Day One

Night - Woods

It was the night before the full moon. The moon rose slowly above the trees. The camera moved along the trees and bushes low to the ground in slow motion.

Bianca: (voice over, reading Call of the Wild) "One night after supper, the lead dog turned up a snowshoe rabbit. The dog lay down low to the race, his body flashing forward, leap by leap."

At the end of the voice over, Bianca's voice was mingled with Zoey's.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Library

Tired, Zoey was sitting at the table in the library, reading the story to Werewolf!Oz because she needed something to keep her awake, and Werewolf!Oz was locked in the library book cage. "'He was sounding the deeps of his nature and the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the wombs of time. The rabbit could not'--" Werewolf!Oz leaped against the cage door, making it rattle. Zoey jumped, a little more awake than before, looking up. "Okay, uh, maybe we should try a less stimulating passage."

Zoey flipped through the pages of the book. Werewolf!Oz growled at Zoey, settling back down in the cage.

Xander walked into the library, carrying a thermos and a couple of magazines, also looking very tired. "Private Harris reporting for Oz watch."

Zoey looked up. "Xander. Oh, good."

Zoey yawned.

Xander yawned, walking up to Zoey at the table, taking the book out of her hands. "Oh. 'Call of the Wild'. Aren't we reading the Cliff Notes to this for English?"

"Yeah," Zoey answered, taking the book back. "Anyway, it'll help you stay awake. That's the only reason I read it. Because, you know..."

"Overworking yourself over the summer and making you wanna fall asleep on the three nights that you don't wanna fall asleep?" Xander suggested, pointing toward Oz.

Zoey nodded. "Yeah. The book's good and very wolfy." She looked at Werewolf!Oz. "Seems to soothe the savage beast." She stood, taking Xander's arm, leading him away from the cage toward the counter, speaking quietly. "Except for the parts about..." She whispered. "Rabbits."

Werewolf!Oz heard that, jumping against the cage, banging it loudly. Xander and Zoey jumped, looking toward him.

Xander took the book from Zoey. "Rabbis?"

Zoey took the book back again. "It... seems to make him a little overexcited." She put the book on the counter. "Okay. Now, he's had his 2:00 feeding, and, uh, after sunrise, if he forgets where his clothes are, they're on top of the file cabinet in his cage." She gestured to the cage. "I put those towels up for privacy."

"Uh, no worries," Xander told her. "I can handle the Oz Full Monty." He smirked. "I mean, not 'handle' handle, like 'hands to flesh' handle."

Zoey nodded tiredly. "Mm, okay. Well, it's not for you. It's for me, 'cause I'm still getting used to half a Monty."

"Oh," Xander said. "Good." He realized what Zoey said. "Half? You and Oz? Which half?"

Zoey smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know. Anyway, he's more manageable tonight and on the third night. Tomorrow night, the total full moon, that's when he's a real..." She didn't finish, reaching across the counter the dart rifle, shaking her head. "But in case there's trouble, which there won't be, but if..."

Zoey held up the dart rifle for him to see.

Xander took it from her with his right hand, still holding his things with his left. He slipped his index finger into the trigger guard. "Sleepy time. Gotcha."

Xander held the stock of the weapon against his shoulder.

"Thanks again for doing this," Zoey told him. "I wouldn't have asked, but... Well, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric, Wyatt, Carmen, Hope and Faith are patrolling, and Willow and Cordelia are sleeping, Mom's on a hospital shift at work, and Giles..."

"Go home, Zoey," Xander told her. "Get some sleep. You look half dead already. You and Eric do not have to overwork yourselves anymore. Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Carmen and Wyatt are back, Eric's still doing good like you are, and Hope and Faith are here now too. You can relax again and slip back into the good old Zo days."

Zoey shook her head slightly. "I like this new Zo."

Xander put a hand on Zoey's shoulder. "Everyone likes this new Zo, as long as you stay alive. Get some Z's, Z." Zoey smiled. "It's no big. You can count on me." Xander looked at his things. "I got my coffee, magazines. Figured I'd read, maybe..." He pointed with the gun. "Run the stairs over there a little bit." He chuckled. "I'm good."

Zoey looked at the wrong way he was holding the gun, smirking, taking it away, setting it on the counter. She waved bye, walking toward the door. On the way past the cage, she waved bye to Werewolf!Oz. "Bye."

Werewolf!Oz raised his head, growling, watching Zoey leave. Xander picked the book up from the table, inspecting the cover, looking up at Werewolf!Oz, climbing onto the table, setting the book down at one end, lying down on his stomach, using the book as a pillow. He smiled as he settled himself in for a relaxing nap. In the cage, Werewolf!Oz let out a loud growl.

∞

Outside

Zoey was walking outside toward her car, stopping when she saw Buffy, Brooke, Alice, Carmen, Hope and Faith were just getting back from patrolling. "Hey, guys. I didn't know if you were done yet."

"Yeah, we just got done," Buffy answered. "Eric, Brady and Wyatt are doing a last sweep in the final cemetery."

"You guys run into Bianca?" Zoey asked.

"For once, no," Brooke answered. "It was like Bianca wasn't out tonight, at all."

"Which may have been a good thing so Bianca, Faith and Hope didn't get into another argument that could lead up to a fight," Alice pointed out.

"Hey, I was not going to fight Bianca," Hope replied. "I was just trying to understand everything. Faith was going to fight her if Bianca hadn't saved us though."

Carmen bit her lip lightly, raising her eyebrows like she knew something they didn't. "Yeah. We got that, Hope. Bianca's one of the good guys now. We told you that."

Hope nodded. "Bianca's a good guy. Okay."

Faith rolled her eyes, still not buying into that. "Whatever you guys say."

"Faith," Hope warned. Faith sighed. Hope sighed. "It sucked that you couldn't patrol with us, Zoey. Since you were managing werewolf Oz even when you're so exhausted."

"Yeah," Zoey agreed. "Well, Xander went in to relieve me of Oz watch so I could get some sleep. Just heading out."

"Good," Buffy told her. "You deserve the rest, Zoey."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed. "You and Eric overworked yourselves too much already over the past summer. But at least you don't have to anymore, Zoey."

"There's no need for you to keep doing it," Alice stated. "Hey, Zoey, is Layla still at work?"

"Yeah, late shift tonight again," Zoey answered.

They nodded in understanding.

"Where are Wyatt, Eric and Brady?" Carmen asked. "I thought they would be here by now."

"Who knows?" Faith asked, looking around. "But really seems that you, Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric and Wyatt spent a lot of time out in cemeteries, Carmen. You guys and Bianca. Nice places. Do you ever catch kids doing the diddy out there?"

"No," Buffy answered. "There's a smooch spot up by the woods. That's usually where kids go."

"Yeah?" Hope asked. "You and Eric been up there kicking the gearshift, Buffy? Maybe Zoey and Oz, or Brooke and Wyatt, or Alice and Brady, or Carmen and Scott?"

The girls gave her a look.

"Hardly," Carmen answered. "Zoey, Buffy, Brady, Brooke, Alice, Eric, Wyatt and I would never go to a place like that, and Scott and I've only been on a few dates."

"But you like him?" Faith asked. Carmen shrugged. Faith looked at Zoey, Buffy, Brooke and Alice. "And when you three think about Oz, Eric, Wyatt and Brady, do you get that good, down low tickle, right?"

Brooke smiled. "Yeah, I guess, but..." She realized what she may have meant, giving Faith a look. "How low?"

Faith grinned. "You tell us."

"How about not?" Alice asked. "But Brady, Eric and Wyatt are nice and they're funny. Oz is silent and stoic but nice."

"And they're all quite the muffins," Faith added.

The girls smiled.

"Eric's like blueberry," Buffy told them. "That crunch, munchy stuff on top. Brady's the best brother for me and Brooke. And Wyatt's pretty awesome. Oz is like... I don't know."

"And at least Buffy, Alice's and my soulmates Eric, Brady and Wyatt are not any kind Hell Beasts," Brooke added. "Zoey and Carmen's tend to stray to vampires or werewolves like Angel and Oz."

"Hey," Zoey complained.

The girls laughed.

"And just so you know, Zoey and Oz are not soulmates," Carmen told them. "Sorry, Zo." Zoey shrugged. "Neither are Xander and Cordelia. But they all seem happy together." Carmen glanced at Hope before looking away. "Soulmates can come from very unexpected places for some people."

"Sure can," Hope agreed. "But you guys could know that all men are beasts."

"Okay, I was hoping to not get that cynical until I was at least 40, Hope," Alice told her.

"It's not cynical," Hope told them. "I mean, it's realistic. Every guy from... Maminal down to Mr. I-Love-The-English-Patient has beast in him. And I don't care how sensitive they act. They're all still just in it for the chase."

"Yeah, Hope's not into guys, if you guys haven't noticed," Faith told them sarcastically.

Hope hit her lightly on the shoulder. "Shut up, Faith."

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Alice and Carmen were surprised but pretty understanding and okay with this news.

Carmen bit her lip subtly, smirking sarcastically. "I never would have guessed."

