A/N: It may be late, but IT IS STILL A WEDNESDAY! School for us starts next Wednesday (and, believe me, I almost shuddered writing that), so the updates will probably be less... weekly. So enjoy! Thanks for your support! (Also, to Whedon Fan, your reviews crack us up. So thank you.)
Chapter 7: Welcome To The Hellmouth
Running wasn't usually the way a slayer reacted to seeing a vampire, but, admittedly, that's exactly what Buffy did. The second she made eye contact with Angel's vamp face (well, the second after she screamed), she'd taken off.
She couldn't say how long she'd run. She'd kept going long after she realized Angel wasn't even chasing after her anymore. She was pretty sure he never even attempt to follow her, but she wasn't taking any chances.
All the while, her head was spinning. How hadn't she noticed Angel was a vampire? As a slayer, she thought she was getting pretty good at those things. Apparently not.
She'd ended up in front of her house purely by accident. Well, maybe a little subconscious thinking, too. She tore through the front door and ran up the stairs to her room, ignoring her mother, Joyce, calling for her. She'd talk to her mother later. Right now, there was something more important she had to do.
Throwing herself on her bed, she pulled her phone out of her pocket and composed a message for Spencer.
We need to tell them.
"Come in, guys," Spencer said quietly, waving her friends through the door.
"What is this about?" Hanna inquired.
"You'll see," Buffy smiled softly. "Come on, sit down." She instructed, gesturing to the Hastings' variety of furniture.
"You're making me nervous…" Fred trailed off, sitting down in between Willow and Aria.
"Will, why are you so calm?" Emily asked.
"Because she already knows," Buffy answered, her and the red-haired girl sharing a knowing look.
"Well, we'd like to know too," Aria declared.
"Then shush!" Hanna ordered. "Talk," she demanded, looking at her friends.
"So," Spencer trailed off, rocking awkwardly on her heels, "my guess is that you all have noticed Buffy and I leave at night for various reasons… And another guess I have is that you don't always believe us," she finished, her head bowed down. "And we'd like to make it up to you."
"How?" Fred asked.
"We're going to tell you."
"In every generation, two slayers are born." Buffy stated.
"Slayers?" Emily inquired.
"What do you slay?" Hanna asked, obviously not believing any of it.
"Vampires, demons…"
"You name it, we slay it," Spencer chuckled darkly.
"You can't honestly expect us to believe this stuff is real, guys," Aria laughed.
"It is," Willow whispered, speaking up for the first time.
"What? How would you know about this? Why did she get to find out first?" Emily interrogated.
"Because she was attacked," Buffy responded.
"By what, a vampire?" Fred shrieked, wrapping an arm around her friend.
"Yes, a vampire. I got there just in time."
"And that's why we're telling you this now," Spencer added. "There's a new vampire in town, and we're concerned that you guys may become targets."
"Targets?!" Aria whimpered.
"Yes, targets."
"Well what are we supposed to do? Just sit and wait?" Emily asked.
"No. You can go wherever you want, but at your own risk. It'll be safer if Buffy or I are with you. Stay at home at night, too. If you're staying over somewhere, get there while it's light out."
"And don't let anyone in your house. Anyone," Buffy instructed.
"So we're just hiding out until you guys get this guy?" Fred asked incredulously.
"Yes," Spencer responded. "Stay as close to home as possible."
"And what if he just tries to force his way inside?" Hanna asked, her brow furrowing. "I don't think any of us are going to be able to fend off a vampire."
"He can't come in unless he's invited," Buffy said quietly, shifting uncomfortably. There was obviously something she wasn't saying, but no one wanted to ask.
"Come again?" Hanna asked, ignoring Buffy's discomfort and sticking to a relatively safe topic.
"He's a vampire; vampires can't come in unless they're invited."
"Just stock up on holy water, crosses, and sharp, pointy sticks and you should be covered," Spencer said dryly.
"Great," Emily said dismally.
"Look, guys, this is just assuming Angel-" Buffy began.
"Whoa, wait, Angel?" Aria interjected. "You know his name?"
"I didn't know he was a vampire at first. He was...good. But anyway, this is just if he even finds out you guys are connected to the two of us. He may not. Before we take him out, that is."
"Well, how're you gonna do that?" Willow asked nervously.
Spencer and Buffy exchanged glances.
"I guess we'll start with Toby and Giles," Buffy said.
"Wait, Toby?" Aria asked incredulously. "Giles as in the librarian? What do they have to do with this?"
Spencer sighed. "Every slayer gets a...a Watcher. Someone who watches over them and guides them with everything they have to do. Toby is mine and Giles is Buffy's."
It was silent for a moment, then Hanna smirked. "Don't they usually frown on workplace romances?"
"Hey, for your information, around thirty percent of couples that meet in the workplace end up married," Spencer retorted, childishly sticking her tongue out at her friend.
"You guys, that's kinda beside the point," Buffy said.
"She's right," Spencer agreed. "You guys need to focus on staying safe." However, safety was the least of the girls' concerns as their phones all began beeping and buzzing.
Look at you, safe and snug as long as you don't invite Buffy's little friend inside. What's going to keep you safe from me? -A
"His name is Angel, you say?"
Spencer, Buffy, Giles, and Toby all stood in the Rosewood High School library, along with Willow, who they figured would be adept at helping find information about their current vampire problem.
"Yes, Angel, and he had me completely fooled until yesterday," Buffy responded.
"Angel…" Giles said absently, turning to one of his many books. "So, you had no idea he was a vampire?"
