episode four is done! Sorry for the long wait!

not edited

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I see Xander walking ahead in the courtyard. Increasing my pace, I manage to catch up with him. "Hey."

Xander looks at me and smiles. "Hey."

Biting my lip, I grip the sleeves that are too long for my arms—since Angel is a good few inches taller than me—and debate what to say next. "So how'd it go with Miss French after school? She seemed really excited to have you stay after in class," I say, my tone so sweet it's sickening.

His eyebrows furrow, noticing my off behavior, before brushing it off. "Well, it's a little demanding being her absolute favorite guy in the universe, but I'll just have to muddle through."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Getting a little ahead of yourself don't you think?" Before he can respond, I stand in front of him so he stops walking. "Xander, she's not what she seems."

"I know. She's so much more," he says, a smile lighting up his face.

Oh gosh, this is going to be so much harder than I thought. Why did I have to volunteer to tell him this? It would've been more convincing if Buffy, the slayer, did, but since I figured I was his friend I needed to tell him—sometimes I don't make the right decisions which have been pointed out to me multiple times before. Sighing, I look down at the ground, at our shoes, before meeting his gaze once again. "I'm going to tell you something about her okay? And I need you to pay attention." I bite the corner of my bottom lip as my forefinger picks at the skin surrounding my thumb nail. "I don't think she's human. She can do the twisty thing with her head – ever see the Exorcist? It was that kind of head spin. I wasn't expecting it at all which had me almost lose my lunch. Plus Blayne, who was last seen in her class yesterday afternoon, is now missing. Willow got the notification just a little while ago."

Xander seems confused at first, looking at me like my head just spun around. "I see. So she's not human she's—"

"She's a huge ass bug," I interrupt. "I know this sounds crazy—"

Now it's his turn to interrupt me by laughing. "It's not weird, it's perfectly understandable. I've met someone, you're jealous. I always knew our bickering came off a little weird. And you trying to get with Angel—all dark and mysterious—just to try and get a reaction out me."

My eyes widen. "Wait, what? Xander, I don't like you like that—like at all—and I don't mean to sound rude. You're like my annoying little brother. I'm just looking out for you because she really is an insect!"

Xander looks away, irritation coming off of him in waves. He shrugs nonchalantly, "Nothing I could do about it. There's just a certain chemical thing between Miss French and me."

"So you don't care she's a freaking bug?" I deadpan, shaking my head.

"She's not an insect!" he yells, finally losing his cool. "She's a woman. Hard as it may be for you to conceive, a human woman finds me attractive. I realize she's no mystery guy handing out leather jackets," he says with a little annoyance, but before I can say anything he continues, "And while we're on the subject, what kinda girly name is Angel anyway?"

I glare at him. "Angel has nothing to do with this. All I'm trying to do it warn you about how your messed up crush is an—"

"I really gotta—" he interrupts me, walking off.

My hands ball into fist. "Men!"

                                                                                            *****

I needed a break from school, so while Buffy, Willow, and Giles are still researching and coming up with ideas to get her, I head home. Mom isn't there when I arrive, but she did leave a note on the counter saying not to wait up for her—great. Crumbling the paper in my fist, I throw it in the garbage before getting a pop can from the refrigerator. My legs carry me to the couch, my body plopping onto it with a sigh. Placing the can on a coaster, I rest my head against a pillow and shut my eyes.

Dreaming not so innocently about Angel, I'm taken away from a shirtless Angel when the doorbell rings. Rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands, I walk over to the door and pull it open. My mouth falls open when I'm met with Angel—am I still dreaming? Because I don't want to make a fool out of myself.

"How long have you been gone from Buffy and the others?" he asks, his eyes casually trailing down my body.

My eyes narrow at his not so subtle glance over. Getting my house keys from the stand by the door and slipping on flip flops, I step outside and lock the door behind me. "I've been gone maybe an hour and a half? I mean, it's dark now so it must've been a while. Why? And how do you know where I live?"

