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Ta'ra Breslin checked the microscope again to be sure what she'd seen in the lens was correct. She shook her head in exasperation as she jotted a note down in her journal, then turned at the sound of the door to her lab opening. Her husband, Jack, a lieutenant for the LAPD, breezed in.

Ta'ra watched his entrance fondly. One of the first things she'd learned to love about him was that he never just walked into a room, he charged in.

"So what's the verdict?" Jack asked, hovering over his wife's shoulder.

"It's the same as the other two samples. No doubt about it."

He sighed. "Just great. Not only do we have a possible serial killer on our hands, but one who goes after werewolves."

"One thing puzzles me though, Jack. How does he know he's shooting a lycanthrope? The victims are all in human form when killed."

"Good question." Jack nodded.

"And there have been other murders with the same MO?"

"Three in Kern and two in Inyo County." Jack regarded his wife thoughtfully for a moment. "I think we should bring Ian and Randi in on this one."

Ta'ra turned to him wonderingly. "You're reading my mind," she teased.

Jack put his arms around his wife. "Long association." He winked. "I'm gettin' to know how that devious, alien mind of yours works." He drew her close. "Think I'll leave the actual reading of minds to you, though."

Ta'ra reached up to caress his face lovingly. "I am picking up a few of your thoughts right now."

Jack laughed. "And...?"

Ta'ra placed his palm to hers as Jack bent to meet her lips in a searing, passionate kiss. They'd learned how to combine the two forms of affection most effectively over the years.

The door banged open, unceremoniously interrupting them, as their daughter, Tori, ran in, followed much more sedately by Ian Matheson and Randi Wallace Michaels.

"Our timing is impeccable as ever, I see," Ian laughed.

"They do that a lot," Tori piped in with a long suffering sigh.

"Hey, pumpkin," Jack reluctantly released his wife to scoop up his daughter. "Did you have a good time at the studio?"

"It was very cool," the child gushed. "I learned so much for my school assignment. Ian and Randi even let me use one of the cameras."

"Sounds like you had a wonderful time." Ta'ra joined her family. "Thank you for letting her come and visit you at work."

"We love having her around," Randi assured her friend, with a special smile for Tori, an extraordinary child blessed with the unusual gift of telekinesis. Randi knew she struggled to control it, especially when strong emotions overwhelmed her. Ta'ra had been teaching the child the discipline required to master her ability since the Breslins had adopted her. Tori was the catalyst that had introduced Ian and Randi to the Breslins in the first place.

"What are you two working on?" Ian asked curiously.

"Funny you should ask that, buddy," Jack responded. "We just kinda decided to get you guys to help."

Ta'ra nodded toward their daughter, not wanting the subject broached in front of her.

"How 'bout dinner tonight," Randi suggested, changing the subject.

"Dalts, Randi," Tori cried. "You promised we could go to Dalts."

Jack groaned comically. "Not again. How many times does that make this month?"

"Obviously not enough." Ta'ra smiled.

"Shouldn't we all be grateful she's finally outgrown McDonalds?" Ian commented.

"Randi's never been there," Tori begged, slipping out of her father's arms.

"Dalts it is," Jack surrendered.

Explanations to Randi and Ian would have to wait until after dinner, when Ta'ra was finally asleep.

Dusty old volumes from obscure Medieval scholars were sources of great amusement to Buffy and her friends, but to Rupert Giles, these tomes were the cornerstones of his life. Not only did they contain wisdom and insight from the past, they could be guidelines to the future. In his duties as Watcher for the Chosen One -- a duty he no longer officially possessed, but one he would never abandon -- Giles knew he needed every tool available to fight the forces of darkness.

Blowing the dust off one of the books' spines, Giles coughed, then sneezed. Well, maybe his young friends had grounds for some complaints, but certainly not about the weighty knowledge inside these treasures. The phone rang and he sneezed all the way to the desk, covering his nose as he answered.

"Giles." he greeted.

"Ru, old boy, you sound like you have a cold," the voice chirped, altogether too bright and cheery. "Too much California sunshine?"

"Very amusing, Ian." Rupert sneezed again. The last thing he needed was his cousin teasing him about living in California. Both men came from what they considered a far more civilized England. Circumstances had brought them across an ocean and continent to what the locals called LaLa Land. "Unpacking a shipment of books."

"Sounds wonderfully fun, and I hate to interrupt," Ian continued. "But I think I have a situation that requires your assistance."

Giles groaned. In the time his cousin had been in California, they had visited only twice. Once Ian and Randi Wallace had come to Sunnydale. Once Rupert had visited them in Malibu and seen Ian's trendy television show produced. He didn't fancy another visit to the Mecca of bikinis and suntan lotion.

"I can't possibly leave..." Giles began.

Ian's voice lost all pretext of teasing. "This is serious." He paused. "Something's happened that could affect your group."

"Buffy?" Giles asked, instantly more attentive.

"No, uh, the boy who's... related to Randi," Ian responded. "I'd rather not discuss this over the phone, but their -- friends -- are being murdered, during particularly non-lunar cycles."

"Oh," Giles exclaimed, understanding. Werewolves murdered when there was no full moon? Oz could be a target. "I just can't leave Sunnydale right now --"

"Please, Rupert," Ian pleaded.

"Ian, my first duty is to Buffy. I can't possibly leave her alone here --"

"You're right," Buffy interrupted, startling him as she stood behind him, her hands on her hips.

Giles nearly dropped the phone.

"Sorry about the stealth mode. I heard enough to know there's big, bad probs and Ian needs help," she declared.

"I can't leave you alone... not with the Mayor set for the Ascension --"

"I won't be alone," Buffy assured. "I'm going with you, and the Ascension won't be until graduation... Wes can handle things until then." She took the phone. "Ian? Howya doing?"

"Buffy," Matheson replied cheerily. "You're always welcome here. And thank you."

"No prob. We've got the rest of the week off for some teacher conference thing." She handed the phone back to Giles, then frowned, obviously concerned. "What are they wearing in L.A. these days?"

Rupert bid his cousin a hasty good-bye and hung up. "You can't go, Buffy." His voice was stern and uncompromising. "Your mother --"

"--Is out of town," she finished. "I'll just tell her it's Slayer business, that's all."

"Sunnydale --?"

"The Slayerettes, can handle things. Besides..." Buffy reminded wickedly, "Wesley's here to save the day."

The thought of the new Watcher, who thought he had answers for everything, actually dealing with the Hellmouth for a few days appealed to Giles -- almost. He shook his head. "Librarian and high school student leaving for an extended weekend in... If anyone found out..."

"We'll just have to keep it a secret. I'll pick you up at your house about six. That should give me enough time to pack."

It was all happening too fast for Giles. "Pick me up?"

"Your old heap won't make it past the city limits. We'll take my mom's car. I'm sure she won't mind," Buffy assured.

She was gone before Giles could stutter any more objections. Head spinning, he didn't know which factor to worry about first. All elements of the plan seemed out of line to him. He knew, however, arguing with his Slayer was useless when she made up her mind about something

Shaking his head at her willful obstinance, Giles concentrated on making a list of what he would need for the trip.

Giles finished loading the three boxes of reference books into the Summers' Jeep Cherokee. He'd cautiously placed an overnight bag on the back seat, disguising it with a jacket, and hoped fervently that no one would notice the 18-year-old girl -- who was not his daughter -- packing for a trip. He tried to maneuver his coat around Buffy's two large suitcases already in the back seat, but he gave up when there just wasn't enough fabric available.

"I hesitate to ask what you've brought." He frowned. "Our projected mission is no more than four days."

"Be prepared," Buffy quoted sagely, pulling out of the driveway with a squeal of tires. "And I brought you some SPF 1000 sun screen for that glow-in-the dark white English skin of yours. I don't plan to travel home with Lobster-Boy."

Flustered, Giles peered out the window, not entirely comfortable with Buffy driving. He'd given her lessons awhile ago and knew her erratic style would send his nerves to the limit on this excursion. Besides, the fact that she'd already damaged the Cherokee a few months back didn't calm his case of the jitters.

"I won't be needing it, Buffy," he lectured. "I'll be researching and investigating -- and werewolves never come out in the day... anyway, most certainly not on the beach!"

Buffy smiled as they merged onto the freeway. "Well, I'm not going to Malibu without protection. What fun's the beach if you burn?"

Giles merely sighed in resignation, then reached in back for his notebook, intent on going over with Buffy what little he knew of events from Ian's cryptic conversation. It was very little and conversation soon drifted into other topics. He was mildly surprised at Buffy's variety of interests. Sometimes it was hard to remember she was almost an adult. Around her school friends, she clung to teen insecurities and fads, but underneath, her Slayer responsibilities had matured her beyond her years. It was revealing to interact with her away from the crowds of friends, the stresses of the Hellmouth, and the interference of her mother. All too soon they arrived at Ian's split-level condo on the beach.

Ian's and Randi's enthusiastic greeting initially precluded grimmer topics.

"Hey, this place is the best," Buffy called from the balcony. "Right on the beach."

Giles rolled his eyes, trying to hide a smile at Buffy's enthusiasm. He and Ian unloaded books onto the dining room table, perusing the titles and muttering between themselves.

Randi took Buffy by the arm. "We'll only be in the way. How 'bout a swim? Maybe by dark they'll notice we're gone." She turned back towards the men. "Actually by supper time. Ian won't go too long without food."

Sounds great," Buffy agreed wholeheartedly. She'd liked Randi Wallace and Ian Matheson the first time they'd visited Sunnydale. Now, away from the ghouls and demons of the Hellmouth, Buffy found a wonderful freedom. These people treated her like an adult. Even knowing she was the Slayer, they accepted her and regarded her as an equal. Giles had some pretty classy relatives.

Barely noting when the two women left, Giles showed Ian the most pertinent volumes he'd brought.

"But how could they possibly detect a dormant werewolf?" Giles asked, scanning the pages of his tomes. "And how do you know they were werewolves if they were in human form?"

"We have some friends," Ian began. "They'll have to explain the latter. As for the former, I can't even hazard a guess."

Buffy and Randi returned from the water in time to meet the other guests. Giles and Buffy were introduced to Jack and Ta'ra Breslin.

"Jack's LAPD -- Homicide Unit," Ian explained. "Ta'ra's a Medical Examiner. She's the one who discovered the blood anomalies."

"Excuse me for wondering," Giles asked. "But why call on a mythology expert?"

"An expert on werewolves," Ta'ra corrected. She stopped, staring oddly at Buffy and Giles. "What is a Vampire Slayer? And why does Mr. Giles watch?" she questioned.

Giles eyes went wide at the revelation. "Ian..." he accused.

Ian held up his hands in denial. "I didn't tell them anything except that you're my cousin and a Lycanthropy expert."

"Then how...?" Buffy queried.

"Ta'ra reads mind... occasionally," Jack said offhandedly, but glared pointedly at his wife. "Usually when she shouldn't."

"Been there, done that -- didn't like it," Buffy muttered under her breath.

Ta'ra ignored her husband's remark, asking again about the Vampire Slayer.

