Into every generation, there are Chosen Ones. A Slayer will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. With each Slayer comes a Guardian. They are protectors of the innocent.

Day One

Night - Cemetery

The camera was focused on a heart shaped locket that Xander was dangling in the extreme foreground so that everything in the distance was out of focus and unrecognizable. "So, what do you think?"

The camera shifted into focus onto Buffy, who was sitting on a gravestone. "It's nice."

Cut to a full shot of them. They, Eric, Brooke, Zoey, Alice, Carmen, Brady and Wyatt were waiting near a fresh grave.

Xander walked closer, still dangling the locket. "Carmen, do you think Cordelia will like it?"

Carmen shrugged. "I don't know."

Zoey pulled the locket closer to take a closer look. "Does she know what one of these is?"

Xander pulled it out of her hand, putting it and his hands into his jacket pockets, chuckling. "Okay, big yuks. When are you guys gonna stop making fun of me for dating Cordelia?"

Zoey smirked. "I'm sorry. But never."

The others smiled.

"We just think you could find somebody more..." Eric trailed off. "Better."

"Uh, parallel universe, maybe," Xander told them. "Besides, Cordy and I are really getting along, we're not fighting as much, and yesterday we just sat together, not even speaking, you know, just, uh, enjoying comfortable silence."

Wyatt chuckled. "Man. It was that dull, huh?"

Brooke smiled. "We're glad that you guys are getting along." She smirked facetiously. "Almost really."

"Ignore them," Alice told him. "And don't stress over the gift."

"We know this is new territory for you," Brady told him. "I mean, your Valentines are usually met with heartfelt restraining orders."

Alice hit Brady lightly on the chest, making him smirk.

Carmen gave them a look, tilting her head at Xander. "She'll love it."

"I wish dating was like slaying," Buffy told them. "You know, simple. Direct, stake to the heart. No muss, no fuss."

The vampire rose from the fresh grave.

Xander reacted quickly, jerking back as the newly risen demon came for him, tripping, falling backward onto his butt.

Wyatt waved a hand toward the vampire, magically throwing him high and away, making him hit the ground hard. His momentum carried him into a reverse somersault, and he rolled to his feet, starting to come at Brady.

Brady did a double kick to the vampire's chest with both feet in rapid succession, landing upright as the vampire staggered back into the corner column of a small mausoleum.

The vampire tried to punch Zoey twice. Zoey blocked both moves, ducking a third swing, punching him in the face twice. The vampire grabbed Zoey to throw her into the side of a crypt, making her fall, regaining his balance, lunging for Buffy, Brooke and Alice.

Brooke kicked the vampire in the leg, making him trip and spin to the ground. Buffy did two spins to kick and punch the vampire with both feet and arms. As the vampire got up, Alice used red Guardian energy to fly closer, kicking him in the face and chest with both feet, knocking him down again.

The vampire stood. Carmen made a hand gesture at the vampire, using her power to freeze him in place. Eric shot him in the chest with his crossbow. The vampire burst into a cloud of ashes. Everyone watched in satisfaction.

"Sorry, Buffy," Eric told her. "Slaying is a tad more perilous than dating."

Carmen smirked. "Well, you're obviously not dating Cordelia."

∞ Slayers and Guardians ∞

Day Two

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Outside

Cordelia walked up the steps from the street, seeing her friends sitting on a wall, heading over to them. When they saw her coming, they all stood, making their way toward the main entrance, ignoring her.

Cordelia followed. "Wait up. Hey, wait up. Excuse me, where's the fire sale?"

They all stopped, turning to face her.

"Oh, sorry," Harmony told her sarcastically. "Didn't see you."

"Well, why didn't you call me back last night?" Cordelia asked. "We need to talk about our outfits for the dance." She pointed at a friend named Kate. "I'm gonna wear red and black, so you need to switch."

"Red and black?" Kate repeated. "Is that what Xander likes?"

"Xander?" Cordelia repeated. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Well, a girl wants to look good for her geek," Harmony mocked.

Cordelia gave her a look. "Xander's just--"

"When are you two gonna start wearing cute little matching outfits?" Harmony asked. "'Cause I'm planning to vomit." She looked at the others. "Let's go."

They all turned away, heading into the building, leaving Cordelia behind.

∞

American Literature Class

The bell rang.

"Papers on my desk," Mrs. Beakman told the class. "Anybody tries to leave without giving me a paper is looking at a failing grade."

The Scoobies stood.

Xander was holding his paper. "Ha, ha, ha, this time I'm ready for you. No 'F' for Xander today. No, this baby's my ticket to a sweet D-minus."

They stepped down the aisle and stopped next to Amy.

"Hey, Amy," Willow told her.

"Hey," Amy told them, pulling on her backpack. "Are you guys going to the Valentine's Day dance at the Bronze? I think it's gonna be a lot of fun."

Zoey smiled.

"Go ahead," Willow told her. "You know you wanna say it."

Zoey looked at Amy. "My boyfriend's in the band."

Amy smiled and laughed. "Cool. And you seem to be playing it off very cooly."

"How can you be cool if you don't play it off cooly?" Brooke asked.

The girls laughed.

Brady looked at the others. "What about you guys?"

"Hello, geeky, spaz," Willow told them.

Carmen waved her off. "Oh, Valentine's Day is just a cheap gimmick to sell cards and chocolate."

"Bad breakup, huh?" Amy asked.

Alice nodded. "Believe me when we say, 'uh-huh'."

They all walked up to the teacher's desk. Buffy handed in her paper.

"Thank you," Mrs. Beakman told her. Buffy walked out of the room. Willow handed in her paper. "Thank you." Willow walked out of the room. Zoey handed in her paper. "Thank you." Zoey walked out of the room. Brooke handed in her paper. "Thank you." Brooke walked out of the room. Alice handed in her paper. "Thank you." Alice walked out of the room. Carmen handed in her paper. "Thank you." Carmen walked out of the room. Brady handed in his paper. "Thank you." Brady walked out of the room. Xander handed in his paper. "Thank you." Xander walked out of the room. Amy stood in front of Ms. Beakman, staring her down. There was a long silence as Amy concentrated on staring into the teacher's eyes. Eric, standing behind Amy, lost his smile as he was seeing this. A moment later, Ms. Beakman smiled, gesturing as though she was accepting a paper from her. "Thank you, Amy."

Amy smiled, walking out of the room. Eric walked up to the desk, staring open-mouthed after Amy, handing his paper in also.

∞

Hallway

On the stairs, the girls, Xander and Brady were walking down. Amy hopped down past them with a big smile on her face and walked into the lounge.

Brooke looked at Willow and Carmen. "I just hated to think of you solo on Valentine's Day."

They walked down the hall.

"We'll be fine," Willow told them.

Carmen nodded. "'Fine', as the term of eating chocolate until I die."

"Mom, Brady, Buffy and I also had a pig-out vid fest," Brooke told them. "It's a time honored tradition."

Eric caught up to them, pointing at Amy. "Did you guys see that?"

"See what?" Alice asked.

"In class," Eric answered. "I think Amy just worked some magic on Mrs. Beakman."

"You mean like witchcraft?" Brooke asked.

"You know, her mom was a witch," Alice told them.

"And an amateur psycho," Zoey told them. "Amy's the last person that should be messing with that stuff."

"Maybe we should go talk to her," Buffy told them.

Giles and Wyatt saw them, walking closer.

"Brooke," Wyatt told her. "Buffy. Zoey. Alice. Carmen. Brady."

"Might we have a word?" Giles asked.

"Have a sentence, even," Brooke told him.

Giles got the joke. "Oh. Good. Well, uh..."

"Right," Alice told them. "Let's go."

They walked down the hall.

∞

Library

They were talking in the library, with Layla.

"We're growing more concerned about you and your friends," Giles told them. "Uh, since Angel, um, uh, turned, I've been reading up on his earlier activities. You know, uh, feeding patterns and the like."

"And?" Carmen asked.

"Around Valentine's Day, he--he--he's rather prone to, uh, well, brutal displays of..." Layla trailed off. "He would think of it as affection. I guess."

"Like what?" Brady asked.

"No, uh, no need to go into details," Layla told them, stepping away.

"That bad?" Buffy asked.

"Suffice it to say, I think it would be best if you all stayed off the streets for a few nights," Giles told them. "Especially with Angel teaching Bianca his ways and both of them still out for Carmen, Brady, Alice, and still out to abide by Spike's wishes on targeting Brooke and Wyatt, and after what Angel did to Layla and Jenny's uncle, Zoey's great-uncle..."

"Then Eric and I'll handle patrol and keep an eye on things," Buffy told them.

Brooke nodded. "Better safe than sorry."

Carmen just looked at them. "It's a little late for both."

∞

Spike's Warehouse

Drusilla opened a jewelry case, and inside was a gold necklace with rubies set into an integrated pendant. The camera panned up from it over to Spike in his wheelchair.

"Fancy it, pet?" Spike asked.

Drusilla smiled. "Ah, it's beautiful. Mm."

"Nothing but the best for my girl," Spike told her.

Angelus walked over to the table, setting down two human hearts, fresh and bloody, in front of the girls. "Dru, Bianca, happy Valentine's Day."

Bianca was shocked but smiling, holding her hands over it. "Oh. Angel." Angelus raised his eyebrows at Spike. "It's still warm."

Spike closed his eyes, letting out a deep breath, looking at Angelus in annoyance.

"I knew you'd like them," Angelus told them, inhaling the aroma. "I found them in quaint little shop girls."

Bianca saw the necklace, picking it up, holding it out to have a look at it, smiling. "Pretty."

Angelus took the necklace. "Speaking of necklaces, Bianca, where'd you get the one you're always wearing?"

"Gift from Brady," Bianca answered. "Back when we were together. Back in LA."

Angelus smirked, going to put the necklace from Spike around Drusilla's neck. "Of course it is. Here."

Drusilla pulled her hair back, away so he could close the clasp behind her neck.

