.

Out on the street, Buffy comes up with plan B. Grabbing some rope from her bag she drops into a sewer, comes back out with fork guy, hands tied behind his back. Shoving him along the street, they pass houses until fork guy freezes in fear. They’ve got their house.

Before Buffy can do anything about it, Claw has managed to free himself from his bonds and he attacks, thinking on her feet, Buffy grabs a plank of wood from the picket fence and stakes him. Job done, she heads for the house.

Inside the mantis approaches Xander who struggles and screams for help, which comes through the window in the form of Buffy. Dropping to the floor she sprays the mantis with two cans of bug spray giving Giles and Willow the chance to untie Xander and rescue Blayne, While Buffy goes after the retreating bug.

She takes a tape recorder and machete from her bag and approaches the Mantis, she presses play on the tape recorder to hear Giles’ voice coming out of it, seeing her opportunity the Mantis strikes, knocking the tape recorder out of her hand. Giles races to retrieve the recorder while Buffy and the Mantis fight. The Mantis has Buffy on the floor, ready to strike when Giles retrieves the recorder and plays the correct side.

The mantis screeches and backs off giving Buffy time to regroup and get to work with the machete.

The other’s stare at what’s left of the Mantis and receive grateful thanks from Xander and Blayne. They don’t appear too thankful though, when Willow mentions the whole ‘only preys on virgins’ thing. Blayne threatens a lawsuit and Xander picks up the machete and, hacks away at the egg sacks.

Buffy is in the Bronze when Angel arrives to congratulate her on her latest vampire kill. She offers him his jacket back, but he tells her that it looks better on her, they share a moment and then he’s gone.

The next biology class is not quite the same without Dr. Gregory, as class ends, and the students file out, Buffy notices his glasses where she left them. Picking them up she takes to the closet and leaves, not noticing the ready to hatch egg sacks hanging in there.

Cider 03/08/04

In the cemetery, Buffy fights, and of course dusts, a vampire while Giles takes notes and criticises, while he does so he notices an unusual ring among the pile of dust that it all that is left of the vampire. Intrigued he sets off to consult his books.

Meanwhile in the underground church, the Master reads from a book to his subservient subject. The book contains a prophecy (yes, the first of many) that the Anointed, a great and powerful warrior will come and will lead the Slayer to Hell, five will die and from their ashes the Anointed will rise. The Master however, tells another tale, of a vampire who went out hunting and got himself killed before their job was done, to teach the other’s a lesson he takes one of his brethren and throws them across the church. The unlucky vampire lands on a broken pew and turns to dust. He warns the others that they had better bring the Anointed to him.

The next day Buffy and Giles are researching the ring and the symbols on it in the library when they are interrupted by the bookish Owen Thurman looking for a copy of his beloved Emily Dickinson. Smitten, Buffy stumbles over her words (unusual for her) and follows him into the stacks. The attraction is obviously mutual. Owen leaves with his book and Giles is straight back to business but Buffy is distracted by thoughts of Owen.

Lunch time comes and Buffy and Willow talk about her Owen adventure as they make their way to a seat where Buffy prominently displays her Emily Dickinson book. Xander joins them and soon spots Owen himself, sitting on his own. Gathering up her things, Buffy heads towards him, just as Cordelia spots Owen and knocks into Buffy, knocking the tray out of her hand. Owen rushes to help her.

Cordelia casually mentions that she will be at the Bronze tonight, but to her confusion, Owen is more interested in whether Buffy will be going, and, right under Cordelia’s nose, Buffy gets the date.

After school Buffy and Willow head towards the library and are intercepted by Giles with bad news. He has discovered the prophecy about the Anointed and that it is to take place tonight. No date for Buffy.

That night Buffy and Giles sit in the deserted cemetery waiting for the Anointed to rise. It doesn’t. Giles has to admit that he may have miscalculated the date and Buffy gets to go to the Bronze, but she is too late and she gets there only to find Cordelia in Owen’s arms.

Meanwhile out in the night an airport bus is taking four passengers home from the airport. A young boy sits next to his mother playing with a toy plane and a scary looking Militia type guy rants about judgement day. His rantings become more frantic and the driver turns to ask him to sit down, when he looks back at the road he is horrified to see he is heading straight for a pedestrian. He swerves but doesn’t make it, hitting the guy and crashing the bus. The driver checks that his passengers are ok and then heads out to check on the injured pedestrian, as he leans over the apparently wounded man, the man reaches out and grabs him. MILITIAMilitia guy watches from the bus until the window smashes and the vampires attack.

The next day Buffy is bemoaning her ruined night to Xander when Owen arrives. Buffy offers some rambling explanation for her no show and Owen clarifies he only had one dance with Cordelia and they have another date for that night. To ensure nothing could possibly stop the date this time, Buffy calls in on Giles and, not really giving him chance to reply, makes sure that the end of the world was not gonna be that night.

Meanwhile in his lair the Master congratulates his two remaining brethren on a job well done and warns them to ensure that the slayer does not prevent them from bringing the anointed to him.

That night Buffy gets ready for her date with a little help from Willow and Xander when the doorbell goes, believing it to be Owen, Buffy rushes to the door to find Giles standing there, brandishing a newspaper. The headline reads “Five die in van accident”, Giles is convinced that these could be the five from which the Anointed will arise, but Buffy is rather more dubious. Owen’s arrival interrupts their conversation, he is rather confused by Giles’ presence but Xander and Willow drag him off to one side while Giles and Buffy talk.

While Xander tries to put Owen off Buffy, Buffy herself is talking Giles out of thinking that the van accident has anything to do with the prophecy and into letting her go out on her date. He caves and Buffy and Owen leave. Giles leaves shortly after, on his way to the Funeral home where the bodies from the crash have been taken, just in case. After a little persuasion on Willow’s part, she and Xander follow Giles.

At the Bronze Buffy and Owen, talk and dance while at the Sunnydale Funeral Home, Giles arrives to find himself surrounded by he brethren. He makes a run for the funeral home, followed by the vamps, inside he finds an open door and finds himself in the prep room, he locks the door, then moves a cabinet in front of it just to be sure. Someone tries the door handle from outside, then stops. Giles leans back relieved when suddenly Willow and Xander appear at the window. As someone begins to pound on the door, Willow and Xander rush off to get Buffy.

Back in the Bronze, Owen goes off to get something to eat as Angel enters; he walks in past Cordelia and stops a moment looking around. Spotting him, Cordelia springs into action, but just as she gets to Angel he spots Buffy and goes over to her. Cordelia cannot believe she has just lost two guys in a row to Buffy.

Angel of course has come with bad tidings of prophecies to come, and is surprised to find that Buffy already knows and has a date. Owen returns and just as it is becoming awkward, Willow and Xander rush up with more bad news. As Owen and Buffy look at them, wondering what they are doing there, Xander and Willow have to think on their feet and come up with a double date as an excuse, and suggest a visit to the funeral home. Getting it, Buffy makes her excuses to Owen and leaves, after a minute she returns, kisses Owen and leaves again; Owen and Angel stare after her.

The three friends arrive at the funeral home, and start looking around for the room that Giles was in when Owen comes up behind them. This is not good. Leaving Owen with Willow and Xander, Buffy keeps looking for Giles. Finally finding the prep room, the door kicked in, the window smashed, no Giles. She looks around and is about to leave when she is startled by one of the draws opening, she turns around to find Giles’ hiding place.

Glad he’s safe they move on to the problem at hand, the vampires and the Anointed one, but Buffy needs to get Owen out of the way first. Leaving Giles in the prep room, Buffy heads back to the others and finds a nice safe observation room for them to hide in. Making another lame excuse she leaves again heading back to Giles where they start looking in each of the drawers. They find nothing in them but dead bodies, dead dead, not undead. In the observation room, Xander and Willow barricade the door while Owen looks through the window into the next room and is surprised to find a body laid out, he is even more surprised when it begins to move.

The body stands up and walks over to the window, its militia guy from the bus, and now, he’s a vampire, although he’s not lost his obsession with judgement day. Smashing the window he climbs through, the others scramble for the door, removing the barricade. In the prep room, Buffy and Giles hear the smash of the glass and Buffy runs out straight into her three friends. She tells them to get out and heads back to Giles for weapons. But Militia Guy has found his way to the prep room and, grabbing Buffy he throws her across the room. Out in the hall, Owen decides he has to go help Buffy.

In the prep room Giles goes to help Buffy, fending the vamp off with a cross, he too goes flying across the room, landing on the button that starts up the furnace, Recovering Buffy gets up and she and the vamp fight, walking in on the Owen grabs a tray and hits the vamp. Militia guy turns his attention to Owen, who hits him again, knocking him down. Owen turns to Buffy, but the vamp is not done yet, rising behind Owen he grabs him and slams him into a drawer, Owen goes limp. Now Buffy is mad.