"None," Buffy replied, frowning. "Isn't it possible that he's a good vampire? He didn't seem so bad…"
"A good vampire?" Giles said, looking back at her. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"He's right," Toby agreed. "Vampires are manipulative, but they're always a demon in the end."
"Vampires are incapable of remorse; you know that better than anyone, Buffy," Spencer said.
"I know, I was just...thinking, I guess," Buffy said.
"Spence, have you talked to this guy?" Toby inquired, turning to his girlfriend.
"Well, I was there when he first showed up, but Buffy was the one who befriended him," Spencer explained. "But I agree with Buffy. I would've done exactly what she did. He seemed perfectly normal."
"It just doesn't make sense," Buffy sighed. "I saw him multiple times and he didn't do anything. He didn't even try to get information or anything. And in the cemetery, I was so shocked, he could've fed off me then and I would've been a goner, but he didn't. I don't think he even tried to follow me."
"That is peculiar," Giles said, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses.
"You think he's got a plan?" Toby asked the older watcher.
"I don't know what to think," Giles admitted. "There must be some, eh, ulterior motive, shall we say, to his actions, but I don't know what."
"Well, maybe something in these books will tell us," Willow said, speaking for the first time. The others all agreeing, they quickly got to work.
Buffy was the one out of her element with this, she had to admit. Book stuff: not really her thing. She was more of a take action kind of girl. Unfortunately, she had no idea where to find Angel, so she had to put up with the booky things.
It wasn't long until Willow looked up from the book she was reading. "Well, here's something."
"What is it, Willow?" Giles asked, looking up from his own book. "It's just...it's under Angelus...but the picture fits the description you gave, Buffy...or, well, as much as an old sketch can…"
Buffy maneuvered over to Willow's side and inspected the drawing. "That's him, all right. The likeness is phenomenal. He has shorter hair now, though."
"What does it say?" Giles questioned.
Willow turned her attention back to the book, scanning the pages. "He was born in Galway, Ireland and, uh, sired in the 1700s."
"That's a long life span, even for vampire standards," Giles said, sounding intrigued. "Continue."
"Well, um," Willow paused, her eyes widening. "Oh my God…"
"What?" Buffy asked anxiously.
"He was dubbed "The Scourge of Europe" because of all the b-bad things he did."
"Oh my God," Buffy said under her breath. Willow went back to reading.
"But, listen to this," the redhead said after a minute. "Somewhere around 1900, he just disappeared. There's nothing about him."
"Nothing?" Spencer asked.
"Nothing," Willow confirmed.
"What happened to him then?" Buffy wondered aloud, then shook it off. "C'mon, guys. We need more information if we're going to find The Scourge of Europe."
A knock on Spencer's door woke her up from her less-than-comfortable position on the couch. Quickly sitting up, she noticed a face she had never seen before peering through the window. Cautiously opening the door just enough to poke her head through, Spencer addressed her guest.
"I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong house," she smiled, about to close the door before the girl responded.
"No, I don't," she stated simply.
"Who are you? How are you so sure that you have the right house? Because I remember seeing you once, and that was yesterday."
"My name is Bonnie Bennett," the girl began, "a friend and I came here from Mystic Falls, Virginia, on the S.S. Tipton."
"That doesn't explain how you know you're in the right place."
"I used a locator spell on you," the girl explained. "I'm a witch," she added, noticing Spencer's confusion.
"What?"
"I'm a witch. Mystic Falls is up to it's ears with vampires, witches, werewolves, vampire hunters… So trust me, the last thing I wanted on a vacation was to run into an evil vampire."
"And why was I so important?" Spencer questioned, opening up the door a little more.
"You're a slayer, right?"
"How did you know that?" The mocha-eyed girl hissed.
"Alaric had a feeling when he saw your friend conversing with that… Angel, I think… And your name came up."
"Who the hell is Alaric?"
"Alaric Saltzman, he's a hunter back in Mystic Falls. He was tracking Angel when he saw your friend with him, and realized that Angel might be… Different."
"Different how?" Spencer inquired, walking back from the door and in towards the kitchen.
"Smart," Bonnie commented as she stepped through the entryway.
"What?" Spencer asked, playing dumb.
"You know what. Not inviting me in to see if I'm a vampire."
"Well, now I know. So, tell me, how could Angel be different?"
"Look, I don't know about your guys' situation," Bonnie started, "but, in Mystic Falls, we have some good vampires."
"Good vampires?" Spencer laughed. "I'll believe it when I see it."
"Trust me. Look, Alaric would've gladly put a stake through anything with the slightest hint of fangs before he started talking to some of the nicer vampires, and I used to give them aneurysms for fun. But he learned."
"Through what, brainwashing?"
"Look, you don't have to believe me about them. But believe me when I say that my friends and I are willing to help with whatever you need," the witch smiled, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen. "Here is my number. I'm here with my friend Caroline, who, by they way," she whispered, her eyes twinkling, "is one of those 'nice vampires' I was warning you about. But we can call people and have them here if you need them."
"That girl you were with yesterday? Please. It was one of the sunniest days we've had this week!"
"...You guys don't have daylight rings?" Bonnie asked slowly.
"Daylight what?" Spencer nearly screeched, almost dropping the food she was preparing.
"Daylight rings. Rings crafted by a witch that allow vampires to walk in the sunlight? Oh my God, you have no clue what I'm talking about, do you?"
"How could you craft a daylight ring? You can't be much older than I am!"
"I'm a descendent of Emily Bennett," Bonnie explained.
"The Emily Bennett?" Spencer asked incredulously.