"It hasn't made you insane?" Buffy asked frankly, too preoccupied by the reminder of her recent disastrous telepathic incident to really pay attention.

Giles was taken aback by the whole situation, at a loss as to what to answer.

Ian finally jumped in with a brief history of the Slayer and the Watcher and their fight against the forces of darkness.

"Ian!" Giles warned. "A bit too much information..."

Randi patted Giles' arm comfortingly. "Jack and Ta'ra are cool -- besides, they have their own secrets.

"Mr. Giles," Ta'ra began. "On my planet, werewolves are the result of disease, not magic."

"P-p-lanet?" Buffy sputtered, not sure if Ta'ra were joking. She exchanged an incredulous look with Giles, then both returned their attention to Ta'ra.

"Ta'ra landed here while in search of a being who'd escaped from a prison ship near Earth," Jack supplied. "I'd been assigned to a number of killings and found myself way over my head hunting a murderous alien."

"My ship was destroyed and I was stranded on Earth. That was over nine years ago." Ta'ra smiled lovingly at her husband. "I was lucky to have found Jack."

"Ta'ra was a med tech before," Randi explained. "And we now get the advantage of her advanced medical knowledge."

"She and Jack are the best Homicide team LAPD's got," Ian continued. "And Ta'ra's offered to help with Randi's -- situation."

"Lycanthropy was a curable virus on my planet," Ta'ra supplied. "I'm hoping to recreate the antidote."

Jack squeezed his wife's hand reassuringly. "And occasionally we come across unexpected phenomenon and call Randi and Ian."

Ta'ra brought out several evidence bags with tufts of hair, blood samples and various other items. "These were found at two of the slayings."

One item immediately caught Buffy's attention. She picked up the bag containing a wicked looking dart, and handed it to Giles. He grimaced and immediately dropped it onto the table.

"We've seen these before," Buffy announced. "They're favorites of a maniac woman named Ranier."

"She occasionally dips them in poison, though even untreated, they're nasty," Giles assured fervently.

"But she's up the river, in the big house..."

"She could have escaped," Giles suggested, interrupting Buffy's string of cliches.

"Maybe." Buffy turned to Jack. "Can you find out?"

"If I can use Ian's computer." Jack stopped only long enough to get the names he needed.

Ta'ra joined him, peering over his shoulder as he logged into the police department's data base. She glanced at Buffy and Giles while she waited for Jack to shift through the proper security screens.

"I'm sorry to bring this up," Ta'ra began. "Can you give us details."

Giles looked uneasily at Buffy -- aware their shared experience was still a source of nightmares for them both, though they never spoke of it.

Giles nodded affirmatively to his charge, and Buffy began her story.

WINTER 1997/1998

Rupert Giles pulled his head out from under the hood of the old, battered, lime-green Cadillac convertible. "Try it now," he called to the driver.

Buffy Summers turned the key in the ignition and listened as the car engine groaned in agony, still refusing to start. "No good, Giles."

"I was afraid of this," he remarked, slamming the hood into place.

Buffy got out of the car and joined Giles. "What now?

"We walk." Giles shielded his eyes with his hand and peered down the road. They had turned onto this small dirt thoroughfare sometime earlier in the afternoon and that was where their car had stalled out. "We should probably return the way we came."

"It's going to be a long hike back to Sunnydale."

The two looked at each other ruefully and started to trudge down the road, not looking forward to the lengthy walk back to civilization -- or what passed for civilization -- in a small town like Sunnydale. Buffy, once more, glanced contritely back at the green Cad.

Giles glanced over at her sympathetically. "Your first car?"

"Yup -- and the last when Mom finds out."

The green Cadillac had appeared in Giles' driveway about a week ago -- a tow truck had delivered it. Behind the wheel sat a very happy Buffy Summers -- Vampire Slayer and the Chosen One, who battled the forces of darkness. Rupert Giles was her Watcher. It was his job to protect, to train and instruct the Slayer. A few months ago, Buffy had convinced Giles that instruction included teaching her how to drive. Buffy's Mom had promised that for her seventeenth birthday -- if all went well -- she could get her license. Giles had been able to put Buffy off for awhile since the only car available turned out to be his and she had insisted she wasn't going to learn in his ancient Citrion. But then the enterprising Slayer had appeared one afternoon with the green monstrosity she called a car.

"Where did you get that?" He wrinkled his nose, glancing at the interior.

Buffy jumped out of the car enthusiastically, waving merrily to the man who had delivered it as he drove away. "I bought it, isn't it just?"

"Bought it? From whom?"

"Oh, this guy, he gave it to me real cheap," she declared, brushing at a spot that wouldn't go away.

"I'll bet he did."

"You don't like it?" Buffy pouted playfully.

"It... it isn't that I don't like it -- exactly," Giles stammered diplomatically. "But you are sure it even -- runs?"

"Yup. Better than yours. So, when do the lessons start?" Buffy grinned.

They had been walking for about an hour. Buffy kept a rapid pace, thanks to her Slayer abilities, but Giles struggled to keep up with her. The day was still warm, forcing the librarian to loosen his tie and throw his heavy tweed jacket over his shoulder. The open farmland gradually gave way to a forest. Another hour found them at a brick wall that extended along the roadway.

"I don't remember this wall when we drove by earlier," Buffy commented thoughtfully.

"It was here, we just passed it fairly quickly," he stated, a hint of censure crept into his voice. "I'm not surprised you don't recall it, considering our speed."

"I wasn't going that fast," Buffy defended.

Giles stopped walking and stared incredulously at his Slayer. "Buffy!"

She avoided her companion's well-known glower, diverting her gaze sheepishly toward the ground. "Okay, okay, I'll admit I may have exceeded the speed limit by a little. Just don't glare at me like that. I hate it when you glare."

"I know." Giles chuckled softly.

"Very funny." Buffy rolled her eyes, but then smiled back at her friend.

Giles nearly succeeded hiding a slight grin before he turned away. "We need to keep going before we lose the daylight."

"Right, but maybe we should find the folks behind this wall and see if we could use their phone."

"We just need to find the entrance." The Watcher squinted as he scanned the barrier.

Nearly an hour passed and they still hadn't come to the end of the stone wall, nor found any type of entrance to what lay beyond.

"We've been walking way too long, Giles," Buffy sighed tiredly.

"I agree," Giles acknowledged, exhausted as well. "Do you have any suggestions?"

Buffy launched herself easily to the top of the wall. "Direct approach, I think," she announced triumphantly.

Giles sighed and furtively glanced around to see if anyone had seen his charge.

"C'mon, Giles," Buffy gestured. "Grab my hand and I'll haul you up."

"I don't believe this is wise," he argued unsuccessfully.

"We tried your way and we're still outside. No way in, I say we go over."

Recognizing the logic, Giles reluctantly agreed. He reached up a hand for Buffy's help to scale the wall and found himself looking down into a lush tropical jungle. "What in the world?"

"Weird, huh?" Buffy jumped to the ground below. Giles followed, landing a little harder than the Slayer had.

"Which direction?" Buffy asked.

"Your plan, your choice," he stated.

Scanning the area, Buffy pointed out a route off through the trees.

They hadn't been walking long when Buffy pulled up. Giles, not paying close attention, almost plowed into her.

"What?"

"Dunno. Spider-sense is tingling." Buffy surveyed the area suspiciously. "Something's not right."

Giles furtively scanned the trees, knowing Buffy's intuition rarely missed. "Over there?" He pointed off towards the left.

"I see it." Buffy started in the direction Giles' had indicated.

"Careful!"

"I know, I know," Buffy responded as she cautiously, moved forward a few paces. Picking up a good sized rock, she pitched it at a point in front of her and watched as the leaves and dirt showered inward to reveal a huge pit.

Giles joined Buffy at the edge of the open cavity and both looked down at the multi-row of sharpened, steel spikes protruding up from the ground.

"Effective way to discourage intruders," he stated quietly

"A little too effective. Doesn't make sense."

Giles backed a little from the edge. "This whole place doesn't make sense."

"I agree. For one thing where did this jungle come from?" she queried.

Giles shrugged, indicating they should continue.

Working their way very slowly through the foliage, it wasn't too long before they found another trap, though this one had been sprung already -- on some poor soul. A spear had embedded itself in a tree trunk along with some unsuspecting person. It must have happened some time ago for only a skeleton remained with bits of shredded cloth still sticking to the bones.

The spear-victim turned out not to be the only body they found. Progressing through the underbrush, they came upon other traps, some with a casualty, and others empty but set to spring. Using caution and the Slayer's sense, Giles and Buffy slowly worked their way through the growth, upsetting traps as they went, still unable to find a way out of the maze. Both quietly wondered what bizarre refuge they had stumbled into.

The sun had almost set as the twosome found themselves in a partial clearing. They carefully checked for possible traps before stopping for a breather. What had started out as a warm day, had quickly turned cool as the sun began to set. Clad in only shorts and a light shirt, Buffy began to shiver from the chill. Giles pulled off his jacket and draped it around Buffy's shoulders.

"Thanks," she stated gratefully.

"You're..." Giles caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and shoved Buffy down. "Watch out!"

Buffy heard the sound of a crossbow firing as she sprawled onto the ground. Instantly jumping to her feet, she turned in time to see Giles collapse, an arrow embedded in his left shoulder.

"Giles!" Buffy moved immediately to her fallen partner. "Oh my God, Giles!"

Giles was still conscious, but in obvious pain. Buffy touched the arrow in his shoulder with apprehension, not sure what to do.

"Buffy," Giles spoke through gritted teeth.

"What can I do?"

"Help me move over against the tree," Giles instructed, noting her anxiety and trying to assure her he was all right. Careful not to jog his injured left side, he could tell she felt guilty. "We both missed that one, didn't we?"

Buffy smiled tentatively in agreement as they struggled the few feet to the largest tree in the clearing. Giles slowly slid down with Buffy's help and leaned his back against the tree trunk. Making him as comfortable as she could, Buffy knelt down in front of her Watcher.

"Now what?"

"The arrow... it... needs to come out," he hissed through clenched jaws. "Can't risk infection..."

"How...?" Buffy began.

"...break the shaft off first..." Giles explained.

Buffy felt ill for a moment, knowing what she would have to do would be immensely painful to her mentor. "But..."

Giles reached out with his good hand, grasping hers. "You can do it," he assured her. "I know you can."

"Yes, yes I can." Buffy steadied her trembling, then grabbed the arrow carefully. She quickly broke the shaft off, trying, and failing, to ignore Giles' sharp intake of breath.

"I'm so sorry," Buffy murmured apologetically.

"Nothing to be sorry for -- Buffy, behind you!" Giles shouted suddenly.

At the warning, Buffy automatically reverted to battle-mode. Instincts in high gear, she didn't need to see her opponents to know they were there.

Spinning around, she took two out before they could even reach for her. Facing the enemy, she could see at least six men surrounding her. Men -- humans, not vampires. Buffy allowed herself a quick smile.

