Outfits in the external link 

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

Day One

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Library

Alice and Brady were sitting at the table of the library, smirking in amusement.

Giles was pacing, upset. "This is madness. What can you have been thinking? You are the Slayer and Guardian. Lives depend on you. I make allowances for your youth, but I expect a certain amount of responsibility, and instead of which, you enslave yourselves to this--this..." He stopped pacing. "Cult?"

Alice and Brady exchanged an amused look, looking toward where Brooke and Buffy were standing in cheerleader outfits, yellow and red for the school colors. 

Buffy waved the pom poms in her hands. "You don't like the color?"

Alice chuckled. "I..."

Giles gave them an exasperated look. "Do you, um..." He put some books on a cart. "Do you ignore everything I saw as a--as a rule?"

"No, I believe that's your trick," Brooke told him.

Giles pushed the cart to the counter.

Buffy skipped in front of him, doing a pose. "We told you, Brooke and I are trying out for the cheerleading squad."

"Buffy and Brooke were cheerleaders back in LA," Brady explained. "But once they got their powers, Brooke quit because she was scared that she was accidentally going to use that Guardian energy stuff. And accidentally hurt someone. Now, Buffy talked Brooke into joining this cheerleading squad now that she has more control over her powers."

Giles looked from Buffy and Brooke to Alice. "You all have sacred birthrights, Alice. You were chosen to destroy vampires and protect the innocent, not to... wave pompoms at people, and as the Watcher, I forbid it."

Alice stood. "I'm not the one that is going to be cheerleading. I am so not interested in doing that. But you'll be stopping Brooke and Buffy how? They are as stubborn as Zoey and Carmen. And we haven't been able to keep them from doing something that they want to do."

Giles sat on the edge of the table, crossing his arms. "Well, by appealing to their common sense, if such a creature exists."

Brady shook his head. "It doesn't. I know better than anyone. Since they're my sisters."

"Thanks, Brady," Brooke told him sarcastically. She looked at Giles and Alice. "We will still have time to fight the forces of evil, okay? We just wanna have a life. We wanna do something normal. Something safe."

∞ 

Witch's Attic 

The camera moved through the dark space of the witch's attic. There were flowers and herbs hanging upside down from the rafters to dry and personal items with identification tags. The witch, her face not shown yet, moved around in the darkness, walking toward a cauldron. She waved a pendant on a chain over the brew, pulling it back. She went over to a rack, yanking off a doll hanging there by its neck on a wire.

∞ 

Sunnydale High School - Gym 

(Song:) Get Ready For This (Rave Version) - 2 Unlimited

At the school, in the gym, cheerleader tryouts are about to start.

Girls were stretching and practicing, doing back handsprings, cartwheels, walking handstands. One girl did a roundoff followed by a back handspring.

Alice, Buffy, Brooke, Willow, Zoey, Carmen, Xander, Eric and Brady were walking together.

"Giles didn't approve, huh?" Eric asked.

"He totally lost his water," Buffy told them. "We haven't seen a vampire in over a week."

"I'd say he should get a girlfriend if he wasn't so old," Zoey told them.

Alice laughed. "Oh, that would be something I would wish to see. After my mother died, we've both been a bit lonely."

Carmen looked at Alice sympathetically. "I'm sorry. About your mom."

Alice nodded in appreciation, looking away, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Her hand instinctively reached for the antique pendant around her neck that used to belong to her mother.

Willow smiled, looking at Buffy and Brooke. "Well, we're behind you."

"People scoff at things like school spirit, but look at these girls giving their all like this," Xander told them, checking out the cheerleaders. A girl named Amber was doing the splits between two chairs. "Ooo, stretchy! Where was I?"

"You were pretending that seeing scantily clad girls in revealing postures was a spiritual experience," Willow answered.

"Who said I was pretending?" Xander asked. 

Eric looked at Buffy. "Oh, hey. Here's a good luck thing for tryouts."

Eric gave Buffy a bracelet.

"What's this?" Zoey asked.

"What's that?" Willow asked, knowingly.

"Oh, how sweet," Buffy told them. She read the inscription. "'Yours Always.'"

"I--i--it came that way, really, they all said that," Eric told her. "Brooke, I would've gotten you one, but they were out."

"They were?" Brooke asked skeptically.

"Yeah, they were, actually," Carmen answered. "Cordy and I got bracelets not long ago, and they were almost out of them then."

They still knew that Eric had a crush on Buffy but that Buffy didn't know, smirking knowingly.

Cordelia walked up to them, standing next to Zoey and Carmen. "Just look at that Amber. Who does she think she is, a Laker Girl?"

"I heard she turned them down," Zoey told her.

Cordelia looked at Zoey. "What are you even doing here? Trying to pretend you're better than what you really are? Zoey, even if you tried out, you wouldn't make it to an alternate."

Zoey looked at her, raising her eyebrows with a smirk.

"Uh-oh," Willow told them. "I know that look. That look is not your friend."

Zoey shrugged, looking at Cordelia. "Oh, well. Challenge accepted."

"Are you kidding me?" Cordelia asked. "You might have been a little miss cheerleader way back when when your dad was still in town, Zoey, but you're nothing now."

"Do you really want to find out?" Zoey asked.

"All right, girls, put the claws away," Carmen told them.

"Aw, why?" Xander asked. "I always love a good girl fight."

"What about you, Carmen?" Cordelia asked. "You gonna consider the dare and bet that I made against you not joining the cheerleading squad?"

Carmen shrugged. "Well, half the reason why Zoey said yes to your dare just now is because she knew about that dare and bet you made against me, Cordelia. Isn't that right, Zo?"

"Oh, yeah," Zoey answered. "Carmen was gonna make me help her anyway because she didn't wanna have to do this alone. We're both in."

Buffy smiled. "Yay, me and Brooke won't be alone anymore."

Joy, the cheerleading squad leader, stepped up with her clipboard and called for everyone's attention. "Okay, listen up! Let's begin with Amber Grove. If you're not auditioning, move off the floor."