"No, the Emily Bennett from the alley that sells drugs to little kids. Yes, the Emily Bennett."
"Oh my God, there's vampires walking around town in plain daylight?" Spencer groaned, her hand cupping her forehead, pacing around the kitchen.
"It is just one. And, trust me, she won't hurt you," Bonne promised, standing up to leave. "Just call me if you need help, okay? Alaric has all sorts of cool homemade vampire-killing weapons," she smiled, out the door before Spencer could ask any more questions.
"So the girls all know?" The hooded figure asked its superior as they re-watched the girls' conversation for what had to be the hundredth time.
"Yes, for the last time, the girls all know about Spencer and Buffy being slayers. Pay attention!" The other hoodie groaned.
"So…"
"So what?"
"Well, you always have a plan."
"You could say that. What's your point?"
"What's the plan now?"
"You'll know when it's time for you to know," the boss of the situation sighed, the face underneath the hood suddenly laughing maliciously. "But don't you worry. If the girls can breathe after this is all done, I'll be disappointed. But, either way, you won't be. Now, send the text. I'm done with your questions."
"Fine." Pulling out a smartphone, gloved hands began typing.
Hanna, Buffy, Spencer, Willow- I'll smother you all with your pillow.
Aria, Emily, and, of course, Fred- How will it be when one more of you's dead? -A
"What bothers me is the hypocrisy and sexism of it all. If I were to come out as lesbian, would I all of the sudden be a top candidate for prom queen? I think not," Sophie explained to her new friend. Her best friend, Tanner, had been the first person to ever come out at their high school, and had instantly become popular. The three queen bees of North Gateway High were fighting over his attention, taking him shopping, bringing him to parties of questionable legality, and even getting him the crown at prom.
"I know!" Spencer exclaimed, her hand hitting the table in her excitement. "This girl at our school, Maya, is openly bi, and gets no special attention whatsoever."
"Right? And then my other friend, Brent, came out, and it was like nothing happened."
"It's all about being first," Spencer commented bitterly. Even though the current topic wasn't exactly uplifting, she enjoyed her newfound friendship with Sophie. It was something she had previously taken for granted, the art of having a conversation that didn't involve subtle glances at her neck or off-the-wall questions about vampires. It was nice having a friend who didn't say goodbye after a shopping spree as if it was the last time she would ever be seen alive. Smiling at her new friend, Spencer couldn't help but indulge in a life she knew she could never live.
Hanna and Willow stood in the hallway of Rosewood High after the day was done. Hanna was apologizing for the nineteenth time for not finding Willow a ride home from Noel's birthday party.
"I'm so sorry, I know I promised, but I forgot," she rambled. Willow smiled kindly.
"It's okay, Hanna," Willow said. "I found my own ride. It's fine. Really."
"Are you sure?" Hanna asked. Willow nodded. Hanna smiled in relief, then took on a more mischievous look.
"Oh, don't look now, but that guy over there is totally checking you out?" Hanna said.
"What?" Willow asked, glancing over to where Hanna was looking. "Oh, that's just Oz; he's who I got a ride from at the party."
"Isn't he in the Dingoes?" Hanna asked.
"Yeah, lead guitarist," Willow answered.
"Ooh," Hanna cooed with a smirk. "I'm impressed, Will."
Willow blushed. "We talked and...and he gave me a ride. It was nothing. So no 'oohing'."
"Really? Then why is he coming over here?" With that, Hanna was gone, Oz in her place.
"Hey," he said.
"Hi," she responded, falling in step with him as he began to walk.
"You ready for exams?" he asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Willow said. "How about you?"
"Well, see, I tend to test well," he explained, "which is pretty cool, except that it tends to lead to jobs and more school."
Willow giggled. "Do you know what you want to do when you graduate?"
Oz shrugged. "Kinda hoping I won't end up in a fast food restaurant."
Willow giggled once again. The two found themselves in front of a vending machine. Oz glanced at it, seemingly weighing his options, before pulling out a few coins from his pocket and buying a box of animal crackers.
"Anyway," he said as he opened the box, "I'll have to see what happens with the band, I suppose."
"But don't you have any other, y'know, ambitions?" Willow inquired.
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, E-flat diminished ninth."
"Huh?"
"Well, the E-flat, it's doable. But it's that diminished ninth, y'know, it's a man's chord. You could lose a finger."
Willow nodded as Oz turned to his animal crackers, pulling one out.
"Oh, look, monkey," he said, holding it up. "And he has a little hat and little pants."
"Yeah, I-I see," Willow said.
Oz looked thoughtful then. "The monkey's the only cookie animal that's allowed to wear clothes, you know that?"
Willow smiled, realizing he was right.
"You have the sweetest smile I've ever seen," Oz said, taking Willow by surprise. She was about to respond when Oz continued. "So I'm wonderin', do the other cookie animals feel sorta ripped? Like is the hippo goin', 'Hey man, where are my pants? I have my hippo dignity.' And, you know, the monkey's just, 'I mock you with my monkey pants!' And then there's a big coup in the zoo."
"The monkey is French?" Willow asked in response to the accent Oz adopted when he spoke as the monkey.
"All monkeys are French. You didn't know that?"
"No."
The two walked out of the school then, still talking, Willow not even noticing that in following after him, she was going the complete opposite of where she needed to to get home.
"Welcome to this new LGBT support group," the blonde woman smiled. "My name is Stef, and this is my partner of ten years, Lena."
"This group isn't to pull you out of the closet or make you uncomfortable," Lena chuckled. "Stef knows all about that, though, if you have questions."