"Well, I'm gonna head home and crash," Zoey told them. "See you guys."

"See you, Zoey," Hope told her.

Zoey walked away.

∞

Woods

A boy ran through the bushes in a panic. The camera chased him, and a creature's growling and heavy breath could be heard. The boy looked back to check on his pursuer, and tripped over a low branch. He rolled onto his back and tried to push himself away with his feet, but whatever was chasing him was quickly on top of him and dragged him away. The boy screamed loudly as he disappeared from the camera's view.

∞ Slayers and Guardians ∞

Day Two

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Outside

Zoey, Carmen and Oz walked up the outside the stairs from the quad up to the balcony.

"I don't think it's true, that every guy is in it only for the chase," Carmen admitted.

Zoey shrugged. "I know. It is an awful generalization."

Scott approached them across the balcony. "Hey, Carmen!" Carmen looked toward him. Scott reached Carmen. "That's what I stopped you for, basically. Hey."

"Okay," Carmen said. "Hey."

Scott's friends, Debbie and Pete, walked toward them. Debbie had a bouquet of flowers.

Oz noticed them, holding up his hand in greeting. "How do, Debbie?"

"Hi, Oz," Debbie told him. "Hey, you're not doing jazz band this year?"

"Oh, can't take the pressure," Oz told her. "It's not the music that's hard, it's the marching."

Zoey looked at Oz in amusement. "You were in the marching jazz band?"

"Yeah," Oz answered. "But, you know, since the best jazz is improvisational, we'd be going off in all directions, banging into floats. Scary."

Zoey smiled. "He's just being Oz."

"Pretty much full time," Oz told them, looking at Zoey with a smile at the inside joke.

Carmen looked at Debbie's bouquet. "Those are pretty flowers."

"Thanks," Debbie told her. "Pete brought them for me."

Debbie smiled at Pete.

Pete smiled. "Yeah. Well, I'm sure Scott does that kind of stuff for you, too, Carmen."

"Oh, well, we're not up to flowers," Scott told them. He looked at Carmen. "Are we? Up to flowers? Did I miss flowers?"

"No," Carmen answered reassuringly. "We're pre-posy. Definitely." Scott nodded, relieved. "What time is it?" Carmen looked at Scott's watch. "Oh, I have to go see Mr. Platt today."

"Platt?" Debbie asked. "The school counselor?"

Carmen nodded. "Our friends Buffy, Brooke, Brady and Alice all had to see him to convince him that they're stable so they can stay in school, and now it's my turn. Wyatt Pratt, an employee, had to do the same thing so he could keep his job."

"Platt creeps me out," Debbie told them. "I would totally quit going, but I'm flunking senior bio, and my teacher says I have success issues."

"Senior bio?" Oz asked. "I kinda aced that final."

"And how did you do that?" Zoey asked. "Oh, right, you showed up."

Oz smiled, looking at Debbie. "If you want my notes, they're yours."

"Thanks," Debbie told him. "That'd be great."

The bell rang.

"We'd better go," Carmen told them. She looked at Scott. "I'll see you."

"Yep," Scott agreed.

Scott and Carmen kissed chastely. Carmen turned, walking into the building. Zoey waved at Scott, Debbie and Pete, walking inside. Oz followed.

∞

Inside - Library

Giles, Wyatt and Layla had read the newspaper and were now very worried. Xander was already here.

"We need to recheck every possible exit avenue," Giles told them.

"I'm telling you, it's a waste of time," Xander told them. "I was here all night."

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric and Willow walked in.

"Buffy, Brady, Alice, Wyatt and I all had our sessions with the counselor today, and now it's Carmen's turn," Brooke explained. "What's up?"

Layla smiled nervously. "Right. It's good to see you. Um, no need to panic."

Brady looked between Giles, Layla and Xander. "Just a thought. Poker? Not your game. Leave the poker faces to Wyatt."

Wyatt nodded sarcastically. "Very funny, Brady."

Willow was worried. "What's the deal?"

Giles started to pace. "Now, uh, bear in mind, uh, most likely, there--there is no deal." He stopped, exchanging a look with Layla, Wyatt and Xander. "But, um, if there was a deal, then it, um, would concern murder... last night. A male student was found in the woods."

"Which student?" Alice asked in concern.

"Jeff Orkin," Layla answered.

"Jeff?" Oz repeated. "He was..." He looked at Xander. Xander looked down. "I knew him."

"He was mauled, pretty badly," Layla explained. "Now, uh, much as we hate to think it, it could be the handwork of--of..."

Layla couldn't finish, looking at Zoey worriedly since she didn't want her daughter's boyfriend to be guilty.

"Me," Oz finished.

"Wolf you, not you you," Zoey told him.

"But it's not," Xander told him. "Not wolf you, not you you. The room was secured, the gate was locked." He walked into the cage. "And the window unbreakable, and..." He looked up at the window. "Open."

Xander pointed up at the window, walking back out of the cage.

"Oh, God," Buffy said.

Giles and Wyatt both went over to check the window as well.

"Not to freak," Eric told them reassuringly. "I mean, if a werewolf got out through a window, then why would it climb back through into the cage?"

The others knew that he had a point but had to be sure.

"I rested my eyes now and then," Xander told them. "That's all."

Zoey gave him a look.

Wyatt looked down from the window, turning to give Xander a look. "How long exactly did you rest your eyes for?"

Oz just looked into space.

"A little now, uh, a little then," Xander told them. "But I never heard Oz leave, and he was here in the morning when I, um... when I..."

"Woke up?" Giles demanded angrily, loudly.

"You could put it that way if you want to, Mr. Technical," Xander told him.

"Oh, God," Willow said.

Zoey shook her head worriedly. "I knew I should've stayed here."

Alice walked over to her. "No. Zoey, you do not get to blame yourself for this."

"Alice's right, Zoey," Layla told her. "This is not your fault."

"Yeah, Miss Workaholic," Brooke told her. "You would've fallen asleep too."

Zoey took Oz's hand. Oz looked at them imploringly.

∞

Platt's Office

Carmen walked into the office, closing the door behind her, stepping up to the desk.

Mr. Platt was sitting in a chair facing away, looking out the windows behind his desk, while his ever-present cigarette smoldered in his fingers. "Two o'clock. Miss Chase."

Carmen managed a small smile. "Carmen Chase, reporting for sanity." Her smile faded. Platt blew out a huge cloud of smoke. "Look, I know I have to do this, like my friends Buffy, Brooke, Brady and Alice already did today, and the worker Wyatt had to to keep his job and all, and we all have to cooperate, and... I'll look at your ink blots and everything, but I don't wanna talk about my life or my childhood or anything for that matter, actually. And, uh, I don't wanna be friends here."

Platt turned in his chair to face her. "We're not gonna be friends." He smiled. "You have friends already, I hear. I hope you have more." He waved his hand at her. "Friends are a good thing." He took another drag from his cigarette. "Mm-hmm." He crushed the cigarette out. "They like you, agree with you, tell you want you wanna hear." He reached into his desk drawer. "That's not what you need right now." He pulled out a can of deodorizer. "What you need is a trained, not... too crazy professional who will always give you his honest opinion." He popped the top off the aerosol can, giving it a couple of sprays around himself. Carmen just gave him an odd look. "Which I offer." Platt gestured to a chair across from him. "Have a seat."

Platt capped the can, putting it away.

Carmen sat down. "Not too crazy? Those are your credentials?"

Platt stood, starting to walk around his desk. "Look, Carmen, any person--grownup, shrink, pope..." He sat on his desk. "Any person who claims to be totally sane is either lying or not very bright. I mean, everyone has problems. Everybody has demons, right?"

Carmen averted her eyes to look down at her hands. "Gotta say I'm with you on that."

Platt nodded. "Excellent. So, the hope I bring you is, demons can be fought." Carmen looked up. "People can change. You can change. Now, your turn." Platt crossed his arms. "Let's start with why you, Buffy, Brooke and Brady Summers, Alice Giles and Wyatt Pratt left. Besides the murder investigation that you were all innocent in. They already told me what they wanted to tell me. Why don't you tell me why you wanted to distance yourself from everyone in your life?"

Carmen looked up for a moment, beginning to fidget, leaning back in her seat. "That's a long story."

Platt shrugged. "Bore me."

"You know, I'm--I'm really over it," Carmen told him. "I--I'm moving on, I feel good, I'm--I'm even dating someone new."

"All good things," Platt told her, gesturing widely with his arms. "But still, you're..." He inhaled, leaning back. "You're bringing me in at the end of the movie."

Carmen looked down awkwardly. "I was dating someone. Uh, it--it ended badly. People were hurt. Not just me. And I kinda freaked."

"Brady mentioned something about an ex of his that changed because of a sickness in her mind," Platt explained. "That she hurt others like Brooke, Alice and Wyatt. Was it the same for you?"

"Yes," Carmen answered.

"Well, tell me more about this guy," Platt told her. "The bad ending guy."

Carmen looked up at him, letting out a breath, looking down at her hands again. "He was my first... I loved him, and then he..."