Spike wheeled toward them, annoyed with Angelus' forwardness with both girls. "I'll get it."

Angelus looked at him. "Done. I know Dru gives you pity access, but you have to admit, it's so much easier when I do things for her and Bianca."

Angelus smiled.

Spike was controlling his anger. "You would do well to worry about Dru and Bianca." Angelus rolled his eyes. "And more about the games you've been teaching Bianca about tampering with Wyatt and friends."

Bianca paced behind the table. "Dear Wyatt. Brooke. Brady. Alice. Carmen. And all their friends. Still trying to decide the best way to send regards. Especially after Angel ripped Zoey and Layla's uncle to pieces."

Bianca sat on the table.

"Why don't you rip Brooke and Alice's lungs out in front of Wyatt and Brady?" Spike asked. "It might make an impression. Send them over the edge like we've been trying to do."

"Lacks poetry," Angelus told them.

"It doesn't have to," Spike told them, thinking. "What rhymes with lungs?"

"Don't worry, Spike," Drusilla told him. "Angel and Bianca know what speak to their hearts."

Bianca looked at her present of a heart, smiling in realization, looking up. "I think I have an idea." They looked at her. "But we'll need a witch on our side."

The others were curious, impressed by whatever she was thinking.

∞

The Bronze

(Song:) Pain - Dingoes Ate My Baby (Four Star Mary)

Oz was lead guitarist, and Devon was singer. Zoey, Xander and Willow were sitting at a table. Willow was bobbing her head to the music. Xander was fidgeting with a jewelry box, oblivious to the music. Oz smiled over at Zoey and then looked down at his guitar. Zoey looked up at Oz and smiled. Oz smiled back as he played.

Willow looked at Zoey. "Are you turning into a groupie?"

Zoey smiled. "Maybe."

Zoey looked at Willow and Xander with a smile.

"Oh, no, I know that look," Willow told her. "No dancing."

Xander looked at them. "Yeah, I gotta go with Will on this one, forget about it, Zoey."

"Don't you dare leave me out there alone," Zoey told them, teasingly, grabbing one of their hands with each of hers, pulling them with her to the dance floor. Zoey started to dance lively. Willow barely moved, but was clearly enjoying herself. Xander gave in, dancing along with them. Zoey looked toward the stage, smiling. Oz smiled.

Cordelia walked in, seeing her friends, smiling. "Oh, hey."

They all gave her looks of disgust.

"Let's get out of here," Harmony told them.

Cordelia just stood there, watching them go.

(Song Pauses)

∞

Summers House - Living Room

Buffy, Eric, Brooke, Wyatt, Brady and Alice were sitting around the room, watching TV, eating snacks.

"I'm glad we decided to come here," Brooke told them. "Just sitting here with Buffy and Brady and the people we're with? Alice, Wyatt and Eric."

"Yeah, it's better than going to the Bronze," Brady agreed. "Interesting triple date."

They smirked, hearing a knock on the door, looking in that direction.

Eric handed his popcorn to Buffy. "Here. I can get it."

Eric stood, walking toward the door. Buffy put the popcorn down, following.

∞

Outside

Eric and Buffy walked outside, looking around, confused when they saw no one was there, looking further out in both directions, shrugging, walking inside, closing the door.

∞

Inside

Eric and Buffy saw that the others weren't in the living room, looking around, calling out for Brooke, Brady, Alice and Wyatt.

They heard them call out for Buffy and Eric as well.

∞

Kitchen

Buffy and Eric walked through the house, looking, looking out the window when they heard something outside, seeing nothing, continuing on to the kitchen door, startled when Brady, Alice, Brooke and Wyatt made their way inside.

"Buffy, Eric, it's us," Alice told them.

"Sorry for the jump scare," Brady told them.

"We were just checking the back door," Wyatt explained.

Brooke was holding a long black box with a black bow. "Somebody left this for us."

Brooke put the box down. They all exchanged a look, cautious of what could be in the box, opening it, seeing a dozen red roses along with a card bearing a single word: Soon.

∞

The Bronze

(Song Resumes)

The band was still playing. Zoey and Willow were still dancing. Xander looked around, finding Cordelia sitting alone at a table, walking closer. Cordelia saw him coming, looking at him, standing up to meet him.

(Song Ends)

"Hey," Xander told her.

Cordelia looked him up and down. "Your clothes... you look so good."

Xander looked at his clothes. "Oh, I let the girls dress me." Cordelia gave him a confused look. "Well, not physically."

Cordelia was upset. "Perfect. You had to make this harder, didn't you?"

Xander frowned in confusion. "Okay, clearly the fact that I please you visually has got us off on the wrong foot here."

"Xander..." Cordelia trailed off.

Xander stopped her with a gesture. "Let me finish. I've been thinking a lot about us lately, the why and the wherefore, you know, once, twice, a kissy here, a kissy there, and you can chalk it all up to hormones, and maybe that's all we have here, tawdry teen lust, but maybe not; maybe something in you sees something special inside me and vice versa. I mean, I think I do see something, so..."

Xander pulled out the jewelry box, handing it to her.

Cordelia took it, looking at him. "Xander, thank you." She opened the box, holding up the necklace, stunned. "It's beautiful." She exhaled, looking at him. "I wanna break up."

Xander looked at her in disbelief. "Okay, not quite the reaction I was looking for."

Cordelia shook her head. "I know, I'm sorry. It's just, who are we kidding?" Xander looked at the necklace. "Even if parts of us do see specialness, we don't fit."

Xander looked up, very upset. "Yeah, okay. Do you know what's a good day to break up with somebody? Any day besides Valentine's Day. I mean, what, were you running low on dramatic irony?"

Cordelia looked him apologetically. "I know, I didn't mean do it this way."

"Well, you did," Xander replied.

Cordelia gave him a sorry look. Xander stared back for a moment, turning, leaving. Cordelia looked down at the pendant.

∞

Street

Bianca was walking along, finding Amy, smiling, walking up to her. "Amy Madison."

"Uh, hi," Amy told her, frowning. "Don't I know you from school?"

"Yeah, you do," Bianca answered. "I was that girl that only got to your school a few days before I had to drop out. Sick and health issues, you know."

Amy nodded. "Right, you were friends with Buffy, Brooke and Brady."

Bianca smiled. "Brady's ex-girlfriend, actually. But enough about me. I'm here to talk about you. You're a witch."

Amy glanced around, in shock. "No, I'm not."

"Don't try to deny it," Bianca told her. "Brady and his friends told me about the time when your witch mother tried to kill Zoey and they had to lock her up someplace dark. See, I know a thing or two about witches, and I know that it runs in a family. So, either you can help me, or I tell someone your secret." She shifted into her vampire visage. "Or I can kill you."

Amy backed away in fear, only to run into Angelus, who was smirking.

"Sorry, witch," Angelus taunted. "We just need you to do a spell for us. If you don't, you die. And if you do, maybe we'll let you go. I'm betting that you're not as strong a witch as Carmen Chase and Wyatt Pratt. Meaning it should be fairly easy to kill you."

Amy glared at them in fear, crossing her arms. "What do you want?"

Bianca chuckled. "What do we want? We want some respect around here. We want for once, to come out ahead. We want the Hellmouth to be working for us. You and us, Amy? We're gonna cast a little spell."

Amy was afraid. Bianca and Angelus smirked smugly.

∞∞

Magic Box

In the empty magic shop, Bianca and Angelus were with Amy.

"A love spell?" Amy asked.

"Yeah," Angelus answered. "You know, just the basic can't eat, can't sleep, can't breathe anything but the targets of the spell."

"Well, that kind of thing is the hardest," Amy told them. "I mean, to make someone love you for all eternity?"

Angelus waved his hand, shaking his head. "Whoa, whoa, back up. Who said anything about me or Bianca being the targets of the spell?"

"Well, then I don't get it," Amy admitted. "If you don't want anyone to love you, then what's the point?"

"The spell's for Brady Summers and Wyatt Pratt," Angelus explained. "To make every woman in Sunnydale so crazy in love to be with them that they'll kill anyone to be with them."

Bianca smirked, holding onto a shelf of magical objects. "Including killing their girlfriends. The Guardians. Brooke Summers and Alice Giles."

"You want to turn every girl in Sunnydale against Brooke and Alice so they'll kill them to be with Wyatt and Brady?" Amy asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Angelus answered. "Pretty sure that Bianca just said that. I know what you're wondering. 'Why?' Well, because we're trying to make Brady and Wyatt vulnerable. We're for sure that this will make Wyatt lose his mind. Because all of this is insanity. And then it'll allow us to get to Brady. And use him to turn him and get to kill all the rest. If we turn Brady, and they don't know he's a vampire, then he can help us kill them one by one. Until there's nothing left. Like I said, it's insane. Genius. Provided by the genius and insane Bianca Fordham."

Bianca smiled happily. "I did good, didn't I?"

"You did brilliant," Angelus answered. Bianca smirked, bouncing excitedly. They smirked, turning to Amy. "All we need you to do is do the spell. Do it, you live. Don't, you die."

"Now, are you gonna play?" Bianca asked. "Or do we need to have another chat about how creatively we're gonna kill you?"

Amy, afraid, considered the situation. "I'll need something of theirs. A personal object."

"No problem," Angelus told her. "Just make sure the spell doesn't effect Bianca."

Bianca took her necklace off. "Brady gave me this in LA when we were together on our anniversary. Will it work?"

Amy took the necklace, nodding. "Yeah, it will. Just get me something of Wyatt's."

∞

Day Three

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Hallway

Xander was walking down the hall, moping.

A boy passed him in the halls, patting Xander's shoulder. "Dude, way to get dumped."

Xander continued down the hall, looking up, seeing his friends coming the other way, holding the box. "Ooh, guys, my buds, you will not believe..."

"Can't talk right now," Carmen told him. "Bianca and Angel."

"Do you need help?" Xander asked.

"It's all right," Zoey answered.