Eric looked at a girl named Amy. "Amy. Hi."

Amy walked closer. "Hi."

"I didn't know you wanted to be a cheerleader," Willow told her.

"Oh, yeah, I had Zoey and Carmen help me out some," Amy told her.

Cordelia looked at Zoey and Carmen, raising her eyebrows.

Brady chuckled. "Apparently they told you."

Carmen looked at Amy. "You lost a lot of weight."

"Had to," Amy told them.

"Do you know Alice, Brooke, Brady, or Buffy?" Eric asked.

Amy looked at them. "Hi."

Buffy smiled. "Hi."

"Oh, how I hate this, let me count the ways," Amy told them.

Amber began her her very athletic routine. She started off with a needle-split lift followed by a double spin and a jumping double spin. After landing, Amber launched herself into an aerial and a cartwheel. Jazz slides, then a single spin.

Everyone in the gym was intent on watching her.

Amy looked at the others. "She trained with Benson. He's one of the best coaches money can buy."

"They have cheerleading coaches?" Brooke asked.

"Oh, yeah," Amy answered. "Don't you have? I train with my mom, three hours in the morning, three at night."

"Hmm, that much quality time with my mom would probably lead to some quality matricide," Carmen told them.

"Oh, I know it's hokey," Amy told them. "But she's really great." She looked at Zoey. "Remember when my mom babysitted you and we would train with her?"

Zoey nodded, smiling a small smile. "Oh, yeah."

Cordelia turned her back to Amber with a look of contempt on her face. "Hmm!"

Eric, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Xander, Willow, Zoey, Carmen and Amy watched Amber in amazement.

Amber's hands began to smoke.

"What the...?" Xander trailed off.

"That girl's on fire!" Eric told them.

Cordelia was still facing away from Amber, not seeing the smoke. "Enough of the hyperbole."

(Song Ends)

Amber's hands caught fire. She dropped her pompoms, screaming, flailing her hands in the air.

Buffy jumped up onto the bleachers, pulling down a banner. She ran toward Amber, pushing her down and snuffing out the flames with the banner.

Everyone stared in shock.

Buffy tried to comfort Amber. "It's okay, it's okay, you're gonna be... okay. God!"

∞ Slayers and Guardians ∞ 

Sunnydale High School - Library

Zoey and Carmen were sitting on the counter. Willow, Eric, Xander, Brady and Alice were sitting at the table. Buffy, Brooke and Brady were standing, pacing. 

"We've been slaying vampires for more than a year now, and we have seen some pretty cringeworthy things, but... nobody's hands ever got toasted before," Brooke told them.

Giles walked out of the cage of books and hidden weapons. "I imagine not."

"So, this isn't a vampire problem," Brady told them.

"No," Alice answered.

Brady turned to face Alice. "But it is funky, right? Not of the norm?"

"Quite," Alice answered. "Spontaneous human combustion is, is rare, and, and scientifically unexplainable, but there have been cases for hundreds of years, but usually all that's left is a pile of ashes."

"That's all that would have been left if it hadn't been for Buffy," Willow told them.

"So, we have no idea what caused this," Xander told them. "That's a comfort."

"That's the thrill of living on the Hellmouth," Eric told them, leaning against the table. 

Giles nodded. "There's a veritable cornucopia of--of fiends and devils and--and ghouls to engage." Everyone looked at him weirdly. "Pardon me for finding the glass half full."

"Any common denominators in cases of spontaneous combustion?" Carmen asked.

"Uh, rage," Alice answered. "In most cases the person who combusted was terribly angry or--or upset."

"So maybe Amber's got this power to make herself be on fire," Eric told them. "It's like the human torch, only it hurts."

"I need to get the skinny on Amber," Brooke told them. 

Buffy nodded in agreement. "Find out if she's had any colorful episodes before."

Buffy, Brooke and Alice started to walk away.

"That means hacking illegally into the school's computer system," Willow told them. "At last, something I can do."

Carmen, Zoey, Brady, Willow, Xander and Eric stood, walking after Buffy, Brooke and Alice.

"We'll ask around about her," Zoey told them.

Brooke turned to face them. "You guys don't have to get involved."

"What do you mean?" Eric asked. "We're a team. Aren't we a team?"

"Yeah," Carmen agreed. "You're the Slayer and Guardians, and we're, like, the sidekicks."

"We just don't like putting you guys in danger," Alice told them.

"Oh, huh, I laugh in the face of danger," Xander told them. "Then I hide until it goes away."

"Okay, just walk softly, at least until we know a little more," Buffy told them. "I mean, what if Amber isn't causing these problems herself?"

"Well, then we have to determine who or what did," Brady answered. "And, uh, deal with it."

Zoey rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Oh, yeah. That sounds like fun."

∞

Summers House - Kitchen 

There were several wooden boxes and crates in the kitchen. Joyce was trying to pry one open with a crowbar. 

Buffy, Brooke and Brady came home. "Hey."

"Hi," Joyce told them. "How was school?"

"Mm, a reverent joy," Brooke told her sarcastically. "What's all this?"

"It's for the tribal art display," Joyce answered.

Buffy examined a piece. "Cool. We had tryouts today."

"Oh, great," Joyce told them. "How'd it go?'

"They didn't actually get to try out," Brady answered. "There was an accident. Pretty fierce competition, though."

Joyce looked at Buffy and Brooke, smiling. "Oh, I know you'll do fine. Keep on plugging, just have to get back on the horse."

"Mom?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah?" Joyce asked.

"What were Buffy and I trying out for?" Brooke asked.

Joyce stopped prying at the crate, looking at them. "Oh, uh... some activity? I have no idea, I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Buffy told her. "Your platitudes are good for all occasions."

Joyce sighed. "I'm distracted." She started prying again, exhaling. "Got a lot of inventory to go through here. This is my Gallery's first major show." She sighed, giving up. "You know, Brady, it might not physically kill you to give me a hand here."