"Changed," Platt finished.

Carmen looked up. "Yeah."

"He got mean," Platt stated.

"Yes," Carmen answered. "He hurt... he hurt my best friend. Deeply. And her mother. And some of my other friends, but not as much."

"And you didn't stop loving him," Platt realized. Carmen didn't know what to say. "Look, lots of people lose themselves in love. It--it's no shame. They write songs about it. The hitch is, you can't stay lost. Sooner or later, you--you have to get back to yourself."

Carmen considered. "And if you can't?"

Platt inhaled. "If you can't... well, love becomes your master, and you're just its dog."

Carmen was surprised to hear it put like that.

∞

Library

Carmen walked in, finding Giles pacing, Layla standing worriedly, Wyatt leaning against the counter, Brady, Alice, Brooke, Buffy and Eric sitting at the table, and Oz, Zoey, Xander, Willow and Cordelia sitting on the steps leading up to the stacks.

Carmen set her bag on the table, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm afraid to ask."

"Oz ate someone last night," Cordelia told her.

Zoey gave Cordelia an annoyed look. "He did not."

"Oz does not eat people," Eric told her.

Xander nodded. "It's more werewolf play." Carmen looked at Zoey questioningly. Zoey looked down. "You know, I bat you around a little bit, like a cat toy. I have harmless, wolf fun." Oz lowered his head. "Is it Oz's fault that, you now, side effect, people get cut to ribbons, and maybe then he'll take a little nibble and--?" Zoey hit Xander across the chest with the back of her hand extra hard. "Ow!" Xander held his chest, looking around at all of the disapproving, hurt looks that he got. "I'm not helping, am I?"

"No," Buffy answered.

Xander looked at Zoey. "What was that for?"

"For Oz, and for the way you hurt Bianca and Carmen," Zoey answered.

Carmen smiled a bit.

Brady looked at Carmen. "Oz may have got out of his cage last night."

"May have," Brooke reiterated.

"Yes, because Eric did raise a good point earlier," Wyatt agreed. "If werewolf Oz got out, then why did he come back to the cage?"

"Eric's point was a good point, yes, but we have to be sure," Giles told them.

"Maybe there's a--another werewolf roaming in the woods," Layla told them.

"Perhaps," Alice agreed. "Perhaps it's something else entirely."

"It's okay," Buffy told them. "We'll work together, and we'll figure this out."

"Yes," Giles said. "Um, Alice. Uh, you, Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Faith and Hope, uh, you patrol the woods. Eric, Brady, Wyatt and Carmen, can you help them?"

Carmen, Eric, Brady and Wyatt nodded. "Yeah."

"Layla?" Giles asked.

"I can go to the morgue," Layla offered. "I have to work tonight, but me working tonight, I can check the body and see if it was a werewolf kill or not."

"Good idea, Layla," Alice told her.

"I'm not going," Zoey told them. "I'll stay here. I'm not chancing something like this happening again."

Brooke nodded understandingly. "Good."

"Layla, can I help you at the morgue?" Willow asked.

"I don't see why not," Layla answered. "Rupert, what will you do?"

"Um, well, I have some research materials at home I need to look up," Giles answered.

Oz stood to leave, not willing to listen to any more of this. Zoey stood, walking after Oz.

Oz turned to Zoey. "Okay, uh, you know that thing where you bail in the middle of an upsetting conversation?" He inhaled. "I have to do that." He exhaled. "It's kinda dramatic, I know, but... sometimes, it's a necessary guy thing."

"Well, dramatic guy thing or not..." Zoey trailed off, gesturing to the clock on the wall, sighing.

Oz followed her gaze to see that it was 5:34 PM, almost sunset. He looked at Zoey, realizing it wasn't the time to do the dramatic guy thing, sighing heavily, looking over at the cage, reluctantly going to lock himself in, the door squeaking when he pulled it open, stepping inside, the door squeaking when he pulled it closed. It locked closed with a clang.

"Oz?" Zoey asked.

Oz didn't look at her. "Get away from the cage."

Zoey was confused by the harsh tone of voice. "What?"

"It's gonna happen soon," Oz told her. Zoey didn't move. "Get away from me."

Oz turned his back to her. Zoey nodded barely, turning away.

∞

Night - Angel's Mansion

Bianca returned to the mansion with a paper bag full of blood containers for herself and the newly brought back Angel, only to find that a pair of chains by the far wall was broken, and Angel was gone. She put the bag down instantly. "Damn it."

Bianca quickly ran out of the mansion to go find him.

∞∞

Woods

Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric, Wyatt, Carmen, Hope and Faith were shown patrolling the area to try and find clues as to who or what the killer really was, split up into groups of three. (Buffy/Brooke/Brady, Alice/Eric/Wyatt, and Carmen/Hope/Faith).

Buffy, Brooke and Brady were shown in the far away woods.

"You don't think that Oz killed Jeff, do you?" Brooke asked. "I mean, Eric made a point about werewolf Oz not wanting to climb back through the window."

"I'm really hoping that Oz didn't," Buffy answered. "For his sake and Zoey's."

"Well, let's keep hoping," Brady told them. "I don't think any of us could handle it if it really was Oz."

∞

Elsewhere

Alice, Eric and Wyatt were walking, looking around.

Alice shook her head. "Poor Zoey. She put herself through a lot this summer. Like you did, Eric. But now this..."

"I'm just out here to prove that Oz is innocent," Eric told them. "I seriously doubt that his werewolf form could actually climb through that window and then back in."

"I think you're right, Eric," Wyatt told him. "But we still have to catch whoever the killer actually is."

Eric nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know."

∞

Elsewhere

Carmen, Hope and Faith were shown further away while patrolling.

"So Oz might be the big bad wolf for real, huh?" Faith asked. "Might be the stone cold blood killer boyfriend this time. I think you and Zoey have a type, Carmen."

Carmen gave her a hard look. "Don't bring up Angel, and don't compare him to Oz. They're completely different. And Angel was a good guy before he lost his soul."

"So Angel was like how Bianca is now, with a soul?" Hope asked curiously.

"Kind of, but Angel was never as crazy as Bianca, and he didn't have Guardian powers since he hadn't fed on one," Carmen answered.

Hope nodded in understanding. "Okay. But you guys said Eric and Willow are helping Bianca magically with her mind, since Guardian power hypnotism wouldn't work to heal her melted brain. Their magic is healing her mind though? Her brain at least?"

"Yeah," Carmen answered. "They really are trying to heal her brain completely, but it's dangerous, given..."

"The fact that Bianca has Guardian powers, yeah," Hope finished. "It could backfire."

"Yeah," Faith said, bored. "I'm just saying, Carmen. You and Zoey have a dark side. You never stopped loving Angel even when he went psycho, and Z digs a werewolf even when he tries to kill her three nights a month."

Carmen stopped walking in annoyance. "Hope, can you shut your sister up?"

Hope smirked. "Nothing can shut Faith up, Carmen. But I love her anyway."

"Oh, thanks, Hope," Faith told her, being half sarcastic.

Carmen sighed. "Faith, do me a favor and don't bring that up again, especially in front of Zoey right now. She's going through enough as it is."

Hope nodded in understanding. "Why don't we just keep looking?"

∞

Elsewhere - Far Away Woods

Bianca was looking for Angel. She heard something behind her, turning around, hands raised and glowing with her stolen red Guardian energy. Angel was there, shirtless and wearing jeans, taking off a run. Bianca ran after Angel, and soon getting annoyed, used red Guardian energy to fly herself after Angel to get to him faster, jumping down to tackle Angel to the ground. They both rolled over the ground, turning to the other in crouches. Angel ran closer to tackle Bianca, but as Bianca fell back to the ground, she grabbed and threw Angel to the ground as well. Angel rolled to a stop, crawling quickly back to her before she could get back up, lunging at Bianca. Bianca used red energy to push him back, grabbing him to flip him over herself and onto his back, rising to one knee, punching Angel in the head as he tried to regain his footing, making him spin around from the impact. Angel spun back to Bianca, backhand punching her in the face, making her fall onto her back, jumping on her. Bianca used her leverage to send Angel onto his back once again, twisting her body, reaching over and punching Angel in the gut, rolling away up to her feet. She did a full spinning low hook kick, hitting Angel in the head as he tried to stand. Angel slumped down on all fours, looking up at her. Bianca punched him in the face, making him slump to the ground, badly beaten. Bianca used her red Guardian energy to get into Angel's head, rendering him unconscious so she could take him back to the mansion.

∞

Sunnydale General Hospital - Morgue

Layla walked in to check on the body, turning on the lights, walking to the body drawers, finding the one she wanted, opening it, pulling out the drawer, lifting the plastic sheet away from Jeff Orkin's face. She grabbed a few tools so that she could try and find out if this was a werewolf kill or not, grabbing tweezers first.

Willow, Xander and Cordelia walked in to help out if they could. They looked at the body, nearly vomiting.

"Oh, God," Willow said.

Xander bent over, holding his mouth, trying to hold it back.