They walked away. Xander watched them go, continuing down the hall. A group of girls passed around Xander, staring and giggling at him. Xander sighed, watching them go. A few steps further along, and he ran into Cordy's friends.

"Gee, Xander, maybe you should learn a second language so that even more girls can reject you," Harmony taunted.

Harmony and the other girls laughed. Xander just kept moping along.

∞

Library

The others were talking to Giles and Layla. Brady laid the card and the box of flowers down in front of then.

"'Soon' what?" Zoey asked. "Giles, you never held out on us until the big, bad thing in the dark became Carmen and Brady's ex-honies."

Layla looked at the card. "Where did this come from?"

"Bianca and Angel sent it with flowers," Alice answered. "This isn't time to start becoming protective. We can't just hang around. We can't prepare when we don't know what's coming."

Giles sat up in his chair. "No, of course. You're right."

Layla sat down, gesturing to the others. "Uh... sit. Sit down."

∞

Night - Magic Box

Amy was holding a candle, sitting cross-legged on the floor inside a large red symbol for woman painted on the floor, waving Bianca's necklace and an object of Wyatt's over her witch's brew, which was boiling. "Diana, goddess of love and the hunt, I pray to thee. Let my cries bind the hearts of Wyatt and Brady." She lowered the objects into the brew as Bianca and Angelus watched her curiously. The flame in the witch's brew became huge as the power of the spell emanated from the brew, swirling above it and between her hands. "Diana, bring about this love and bless it."

The swirls of energy began to return to the brew, disappearing. Amy blew out the candle, leaving nothing but blackness.

∞

Day Four

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Library

Giles was sitting on the table, looking through a book. Layla was sitting in a chair across from him. Buffy, Eric, Brooke, Wyatt, Brady, Alice, Zoey and Carmen were with them, standing or sitting around.

"Look, here's another," Layla told them. "Here. Um, Valentine's Day. Yes, uh... Angel nails a puppy to the--"

"Skip it," Zoey told her.

"Uh, but it..." Giles trailed off.

"Zoey and Layla have a puppy," Buffy told them. "They don't wanna know. Skip it."

Layla closed her book. "Yeah."

"Right you are," Wyatt told them. "I'll get another batch."

Xander walked in. "I have a plan, we use me as bait."

"You mean make Angel and Bianca come after you?" Brooke asked.

"No, I mean chop me into little pieces and stick me on hooks for fish to nibble at, 'cause it would be more fun than my life," Xander answered.

"Yeah," Carmen told him. "We heard about you and Cordy. That's her loss. Cordelia can be a ditz as we know."

"Yeah, not really the popular theory," Xander told them.

Brady sighed, standing, walking away. "All of this with Bianca and Angel is killing me."

Brooke and Alice weren't affected by the spell because they already loved Wyatt and Brady respectively, but the other girls in the room were starting to be effected.

Zoey walked toward Brady. "You know what I'd like? Why don't you and I do something together? Just the two of us."

Brady was confused. "What?"

Carmen leaned toward Wyatt. "Hey. Maybe we can comfort each other."

Buffy stood, looking at them, taking a step closer, smiling. "Play your cards right..."

"Okay, uh..." Eric trailed off in confusion. "What's going on with you guys?"

Amy walked in. "Wyatt, Brady, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"You can say whatever you need to say in front of all of us," Brady answered.

All the girls were looking at Wyatt and Brady.

"I wanted to tell you sooner, but your old friends Angel and Bianca came to me," Amy told them. All the boys looked at her, shocked, and the girls were curious too, but more interested in Wyatt and Brady. "They wanted me to cast a destructive love spell on Wyatt and Brady. To turn all the girls insane for them, enough to kill for you two, enough to..."

"Kill Brooke and Alice," Wyatt finished, cursing underneath his breath. "Bloody hell..."

"They're seriously not gonna stop until Brooke and Alice are gone and they have Wyatt and Brady," Giles told them.

Buffy smiled. "Oh, can I have Wyatt? I'm not interested in Brady since he's my brother."

"Do you mind?" Brooke asked. "We're talking about something important here."

The girls glared at Brooke and Alice.

"Uh, we really gotta go," Alice told them. "Right now."

∞

Wyatt's Loft

Wyatt, Brady, Alice and Brooke arrived, standing alone. Eric and Xander followed to help them if they had to.

"This is insane," Brady told them.

"This may seem like a simple prank at first, but it can get very deadly very quickly," Wyatt told them.

Willow walked in from the back door, causing them to turn around in shock. "Sorry, I wanted to surprise you."

"Good job," Brooke told her. "High marks."

"Brady, Wyatt, I've been thinking," Willow told them.

"Will, I think we know what you've been thinking, but whatever you're feeling, it's not real," Brady told her.

Willow rubbed the sheets. "How long have we been friends? I mean, friendships change all the time, people grow apart, they grow closer."

"Uh, that is close enough," Wyatt told her.

Willow ignored the others, walking toward Brady and Wyatt, smiling. "I want you to be my first, together."

"Baseman," Eric told her. "Please tell me you're talking baseball."

"Is it Brooke and Alice?" Willow asked. "I can get rid of them for you. Just to be with you. Forever and ever."

Losing her patience, Brooke rolled her eyes, holding out her hand to put up a barrier of Guardian energy in front of Willow to keep her back.

"Okay, Willow, we're not gonna hurt you," Alice told her.

"But we can't have you following us," Brady told her.

"Let's go," Wyatt told them. "I gotta find out which spell Angel and Bianca had Amy do so we can reverse it."

They left the loft, leaving Willow upset and angry.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Hallway

(Song:) Got the Love - Average White Band

Eric, Xander, Brady, Alice, Wyatt and Brooke walked through the hallway, looking for Amy. All of the girls were staring at Brady and Wyatt with love in their eyes, some giggling, some giving them sexy looks, some just watching them walk. Eric and Xander were weirded out, in disbelief. Alice and Brooke were worried, nervous by all the girls glaring daggers at them.

"Keep an eye out for Amy," Eric told them. "We gotta find someone who's not affected by the spell."

"Yeah, and hopefully reverse the spell before someone gets seriously hurt," Xander agreed.

Everyone split up.

(Song Ends)

Cordelia and her friends walked up to Alice and Brooke, glaring. "You get to have Brady and Wyatt all to yourselves. You make me sick."

"Okay, Cordelia, if you need to borrow my Midol, just ask," Brooke told her sarcastically.

Cordelia slapped Brooke and Alice across the faces. Alice and Brooke tried to walk around them, but Harmony blocked their way. Cordelia, Harmony and their friends pushed Brooke and Alice against the lockers, and then to the floor, starting to beat them. Brooke and Alice used their Guardian power to get into their heads to make them stop, standing, helping each other up, looking at each other worriedly, starting to run down the hall.

∞

Library

The boys came to talk to Giles and Layla.

Layla was effected by the spell. "Hey, Wyatt. Hey, Brady. Nice shirts. Have you been working out?"

Giles took Layla by the arm, pulling her behind him. Layla kept looking at them, playing with her necklace.

"Wyatt, uh, have you tried to get Amy to tell you the exact spell she used so you can reverse it?" Giles asked.

"I get around Amy and all she wants to do is talk honeymoon plans," Wyatt told him.

"Rupert, maybe I need to talk to Brady and Wyatt alone, without you, Xander and Eric," Layla told him, stepping around Giles.

Giles pulled her back. "Do you have any idea how serious this is? People under a love spell are deadly, they lose all capacity for reason, and with them all out for Alice and Brooke, who won't hurt anyone innocent, and if what Amy says is true and the entire female population is affected. Wyatt, Brady, don't leave the library. Eric, Xander and I will go keep an eye on Brooke and Alice, and find Amy and see if we can put a stop to this thing."

Giles, Eric and Xander started to leave.

Layla rubbed her fingers together, alone with Wyatt and Brady, sashaying up to them, who backed away. Giles walked up to them, taking Layla by the hand, pulling her with him, Eric and Xander.

Layla reached her arm out to Wyatt and Brady as they dragged her off. "No!"

Brady and Wyatt were trying to remain calm, sighing heavily.

Amy, Buffy, Zoey and Carmen walked in, wearing only short black raincoats that reached barely down to mid-thigh, and black high heels. Wyatt and Brady turned, looking at them in shock. While Amy, Zoey and Carmen came here for both boys, Buffy was only here for Wyatt.

"Alone at last," Buffy told them.

"Guys, give us a heart attack," Brady told them.

Carmen smiled, starting a sexy walk toward them. "Oh, we're gonna give you more than that."

The girls grabbed their raincoat belts to untie them.

Brady backed away, gesturing with his hands. "Oh, for the love of God, don't open those raincoats."

"Come on," Zoey told them. "It's a party. Aren't you gonna open your presents?"

"No," Wyatt answered. "This isn't real to you." Buffy stepped up, putting her leg over Wyatt. Wyatt gently pushed her back. "You're only here because of a spell."

The girls looked at them in confusion.

"I mean, you don't feel anything for us like that," Brady told them. "You don't. So we can't."

Carmen started to get upset. "So you're saying this is all a game?"

"A game?" Brady repeated. "I... No!"

"You make us feel this way, and then you reject us?" Buffy asked angrily. "What are we, toys?"

"Guys, please calm down," Wyatt told them.

"We'll calm down when you explain yourselves," Zoey told them. "It's Alice and Brooke, right?"

Carmen laughed sarcastically. "Well, I guess we'll just have to get them out of the way."

Alice and Brooke walked in.

"Get away from them," Alice told them. "Guys, we don't wanna hurt you."

"But we're not gonna let you hurt anyone because of the spell," Brooke told them. "Besides, they're ours."

"Oh, I don't think so," Carmen told them. "Brady, Wyatt, tell them. Tell Alice and Brooke that you're not theirs."

"What?" Wyatt asked. "I, uh..."

"They don't have to say," Alice told them.

Brooke sighed. "This is what the spell wants."