"But, please, don't ask and make me squirm unless it is for your own personal benefit," Stef laughed. "Let's just start by making you all squirm while you tell us your stories. How about you?" She asked, pointing to a girl towards the back.
"Well…" the girl started, taking a huge breath, "my name is Emily Fields, and I'm a junior at Rosewood High. I'm still… Closeted, technically, but my best friends know."
"Are you scared to come out?" Lena inquired gently.
"Kind of. My parents would be angry, maybe even more than angry."
"What makes you say that?"
"My dad is Mr. Military, and my mom has never been… Great to the LGBT community," Emily explained.
"Well, thank you for starting us off, Emily," Stef smiled. "Who's next? How about you?" She pointed to a blonde girl with a barely visible face. The girl looked up, eyes wide.
"Oh, o-okay," she stuttered out, sounding highly uncertain of herself. "I'm T-Tara Maclay, and I-I attend R-Rosewood High S-School as w-well."
With every word Tara spoke, her face seemed to get more and more red, as if she was just praying for everybody to stop paying attention to her.
"And are you out?" Lena asked.
"N-No…" she trailed off, seemingly looking for words to say. "I-I...well...my m-mother p-passed away a w-while ago, and I-I'm not sure h-how my dad and m-my b-brother would t-take it."
"What about your friends?" Lena prompted with a kind smile.
"O-Oh, I...I d-don't really h-have that m-many f-friends," Tara answered, attempting to hide behind her hair once again. But, noticing the way that the Emily girl was smiling at her, she wondered if her minimal friend count would be bumped up by one.
"Who's idea was this, again?" Hanna questioned as the girls walked through the woods.
"Emily's mom," Willow answered.
"Actually, it was me. My mom just said we should do something for Alison," Emily explained.
"Well, couldn't do something without mosquitoes?" Hanna whined.
"They're not mosquitoes, they're gnats," Aria corrected.
"Whatever! They're small and annoying, and they're flying up my nose!"
"Well, they're attracted to your perfume," Buffy teased.
"And your hair product," Spencer joined in.
"And your lip gloss," Fred giggled.
"So what are you saying?" Hanna inquired. "I attract flies?"
"Gnats," Aria laughed.
"Why do I feel like this is the wrong way?" Willow asked, looking around. The girls were looking for the old shed they used to hang out in before Alison had disappeared to put up a shrine to their late friend.
"No, this is it," Spencer stated. "I remember that tree," she explained, pointing to it. "The halfway point. There's 136 steps left to the shed."
"Have you been out here since Alison?" Fred questioned.
"Me? No!" Spencer exclaimed. "No way!"
"But you remember that tree?" Aria asked.
"You guys, it's not that weird," Hanna said, defending her friend.
"Yeah, we came out here in eighth grade like every day," Buffy added. "Even after."
"I still think this is the wrong place to do this… Whatever you call it. Shrine." Spencer shrugged.
"It's not a shrine, it's just a place to remember Alison. What's wrong with that?" Emily asked.
"Doing it way out here makes it look like we have something to hide," Fred chimed in.
"You're worried what other people think?" Buffy questioned.
"Aren't you?" Spencer retorted. "Do you really want to give that creepy detective more reasons to question us?"
Before anyone could answer, Hanna walked away, not saying anything.
"Hanna, why are you so quiet?" Willow inquired.
"I'm trying to keep the bugs in my nose and out of my mouth."
"You're allowed to have an opinion on this," Emily sighed.
"You want my opinion?" The blonde asked. "I say we hold off and not remember her until we know for sure that she's not still here."
"What?" The girls questioned simultaneously.
"What are you talking about?" Willow asked.
"You think she's still alive?" Buffy added.
"Hanna, they found her body," Spencer groaned.
"Stop," Aria interjected. "I'm officially scared. Can we just not-"
"You know what?" Hanna interrupted. "You asked for my opinion. I don't believe she's really gone."
"We went to her funeral!" Spencer argued as they continued walking.
"Yeah, and when we left, we all got a text from her!"
"It wasn't her," Emily responded. "It was someone messing with us!"
"How do you know? And what about those nasty messages? How does this -A person know stuff only Ali knew?"
"Okay, this conversation is giving me a hive," Aria sighed.
"No, it's a bite from a mosquito," Hanna replied snarkily. Suddenly, a twig snapped not too far from them, averting the girls' attention.
"What was that?" Fred asked, whimpering. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, I heard that, I'm standing right next to you," Aria whispered.
"Hello?" Buffy called out.
"Is anybody out there?" Hanna joined in.
"It was probably a rabbit," Spencer commented.
"Hello?" Hanna tried again.
"It's a rabbit, Hanna. It's not going to answer."
"Can we just get to the shed?" Willow pleaded, another snap, much louder snap, sounding.
"Okay, that is definitely not a rabbit! Someone's out there," Hanna panicked.
"Let's just turn around," Fred suggested, the girls gladly taking her advice and walking the other way, only to stop when a chorus of ringtones sang to the forest.
Heads up, BFFs. It's open season on liars and I'm hunting… -A
"Let's get out of here," Fred said, shaking, leading her friends back the way they came from.
"I wish this would all go away," Aria groaned.
"Well, it's not going away. Not unless we toss our phones and join the Navy," Hanna replied.
"Look, there's seven of us and one freak sending messages," Emily sighed. "When we just talk to each other like this, I feel like it's easier to deal with everything."
"I think Emily's right," Willow chimed in. "I mean, there's way too many secrets. We shouldn't do this shrine in the middle of nowhere, we should do this where we can see it every day."
"You mean like somewhere in school?" Buffy asked.