Joyce went to check her clipboard.

Brady grabbed the lid of the crate, and after a little effort, pulled it off. 

"It was cheerleading," Brooke explained.

"Oh, good, Buffy, Brooke, I'm glad you're taking that up again," Joyce told them. "It'll keep you out of trouble. Brady, you should think about going for football or basketball again to keep you out of trouble, too."

"We're not in trouble," Brady told her.

"No, not yet," Joyce agreed. Brooke and Buffy were hurt. Brady rolled his eyes. Joyce looked up, noticing their reactions, sighing. "I mean, you stopped the sports just before the trouble, so it's good you're going back." She walked back to the crate, partially lifting out a statue. "Oh, dear."

"What?" Brooke asked.

Joyce put the statue back. "The fertility statue, you don't need to see it."

Joyce replaced the crate's lid, going back to her clipboard.

"You know, there's this girl, Amy, and, um, she trains with her mom, like, three hours a day," Buffy explained.

Brooke nodded in agreement. "Uh-huh."

"Sounds like her mom's pretty into it," Brady told them.

"Sounds like her mom doesn't have a lot to do," Joyce told them, walking out of the kitchen with a piece of art.

Brady lifted the crate's lid a little bit, looking in. "Jeepers."

∞

Day Two 

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Gym

In the gym the next day for tryouts, while all the girls were there, Joy was pacing. "Despite the terrible thing that happened yesterday, we still have to pick new cheerleaders. If you make the team you'll find your names posted in the quad after lunch. Let's begin with group performance."

Amy looked at Zoey and Carmen. "Why do my hands have to sweat when I get nervous?"

"Don't worry," Carmen told her. "You'll do great."

"I believe you, Carmen, but when Zoey says I'll do good, that's coming from the girl who's only doing this to prove Cordelia wrong," Amy told her.

Zoey shrugged, looking forward. "Someone has to put her in her place. And Carmen wanted me to do this, too, so ha."

Carmen smiled. "All right. We get it, Zoey."

They all got into position.

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Joy told them.

All of the girls started the routine. "Sunnydale! Sunnydale! We never fail! We never fail! Jump and Shoot! Swish and score! The other team is such a bore! Yeah!"

They all cartwheeled, landing in the splits.

Amy blew the cartwheel and crashed into Cordelia.

Cordelia yelped as she fell, quickly getting up. "You saw that, right? That wasn't me. You saw that, right?" She looked from Amy to Joy. "Right?"

∞

Hallway 

Amy was admiring the trophies in the case with a longing look. Carmen, Zoey, Buffy and Brooke walked up to her.

Amy smiled, pointing to a picture in the case. "That's my mom."

"Yeah, Catherine Madison," Zoey agreed. "Get down with your bad self."

"Her nickname was Catherine the Great," Carmen explained. "She took that team and made them tri-county champions. You know, no one's ever done that before, or since."

"She and my dad were Homecoming King and Queen," Amy added. "They got married right after graduation."

"That's kinda romantic," Brooke told them.

"Well, he was a big loser," Amy told them. "Never made any money. Zoey's dad and my mom cheated on Zoey's mom and my dad, and everything went downhill from there."

"Yeah, that part's less romantic," Zoey told them. "Our folks split up because of it."

Buffy gestured from her to Brooke. "Our parents split, too."

"Drag, huh?" Zoey asked.

"My dad left my mom with nothing," Amy explained. "She put herself through cosmetology school, bought me everything I ever wanted, and never once gained a single pound."

Carmen turned to face her. "Uh, she sounds really great, Amy, but, um... it doesn't mean that you need to lock step as far as this cheerleading thing."

"She was the best," Amy told them. "And I can't get my body to move like hers. I choked in there so bad."

"No, Amy, you did fine," Brooke told her.

Amy looked dejected. "I'm gonna get changed."

"Wait, no," Buffy told her.

Alice, Willow, Xander, Eric and Brady walked up to them. "Hey, Amy." 

Amy walked away.

"Is she okay?" Willow asked. "Is she wigging about her mom, big cheer queen back when?" 

The four girls nodded.

"Yeah, her mom's kinda..." Xander trailed off.

"Nazi like," Eric finished.

"Heil," Alice told them.

Zoey nodded. "If she gains an ounce, she padlocks the fridge and won't eat anything but broth."

"So, mommy dearest is really... Mommy Dearest?" Eric asked.

"There's a bitter streak," Willow answered. "But Amy's nice."

Zoey explained to Brady and Alice. "Her mom used to babysit me, teach us cheerleading moves, and we used to hang in Junior High. When her mom would go on a broth kick, Amy'd come over to my house and we'd stuff ourselves with brownies."

They started walking down the hall.

"Hey, any word on Amber?" Xander asked.

"Nothing thrilling," Alice answered. "Average student. Got detention once, for smoking. Regular smoking... with a cigarette, not, like, being smoky."

Xander nodded. "Hmm."

"All pretty normal," Alice told them.

"So we just have to wait and we'll see what happens," Eric told them.  "Maybe nothing will."

∞

Girls' Locker Room 

Amy was standing alone at her locker. She heard a noise, turning to look, but saw nothing. She heard the showers dripping, closing her locker, starting to go, but suddenly saw Cordelia next to her.

"I have a dream," Cordelia told her. "It's me on the cheerleading squad, adored by every varsity male as far as the eye can see. We have to achieve our dreams, Amy, otherwise we wither and die."

"Look, I'm sorry about--" Amy started.

Cordelia cut her off by shushing her. "If your supreme klutziness out there today takes me out of the running, you're gonna be so very beyond sorry." She smiled. "Have a nice day."

Cordelia turned around, throwing her scrunchie into an open locker, slamming the door as she rounded the corner to leave, but it didn't stay shut. Amy leaned against her locker, apparently shaken.

∞

Outside

Xander, Willow, Eric, Brady and Alice were walking together in the quad.

"I still didn't find anything new about Amber," Xander told them.