"Funny, I know what your face wants," Buffy told her, punching Brooke in the face, looking at Wyatt. "What is this? You're two-timing me, with my sister?"

Brady and Wyatt didn't know what to say.

Amy's eyes had become black. She began to weave a spell with her hands. "Goddess Hecate, work thy will."

Zoey frowned. "Uh-oh."

The spell's energy swirled around Amy. "Before thee let the unclean things crawl!"

Amy thrust her arms out at Alice and Brooke. Alice and Brooke used their red Guardian energy to deflect the spell so they wouldn't get effected by it. The spell was launched back at Amy, enveloping her. The energy soon dissipated.

"Amy?" Carmen asked. "Oh, my God."

∞∞

They all looked down at Amy's empty raincoat lying on the floor. Giles, Layla, Xander and Eric walked in quickly.

"What?" Eric asked. "What just happened?"

Brooke indicated the raincoat. "Amy tried to cast a spell on me and Alice."

"Brooke and I protected ourselves but our powers sent it back at Amy," Alice explained.

Layla smiled widely when she saw Wyatt and Brady, trying to go to them.

Giles held Layla back. "Where is she?"

Eric and Xander pulled Zoey, Buffy and Carmen away from everyone. They all looked down at the raincoat.

Amy had been turned into a rat, crawling out of the raincoat.

"Oh, my God," Brooke said, shocked.

Zoey gestured to Alice and Brooke, looking at Brady and Wyatt. "Why are they here? You know, we can kill them for you."

"No," Eric told her. "Can you girls focus for a minute?"

They watched Rat!Amy scamper across the floor.

"Amy can take care of herself," Carmen told them, turning to Brady and Wyatt. "Why don't we go someplace private?"

The others looked around for where Amy went.

"Can you..." Alice trailed off. "Can you please stop?"

"Who made you queen of the world?" Buffy asked.

Layla grabbed Wyatt and Brady by the shirts, pulling them closer. "What can I say? I guess Wyatt and Brady are just too much men for the pimple squad."

Alice and Carmen pulled Layla away.

Carmen started a spell like Amy's to take care of Alice and Brooke, swirling with power and magic, her eyes turning black. "Goddess Hecate, to pray, with this--"

Wyatt put his hand over Carmen's mouth before she could finish the spell, pulling her away. "Would you and Amy quit with the Hecate?"

Having enough, Giles looked at Buffy, Zoey, Carmen and Layla. "All of you, sit. And be quiet."

"We have to catch the Amy rat," Alice told them.

Xander spotted her. "Ooh, there."

Amy squeezed behind a bookcase as they rushed to catch her. Xander was too late to get Amy, but seeing her crawl along the space behind the case toward the other end, quickly crawling along the front of the case to head her off while the others helped.

"Good, Amy," Brooke told her. "Just..."

Willow arrived, punching Brooke and Alice in the face, startling them all. "That's for leaving me in Wyatt's loft trapped by your energy. Before it finally faded." She punched them again. "That's for keeping Wyatt and Brady away from the rest of us." She shook her hands out. "That kinda hurt."

"Kinda?" Alice repeated skeptically.

The other girls smiled in amusement, chuckling evilly.

Eric pulled his sister away from them. "Willow. Will, come on. They're some of your best friends."

Oz walked in. "Hey, guys. Something going on?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Zoey answered.

"Long story short?" Willow asked. "Angel and Bianca had Amy cast a love spell that turned every girl in town into love struck for Brady and Wyatt willing to kill Alice and Brooke. We really, really love them."

"Yeah, and Alice and Brooke are in the way," Buffy told him.

Zoey nodded. "We have to get rid of them."

"And now Amy's a rat," Layla added.

Oz was in shock by all of this. "Oh."

"Brooke, Alice, Brady, Wyatt, just go home," Giles told them. "You're safer there than you are here. Lock yourselves away. Now, Layla, Buffy, Zoey, Carmen, Willow, Eric, Xander and I will, uh, try to break the spell." The girls stood. "Oz, if you could aid us in finding, um, Amy..."

Oz nodded. "Sure. Absolutely."

"Dad..." Alice trailed off worriedly.

"It will be fine, Alice," Giles told her reassuringly.

They nodded, hesitantly walking out of the library.

∞

Hallway

Alice, Brady, Brooke and Wyatt walked into the hallway. Girls were waiting all around them, running closer.

"Brady, Wyatt, you can do so much better," Cordelia told them.

"Run," Wyatt told them.

Alice, Brady, Brooke and Wyatt started to run as girls were trying to attack Alice and Brooke, trying to kill them to get to Brady and Wyatt, but the boys kept them safe as they ran out of the hall and the school.

∞

Library

The others were in the library. Giles was going through the books of spells to find one that could reverse what was going on.

"It would be so much easier if we could have warlock genius Wyatt help us reverse the spell," Eric told them.

"Yes, well, Wyatt would be in danger while he was here," Giles replied.

"Sadly, yeah," Eric agreed.

"Why did you send Wyatt and Brady away?" Zoey asked.

"Wyatt needs me," Buffy told them.

"Both Brady and Wyatt need the rest of us," Carmen told them.

Xander scoffed.

"Don't laugh," Layla told him.

"They love us," Willow told them. "We look into each other's souls."

"No one can love two people at once," Eric told them. "Brady loves Alice. Wyatt loves Brooke."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I can always kill Alice. For Wyatt. That's how much I love him."

"And the rest of us?" Zoey asked. "We can kill Alice and Brooke. For both Wyatt and Brady."

"And we would," Carmen told them. "We really would. That's how you know what we have is real."

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "You know what? I'm going after them right now."

Layla stood. "I'll go with you. So will Buffy. Zoey. Carmen."

As the girls tried to leave, Giles, Xander and Eric stopped them.

"None of you are going anywhere," Giles told them. "Instead of making us ill, why doesn't one of you try to help us?"

"You have no idea what we're going through," Buffy told him.

"None," Zoey agreed.

"And you think you can prove it by killing your best friends to get to two more of your best friends?" Xander asked skeptically. "You'll kill Brooke and Alice just to be with Brady and Wyatt?"

The girls answered together. "Yeah!"

"Mm-hmm," Layla answered.

"We love them," Carmen told them.

"No, you don't," Xander told them in exasperation. "It's not love."

"It's obsession," Eric agreed. "Selfish, banal obsession."

"Now, Angel and Bianca have put Wyatt, Brady, Alice and Brooke in very great danger," Giles told them. "If you cared at all about any of them, you'd help us save them, rather than wittering on about your feelings."

Giles, Xander and Eric turned to work on the spell.

"Carmen?" Zoey asked.

Knowing what Zoey meant, Carmen used her power to freeze the three boys so they couldn't stop the girls from leaving. The girls smiled at each other, walking out of the library together. The boys unfroze, still thinking the girls were here.

"Now, let's get on with some work," Giles told them.

Eric looked up to see the girls gone, realizing that Carmen had froze them so they could leave. "Great."

∞

Outside

Alice, Brady, Brooke and Wyatt ran outside.

"I think we..." Brady trailed off when they saw a crowd of girls waiting for them. "Lost them."

Cordelia, Buffy, Zoey, Carmen, Willow and Layla were at the front of the girls. Willow was holding a fire ax.

"We should've known we'd find you with them," Layla told them.

"Guys, come on," Wyatt told them. "You don't wanna hurt us."

"We don't wanna hurt you and Brady, Wyatt," Zoey told him.

"But you don't know how hard this is for us," Carmen told them.

"We love you so much," Willow told them.

"Enough to kill those bitches," Buffy told them.

Willow raised the ax, advancing toward them. Buffy prepared to use Slayer fighting and strength. Zoey, Carmen and Layla prepared to use their powers.

Brooke, Wyatt and Alice used their powers to protect themselves and Brady. The girls all yelled and screamed as they fought their way closer to kill them.

"Get away!" Alice told them. "We don't wanna hurt you."

"Oh, no?" Cordelia asked. 'But we wanna kill you. Both of you!"

"Alice?" Brooke asked. "We gotta get them out of here."

Alice and Brooke grabbed Brady and Wyatt so they could use their Guardian energy to fly away with them. All of the girls watched them fly into the sky, running after them, following them through the town.

∞

School Basement

Rat!Amy scampered in and hopped down each step, making her way over to the boiler room. Oz had managed to track her, coming down the steps behind her with a flashlight, reaching the bottom of the steps, scanning around, looking for where she went. Rat!Amy went into the boiler room. Oz followed. A cat saw Rat!Amy, meowing meanly. Rat!Amy squeaked, running off. The cat chased after her.

∞

Night - Summers House - Outside

Bianca was standing on the porch, knocking on the door.

Joyce opened the door, surprised to see Bianca, smiling. "Bianca, hi. It's been so long."

Bianca smiled. "Yes, it has, Mrs. Summers. I know I promised to come see you more often when me and Billy first got to town. But things have gotten so hectic. Can I please come in?"

"Yes, of course," Joyce answered. "Brady, Buffy and Brooke should be home soon."

Bianca smiled, slowly stepping inside. "I figured as much."

Angelus watched from outside, smirking at how easy it was for Bianca to trick Joyce into inviting her in when everyone else was busy with trying to reverse the spell. When he looked up, he saw Alice and Brooke using Guardian energy to fly Brady and Wyatt to the house, hiding between a tree so they didn't know he was there. Alice and Brooke landed on the ground in crouches with Brady and Wyatt in their arms, letting the energy fade, walking inside. Angelus watched them, smirking.

∞

Kitchen

Alice, Brady, Brooke and Wyatt walked into the kitchen, looking through all the windows to make sure they were alone.

Joyce walked in. "Brady? Brooke? Alice? Wyatt?"

Brooke sighed. "Mom. What are you doing here? I thought you had work tonight."

"I did," Joyce answered. "They released me early. What happened? Why are you all scratched up? Where's Buffy?"