"No, in town," Aria responded. "We should ask if we can put a bench somewhere. And you know what? Whoever did this to her- if they're still in Rosewood- we should make them look at it every day, too." Noticing Hanna's sigh and disapproving look, the group was curious.
"What, you hate the idea?" Spencer questioned.
"No," Hanna shook her head. "No, I just-" She was cut off by the sound of branches snapping near them. The girls shared a knowing look, dropping their things and ran towards the sound. Looking around to what they presumed to be the source of it, they saw no one.
"Look!" Hanna gasped, directing the girls' attention to the ground. It was a friendship bracelet- Alison's friendship bracelet. She had given each of the girls one so they would be "friends forever".
The girls were sitting in the Applerose Grille, giggling about whatever gossip they were sharing, when Alison suddenly cut the joke short.
"I got you guys something," she announced, pulling out multicolored pouches and handing one to each of her friends.
"What's the occasion?" Fred asked.
"You'll see," Alison smiled. "Open them!" They all did, finding matching purple bracelets, only differing by the name of each girl being embroidered in white on her bracelet. "We'll be friends forever," the blonde girl sighed happily. "Can you put mine on for me, Em?"
"Hey, Bay!" Aria smiled, hugging her friend. "Ready to paint?"
"Actually, no. I wanted to talk to you first."
"About Emmett?"
"Yeah. He told me you cheated on him," Bay whispered, as if saying it any louder would make it too official.
"Bay, please don't judge me. It was a moment of mistake," Aria pleaded, her eyes becoming larger-than-life.
"How can I not?" Her friend inquired, preparing for their project, not making eye contact. "I mean, really? You guys fought and you got drunk, that I understand. But hooking up with some random guy? Pardon me for not empathizing."
"It wasn't some random dude, Bay."
"Then who was it?" Feeling pressured, the hazel-eyed girl quickly changed the subject.
"Is this because of what happened with Simone?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Bay questioned harshly, whipping around to face her friend.
"It means that you were me once, and I was Emmett… If that makes sense. I can't help but assume that you're a little more angry about this than you would be about other things." Before Bay could reply, her brother walked in.
"Hey, Toby, what do you need?" She asked, trying to convey with her eyes that he couldn't have walked in at a worse moment.
"I was wondering if you could drive Daphne to basketball. I have a Dingoes thing all afternoon, and she needs a ride."
"Can't mom do it?" The brunette groaned.
"Yeah, if anyone possessed the power to pull her away from her laptop," he snorted.
"Does she ever stop writing?" Aria questioned. Kathryn had been writing a book about finding out that her daughter had been switched at birth, and everything with Alison just made it that much juicier.
"No," Bay and Toby answered simultaneously.
"Are you sure you can't? The brown-eyed girl asked her brother.
"Yes, Bay. I'm sure. I have to leave five minutes ago and Daphne has to leave in like ten minutes. Look, this wasn't supposed to be this hard."
"I can't take her," Aria offered.
"Oh, really?" Toby inquired, looking surprised.
"What, you didn't know I could drive?" Aria laughed.
"No… I didn't know Daphne was speaking to you. Or looking at you."
"Or thinking about you. Or breathing within a five-mile radius," Bay added.
"Is she mad about Emmett?"
"No, no, she's cool that you cheated on her best friend, she's just mad that you wore green pants," Toby retorted sarcastically.
"Thanks."
"Well," Bay sighed. "I'll go and take her. I think I might stop at Emmett's afterwards. Can we reschedule?" She asked, turning to Aria.
"Yeah, sure," she replied with a tight smile. "It was nice to see you, Toby."
The past couple days had been exceptionally awkward for Norman. The reappearance of his half-brother Dylan had done nothing for his mother's frayed nerves and had left Norman constantly on edge.
He couldn't have picked a worse time. Norma was already wary about just about everything ever since Alison had been found, and it was no secret that she and Dylan did not get along. The past few days had been occupied completely by Norma and Dylan seeing who could rip off the other's head first.
More often than not, Norman was dragged into it.
He'd have to defend his mother, though. Dylan would say all kinds of awful things about her; he would defend her. He had to.
That was the way it had to be.
The girls walked into Camp Mona, shocked by the size of the party.
"Welcome to Camp Mona!" the perky girl greeted, practically skipping over to them.
"Happy birthday," Aria smiled as they all handed over their presents.
"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it!" Mona exclaimed. "And, if not, I'll return it!" Turning around, she picked up the oversized party favor bags, handing them to the girls. "Swag!"
"Uh… Thanks," Willow said uncertainly, pulling out the large black hoodie with "Camp Mona" printed in bright pink on the back.
"It's so… Subtle," Spencer added.
"Okay, tour time! So, over here, we have the massage tent," Mona explained, gesturing to a spa-like area. "The mani-pedi area, the blow-me bar, and the mini bar," she finished, pointing to each place in turn. "Excuse me," she sighed as she went to go yell at a staff member. "Umm… Did I just see you eat a cookie?!"
Soon enough, the girls had settled down in an unoccupied tent when Aria's phone went off. "It's Hanna," she explained, picking up the call. "Hey," she greeted.
"Hey," Hanna responded as she packed a bag full of gear. "How's my friend Mona?" she asked sarcastically.
Looking around, Aria finally spotted Mona counting her presents. Even though it wasn't a birthday or Christmas party, it was a Mona party. "She's… Mona."
"Well, I'm leaving in ten. And if -A is watching you, I'll be watching her," Hanna smirked, placing her binoculars in her bag.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Aria, I went to fat camp for five summers. I can handle some woods," the blonde sighed, adding a flask to her already-full bag.