Layla handed a tool to Willow. "Here, hold this."

Layla took Jeff's hand, trying to get a look at his fingers.

Cordelia looked sick from seeing the body. "God. I'm gonna be sick."

"We're doing crime here," Xander told her. "You don't get sick during crime."

"God, have a..." Cordelia trailed off. "Okay." She turned away. "Scarred for life. Oh, God!" Layla just calmly went about getting some samples from under Jeff's fingernails. "Layla, how can you stand it?"

"Yeah, Layla," Xander told her. "I mean, this guy is pretty barf-worthy."

"It's my job," Layla answered. "Part of it anyway."

"Can't we be elsewhere?" Willow asked. "Like, you know, is Oz cleared or what?"

Layla finished with Jeff's hand, putting it back under the plastic, inspecting the rest of the body. "I'm not sure. I mean, there are a lot of incised wounds, but they could be from anything."

"Anything with big, sharp teeth and vicious--" Cordelia started.

"Do you wanna go back to the car and wait?" Xander asked.

Layla started to pick at Jeff's chest with the tweezers.

Cordelia stared, taken aback. "No. God. I'm just saying..."

"Almost done," Layla told them. "Let me just get a few stray hairs from the body. They could be from the attacker."

Cordelia held her nose against the stench.

Willow looked ready to pass out but tried not to. "Great. So we got everything we need?"

"Yep," Layla answered. "That's it."

Willow fainted, falling back into Xander. Xander quickly got an arm under her as she went down.

Cordelia tried to help Xander steady Willow, sinking to the floor with them. "Oh!"

Layla put the plastic back over Jeff's body, sliding the drawer back inside, closing the door.

Xander tried to wake Willow. "Okay. Uh... little too much excitement for the Willster here." He steadied Willow's head against his chest so it didn't flop around. "Layla? Doesn't look good for Oz, does it?"

Layla shook her head sadly. "It really doesn't. This guy was ripped apart by a big wild animal. But I have to believe Eric and Zoey are right. That it wasn't Oz."

∞

Angel's Mansion

Bianca stood at Drusilla's trunk, knocking Miss Edith and the other dolls off of it, throwing open the lid, dumping the contents out onto the floor, finding another pair of chains and shackles since Angel had broken the other pair to escape. She threw one end of the chains over an iron bracket holding up the high marble fireplace mantel, locking the shackles on Angel's wrists. She stepped back as he lied unconscious on the floor, with one arm held high by the chain. Angel woke up, getting to his knees. Suddenly, he lashed out at Bianca, but Bianca jumped back in time to make him miss. Angel leaned against his bonds, growling at Bianca, crouching down, cowering like a trapped animal.

Bianca walked around him in a wide arc, stopping when she looked at the place where he fell from the dimensional portal in front of her in 3.03. There was a silhouette of him on the floor surrounded by scorch marks from the intense light. Angel continued to growl and struggle with the chains. Bianca knelt down by the silhouette for a closer look. Angel made another attempt to grab her, but Bianca used red energy to make him stop, looking back down at the scorch marks. Bianca turned to use her Guardian energy hypnosis on Angel again, putting him back to sleep so that she could leave without him escaping again.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Library

To stay awake, Zoey had loud music playing in her headphones, connected to her portable CD player, looking toward Werewolf!Oz in the cage, also studying at the same time. She waged the pencil in her hand, turning her attention back to her school work. Her back was to the door.

Bianca walked in, seeing Zoey listening to music loudly. "Zoey?"

Bianca reached out to tap Zoey on the shoulder.

Zoey stood, spinning around, backhand punching Bianca in the face, surprised to see Bianca there. "Oh!" Zoey pulled the headphones off. "Uh, Bianca! Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

Bianca held her jaw, smirking. "Uh, impressed with your right hook, gypsy. I'll live."

"God, I'm sorry," Zoey told her, shrugging with the CD player, looking at her work. "I guess I didn't hear you, too busy to notice you."

"Figured as much," Bianca told her. "Uh, I'm supposed to meet Eric and Willow here. So they can do a spell again on my mind. But they said they didn't know when they could get here, so..." She held up a thick jacket. "Just in case, if they don't get here before the sun rises."

"Right," Zoey agreed. "Why not just do it at your place like usual?"

Bianca looked down, tilting her head. "I kinda just wanted to get away from there."

"And you're finally done avoiding us?" Zoey asked. "About time."

"Hilarious, Zo," Bianca told her sarcastically. She looked around. "What's been going on around here?"

"There was a student killed last night, and it could have been a werewolf," Zoey explained. "The window in the cage was open, so..."

"You think Oz killed someone?" Bianca asked.

"No," Zoey answered. "Eric, Wyatt, Mom and I don't. The others don't know. But Eric did make a great point that Oz as a werewolf would have not climbed back in through the window back into the cage. We're just trying to figure out what did it."

Bianca nodded in understanding, biting her lip. "You know, I'm just gonna go look for a book or something. I was, uh, actually pretty good in school before getting sick. Had to be to get to the point of being an insane genius, right?"

"Right," Zoey said, a little awkwardly.

"You look beat," Bianca told her. "Try to get some sleep, even if it's here. I'll keep an eye on Oz if you pass out. I kinda owe you."

Zoey managed a small smile. "Thanks, Bianca." Bianca nodded, seeing the card catalog, looking through it to find something she needed. Zoey sat down at the table, looking at the cage. "But I don't know if I can sleep."

Zoey went back to her work. Bianca looked at her for a moment, walking up the steps into the stacks, looking for a book.

∞

Day Three

Almost Sunrise - Sunnydale High School - Library

Oz was laying in the cage, naked but human, as it was almost sunrise.

Giles, Layla, Wyatt, Brady and Alice were just now getting here, looking toward the table to see Zoey asleep, where she had fallen asleep while studying.

Layla walked over to wake up her daughter. "Zoey. Hey."

Zoey woke up, surprised to see her mother. "Mom?"

"Yeah," Layla answered in a whisper. "It's okay."

Zoey stood, looking around. "Oz?"

Wyatt walked over to the cage, unlocking the door, pulling it slightly open. "He's okay."

Bianca stepped down from the stacks with a book in her hand, closing the book when she saw them. "Alice, Brady, Wyatt, hi again. Layla. Giles."

They were surprised to see her. "Bianca."

"Didn't think I'd be here so late," Bianca admitted. "For me anyway." She saw that Zoey was waking up more. "Uh, yeah, I told Zoey to crash if she wanted to. That I could watch after Oz."

"Well, thank you," Brady told her. "I'm surprised you came to help. You're usually avoiding us."

Bianca shrugged, looking down.

"What are you doing here?" Giles asked.

"I was supposed to meet Eric and Willow before sunrise," Bianca told them, being half-truthful. "Spell, mind, thing. I just wanted to get out of the mansion."

"Eric and Willow should be here soon," Alice told her.

Bianca nodded. "Good, good."

Wyatt noticed that Bianca was trying to hide the book she was reading, forming a pocket portal by Bianca to suck the book into, and another pocket portal appeared in front of him, tossing out the book at Wyatt, which he caught.

Bianca was caught off guard. "Wyatt..."

Wyatt read the book title. "Exploring Demon Dimensions, Mystery of Acathla'."

"Yeah," Bianca said. "I listen to heavy metal. Freaky deaky."

"Bianca..." Wyatt trailed off.

Bianca sighed, leaning against the railing. "What if... I told you that... I had a dream about Angel, and, um, it brought up some questions?"

"I'd say it was to be expected, given that he was a mentor of evil to you," Brady answered. "Must have been some dream, to get you to stop avoiding us and to come to the library."

"I dreamt that he came back," Bianca told them, sitting down on the steps.

Layla nodded. "Of course. After Jenny was killed, I had dreams that she was s--still alive, that Zoey and I saved her."

"This was vivid," Bianca told them. "Really vivid. Three dimensional, surround sound, the hills are alive..."

"Do you believe it was a Guardian prophecy?" Alice asked. "I think that Brooke, Hope and I might have had a dream like that if it was, or Zoey and Layla with their gypsy dreams."

"I--I don't know," Bianca told them. "I guess it just... it made me wonder."

"Do you know what happened in the dream?" Zoey asked. "What made him come back?"

Bianca sighed, nodding, looking down. "In the dream... I was sitting in the room where Acathla had been. I was sitting right in the place where he had been set up. And I was bored and depressed and alone, so I started to... like, I don't know, paint the air around me with Guardian energy. And it was like something opened up above me and he fell out."

"Guardian powers typically don't have portal power," Alice told her. "Is there anything specific?"

Bianca shrugged, thinking back. "Just a bright white that kept getting more intense. I can't really remember. Is there a chance even? Could it happen?"

"Well, there's no record of anyone returning from a demon dimension once the... gate was closed," Giles told her. "I--I--I can't imagine how it could happen, or--or why."

Bianca looked sort of guilty for lying but not knowing how to tell them the truth. "Let's just pretend for a second that... Angel did come back to Sunnydale. What would he be like?"