"She's, um..." Alice trailed off, looking around. "Around."

Joyce gestured to a stool. "Well, sit down and tell me about it." Wyatt and Brady sat down. Joyce looked at Brooke and Alice. "Why don't you run upstairs and grab some bandages out of the bathroom?" The two girls left to do as told. Joyce looked at Brady and Wyatt. "Let me, uh, get you something to drink. You in the mood for cold or hot?"

"I, uh..." Brady trailed off, shrugging with his hands.

Joyce walked around behind Wyatt, rubbing his shoulders. "I think it's more of a hot night, don't you?"

Joyce leaned in, giggling. Brady and Wyatt were both fed up to this point.

Wyatt dropped his head to the table. "Whatever."

"Mom, not you too," Brady told her.

Joyce massaged Wyatt's shoulders. "Ooh, you are so tense."

Wyatt stood to stop her, putting out a hand to keep her back. Alice and Brooke returned with bandages.

"Mom, what are you doing?" Brooke asked. "Make me yak."

"Brooke, go back upstairs," Joyce told her defensively. "This is between us."

"No," Alice told her. "I think not."

Joyce picked up a dish to try to slam it over Brooke's head, but Wyatt caught her wrist, making her drop it, catching the dish before it shattered, placing it down.

"I would remind you that that is your daughter, but it wouldn't matter to you right now," Wyatt told her.

They led Joyce to a closet, putting her inside, locking the door.

"And keep your mom-aged mitts off my boyfriend," Brooke told her.

Joyce struggled against the door, breaking a hole into it with a knife, making them jump. "Wyatt, honey, let Joycie in. Hon, let Joycie in."

Brady and Wyatt took Alice and Brooke by the hands, leading them out of the kitchen at a run.

"Upstairs," Brady told them. "My room."

∞

Brady's Room

They ran into the room, slamming and locking the door behind them, walking toward the window to check outside.

"Okay, Angel and Bianca's plan is to make us insane before they go for the kill, and I'd say their plan is working so far, because we're all freaking out enough to where it's almost insane," Brady told them.

"Yeah," Wyatt told them. "The mob still hasn't found us."

"We should be safer up here," Alice told them.

Angelus popped up outside the window. "Works in theory."

They jumped, turning to look at Angelus.

"Yeah, but you can't get in here to hurt us," Alice replied. "You're not invited in."

"No, I'm not," Angelus agreed. "But Bianca is."

Bianca stepped out of the closet, running toward Brady, Alice, Brook and Wyatt to push them out of the window straight into Angelus, making it so Angelus could grab them and pull them out of the house onto the roof.

∞

Outside

Bianca crawled out of the window onto the roof. Angelus stood. They ran toward Alice, Brooke, Brady and Wyatt as they were getting up from the roof, tackling them all off the roof to the ground below.

∞∞

Sunnydale High School - Boiler Room

The cat had apparently left or been chased away. Rat!Amy crawled around, trying to find the source of a scent. The camera panned behind some crates over to a trap baited with cheese.

∞

Summers House - Outside

Bianca and Angelus had just tackled Brooke, Alice, Brady and Wyatt off of the roof, making them land on the ground very badly, most of them hurt, except for Bianca and Angelus because they were vampires.

Bianca stood, smiling. "Hi, guys."

"How the hell..." Brady trailed off, realizing. "You tricked my mom into inviting you in."

Bianca smiled, laughing gleefully. "Duh."

"You know, I wanted to do something special for Carmen, actually to Carmen, but Bianca's idea was so much better," Angelus told them. "Seeing you four run and restrain yourselves from hurting people spelled to come after you has been priceless."

Alice rolled her eyes. "Of course this was Bianca's idea. It has her insane genius written all over it."

Bianca kicked Alice in the face as she tried to get up, making her fall back down, smiling. "It does, doesn't it?" As Wyatt got up, Angelus flipped him over onto the grass again before he could use magic. Bianca knelt next to Brady, grabbing his hair, lifting his head up so she could look him in the eyes. "If it's any consolation, I feel very close to you right now."

Angelus tried to kick Wyatt, but Wyatt held out his hand to block the move, standing, punching him in the face. A hand grabbed Angelus by the shoulder, pulling him away from Wyatt and throwing him aside into a tree, making him hit it hard and slide down to the ground.

Brooke jumped to a conclusion about who had helped Wyatt. "Buffy, how--"

Drusilla was the one there, helping Wyatt and Brady stand. "Don't fret, kittens. Mummy's here."

"Dru, we told you to stay home," Angelus told her in annoyance. "Bianca may be immune to the spell because of her necklace from Brady was used, but you're not immune."

Drusilla growled at them. "If you harm one hair on these boys' heads..."

"We're not gonna hurt them, Dru," Bianca told her. "We're gonna hurt Brooke and Alice. Wanna help? Then we can have Brady and Wyatt all to ourselves."

Drusilla smiled. "I'd love to help. Because we finally found real men."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I guess you two really are completely crazy."

Drusilla ran her fingers over Wyatt's lips, but he pushed her hand away. "Your faces are poems. I can read them."

"Really?" Wyatt asked sarcastically.

"It doesn't say 'leave us the hell alone' by any chance?" Brady asked.

Drusilla stepped closer. "Shh. How do you feel about eternal life?"

Alice used red energy to grab Drusilla, throwing her away from Brady into Angelus and Bianca, making them fall.

They prepared to fight, but were distracted by the screams of the mob of women running at them. Willow, Buffy, Zoey, Carmen, Cordelia and Layla were leading the way. Willow, Cordelia and other human girls were holding weapons. Buffy prepared to fight. Zoey, Carmen and Layla prepared power.

"There they are!" Carmen told them.

"Get them!" Zoey told them.

"Wyatt's mine!" Buffy told them.

"Brady and Wyatt are mine!" Willow told them.

The rest of the girls spoke together. "Mine too!"

Bianca and Angelus watched this is pleasure, satisfied that their plan was working.

As Alice and Brooke tried to get to Brady and Wyatt to get them out of there again, the mob of girls kept the four separated, grabbing each of them, and the four of them wouldn't hurt anyone innocent. The mob of cursed girls wrestled Alice, Brooke, Brady and Wyatt to the ground, pinning them on their knees.

Zoey and Layla's hands glowed with intense purple energy as they unleashed their gypsy powers on Brooke and Alice. Waves of violet light pulsed from their palms, enveloping the two Guardians in a swirling vortex of mystical energy. Brooke and Alice cried out as the gypsy magic seared through their bodies, weakening their Guardian abilities and draining their strength. It felt like their very life force was being drained.

Carmen's eyes turned pitch black as tapped into dark magic that she never had before. She chanted in Latin, her voice taking on an otherworldly echo, dark tendrils of witch magic snaking out from her fingertips. The inky black tendrils wrapped around Brooke and Alice's throats and limbs. The tendrils constricted, choking them, immobilizing them and sending jolts of agonizing pain through their nervous systems. Carmen's magic disrupted their Guardian energies, making it nearly impossible for them to tap into their powers.

The combined magic of Zoey, Layla and Carmen caused searing pain to course through Brooke and Alice's bodies, as their blood began to stream from their eyes, noses and mouths.

Undeterred by the blood, Buffy was a blur of motion as she unleashed all of her Slayer strength on Brooke and Alice while they were being magically tortured.

Buffy's eyes flashed with unnatural intensity as she unleashed the full force of her Slayer strength on Brooke and Alice. Her fists became a blur as she pummeled them with lightning-fast punches, each impact reverberating with bone-crushing force. The sickening crack of breaking ribs echoed through the night air.

Brooke and Alice's bodies jerked and spasmed under the magical assault from Zoey, Layla and Carmen, leaving them defenseless against Buffy's onslaught. She rained down punches with bone-crushing force, each impact reverberating through their already weakened bodies. Buffy's strikes were precise and merciless, targeting vulnerable areas like their solar plexuses, kidneys, and temples. The Slayer's enhanced speed allowed her to dart between Brooke and Alice, never giving either a moment's respite. Blood sprayed from their mouths with each devastating blow.

Buffy grabbed Brooke by the throat, lifting her off the ground with inhuman strength before slamming her back down onto the concrete with earth-shattering force. The pavement cracked beneath Brooke's body from the impact.

Turning to Alice, Buffy grabbed Alice by the hair, yanking her head back to expose her throat before delivering a vicious elbow strike that would have crushed a normal person's windpipe. Alice gasped and choked, struggling to breathe through the pain.

The rest of the female mob was cheering Zoey, Layla, Carmen and Buffy on - including Willow with her ax in hand.

Brady and Wyatt were firmly held captive by Angelus and Drusilla with Wyatt's hands restrained behind his back. With Wyatt's hands held prisoner, he had trouble focusing his powers to save Brooke, the girl he loved, and Alice, one of his best friends, but he was desperately fighting to escape the vampires' clutches to attempt to do so.

As was Brady, who could not watch his sister Brooke or Alice, the girl he loved, die in front of them and be helpless to stop it.

Bianca smiled, holding out a hand to call off the girls. "Let me have a turn. Don't want you girls to have all the fun, do we?"

The girls backed off and let Bianca through.

Bianca smirked, walking closer, grabbing Alice by the back of the head by her hair to pull her head back. "How does this feel to watch, Brady? Your sister and soulmate being beaten and killed by everyone you all love because they all love you?"

"If this doesn't turn you two insane, I don't know what will," Angelus told them. "Really, Bianca, brilliant idea and strategy."

Brady struggled desperately, fearful. "Bianca, don't do this."

Wyatt struggled with fury and fear. By the looks on Wyatt and Brady's faces, it was clear that they truly could lose their minds if they had to watch Brooke and Alice die like this while they were trying not to hurt the surrounding mob because they were innocent pawns in the vampires' games - victims in a love curse.

Angelus, Bianca and Drusilla watched Brady and Wyatt's fear and near-insanity looks on their faces in pure satisfaction, smiling evilly, while Angelus and Drusilla continued to restrain Brady and Wyatt.