Eric frowned. "I don't think she was wearing it."

"Who, Amber?" Willow asked.

"No, Buffy," Eric answered. "The bracelet, I don't think she was wearing it."

"What does it mean if she was wearing it?" Xander asked. "Pretty much like you're going out, right?"

"Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it," Willow told them sarcastically.

"So Eric's just a figure of fun?" Xander asked. "Oh, by the way, Willow, that's why you're so cool. You're like a guy. You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff."

Willow looked disappointed. "Oh, great. I'm a guy."

Eric rolled his eyes, looking at Brady. "Look, Brady, it's kinda awkward, I admit, but I was wondering if you would mind if I asked your sister out."

Brady chuckled. "Hey, Alice? When's the last time that someone asked a girl's brother if they could go out with them?"

"A very long time," Alice answered. "Even from where I come from in England. I don't even remember if anyone has asked my father if he could take me on a date. Makes you a rare, decent man coming of age, Eric Rosenberg."

Eric smiled.

Willow smiled. "I like it, though. I means that Eric's been raised right. And that he's a kind heart. Who won't break Buffy's."

"Of course you're saying that, Will, Eric's your brother," Xander told her.

"Well, I like it, too," Alice told them.

"Yeah, 'cause you're British and Giles' daughter, Alice," Xander told her.

Brady chuckled, looking at Eric. "Eric, it's up to you. I know you're not gonna hurt my sister. And I know that you like Buffy. Only way you're gonna find out if she likes you is if you ask her."

"Is the part when you say 'but if you do hurt my sister, I'll kill you'?" Eric asked.

Brady smirked, shaking his head. "No. No, this is the part where I say, 'but if you do hurt my sister, she'll kill you'."

Alice, Xander and Willow all laughed. "Yeah. Definitely."

Eric smiled. "Thanks, Brady. Oh, hey, they're posting the list."

Xander ran off to check the list of names for the cheerleading squad. Buffy, Brooke, Carmen, Zoey and Amy were at the back of the crowd. A girl ran away in tears because her name was not on the list.

"I can't take this," Amy told them.

Joy stepped away from posting the list on the bulletin board.

A girl saw her name on the list. "Yes!"

Xander ran up behind Buffy, Brooke, Carmen, Zoey and Amy. "Cover me, I'm going in."

Xander pushed his way through the crowd, looking at the list.

Cordelia walked out of the crowd, looking at Amy. "You're lucky."

"I made it?" Amy asked.

"I made it," Cordelia told her.

Xander walked out of the crowd, getting hit on the way. "One of those girls hit me really hard, You should test for steroids." He looked at Brooke, Carmen and Zoey. "You, Miss Summers, Miss Chase, and Miss Francis, have made the team." He looked at Buffy. "Not only did you make the team, but you, the other Miss Summers, are the first alternate, and Amy's number three." Amy looked at them in severe disappointment, turning around, walking away. "And what a better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive through--"

"Xander, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team," Willow told him. "They only fill in if something happens to the ones who did."

"Excuse me," Zoey told them, walking after Amy.

Eric looked at Xander. "You are Xander. King of Cretins. May all lesser cretins... bow before Xander."

Zoey caught up to Amy. "At least it's over, and you know what I think we should do about it? Brownie pig-out, my house, after school."

"It's just how many more hours a day can I practice?" Amy asked. "You know, how much more can I do? This would never happen to my mother. Never."

Amy walked away.

Zoey sighed, watching her go.

∞

Madison House - Attic 

The camera panned from the wall across a bunch of tagged personal items that the witch had taken from people.  

Amy was sitting at the cauldron, stirring the pot. "Give me the power. Give me the dark." She went to get another doll from her rack. "I call on you, the laughing gods." She pulled one of the dolls off of the track. "Let your blackness crawl beneath my skin." She wrapped a scarf around the doll's head. "Accept thy sacrifice... of Carmen. Feed on her."

Amy dropped the doll into the brew.

∞∞

Summers House - Kitchen 

The toaster popped up. Buffy pulled a freshly toasted half of a bagel. She took it to the island in the middle of the kitchen for more preparation, eating with Brooke and Brady.

Joyce walked in. "Look what I found. It's my yearbook from junior year." She found her picture. "Oh, look, there I am."

Joyce put the book down on the island, going to get a cup of coffee, while her three kids looked at the picture.

"Mom, we've accepted that you've had sex," Buffy told her. "We are not ready to know that you had Farrah hair."

"This is Gidget hair," Joyce corrected. "Don't they teach you anything in history?"

Brady took a breath, wanting to get out of the conversation. "Well, it's really cool. But I gotta book."

Joyce grabbed his arm. "Wait, Brady. I know that Brooke made the cheerleading team again, and I still want to know if you're going to give basketball or football another chance." She looked at Buffy. "And, Buffy, I was thinking, I know the cheerleading thing didn't work out, maybe you should think about joining the yearbook staff. I did, and it was a lot of fun."

"Not really Buffy's tip, Mom," Brooke told her, opening the fridge.

"I was, uh, photo editor," Joyce explained. "I got to be on every page, made me look much more popular than I was."

"And have you seen the kids that do yearbook?" Brady asked. "Nerds pick on them."

"Some of the best times I had in school were working on the yearbook," Joyce told them.

Buffy turned to face her mother. "Oh, this just in; I'm not you. I'm into my own thing."

"Your own thing, whatever it is, got all three of you kicked out of school, and we had to move here to find a decent school that would take you," Joyce told them. 

"Nice, Mom," Brooke told her sarcastically. "Great parenting form. Little shaky on the dismount."

Buffy, Brady and Brooke walked out of the kitchen. Joyce sighed, disappointed with herself.

∞

Sunnydale High School - Hallway

Carmen walked past Willow, Zoey, Xander, Eric and Alice in a daze, not seeming to see her.

"Carmen, hey," Alice told her. "Are you all right?" Carmen looked around confusedly, not seeming to know what was happening, walking away. "Carmen?"