"I really can't say," Giles admitted. "From what is known about that dimension, it--it would suggest a world of... brutal torment. And time moves quite differently there, so..."

"He would have been down there for hundreds of years, of torture," Zoey told them.

Alice nodded. "It would take someone of extraordinary... will and character to survive that, and, uh, retain any semblance of self. Most likely, he'd be--be a monster."

"A lost cause?" Brady asked.

"Maybe," Wyatt said. "Maybe not. In my experience, there are two types of monster. The first, uh, can be redeemed, or more importantly, wants to be redeemed."

"Like me," Bianca stated. Giles, Layla, Alice and Wyatt nodded. "And the second type?"

"The second is void of humanity, cannot respond to reason, or love," Wyatt answered.

Bianca looked hopeless.

Buffy, Brooke, Eric and Willow walked in.

Willow was holding a box of donuts. "Hey, Bianca."

"Yeah, hey," Bianca said, trying to perk up. "Buffy, Brooke, hi." She stood, walking closer. "Eric, Willow, you were supposed to be here before the sun rose."

"Yeah, sorry, we were out late last night," Eric told her. "Come on, we can still do the spell and get you home before the sun rises too high for you to get home before burning to death."

"Nice, Eric," Willow told him sarcastically. She gestured to the donuts. "Glazed or cake? It's fun to watch them make them. They use this spritzy thing, and they drop the batter into this..."

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Buffy asked.

Willow sighed. "I've been at Mister Doughnut since the TV did that snowy thing."

Eric sighed. "Yeah, I didn't get sleep either."

"Don't feel bad, neither did we," Brooke told them.

Willow looked at Buffy and Brooke. "How come you're the wakey girls? I mean, it's not your boyfriends who have a history of being cold-blooded..."

Zoey gave Willow a look for talking about her, Carmen, Oz and Angel like that. "Will."

Willow quickly shut up. Oz walked out of the cage, pulling on a shirt.

"Hey, Oz," Brady told him awkwardly.

Brooke took a donut, offering one to Oz. "Jelly doughnut?"

Oz just looked at the donuts but didn't take one. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah," Buffy said. "Uh, what happened with the inspection of the body?"

"Layla?" Brooke asked.

Willow and Eric led Bianca to the table, having her sit down so they could do the spell on her mind, holding their hands on either side of her head, easing her mind, helping it heal a little bit at a time. Eric and Willow's magic energy of yellow was mixing with Bianca's stolen red Guardian energy, causing a beautiful swirl of yellow magic and red Guardian energy around the three of them. "Ostende det siste. Ostende det siste."

The others watched, impressed by the light show and how beautiful it was, but knew they had to focus on the matter at hand.

"They're good," Alice told them.

"Very good, for Eric and Willow being this early to the craft," Wyatt agreed.

"Layla, come on," Brooke told her.

"Was it werewolf?" Buffy asked.

Layla sighed, not overly anxious to say.

"Was it a vampire?" Brady asked.

"It wasn't conclusive," Layla admitted.

"How could it not be conclusive?" Bianca asked. "What did it look like? Was he bit?"

"Let her finish, Bianca," Eric told her.

Once Eric and Willow finished their spell and the lights faded, Bianca stood. "No, it's just..." The others looked concerned by her mind state of being overwhelmed. Bianca realized the sensitivity of the issue with Oz and Zoey right there, sighing. "I'm sorry. I should go before the sun gets too high."

Bianca put on her heavy jacket, walking quickly out of the library to go home. The others watched her go, concerned.

∞

Cafeteria

Carmen had a plate of various flavors of jell-o, looking for a place to sit.

Scott waved to her from where he was sitting with Debbie and Pete. "Carmen, over here."

Carmen walked over to their table, sitting down. "Hey."

Scott saw what was on her plate. "Hey. Uh, I can't--I can't back you on that lunch. Nutritional demerits."

"Oh, my stomach doesn't want hard food today," Carmen admitted, pointing at the green Jell-O. "But there's fruit in it."

Scott whispered to her. "Those are marshmallows."

Carmen looked at it. "Oh." Debbie and Pete gave her curious looks. Carmen sighed. "I'm--I'm really out of it. I didn't sleep well last night."

"Just don't tell Mr. Platt you have insomnia," Debbie told her. "He'll make you start a dream journal."

"Oh, what's that?" Pete asked. "Like, a Barbie thing? Dear Dream Journal, how come Ken hasn't come around since he got that earring?"

Debbie giggled. "I never did it. He's a quack."

"I kinda liked him," Carmen admitted.

"Really?" Debbie asked in surprise. "I mean, I guess he's kinda funny and stuff. It's just... sometimes I just don't like the things he says."

Carmen nodded in acknowledgement. "Oh, he definitely... marches to the beat of his own drummer. Actually, I think he makes his own drums."

"Well, my mom says that therapy can be completely helpful," Scott stated.

"Yeah, but your mom has the wattage of a zippo lighter, Scott," Pete told him.

Debbie couldn't resist a giggle.

Scott looked at Carmen. "I hope you realize I don't actually know these people. I just... I thought you would like me better if I had friends, so I hired them." Carmen gave a weak smile. Scott turned to face her completely. "So... I, uh, I wanted to tell you that you look great today. But now I wanna raise that to amazing because you didn't sleep well."

Carmen managed a slightly bigger smile. "Uh... that's really sweet. Um... and I--I wish I didn't have to..." She stood. "But I just remembered that I do, so, uh, I'll see you later."

Carmen patted Scott on the shoulder as she walked around him on the way out, leaving her food behind.

"Uh, yeah," Scott said.

Debbie and Pete followed Carmen briefly with their gazes.

Pete smirked. "Check out Scotty liking the manic depressive chick."

Scott was not pleased with that comment.

∞

Hallway

Carmen walked out of the cafeteria, pausing for a moment to reflect on Pete's comment before continuing down the hall.

∞

Angel's Mansion

Bianca had gotten home before the sun had risen too high, perfectly safe. She went to check on Angel, who was still chained up and just now waking up. "Angel?" Angel was crouched against the wall, whimpering in suffering. Bianca watched him sadly. "Do you understand me?" Angel didn't seem to understand. Bianca stepped closer slowly, reaching out to touch Angel lightly on the shoulder. Angel suddenly and very violently lashed out at Bianca and roared. Bianca instinctively took a few steps back. Angel went back to his whimpering. Bianca sighed, walking closer. "I'm going to help you." Above Angel, the mantel bracket began to loosen, which Bianca didn't notice yet. Bianca let her hands and eyes glow with red Guardian energy as she used the mental powers from stolen Guardian power to get into Angel's head, trying to ease his pain and suffering, and trying to remind him of who he was and everything that happened. "It's okay. Just listen, please?" She was very anxious, unstable but not as much after Eric and Willow had helped her a little more with the spell, though she was still far from being cured. "I know something else happened that helped bring you here. I mean, I asked Wyatt, Brady, Alice, Giles and Layla if a Guardian could open a portal on their own, or a vampire with their powers, but they can't do it on their own. And all of this is definitely gonna prove to someone that I'm loony-bin material and have been since I got sick, but there's nobody else that I can talk to about this. I don't know how to tell the others that you're actually back after everything that happened. Not Brady, Alice, Brooke, Wyatt, not Eric, not Willow... not Zoey or Carmen. Nobody. If they--if they found out, Hope and Faith would probably freak on me, or they'd do something, and... I need help. I just... I need to talk to someone. I'm so scared. Worried. About everything. About all of them. And you. I just need to know that you're not a lost cause. If I can save you too, I'm gonna do it."

∞

Sunnydale High School - Back Hall

Pete and Debbie were walking along.

"Debbie, come on," Pete told her. "Just for a minute."

Pete took both of her hands, trying to nudge her against the wall.

Debbie evaded him, pulling away. "No, I can't. I have to meet a friend."

Pete grabbed her by both her wrists to pull her back. "So you'll be late but happy."

Pete kissed Debbie, reaching behind him with one hand to open a door, backing into a dark supply room, pulling her with him.

∞

Supply Room

As Pete and Debbie continued to make out, Debbie giggled. Pete pulled her close as they embraced and kissed passionately. Pete broke off the kiss, backing away toward a shelf.

"No, no, let's stay here," Debbie told him.

"Relax, Debbie," Pete told her. "What's wrong with you today?" Pete took Debbie in his arms again, kissing her some more. Debbie turned her back to try and block something from his view, but not thinking that through, since Pete was facing what she was trying to hide, opening his eyes to see an empty jar on the shelf. All that was left in it was the last few drops of a green fluorescent fluid. "What is that?"

Debbie turned his face to hers, trying to kiss him again. "Nothing. Kiss me."

Pete stopped her from kissing him. "No. Debbie, you did not drink that, did you?"

Debbie looked at the jar. "Drink it? You know I didn't."

Pete looked at her intensely. "Debbie, what's going on?"

Debbie's giddiness faded, and she looked back nervously.