This shouldn't take long, she thought as two more of the men went down with a right cross and left hook. Another enemy flew into a nearby tree and she watched, satisfied, as he slid unconscious down the trunk.

Giles painfully maneuvered himself to stand, his back to the trunk of the tree. He spotted one of the first men Buffy had taken out regain his feet and, using his good arm, Giles skillfully backhanded the thug, sending him sprawling again.

Buffy quickly assessed the scene. All her opponents were down as she turned back towards Giles.

"Q.E.D." He nodded approvingly.

"Huh?"

"Quite easily done," Giles explained.

"Yeah, well..." Buffy sheepishly glanced around at the carnage she'd inflicted. "Humans are easier than vamps."

Suddenly remembering her friend's condition, Buffy raced to his side as he sank to the ground. Before she could continue her ministrations, she was stopped by a sound to her left. She returned to battle stance, but immediately realized even her enhanced abilities were no match for the firearms these men carried. Wordlessly, she and Giles surrendered to the new threat.

Willow answered the phone eagerly, figuring Buffy was calling to share all the minute details of her first driving lesson with Giles. She checked her watch quickly, realizing it was later than she'd expected.

"Hello," a nervous voice tentatively asked. "Willow?"

"Oh, hi, Mrs. Summers," Willow greeted cheerily.

"Is Buffy there?"

"Well..."

"Could I talk to her please."

Great, Willow thought, Buffy hadn't mentioned that little ploy when she and Giles left. "Uh... well... Mrs. Summers, she's not here right now."

"Oh? Where is she?" Joyce asked, surprised.

"Well... ah... um..." Willow stammered as she tried to come up with a plausible story fast. "She and Xander went to the library to do some research."

"On a Friday night?" came Joyce's incredulous voice.

Okay so that isn't the greatest story you've come up with, Will, she chided herself. "Uh... huh... Buffy knows you're concerned about her grades, so... so we thought we'd... get some extra studying done tonight. You know, with the school year just starting and all. I... I was just on the way out the door to join them. Do you want me to have her call you?"

"No, no that's all right. It wasn't really anything important. Tell her I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"Okay, bye." Willow hung up the phone and stared at it a moment. Obviously Buffy and Giles hadn't gotten back yet. Odd, they shouldn't have been gone this long. Willow quickly picked up the phone again and put in a call to Xander.

Buffy helped Giles as carefully as she could, but they were being shoved along fast and furiously by their captors. Several times she'd demanded explanations about who they were and what their intentions were. But none of the inquiries were answered. Instead, Giles and she were herded along a path to who knew where. The group Buffy had taken out earlier in the fight had been roused -- none to gently -- by their friends and been chastised soundly for their inability to take down a "little girl."

The cruel gunmen seemed to take pleasure in tripping their captives up as much as possible. At one point, Giles fell after a deliberate kick to his shin. Buffy started to go after the assailant, angrily goaded beyond endurance, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder from Giles.

They had been walking for at least a mile, Buffy surmised, before they abruptly came out of the jungle and found themselves standing in front of a huge castle. Weird, thought Buffy, a castle in the middle of California. She felt a gentle nudge from Giles. He indicated the long driveway which led to a gate and the way out, although, at the moment, it might as well have been in the next state for all the good it would do them.

The silent moment between the two was quickly broken up as they were again pushed forward. Taken around the huge edifice, they entered through a side door. A few of the of men separated themselves from the party, while the rest jostled Giles and Buffy further into the castle and down a deep and long flight of stairs.

When they reached their destination, Buffy was roughly thrust through a heavy wooden door. The shove was powerful enough for her to find herself skidding along the ground a few feet away from the door. She hastily picked herself up in time to see Giles follow right behind her. She immediately reached his side and knelt next to him.

"Giles?"

Turning him over carefully, Buffy realized he was unconscious, whether from his wound or the rough treatment, she didn't know. Leaving him for a minute, she went over to the door to see what her chances were of getting them out of there. A quick inspection revealed it to be made of solid iron and that she couldn't take it out, even with her immense strength. Pounding on the door, she yelled out demands, then threats, but to no avail. With a final bash of frustration, she slammed her fist hard, then looked to where Giles still lay unmoving.

Going back, she very carefully moved him to a spot on the opposite wall from the entrance. That way she could be ready when anyone came through the door. Buffy took off her borrowed jacket and covered him, then checked his wound. Maybe now that he was out of it, she should just pull the arrow out, at least he wouldn't feel the pain -- maybe. On the other hand, it had stopped bleeding and she might not be able to stop it again.

"Come on, Giles, wake up and tell me what to do," she pleaded. "First aid's your job."

Deciding not to do anything yet, she made him as comfortable as she could before she slid down tiredly next to him. Their prison resembled what Buffy always thought a dungeon should look like. Block walls loomed dank and gloomy, and she could hear the sound of small feet scurrying in the darkened corners. There were no windows, though electricity supplied subdued lighting. But, the most startling point was that every one of the walls had manacles hanging from them. And from some of them, human skeletons were still locked in place.

Buffy felt a shiver of fear slide down her spine and she sighed dispiritedly. She'd seen worse in her time as the Chosen One, but that didn't help the anxiety. Most of the evil she fought was supernatural, but from what she had seen so far, this evil was man-made. She turned to her Watcher, willing him to wake, afraid, not for herself, but for him. She knew the arrow needed to come out. But after that, she hadn't a clue. She doubted their "hosts" would help.

"Buffy?" A weak voice hailed her.

"Giles, you're awake." Buffy moved into his line of sight. "How're you feeling?"

Giles struggled to move, groaning with the effort.

"Careful." Buffy helped him to a seated position against the wall.

"Where...?" he breathed out quickly.

"Oh, delightful place, looks like your typical dungeon to me. Course, I've never seen a dungeon, so I could be wrong."

Giles tried to focus. "I've seen dungeons. Your -- assessment would... appear... correct..." He caught sight of the skeletons still in the chains. "Previous tenants?"

Buffy slumped back down against the wall, close to Giles. "'Fraid so."

"Charming," Giles quipped dryly, suddenly clenching his teeth as pain shot through his arm. He took a deep breath before continuing. "And our hosts?"

"Dumped us and left," Buffy announced. "How's your shoulder?"

He moved his arm tentatively. "Going numb, actually."

"I was gonna take out the arrow, but I was afraid it might start the bleeding again." Buffy shrugged helplessly.

Giles tried to smile reassuringly at her, but it turned into a grimace of pain. "No, you did the right thing."

"But infection...?"

"Very real possibility, Buffy, but bleeding to death wouldn't be my choice for the quicker option."

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, both trying to figure a way out of the mess they'd found themselves in.

"Any ideas, who they might be?" Buffy finally ventured. "Because they're definitely not demons."

Giles nodded disgustedly at the skeletons. "Demons in human form."

"I wonder what they want."

"I'm afraid we'll know soon enough." Giles regarded her with concern and affection. "I think we both should try to get some rest so we'll be ready for whatever might come."

"Okay," Buffy agreed.

Giles used his good arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her closer and urging her to try to sleep.

Buffy awoke slowly, feeling comfortably warm. This puzzled her. The last thing she remembered was how cold the dungeon was. It had taken her a long time to fall into a fitful sleep huddled beside Giles, but now Buffy felt very warm. Opening her eyes, she realized the warmth she was feeling was coming from Giles next to her. His body was generating an abnormal amount of heat. Buffy immediately knew what was happening. Some time during the night, Giles' fever had spiked.

Willow was already in the library when Xander, Jenny Calendar and Cordelia straggled in through the doors.

"So Will,any news?" Xander asked quickly.

"Nothing! They were supposed to be back by now," she moaned dejectedly.

"Course with that old junker Buffy calls a car," Cordelia pointed out. "They probably broke down somewhere."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, "and had to walk home."

"You could be right," Jenny acknowledged. "We have to figure out where they went."

"Buffy said they might head south," Willow offered helpfully.

"Willow, let's get a map and see which road they may have taken," Jenny suggested, digging around the stacks of papers behind Giles' desk.

Angel appeared suddenly from behind the piles. The foursome were so busy studying the map they didn't hear him until he spoke. "You guys look intense. What's going on?" he asked curiously.

"Buffy and Giles are AWOL," Willow explained.

"Missing?" Angel's nonchalance quickly changed to concern.

"Since this afternoon," Xander added.

"Buffy persuaded Giles to teach her to drive. They left around two and should have been back by five," Willow elaborated.

"Do you know which way they went?" Angel asked.

"Willow thinks they were going south," Cordelia piped in as she lounged against one of the tables.

"Towards Denton?"

"Uh, huh," Willow answered, distracted by the map Jenny had rolled out in front of her.

The vampire shook his head. "That's not good," Angel mumbled quietly.

"Obviously you know something we don't," Jenny stated, just a hint of hostility in her tone. "Would you care to enlighten us?".

"Come on, Dead-Boy. What's the story?" Xander prodded.

Angel paused a moment, scanning the faces around him. "I've heard strange tales."

"And this is news in Sunnydale because..." Xander commented

"What is it with Buffy and Giles, huh?" Cordelia complained. "Trouble just follows them around."

"Slayer-karma?" Xander suggested.

"Whatever it is, we need to get out there and find them," Jenny pointed out. She turned to Angel. "What do you know?"

"I've heard rumors -- rumblings of a place where people go in but they don't come out," Angel continued.

"Do you know where exactly?" Willow asked the vampire.

"Vaguely. I can try to take you there."

Jenny's car had barely stopped before everyone scrambled out. Angel had even tempted the possibility of sunrise to come this far.

"Well, what a surprise, the junker died," Cordelia announced sarcastically.

Angel placed his hand on the hood. "Engine's cold," he declared. Frowning, he surveyed the landscape in all directions.

Jenny slammed the driver's door shut after peering inside. "Nothing.

Willow straightened up from looking through the back window. "Same here."

The door to their prison opened, waking Buffy instantly. Before she could stand, a woman swept in.

"Augusta Ranier, perhaps you have heard of me?"

Buffy looked to Giles inquiringly. At his slight shrug, Buffy answered. "Can't say that we have."

Obviously not pleased, their "hostess" continued. "I am the foremost hunter of the day."

"Hunter?" Buffy asked confused. "As in little defenseless animals versus big ol' gun?"

"Animals are so passé. I prefer bigger prey," Ranier elaborated, a wicked grin lighting her face.

A shiver of apprehension ran down Buffy's spine. She knew Giles also understood the implications -- the many traps and bodies gave testimony to the fact that Ranier used human quarry. Turning back to their captor, Buffy studied the tall, thin woman with short-cropped, white-blond hair. Almost military in bearing and tone, the woman commanded attention, if not respect. The gunmen flanking her never uttered a word, but held their automatic weapons ready to defend their whipcord mistress.

"We get your meaning," Buffy assured the huntress.

"Good. I do so love working with intelligent people. And I must say you've surprised me already. When I first saw the two of you enter my domain, I assumed you would be easy prey for my traps. What a surprise to find you weren't caught by any of them. As a matter of fact, you seemed to take great pleasure in disabling my toys before they caught you," she added. "And then you took on six of my men as if they were dolls."