She pounds on the vampire, as Willow and Xander run in and across to Owen, who is starting to come round. Still believing Owen is dead, Buffy kicks the vampire who goes flying into the ovens gurney, which rolls into the oven. Giles slams the oven door shut and the vamp is toast.

Owen comes too rather groggily and decides it’s time to end the date and go home, Willow and Xander follow to make sure he gets there safely.

The next day at school, Buffy is quizzing Willow and Xander about whether Owen said anything about her on the way home when the guy himself approaches them. Willow drags Xander off leaving Buffy and Owen to talk. Convinced that he his going to dump her, Buffy is surprised when he says he wants to see her again. Turns out, although he nearly got killed, it was kind of a thrill for him, as much as she likes him Buffy knows she doesn’t need a thrill seeker in her life right now, and turns him down.

Meanwhile in his lair, The Master repeats the prophecy of the anointed as the young boy from the bus sits and listens.

Cider 04/08/04

It’s Sunnydale High’s zoo field trip and Buffy is bored, until Xander reminds her it’s not just a field trip, it’s time out of the classroom. A group of school bullies, Kyle, Rhonda, Tor and Heidi, are on the prowl and start picking on the nerdy Lance, that is until he comes through for them with the Principal and they decide to take him with them, into the hyena house, which is restricted. Buffy, Xander and Willow watch and Xander takes it upon himself to rescue Lance. Buffy and Willow are about to follow him when they are stopped by the Zookeeper. He tells them that the Hyenas have just come from Africa and are in quarantine.

Meanwhile the bullies and Lance have reached the Hyena house and enter, it’s dark and gloomy and the hyenas look kinda scary. Lance is getting nervous, he gets more nervous when he is grabbed and shoved towards the cage. Before anything really nasty can happen, Xander arrives and pulls Lance away from them; Lance falls away while Xander and Kyle square off. They are disturbed by a noise from the hyena cage, all but Lance, who is trying to get away, turn to look, the hyena’s eyes flash yellow, as do Kyle’s, Rhonda’s, Tor’s, Heidi’s and finally Xander’s. Lance stumbles as he tries to get away, the group, including Xander turn to look at Lance and laugh maniacal, they are standing on a symbolic hyena face drawn on the floor.

That night, Buffy and Willow are in the bronze, Willow, as ever, has her mind on Xander, she thinks that he was acting weird on the bus on the way back from the zoo, but Buffy didn’t notice. Xander walks in, there is something different about him, he’s more, aloof, more confident, he strolls over to where Buffy and Willow are sitting. He’s acting weird, hungrily grabbing Buffy’s croissant and eating it, then sniffing her. The two girls comment on his behaviour but he is distracted, he turns and sees Kyle and co. slinking in, the group and Xander exchange a look, then they move on, picking on a fat kid sitting by himself. Xander laughs with them.

After a training session with Giles, Buffy heads for the school hall where she finds a panic on going; students and Mr Flutie flee, as a very non-mean looking pig, dressed as the school Razorbacks mascot, runs through the hall. With a quick move, Buffy scoops up the pig into her arms and tries to give him back to Mr. Flutie, who indicates to her to follow him and replace Herbert, back in his cage.

Meanwhile, outside, Willow is trying to teach Xander geometry, but he is having more difficulty than usual, finally throwing his book away and taking off. Xander walks back into school, past the classroom where Mr Flutie has been undressing Herbert who is still in Buffy’s arms. As Xander walks past Herbert squeals and struggles violently.

As the rain pours down which means that gym class is held indoors which means, dodge ball. Xander, Kyle and co are on one team, Willow and Buffy on the other. Buffy is good, as are Xander and co, to Willow’s surprise and distress, Xander takes her out, soon Buffy is all that is left of her team, the pack of Xander and co and Lance are left on the other team. They stare at her, she stares back, and suddenly they all turn on their own team mate Lance.

After gym, Xander and his new cronies make their way down the hallway; Willow is waiting and stops him. Taking her slightly away from the pack, but not so far that they cannot hear what is being said, Xander leads Willow on, allowing her to believe that he is going to tell her that their friendship is about to become more than that, instead he tells her that he is dropping geometry and, therefore, will never need to see her again. The Pack laugh hysterically as Willow tries to hide her distress. Buffy has overheard everything and confronts Xander, but he just laughs as The Pack make their way outside.

They move through the school grounds, looking for the entire world like a pack of Hyenas. Xander sniffs the air, smells hot dogs and the pack make their way to where a group of students are sitting enjoying their lunch. Heidi and Tor grab a hot dog each, taste it, but find it is too well done. Xander sniffs again, smells something else, the pack head off. Entering the class room where Herbert is being kept, they move towards his cage with hungry looks on their faces.

Later that day, Buffy is comforting a distraught Willow while Xander watches them from some distance away. Buffy is convinced that something strange is happening and heads off to consult Giles, from his vantage point; Xander leaves the pack and follows her.

In the library, Giles dismisses Xander’s behaviour as merely the testosterone induced actions of a 16 year old boy. But Buffy persists that something is wrong, suddenly it starts coming together, he started acting strange after his little visit to the Hyena cage. They are interrupted by Willow bursting in with news that Herbert the pig has been eaten. Finally this is enough to convince even Giles and he gets to work on the research.

The books are soon out, and the research is in full swing, Giles has learnt of a tribe of Primals in Africa who believe that the animal state is the purest state and found a way to trans-possess the spirit of, mainly, predatory animals. What happens if it is not stopped is not pretty. Buffy sets off to find Xander.

Mr Flutie finds the remainder of the pack in the school grounds and sends them to his office, going with them and threatening detention for what they have done to poor Herbert.

Buffy heads to the classroom where Herbert was kept, studying the cage which has been ripped apart. Suddenly she is startled to find Xander there right next to her. They stare at each other for a moment, and the Buffy leaps at him, knocking him to the floor and landing on him, but Xander is strong now, and rolls Buffy over so that he is on top of her. She struggles but he has her pinned. Finally she manages to get up and move away, but he’s up too and pushes her up against the wall, making crude sexual advances toward her.

At the same time, the rest of the pack are in Flutie's office, not really listening to the lecture he is giving them, he stops as they start to circling him, not saying a word, thinking that he looks a lot like dinner. Flutie threatens to ring their parents but before he can do so, they are on him. Dinner is served.

Later that evening, Willow is sitting in the library watching hyena video’s on the computer when Buffy walks in, dragging an unconscious Xander behind her. She locks him the book cage before Giles arrives back from a meeting with news of the principal’s fate. They all decide something needs to be done and fast. Willow volunteers to watch Xander while Buffy and Giles decide to pay a call on the zookeeper.

Meanwhile the rest of the pack, well fed and sleepy, are taking a nap in the woods.

Back in the library, Willow continues to watch Hyena footage when Xander awakes. He lures her toward with talk of how things were better for before Buffy came along. Willow plays along, pretending to be fooled until she’s right up to the cage, the keys dangling temptingly from her pocket. Xander makes a grab for the keys. But Willow is ready for him and steps back. She returns to her seat, leaving Xander to pace in his cage.

Meanwhile Buffy and Giles’ visit to the zookeeper has confirmed their suspicions; these are the very breed of Hyena that the Primals used to worship. The only information that they have is that some sort of predatory act and some sort of symbol are needed in order to perform the ritual the zookeeper appears very well informed and says that he has been studying the Hyenas since they were brought to the zoo. He tells them that he may know how to revert the possession all they need to do is get the possessed students back to the hyena cage. Buffy tells him that they can only guarantee one of them, they have no idea where the other four are, but the zookeeper tells them that once they have fed and rested, the others will seek out the missing member of their pack. Realising Willow, alone with Xander is in trouble, Buffy and Giles rush back to the school.

In the library, Willow is still watching her videos when the pack arrive, calling her name from the window, Xander starts to kick at his cage and Willow makes a run for it as the others come crashing through the window to rescue their mate.

After a brief reunion, they go looking for Willow, splitting up, Xander and Heidi head for the classroom where Willow is hiding behind a desk. Sniffing, they enter the classroom, then Heidi leaves, shutting the door behind her. Thinking she is safe, Willow comes out from her hiding place to find herself face to face with Xander, she makes a run for the door, pushing a desk in Xander’s way. She makes the door only to find Heidi waiting for her. Behind Heidi, Buffy takes her out and the three make it to a classroom and barricade the door as the rest of the pack come running. Finding that their prey has friends, the soon leave to look for someone weaker.

Buffy heads off to look for them.

Out on the street a family return to their car after visiting with friends, as husband and wife argue their son hears his name called, the pack are on them, the windows in the car smash and Xander reaches in, about to grab Joey when Buffy arrives, standing on top of the car she taunts them. Xander forgets Joey and lunges at her, but she’s off, running at top speed towards the zoo, Xander and The Pack follow.