"Okay, see how witchcraft is destroying Carmen's brain?" Willow asked, chewing on a pen. "See how she has no clue as to what is going on around her? Her powers could be the death of her."

"The invisible man syndrome," Eric told them. "A blessing in Cordelia's case. A problem in friends' case. A curse in Buffy's."

Alice closed her locker. "You're not invisible to Buffy."

Willow chewed on her pen some more as they started to walk down the hall.

"It's worse," Eric told them. "I'm just like a part of the scenery, like an old shoe. Or a rug that you walk on every day but don't even really see it."

Willow took her pen out of her mouth. "Like a pen that's all chewed up. And you know you should throw it away, but you don't. Not 'cause you like it so much. More 'cause you're just used to..."

"Will, yeah, that is the point," Xander told her. "You don't have to drive it through Eric's head like a railroad spike." 

"Yeah, thanks, Willow," Eric told her sarcastically.

Alice looked at Eric "Just try and not be around the bush."

"Or we could be wrong," Xander told him tauntingly. "Maybe you should be around the bush more."

"Xander, you are so not helping," Zoey told him.

"Eric, just be a man and ask her out," Alice told him. "You know, you have to stop giving her ID bracelets. Uh, subtle innuendos. Taking Polaroids outside of her bedroom window late at night."

"Eric doesn't do that, Alice," Willow told her.

"Yeah, I know that, Willow," Alice told her. "It was just a joke to relieve the tension because here the Summers come."

The Summers siblings walked down the hallway toward them, seeing Carmen on the way toward the others.

"Okay, into battle I go," Eric told them. They saw Carmen trying to work the combination on a locker. "Hey, Buffy, would you like to, uh..."

Brooke reached them, looking at Carmen. "Is that even Carmen's locker?"

They saw Carmen give up and continue down the hall.

"Huh?" Brady asked.

"Oh, no," Zoey answered. "That's Cordelia's."

Eric looked at Buffy. "What I'm saying is accompany me Friday night--"

Buffy watched Carmen go, cutting him off. "Eric, we have to, um.." She looked at him. "We can make this up later. You don't mind, do you?"

Buffy gave Eric her book, turning around, following Carmen. Brooke, Alice and Zoey followed.

Xander whistled the sound of a bomb falling and exploding to tease Eric. "Sorry, bud."

Willow looked at Xander and continued chewing on her pen. Brady looked at them in confusion.

∞

Outside 

Concerned about Carmen, Buffy, Brooke, Alice and Zoey walked outside, looking around for Carmen, seeing her, starting to follow her.

Carmen was going to Driver's Ed, walking around in a daze.

The Driver's Ed teacher, Mr. Pole, was waiting for her impatiently. "Nice of you to join us, Carmen. We didn't keep you waiting or anything, did we? It's your turn to drive." He looked at the other students. "Okay, people, let's buckle up."

Carmen walked around the front of the car. "I don't wanna drive today, Mr. Pole."

"You've flunked Driver's Ed twice already," Mr. Pole told her. "Show me some moves, or you'll be taking the bus to college." They got into the car. Buffy, Brooke, Alice and Zoey were watching from behind a school bus. "Okay. Check the brake. Check the mirror. Start the engine." Carmen turned the key, starting the engine, but she seemed out of it. "Hello, put the car in drive." Carmen struggled with the shifting lever. "Let's move forward through the cones with a gentle even turn to the..." The car took off backward, crashing into some signs and stops. Carmen put it in drive. The car raced forward, burning rubber. "Slow down. Slow, slow. Turn right. Turn right!" Carmen lost control as the car raced along the course, knocking down cones and signs. The four girls outside watching began running after them. "Brakes! Brakes!" The car crashed through a fence, bushes and careened out onto the street. Brooke and Alice used their red Guardian energy to pull the car to a stop before anyone got hurt, as they were running closer with Buffy and Zoey. As a car nearly crashed into the car they had just stopped with Carmen inside, Brooke and Alice used the energy to make the car swerve away before they could crash into the other car. The other car drove away, leaving. "Everybody out!"

They all got out of the car. Carmen was in a daze, walking into the middle of the street. Completely overwhelmed and confused as to what was happening to her, angry and upset, she was starting to lose control of her magic, her telekinesis lashing out at the driver's ed car behind her, and the trees and the bushes all around her, able to take down several trees one at a time. A deliver man was coming the other way, but didn't slow down. Running closer, Alice and Brooke used their Guardian energy to make the deliver truck swerve around Carmen and miss her. Buffy leaped over the driver's ed car, grabbing Carmen, pulling her down and out of the road. The deliver truck took out the open car door on the driver's ed car as it drove away.

Zoey, Brooke and Alice ran closer to Buffy and Carmen as they rolled to a stop. "Carmen!"

Carmen looked out in a blind daze. "Oh, my God. Zoey, I... I can't see anything."

"It--it's okay," Brooke told her. "It's..." The other four girls were in shock when they saw Carmen's eyes. "Oh, God."

Carmen's eyes no longer had irises or pupils, were completely white. "Zoey? Buffy, what's happening? I can't see anything, Alice. Brooke?"

∞

Sunnydale High School - Library

Carmen was sitting blind at the table, while Alice, Buffy, Brooke, Zoey and Willow sat beside her worriedly, trying to help her but not knowing what to do. Eric, Brady, Xander, Giles, and now that Wyatt had been called in because of what was happening, were standing nearby.

Wyatt was pacing, able to sense the magic coming from Carmen's condition. "Witchcraft. Blinding your enemy to disorient and disable them. It's classic."

"Vampires," Brady told them. "Witches. Demons. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale."

"Why should someone want to harm Carmen?" Wyatt asked.

"We have no clue, Wyatt," Willow told him. "But this is witchy stuff, and Carmen is a witch that witchy stuff is happening to. And you're a witch who knows about witchy stuff, which is why we called you."