"Do you have a point?" Giles asked testily. "We already know what you have planned for us."

"My, aren't we in a hurry," Ranier commented nastily.

"C'mon lady, it's bad enough we have to be here, but listening to you go on is a bore." Buffy started to yawn, but stopped at the glare from the woman.

"Too bad. I thought you were above average." She pranced haughtily in front of her victims. "But like most of the rabble, you aren't into polite conversation. We'll begin the games anyway. I am the hunter. You are now my prey."

"Not a chance, lady," Buffy declared defiantly.

Ranier snarled. "Do I have to use persuasions? They are such a waste of time. You'll come around in the end."

Looking to Giles for direction, Buffy saw her own resolve reflected in the stubborn thrust of his chin and the hard glare in his eyes. Adamantly, she refused to go along with Ranier's game.

Angry, Ranier grabbed one of the rifles from her guard and pointed it at Buffy. "Then I could kill you."

"Don't think so," Buffy countered confidently. "Then you wouldn't have any one to play with. At least alive, we can argue, maybe try some Chinese checkers or something. But dead, we'll be just look like these stiffs you've got hangin' around now."

The woman stepped closer, putting the rifle to her shoulder. Taking only a split-second to aim, she fired. The bullet ricocheted off the stone wall within inches of Giles' ear. Startled, the librarian twisted away, awkwardly landing on his injured shoulder with a cry of pain.

Angry, Buffy helped Giles to settle, then stood between him and his attacker. "You really don't want to upset me," she threatened.

Ranier laughed. "But I do. Then you'll play."

"No," Giles gasped. "Don't, Buffy. She'll kill you." He lowered his voice. "Even with your abilities, you can't survive. Promise you won't do it."

Buffy paused, about to accept the challenge, but stopped at Giles pleading. She finally nodded a silent promise to him.

"He's no good to me anyway." Ranier moved closer, placing her pistol to Giles' temple.

"No!" Buffy yelled.

Ranier laughed at Buffy's reaction. "I suppose he's still of some use. Bring him along," the huntress ordered. Two of the men dragged Giles out the door, while the other four guards retreated, rifles carefully trained on Buffy.

"Remember your promise," Giles croaked. "Don't play --"

The door slammed shut. Buffy ran to the steel door, pounding her fists on the metal and screaming threats. Trembling with rage, anger and anguish for Giles, Buffy slid to the floor, muttering her Watcher's name.

Buffy stopped pacing when she heard footsteps outside the cell. As the key scraped in the lock, she crouched into a fighting stance and prepared to attack.

The heavy door eased open but no one entered.

"My guards are armed. Come out to the corridor and see for yourself," Ranier called.

"If I refuse?" Buffy asked defiantly.

"Then you'll never know what happened to your friend," Ranier sweetly offered.

She paused for only an instant before stepping out. With their rifles, three gunmen pointed down the corridor. Obligingly she followed their directions to an open metal door. Warily she stepped through. Once beyond the threshold, a shadow in the dark moved. Startled, Buffy jumped back, but then slowly continued forward to examine the movement.

A gasp escaped her lips as she saw Giles suspended from the ceiling, hands manacled and chained to a pulley, his feet barely touched the floor. Blood soaked his shirt on the left side where part of the arrow still protruded from the front of his shoulder. Gulping down the bile creeping up her throat, she realized Giles had been tortured using the arrow to rip at the already damaged flesh. She could hear his raspy breathing, and his face was flushed.

"Giles?" She whispered his name several times, but received no response. Clearing her throat, she called in a louder, firmer voice as she slowly approached. "Giles!"

Tentatively, she touched his chest. Even through the shirt she felt the heat of fever. Warily, she checked for booby-traps. Finally confidant, she tried to reach up his arms to release the manacles, but she wasn't tall enough to touch them, let alone break them.

"Now, Buffy, are you ready to play the game?" the voice came from an open window at least ten feet high on the inner wall of the dungeon. Buffy couldn't see the crazy Ranier, but knew she was there.

"Let him go!" she demanded angrily. "You don't need him!"

"I crave sport, Buffy. You and your friend have provided unusual distractions -- so far. Not as good as the hunt, of course, but still, pleasantly distracting."

Buffy kept a hand on Giles' chest. Perhaps it was better he was unconscious, but without his guidance, she was left to keep her original promise to him. She wanted to beat that woman's face to a pulp but her promise gnawed at her.

"You're a very mismatched pair. I'd delve into the complexities of your strange relationship, but there just isn't time."

"You wouldn't get it," Buffy countered. "But if you come out here, we can talk it over face to face. You talk big, but hide behind guns and thugs and stone walls -- the word coward mean anything to you?" she taunted.

Ranier laughed. "And you're outmatched, Buffy."

Buffy heard the click of a crossbow, and a split-second later saw a barbed metal dart strike Giles in the back. The Watcher uttered a subdued groan. Another click, but this time Buffy caught the dart flying from the upper window. She caught three more, but two others hit Giles, bringing him to painful consciousness. Though no more than 3 inches in length, the force of the crossbow sent them deep and the barbs prevented Buffy from extracting them.

"Leave him alone!" she screamed in frustration.

Ranier clucked. " I'm impressed, child, where did you learn to catch flying missiles like that, hmm? But my aim is very poor in this lighting. I need a better target."

The pulley lifted, taking Giles higher. Then the line slackened and Giles dropped, snapping tight a few inches lower. The Watcher gasped from the agony, moaning as the wires jerked higher once again.

"Answer quickly," Ranier threatened. "I don't believe your friend can hold out much longer..."

Buffy looked at her Watcher hanging helplessly.

"Oh, did I mention the darts are coated with a slow-acting poison?" Ranier commented casually.

Buffy checked Giles' most recent wounds. The skin around the darts was puffy and discolored. Not knowing what else to do, she tore out one of the shafts, the barbs ripping the skin. She stopped immediately. The bleeding would only make the poison spread faster.

"So will your friend die of pain, or from the poison?"

Ignoring the woman, Buffy tore off a piece of his shirt and rubbed at his wounds. She had no clue what to do -- this was Giles' department! Anything seemed better than nothing.

"I'll make you a deal," Buffy offered finally.

"What can you offer me?"

"A game like you've never played before. But you've got to make it worth my while. You let Giles go."

"Not a chance, girl."

She looked up at the woman. Determination set in her features. "He gets the antidote, you tend his wounds and then we play. When I win, we both go free." She paused. "It's this way or not at all. If he dies, I don't play -- and then you die!"

Again, Ranier's brittle, mirthless laugh. "You really are such an entertaining pair. I should like to keep you around forever. Yes, I agree."

"Get him help now!" She spat out the last word.

The rope tightened, raising Giles, then it dropped him once more.

"Let him go!" Buffy demanded.

"When I'm good and ready!" Ranier sneered. "I give the orders here!" To emphasize her point, she signaled her henchman and the pulley yanked and dropped Giles one more time.

"Giles!" Buffy tried to grab him around the waist to steady him but a rain of metal shafts flew around them, distracting her. Missing some, several sliced her arms and a few others hit Giles.

Fed up with the one-sided battle, Buffy backed to the far side of the room, flipped and jumped, hitting the inner wall with her feet. The maneuver propelled her up, high enough to grab the ledge with one hand and the rope with the other. She yanked it free, bringing a guard out the window and onto the dungeon floor. With a cry of pain, Giles collapsed to the ground.

Buffy released the rope and grabbed the ledge with both hands. As she swung her leg up, a rifle butt slammed into her head and she fell.

Buffy woke slowly. Unsure of where she was, her head ached unmercifully and was not helped at all by the sound of water dripping somewhere near her. Her mouth felt dry, like she hadn't had any water in a long time and that sound wasn't helping -- and her head continued to throb painfully. As she opened her eyes, the last day's events came rushing back. The last thing she remembered was... Giles!

Buffy opened her eyes fully and tried to move. She found herself manacled to a dungeon wall. Looking up, she could see Giles hanging again from the pulley. Realization dawned slowly that the dripping was not water, but blood. She spied the arrow from Giles' shoulder lying near his feet. Buffy wondered sickeningly, how long the torture had gone on after she'd been knocked out.

"Giles... Giles?" Buffy called frantically, forgetting her own pain. She concentrated on breaking the manacles that held her to the wall, continuing to call out as she used all her Slayer strength to break free. Finally succeeding, she quickly covered the short distance to Giles.

Buffy untied the rope from the hook that Giles had been hoisted on and very carefully pulled his manacled hands off, gently laying him on the floor. She checked for a pulse and, finding one, sighed in relief.

"Thank God, you're still alive," she whispered.

His pulse was very weak and thready and his breathing seemed shallow. The arrow wound now bled freely and, to a lesser degree, his other injuries. The rips in his skin were small, patched with dried blood, but didn't seem puffy or discolored anymore. Ranier had lied about the poison -- big surprise. Buffy's own dart injuries had begun to heal as well.

Giles' wrists were a mess, too but the shoulder wound was paramount. Using his jacket, Buffy tried to apply pressure to slow the blood loss.

Buffy felt tears well up in her eyes. "Giles, why did she keep hurting you? I agreed to what she wanted." Holding him close, she let the tears fall. After a moment, he shifted, turning to face her with bleary eyes.

"Giles! I didn't mean to wake you," she apologized.

"S'okay," he whispered hoarsely, he tried to move, wincing with the effort. "It..." He stopped to catch his breath. "It's part... game... more entertaining than... the... the hunt..." He closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

Buffy sat back on her heels. "'Cause we protect each other?"

"Loyalty and..." he coughed, then continued, "and concern... she doesn't understand."

"Can I do anything for you?"

"Thirsty," he managed.

Buffy scanned the dungeon, spying a bucket in the corner. She carefully left Giles' side to retrieve it. "They don't want you or me dead -- yet." She helped him as he slowly sipped the welcoming liquid.

"Leverage..." he agreed weakly.

"She won't get what she wants if anything happens to you," Buffy stated, taking a swig of the water after Giles had his fill.

Giles closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and reached for Buffy's hand. "Ignore what I told you before." He squeezed her hand for emphasis. "When Ranier orders you to join the hunt, you go. I have... I have complete faith in your abilities. You can find your way clear of the traps and escape."

"I'm not leaving you, Giles," she cried.

"You must... get out of here." Giles tried to sit up, but needed Buffy's help.

"Not without you. We go together," she insisted stubbornly.

"I can't get far." He breathed heavily. "This is our only chance. You get out... go for help."

"No, we're a team -- partners -- and I'm not leaving you behind!"

Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "Buffy, you must. I insist." He offered her his most intense Watcher-glare. "Remember... your first duty as a Slayer..."

"I don't care, I'm not going. I'll play her little game, take out her creeps, and get us both out of here!"

Giles smiled at the bravado. "You just might be able to do it," he said a bit sadly. "But your first duty is to survive. Even if that means leaving me..."

"No! I won't --"

"Buffy," he pleaded, sitting up to better confront her. The movement sent waves of agony through his injured body and he grimaced in pain, folding over into her arms.