The corners of his mouth turn up a tad at my zealous behavior. "I followed you back last time to make sure you came back alright."

My stomach flutters in a cliché way as I match his smile. "How...sweet of you. Never knew I would ever say those words."

Angel took a step forward so there is no space between us. "You did leave me hanging," he says, one of his hands comes up to play with an end of a loose curl. "Even though I'd love to continue where we left off, you need to go back to the school. They're getting close to figuring out what to do."

I purse my lips; not liking this is yet another quick visit from Angel, but smile nonetheless. "Okay, I'm going." I walk around Angel and hop down the front step to start walking to the school.

"I like the jacket," I hear Angel shout out to me as I'm walking down the sidewalk. Turning my head, I see him smiling as he watches me go. At least he's the one to watch this time.

                                                                                 *****

Giles was just getting off the phone to his friend overseas when I arrive. He hangs up the phone and comes over to where us girls are gathered around the computer Willow is working at. "Dr. Carlyle Ferris spent years transcribing a lost, pre-Germanic language. What he discovered he kept to himself, until several teenage boys were murdered in the Cotswalds. Then he went hunting for it."

"It being?" I ask, letting my question hang in the air.

"He calls her a She-Mantis. This type of creature, the Kleptes, Virgo or virgin, thief appears in many cultures—the Greek Sirens, the Celtic Sea—maidens who tore the living flesh from the bones of—"

"Giles, while we're young," Buffy interrupts him.

He puts back on his glasses he was holing and continues, "The She-Mantis assumes the form of a beautiful woman and lures innocent virgins back to her nest."

"Virgins?" I repeat, making sure I heard him correctly.

Buffy looks me then to Willow. "Well, Xander's not—I mean he's probably—"

"Going to die," Willow cuts in, getting up from her seat at the computer to go to the phone to call someone.

As Willow is on the phone, Buffy turns to Giles and me. "This thing is breeding. We gotta find it and snuff it. Any tips on the snuffing part?"

Giles nods, "Carlyle recommends cleaving all body parts with a sharp blade."

"Slice and dice," Buffy says more to herself.

"Whatever you do it's got to be sudden and swift. This beast is dangerous," Giles warns us, especially looking at me.

My eyebrows rise in shock. "I'm sure I'll be fine," I say, trying to sounds confident when really I just want to get up and go into the safety of my house. "Plus, you're friend faced it and he's still alive."

"Yes, in a straitjacket howling his innards out day and night," he says, sarcasm laced in his tone.

"Okay Admiral, way to inspire the troops," Buffy says just as Willow gets off the phone.

I turn to Willow and see a panicked look on her face. "Xander's not home. He told his mom he had to go to his teacher's house and work on a science project. He didn't tell her where."

Running my fingers through my hair, I shake my head. "Just great. Willow, do you think you can get her address off the substitute rolls?"

As Willow is typing away on the computer, I hear Buffy tell Giles, "You gotta record some bat sonar, fast."

"Bat sonar?" I ask, seeing Giles matching my some confused look.

"Bats eat them. A praying mantis hears sonar, its whole nervous system goes kaplooie," Buffy explains. "You can find them in the vid library. I know it's not books but it's still dark and musty, you'll be right at home." Buffy pushes Giles up the steps where she told him where he can record the sounds. The blonde slayer turns to me. "Want to help me handle the armory?"

I smirk. "Sounds like fun."

                                                                                  *****

Buffy and I are carrying weapons we'll need back into the library when I see Willow standing in front of the printer. "Getting the address," Willow says.

"Great, Giles?" Buffy's attention goes to the librarian.

"Recording bat sonar is so soothingly like having one's teeth drilled," he says, handing her the recording.

"Alright, lets go," I announce, turning in time with Buffy as we walk out of the library doors.