Bianca pulled Alice's hair back from her neck, as she was too weakened to do anything to stop her. "I think it's time that you share some of your Guardian power with me, Alice. It'll be a blast to see what an insane vampire like me can do with powers like yours."

Bianca's face morphed into her vampire visage, leaning in to sink her teeth into Alice's neck, beginning to drink deeply.

Alice's scream was muffled by the blood rushing through her veins, her body convulsing as Bianca drained her strength. The world around her spun, colors blurring into a haze of red and black. The taste of iron flooded her mouth, mixing with the throbbing pain at her neck where Bianca's fangs sank deeper as Alice's Guardian blood, filled with power, ignited a savage hunger within her. Each sip drew Alice closer to the brink of unconsciousness, the world around her blurring into dark edges.

Brady's eyes widened in horror. "No! Bianca, stop!" he shouted, struggling harder against Angelus's grip. He could feel the heat of desperation clawing at his insides, threatening to burst forth.

Bianca pulled back when she had enough to drink from Alice for a moment, her lips stained crimson, eyes glimmering with manic excitement. "Oh, come on, Brady! Isn't this what you wanted? You wanted me to be free! You wanted to save me from my own suffering!"

Alice gasped weakly, her energy wavering from bloodloss and the magical torture, and Buffy's physical torture.

With a swift motion, Bianca flipped Alice onto the ground, leaving the Guardian gasping for breath. The red glow in Alice's eyes flickered as she fought against the unconsciousness that wanted to take her.

Bianca smirked as she knelt next to the weakened Brooke, who had been so beaten by Buffy that she couldn't move on her own at the moment. "But I guess you have a point. Alice has had enough taken from her. What do you say Brooke gives me some this time?"

Wyatt's eyes flared with rage as he struggled to break free, with Angelus and Drusilla barely able to keep a hold of him and making sure that he couldn't use his powers as they clasped his hands behind him.

"Stop!" Wyatt yelled, his voice raw with desperation, his heart racing as he watched Bianca lift the broken Brooke from the ground, a glint of madness flickering in his eyes. "Let her go!"

Bianca brushed back Brooke's hair, wiping a trickle of Alice's blood from her lips and letting out a delighted laugh.

"Oh, but it's so sweet," Bianca cooed, licking her thumb, relishing the taste of Guardian blood. "And you know what they say about sharing power. It's only fun when you share it with your friends. Like all of you do."

Drusilla leaned closer to Wyatt, whispering sweetly in his ear. "Besides, this is what Spike and I wanted to do for so long. Make you dark and dirty like one of us, like you know you can be. Your agony is so delicious. Just like the heartbeats ringing in my mind."

Brady shook his head worriedly, thrashing against Angelus's hold in worry for his little sister as he saw Bianca ready to feed on Brooke. "Bianca, let her go! Please!"

Bianca merely gave Brady a wicked smile, winking before she sank her fangs into Brooke's neck and began to feed as deeply as she had on Alice.

Brooke's body went rigid as Bianca's fangs pierced her skin, the shock of the attack jolting through her like a lightning strike. Her breath came in desperate gasps as she felt her energy being siphoned away, each swallow a reminder of her mortality. She instinctively clawed at Bianca, but her strength was dwindling, darkness pooling at the edges of her vision.

Brady's heart raced as he watched his sister succumb to Bianca's attack. "No! No!"

Brady shouted into the night, struggling violently against Angelus's grip. The anguish on his face mirrored that of Wyatt.

Wyatt's rage was building to a boiling point, and finally, he was able to begin to break free as he started to form pocket portals around him even with his hands restrained behind him, fueled by his emotional state.

Brady noticed this, and to distract the vampires from noticing and stopping Wyatt, he yelled out, his voice breaking with desperation. "Bianca, stop! You're killing her!"

Bianca pulled back slightly, crimson staining her lips and teeth as she regarded Brooke with a twisted sense of satisfaction, a manic grin coloring her vampire features. "Killing? Oh no, sweet Brady. Just borrowing some strength."

Angelus was utterly pleased by the desperation and glints of madness on both Brady and Wyatt's faces as they watched the torment Alice and Brooke went through. "Oh, Spike would love to see this. Too bad he couldn't be here, huh, Wyatt?"

Wyatt didn't let the taunt break his concentration, focusing entirely on his powers even without being able to channel through his hands.

Wyatt's eyes blazed with an otherworldly intensity that seemed to ignite the very air around him as he summoned every ounce of his magical strength. The air around him began to crackle and shimmer, reality itself bending to its will. The ground beneath his feet began to tremble, a low rumble that grew steadily louder. Sparks of blue energy crackled around his body, arcing between his fingers even as they were held behind his back - despite this, he channeled his power through sheer force of will, fueled by the anguish and rage coursing through his veins.

A low, resonant hum filled the air, growing in volume and pitch as Wyatt's magic built to a crescendo, and flashes of ethereal light danced across the night sky. Angelus and Drusilla exchanged worried glances, sensing the enormity of the power building within their captive.

Even Bianca had to turn her attention toward Wyatt instead of feeding on Brooke or Alice when she sensed the power that Wyatt was about to unleash. Zoey, Layla, Carmen, Willow, Cordelia and Buffy all turned to look at Wyatt as well, looking awed and amazed by his power. Every other girl in the mob was confused but in awe.

Brady smirked slightly, knowing that they were about to escape.

Brooke and Alice, even in their weakened states and unable to use their powers at the moment, could sense the power Wyatt was about to release and sighed in relief.

Suddenly, the night sky above them began to warp and twist. A massive swirling vortex of otherworldly energy materialized, growing larger with each passing second. It was as if reality itself was being torn asunder, revealing glimpses of strange, alien landscapes beyond.

The pocket portal Wyatt had summoned was unlike anything he'd created before. It pulsed with raw magical power, sending waves of force rippling through the air. The sheer size of it dwarfed anything he'd previously managed, stretching at least 20 feet across at its widest point. This pocket portal led back to the factory, but it traveled through worlds unknown, and the sheer amount of power it took to create, and the massiveness that stood before them brought shock and awe from everyone present.

As the massive swirling portal crackled with otherworldly energy, Wyatt fixed Bianca, Angelus and Drusilla with a steely gaze. A hint of a smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

"You wanted to push me over the edge?" Wyatt called out, his voice resonating with power. "Well, congratulations - you succeeded. But you forgot one thing - when you push someone with my abilities too far, the results can be... unpredictable."

Brady smirked. "You wanted to drive us mad? Well, how's this for insanity?"

With a flick of his wrist, Wyatt unleashed a wave of telekinetic force. It slammed into Bianca, Angelus and Drusilla like a ton of weights, stealing their breath away and breaking their bones, lifting them off their feet. Their eyes widened in shock and pain as they were hurled through the air toward the swirling vortex.

Brady called after them mockingly. "Enjoy your trip!"

Bianca, Angelus and Drusilla tumbled end over end, their forms distorting at they passed through the portal's threshold. In an instant, they vanished from sight, swallowed by the otherworldly energies. The portal pulsed and fluctuated, reality warping around its edges. With another burst of will from Wyatt, it began to shrink rapidly, collapsing in on itself until it winked out of existence with a thunderous crack.

Wyatt exhaled heavily while Brady sighed in relief.

Though when Wyatt and Brady turned to the mob of girls surrounding Brooke and Alice on the ground, ready to kill them, they knew that their work was far from over when it came to saving the girls they loved.

As Zoey, Layla, Carmen and Buffy went to lash out at the Guardians again, Brooke and Alice broke through with what little strength remained.

With a surge of energy, Alice thrust her hands forward, summoning a blast of Guardian power that lit up the night like a beacon. The force of her magic ricocheted off the walls of the street as it aimed squarely Zoey and Layla. The two gypsies were thrown through the air and landed on the ground harshly.

Brooke hurled another burst of red Guardian energy that struck Carmen and Buffy. The impact knocked them back several feet as they landed against the cracked pavement - where Buffy had previously slammed Brooke upon.

Cordelia, Willow and the rest of the mob screamed in outrage as they rushed forward to attack and kill the weakened Guardians, wielding axes, hatches and other weapons.

As the mob of spell-bound girls rushed forward toward Brooke and Alice with murderous intent, Wyatt knew he had to act fast. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his senses, feeling the currents and eddies of air swirling around them. With a deep breath, he tapped into his power over the wind.

A gentle breeze began to stir, ruffling hair and clothes. It quickly intensified, whipping into a howling gale that encircled the entire group.

Wyatt's eyes snapped open, glowing with an ethereal light as he directed the winds with precise control. He raised his hands, summoning a swirling vortex of wind that circled around him, growing stronger by the second.

With a forceful gesture, Wyatt sent the whirlwind outward in all directions. The air currents swept up the approaching girls, lifting them off their feet. They cried out in shock as they were carried aloft, weapons falling from their grasp.

Wyatt carefully controlled the winds, ensuring the girls were lifted high enough to stop their attack, but not so high as to cause serious injury. The mob spun slowly in midair, clothes and hair whipping about wildly.

As Zoey, Layla, Carmen and Buffy rose to their feet, Wyatt waved his other hand, using another air torrent to lift the four ladies into the air above them as well.

With another wave of his hand, Wyatt directed the winds to gently deposit the girls at a safe distance down the street and blocks away. Each girl landed on the ground at a safe distance with minimal harm, but at a distance that it would give Wyatt and Brady enough time to get Brooke and Alice inside to safety.

Brady rushed to Alice, who was gasping for breath, her body trembling from the blood loss and pain. "Alice!" He knelt beside her, his hands shaking as he cupped her face, fear in his eyes as he met his soulmate's gaze. "Alice, look at me."

Alice wheezed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine... just... give me a moment."

Alice and Brooke both could feel the warmth of their blood pooling beneath her skin, but the power lingering within them was slowly beginning to heal their wounds - the gift of being a Guardian; accelerated healing.