"Giles, don't do that anymore... please," she begged, holding him as tightly as she dared. "I need you in one piece."

"Then you must, it's... the only chance. You... know that."

Buffy hung her head in acquiescence "You could be dead before I get back," she whispered brokenly.

"I... I promise to hold on until your return."

Tears slowly coursed down her cheeks. Already she'd lost the battle of wills and it hurt more than any fight she could ever remember.

Giles reached a hand up and brushed her face dry with shaky fingers. "Mustn't worry, now. Chin up... you'll get through this, whatever happens."

She shook her head, refuting the faith. He held her chin in a weak grip. "You are going.... to be the first Slayer to die of old age, Buffy."

Despite the dire circumstances and bad joke, she laughed.

"You will," he assured seriously. More water helped his strength to return a little. "I have a theory 'bout how we were brought together." Giles' eyes looked off into the distance, slowly returning to his charge. "The Watchers Council was surprised when Merrick found you. A California cheerleader as a Slayer!" He laughed, cringing at the agony knifing from his wounds. Settling down against Buffy's arm, he caught his breath. She stroked his hair and face with the cool water.

"They didn't think you'd last a month without a Watcher. Merrick sought you out on his own. He was never assigned as your Watcher."

"I didn't know," she admitted, shaking her head. "Were you supposed to be my Watcher?"

"I don't believe so. The rebel Watcher and the Valley-Girl Slayer. They probably expected both of us to be killed before Christmas that first year. They never liked me much, but my grandmother was a President of the Council. By birthright, any progeny become a Watcher."

"Lucky you," Buffy remarked sarcastically. "Destiny sucks sometimes."

He patted her face with a gentle touch. "Not always. It brought me here."

"To die."

"To you." Sincerity rang in his voice, affection brimming from his eyes. "I -- uh -- never understood duty or destiny, or courage until I met you, Buffy," he confessed." I never had any meaning until now. If I die today, knowing you, helping you in some small way, that will have given me all the purpose I needed in life."

Shaking her head, she hugged him close. "I won't let you die. I promise. Now you have to promise to stay alive until I come back for you." On his silence, she urged, "Promise, Giles, or I won't go anywhere without you."

Voice muffled in her shoulder, he replied, "I promise, Buffy."

The metal door opened. Ranier and her armed thugs entered, rifles pointed at them.

Buffy reluctantly got up from the dungeon floor. The guard she had silently named "Poker Face" gestured for her to move away from Giles, as the leader of this insane asylum walked in with a number of her other men.

"Time to play," Ranier announced.

Buffy defiantly glared into Ranier's eyes, walking silently out to the game.

After being escorted out of the castle, Buffy was given a five minute head start. She spied the gate that led out to the main road and looked longingly in that direction for a second. She knew that she would condemn Giles to a quick death if she disobeyed the "rules of this game." Not that she trusted Ranier, but she still couldn't take the chance. No, she needed to work her way through the jungle.

With a burst of speed, she took off at a run across the lawn and quickly entered the edge of the jungle. Moving more cautiously, she reached out experimentally with her Slayer senses, as Giles had taught her and tried to envision in her mind where the first traps might be. She knew she needed to move fast and get beyond Ranier's reach. Giles didn't have much time. She planned to make quick work of the hunter and her men and niceties wasn't an option, there was too much at stake for her to worry about hurting humans now.

The first trap she hit was another pit and she easily avoided it, then continued deeper into the jungle. She slowed a bit. Something had begun to niggle at her instincts. She ducked as the arrow trap sprung, hurtling it's deadly shaft in her direction.

It had taken almost three hours but Buffy finally made it to the outside wall. Jumping easily to the top, she peered down, wondering which area of the estate she had ended up in. Her best chance to get back to the house and Giles would be to stay on the wall and follow the perimeter until she'd worked herself to the castle area. She would just have to be careful and on the look-out for whoever might still be left of Ranier's men. She knew she would have to work fast or it would be too late.

Using the map, and Angel's vague directions, the foursome found themselves, near the road Angel had marked. It was now late evening. Without any warning, they suddenly saw Buffy emerge from a thicket of trees.

"Buffy!" Xander cried, pulling her into an enthusiastic hug.

"Are we glad to see you!" Willow took her turn.

"What happened to you?" Cordelia stated. "You're a mess."

"Thanks, Cordy," Buffy replied. "I had no idea."

Jenny put a friendly hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Giles?"

"He's in trouble," she began, bringing them up to speed. "Cordy, Will, we need the police and paramedics. I've gotta get back to him." She turned to go, knowing Ms. Calendar and Xander would join her without question.

Maneuvering his way underground through the sewers, Angel found his way to the castle. It had taken him much longer than he'd anticipated. Finding himself in front of a door he tried to open it. Ignoring the fact it was locked, he used his vampire strength and cracked it open. Ripping it off it's hinges, he found himself in an area he recognized as dungeons.

Whoever had constructed this thing had certainly replicated this feeling perfectly, even the redolent odor he associated with castles he'd been in many centuries before. Stopping momentarily, he listened carefully, discerning the sound of two heartbeats somewhere in the near vicinity. One was quite strong, while the other seemed very weak. Hurrying, he followed the rhythms, hoping he might be lucky enough to find Buffy and Giles.

Passing a number of the doors, he heard the beating sound grow stronger. As he drew nearer he also smelled blood. For a moment it was so strong it awakened in the vampire a hunger that was nearly overpowering. He had to stop for a moment to get his demon once more under control.

Hearing a voice, he quickly peered around the open door. He only saw two figures. Angel quickly recognized Giles and realized the Watcher's condition was serious. The other man stood over Giles and held a weapon.

Angel quietly worked his way around the edge of the room until he could jump the man holding the weapon. A bullet wouldn't kill the vampire, but it could incapacitate him long enough for Giles to be killed. The librarian's voice was very weak, but what he said allowed Angel to indulge in a brief second of thanks.

"Buffy... got away..." Giles sighed with relief. "Good."

"Good for her --bad for you," the henchman threatened.

Giles actually smiled. "She's safe -- nothing else matters."

The gunman seemed really perplexed by this comment "Don't you get it? You're gonna die."

"No, that would be you," Angel interrupted.

The guard never saw his attacker. The vampire snapped his neck before he'd turned and he was dead before his body hit the floor.

"Here, let me help you," Angel began, kneeling by the Watcher.

"Buffy...?" Giles asked feebly.

"I haven't found her yet."

"It's a hunt. Save Buffy," he whispered as Angel carefully inspected his shoulder wound.

"Let me take care of you first," Angel began. "Willow and Xander are --"

"Must find Buffy." Giles tried to stand but collapsed immediately.

Feeling Giles' forehead, Angel knew the man was delirious with pain and fever. While he couldn't argue with the Watcher's single-minded purpose -- helping Buffy -- being this close to the blood-drenched man, Angel nearly choked on the instinctive urge to drink what was left of the human's blood. Clamping down on his vampiric urges, Angel held onto Giles, helping him walk as they left the dungeon.

Buffy dashed ahead of the others and worked her way to the dungeon. She found the entrance, kicked in the door and raced into the lower levels. She reached the bottom of the steps, moving faster as she found herself in the area where she and Giles had been held. Running into the open doorway she called his name anxiously, then stopped in fear.

Giles was no longer here. The only evidence of his presence was the blood-soaked jacket on the ground. Coming closer, she found a dead guard crumpled in the corner. This only added to her confusion. Without letting the others catch up, she continued her search of the house. Ranier had to still be here and Buffy would make her tell where Giles was.

After the fourth room, Buffy came upon a set of locked doors and instinctively knew she had tracked down her quarry. Not bothering to wait, she kicked the door open and found herself in what looked to be Ranier's spacious study.

Buffy immediately found her prey at the other end of the room. The huntress raised her crossbow and let loose an arrow. It flew rapidly toward Buffy, who promptly caught it in her left hand. Twirling it in her hand menacingly, she slowly advanced on the woman. Ranier tried another arrow and Buffy easily caught that one too. Coming directly up to Ranier, Buffy yanked the crossbow from the huntress and broke it apart. Throwing the remnants down, Buffy grabbed Ranier around the neck and started to choke her. "Where is he?" she demanded.

Jenny and Xander rushed in to find Buffy throttling the life out of Ranier. Hurriedly crossing the room, they tried to pull the enraged Slayer away, but Buffy's strength was too much and they were hard pressed to even budge the furious girl.

"Buffy! Let her go!" Xander cried.

"You're killing her!" Jenny tried to loosen Buffy's fingers.

"Buffy," the whispered plea caught her attention over the shouts of her friends.

Dropping Ranier, Buffy spun toward the door, overjoyed to see Angel supporting Giles. Her delight was short-lived as she rushed to his side. His weakness and pallor frightening her more than facing any demon.

Angel gently shook his head. Buffy refused to believe his dire prediction. Instead, she focused on her Watcher, taking his weight from Angel.

"Help is coming," she promised. "Giles, hold on!"

His eyes could barely focused on her, and his voice was rasping. "Kept my promise. Now you must promise... take care..." With a final gasp, he collapsed, a dead weight in her arms.

"Giles!" Laying him on the floor, she already knew his heart was no longer beating.

"He's dead," Angel pronounced, also attuned to the still heart.

Ignoring the gasps and cries from the others, Buffy immediately started CPR. Breathing into Giles' mouth, she gestured for Xander to administer the compressions to the chest. Forcing her strength and will into every living breath of air, Buffy silently pleaded for her Watcher to come back to her.

Finally, with a shudder and cough, Giles breathed. Buffy could hear Jenny's cry of hope behind her and then someone pushed Buffy aside. About to fight back, she realized it was a medical technician. Cordy and Willow had arrived with the police and paramedics. With quick efficiency, the medics had Giles on a stretcher and out of the room, leaving Buffy to answer the questions for the inquisitive officers.

Buffy sat quietly and contentedly at Giles' bedside, just watching him sleep. She had been there since school ended a few hours before. The others had peaked into the ICU to check in on their friend, but knowing the rules about only one visitor, left Buffy at his side, promising to be just outside should either need them.

Stirring, Giles opened his eyes, slowly focusing on Buffy. A gentle smile twitched at his mouth. "'The first sunrise in the morning and the last sunset at night,'" he quoted.

"Poetry, Giles?" She smiled. "How're you feeling?"

"Alive, thanks to you." He reached out his hand and she grasped it gently, afraid to hurt him.

"Sorry I couldn't be here earlier. I'm trying to reform and not cut so much." She sat up straighter to emphasize her commitment to the new Buffy.

"I expect your mother would have grounded you," he replied.

"Ooohh, very much the truth." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh?" Giles looked at her questioningly.

The Slayer smiled sweetly. "Mom knows what happened -- sort of. She knows I wasn't where I was supposed to be, she knows there was a fight -- with humans, not demons," the young girl listed. "But most of all, she knows you saved me from nasty people. I couldn't not visit you," she concluded.

He grinned. "I believe she has the events slightly confused. If you hadn't gotten out and brought help when you did..."