"Yeah, we were hoping that you would know what's happening to me," Carmen told him.

"Well, I might be able to tell you," Wyatt told them. "If you told me more. If you gave me more information. What else happened? Did anything else happen like this? Any information at all would be spectacular at this point."

"There was also an incident, where a student named Amber caught on fire without cause," Giles explained.

"Yeah, Carmen and Amber don't hang out," Xander told them.

"What's the overlap, then?" Wyatt asked. "What's the connection?"

"They're both cheerleaders," Buffy answered.

Wyatt frowned. "Someone doesn't like cheerleading?"

"Or likes it too much," Willow told them.

Zoey looked up in realization. "Amy."

"Amy," Buffy repeated.

"So you guys are leaning towards Amy?" Carmen asked.

"Hang on," Wyatt told them. "Slow down. Rewind. Back up for me. Just for a second. Who's Amy? And why do you think it's her?"

"She's one of Zoey's childhood friends," Xander answered.

"She's desperate to get on that team," Brady added.

"And I've got this feeling she'd do just about anything to make her mom's dream come true," Brooke told them.

"Uh, let me make sure I have this right," Wyatt told them. "This witch is casting horrible and disfiguring spells so that she can become a cheerleader?"

"I think you're underestimating the amount of pressure a parent can lay on you," Buffy told him. "If you're not a picture perfect carbon copy, they tend to wig."

"Cheerleading was kind of her mom's last hurrah," Zoey told them.

"Look, we still have to stop Amy," Xander told them. "We should grab her and--"

Giles cut him off. "I think we should be sure she's the witch before we arouse her suspicions. She's capable of some fairly unpleasant things."

"Okay, all right," Brooke told them, standing. "So, you're in high school, you are desperate to make the team and please your mom, so you turn to witchcraft. What's the first thing you're gonna do?"

"Check out the books on witchcraft," Brady answered.

Willow sat at the computer to access the on-line library card catalog. Buffy, Alice, Zoey and Brooke stood behind her, on either side of her shoulders, and behind her.

Carmen turned her head toward them, but couldn't see them with her eyes still white. "Uh, no, no, that would be the last thing you would do. You don't wanna leave a paper trail. Forget that."

"It'll just take a minute," Willow told her.

"We don't have a minute," Eric told them. "Cheerleaders are in danger. Buffy, Zoey and Brooke are in danger, now that Carmen's out of the way." 

Xander looked at Brooke and Zoey. "You were the last to make the team." He looked at Buffy. "You were the first alternate, and you are on the team now that Carmen's out."

"Now that Carmen's out of the way, you guys could be next," Brady told them. "We gotta get you guys to a safe house."

Alice looked at the screen in amusement. "Brady..."

Brady looked at the screen to see what the girls were looking at. "Yeah?"

Buffy exhaled and read the monitor. "'Witches: Historic Roots to Modern Practice.' Checked out by Carmen Chase."

"'The Pagan Rites'," Zoey read. "Checked out by Carmen Chase..."

"These books were checked out months ago," Alice told them. "Before Buffy, Brady, Brooke, my father and I arrived to town, or Wyatt for that matter."

"Carmen, you knew that you were getting powers months ago?" Willow asked.

"Uh, a power," Carmen corrected. "And yeah, I guess. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I was just freaking out."

"And you checked out the books trying to learn what it meant and how to control them," Zoey told her.

"Yeah, we get it, Carmen," Brooke told her.

Giles looked up. "Have you all quite finished? We have to find a conclusive test."

Wyatt stood. "Oh, I think I know something that should do it. We'll need some of her hair. A little quicksilver. And some aqua fortis. That's just mercury and nitric acid. You could probably get that in the science lab. Heat ingredients and apply to witch. And if a spell has been cast in the previous 48 hours, witch's skin turns blue. Oh, and we'll need some Eye of Newt."

"Okay, wicca boy, you either need to teach us how to do that ourselves, or do that yourself," Buffy told him. 

Wyatt chuckled, turning to Willow. "Just get me the ingredients from the lab. I'll be there. You just won't see me." They looked at him in confusion. Wyatt shrugged. "Invisibility spell. And as for the witch exposing spell... I'll whip it up real quick. Then hand it back. And then we prove whether or not this Amy girl is a witch or not. I don't know whether or not we should hope that this Amy should be the witch or not. Considering she's your friend. But considering that we need to find this witch... and fast... we need to know. Soon. And we will."

They were all impressed by Wyatt, nodding.

"By the way, Carmen," Willow told her. "No magic until we cure your blindness, okay? We can't have you losing control or hurting yourself. Or others."

Carmen nodded in understanding and agreement, picking up a pair of glasses from the counter, putting them on.

∞

Science Lab 

The science teacher, Dr. Gregory was holding a frog as reflected in a mirror propped up on a stick above him. The Scoobies were in the glass. Carmen was at the back of the room, wearing sunglasses to hide her completely white eyes.

"Those of you in track one may begin your dissections...now," Dr. Gregory told them. He indicated where the students should cut their frogs. Xander was trying to take his frog's eye out with tweezers. "Those of you in track two take your hydrochloric acid and your ammonium hydroxide and carefully pour them into your beakers." Dr. Gregory began to pour acid. Xander was still struggling with the frog's eye. "Now slow, slow..."

"I can't," Xander told them.

Alice grabbed the frog and took out its eye with ease. "Let me see."

Dr. Gregory was finishing his sentence. "...capping one, I'm being safe. And you get..."

Alice dropped the eye into the beaker. "Eye of Newt."

The ingredients in Dr. Gregory's beaker reacted and began to bubble and smoke. "...that."

"How's Zoey doing with the hair?" Eric asked.

They looked toward Zoey.

Cordelia sat next to Carmen. "Isn't this exciting?"

Carmen nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"What's with the glasses inside?" Cordelia asked.

Carmen shook her head nervously. "No reason."

Zoey walked up to Amy. "Amy, help me. Um, which is the hydrochloric acid and which is the, uh, ammonium hydroxide?"