Wyatt rushed to Brooke's side, his eyes wild with fear and agony as he held her in his arms. "Brooke!"

The fear of Spike and his threats of killing Brooke to ensure Wyatt's insanity spiral into darkness had always been a fear, but how close it came tonight was excruciatingly clear - it would have worked if they had succeeded in their mission to kill his real love; his soulmate.

Brooke clung onto Wyatt with every strength she had left. "Wyatt... we need to get out of here now." She glanced over at the swirling wind that had lifted their attackers away, including her own sister, tears in her eyes. "Before they come back."

Wyatt nodded in grim determination as he lifted Brooke into his arms, cradling her in his chest. "Brady, get Alice inside. Get to the basement. Trust me."

Brady looked at Brooke and Alice with fear coursing through his veins for both his sister and soulmate.

Alice clutched his hand. "It's okay, Brady."

"We're okay," Brooke croaked.

Brady took a deep breath as he gathered Alice's frail form in his arms, cradling her against his chest, quickly kicking open the back door of his home and running into his house, making his way toward the basement. Wyatt followed closely with Brooke in his arms.

∞

Inside - Kitchen

Joyce was in the kitchen, holding a knife out toward Brooke, Alice, Wyatt and Brady. "If it's ever gonna work for us, Wyatt, Brooke has to die."

Brady shot his mother a look with Alice in his arms. "Jesus Christ, Mom. First Buffy..."

Brooke buried her head against Wyatt's shoulder, unable to deal with this.

Wyatt rolled his eyes, holding one hand toward Joyce, creating a barrier of magic that kept her back, turning to the doorway behind them to spell it with a barrier spell that was meant to keep the mob of girls outside long enough for Wyatt to spell the basement with a protection spell.

"That's not gonna hold them long," Wyatt told them. "Basement."

Brady led the way to the basement, kicking the door in, carrying Alice down the steps. Wyatt carried Brooke down the stairs as well.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Boiler Room

Oz continued scanning with his flashlight. "Here, Amy."

The camera panned up from the trap over to a pile of rags. Rat!Amy climbed over the pile, heading for the trap.

∞

Science Lab

Giles, Xander and Eric were setting up a reversal spell to end the love curse on all of the girls to save Alice, Brooke, Brady and Wyatt, putting the brew over a Bunsen burner, checking everything, satisfied.

"Right," Xander told them, listing all of the witches they knew that couldn't cast the spell. "Amy's a rat. Carmen's under a love spell. Wyatt's on the run. The witches are unable to cast this spell."

"Quite right," Giles agreed. "And with Layla and Zoey under the spell as well? Well, the gypsies can't help us either. I'm not quite sure how we can do this."

"I'll try," Eric answered.

Giles and Xander looked surprised but impressed, nodding.

∞

Summers House - Basement

Wyatt and Brady carried Brooke and Alice into the basement, setting them down.

Wyatt used his telekinesis to slam the basement door closed, already performing a protection barrier spell that would keep everyone out of the basement until Eric could finish the counter spell.

Wyatt hurriedly cast a shimmering barrier around the basement door, sealing it off from the outside world. The air was thick with tension as he turned to face Brady and Alice, who were huddled together on the floor.

Wyatt knelt next to Brooke, where he had set her on a pile of old blankets nearby. "Stay close. We'll get you both through this."

Alice groaned softly, the exertion of her earlier struggles weighing heavily on her. "I - I can't believe Bianca and Angelus would go this far. They have to know we won't give up, Brady."

Brady looked at Alice, his expression filled with determination. "They think they can manipulate us. But we're stronger than they realize." He brushed Alice's hair back, his touch gentle. "You'll be okay, Alice, I promise."

Brooke leaned against Wyatt's shoulder, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can't let them win, Wyatt... not after everything we've fought for."

Wyatt looked into her eyes, his heart aching at the sight of her so broken and defeated, yet so determined to power through.

"Just don't let them win," Brooke repeated, her breath shallow.

"Never," Wyatt replied fiercely, squeezing her hand tightly, holding her gently as he brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Brooke, stay with me."

Brady turned to Brooke and Wyatt, his brow furrowed with worry, his hands trembling as his gaze shifted from Alice to his sister. "Brooke? Are you okay?"

Brooke nodded weakly, trying to muster a smile for her older brother. "I - I'll be okay. One of the perks of being a Guardian, remember? We'll heal fast."

"We just have to make it out alive tonight so we can heal," Alice agreed.

"And you're both going to make it," Wyatt vowed fiercely. "I promise."

∞

Sunnydale High School - Boiler Room

Rat!Amy crawled onto the trap.

∞

Science Lab

Eric started a spell. "Goddess of creatures great and small, I conjure thee to withdraw. Hecate, I hereby license thee to depart."

Giles sprinkled a powder into the beaker, making it spark.

∞

Boiler Room

Oz continued to look. A bright light began to flash from behind the crate where Rat!Amy was. Oz held up his flashlight, squinting against the light. In a few seconds, it was over.

"Amy?" Oz asked.

Amy raised her head, looking around from behind the crate.

∞

Summers House - Basement

Brady and Wyatt were still holding Alice and Brooke when they heard the mob of girls finally arrive outside the basement door, trying to tear it down, fore fronted once again by Buffy, Zoey, Layla and Carmen. However, even with Buffy's Slayer strength and the gypsy and witch powers of Zoey, Layla and Carmen, they could not penetrate Wyatt's protection seal on the basement door, and neither could Willow's ax as she attempted to break through the door.

The pounding on the basement door reverberated through the dimly lit space, a constant reminder of the chaos unfolding above.

Wyatt tightened his grip on Brooke's hand, while Brady kept a protective arm around Alice, knelt beside her.

"Stay calm," Wyatt urged, forcing himself to maintain an air of confidence even as adrenaline coursed through his veins. "They can't get in here."

"What if they find a way?" Brooke whispered, her voice shaky but determined as she fought against the wave of fear threatening to engulf her.

Alice lifted her chin, determination sparking in her eyes despite the pain etched across her face. "We will fight them together, just like always. They can't take our power away from us."

"Exactly," Brady said. "We've faced worse than this. And we don't have to fight. We just have to face this long enough until Eric finishes the counter spell."

Wyatt breathed under his breath. "Eric, hurry."

∞

Sunnydale High School - Science Lab

Giles took a pinch of an herb from a jar.

Eric chanted the spell. "Diana, goddess of love, be gone." Giles put the herb into the brew, making it spark. "Hear no more thy siren's song."

Giles and Eric waved the personal objects from before over the brew, dropping them in. Suddenly a cloud of energy appeared above them, and they had to hold onto the lab table to keep from being knocked down. The energy drew in from the windows, spiraling down into the beaker. As quickly as it was there, it was gone, breaking the love curse and releasing all of its victims.

∞

Summers House - Basement

In the basement, Brady and Wyatt still maintained their protective holds on Alice and Brooke as they stared up at the door, the door having a hole in it from Willow's ax now, but none of the girls could break through the door or past the barrier Wyatt had made.

After Eric had finished the counter spell, each girl from the mob was instantly released from its clutches, most of them experiencing memory loss and confusion, having no idea what happened, except for Zoey, Layla, Carmen, Buffy, Willow and Cordelia, though their rage and aggression and murderous intention disappeared.

As the chaotic pounding on the basement door subsided, silence fell over the once frantic atmosphere. The girls who had been driven by madness now stood in confusion, shaking their heads.

Harmony frowned. "What's going on? Where am I?"

As Harmony began wandering out of the house, other girls started to follow her aside from the Scoobies.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked. "I feel like I just woke up from a bad dream."

"Why do I have an ax?" Willow wondered.

Buffy blinked, her fists still clenched, ready to fight, but the fire in her eyes dimmed as she caught sight of Brooke and Alice huddled together on the floor with Brady and Wyatt.

"What just happened?" Buffy murmured, stepping back as realization washed over her.

Layla rubbed her temples, looking around disoriented. "Did we... were we fighting them?"

Zoey's eyes widened as she caught a glimpse of Brady and Wyatt holding Alice and Brooke protectively. "Oh, God. We..." She instantly tried to run forward, only to be blocked by the barrier in front of them, horrified by what they had done. "Alice! Brooke!"

Carmen stepped forward cautiously, glancing at Alice and Brooke on the floor, fear etched into her features. "Are they okay? What did we do?"

Brady, Alice, Brooke and Wyatt shared a significant look.

"Eric did it," Brooke breathed.

Brady nodded. "Eric actually fucking did it."

Everyone sighed in relief, knowing it was over.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Boiler Room

Amy stood up. Oz raised his flashlight. Amy looked down at herself. Oz immediately raised the light away from her, turning it off.

Amy hugged her arms around herself to cover up. "Hi, Oz."

"Hi," Oz told her.

"I seem to be having a slight case of nudity here," Amy told him.

"But you're not a rat," Oz replied. "So call it an upside."

"You think maybe you could get me some clothing?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I can," Oz answered. "Just, uh, don't go anywhere."

Oz left.

Amy looked around. "Really not an issue."

∞

The Factory

Bianca, Angelus and Drusilla traveled through what felt like infinite worlds and realities until they reached the end of road when the exit of the pocket portal finally opened in the factory where Spike was waiting for news.

Spike was sitting in his wheelchair, sighing impatiently. When he felt the air around him begin to crackle and shimmer and the ground beneath him begin to tremble, he looked around in confusion and curiosity, sensing the power that was about to appear even though he had no idea what it was.

The resonant hum filled the air of the factory as flashes of ethereal light danced across the room, in tune to how the air above in the middle of the factory began to warp and twist. The massive swirling exit vortex materialized, growing larger with each passing second, revealing glimpses of the worlds beyond as it sent waves of force rippling through the air.

Spike stared in incredulous shock and awe. "Bloody hell!"

He could hear the yells as Bianca, Angelus and Drusilla came tumbling out of the vortex and plummeted to the floor just below, crashing onto the stone floor.