"Okay, be safe." But all Hanna heard were strange noises.
"Hello?" she asked, the call dropping before she could get an answer.
"God, service out here sucks," Aria groaned, her eyes glued to her phone as it once again went off. "It's from -A."
You found my bracelet, now come find me. Good luck, bitches. -A
"I think we're supposed to go to where we found Ali's bracelet," Willow said.
"That was in the middle of nowhere!" Emily groaned.
"No, actually, it was 15 steps east of the half point tree, which is 136 steps from the main road," Spencer rattled off robotically.
"You're a freak, and I love you," Aria declared, the girls all getting up to find their tormentor, when a wrench was thrown into their plan.
"Emily, Aria, Fred!" Mona called, smiling when she found the girls. "Your turn to get blown!" She smiled, turning to lead them towards the desired tent.
"Well, it has to look like we're here for the party, so go glamp," Spencer sighed.
"We'll be back before it gets dark," Buffy stated definitively, taking Willow by the hand as the girls parted ways, Aria's phone going off when half of the group was out of earshot.
I need to see you. -Jason
"Is it -A?" Fred asked nervously.
"No, just my mom."
Hanna was lurking outside the edge of Camp Mona, surprised at the lack of security. Though she wouldn't be able to get in, she wasn't thrown out for being within one hundred feet without an invitation, which was pretty good for Mona. Walking back into the woods, she barely caught a glimpse of her friends before she found a hiding spot and began to watch.
"Wow…" Buffy grinned mischieviously at her freshly-blown friends.
"What happens if you touch it?" Spencer laughed, reaching out to poke the girls' larger-than-life hair.
"Stop," Aria glared at them.
"Did you find anything?" Emily asked, half curious and half averting the attention from her hair.
Spencer cleared her throat, looking around to see if anyone was watching. "Come here," she whispered.
"Guys, check it out," Buffy said, pulling out a pouch just like the ones Alison had given them, with a bracelet inside it as well. The bracelet had Jenna's name on it.
"Is Jenna telling us that she's -A?" Emily inquired.
"I don't think so," Spencer answered. "There's something else," she notified them, handing over a piece of paper. "You're as in the dark as Jenna. Looking for me in all the wrong places," she read.
"If this is the wrong place, then what's the right place?" Fred asked.
Not too long after, Spencer, Fred, Willow, and a few random other partygoers were seated around a dying campfire, roasting marshmallows. Spencer was sitting, head in hand, having been mentally torturing herself since they had found the clue. "Looking for me in all the wrong places…" she repeated over and over again. Suddenly, it hit her. Standing up, she shone her flashlight around to look for her other friends, but all she could see was an endless sea of Camp Mona hoodies. Turning around, she saw Emily walking in her direction.
"Where's Aria and Buffy?" Spencer whispered, ignoring the questions coming from Fred and Willow behind her.
"I don't know."
"We have to go to the right place," Spencer announced triumphantly, feeling even better after seeing Emily's confused look. "W-R-I-G-H-T," she explained.
"Wright's Playground!" Emily exclaimed.
The girls walked to Wright's Playground with little trouble, Spencer carrying her flashlight and leading the way.
"I think you're actually enjoying this," the tan girl commented as her friend shone her flashlight on a sign to lead them where they needed to go, Spencer not responding.
Once they had arrived, they immediately began searching for clues, or, better yet, -A. The girls were doing a thorough scan of the ground when, suddenly, they heard a noise come from behind them. Whipping around, they didn't see a person- they saw the swing, swinging, though it appeared that nobody was there to push it.
"Emily," Spencer whispered, changing direction and marching towards a tree, shining her flashlight on it intently. There, carved plain as day in the bark, was a little heart with two names inside it.
"Alison loves Ian?" Emily asked, not sure if she was hallucinating, and not having time to check when both her and Spencer's phones went off.
Finding the house was just too easy for Spike's liking. She was a slayer, for God's sake, and yet she may as well have had neon signs broadcasting, "Buffy Summers' House-Vampires Welcome". To be fair, she probably wasn't the genius behind putting "Summers" on just about every little thing that was outside in plain sight, but hey, somebody was throwing Spike a bone.
He supposed he had Angel to thank for this. One look at his little gift had Angel just about ready to denounce his own mother for just a taste. Well, maybe not quite that far, but it had done the trick all the same. The slayer had run off. Spike just followed her home. And considering all the "Summers" paraphernalia, it wouldn't have taken him that long to find it just by roaming the town.
Spike went up to one of the front windows, having a look in through the curtains. He smiled to himself.
"Well, well, well," he said. "Mama Summers, home all alone."
It hit Buffy like a ton of bricks.
There she was, trying to have as good a time as possible at Mona's camp from feminine hell, and it all came flying back at her.
Angel. She'd let him in the house.
She didn't know how she could've possibly forgotten. That should've been the first thing she'd taken into account when she learned he was a vampire, but she'd been so concerned for her friends' safety, not her own. And not…
Oh, God. Her mom. Home alone. Perfect time for Angel to strike.
Buffy needed to get home, now.
Urgently, Buffy began searching through the partygoers for any of her friends, but she didn't see any of them. Hastily, Buffy tapped out a message to Willow.
Needed home NOW.
Buffy could only hope she'd be in time.
And Darla said Spike wasn't creative. Yeah, well, let's see her get away with a plan like this. Even she would've seen the beauty of it.