"Well, the bottle that says 'hydrochloric acid' is usually the hydrochloric acid," Amy told her.

"Read the bottles," Zoey told her. "Good concept." She laughed nervously, dropping her pencil. "Oops."

Zoey knelt to the floor to pick up the pencil. She reached into Amy's bag and pulled some hair off of her brush. Zoey stood and tried to pretend nothing happened. She glanced at Amy to gauge her reaction. Amy smiled back weakly. Zoey waved her pencil and smiled back. She headed back to her lab table with an expression of relief at having avoided a close call. She put the hair on an empty bench as she walked by.

While the bench appeared to be empty, in reality, Wyatt was using his invisibility spell to stay hidden, using the Eye of Newt from Alice and the hair from Zoey to mix into the concoction.

Amy looked back toward Zoey, Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Alice, Xander, Willow, Eric and Carmen, unable to see Wyatt. The other Scoobies looked at Amy nervously, except for Carmen who couldn't see that Amy was looking at them.

"Wave 'Hi' to the nice little witch," Brady whispered.

Amy looked at them.

Wyatt took the beaker and poured some of the liquid into a test tube. "All set." He handed the tube to Zoey. "Do you have a plan?"

"Spill it on her," Buffy told her. "Try and make it look natural."

"We're right behind you," Brooke told her. "Only... further back."

Zoey slowly made her way over to Amy.

Dr. Gregory looked at Cordelia. "Cordelia, can you tell me why these chemicals have this reaction?" Zoey poured some of the mixture onto Amy's arm and feigned an accident, drawing in her breath. She saw the liquid turn blue on contact. "Cordelia?" Amy apparently didn't notice the spill, looking over at Cordelia. "Are you..."

The other Scoobies followed their gazes to Cordelia. "Oh, my God!"

Carmen didn't know what was going on, trying to listen to what was happening.

Cordelia was shaking her head violently, turning around, and everyone saw that she no longer had a mouth. Everyone but Carmen all stared in disbelief. Zoey looked at Amy. Amy was even freaked out.

∞

Library 

The Scoobies met up in the library again, discussing what happened.

"Did you see?" Brady asked. "Amy was as freaked out as the rest of us."

"No, Brady, actually I didn't see," Carmen answered.

"Sorry, Carmen," Brady told her.

"So is it Amy or not?" Eric asked.

"The test was positive," Alice told them. "She's our Sabrina. I just don't think she realizes what she's doing."

"Well, should we talk to her?" Xander asked.

"Maybe we should talk to her mother," Brooke told them. "I wonder if she knows what she's created."

∞

Amy's House - Outside 

Amy walked through the gate of her house with determination. The gate had a gargoyle face on it.

∞

Inside 

Amy walked inside, looking around. "Where are you?" Catherine quickly turned off the TV, standing. Amy walked closer. "Another productive day in front of the TV? I got a history report due tomorrow." She dropped her bag. "Write it." Catherine could only look at her. "I should be on that team by now." When Amy said Zoey's name, her voice was filled with contempt and hatred. "But instead your old friend Miss Zoey and friends are sneaking around stealing bits of my hair." Catherine shook her head, seemingly worried about Zoey. Amy opened her fists, revealing Buffy's bracelet from Eric, a ring of Brooke's, and the pencil that Zoey dropped in class. "I'll be upstairs."

Catherine watched Amy go upstairs.

∞∞

Day Three

Morning - Summers House - Buffy's Room

Buffy was sleeping in her bed. The room was a bit of a mess. The alarm clock went off.

Buffy slapped the alarm clock with her hand hard enough to smash it with her strength. She smiled, in a good mood, but sheepish. "Oh, oops."

Buffy sat up.

∞

Brooke's Room 

Brooke was sleeping in bed, unaware that her alarm clock was going off. 

Brady was walking by the door, noticing that Brooke was still asleep, walking toward her, shaking her shoulder to wake her up. "Brooke, hey. Don't you hear that thing going off? Thing's louder than Mom yelling for us to behave." 

Brooke frowned in confusion, not knowing what he was saying. "What? Brady... I can't... I can't..."

"Come on," Brady told her. "We gotta go." 

∞

Kitchen

The three siblings went downstairs to get ready for school. Buffy and Brooke were in their cheerleading uniforms. 

Buffy was singing cheerfully as they greeted their mother. "Macho, macho, man / I want to be a macho man, macho--"

Brooke saw that Joyce was pouring juice, grabbing a glass to drink. "Oh, hey, juice. Mm, quality juice. Not from concentrate."

Brady looked at Buffy. "You're in a good mood."

Buffy smiled. "I am. Brooke, Zoey and I are on the squad, which is great, even if Cordelia and Carmen can't be now, 'cause I feel like cheering and leading others to cheer. Oh, hey, juice."

Buffy took the second glass, drinking.

"Listen, about yesterday," Joyce told them. "I really..."

"Mm, that is yesterday," Brady told her. "Besides, it's not like you were wrong, you know, we did get kicked out of school."

Buffy smiled. "We're just wacky that way."

Brooke was confused because she couldn't hear what they were saying, but didn't want to say that she couldn't hear them at that moment because Joyce was there and she couldn't explain what was going on with her while their mother was there.

"Still, I just want you to know that, despite the problems you've had, I really..." Joyce trailed off.

"Mom, you just don't get it," Buffy told her. "And believe me, you don't want it. You know, there are just some things about being a Slayer and Guardian that the older generation--"

Brady put his hand over Buffy's mouth to stop her from spilling the entire truth. Brooke realized that Buffy was slipping up in the lies.

"A what?" Joyce asked. "Brooke, what's going on with you?"

Brooke still couldn't hear them, but could read her mother's lips. "It's a... long story."

"Brooke, are you feeling well?" Joyce asked.

"What?" Brooke asked. Joyce, Buffy and Brady all looked at Brooke, making her realize that they were asking if she was okay. "Oh, I'm--I'm fine, you know? Buffy, Brady, can we go?"