Giles and Willow arrive at the Hyena cage but there is no sign of the zookeeper, telling Willow to wait outside and warn them when Buffy gets there, Giles enters the cage. He finds the zookeeper ready and prepared; his face painted blue and white and dressed in the ceremonial Masai costume worn for the ritual. Noticing the symbol painted on the floor, it suddenly occurs to Giles that that would have needed to be there when the possession originally occurred. Things fall into place and Giles tries to make a run for it as he realises that the zookeeper had previously tried and failed to perform the ritual for himself. But the zookeeper is too quick for him, and, hitting Giles over the head with a wooden club, drags him into the darkness.

Outside, Willow hears Buffy and the pack coming and pelts down the path and into the cage, at first she sees nothing but then notices the Zookeeper, sitting in the symbol amongst candles. As they hear Buffy and the pack getting closer, the Zookeeper tells Willow that he will need her help and proceeds to bind her hands, this done he produces a huge knife, explaining this is for the predatory act. Willow realises what’s happening just as Buffy and the pack arrive in the cage.

Buffy runs to save Willow but the pack are on her, the Zookeeper begins his chanting, this stops the back who look at him, their eyes glow yellow as each in turn passes their power back to the Zookeeper, ending with Xander.

The zookeeper moves toward Willow, is about to make her his supper when a recovered Xander rushes him. The zookeeper turns his attention toward Xander, throwing him to the floor. This time his meal is disturbed by Buffy, who comes at him with a flying kick, but he grabs her feet and throws her, she lands inches away from the wall behind which lie the waiting Hyenas.

He comes at her, but she grabs him and vaults him over the wall, finally the Hyena’s get their supper. Buffy, Xander and Willow stand there as Giles eventually comes to.

The next day an extremely embarrassed Xander has apparently no memory of anything since he first went into the Hyena cage. The girls assure him that he had nothing to do with the consumption of Principal Flutie and didn’t do anything too embarrassing. As Buffy and Willow head off to class, Giles catches up with Xander. Curiously, he has been able to find no mention of memory loss connected with animal possession. Rumbled.

Cider 09/08/04

Darla ventures through the tunnels to the Master’s Lair, with the Master is Collin, the true Anointed One. The Master bemoans the fact that another of his subjects has been slain; it is time that they took steps to be rid of the Slayer. Darla offers to do it for him, but the Master decides to send The Three.

Out on the streets of Sunnydale, three mean looking gang members hang out on a street corner, they spot three other’s approach and get ready for trouble, but as the others draw nearer, the gang members run for their lives. The others walk on, they are vampires, more mean looking then normal and all dressed in medieval warrior outfits.

Buffy and Willow are in the Bronze, Buffy is distracted, lost in thought, Willow guesses rightly that she is thinking about the mysterious and handsome, mystery guy, Angel. As Xander comes up to them and notices Buffy’s distraction too, she decides to leave, not wanting to bring them down. As she does, Angel watches her from the balcony, she seems to sense him, looks up, but he’s no longer there.

Out on the street, Buffy stops, thinking she is being followed, she looks around, sees nothing and moves off again. Still she senses something, she stops again, telling who ever it is to show themselves. One of the mean-looking vamps steps out, she lifts her stake, ready to fight, but she is grabbed by the other two from behind, making her drop her stake. She tries to fight, but they are too strong, two have her pinned, while the third moves in for the kill.

As the vampire is about to take a bite, he is grabbed from behind, as he turns someone punches him full on in the face, hard. It’s Angel. Seizing the opportunity, Buffy gets herself free of the other two and begins to fight. After a while, the two of them manage to take the three down, beat, but not dusted and they run, the vamps close behind them. Clutching a wound to his side, Angel follows Buffy as she runs to her house, she invites him in and they make it inside just in time.

Buffy is bandaging Angel’s wound when she hears here mum coming home, rushing to the front door, she drags her mother inside and tries to get rid of her with the offer of a cup of tea in bed. Joyce has her suspicions at this strange behaviour which are confirmed when Angel appears from the kitchen. Buffy introduces them, telling Joyce that Angel is a college student who has been helping her with history. Joyce pointedly remarks that it is a little late for studying and heads off to bed. Downstairs, Buffy makes a loud show of seeing Angel off, and then the two of them head up to her bedroom.

Buffy offers the wounded Angel her bed, but he chivalrously declines, taking the floor instead. As she gets ready for bed, she asks some probing questions which he mainly avoids, letting her make up her own answers.

The next day Buffy, Willow and Xander gather in the library where Giles is up to his usual research. Xander is horrified that Angel stayed over at Buffy’s, Willow is excited and Giles just wants to get to business. He has identified the vampires that attacked Buffy the night before as the Three, a group of proud and strong vampires. But the immediate danger is over as, having failed, the Three will now offer their lives to the Master.

Over in the Master’s lair, The Three are doing just that, the Master allows Darla the fun of staking them.

In the library Giles and Buffy are training. Buffy shows a great deal of interest in a cross bow, but Giles insists she master’s fencing first, which will take hours of training. Weighing the jousting pole, it takes Buffy a moment or two to get the hand of it, and then she takes Giles out. He gladly moves on to the crossbow.

That night Buffy brings Angel, who has been hiding in her room all day, a rather plateless dinner. He tells her that he can’t be around her, that he is older than her and that nothing can ever happen between them, he should go, as he speaks, he makes no move to go, in fact the two move closer together. Then they are kissing, deeply and passionately, until he swiftly pulls himself free, turning his face to the window. Concerned, Buffy asks him what’s wrong, he turns to face her, his face that of a vampire, as she backs off screaming he dives out of her window, rolling off the roof onto the ground and he’s gone.

The next morning before school, Buffy tells the others what happened last night, confused about why Angel, being a vampire and all, was nice to her and didn’t try to kill her. Not really hiding his pleasure at the turn of events very well, Xander becomes the voice of reason. Telling Buffy, Angel’s a vampire, she’s a slayer, there’s only one thing that she can do, I mean it’s not like she’s in love with him. Xander is shocked to find that her look says she just might be.

Angel returns to his apartment to find Darla there waiting for him, it’s obvious they have a past and Darla taunts him with it and with Buffy. She tells him that he should tell Buffy about the curse, maybe she’ll understand, but if she doesn’t Darla will be waiting for him.

Meanwhile, in the library, Giles has been doing some research. He has found mention in the Watcher’s diaries of one Angelus, the one with the angelic face, a vampire of some 240 years who wreaked havoc in Europe until about 80 years ago when he arrived in America, shunned other vamps and there are no records of him hunting. Not that that means that he hasn’t, just that there’s no record of it.

Meanwhile in the Master’s lair, Darla has a plan to bring Angel back to them and get rid of the Slayer at the same time.

That night Buffy and Willow study in the library, well, talk about Angel and Xander under the pretence of studying. Unbeknown to them, Darla, is quietly watching them, getting the info she needs, she quietly sneaks out again.

Joyce is at home doing her paperwork when there is a knock at the door. She opens it to Darla, who tells her she has come to help Buffy study. Joyce is slightly puzzled but invites her in anyway. Offering Darla something to eat, Joyce walks into the kitchen and looks in the fridge, Darla follows her, morphing into vamp mode. Outside Angel walks up to the front door, hesitating, he thinks about knocking, changes his mind and is walking away when he hears the scream. Racing around to the back of the house, he bursts in to find Darla enjoying a drink at Joyce’s expense. Looking up, Darla offers the semi-conscious Joyce to Angel. He refuses with longing in his eyes. Darla throws Joyce into his arms, despite his efforts Angel morphs into vamp mode and Darla leaves him struggling to control his urge to drink, just as Buffy arrives home to find her mother in Angel’s arms.

Throwing Angel out, literally, Buffy checks her mom is still alive and calls 911 as Xander and Willow arrive.

At the hospital our three friends are comforting a bandaged, but OK, Joyce when Giles arrives. All Joyce tells them that all Joyce can remember is Buffy’s friend coming round and then she thinks she must have slipped and cut herself. Leaving Joyce to recuperate, they take the conversation out into the corridor. Feeling guilty about not killing Angel straight away, because she had feelings for him, Buffy sets off to do just that, taking in the library on the way to pick up her new toy, the crossbow. Giles, Willow and Xander stay behind with Joyce.

Meanwhile, Angel is trying to brood on events in his apartment but Darla is taunting him again, telling him how Buffy is going to hunt him down, and that all he needs to do is accept who he is, instead of moping in his apartment. Finally Angel snaps and slams her up against the wall, pinning her hands, she seems to like it.

At the hospital, Giles and Joyce are talking about Buffy; Joyce is concerned that Buffy seems to be struggling with history, despite studying with Willow and Darla. Alerted by a name he does not know, Giles confirms that Darla is the friend that came round that night, he makes his excuses and rejoins Xander and Willow in the hall.