It wasn't hard getting in the front door. Good thing too, because he'd spent too much bloody time on making himself not look like something that would make any mother pass out immediately to be sent away. It wasn't his fault he was so good-looking. But even so, it all had to go. The black nail polish, gone, the duster traded for a simple button down shirt and jeans, even the harsh Cockney was replaced by a gentler, more Victorian accent. The only thing he couldn't help was the bleached hair, but what can you do?
All in all, it would've much simpler if Dru had done this, but Spike highly doubted that Mrs. Summers would have appreciated if Dru happened to have one of her fits, which were becoming more and more common every day. No, simpler if Drusilla did this, but safer if Spike did.
It had worked out in the end. Now, Spike was just a simple college student who had promised to drop off some stuff to help Buffy with her schoolwork. Joyce had barely even questioned it; Buffy was always needing help with her schoolwork.
"Why don't you come in?"
A backwards invitation, but an invitation nonetheless.
She never saw it coming. She led him into the kitchen, her back to him. Spike struck in a second, before his opportunity was gone. She didn't even put up a fight.
"Mom?"
Oh, bugger. The girl's home. Ah, well, can't be seen with the body. Spike dropped Joyce to ground, well aware she was still alive. But he couldn't be seen with her if he ever wanted to pin this on Angel. Hopefully mommy dearest wouldn't say anything until the other vampire was dust.
"Mom?" Buffy called, suddenly feeling very paranoid. How would she explain this if it turned out Joyce was just fine? "Mom?"
Buffy rounded the corner into the kitchen and gasped. Her mother lay in a heap on the floor, two round marks on her neck. Vampire bite.
Buffy rushed over to her and checked for a pulse. Joyce was still alive. Buffy flew to the phone on the counter and dialed 911 hurriedly, staring at her mother in fear.
"911, what is your emergency?"
"It's-its my mom," Buffy said hastily. "She-uh...something's happened. She's unconscious. The address is 1630 Revello Drive. Just-please hurry."
Hanna was getting bored being the official lookout. Her arms were cramping from holding the binoculars and she was pretty sure that bugs had taken most of her skin. Just as she was about to give up, a car drove down the path that she had followed, stopping just close enough for her to watch without being seen. Quickly enough, a hooded figure got into the car.
"Thanks for meeting me here," Jason murmured, clearing his throat awkwardly while his companion pulled down their hood.
"What do you want?"
"A second chance," the blond man responded. "I care about you," he confessed, receiving a sigh in response. "Please, just go on a few dates with me. You'll see."
"You can't just go around deciding how things are going to work out," Aria huffed. "You don't get to choose how I feel!"
"I was wrong," he breathed, leaning closer to the hazel-eyed girl. "Forgive me," he whispered.
"No."
"Forgive me," he tried again, leaning even closer.
And, suddenly, they were kissing.
"Jason and Aria? Oh my god!" Hanna whispered to herself, having little time to process when another hooded figure showed up. Quickly whipping out her binoculars, she could just barely make out the fact of the person writing on the back of Jason's car. She tried to call her friend, but Aria was apparently too engrossed in her makeout session to notice her phone vibrating.
Hanna watched the hood run away before sending out a text.
S.O.S. I know who A is. Heading to the parking lot
And, with that, she ran to the parking lot as fast as she could, hoping that her friends would do the same. Walking out in between the rows of cars, she began to get nervous. Whipping around, she tried to take in all her surroundings and watch for potential danger. Ducking down behind the hood of a car she recognized from the school parking lot, she once again saw a hoodie running at top speed through the trees.
"Hanna?" Emily called, her and the rest of the girls running as fast as they could. However, Hanna was frozen, paralyzed by the hoodie she kept seeing.
"Hanna?" Fred tried. "Hanna, we're over here!" Finally snapping out of it, Hanna started jogging towards her friends, ready to tell them who their tormentor was and take them down. However, someone else had different plans.
"Hanna! Watch out!" Willow screamed, her blonde friend not seeing the headlights rushing straight at her.
The next thing the girls new, Hanna was on top of the car, falling back down over the other side as the car drove away. They were all screaming and crying, but it did no good. It was too late.
"Call 911!" Spencer yelled as they raced towards their unconscious friend.
"There's been an accident," Fred reported to the person on the other end, her voice shaky. "We're at the Camp Rosewood parking lot, please hurry!"
"She's not breathing," Spencer grunted.
"Hanna," Aria breathed, ready to give up when she heard the all-too-familiar sound of multiple phones ringing.
She knew too much. -A
The first thing Buffy noticed as she rushed into the hospital was Willow, Spencer, Fred, Aria, and Emily sitting in the waiting room, looking just as worried as she was. She rushed over to them in confusion.
"What're you guys doing here?" she asked, then proceeded hesitantly, "Where's Hanna?"
"She got...hit b-by a car," Emily said quietly, wiping away a few stray tears.
"Oh my God," Buffy gasped, wondering how this night could get any worse. "She's gonna be okay, though, right?"
"They...they don't know," Spencer said shakily. Buffy brought her hands up to cover her mouth.
"Why are you here?" Willow asked then.
"My mom...she was attacked."
"Oh my God!" Aria said. "Is she okay?"
"She was still breathing when I got to her," Buffy said, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "They said she should pull through."
"Oh, thank God," Fred said, going over to hug her friend. Everyone else looked visibly relieved, except for Spencer, who frowned.
"What happened to her?" the brunette asked.
Moving away from Fred, Buffy sighed. "It was Angel."
"Are you sure?" Spencer asked.
"It had to be," Buffy said.
"But he's a vampire," Fred said. "I thought they couldn't get in unless they're invited."