"But the arrow wouldn't have been in you if you hadn't heroically pushed me out of the way," Buffy reminded.

"But I wouldn't even be here if you hadn't gotten out and come back when you did," he countered.

At the absurdity of their conversation, both broke into huge grins, stopped only by Giles' moaning.

Buffy winced at his pain, then frowned. "What do you think caused Ranier to creep out like that?"

"I've wondered myself," he admitted, shaking his head. "But not very hard."

"Think it has anything to do with locale -- Hellmouth and all?"

"Possibly it influenced her more than if she'd not been in it's proximity. But I don't believe you can blame just the Hellmouth." Giles stopped to think about the situation for a moment. "Evil comes in all forms, not just demon, but human as well."

"Just like good," she added.

"Like Slayers." He smiled warmly at his charge.

"And Watchers," she finished with a wink.

Dinner was finished by the time Buffy and Giles concluded their story. They all sat for a moment, digesting the horrifying tale.

Jack broke the tension as he excused himself to check the computer.

"That was a close one, Ru." Ian shook his head in amazement.

"Too close," Buffy agreed wholeheartedly.

"This woman does not sound like anyone we want roaming the streets," Ta'ra commented.

"That's for sure," Jack agreed, returning to the table.

"Any luck?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Nothing on Ranier." Jack reread his printout. "The other names you gave me are still in San Quentin."

"But Ranier?" Ian prompted.

Jack handed the paper to Ian. "It's as if she disappeared off the face of the Earth."

"In Sunnyhell, that's not as hard as you think." Buffy sighed heavily.

"There's no trail?" Randi inquired, unhappy at the idea of this creep loose and hunting werewolves.

"We need to put out an all points bulletin," Ta'ra declared.

"I'll take care of that." Jack pulled out his phone.

While Jack talked to the station, Giles turned to his cousin. "We need to figure out how Ranier is able to distinguish the werewolves while they're in human form."

"The APB is out," Jack interrupted. "Ta'ra and I'll head out. Hopefully we'll have some encouraging news for you by tomorrow."

After the Breslins left, Buffy and Randi joined in research for awhile but nodded off before midnight, leaving the cousins alone to continue the search.

When Randi and Buffy woke the next morning, they found Ian and Giles where they'd left them -- still pouring through the books strewn about.

Buffy yawned and stretched. "Sorry, Giles." She nodded at him sheepishly. "I know how important this is."

He smiled warmly. "Research is my department," he began, starting to take a sip of his coffee. He stopped, wrinkling his face in disgust at the bitter, ice-cold concoction. "You need your rest for what's ahead," he continued after pushing the cup away.

She brightened. "Well, at least I can help with that." She grabbed his mug and headed for the kitchen. "I am so Coffee-Girl."

Randi carefully lifted her head from the book it had fallen into. "How can she be so -- chipper?" She moaned, breathing deeply to wake up. She brushed the mass of wild hair from her face. "Guess that makes me Breakfast-Queen," she declared sleepily.

"Hey," Buffy popped her head out the kitchen door, startling Randi. She held up the jar of instant coffee she'd found. "Giles, with this stuff, you're a shoe-in for the pretty divorced lady next door." She disappeared again, singing something off-key about good-to-the-last-drop.

Randi steadied herself on the door frame. "Not sure I can handle that much sunshine in my kitchen this early," she complained.

Ian just shrugged at the amused grin from Giles.

The fresh coffee was followed shortly after by the not-too-burnt bacon and almost toasted bread Randi had slaved over.

"You're lucky, Rupert," Ian whispered as Randi ran back into the kitchen for the jam she'd forgotten. "She's improved over the years -- we rarely have the Fire Department knocking down our door anymore."

Buffy sipped her juice and poked at the runny eggs on her plate. "You found something important last night?" she asked.

Before either man could answer a knock sounded at the front door.

"It's probably Jack and Ta'ra," Randi called as she ran to get it. The Breslins followed her back into the room.

"Breakfast?" Ian asked cheerily.

"Don't mind if I do," Jack answered, undaunted by Randi's cooking.

"You just ate an hour ago," Ta'ra exclaimed.

Jack merely grinned at her, sitting down and helping himself to some eggs.

"Just coffee for me." Ta'ra watched her husband in amazement. "Oh, Ian, decaf, please. Inebriation at this early hour is unbecoming," Ta'ra stated.

Giles frowned. "It makes you drunk?"

"Quite," Ta'ra acknowledged.

Buffy shot Giles a "why not" look and continued with her own beverage.

Ta'ra pulled a stack of papers from her briefcase. "We finally found traces of Ranier."

"Great. Will it help?" Randi asked eagerly.

"We were having trouble tracking her, but then Jack checked the arrest records from Denton." Ta'ra continued the explanation. "Her flunkies were prosecuted there."

"The arresting officers were deputies from there," Jack pointed out.

"I'd just assumed the Sunnydale police had arrested them," Giles commented.

Buffy nodded. "I was so worried about you, I didn't really pay much attention."

"So if the town of Denton didn't get Ranier, who did?"

Ta'ra checked her report. "Someone named Alan Finch arranged her release.

"The Mayor's assistant," Buffy supplied.

"And we can hardly question him as he's dead," Giles stated almost violently, stopping before he had to explain further. He had no desire to bring up those bad memories for Buffy.

Jack watched Giles for a moment, knowing there was more behind that statement, but choosing not to press him on the matter. Ian's cousin appeared very mild mannered on the surface, but every instinct Jack had said there was much more to the librarian than that. Jack suspected he'd be wise to stay on the man's good side. He would have to check with Ta'ra later to see what impressions she got.

"After that, Ranier disappears," Ta'ra finished.

Buffy stood up and paced. "The Mayor!' she declared miserably. "Gotta love His Awfulness and his flunkies," Buffy groused.

"Exactly." Giles agreed, nodding absently as Buffy voiced his own thoughts.

"Why would the Mayor of Sunnydale want Ranier.?" Ian asked.

"He's a bit of a demon," Giles elaborated. He cocked his head to one side thoughtfully. "Though we're not quite sure what kind... yet."

"And Ranier's the kind of employee who he loves best." Buffy sunk back in her chair in frustration.

"A frightening thought, that," Giles gazed off into nothing, horror written on his face.

"The Mayor's a demon?" Ta'ra repeated still trying to grasp the concept.

"The perfect assassin, for our demon Mayor." Giles pulled his glasses off and rubbed them clean. "Ranier reveled in hunting the extraordinary -- and Sunnydale certainly fit her well."

"Not liking that thought Giles, not liking it at all." Buffy fidgeted nervously with her fork.

"But what does this have to do with the werewolf killings?" Randi inquired.

"The medallion is the key," Ian answered.

"One of it's attributes allows the wearer to detect an unchanged shape-shifter." Giles replaced his glasses.

"So this Ranier person's got the medallion," Randi interrupted excitedly.

"Possibly," Giles said cautiously.

"It has to be." Randi's enthusiasm grew.

Ian put a calming hand on Randi's arm. "How'd she get it?" he questioned.

"Maybe your Mayor gave it to her," Jack suggested.

"Probably," Giles concurred with the detective's assessment. "Though how he got it in the first place..." He paused. "With the Ascension coming, he certainly can't leave Sunnydale himself so..."

"He sent someone else to find the missing piece," Ta'ra finished Giles' thought.

"The chain." Randi suddenly understood. She placed her hand protectively over the links surrounding her neck.

"And Ranier isn't very picky in the way she goes about looking for it," Jack commented distastefully.

"We have the advantage," Giles stated. "He obviously doesn't know exactly where it is."

"Lucky for me," Randi said morosely. "But not too lucky for the others Ranier's killed."

Ian pulled Randi into his arms comfortingly "You'll be fine."

"To stop the killings," Ta'ra declared. "we have to find and stop Ranier."

No one said anything for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Giles," Ian finally spoke. "You said something about an 'Ascension'?"

"Bad thing -- long explanation," Buffy answered before Giles could, clenched her fists at the thought of what she would have to face. "Possibly the end of civilization as we know it."

Ian's eyes went wide with realization. "So you need to get back?"

She shrugged. "It's scheduled for Graduation Day. We have some time."

"Nonetheless," Ian stated. "You should probably be home preparing. And maybe you can find out how your demon got his hands on the medallion and why," he added before Buffy or Giles could protest.

Giles finally nodded. "We'll leave after rush hour," he agreed. "But you'll let us know if we can do anything."

"Promise, Ru." Ian placed a companionable hand on Giles' shoulder, aware of just how much weight his cousin bore.

Ta'ra and Randi joined Buffy for one more walk on the beautiful Malibu beach. The time passed quickly. As they returned, they could see Ian and Randi's house in the distance.

"Think you can win a race?" Buffy asked her friend

"Good question." Ta'ra sized up the competition. "And would it be fair with Buffy's faster reflexes and my being from a lower gravity?" She looked to Randi.

"Got an idea," Randi explained. "You guys give me a head start." Randi said the last words so fast they almost got lost in the wind as she took off, leaving the other two in a cloud of sand.

Slayer and alien took one look at each other and then immediately took off after their errant friend at top speed.

They had almost caught up with Randi when Buffy saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. "Randi, watch out," she shouted. Buffy increased her speed, pushing Randi down and catching something in her out stretched hand.

Ta'ra stopped by Randi's side, shielding the woman from the direction the dart had come from. She scanned the surrounding area, but there was nothing moving. "You two all right?"

"Think so," Randi panted, still trying to figure out what was going on.

"It is one of Ranier's darts, isn't it?" Ta'ra asked.

"'Fraid so," Buffy said, opening her hand to display the dart "Looks like Ranier's found you, Randi."

"Lucky for me Buffy was there," Randi acknowledged, still shaken by the close call.

Ta'ra took one last look at the dart before sealing it in an evidence bag for later study. "She's quite amazing, Jack," Ta'ra declared. "She had the dexterity and speed to pluck the dart right out of the air."

"Wished I'd seen it, Ta'ra," Jack told his wife, then he shook his head. "But why'd she go after Randi right then? All the other victims have been alone."

"We were racing and Randi was ahead," Buffy noted. "Maybe she thought Randi was alone.

"Thank goodness you weren't." Ian drew Randi closer.

"Randi, you should get out of here for a few days," Jack suggested. "Until we catch Ranier."

"Come to Sunnydale," Buffy urged, wanting Randi close so she could keep her safe.

"Out-of-town sounds nice," Randi agreed wholeheartedly.

"What about the werewolf killings," Ian asked, concern for Randi warred with his need to do something.

"Ta'ra and I can work on that," Jack informed them. "First thing is to check for poison."

"And if there is, come up with an antidote," Ta'ra added thoughtfully.

The Slayerettes greeted Ian and Randi as they walked into the library the next morning with Buffy and Giles. Giles introduced his cousin and Randi to Wesley, who glared suspiciously.

Ian sized up the new Watcher. "I thought you were top dog here, Ru."

"Long story. Later." Giles would have preferred to skirt the whole issue, but knew it would eventually come up.