Meanwhile Buffy is on patrol near the closed Bronze when she hears glass breaking above her. She heads upwards. Finding the broken window she climbs in, looking cautiously around her in the dark, crossbow aimed. She heads slowly down the stairs, sensing him but unable to see him. She calls out, telling him she knows that he is there and what he is, he replies, and she spins towards the sound of his voice, but it comes again from the other side, she spins again, and suddenly he charges her, in full vamp face. Aiming the crossbow she fires, but he’s fast and vaulting from the pool table, disappears into the darkness of the balcony. Reloading she keeps her eyes upwards, searching for him in the darkness, he drops on her from behind, knocking the crossbow out of her hand, they trade blows and she gets in a good hit in his wounded side, Angel bends over him pain, giving her the chance to grab her crossbow, she aims as he rises, looking at her, his facing morphing back into human form.

They face each other, she has her finger firmly on the trigger of the crossbow, he looks at her, moving the crossbow, she fires, deliberately missing. Standing she demands to know why he attacked her mother, he counters that he killed his family and their friends, and basically everyone he met for a hundred years until he made a mistake and fed on a gypsy girl. Her family, not being too happy at this, cursed him by restoring his soul, his conscience, which he has to live with eternally. He tells her that since that day, he has not fed on a living human. He tells her that he didn’t bite her mother, but he wanted to, and he wanted to kill her tonight. placing her crossbow down, Buffy offers him her neck, he refuses. “not as easy as it looks” she offers, he smiles, until they hear “sure it is” and Darla enters, hands clasped behind her back

She walks slowly towards Buffy and Angel, hands still behind her back, she tells Buffy not only that she and Angel were an item for several generations, but that she made him, and she still loves him. Buffy, inching slowly towards where her crossbow lies on the floor, Buffy doesn’t react until Darla tells Angel that he has given up a life with her because he loves Buffy. Reaching her crossbow, Buffy stomps on it, sending it flying in the air, she catches it and aims, unfazed, Darla reveals what she was hiding behind her back. Two revolvers which she fires, Buffy dives safely out of harms way, but Angel takes a bullet that sends him flying back. Darla continues to fire in Buffy’s direction, still missing, but getting closer.

From her hiding place Buffy manages to fire the crossbow, which hits Darla squarely in the chest, but misses the heart. Meanwhile, outside, Giles and co hear the gunfire and make it in to the Bronze through the broken window. Seeing the situation below, Willow shouts down to Buffy to distract Darla, Darla takes the bait and fires in their direction giving Buffy the chance to come out of hiding, and send the pool table (which Darla is standing on) flying. Darla lands on her back and fires constantly at Buffy who leaps over the counter for cover as glass shatters.

As Darla gets up and advances on Buffy, up on the balcony Giles finds another form of distraction, the light mixing board, as he plays with buttons and lights come on, Darla, still advancing on Buffy, doesn’t notice Angel getting up behind her. Finding one of Buffy’s spent arrows, he stakes Darla in the back, turning she looks at him, surprised, and says him name before turning to dust.

As Giles turns off the lights again, Buffy and Angel share a moment just looking at each other, until he steps backwards into the dark and is gone.

In his lair the Master shares his grief over the loss of his favourite, Darla, especially to Angel, with Collin by smashing the place up. Collin comforts him by telling the Master that he will bring him the slayer.

Buffy, Willow and Xander are in the Bronze when they spot Angel standing some distance away, Buffy goes to meet him as Xander turns his back, not wanting to watch. The two flirt obviously with each other as they agree that they can’t see each other again, and nothing can ever come of their relationship, neither of them leaves and soon they are kissing, deeply and passionately. When they break away, Angel looks pained and Buffy returns to her friends. Angel stands a moment, his chest smoking where the cross he gave her has burned a mark into it.

Cider 10/08/04

ITALY – THE MIDDLE AGES

In a darkened room three men stand and one, smiling kneels as a demon, Moloch approaches. Resting his clawed hand upon the kneeling man’s head he tells him that all he wants is his love which the man says he has. With a twist of his hand, Moloch snaps the man’s neck. Meanwhile in a nearby monastery a group of monks chant in a circle, the leader, Thelonius holds an open book, its pages are blank. As they chant Moloch becomes concerned, with the words “No” he begins to dissolve and, in the monastery, outlandish words appear in the book. Thelonius shuts the book and places it in a wooden crate, praying that the book shall never be read again lest the demon again be unleashed on an unsuspecting world.

In the present day, Buffy pulls open a wooden box which contains, to her disappointment the very same book. She, Willow and two other students, Dave and Fritz are in the library helping Giles and the computer science teacher, Ms. Calendar with a new project to scan books into a database. Giles tells her to put this particular one on the ‘Willow pile’

To the relief of most, Ms. Calendar decides it’s time to call it a day and all leave, except for Willow, who wants to finish her pile. That night she finally reaches the last book, the one from the box, running the scanner over it, she watches the screen as the strange words appearing on it, not noticing that they are disappearing from the book at the same time. She is finally done, and, switching off the computer, she leaves. On the blank screen appear the words, “Where am I?”

The next week, at school, Buffy calls out to a distracted Willow, they chat as Willow makes her way to the computer lab and sits at her usual desk. Willow tells a slightly dubious Buffy, about Malcolm, a guy she has met online and has been chatting to almost constantly ever since. Switching on her computer, Willow is excited to have received another e-mail from Malcolm, while she is deliberating on what to reply, Buffy tries to tell her friend that Malcolm might not be exactly as he seems.

As they chat, the computer comes on in the empty principal’s office, starts scanning through students files until it finds Buffy’s. In the computer lab, Buffy’s image appears on Fritz’s screen and the words ‘Watch her’.

The next day, Willow is late for classes after chatting to Malcolm all night, Buffy becomes more concerned, especially after a chat with Xander the night before has alerted her to the real dangers of an internet relationship. This Malcolm could be anyone or anything. She decides to have a chat with Dave, finding him working away in the lab she approaches him and starts asking about whether an e-mail would be traceable. Dave is intrigued until Buffy mentions Willow and Malcolm. Telling Buffy to leave Willow alone he clams up, which leaves Buffy thinking that he might be Malcolm. As she leaves for the library, Fritz is watching her, an evil look in his eye.

In the library, Buffy tells Giles her suspicions, but Giles, not really being computer minded, is nonplussed too, he suggests following Dave to see what he’s up to.

That afternoon after school, suitably attired for undercover surveillance (or not) Buffy follows Dave as he leaves. He leads her to a large building with a sign reading CRD outside it. Buffy watches as he enters the building, a security camera turns towards her. In the computer lab at the school, the camera feeds Buffy’s picture to Fritz’s computer. Staring at the screen, Fritz asks what he should do. The screen goes black and the words “Kill her” appear.

The next day Buffy brings Giles and Xander up to speed in the library. Xander surprises them both by having some useful information. The building Buffy followed Dave to is Colax Research and Development, a computer research lab which closed down last year. Buffy explains that it didn’t look closed. They have come to a dead end again, Giles is stumped until he casually mentions breaking in. Buffy takes this as a lead, Giles remonstrates that he didn’t really mean for them to break in but he is interrupted by the arrival of Ms. Calendar come to check on the progress of his new database.

Buffy and Xander head off, while in the lab, Willow sits at her computer, chatting to Malcolm. They are about to arrange to meet when Malcolm let’s slip that he knows Buffy got kicked out of her last school, he covers by saying that Willow must have told him, but doubt creeps into Willow’s mind. She tells him she has to go and switches off the computer.

In the library, Giles and Ms Calendar are bickering about computers versus books; picking up the book Moloch was in, Ms. Calendar flicks through it, noticing the pages are blank. Taking the book from her Giles looks puzzled, he expression changes to one of worry when he sees the cover, and making his excuses he wonders into his office.

Outside the school, Buffy runs into Dave who tells her that Willow has been looking for her and is in the locker room. Buffy makes her way to the locker room, which appears to be empty, she calls out to Willow but gets no reply. In the showers, Fritz turns on one of the taps, and leaves, quietly. Hearing the noise, Buffy makes her way to the showers. There’s no one there. She goes to turn the tap off, not noticing the exposed live cable that the ever growing pool of water is nearing. As she turn of the tap she hears Dave shout a warning to her, spotting the cable just as the water gets to it, she half jumps, is half thrown out of the showers. By the time she lands, smoking and shaken, Dave is gone.

Dave rushes into the dark computer lab and talks to his computer, telling it that he can’t do it, that it’s not right. The computer speaks to him telling him that he promised and it will soon be all over, but Dave still refuses. Suddenly the computer’s words start appearing on the screen, typing out a suicide note, Dave takes a step back to find Fritz standing right behind him.

In the library, Giles, Buffy and Xander are gathered. Giles shows them the book and tells them of Moloch, the corruptor, the demon who seduces people with promises of love, power and knowledge. Once they figure out that Willow must have scanned the book and released the demon into the computer, things start falling into place. They decide to see if deleting the file will solve the problem. It’s a long shot but, picking a file called ‘Willow’ Buffy tries to delete it. Suddenly an image of Moloch appears on the screen, telling them to leave Willow alone, it shuts the computer down.