"I did invite him in though," Buffy said after a moments hesitation.
"Oh," Fred said, eyes wide.
"Back when I didn't know what he was," Buffy added hastily. "These three vampires attacked us one time and he was injured and we only managed to kill one of them. They were incredibly strong; unlike anything I'd ever faced. So we ran to my house and I let him in."
Everyone was silent, not knowing how to respond. Finally, Buffy spoke once again.
"I, uh...I have to call my dad." She walked off without waiting for an answer, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed her father's home phone.
"Dawn? Hey, is dad there?"
"Hanna's mom is with the doctor," Emily notified her worried mother over the phone. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"They don't know who was driving the car," Willow said, talking to her own mother.
"We were at Mona's party, and Hanna got a text… We were going to the parking lot to
meet her, and that's when she got hit," Aria sighed, her parents just as concerned.
"She was unconscious, so we couldn't talk to her," Fred sniffled, looking at Spencer, who was crying quietly into Toby's shoulder. "That's why we want to wait, maybe we can try and see her…" she trailed off, noticing Lucas Gottesman talking to Mrs. Marin. "I'll call you guys back when we know something. Goodbye, love you too."
"Is she okay, Mrs. Marin?" Fred asked anxiously as the red-headed woman walked towards them, still appearing to be in a state of shock.
"She is going to be alright," she announced, her voice shaking. "She, um, she has a broken leg, and a… broken ankle, bruised ribs, and, uh… they maybe have to remove her spleen," she choked, the girls no more comforted than they had been before the report. "What happened?"
"Hanna was coming across the parking lot, and this car just came out of nowhere," Aria explained.
"When the police found the car, they said it was stolen from the campground lot," Ashley informed them.
"Did they catch the driver?" Emily inquired.
"No," Hanna's mother responded somewhat angrily. "Not yet."
"The cops should be looking harder," Spencer huffed.
"You girls should go home," Ashley sighed. "I will call you when Hanna can have visitors."
"Just let Hanna know that we were here," Willow requested, wiping her eyes.
"I will… When she wakes up," she promised, walking back towards Hanna's room.
"We need to figure out who this person is," Emily demanded.
"Well, Hanna knows who is. That's why -A tried to kill her," Spencer pointed out.
"You think they're just trying to scare us?" Willow asked.
"It worked," Aria sighed.
"This was never about scaring us," Spencer whispered. "That was just an added
bonus."
"I mean, this started with murder," Fred added. "We were crazy to think it wouldn't end
up like this!"
"Should we tell the cops?" Emily asked.
"Tell them what?" Aria groaned.
"Everything!"
"We don't know everything!" Spencer interjected.
"So what do we do?" Willow inquired.
"Well… We talk to Hanna before we do anything," Spencer decided.
"Is Hanna safe here?" Fred asked, tears spilling through again, feeling much worse when her friends were hesitant to speak up.
"Yeah," Spencer finally answered, not looking too confident in her answer. "I mean, nothing will happen to her when her mom is with her."
"What does Toby think?" Emily looked at Spencer.
"The same as everyone else. That we were going to meet Hanna and a car came out of nowhere. It's not a lie, it's just not the whole truth," turning back to her boyfriend, who had been dutifully waiting for the girls to finish their conversation.
"Let's go home," Fred suggested. "And use the buddy system."
Spencer and Willow walked home in silence. They'd opted to walk together since they didn't live too far from each other, but they might as well have been walking alone. Spencer was wishing she had taken up Toby's offer of a ride home. Neither girl knew what to say in light of the events that had just occurred. They didn't really want to talk about it, and yet still felt something needed to be said.
"C-Crazy night, huh?" Willow settled on.
Spencer chuckled humorlessly. "You can say that again."
The two settled into silence once again, wracking their brains for something, anything, to say. Anything to relieve the tension in the air.
They came upon the Bates Motel without even realizing it. From inside, they could hear the characteristic yelling of the owner, Norma Bates. It wasn't unusual to walk past and hear that.
"Always screaming," Spencer said under her breath. Willow muttered her agreement, then frowned, remembering a snippet of...something. The first time she'd heard Norma yell like this…
Willow walked home after school. The end of the year was fast approaching, and she had too much studying to do to go hang out with her friends.
She walked past the Bates Motel and the house that went with it, surveying it. The owners had just moved in a couple weeks ago and had been having some trouble getting business. That would change once summer hit. The tourists would come flocking in, all needing a place to stay. They'd all stayed at the Seafarer Motel, they wouldn't care if they were now staying at the Bates Motel. It was all the same to them.
A crash from inside the house made Willow jump.
"Norman, I said 'no'!" a female voice shouted.
"You don't get to just decide, Mother!" another voice, this one male, yelled back.
"I don't want you seeing that girl, Norman, she's a bad influence!"
"You don't know her!"
"I know enough!"
It was then that Willow had hurried on, not wanting to hear anymore.
And it wasn't until the next day that she thought about it.
"Do you guys know Norman Bates?" Alison asked. "He's so cool. They just don't make boys like him anymore."
"Norman," Willow gasped.
"What?" Spencer asked in confusion at the outburst.
"Do you guys know Norman Bates? He's so cool. They just don't make boys like him anymore."
"Willow, what're you talking about?"
"That's what Alison said not long before she disappeared. She and Norman were friends. Don't you remember?"
"You're right," Spencer said in realization. "But that doesn't mean anything."
"But when I saw him recently, he neglected saying that he knew Alison at all," Willow said hastily.
Spencer frowned, her brow furrowing. "Sounds like he has something to hide."