Spike raised his eyebrows as he wheeled closer, glancing up at the portal unsteadily.

The pocket portal pulsed and fluctuated, reality warping around its edges before it finally winked out of existence with a thunderous crack.

Bianca pushed herself up, flipping her hair back from her face, annoyed and exasperated beyond measure. "We have been falling for 30 minutes!"

"Thirty minutes of nothing but that blasted vortex," Angelus grumbled, rubbing his neck as he stood. "I swear, if I have to deal with another dimension full of cotton candy clouds and singing flowers, I'll lose my mind."

Drusilla sat up, brushing debris from her dress, unfazed. "Did you see the stars while we were falling? They were all named William."

Spike rolled his eyes at her whimsical remark and the mention of his original name. "Right, then. I take it that your little plan did not go as expected."

"Oh, it went perfectly," Bianca answered. "Almost, at least. Every woman in town was driven insane by the need to kill Brooke and Alice just to be with Wyatt and Brady."

Angelus smirked. "You should've seen it, Spike. Even the Slayer was turned against her precious Guardians - one of them being her twin sister - and was pummeling them with the intent to kill. Zoey, Layla and Carmen were torturing them with their power so intensely that it was pretty damn impressive. If Carmen ever went completely dark like that, I might have to keep her around. Definitely my type of girl. Though those gypsies did definitely spark my interest tonight, too. Let's see if a couple more games with them will suffice."

Bianca and Drusilla smiled.

Drusilla chuckled. "It was quite strange to see Zoey and Layla go dark like that... like me, in a way."

"Even if Zoey and Layla are descended from your bloodline, Drusilla, they're nothing like you," Spike pointed out.

Drusilla tilted her head, shrugging in agreement, smiling. "With a few games of mine and Angel's, they could be."

"So what else happened?" Spike asked, pointing up to the ceiling where the vortex had been. "Because I'm guessing Wyatt overpowered you in the end as he always does."

"Sadly, yes," Bianca answered. "But this is only after we got so close to killing Brooke and Alice in front of Wyatt and Brady. Just like you always wanted, Spike. The boys were so close to truly snapping."

Spike was pleased to hear this, raising his eyebrows. "Hmm. And it only didn't succeed because you didn't get to finish."

"In a way, it did," Bianca corrected. "Because we pushed Wyatt over an edge, but we just made him slightly more powerful than he usually is, which... not the intention, but hey. He definitely showed his dark side tonight."

Spike smirked. "Good enough for me tonight. So what, nothing else worked?"

Drusilla grinned as she looked over to Brooke. "Something else turned in our favor. Well, Bianca's favor."

Bianca's eyes gleamed with a newfound intensity as she held up her hands, examining them closely. A faint red glow began to emanate from her palms, pulsing softly in rhythm with her undead heart.

"Oh, this is delicious," Bianca purred, her voice filled with dark delight. "I can feel it coursing through me, like liquid fire in my veins."

Bianca closed her eyes, focusing on the strange new energy within her. Suddenly, tendrils of crimson light began to swirl around her fingertips, dancing and twisting in the air. The others watched in fascination as the ethereal strands grew more substantial, coalescing into a shimmering orb of Guardian energy hovering just above Bianca's outstretched hand.

Spike leaned forward in his wheelchair, his eyes wide with a mix of awe and fascination. "Guardian energy."

"In true form," Bianca confirmed, her voice tinged with awe and malice. "Courtesy of our dear Alice and Brooke. Not as bright or as powerful as theirs, but... definitely something I can work with."

Angelus smiled wickedly. "You never got this far with Guardian powers, have you, Dru?"

Drusilla shook her head in answer. "Just the ability to hypnotize others like they do. I never drank as much as Bianca did tonight. Most vampires aren't able to manipulate the energy like this. Not even the Master could even though he killed more Guardians than anyone."

The red energy coalesced into a shimmering orb floating just above Bianca's palm. It crackled and sparked, sending tendrils of power snaking up her arm.

Bianca smiled as she watched the energy twist and curve around her. "No other vampire could control the energy, huh? I must be special, then."

Spike raised his eyebrows, smirking. "You must be, indeed."

Bianca grinned, letting the energy swirl around her fingertips before releasing it with a flourish. The crimson tendrils shot out, dancing through the air and leaving a trail of shimmering light in their wake. She felt an intoxicating rush of power, the thrill of potential flowing through her like a heady drug.

"Now that is something I can work with," Bianca said, a wicked glint in her eyes. "Imagine what I could do with this kind of strength."

Drusilla clapped her hands together excitedly. "Oh, we could play such lovely games! Make them dance to our tunes!"

Bianca grinned in return, laughing, the sound echoing around the empty factory. "Oh, I feel empowered. With this energy coursing through me, I can do more than just break hearts; I can shatter their very souls."

Drusilla stepped closer, her eyes glimmering with excitement. "What will you do with it, Bianca? Will you make them suffer?"

Bianca's expression turned darkly contemplative as she pondered her next move. "Why not both? Watching them squirm while I have a taste of their power? That has a lovely ring to it."

Angelus crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let's get to work then, shall we? We still have unfinished business in Sunnydale. I say we pay that cozy little group of Guardians and their friends a visit."

Spike tilted his head, intrigued. "Tonight, after you've already pushed Wyatt to the edge and made him more powerful than usual?"

"Not tonight," Angelus confirmed, a wicked gleam in his eyes. "But soon."

∞

Day Five

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Hallway

The Scoobies walked around the hallway, toward the library. Though they weren't completely okay, Brooke and Alice's broken bones seemed to be mostly mended.

"Scavenger hunt?" Willow asked. "Really?"

"Mom seemed to buy it," Brooke told them.

"So all the girls that were under the love spell lost their memory of what they did under the love spell?" Carmen asked.

"Yeah," Layla answered. "I guess that's a good thing."

"Yeah, because if everyone remembered, they would have remembered seeing Bianca and Dru feeding on and nearly killed Alice and Brooke," Wyatt answered. "And would've remembered seeing Alice, Brooke, Zoey, Carmen, Layla and I using magic."

"Wait, we used magic?" Zoey asked. "In front of everyone?"

"Yeah," Alice answered.

"What else did we do?" Buffy asked. "Did we hurt you guys?"

Alice, Brooke, Brady and Wyatt didn't want them to feel guilty for something they didn't have any control over, shaking their heads.

"No," Brady told them. "No, that was it."

"Brady, you're a horrible liar," Carmen told him. "Guys, if we hurt you in any way..."

Willow put a hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God. We did."

Layla shook her head in despair. "Oh, no. I am so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Brooke told them. "For any of you."

"Don't blame yourselves," Alice told them.

"How could we not?" Zoey asked. "I mean, we almost helped kill our best friends."

Buffy turned away, horrified. "I almost helped kill my twin sister."

Carmen was ashamed. "Oh, my God."

"Guys, I'm so sorry," Willow told them.

"We're fine," Brooke told them.

"Yeah, Wyatt and Brady did a good job of protecting us when we couldn't protect them," Alice agreed.

"Actually getting to protect the Guardians is a real change," Brady told them.

"Yeah, that's true," Wyatt agreed. "I'm just happy that Eric, Xander and Giles reversed the spell when they did, because if they hadn't, then Angel and Bianca's plan would have worked."

"Yeah, Alice and Brooke would have been killed," Xander agreed. "And the way that it had happened would have turned Brady and Wyatt insane just like they wanted. I mean, everyone you care about killing your soulmates in front of you?"

"I think they understand, Xander," Giles told him. "No need to go into more detail. But Eric did a brilliant job of reversing the spell."

"Really?" Eric asked.

"You were a natural," Giles answered. "Like some part of you actually had power to do the spell."

Buffy smiled sadly. "Thank you, Eric. And the thought of you being able to do a spell that intense and save everyone?"

"What does that mean for Eric?" Willow asked. "For me?"

Eric shrugged. "We'll figure it out. Because all of us are safe and alive."

They all smiled in relief, nodding.

∞

Outside

Cordelia, Harmony and their friends were walking around under the balcony, heading toward the foot of the stairs.

"Cody Weinberg called me at home last night," Harmony told them.

"Cody Weinberg?" Cordelia repeated. "The one with the 350sl?"

Harmony smiled. "The very one. Said he's thinking of asking me to the pledge dance on Thursday."

"That's so huge," Cordelia told her.

"Yeah, there's just two other girls he's gonna ask first, and if they refuse, then I'll--" Harmony started. Xander bumped into Harmony as they rounded the corner to the stairs. "Watch it."

"Sorry," Xander told her.

Harmony scoffed, looking him up and down. "God, you know, I'm glad your mom stopped working at the drive through long enough to dress you." She looked at Xander. "Oh, that reminds me." Xander started to walk away. "Did you see Jennifer's backpack? It is so a crying--"

"Harmony, shut up," Cordelia told her. Xander looked back. "Do you know what you are, Harmony? You're a sheep."

Harmony looked insulted. "I'm not a sheep."

"You're a sheep," Cordelia repeated. "All you ever do is what everyone else does just so you can say you did it first, and here I am, scrambling for your approval, when I'm way cooler than you are, 'cause I'm not a sheep. I do what I wanna do, and I wear what I wanna wear, and you know what? I'll date whoever the hell I wanna date." Xander smiled. "No matter how lame he is." Xander's smile faded at that. Cordelia left the group, going over to him. Xander smiled. When she reached him, she took his arm. They started walking together the colonnade. Cordelia started breathing heavily with anxiety. "Oh, God. Oh, God."

Xander patted her hand. "You're gonna be okay. Just keep walking."

"Oh, God, what have I done?" Cordelia asked. "They're never gonna speak to me again."

"Oh, sure they are," Xander told her. "If it helps, whenever we're around them, you and I can fight a lot."

"You promise?" Cordelia asked.

Xander took her hand in his. "You can pretty much count on it."

They both smiled, walking along together.