∞

Platt's Office

Wyatt opened the door, walking in, closing it behind him, seeing Platt turned away and looking out of the window, his signature cigarette smoldering between his fingers. "One o'clock, Wyatt Pratt in for Mr. Platt." Platt didn't answer. "Hey." Wyatt noticed the cigarette now, seeing that it was burned completely down to the filter, not once having had the ashes tapped off. He realized something was very wrong. "Platt?"

The camera panned over from Wyatt to Platt, sitting dead in his chair. His face and chest had been severely mauled.

∞∞

Supply Room

Pete was seething with anger, going over to the empty bottle on the shelf, picking it up. "So the bottle just..." He turned to face Debbie. "Jumped out of the cabinet and spilled on its own."

Debbie shook her head. "Of course not. I--I was trying to get rid of it."

"You were trying to get rid of it?" Pete repeated.

Debbie nodded. "To help you. You know how you get."

Pete exhaled. "You think this has..." He clenched his fist. "Anything to do with how I get?"

"Well, when you drink it--" Debbie stared.

"When I drink it, nothing, Debbie," Pete cut her off. "Nothing!" Debbie flinched. "I don't need this anymore, okay? I am way, way past that now." Pete slammed the bottle back onto the shelf. "You see?" He took another bottle down, throwing it to the floor, breaking it. "You see?" He threw another bottle, breaking it. "No more." He threw a third bottle, breaking it. "You could pour out everything I made, and it wouldn't help. And you wanna know why?" He grabbed Debbie by the arms, making her whimper in fright. "You wanna know why? Because all it takes now is you, Debbie." He grit his teeth. "You and your stupid, grating voice!" His neck muscles suddenly became tense, and he yelled out in pain. He grunted as his head jerked back and forth, and the skin on his face and neck began to thicken, and the veins bulged out. He screamed as his head whipped around violently. Debbie watched in terror. With a final scream, his transformation to his alter ego was complete. His face was mottled and grotesquely misshaped. Debbie was too frightened to even breathe. Pete shook her by the arms furiously. "You're the reason I started the formulas in the first place. To be the man you wanted! And you pay me back how?" Debbie sobbed in fear. "By whoring around with other guys and taunting me!"

Debbie shook her head desperately. "No! I don't! I don't even look!"

Pete backhand punched Debbie in the face, shoving her to the floor. Debbie got to her hands and knees, crawling around to face him, slowly standing back up.

"Is that something your shrink taught you, Debbie, huh?" Pete demanded. "Huh? To share?" He walked closer. "To communicate? To piss me off?" He swung another backhand punch at Debbie, making her fall to the floor again. Debbie stayed down, cowering. "Well, guess what? Even he's not going to listen to your pathetic ramblings anymore." Debbie looked up in fear. "I'm all you've got now, Debbie? Do you hear me?" Pete pointed at her, shouting. "I am all you've got!" Debbie looked up at him, very afraid, pushing herself up against a crate. Pete suddenly realized what he was doing, calming down a bit. He looked down at his gnarled hands, then back at Debbie. "Oh, my God." He had calmed enough now that he changed back to his regular self. He saw Debbie sobbing, looking at her remorsefully, quickly kneeling by her. "Hey, Debbie." Debbie turned away, sobbing. "Hey, listen. You know you shouldn't make me mad. Huh? You know what happens." Pete took her head in his hands to turn her to face him. "Debbie, please. Are you all right?"

Pete kissed her forehead.

Debbie put her arms around Pete's head as he laid his head on her chest, stroking his hair as they held each other tightly. "It's okay. It's okay."

∞

Library

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric, Wyatt, Carmen, Hope, Faith, Giles and Layla were gathered.

Wyatt paced around. "This creature was especially brutal."

"I believe the phrase coined by the coroner when describing Mr. Platt was 'pureed'," Layla explained. "But he did confirm that Platt was killed shortly before Wyatt found him."

"Which means that he was killed during the day," Faith told them.

Zoey sighed in relief. They all looked at her.

"Really, Zoey?" Hope asked in amusement.

"Sorry," Zoey told them. "I got... I've just been... it's horrible. Horrible."

"It's okay, Zoey," Brooke told her. "We're all glad Oz is off the hook."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed.

Giles nodded. "Indeed."

"I don't want to be that guy, but I could totally say 'I told you so' right now," Eric told them.

The others smirked.

"Yes, thank you for not being that guy, Eric," Brady told him sarcastically.

Carmen took Zoey's head. "Told you it was gonna be okay."

Zoey smiled slightly.

Alice checked her watch. "Shouldn't Oz be here by now? The sun sets at 5:30."

∞

Quad

Oz looked around one last time, starting to head for the library.

Debbie ran closer. "Sorry I'm late. Did you bring the notes?"

"Yeah," Oz answered, before he noticed her black eye. "Um, you okay?"

Oz handed her the notes.

"What?" Debbie asked. "Oh, yeah." She laughed. "I'm such a klutz. I, um, oh..."

"Fell down?" Oz asked. "Hit your... eye?"

Pete watched them from around a corner.

Debbie nodded. "Doorknob." She faked a laugh. "Um, thanks."

Debbie turned to go.

Oz stopped her with his hand, concerned. "Hey, um, if you wanna talk..."

Debbie shook her head, smiling. "Thanks again for the notes."

"Yeah," Oz said.

Debbie walked away. Oz looked up at the sky, quickly heading for the library. Pete glared at Oz as he left, turning around, stalking off.

∞

Library

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Eric, Wyatt, Carmen, Hope, Faith, Giles and Layla were gathered.

"Our task now is to determine what sort of killer we are dealing with," Layla told them.

"Well, clearly, we're looking for a depraved, sadistic animal," Alice told them.

Oz walked in. "Present." Zoey smiled, standing, walking toward him. "Hey, I may be a cold blooded jelly doughnut, but my timing is impeccable."

"But you aren't, Oz," Zoey told him. "It's a kill in the day monster. A hundred percent for sure."

"Okay," Oz said, very relieved, smiling.

Zoey smiled, turning to face the others.

"Uh, I wish we had time to celebrate properly," Giles told them. "However, we have two victims. Jeff Orkin, and, uh, now Platt. Uh, maybe there's something they had in common."

"Missing internal organs," Faith answered.

Hope gave Faith an amused look. "Besides that."

"Debbie," Oz told them. They looked at him. "Well, victim number one, Jeff. He was in jazz band with us. They used to horse around."

"They were screwing?" Hope asked.

"I don't think so, but he hid her music comp book once," Oz told them.

"And we know that Debbie knew Platt," Carmen told them. "I mean, she was seeing him and way vocal about not having love for the guy."

"Okay, so pretend Debbie wanted Platt dead," Buffy told them. "Maybe he fought back."

Wyatt shook his head. "No. Platt was dead in an instant. He didn't even drop his cigarette."

Brooke realized something. "Now, what if boyfriend Pete's the one doling out the punishment?"

"We should find them both immediately," Brady told them.

They all prepared to leave.

"Well, Debbie was in the quad a minute ago," Oz told them.

"All right," Eric said. "We'll split up."

"Faith, Hope, Brady and Eric, you will team up," Giles told them. "Layla, Wyatt, Carmen and I will go elsewhere. Zoey, Buffy, Brooke and Alice, find Debbie. Oz, lock yourself up."

"All right, let's go," Layla agreed.

Faith, Hope, Brady, Eric, Layla, Wyatt, Carmen, Giles, Buffy, Brooke and Alice walked out.

"And I'll go lock myself in the cage," Oz told them.

Zoey gave him a sad smile. "Just be glad you're in the clear."

"Oh, I'm glad," Oz answered. "Is it bad that I'm glad?"

Zoey smiled, turning around, following after Buffy, Brooke and Alice. Oz went to go lock himself in the cage.

∞

Girls' Locker Room

Debbie was trying to hide her black eye with makeup. Zoey, Buffy, Brooke and Alice walked in.

"It's tricky, covering a fresh shiner like that," Buffy told her. "You know what works?"

"What?" Debbie asked, putting away her make up.

"Don't get hit," Buffy told her, walking up to her.

Zoey, Brooke and Alice walked closer.

"What's going on, Debbie?" Zoey asked. "I'll bet the farm you know."

Debbie shook her head. "You're wrong. I don't know anything."

"Normally, I'd say, you wanna play 'I have a secret', fine," Brooke told her. "But people are dying here."

Debbie looked at them. "It--It's not his fault. I mean, he's not himself when he gets like this."

"You mean Pete," Alice told her.

"It's me," Debbie told them, upset. "I make him crazy. He--he just does what he does because he loves me too much."

"But weren't Mr. Platt and Jeff murdered by an animal?" Zoey asked sarcastically.

Brooke tilted her head. "Pete's not like other guys, is he, Debbie?"

Debbie realized they knew more than they were letting on. "I've gotta go."

Debbie grabbed her purse, starting to walk away.

Buffy grabbed her arm to stop her. "You have to talk to us." Debbie shook her head. "We can't help you until you do."

"I didn't ask for your help," Debbie told them.

"Well, when are you going to?" Alice asked. "I mean, if Pete kills you, it'll pretty much be too late. Debbie, we're running out of time."