"Is there anyone who doesn't know?" Wesley spluttered indignantly.

Everyone ignored him.

"So, Will, how'd things go while we were gone?" Buffy smiled warmly at her friends.

"Wesley had it all under control," Cordelia interrupted proudly

"Wes is great at controlling controlled situations," Xander declared sarcastically.

Giles filled the others in on the murders and their quest for the Medallion.

"We think the Mayor has the medallion," Randi told them.

"He's looking for the chain and he's hired someone to retrieve it," Ian explained. "And they're killing werewolves to find it."

"We've got to stop them," Will cried, moving protectively closer to Oz. "Could it be Caine? Is Caine back? Maybe a protective spell..."

"It much worse than Caine." Buffy replied. "Augusta Ranier!"

The room was quiet as everyone silently remembered the madwoman -- except for Wesley who had no idea what was going on.

"She's in jail." Cordelia declared forcefully.

Giles stood quietly, arms crossed. "She was waylaid by the Mayor."

"Oh, not good," Xander shook his head, visibly upset.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" Wesley inquired, aware that whatever he was missing was important.

"Evil incarnate," Buffy stated passionately. She grabbed Wesley's arm and pulled him away from the group with Cordelia following. "Wesley, this concerns only Giles and me."

"I'm now your Watcher," he hissed under his breath.

"Not Slayer business, in the strictest sense. You stay out of it," Buffy emphasized.

"This is personal and dangerous, let Buffy and Giles handle it," Cordelia pleaded.

About to reply, the library phone interrupted Wesley.

"Library," Willow answered. "Yes," she continued, placing her hand over the receiver. "Giles, Lt. Breslin?"

"Maybe Jack has some information for us," Ian commented.

Giles took the phone from Willow. "Uh huh, not a good thing." He paused. "Maybe you could see the Mayor in an official capacity, see what he has to say." Giles nodded. "Meet us in the school library," he concluded.

Giles hung up the phone. "Ranier's on her way," he explained. "But so are Jack and Ta'ra."

"When will Jack and Ta'ra get here?" Randi questioned apprehensively.

"They weren't sure. They needed to make a stop," Giles explained. "We don't know how long this'll take," Giles continued. "Maybe you should all go home and get some rest. Oh,and Oz," he added. "We need you to stay hidden until we stop this woman."

"I'm with Oz," Willow announced.

Xander grabbed a mace from Giles' collection. "I'll keep you guys company," he announced, determined.

"Come on, Wesley." Cordelia grabbed the man's sleeve. "I can take you home."

By late afternoon, with no word from Jack and Ta'ra, the waiting was getting to everyone.

Remembering Giles non-explanation regarding the new Watcher, Ian broached the subject again. "What's with this Wesley fellow," Ian asked curiously.

"He's a Watcher," Giles remarked succinctly.

"Yes, I got that." Ian raised a questioning eyebrow to the evasive tactics. "But why is he here?"

"To watch," Giles replied ambiguously.

"Ru!"

"He reminds me a little of you," Giles commented, hoping to distract the conversation.

"I've never been that stuffy in my life," Ian defended, offended at the thought.

"I seem to remember you at University. Stuffy would have been the term I would have used," Randi agreed.

"A relation of Giles -- stuffy?" Buffy pondered, winking at Randi.

At Giles glare, Buffy and Randi started giggling.

Jack and Ta'ra walked in, catching the sound of the laughter.

"What's so funny?" Jack inquired.

Buffy jumped at the realization she'd been caught off guard -- luckily by allies.

"Nice little town, Sunnydale," Jack declared sarcastically. "We ran into some little Troll who said he was the school principal. He demanded to know what we were doing on school grounds."

"That would be Snyder. Troll is an apt description." Giles smiled. "What did you tell him?"

"I showed him my badge and said I was here to interview you and Buffy in a murder investigation," Jack told them. "He seemed awfully pleased."

"I'll bet." Buffy said.

"Did you see the Mayor?" Giles asked.

"I was hoping to get his thoughts to turn to our fugitive so Ta'ra could do her thing, so I explained Ranier might be headin' this way," Jack explained. "He seemed like an okay guy, but he gave Ta'ra the willies."

"Define, willies?" Ta'ra asked

"The heebie-jeebies." Randi supplied

Ta'ra still looked confused.

"The wiggins." Buffy defined

"He alarmed you," Giles clarified.

"Ah, thank you, Rupert." Ta'ra accepted the translation gratefully.

"Get anything helpful?" Buffy asked eagerly.

Ta'ra took a deep breath to collect herself. "It was hard to read him at first, but eventually what I saw would frighten a Xenomorph."

Jack nudged her encouragingly.

"I think I know what hell looks like." She shuddered.

"What about Ranier?' Randi quizzed eagerly.

"He's quite put out about her," Ta'ra confirmed. "He kept her free and she stole the medallion and disappeared."

"If I had the Mayor mad at me, and I was a mere mortal, I'd go into hiding too." Buffy commented.

"Where would she go?" Jack wondered. "She's now wanted in Los Angeles."

"She would go to ground," Giles explained. "Ranier's a hunter, her instincts would send her home."

"The Mayor would have thought of that," Randi stated puzzled.

"Possibly, but he may not know of the backdoor entrance."

"Angel came in through the sewers," Giles reminded. "Ranier could hide in those dungeons for quite some time and no one would find her."

"So what's the plan?" Ian inquired.

"We go make a social call." Buffy smiled dangerously.

"Buffy, check with Angel to get the exact location of the entrance to the sewers," Giles instructed.

Buffy nodded, immediately retiring to Giles' office to call Angel.

Giles turned to Jack. "Are you armed?"

Jack pulled his gun from it's holster. "I have my Smith and Wesson and there's a shotgun in my car."

"Helpful, let's see what I can add." Giles went to the cage that held his rarer books and opened the locked cabinet that held the weaponry he kept at the school.

Jack and Ta'ra followed, gawking at the assortment of medieval swords, crossbows, wooden stakes and other weapons usually only found in a museum.

"Got the info we need from Angel," Buffy announced, reaching for her favorite crossbow and a handful of arrows.

Giles also grabbed a crossbow, as well as a broadsword.

He handed a handful of stakes to Ta'ra and Jack, who looked at them in confusion.

"The stakes are for the vampires," Ian explained.

"And we will probably be running into some when we get to the sewers," Buffy said. "Angel says it's a popular place for the vamps to move between the two towns."

"A gun will slow the undead, but it won't kill them," Giles instructed. "A stake through the heart or decapitation gets the job done."

Jack stared at the wooden stake in his hand. "I feel like I'm in a Bela Lugosi, movie."

Buffy grinned knowingly.

It took the group about forty-five minutes to reach the spot. Angel had informed Buffy would lead them to the sewers. From there they would have to traverse a half mile to reach the hidden entrance to Ranier's home.

Jack opened the manhole cover Buffy pointed out, setting it out of the way. He peered down into the darkness and, seeing no problems, he motioned to the others.

Buffy dropped down first, catching the lanterns and flashlights tossed to her that would guide their way. Giles came down second, his crossbow cocked and ready. Ian was next, tightly gripping the broadsword, then Randi and Ta'ra, holding the shotgun ready, with Jack, gun drawn, bringing up the rear.

"How many sewers does this make?" Randi laughed.

"Too many," Ian answered sourly, glancing around. "No rats though."

"Vampires," Giles stated conclusively.

"Ick," Randi gagged at the implication.

They had walked along for a few minutes when a sound echoed ahead of them. Buffy stopped and signaled for the others to wait. Gesturing to Giles, the two went ahead down the tunnels, returning a few minutes later.

"It was undead," Buffy said. "Now he's dust, but he probably had friends."

Another quarter mile down the sewers brought a sudden attack by a dozen vampires. Buffy immediately killed one with an arrow as it came forward. As he fired his own crossbow, Giles' dropped his lantern and it fell at an odd angle, casting a surreal aura to the surroundings. He loosed a shaft, striking a second demon solidly in the chest.

Buffy found herself surrounded by four of the creatures, as if they realized who the real threat was. She staked the first as he crowded ahead of the others, then leapt out of the way of the next, slamming his head into the sewer wall, dispatching him from behind.

She immediately turned to the third vampire. A roundhouse kick to his face sent him flying. Then the fourth charged. She used an upper cut and right cross to knock him senseless, then dusted him.

Jack and Ta'ra were confronted by three of the undead. Shots rang out as both Breslins wounded the vampires first, before staking them, finishing off their final adversary together.

Giles attacked one of the monsters with his broadsword. He knocked the vampire to the ground with the hilt of his weapon, neatly taking his head in one quick slice.

Giles paused long enough to check the others battling around him. Buffy and the Breslins had everything under control, but Randi and Ian were in trouble. Randi had kept one of the undead at bay, hitting him with the empty crossbow, until the weapon broke and sent a large splinter of wood into her opponent's heart. But Ian was engaged in a hand-to-hand fight he was sure to lose. Giles raced to his side, pulling the demon off his cousin. He slammed the monster into a wall and Randi dusted him with a well-placed stake.

"Well, that was fun." Buffy surveyed the former battleground.

"You guys do this all the time?" Jack asked incredulously.

"It's my job," Buffy mimicked Jack Webb's deadpan deliverance. "I'm a Vampire Slayer."

"Give me a Xenomorph any day," Jack grumbled.

"You're awful chipper, Buffy," Ian moaned, feeling the effects of the blow to his jaw.

"Morbid jokes and adrenaline," Giles stated absently. "Seem to be Slayer traits -- they all do it."

"And a Watcher's thing is to explain the Slayer," Buffy pouted playfully. "Everyone rested? We should get mobile."

With very little talking, but a lot of groaning, the group picked up their various weaponry and resumed the journey towards their original destination -- Ranier's castle.

Gratefully, they met no more denizens of the sewers. They finally arrived at a door which matched Angel's description. Buffy's Slayer-strength made short work of the lock.

Giles followed Buffy through, carefully checking the entrance. The others followed, with Jack last to cover their backs. They continued until they reached the dimly lit dungeon.

"Looks like someone's home," Buffy observed, shuddering perceptively.

"We were hoping she'd be here," Giles reminded the Slayer in a whisper.

She grimaced. "It's just that deja vu thing," Buffy explained.

He nodded encouragingly, placing a hand on her shoulder to show his support.

"Any suggestions?" Buffy asked.

"If we split up, we can cover more ground," Giles directed.

Jack placed a new clip in his gun. "Ta'ra and I'll go that way." He pointed left. "Ian and Randi, the right?"

"That leaves the center for us," Buffy announced.

"Be careful," Giles cautioned. "She's bound to have set some traps."

Finding nothing in the first two cells, Ta'ra and Jack entered a third room and discovered several dead bodies. Ta'ra reached down to check for pulses, but Jack quickly stopped her. "Booby-traps," he explained, slowly examining the two bodies. Satisfied they were clean, he helped Ta'ra turn them over. All had been shot to death.

"I really don't like this woman," Jack declared, horrified at the senselessness of her actions.