That having failed, they decide they better find Willow, Buffy goes to check the computer lab leaving Xander to try the phone. The computer lab is dark and silent, Willow isn’t there, as Buffy checks all the computers suddenly come on, stepping back, Buffy bumps right into Dave, swinging from the ceiling. She returns to the library with the news, to find that Xander hasn’t been able to reach Willow by phone. Buffy and Xander set off to Willow’s house, leaving Giles to try and solve the problem of getting Moloch out of the internet and back into the book, they suggest he get some help from Ms. Calendar. Giles isn’t overly thrilled at this prospect.

Meanwhile, Willow returns home to an empty house, going to her room she starts to unpack her school bag, She jumps a bit when she hears her computer telling her she has mail, going to the computer she reads her mail from Malcolm, “I need you to see me”. She looks at it, then switches off her computer, it turns itself on again, telling her she has mail. A little spooked, she is about to open her mail again when she hears someone at the door.

Running to the front door she opens it, no-one is there, as she turns, Fritz grabs her from behind, pressing a chloroform-filled rag to her face. Willow collapses and Fritz drags her off.

In the library, Giles has relented and asked Ms Calendar to meet him there, he fumbles with his words and then comes right out with it, “there’s a demon in the internet” he is more shocked then she is when she replies “I know”. Buffy and Xander arrive at Willow’s to find her front door open and her room empty. Noticing the E-mail they become more concerned and decide their next stop should be CRD.

As Giles and Ms Calendar work in the library, Buffy and Xander (after updating Giles by phone) head for CRD, Willow wakes up inside the CRD lab to find herself face to face with Malcolm at last and he’s not quite what she expecting, being a robot version of Moloch. Matters don’t get any better when Moloch lays one of his hands on a smiling Fritz and twist, snapping his neck.

While Buffy and Xander break into CRD, Ms. Calendar and Giles make preparations for the binding ritual.

At CRD, Buffy easily kicks open a door and they are in, a security light comes on and Moloch is aware that they are coming. As Buffy takes out a security guard, Xander notices a camera on which Willow and Moloch can be seen. They make their way to the room indicated on the camera, try the door, it’s locked and it’s unbreakable steel. Suddenly, the lights go off and the other door to the room they are in locks. They are trapped, which is when they realise that the whole security system is computerised, of course. Which is when the room starts filling with gas.

In the library, Ms. Calendar has formed a virtual circle of Kayless on the internet, Giles begins to read as she writes, performing the same ritual the monks did so many years ago. At CRD, Buffy bangs vainly at the door, trying to get in, while inside Willow tells Moloch that she wants to leave. Moloch tells her that he loves her and that she is his, not liking this idea, Willow tells him that she will never be his. Bad move. Moloch places his hand on Willow’s head, is about to do the snapping trick when the ritual appears to work, Moloch screams and, in the next room, the doors unlock and Buffy drags a semi-conscious Xander into the lab.

They grab Willow and head out, Moloch tries to stop them but the ritual is definitely working. The three head out, leaving Moloch on his knees. In the library, the computer screen goes blank. The ritual work, Moloch is no longer in the internet. Giles opens the book, the pages remain blank, he’s not there either.

In the lab, the three race for the open door, but find the security guard with two scientists coming towards it, Buffy slams the door shut and locks it. Xander heads off the other way, Buffy calls him back, but is stalled by Moloch who, bound into his robot form, crashes through the wall, grabs her and throws her against the wall. He is about to grab her again, but Willow calls out to him and then smashes him over the head repeatedly with a fire extinguisher. Moloch takes a few hits then grabs Willow and throws her into the returning Xander. They both fall to the floor, Moloch turns back to Buffy, still dazed she is getting up, she steps back from him, notices a fuse box on the wall. Inviting him to take his best shot, she drops just before the powerful blow can connect and Moloch’s fist slams straight into the fuse box. As he starts to smoke, Buffy throws herself to the floor next to Willow and Xander and Moloch explodes. When the smoke clears, Moloch is no more.

Some days later, the three friends sit in the bright sunshine of Sunnydale, Buffy and Xander happily talking about going to the Bronze while Willow broods about how the one boy that has ever shown an interest in her turned out to be a demon robot. Her friends soon cheer her up by reminding her that Buffy’s crush is a vampire and Xander’s a praying mantis. Welcome to the Hellmouth. They all laugh. Until realisation sets in. They’re doomed to unhealthy relationships.

Cider 13/08/04

Sunnydale High students are limbering up for the talent show backstage, as they do, a demon voice can be heard, “I will be whole, I will be new”

Out in the auditorium Giles sits listening to Cordelia who is on stage, singly, badly. He takes as much as he can and then tells the next act to come on. He is soon joined by Buffy, Willow and Xander who arrive to mock and laugh at his new role as producer of the school talent show, imposed on him by the new principal, Mr. Snyder. They’re smiles fade, however, when Mr. Snyder himself and ropes them into performing. Giles has a smug moment.

Lisa with the tuba finishes her act and on comes Morgan, carrying a wooden dummy, Sid. Buffy cringes, dummies give her the creeps, and when Morgan starts his act, they all cringe for him. He is bad. Rally bad. Until, suddenly his act changes, his jokes become funny and even Buffy has to laugh.

In the girl’s locker room, Emily, a dancer, is getting changes, she hears a noise, and looks around, sees something and screams, the demon voice can be heard again “I will be flesh”

The next day kids are practising on stage, Buffy, Xander and Willow are reluctantly rehearsing a dramatic piece when Morgan comes in with Sid, and, as Sid, starts making smutty comments to the girls. Giles and Mr. Snyder are watching, Snyder waxing lyrical about how much he dislikes kids and the changes he’s going to be making.

Meanwhile in the girls’ locker room, Emily’s body has been discovered.

Buffy, Xander and Willow sit in the hallway a little distance from the locker room as the police do their business and Giles approaches them from the scene with the disturbing news that Emily had her heart cut out. They see a large knife in an evidence bag as they ponder the fact that, Hellmouth or no, it could have been a human being that did this. Buffy is not convinced though, she’s still thinking demon. Nevertheless they decide to start talking to the students participating in the talent show to see what they can find out about Emily’s last movements.

As the gang all talk to different member’s of the talent show, their investigations all point in the same direction, not only has Morgan been acting very strange of late, he appears to have been the last person to see Emily alive. Buffy discovers his odd behaviour first hand when she runs into him in the auditorium, impossible as it may seem, she appears to have interrupted a conversation going on between Morgan and his dummy. As she talks to Morgan he seems nervous and keeps rubbing his head, he places the dummy in his case, with his head facing to the left, Buffy has to do a double take as Morgan shuts the case, Sid’s head is facing to the right.

The four reconvene in the library to swap notes, all roads lead to Morgan and they decide Buffy should keep an eye on him, and possibly check his locker, in the meantime, Giles will use what little spare time he has to investigate the demon theory.

Someone or something is watching from a closet as Buffy makes her way down the hall to Morgan’s locker. Breaking it open she searches around in it, finding Sid’s case, she is about to open it when a hand grabs her wrist. It’s Principal Snyder, she gives him a flimsy excuse about getting something from the case for a friend, opening it she finds that it’s empty. Snyder and Buffy leave, watched from the closet by Morgan and Sid.

In a classroom Morgan and Sid are arguing about Buffy, it’s not clear what Sid wants Morgan to do, but Morgan isn’t going to do it. Finally Sid say’s he’ll do it himself.

That night Buffy gets ready for bed, switching off her night light. As she does so Sid the dummy sits on her windowsill. Buffy is awoken in the night by a noise, sitting up in bed Buffy hears something scuttle under the bed, she bends down to look under. Nothing. Sitting back up she feels something on her face, she screams and goes for the light. As she reaches it her hand touches another’s. The light comes on and she sees her mother coming in to see what all the noise is about. Convinced there is something under the covers Buffy throws them over but finds nothing there, what she doesn’t notice is something slipping out of the window. Buffy agrees with Joyce that it must have been a nightmare and Joyce is about to leave when she notices the open window and tells Buffy she shouldn’t leave it open. Looking at it Buffy comments that she didn’t.

The next day at school Giles, Xander and Willow are in the auditorium watching more rehearsals when Buffy comes in. They are less than convinced when she tells them that she thinks Sid paid her a visit last night, without Morgan. On the plus side, Giles has found a possible demon culprit. The brotherhood of seven are a group of demons who masquerade as humans, every seven years they need a human heart and brain in order to maintain their human appearance. They have their heart.

Later that day, Buffy and co are in class with Morgan. Buffy looks over at Morgan who has Sid with him, as she does, Sid tuns his head and looks right at her.. She looks away. The teacher asks Morgan a question, but Sid is now whispering to him, The teacher speaks to Morgan again, Sid tells her to leave him alone, the teacher retaliates by confiscating Sid until the end of school. She places him in a closet. From here, Sid continues, saying “I’m still watching you”.