∞

Angel's Mansion

Angel was struggling with the chains, yanking at it with all of his weight. Bianca heard the noise from the living room when she had been trying to get some rest, standing up to go check on Angel. Angel broke free, falling roughly onto his hands and knees, quickly getting up, pulling the chain free of the bracket, running out of the mansion.

Bianca ran into the room just a second too late, groaning in exasperation. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Bianca ran after Angel.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Girls' Locker Room

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke and Alice were still talking to Debbie.

"Where can we find him?" Buffy asked.

"I--I don't know," Debbie told them.

"You're lying," Brooke told her.

"What if I am?" Debbie asked. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Alice tilted her head. "Wrong question."

Zoey took Debbie by the arm, pushing her up against the sink in front of the mirror. "Look at yourself. Why are you protecting him? Anybody who really loved you couldn't do this to you."

Zoey let her go, backing away.

Debbie turned around to face them. "Would they take him someplace?"

"Probably," Brooke answered.

Debbie shook her head, sobbing. "I could never do that to him." The girls sighed. "I'm his everything."

"Great," Buffy said sarcastically, disgusted. "So, what, you two live out your Grimm fairy stale?"

"Two people are dead," Alice told her. Debbie shook her head. "Who's gonna be next?"

∞

Library

Oz was alone in the cage, pacing, waiting to change.

Pete walked in, going right up to the cage, angry at Oz. "Since when do you touch my girl?"

Pete grabbed the cage.

"Pete, this is kind of a bad time," Oz told him.

Pete rattled the door. "Well, I guess you didn't think about that when you put the moves on Debbie!"

Oz glanced up at he window to see that the sun was not yet set completely. "We talked, yeah, but it was move-free. About this cage? When that sun sets..."

Pete whispered threateningly. "You won't be alive to see it!"

Pete rattled the cage, stepping back from it, seething in anger.

"I'm serious," Oz warned. "Something's gonna happen that you... probably won't believe." Pete screamed as his head whipped around, and he transformed into his alter ego again. He looked at Oz with murder in his eyes when the change was complete. Oz was amazed, in shock, taking a step back. "Or you might."

∞∞

Pete lunged at the cage, grabbing the door, yanking at it a few times until he ripped the door off, throwing it aside, roaring at Oz. He ran into the cage, grabbing Oz, throwing him out of the cage to the floor.

∞

Girls' Locker Room

Debbie was sitting on a changing bench, hugging herself, looking off into space. "He does love me. He does love me."

"This is useless," Buffy told them. exhaling. "We have to go. We have to find Pete."

"He does love me," Debbie repeated.

Alice tried to get Debbie to stand and come with them. "Come on."

Debbie resisted. "He does love me."

Brooke frowned. "I think we broke her."

"He does love me," Debbie repeated. "He does love me."

Zoey stopped at the door, looking at Debbie sadly. "I think she was broken before this."

∞

Library

Pete heaved Oz up over his head and down onto the table, smashing it, falling on top of Oz because he didn't think to let go of him, scrambling to his feet, pulling Oz up, punching him hard in the face, grabbing Oz by the shoulders, shaking him hard. "Did you kiss that whore? Huh? Did she like it?"

Pete heaved Oz overhead again and onto the stairs. Oz slid down the steps, turning around at the base. Pete attacked him, but Oz got his leg up in time to stop him, push kicking him off. Pete went sliding across the floor.

Oz looked through one of the arched windows at the sky as he got up, seeing that the sun had set. He looked at Pete. "Time's up. Rules change."

With the full moon rising, Oz morphed into his werewolf form, growling, baring his teeth at Pete, leaping onto Pete, and they started to wrestle on the floor as Werewolf!Oz tried to bite Pete. Werewolf!Oz kicked Pete away. Pete scrambled to his feet, backhand punching Werewolf!Oz as he attacked again. Werewolf!Oz was not phased, leaping onto Pete again, making them crash into the stairs, biting Pete hard on the arm, making Pete scream out in agony.

∞

Hallway

Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Alice and Debbie heard the scream, beginning to run down the hallway. Brady, Eric, Hope and Faith ran into the hallway from one side, while Wyatt, Carmen, Layla and Giles ran into the hallway on the other side.

"What was that?" Brady asked.

Brady, Eric, Hope, Faith, Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Alice, Wyatt, Carmen, Layla and Giles ran toward the library with Debbie following close behind.

∞

Library

Brady, Eric, Hope, Faith, Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Alice, Wyatt, Carmen, Layla and Giles ran into the library with Debbie following close behind. They saw that Werewolf!Oz was fighting Pete, having his jaw clamped hard on Pete's arm. Pete repeatedly punched Werewolf!Oz in the gut.

"Get the dart gun!" Wyatt told them.

Eric reached behind the counter, grabbing the dart rifle. "Got it!"

Eric cocked the gun, taking aim past Giles to aim at Pete and Werewolf!Oz.

Debbie pushed Eric aside to protect her boyfriend. "Pete, watch out!"

The gun went off, hitting Giles in the hip.

"Ow!" Giles said.

"Rupert!" Layla said.

Pete finally managed to flip Werewolf!Oz over onto the floor and got free from his jaw.

Eric couldn't believe Debbie had made him shoot Giles. "Oh! Sorry!"

"Oh, right," Giles said. "Bloody priceless."

The drug took effect quickly, and Giles staggered and nearly fell to the floor. Layla caught Giles as he fell, kneeling with him.

Werewolf!Oz ran through the door to behind the counter, jumping over it to get past the others, running out of the library. Eric tried to take aim, but couldn't get a clear shot.

Pete escaped through the stacks.

"Damn it," Faith said.

"Layla, stay with Giles," Wyatt told her. "Zoey, Hope, Faith, Alice and Brooke will get Oz. Carmen, Buffy, Brady, Eric and I'll get Pete."

"Got it," Hope agreed.

Layla nodded. "Be careful."

Eric tossed the rifle to Zoey. Zoey ran out of the library with the rifle.

Hope, Faith, Alice and Brooke ran after Zoey so they could get Oz.

Wyatt, Carmen, Buffy, Brady and Eric ran out of the library to go after Pete.

Debbie ran out as well.

∞

Hallway

Buffy, Brady, Wyatt, Carmen and Eric ran after Pete. Buffy delivered a roundhouse kick to his head, making him stumble into the wall. Eric kicked Pete hard enough to make him back away, spinning to kick him. Brady punched Pete with a right followed by a left. Wyatt used his power to throw Pete away from them, making him crash into a trophy case, shattering the glass. Pete tipped over the trophy case over onto Buffy, Brady, Wyatt, Carmen and Eric, making them all duck before they could be hit, dumping out the contents and glass all over them, using the distraction to get away.

"Split up," Brady told them. "Find him."

They all split up to find Pete.

∞

Another Hallway

Pete came running through a set of doors, clutching his wounded arm, looking back, expecting pursuers, looking around frantically for an escape route before they could catch up. He ran around a corner just as Carmen came running through the doors. Pete ran around another corner, again looking for a way out, spotting a high window above a bank of lockers down an adjacent hall, leaping on top of them, pushing the window open, crawling through, leaving streaks of blood from his wound on the wall. Carmen reached the hall intersection, but didn't see Pete anywhere.

Elsewhere in the hallways, Buffy, Eric, Brady and Wyatt were seen looking for Pete but not being able to find him.

∞

Another Hall

Werewolf!Oz went bounding around a corner, running down the hall. Zoey, Brooke, Alice, Hope and Faith ran after him, trying to catch up.

∞

Supply Room

Debbie was sitting on the floor, leaning against a crate, waiting for Pete to show up. Pete walked in.

Debbie jumped up, running over to Pete. "Pete! You're all right! God, you're all right!" She threw her arms around him, hugging him close, but he didn't return the embrace. "He almost shot you. Did you see? I stopped him." She let go, looking at him. "You have to leave, get out of Sunnydale. They know."

"How did they know, Debbie?" Pete asked. "Did you run your big mouth?"

Debbie was scared. "No! They just knew. It seemed like they just knew."

"So you filled in the blanks!" Pete told her angrily, pushing Debbie to the floor.

Debbie screamed. "No! No!"

"But what did I expect from a screw up like you?" Pete asked.

Debbie shook her head. "I--I didn't. Pete..."

Pete walked closer threateningly, furious. "You're nothing but a waste of space."

Pete moved to grab her. 

Debbie screamed. "No!"

∞

Hallway

Carmen looked up, seeing the blood streaks around the high window. She used her power to levitate herself up to climb out the window.

Elsewhere in the hallways, Buffy, Eric, Brady and Wyatt were seen looking for Pete but not being able to find him.

∞

Hallway By the Lounge

Werewolf!Oz leaped down the stairs by the lounge, stopping by the vending machine. Zoey, Brooke, Alice, Hope and Faith ran after him. Werewolf!Oz jumped at Zoey, making her fall to the floor and drop the rifle.