"We will catch her," Ta'ra assured him. "She's very close."

Jack rubbed his palms feverishly against his slacks, trying to get rid of the creepy feeling.

"Come on, we have a few more to check."

Buffy and Giles moved carefully. The place brought back so many memories neither had hoped to ever relive. They found nothing and were on their way back when they heard a scream.

Giles' pleas for caution echoed after Buffy as she ran full speed toward the sound. He raced after. Buffy dashed into a room to find Ian cradled in Randi's arms, bleeding heavily.

"It's a dart," Randi cried, the panic rising in her voice. She moved far enough for Buffy to see the too familiar projectile protruding from Ian's left shoulder.

"Don't touch it," Giles directed.

"Rupert's right, Ian, it might be poisoned," Ta'ra said as she came into the room followed by Jack, his gun drawn. "Let me take care of it."

Ta'ra moved Randi out of the way as she knelt down next to Ian. She reached into a side pocket and pulled out some bandages. "Hold this." Ta'ra placed Randi's hand around the wound to hold the gauze down. She pulled a small bottle and syringe out of her jacket. "I worked on an antidote yesterday -- just in case."

"Will it help?" Ian asked hopefully.

"I haven't lost a patient yet," Ta'ra stated seriously.

"You're a coroner," Jack reminded his wife.

"What? Ta'ra commented absently, filling the syringe. "Oh, yes. This should work. And if the dart isn't poisoned, it won't do any harm." Ta'ra rolled up Ian's sleeve and injected the medicine.

So involved with the emergency, they were all surprised by a voice behind them. "You got past my watchdogs." Ranier frowned.

Buffy and Jack started to move, but Ranier leveled her rifle at them. "I wouldn't, if I were you." she warned "Drop the weapons."

The two complied reluctantly, but Ta'ra ignored the woman and continued her ministrations to Ian.

Ranier surveyed her captives critically. "At least you're not from the Mayor."

"Like if," Buffy muttered.

"But I do see some old friends," Ranier declared, nodding at Giles and Buffy. "Welcome back to my humble abode."

"You won't mind if we don't reciprocate the feeling," Giles responded sarcastically.

Ranier laughed delightedly. "Always so polite, even when I tortured you."

Buffy started forward in anger, but Giles restrained her. "Buffy, no."

"Good idea," Ranier sneered. "You might be a vampire slayer, but you're not impervious to bullets." Buffy and Giles looked surprised. "Nice title," she continued. "Faith really doesn't like you very much." The Huntress smiled wickedly. "Now what should I do with you?" she mused.

"You can't take us all before one of us gets you," Jack observed.

"True. But killing some of you would make me very happy. And I would most certainly start with my two old friends," Ranier carelessly waved her rifle in the direction of the Watcher and Slayer. "But I'm seriously thinking of another hunt."

"You're a little light in the thug department, aren't you?" Jack taunted.

"Ah, but I have plenty of chains and lots of cells to hold those I'm not currently playing with," she crowed maliciously.

"You still have the Mayor to contend with," Giles reminded.

Her face flushed. "I'm not worried about him. He's not man enough to catch me," she blustered, obviously shaken at the thought.

During the conversation, Ta'ra finished bandaging Ian's wound. She caught Randi's attention and slipped the dart she'd removed from Ian's shoulder into Randi's hand, motioning for her to pass it to Buffy.

"You in the back, what're you doing?" Ranier asked suspiciously.

Ta'ra stood, helping an unsteady Ian to his feet. Randi followed suit, carefully placing herself right behind Buffy.

"Just making sure he doesn't bleed to death," Ta'ra challenged. "That would spoil your fun," she added.

"Since you're going to kill us anyway, how 'bout the low-down on the medallion?" Randi inquired, moving closer to Buffy, surreptitiously pushing the dart into Buffy's hand.

Buffy felt the object in her palm, careful not to prick herself with the barbs. She hid a smile and prepared to spring into action.

"That wretched thing got me into to this mess," Ranier complained bitterly. "If not for you, I wouldn't have had to make a deal with that demon Mayor of yours." Enraged, Ranier again swung the gun towards Buffy and Giles. "Maybe I'll just kill you two now."

"No, wait," Jack commanded, trying to divert the madwoman's attention long enough for Buffy to use whatever Randi had passed her. "You know the game'll be much more fun than just shooting them."

Ranier turned to Jack, and Buffy took her chance and hurled the dart, lodging it in the upper part of Ranier's gun arm.

"Down!" Jack commanded, lunging for his gun laying on the ground.

Buffy dove for her crossbow as Ranier cried out in pain, but held firm to her weapon.

Jack had barely reached the rifle when a shot rang out nearby. He rolled away from the report, aimed and shot in one swift movement

Ranier dropped to the ground, a red stain growing on her chest.

Jack got to his feet quickly and strode over to the hunter, kicking the gun away from her. He turned to his companions. "Everyone all right?"

"Yes, I think we'll be okay," Ta'ra assured her husband. She and Randi helped Ian stand.

Buffy and Giles slowly approached the dying Ranier. Ta'ra joined them to examine her wounds, but immediately knew she wouldn't make it, shaking her head to let her husband know her prognosis.

"The medallion," Randi began, knowing she had little time to get the information. "Do you have the medallion?"

"I'll... never tell," Ranier rasped. "You... can all go... to he--.." She raised her hand to Randi, suddenly enraged. "You... had...it..."

Randi looked to where the villainess pointed. The chain she normally wore concealed had fallen out during the excitement.

"You'll never... find it." She coughed up blood with the effort.

"The mayor has it?" Giles bent down to hear her words..

Ranier laughed bitterly. "No... wasn't his." She inhaled sharply with the effort. "Someone -- thing -- even... he wouldn't dare to... cross..." Her eyes went wide as she breathed her last.

"Something scarier than a demon mayor." Buffy rolled her eyes. "How absolutely perfect," she declared sarcastically.

Giles pulled at his glasses. "That certainly narrows it down a bit," he muttered darkly.

Lost in their own thoughts for a moment, nobody said a word. A psychotic killer was dead and nobody would miss her, but death wasn't easy to take no matter what the circumstances.

"Let's get outta here," Jack instructed, leading the way to another room.

Randi slumped against the wall, obviously disappointed. "We were so close, Ian," she complained. "Now we're back to where we started."

"Maybe the Mayor..." Ian suggested hopefully.

"I wouldn't advise it," Giles stated firmly.

"But he knows who has it," Randi argued.

"Giles is right," Buffy affirmed. "He'd never help you, and if he found out what you are... or that you're important to us..." Buffy's voice trailed off at the implications.

Randi finally nodded her agreement, a tear escaping the corner of her eye as she did so.

Jack scanned the dungeon area. "This place is giving me the creeps," he declared. "Let's leave now."

"What about..." Randi gestured vaguely in the direction of Ranier.

"I'll try and get the LAPD to claim jurisdiction," Jack explained. "Then we can get a forensics team out here."

"Will you be able to do that?" Giles inquired, frowning.

"With an officer-involved shooting, there's a chance," Jack replied. "Besides, she was our fugitive."

The group headed out of the dungeon to fresh air.

"Uh, I'm sorry, but," Randi began sheepishly. "Can we get something to eat? I'm famished."

"You're always famished," Ian teased.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind munchies," Buffy added. "Slaying builds an appetite." Buffy looked at her watch. "There's this all-night pizza joint I know."

"Pizza it is," Jack concurred.

The next afternoon, Ian, Randi and the Breslins joined Buffy and Giles in the Sunnydale High School library.

"You're looking none the worse for wear, Ian," Giles remarked.

Ian inhaled deeply, proving he was sound. "Ta'ra worked wonders," he declared.

"Thank you," Ta'ra beamed with pleasure.

"So how'd it go at the castle?" Buffy asked curiously.

"First off, Ranier got the drop on us so easily because that place is honeycombed with secret tunnels."

"It's really a very interesting place," Ta'ra elaborated. "Quite intricate and beautiful -- above ground."

Amused at his wife's enthusiasm, Jack smiled. "Ta'ra's never seen a castle before."

"Shame on you Jack, don't you take your wife anywhere?" Ian laughed.

Jack winked. "Hey." He tapped his chest. "She's got me, what more could any woman want in life?"

Suddenly the library doors flew open and Principal Snyder barged in. "What's all the noise?" he bellowed. "This is supposed to be a library, Mr. Giles." Before Giles could reply, Snyder immediately spied Buffy. "Miss Summers -- aren't you supposed to be in class."

"Parent-teacher conferences..." Buffy reminded. "Duh," she added, rolling her eyes.

"And Principal Snyder," Jack interrupted, standing up to address the troll-like man. "I have a few questions for her and Mr. Giles."

"Oh." he said simply, glancing round the room. He pulled up a chair and waited expectantly.

Jack frowned. "Excuse me, Sir, but this is official police business -- and it's confidential."

"Oh." Snyder repeated himself. He glared one more time at Buffy as scurried out the door.

Buffy sighed, relieved the man was gone. "Thanks, Jack."

"Any time." Jack nodded warmly. "Any time."

"You didn't happen to find the Wolf Claw Medallion at the castle?" Randi asked. "I was kinda hoping..."

"'Fraid not, Randi." Jack shrugged apologetically.

"I just wish we had a clue." Randi took Ian's hand in hers. "We were so close again. Think we'll ever find it?"

"This is the Hellmouth, after all," Giles advised. "It's a good possibility it's still here... and we're sure to run across it."

"Jack, I was thinking this would be a good place for the Xenomorph to disappear into," Ta'ra speculated. "In this place, who'd notice one more monster."

"Xenomorphs don't sound much better than psycho hunters," Buffy stated. "Care to share?"

"I think that's a story for another day," Jack advised. "It's about time Ta'ra and I hit the road."

"Why would we want to strike the road," Ta'ra asked, a twinkle in her eye her husband did not catch.

Jack looked heavenward in exasperation "It's a just an expression, Ta'ra, were not really going to actually..." Jack stopped, finally noticing the smug expression on his wife's face and the hidden smiles from his friends. "Very funny."

Ta'ra shrugged. "He seems to expect that of me," she explained. "I don't like to disappoint."

"We better get going, as well," Ian announced. "We still have a show to do."

"And the Medallion?" Buffy asked.

"We'll just have to keep searching," Ian said.

"It's out there and we will find it," Randi promised.

Buffy waved sadly as their friends walked out the doors. Silence reigned for a moment and then Giles glanced at the wall clock. "Buffy, your mother should be home by now. Maybe..."

"I thought I'd just hang out for awhile before I have to go home and talk to Mom," she pleaded. "This whole Mom-knows-everything is really a drag most of the time."

"Snyder will probably come back, to see if you're still here," Giles half-heartedly argued.

"Oh, Snideman will come back all right, but he'll be hoping to see one or both of us carted off to jail."

"You're probably right about that," Giles conceded. "Buffy...?"

"Right," she complained. "Daughterly duties." Buffy waved without looking back. "Later, Giles."

Giles relished the unusual quiet of his library. He knew that wouldn't last long.