After school Morgan returns to class to retrieve Sid. He stands, fidgeting, rubbing his head as the teacher, who is obviously concerned for him, asks if everything is OK. Morgan has no time for anything but Sid, however, when the teacher goes to the cupboard, Sid has gone!

Giles, Buffy and Willow enter the library to find Xander sitting there with Sid on his knee. Xander mocks Buffy’s theory that Sid is real, messing around and banging his head on the table. Buffy had said that she wanted to speak with Morgan alone and now she can, she sets out to find him. Willow and Giles head up into the stacks to research demons and such. Left on his own with the dummy, Xander isn’t so cocky. He sits his dummy on a chair next to him, then turns the dummy’s head to face away from him.

In the theatre, Buffy cautiously looks around backstage and runs into Mr. Snyder, who definitely seems to be keeping an eye on her. She tells him she is just leaving and he leaves, she moves on to the prop room. Meanwhile in the library, up in the stacks,, Willow has found a book which tells of inanimate objects such as dolls, can become mystically conscious and harvest human organs in a desire to become human. Downstairs, Xander gets up to get a book, and returns to find that Sid has gone, he leaps on to the table with a shout.

Buffy pokes about among the props and costumes, calling out for Morgan, whom she soon finds minus a brain. As she takes this in a lighting rig comes crashing down towards her.

Trapped under the lighting rig, Buffy tries to free herself as she can hear something scuttling and scurrying above her. Suddenly Sid is right by her side, slashing at her with a kitchen knife. Buffy manages to free a hand and shoves him away. She manages to free herself and, finding Sid, walls him. The conversation takes a turn that leads top them both being surprised. It appears that they both think that the other is the demon, neither of them actually is.

In the library, Sid explains how he came to be in puppet form. He was once human, a demon hunter until he was cursed to spend his life in the form of a wooden dummy. The only way to break the curse is to kill the brotherhood of seven, he is six down, one to go. He believes that the demon is one of the kids in the talent show, but now that he has his heart and his brain he’ll be off. All they need to do is see who is missing from the talent show and that’s their demon. All this talk of the show, jogs Giles’ memory, the show is about to start and he needs to be there. Sid suggests he perform a power circle do they can tell who is missing, and they are off, Willow and Xander remaining behind to get addresses of the students participating in the show.

Back stage Giles, gets everyone into the power circle while Buffy and Sid watch from the catwalk above, everybody is there, no one is missing. The performers start preparing and Buffy jumps down to Giles, she looks up but Sid is no there. Looking around for him, Buffy hears a dripping sound, going towards the sound something falls, she catches it, then, realising what it is, drops it again. It’s a brain.

In the library, Buffy and Xander watch as Willow pulls up school records, they soon discover the reason for the discarded brain. Morgan was one of the smartest kids in school, until he developed brain cancer. Morgan was dying and the demon still needs a healthy, smart brain. They all agree, Willow is in danger.

Meanwhile on the stage Marc is preparing his act, telling the other smartest person around, Giles that his assistant got sick he asks if Giles will stand in for the guillotine trick, a little uncertain, Giles agrees.

Back in the library, Buffy and co are trying to figure out their next step when they realise that the demon could still be one of the kids in talent show and Giles doesn’t know. Buffy rushes to the auditorium to find Giles securely strapped into the guillotine, the blade aimed at his head, rather than his neck, and Marc taking a swipe at the rope with a hatchet. The rope frays but doesn’t quite break as Buffy rushes Marc, knocking the hatchet out of his reach. As they fight, the rope begins to fray and breaks sending the blade hurtling towards, Giles’ head. Xander rushes over and grabs the rope just in time, he pulls the blade back up as Willow grabs the hatchet and breaks the lock, freeing Giles. The fight seems to be going Buffy’s way as she hurtles Marc into his magic box, as she tries to lock him in, Marc comes out, transformed into his demon form. Marc grabs Buffy by the throat, but finds that Sid is right behind him with a knife.

Sid thrusts the knife into the demons back sending the demon stumbling back into the guillotine and Xander lets go of the blade.

They all stare in horror, but Sid tells them there is one last thing they must to, destroy the heart, Buffy offers to do it but Sid insists. Walking over to the demon, he plunges the knife into its heart and then collapses. Buffy goes over and picks the now lifeless dummy up, just as the curtain rises to reveal a packed auditorium.

Even after all this, Buffy, Willow and Xander can’t get out of performing their dramatic piece. Later in the show they stand all three in a row, acting out a piece from ‘Oedipus the King’ badly, to a stunned audience. Willow, standing in the middle, can take no more, and runs off stage. Buffy and Xander move together to fill the gap and continue without her.

Cider 16/08/04

Buffy creeps through the dark and eerie Master’s Lair, stake in hand, as she slowly moves around the room, she doesn’t notice the Master himself, rising behind her, suddenly she turns, drops the stake, terrified as he comes towards her, grabbing her throat.

The hand turns into her mother’s who shaking her awake; time to get up for school. Thankful that it was all a dream, well nightmare, Buffy jumps out of bed and gets ready for school. Joyce is surprised by this but goes on to tell her that she has spoken to her father and they are definitely on for this weekend.

At school, Buffy and Willow talk about Buffy’s dad coming to pick her up that weekend, and Buffy’s little insecurities about her parents divorce on the way into class.

In class, Buffy and Willow run into Xander and Wendell, who has fallen foul of Cordelia. The teacher arrives and class begins, Buffy plays with her pencil, dropping it on the floor. She bends down to pick it up, as she does so she sees a young boy of about 12 standing in the corner of the room. Her attention is drawn away from the boy though when Wendell starts screaming. The reason, there are huge spiders all over his desk, his book, his face. Unnoticed the little boy says ‘sorry about that’.

In the Master’s lair, the Master is giving Collin a lesson in fear and controlling it by gripping the thing he fears the most. A cross. The lesson over, both agree that they can sense a change above; a powerful psychic force is at work.

Above ground, Joyce drops Buffy off at school, reassuring her that her father will be there to pick her up after school. Buffy walks into school and meets up with Xander and Willow, the latter of which is still wigged by the spider episode. The three head into the library to see what Giles has come up with. Giles, however, is nowhere to be seen in the library, Buffy calls out to him and he appears from the stacks, looking slightly confused. He has been unable to find anything relating to the spiders and suggest that they have a word with Wendell.

The three find Wendell sitting outside school. He’s still looking a bit spooked. They tentatively ask him about the spider episode and he tells them that it has happened lots of times before. As they talk, Cordelia approaches them with the great news that Buffy is supposed to be having a history test. Right now. Buffy runs off, panicked, leaving Wendell to Willow and Xander. He explains that he used to have a great collection of spiders until he was sent of to camp and his brother left their heat lamp on and they all died. Ever since then he has had the same nightmare, the teacher asks him to read something and when he opens the book the spiders are everywhere, just like what happened in class, only this time it wasn’t a dream.

Meanwhile, Buffy wanders down the hall, not sure which class she should be going to. Cordelia shows her the way, not without a sarcastic comment. Sitting at her desk, Buffy looks around, students work busily at their tests; she looks down at her own, looks up at the clock, 11:20. She starts to write her name but her pencil breaks, sharpening it; she looks back at the clock, 12:10. Glancing at Cordelia, she sees that she is already well into the test when the bell rings signalling the end of class. Students file out, looking toward the door Buffy sees the 12 year old boy again, looking right at her.

The boy walks down the hall, where students are heading out for lunch. Two girls are chatting, one of them Laura, indicates she is going to have a smoke and makes for the basement. Watching her, the boy mutters, ‘you shouldn’t go in there’.

Laura makes her way into the basement, and reaches in her bag for her cigarettes, not noticing the bogeyman like creature that is making its way towards her. Big, ugly and with a club for an arm, he walks towards her. By the time Laura notices him, it is too late, with the words “lucky nineteen” he attacks her with his club.

The next day, Giles and Buffy visit Laura at the hospital, she is battered and bruised, but alive. She can’t tell them much, her memory is hazy and she doesn’t know who or what attacked her, all she can say is what he said ‘lucky nineteen’.

In the hallway they run into Laura’s doctor who tells them that Laura’s not in great shape, but she’s much better than the first one. He indicates a boy in a hospital room surrounded by machines; he’s been in a coma for a week.

Back at school, Xander and Willow walk down the hall toward class, discussing the possibility that people’s dreams may be coming true. As they walk they pass a couple of cool guys chatting, the mother of one of them comes rushing up, kissing him on the cheek and totally embarrassing him. Xander and Willow walk into class where Xander suddenly finds himself in just his boxer shorts.

Meanwhile in the library, Giles is looking at an array of newspapers with a confused look on his face when Buffy walks in. Giles is having a problem reading the papers, despite the fact that he can usually read five languages. Buffy walks over to the table, sees a picture on the front page of one of the papers. The young boy looking back at her is Billy Palmer, dressed in a baseball kit, with the number nineteen on the front. It’s the boy that Buffy has been seeing around school. The headline reads, “Billy Palmer, 12, in coma”. The paper is dated the week before. The only explanation that Giles can come up with is astral projections. That Billy’s astral body could be appearing around school. Before they can discuss this further, they are disturbed by Buffy’s father, Hank, entering the library. Hank wants a private word with Buffy so they make their way outside the school.