∞

Outside

Carmen crawled out through the window onto the roof, stepping to the edge, looking down, levitating herself to the ground below. She looked around, and behind her through another window, she noticed a lamp swinging from the ceiling. She rushed over to the door.

∞

Supply Closet

Carmen pushed the door open, looking around, soon finding Debbie lying dead on the floor behind a rack. "Oh, God."

Carmen bent down to check her pulse. Pete grabbed Carmen from behind, throwing her against some crates, making her fall to the floor, dazed. Pete smiled as he came for Carmen.

∞

Hallway By the Lounge

Zoey struggled to keep Werewolf!Oz at bay and not get bitten.

"Get off her!" Faith told him.

Brooke, Alice and Hope formed red Guardian energy around Werewolf!Oz to throw him against the wall, making him fall, dazed.

Zoey sat up, not seeing the gun. "Where's the gun?"

Brooke looked around. "Where's the gun?"

Faith was distracting Werewolf!Oz. "Here, doggie, doggie."

Werewolf!Oz ran after Faith, as she led him away at a run.

Alice found the gun. "Get the gun, get the gun!"

Zoey grabbed the gun.

Hope used Guardian energy to make sure that Werewolf!Oz couldn't attack Faith. "Hurry!"

Zoey aimed at Werewolf!Oz, shooting him in the side. Werewolf!Oz yelped and whimpered for a moment in pain, falling unconscious. Zoey, Brooke, Alice, Hope and Faith sighed in relief.

∞

Supply Room

Pete grabbed Carmen by the arm, backhand punching her in the face. "All the same!" He punched her again. "You're all the same!"

Pete backhand punched Carmen a third time, making her fall from his grip to the floor, walking closer. Carmen used telekinesis to throw Pete away from her into a shelf, knocking him, the shelf and everything on it over to the floor. Behind her, the door opened.

Carmen turned around to see Angel standing there in his game face, looking at him in utter shock. Angel roared deeply, attacking Pete. Angel swung to punch Pete in the face, swinging the other way to hit Pete in the face again. Pete lunged at Angel, bending him backward over a crate with his hands around Angel's throat.

Carmen stood, stepping back, watching them fight, reeling over seeing Angel alive, looking as if she didn't know if this was real or one of her Angel dreams.

Bianca ran into the supply room after tracking Angel here, seeing the fight, seeing Carmen there, looking busted. "Um, Carmen..."

"Is he really..." Carmen trailed off, breathing heavily.

"Yeah," Bianca answered. "He's really."

Pete pulled Angel up from the crate, throwing him to the floor, turning his attention to Carmen and Bianca, advancing toward them.

Bianca put herself in front of Carmen, morphing into her vampire face, but before she could make a move, Angel got back up and came at Pete, wrapping chains around his neck, lifting Pete over his back, slamming him down on the floor, pulling at the chains, choking Pete.

Bianca let her face return to normal.

Angel gave Pete's neck a twist to break it, letting go, letting him fall dead.

Pete had changed back to his normal state.

Bianca let her hands and eyes glow with red Guardian energy as she got into Angel's head to calm him down again, and this time, she was able to get through to him completely. "Angel?"

Carmen stared in shock.

Angel let his face return to normal, in shock, confused. "Bianca?"

Bianca lowered her hands in relief, sighing, managing a small smile, backing away, looking at Carmen.

Angel was in even more shock to see his soulmate. "Carmen?" He fell to his knees, holding Carmen tightly. Carmen was so surprised, not sure what to do. Angel just kept holding her even tighter, starting to sob into her jacket. "Carmen..."

Carmen finally seemed to accept that he was back, shedding a few tears, her head and heart too heavy with thoughts and emotions for her to speak.

Bianca looked down sadly in sympathy, not sure what to say.

∞

Day Four

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Quad

Willow, Xander, Cordelia, Buffy, Eric, Brooke, Wyatt, Brady, Alice, Carmen, Zoey and Oz were walking through the colonnade. Xander, Eric, Wyatt, Brady and Oz were holding Cordelia, Buffy, Brooke, Alice and Zoey's hands.

"It's all over school, what happened with Debbie and Pete," Zoey told them. "Except for the Pete was a monster part."

"Yeah," Oz agreed. "A freshman told me that Pete had eight iced cafe mochas and just lost it."

"That's better than the estrogen theory," Buffy told them.

Brooke nodded. "I heard he took all of his mother's birth control pills."

"He didn't?" Cordelia asked. "Pete was a monster?" Carmen nodded. "Where have I been?"

"In your special place, Cor," Xander answered. "Which is why I adore you."

"So what's the true story?" Cordelia asked. "What happened?"

"Well, we got a hold of, uh, Pete's lab books and stuff, and Mr. Science was doing a Jekyll/Hyde deal," Willow answered.

"He was afraid Debbie was gonna leave him, so he mixed this potion to become super mas macho," Eric explained.

"The only thing was, after a while, he didn't need the potion to turn into a bad guy," Brady told them. "He did it just fine on his own."

"So it was like a real killing," Alice told them. "He wasn't under the influence of anything."

"Just himself," Wyatt agreed.

Carmen saw Scott sitting by himself. "Uh... I'll see you guys later."

"Okay," Wyatt agreed.

Carmen walked away.

"Great," Cordelia said. "Now I'm gonna be stuck with serious thoughts all day."

They all split up.

Carmen walked up to Scott, sitting down next to him. "I don't know what to say that's not gonna sound stupid or obvious."

"I've been friends with them both since before we started school," Scott told her.

"Is there anything I can do?" Carmen asked.

Scott looked at her for a moment. "Thanks. I'm gonna be okay. It's just that you never really know what's going on inside somebody. Do you? I mean, you think... if you care about them... But you never really do."

∞

Night - Angel's Mansion

Angel was sitting on the floor. Bianca's hands and eyes glowed with Guardian energy as she was using more to help Angel, which was working slowly. Soon enough, Angel was falling asleep on his own.

Carmen walked in to check on them. "How is he?"

"Getting better, I think," Bianca answered. "He just went to sleep."

"Bianca, why didn't you say anything?" Carmen asked.

"I did," Bianca answered. "I spoke to Zoey, Alice, Wyatt, Giles, Layla and Brady... but I told them it was a dream that he came back. I just... I didn't know how to tell them the truth, because I know they'll freak, and I just..."

Carmen nodded sadly. "I know. But I can't keep this from Zoey. Not after everything that happened. I have a lot to make up for when it comes to Zoey and Layla anyway. Since Angel's vampires nearly put them in comas and I didn't even check on them after I left. I feel horrible. And now that the vampire that killed Enyos, Jenny and Snowy... Zoey's great uncle, aunt and puppy... also Layla's uncle and sister... after Angel tried to kill them too... I can't keep it from them."

"I know," Bianca told her sadly. "I didn't want to lie. I just didn't know what to do."

Carmen nodded in understanding. "I know."

"I could help you tell Zoey and Layla, if that helps," Bianca told her.

Carmen shook her head. "No. This is just something I have to do on my own. But thank you, Bianca."

Bianca nodded.

∞

Francis House - Zoey's Room

Zoey was sitting on her bed, holding an acoustic guitar, playing a few notes.

Layla stood with her, smiling a bit. "Zo..." Zoey looked up, smiling. "You're good. Maybe as good as your father."

Zoey smirked. "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious, Zoey," Layla told her in amusement.

Carmen walked in. "Hey, Zo. Layla."

Zoey looked up, smiling a bit. "Hey, Car."

"Carmen, hi," Layla greeted.

Carmen slowly walked closer, not sure where to begin. "Do you think we can talk?"

"Yeah, of course," Zoey answered, placing her guitar aside, patting the bed next to her. "You know you can tell me anything. And Mom's always been there for you too."

Carmen nodded. "Yeah, I know." She sat down with Zoey, looking up at Layla. "I mean, Layla, you've been more of a mother figure to me than my own mother, so... And I know that I had to talk to you both. I just don't know where to begin."

Layla sat down in a chair nearby. "Well, like Zoey said. You know that you can tell us anything. Begin where you feel like."

Carmen swallowed, nodding, starting to explain to Zoey and Layla that Angel was really back, alive, like how Bianca had told them, Alice, Brady, Wyatt and Giles before, and that Angel had saved her life from Pete, and Bianca was helping Angel with the Guardian energy to bring him back to himself. Zoey and Layla were growing more and more shocked and numb at every word, but they didn't show anger, though they were very shaken to know that Angel was back, having a twinge of sadness because of what Angel did to them throughout book two after he lost his soul, but knowing that he did have his soul back thanks to them and knowing that Bianca was trying to help him the same way that Eric and Willow were helping Bianca. Both of them were in too much shock to react. As Carmen was telling them the truth, and Zoey and Layla were reacting, Bianca was speaking in voice over.

Bianca: (voice over, Call of the Wild) "Night came on, and a full moon rose high over the trees. Lighting the land till it lay bathed in ghostly day. And the strain of the primitive remained alive and active. Faithfulness and devotion, things born of fire and roof were his. Yet he retained his wildness and williness. And from the depths of the forest, a call still sounded."