Willow follows behind us saying, "According to Miss French's personnel records, she was born in nineteen oh seven. She's like ninety years old."

"She is terribly well-preserved," Giles adds.

                                                                                     *****

Arriving at Miss French's house, I get out of the backseat as everyone else exits the car as well. We all walk swifty to the front door. Giles look at us three. "What now? I mean we can't just kick down the front door."

Buffy nods. "Yeah, that would be wrong." Just as Buffy is about to kick the door down it opens, revealing a woman well into her nineties with white hair and a friendly smile.

"Hello dear, I thought I heard . . .are you selling something? Because I'd love to help out but you know I'm on a fixed income." The elderly woman says, looking at Willow, Buffy, and me.

I smile at the woman. "We're looking for Miss French."

"I'm Miss French."

"Natalie French? The substitute biology teacher," Buffy adds.

The woman nods and says, "Goodness, that's me. I taught for over thirty years, then I retired in nineteen seventy-two."

Buffy turns behind her to where Willow and Giles are standing. "She used Miss French's records to get in the school. Bite me, she could be anywhere."

"No, I'm right here."

Oh gosh, this lady is so adorable. "We're sorry to bother you. Have a nice night," I say before all four of us start walking away from the front door and down the driveway.

"What do we do now?" Willow asks, a frantic look in her eyes.

"Abject prayer and supplication spring to mind," Giles adds.

"Buffy and I saw her with her grocery in this neighborhood," I cut in, running her fingers through my hair. "She has to be around here somewhere."

Willow starts walking down the sidewalk to Miss French's neighbor. "I'm going to start banging on doors."

I reach out and grab Willow's arm. "Willow, we don't have time for that."

"We have to do something!" she exclaims.

My hands come to rest of her shoulder. "We will Willow."

                                                                                ********

Buffy went into the sewers to retrieve the claw guy we ran into before everything went down. With his hands tied behind his back as we all walk pass houses. As he tries to cut the rope with one of his claws, Buffy shoves him with much force that he stumbles a little. "Which house—where is she?" Buffy asks as us three walk a few feet back. "You're not afraid of much, but you're afraid of her—and her cold blood."

Just as we walk pass a house, claw guys starts to get restless in Buffy's hold. I walk close to Buffy, arms folded across my chest. "I think we got the house. Smart thinking Buffy." My eyes scan the house, the only light on is in the cellar—got her.

"Lindsay! Buffy!" Willow screams.

"Run!" Giles snaps.

Buffy and I take off away from claw guy who managed to get free from the ropes. Son of a bitch. We both lose our balance as we step away from claw guy, tripping over the small white fence. I manage to push myself up and watch as claw guy stalks towards Buffy.

"Lindsay," Buffy gaps, grabbing onto a piece of the fence, breaking it almost off before the vampire keeps it away from her grasps.

Finishing Buffy's work, I yank the wood from the fence and without thinking manage to stab the piece into claw guy's heart. His eyes widen in surprise before he comes dust. I help Buffy up as she fixes her top.

Buffy turns to Giles and Willow. "You guys coming?"

Willow stares at me, open agape. "Lindsay you're a badass."

Shaking my head, I follow Buffy to save Xander.

Buffy drops in first, Miss French—or not Miss French—is in bug form extremely close to Xander. "Let him go!"

Buffy throws me one can of bug spray from her bag as she has the other. We spray it at the same time into the bug's eyes. In alarm, it retreats back into the darkened corner of the cellar. Turning, I see Willow and Giles come into the cellar.

"Come on, we have to get them out," I say as I come up to Xander and start working on his binds. "You sure know how to pick them buddy," I murmur.

Xander exhales in relief though. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you Lindsay."

Shaking my head, with the help of Giles and Willow we get Xander free. "It's fine. Just know you'll never live this down."