Outside, Buffy and her father find somewhere to sit and he tells her that he came early because he needs to talk to her. About the divorce. Buffy is thrown somewhat but listens attentively as Hank, quite matter of factly, confirms her worst fears: she was the cause of the split. Not minding her obvious hurt, he goes into graphic detail about how difficult it was raising her. As she is still trying to take all this in, he continues to say that he doesn’t get anything out of their weekends together and no longer wishes to see. He leaves her, distraught, walking past the astral body of Billy as he goes.

Giles is still attempting to pore over the newspapers as Xander (now nicely attired in a Sunnydale High tracksuit) and Willow burst into the library looking for Buffy. As they tell Giles what just happened to Xander, things start coming together, somehow, and with a little help from the Hellmouth, Billy is causing people’s nightmare’s to become reality.

Meanwhile, outside, Buffy has spotted Billy and follows him into the gym. He sits there all alone and Buffy approaches him, asking him about his Kiddie League game. Billy is obviously scared, and becomes more so when Buffy asks him if he is ‘lucky nineteen’. Her tells her that’s what ‘The Ugly Man’ calls him, he hurt him and he hurt Laura, and now he is right there about to hurt Buffy.

He slams her with his club arm sending her to the ground, they fight, but Ugly Man is strong. Billy backs away and gets outside; limping to the door Buffy follows him, securing the door with a hockey stick.

Finding Billy, Buffy tells him that they need to find her friends, but Billy just wants to hide.

Meanwhile, Giles, Xander and Willow decide to split up to look for Buffy and warn her of what is happening, like she’s not already getting it.

Willow walks down the stairs to the hallway, as Cordelia, with bad hair on top of a really bad outfit is being dragged into a classroom by the chess club geeks. Willow makes her way down the stairs into the basement, calling out for Buffy. Just as she is assuring herself that she is not afraid, a hand reaches out and grabs her, pulling her away.

Meanwhile Xander is walking down a deserted hallway, spotting a discarded chocolate bar, he picks it up, munches on it, and, to his glee, finds another.

Coming through a door that she was sure led to the library Buffy finds herself and Billy at the baseball pitch. Billy looks at the kids playing on the pitch. Billy tells her that he lost his last game; it was his fault that they lost. Buffy asks if someone hurt him after the game, but Billy wants to go, they turn to find The Ugly Man lumbering towards them and run the other way. Coming to a hedge they go through it to find themselves in a cemetery, at night.

Willow, finds herself all glammed up, in a gorgeous kimono, her long hair piled high on top of her head, in a bustling backstage, the stage manager hurrying her onto the stage. As on stage the MC announces to a packed audience, two of the world’s greatest singers, Willow finds herself standing next to a large Italian man who starts to sing in a deep tenor. When it comes to her turn all Willow can manage is a squeak.

Meanwhile in the hallway, Xander has found yet more chocolate bars, it’s his best day ever, it gets better when he finds his favourite bar, a Chocolate Hurricane, picking it up he realises he hasn’t had one of these since his sixth birthday. His glee turns to horror as he spins round to be faced with a big clown, gripping a butcher’s knife. Xander runs for his life.

Back in the dark cemetery Billy discovers a freshly dug grave containing an empty coffin. Buffy doesn’t like the look of this, she likes it less when she finds herself face to face with the Master.

Telling her that all this is happening because she fears it, the Master grabs her around the throat and throws her into the empty coffin. The lid slams shut on her and, as she bangs on the lid and screams for help, the Master starts filling in the grave.

Willow comes running of stage and finds herself back into the school hall, where she runs into Xander. Both are freaked by what just happened to them, and become more so when they see the clown comes after them, they run right into Giles. Suddenly Xander, stops, turns, and slams the clown in the face and the three make their way out into the grounds.

People are running around screaming, police sirens can be heard and there’s suddenly a new cemetery, and it’s night there. Giles, Willow and Xander make their way to it.

The three emerge in the cemetery and stop dead at a gravestone. It’s Buffy’s grave. Kneeling down by it, Giles places his hand on the grave, this is his nightmare. He jumps back when a hand shoots out of the grave to meet his; the hand is soon followed by an arm, and a body. Buffy’s body. With one small difference. She’s a vampire.

After they have all, including Buffy, got over the shock of her becoming a vampire, Giles explains that he believes that the nightmares will all stop once Billy wakes up. They set off to the hospital to try it.

There is chaos and panic at the hospital, doctors and nurses run through the halls, as Buffy and co make their way to Billy’s room. He lies there motionless, being watched over by his astral self. Their efforts are in vain, but, looking down the hall to see the Ugly Man advancing towards them, Buffy has an idea.

In full vamp mode, Buffy runs at The Ugly Man, attacking him, breaking his club arm, she slams him into the wall which he slides down. Taking astral Billy’s hand she leads him to the Ugly Man, leaning in, Billy pulls of the man’s face and normality returns. Billy awakes just as his Kiddie League coach walks in to see how he is doing.

The coach is surprised to see visitors, he explains who he is and tells them that Billy was his “lucky nineteen”, this being the case it is odd that he isn’t too pleased to find that Billy is awake. He tries to leave but Giles and Xander stop him as Billy identifies him as the one who hurt him.

That day, after school, Buffy, Willow and Xander leave the building chatting about the day’s events when Buffy spots her dad waiting for her. Saying her goodbye’s she runs over to him and the pair hug and they are off. Left to themselves, there’s just one thing Willow wants to know, was Xander still attracted to Buffy when she was a vampire? He sure was.

Cider 20/08/04

It’s springtime in Sunnydale and Cordelia, her latest flame, Mitch and Harmony are extolling the virtues of that season. Which include, spring fashions, the end of school dance, not forgetting the actual end of school! And then, of course, there’s Cordelia’s inevitable crowning as May Queen.

They are interrupted by Buffy running out of the library, she crashes into them dropping and spilling the contents of her backpack (which includes weaponry) all over. Making a lame excuse about a history project she gathers up her things.

Shortly after this all the kids are in English class, studying The Merchant of Venice with Ms. Miller. Finally the bell rings signalling end of class and the students file out, Cordelia stops to speak with the teacher a moment, arranging for some help with an assignment after school the next day. As she does so, someone or thing unseen is watching from the hall, it watches as Cordelia leaves class and walks off down the hall.

Meanwhile in the boys’ locker room, Mitch is getting changed after his baseball practice. Who or whatever was watching Cordelia is now watching Mitch, who chats to some buds and is then left alone. He hears a giggle, calls out, no reply, hears the giggle again, calls out again, still no reply. Starting to get spooked, Mitch reaches for his baseball bat, but the bat suddenly takes on a life of it’s own, rising out of his reach it starts to beat him. Mitch staggers and then falls to the floor.

In the hallway, Buffy is alone, putting her things away in her locker when Cordelia waltzes down the hall, handing out bribe chocolates, she deliberately misses Buffy out and marches off as Willow and Xander come up to her. They reminisce about Cordelia and laugh about who would want to be May Queen anyway, until Buffy tells them that she was, back in her glory days at her old school. As they talk, one of Mitch’s pals comes bursting into the hall with the news of what has happened to him.

Outside the locker room, Snyder is assuring then gathering crowd that nobody is dead, this week at least. Buffy, Xander and Willow arrive in time to see the badly beaten Mitch being wheeled out on a stretcher; Buffy manages to grab two minutes to ask him what happened the makes her way to the scene. Her path is blocked by Snyder, at least until Willow and Xander create a diversion with talk of Mitch’s powerful lawyer of a father suing the school. It gives Buffy enough time to slip into the locker room unnoticed.

Buffy walks through the locker room, spots the now motionless baseball bat lying on the floor, she nudges it with her foot. Nothing. Looking around, she notices four open locker doors, next to each other; one of them is Mitch’s. She looks in, then shuts the door, showing that it has an “L” spray-painted on it, slowly she shuts the other three doors. They spell out “LOOK”.

That lunchtime the three friends are gathered, and soon joined by Giles, to discuss events. Still unsure what has caused this but has come up with some possibilities, telekinesis, an invisible person or a poltergeist. Giles, Willow and Xander are posted on research duty while Buffy goes off to find out who or what might have a grudge against Mitch. Unfortunately, this is going to mean talking to Cordelia.

Cordelia is talking to Harmony, on the balcony above the quad, bemoaning the fact that Mitch is gonna look terrible in the prom photos, whatever was watching Cordy before is watching her now, neither of the girls notice. The stalker suddenly has a flashback of a similar moment six months before, this time the girls notice the stalker but only to scornfully ask what she wants.