Buffy grabs the machete and the recorder. As she gets closer to the insect she says, "Remember Dr. Gregory -- you scarfed his head? He taught me if you do your homework you learn stuff. Like what happens to your nervous system when you hear this—," Buffy trails off as she hits the play button—only to play another recording. "Giles!" she yells.

"That's the wrong side!" he says.

Coming fast, the prey mantis knocks the recorder out of Buffy's hand, flying over Giles head. As Giles goes to get the recorder, I run to Buffy's bag to pull out another machete. Just as the insect that used to be a woman swings at Buffy, just barely missing her leg, I bring he machete towards it, piercing the flesh. The prey mantis lets out a screech of pain. The bottle of bug spray that I dropped when getting Xander free is picked up as Xander spraying the insect in the eyes.

Buffy turns to see Xander. "Get out."

Suddenly, Buffy and I go down, the insect taking her advantage when we were distracted. As I try to scoot away, seeing her final attack coming, Giles has the record in his hands. Hitting play, the bat sonar creates a piercing sound that vibrates throughout the cellar. The pray mantis losing its concentration, giving us the advantage again. Buffy kicks it, the insect hitting the ground.

I grab my machete first. Getting up, I walk over to the insect. "Bat sonar makes your whole nervous system go to hell. You can go there with it." Thinking of the teacher that was the one of the only ones to not judge me flashes through my head. He should not have been a causality in all of this. Tightening my hands on the handle of the machete, I bring it down quick. Buffy joins in, and when I know she can take it from here I step away.

"It's okay," Willow says, resting her hand on my shoulder.

I breathe out in a slow breath. The prey mantis is no longer a problem.

Willow turns to Xander. "I'm really glad you're okay. It's so unfair how she only went after virgins."

"What?" Xander asks.

"I mean here you guys are doing the right thing -- the smart thing -- when a lot of other boys your age—," Willow gets interrupted by Blaine.

"Big flag on that play babe, I'm no—"

"Quit the act," I step in, rolling my eyes.

Giles smiles at their discomfort. "Cat's out of the bag, lads. It's part of the She-Mantis M.O."

I walk up to Xander, patting his arm. "It's alright. No need to look sad."

He shakes his head. "Isn't this the perfect ending to a wonderful day," he says, smiling down at me.

                                                                                ********

Pulling my hair to one side, I twirl my straw in my glass of a virgin Pina Colada. No one else came, and that's okay. I don't mind unwinding by myself. My eyes lift and focus on a similar figure walking out of the darkened corner. The corners of my lips turn up as he gets closer.

"Well, look who it is," I say when he sits beside me.

He matches my soft smile. "I heard a rumor there was one less vampire walking around making a nuisance of himself."

I nod, looking back to my drink for a moment before meeting his gaze. "Well, you know," I say, flipping my hair back over my shoulder. Angel's smile brightens. "Thank you for giving us the tip."

Angel reaches his hand out; his fingers skim my cheek as he brushes a few strains of hair behind my ear. "Pleasure's mine."

"I would make it easier if I knew how to get ahold of you," I say, tilting my head a little.

"I'll be around."

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop me from saying anything stupid. Drifting my drink, I take a few sips as I think of something to say. As the coolness chills my mouth, I set the glass back on the bar. "Anyway, you can have your jacket back," I say, not looking at him as I go to slide my arms out of the sleeves.

I feel his touch on my back, stopping my movements. "It looks better on you." I stop trying to take it off and he pulls back up to rest of my shoulders. His fingers trail along the collar before resting underneath my chin. My eyes meet his for a moment. He doesn't do anything, and neither do I. Slowly, Angel leans closer. I close my eyes when his lips brush mine. He's tentative at first, seeming to test my reaction. Angel applies more pressure to the kiss, but before it can go any further he pulls away. "You did good tonight," he says before walking away.

Sighing, I turn to sit straight again. I did not miss the feeling my body gets when he is around. Like my heart is going to leap out of my chest. When feelings are involved things always get more complicated. "This is not good."