Back in the present day, Cordelia and Harmony walk to the stairs leading down to the quad, as Buffy approaches them the still unseen stalker rushes at them and Harmony goes tumbling down the stairs, falling to the bottom in a heap. Cordelia and Buffy rush down after her.

As Harmony insists that she was pushed, even though no one was seen to push her, Buffy hears laughter coming from the balcony above. Buffy runs up the stairs and hears the laughter again as one of the doors shuts. Buffy follows but no is there, she call out and feels something brush past her and she hears footsteps, she follows them into the band room, which, again, appears empty. She looks around, but seeing nothing leaves. As she does a loose ceiling panel slides back into place.

At last school is over and Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander walk across the grounds discussing the day’s events and not noticing two men in black suits watching the school. Due to Buffy’s little experience they have narrowed the problem down to an invisible girl with a grudge, the common denominator being Cordelia. They each go their separate ways to do their own investigating, Willow and Xander to check the missing kids list, Giles to do his usual research and Buffy’s gonna do what she does best. Hunt an invisible person?

Buffy walks down the school corridor, passes the classroom where Cordelia is preening in her May Queen dress in front of her Cordettes. Buffy gives a wistful look in and moves on. Suddenly she stops again, hearing the ghostly sound of a flute playing somewhere within the school.

At the same time in the library, Giles hears the music too. He looks around but it stops. Then he hears another noise behind him, he turns but no-one is there. Slightly spooked he stops at a window, his reflection stares back at him. He turns to find Angel standing right next to him. Jumping, he turns back to the window he sees just himself reflected in him.

Once he is over the shock of the whole no reflection thing, Giles asks Angel if he is there to see Buffy. He is intrigued to learn that Angel finds it hard to be around Buffy. They swiftly move on to business, Angel has heard rumblings of something happening to do with the Master. Giles admits that he has been researching the Master and Slayer lore but some of the most important books have been lost, namely the Pergamum Codex. With a smile, Angel tells him it was misplaced, not lost, he can hold of it. Angel is gone as silently and unnoticed as he appeared.

At the same time, in the girls bathrooms we see another flashback, a quiet, mousy girl is washing her hands as Cordelia, Harmony and Cordettes preen in front of the mirror, the girl tries to join in their conversation but is studiously ignored.

The next day, the invisible stalker, the two men in black and Buffy watch as Cordelia is announced May Queen, as she makes her thank you speech Buffy is joined by Xander and Willow. Willow has the list of missing kids and Buffy spots a possible. The latest, Marcie Ross, went missing six months ago and played the flute. Neither Xander nor Willow have heard of her. Buffy, having a lead at last, goes to the band room in search of more clues.

In the band room, Buffy looks around and notices a loose ceiling tile and a makeshift ladder of tables, shelves leading up to it. Climbing up she removes the lose tile to find what appears to be invisible girl’s lair.

Unknowingly watched by the invisible girl herself, Buffy peruses the lair; there is bedding, food, some sheet music and last year’s Sunnydale High yearbook. She opens the book, her suspicions confirmed as she sees the name Marcie Ross written inside. She flicks through the book unaware of the knife that is hovering over her back. After a while, Buffy closed the yearbook, has another quick look around and then heads back down into the band room, taking the book with her. The knife is lowered as she goes.

Ms, Miller is marking papers, waiting for Cordelia to arrive when she hears a noise. Looking up she doesn’t see the invisible Marcie as she comes into the classroom and stands behind the teacher. Ms Miller goes back to marking the papers when a plastic bag is popped over her head. Minutes later Cordelia arrives to find her teacher unconscious in her chair, the bag pulled tightly over her head. Cordelia rushes over and rips the bag off her, Ms. Miller starts to come around as a scratching sound is heard, looking up, Cordelia sees the word “Listen” being chalked on the black board by an invisible hand.

In the library, the four gather round the yearbook which finally gives them some answers. Inside the front cover students, including Willow and Xander, have all signed their names with the message “have a nice summer” sure fire evidence that this girl had no friends. Still Willow and Xander cannot remember the girl, even though it transpires that they had four classes with her. Things start to fall into place, with a little help from the Hellmouth, this girl who nobody noticed can now no longer be seen.

A flashback shows Marcie in the same English class with Cordelia, Xander and Willow. We see Marcie’s hand raised and ignored again and again until eventually her hand, and then her whole body become invisible.

Back in the library, the defaced picture of Cordelia in Marcie’s yearbook makes it obvious who her target is.

No sooner do they figure it when Cordelia herself walks into the library, for once she’s right, it IS all about her! Having decided that everything that has happened to these other people must be about her, and that Buffy is always around when weird things happen, she has decided to come to her for help.

As the gang fill her in on what is happening Cordelia protests that she doesn’t know who Marcie is or why she would have a grudge against her. They decide that it must have something to do with the May Queen and that Marcie will probably show her hand tonight at the coronation. With that in mind, Buffy sticks with Cordelia while Giles and the others get on with the research. As they leave they don’t notice a ceiling tile sliding back into place, their conversation, and their plan, has been overheard.

In the library, Giles, Willow and Xander hear the eerie sound of a flute being played, following the sound they find themselves in the boiler room. It’s empty except for a small tape recorder, they realise their mistake too late as the boiler room door is shut and locked from the outside. Which is when they hear the hiss of gas. They check the boiler to find that the pilot light has been blown out and the gas turned up full, what’s more the valve has been broken.

Meanwhile, Buffy and Cordelia make their way to a closet where Cordelia starts getting changed, while Buffy waits outside. They are actually finding that they have something in common when Cordelia suddenly goes quiet and Buffy hears what sounds like a scuffle. She bursts into the closet in time to see Cordelia’s legs disappearing into the ceiling. Buffy follows.

Finding herself back in Marcie’s lair, Buffy just has time to see Cordelia’s unconscious body before the invisible Marcie rushes her, Buffy falls through the ceiling to the classroom below. Slightly dazed Buffy looks around her to find a needle making its way towards her neck. As it reaches its target she falls back unconscious.

Buffy awakens to find herself and Cordelia on stage at the Bronze, tied to thrones. On the wall in front of them is written the word “Learn”. Cordelia is already awake and complaining that her face feels numb.

Meanwhile in the boiler room, Giles manages to turn the valve down a little but not off while Xander vainly tries to break down the door.

In the Bronze, Buffy and Cordelia watch nervously as a trolley with a towel draped over it comes towards them, it stops near them and, telling Cordelia that she is going to grant her fondest wish and give her a face no one will ever forget, the invisible Marcie removes the towel to reveal an array of nasty looking surgical instruments.

Buffy tries to reason with Marcie and gets a punch in the face for her efforts. The two girls become more nervous as a scalpel hovers in the air between them, as it advances towards Cordelia’s face; Buffy spots another one nearby on the trolley. She begins to inch her hand towards it. Seeing what she is doing, Cordelia tries to distract Marcie and keep the scalpel that she is holding away from her face. Thinking that she has cottoned on to Cordelia’s plan to charm her way out of getting her face cut up, Marcie angrily swipes the scalpel across Cordy’s face. Cordy screams. By now Buffy has managed to grab the other scalpel and free herself and she kicks the trolley into Marcie, sending her flying. Buffy starts undoing Cordelia’s bonds but Marcie is quick to recover and attacks Buffy again, sending her flying.

Meanwhile in the boiler room, Giles, Willow and Xander are leant up against the door, Giles still feebly knocks on it in a vain attempt to open it. Suddenly the door is opened from the other side and Angel appears and helps them out. After explaining that he came to drop of the Codex, Angel (not really bothered by the lack of oxygen in there) heads back into the boiler to shut off the gas.

Back in the Bronze, Buffy is getting beat, her own blows connecting with nothing. In her defence it is hard to fight something you can’t actually see. After a throwing a few useless blows she suddenly stands very still and very quite, and then turns and sends Marcie flying into a curtain which falls over her, showing her shape. Now she can she her she takes another blow. And then she is stopped by the arrival of four FBI agents, two of them being the men in black we have been seeing all over campus. They introduce themselves and tell Buffy they are here for Marcie, that they will take her to a facility where she can be rehabilitated. Refusing to answer any further questions they lead Marcie out, still wrapped in the curtain.

The next day Giles, Buffy, Willow and Xander are gathered outside the library when they are surprised to see Cordelia coming towards them. Instead of the vicious sarcasm they expect, she actually thanks them for helping her out. Softening towards her, Willow invites her to go to lunch with them; she actually looks like she is going to accept their offer when Mitch turns the corner along with some Cordettes. Instantly back to her old self, Cordelia waltzes off down the hall with them. All is again as it should be.

In an undisclosed location the two FBI agents walks a still invisible Marcie to a classroom, a teacher stands at the front of the seemingly empty, but for the textbooks on each desk, room. Marcie goes in and sits down; she is introduced to the rest of the class who all turn to the page indicated by the teacher. Looking at the page headed “Assassination and Infiltration” Marcie can be heard to utter the word “Cool”

Cider 22/08/04