"What, like, we can't be in good moods?" Buffy asked. "Is it, like, a new house rule? Fine, you know, it's just fine, fine, fine, 'cause..." She started to sing again. "I'm a macho, macho man / I want to be a macho man." She bobbed her head as Brady grabbed both Buffy and Brooke by the arms, pulling them out of the house before they could tell Joyce anymore than they had. "Ooh, Brady, you're strong, too, macho, macho man."

∞

Sunnydale High School - Gym 

(Song:) Twilight Zone (Rave Version) - 2 Unlimited 

In the gym for cheerleading practice, Buffy, Brooke and Zoey were practicing their routine with the other girls.

"Five, six, seven, eight!" Joy told them.

The music started. They began the routine.

"I can't hear the music," Brooke told them, but everyone else thought she was just telling them to turn it up.

The routine continued until Buffy accidentally stomped on Joy's foot.

"Ow!" Joy complained. "Get it together, Buffy! We have a game in less than four hours."

Carmen, Alice, Eric, Xander and Willow walked in, walking toward Brady.

Brooke and Zoey waved, smiling.

Buffy jumped gleefully. "Carmen! Alice! Eric! Brady! Willow! Xander!" She looked at Brooke and Zoey. "Brooke, Zoey, our buds are here! I love our buds! Hi!" She noticed everyone staring. "Oh..."

Buffy, Brooke and Zoey got back in line, and the routine continued.

"Is it me, or is Buffy a bit looped?" Eric asked. 

"And is Brooke a bit out of it?" Alice asked.

"Zoey looks a little feverish, too," Xander told them.

The cheerleaders continued with assisted cartwheels.

"We better get them outta there," Willow told them.

Alice nodded in agreement. "Yes, before someone gets..." Buffy overthrew Zoey's aerial, sending her crashing into the gym wall. Zoey held her leg in pain. "Hurt."

Buffy and Brooke ran closer.

Carmen heard the crash. "Brady? What? Alice? Xander, what happened? Did somebody get hurt, Willow? Eric? Brooke? Buffy? Zoey?"

"Carmen, it's okay," Alice told her. "Zoey just got a little hurt."

"Buffy threw Zoey against the wall," Eric explained. "I say that qualifies as more than a little hurt. Well, that is if Buffy used Slayer strength. Which... she obviously did."

"Zoey, are you okay?" Xander asked.

Joy pushed Buffy. "You are so out of here!"

The others ran closer.

Willow and Alice helped Zoey stand. Brady and Xander pulled Brooke toward them and Carmen. Carmen grabbed Brooke's arm because she could lead her to where she couldn't see. Eric grabbed Buffy's arm.

Willow looked at Joy. "It's not her fault."

"She's on medication," Xander told her.

Brooke still couldn't hear them, getting frustrated. "What?"

"Well, obviously not enough," Joy told them. "Who's our next alternate?" Amy stood behind her. "Oh. Amy, you just made cheerleader."

Buffy shook her head. "No, no, no, you don't want her, she's a wi..."

Eric quickly put his hand over Buffy's mouth. "A wise choice indeed."

Eric and Brady pulled Buffy away, nodding and casting nervous smiles at Amy and Joy. Brooke followed them, letting Carmen use her arm as a guide because she still couldn't see. Alice, Xander and Willow followed them, helping Zoey along because Zoey was still hurt, but it seemed to be because of more than just Buffy's toss.

Amy stared after them.

∞

Hallway

The Scoobies walked into the hall, making their way to the library.

"She's a witchy!" Buffy told them.

"Buffy..." Willow trailed off. "Brooke, can you hear us? Brooke?"

"No," Brady answered. "Brooke, she uh... She told me and Buffy that she woke up without being able to hear anything."

"We just got kicked off the team, didn't we?" Brooke asked.

"I don't think it was your fault," Xander told them.

Buffy smiled. "Hmm, we know you don't, that's 'cause you're our friend. You're our Xander-shaped friend." She leaned her head on Eric's shoulder. "Do you have any idea why I love you boys so, Eric?"

"We gotta get them to a--" Alice started.

Eric stopped her with a gesture. "Let her speak."

"I'll tell you," Buffy told them. "You're not like other boys at all."

"Well..." Xander trailed off.

"You are totally, and completely, like us girls," Buffy told them. She looked at Zoey, Brooke, Alice, Willow and Carmen. "I'm that comfy with them."

Alice, Willow and Carmen smiled. Zoey wasn't feeling too well, and Brooke didn't hear what she said.

"That's great," Xander told them sarcastically.

"Buffy, you just insulted us and complimented us at the same time," Brady told her.

Buffy looked at Eric. "Any other guy who'd give me a bracelet, they'd wanna date me, and be like a--"

Zoey started to feel dizzy, feeling sick, nearly falling. "Guys?"

The girls caught her, keeping her up.

"How bad did you hurt your leg?" Willow asked in concern.

Zoey shook her head weakly. "It's not... Not that. I... I don't feel so good."

"Zoey?" Carmen asked.

Zoey collapsed.

The others had to catch her worriedly. "Zoey!"

∞

Library 

Zoey was laying back in a chair with a wet cloth on her forehead. Willow supported her head and kept the cloth in place with her hand. Carmen, Alice and Brooke sat with them worriedly. Buffy was pacing around cheerfully, though she was still worried. Xander, Eric, Brady and Giles were sitting at the table. 

Wyatt was here, trying to figure out magically what was wrong with Zoey.

"We've got to get her to a hospital," Willow told them worriedly.

"They can't help her," Wyatt told them. "This is a bloodstone vengeance spell." He checked Zoey's heartbeat. "Hits the body hard like a quart of alcohol. And then it eradicates the immune system."

"A vengeance spell, like she's trying to get even with Zoey?" Xander asked.

"'Cause she knows I know she's a witch," Zoey told them weakly.

"What's the other reason?" Eric asked. 

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"Why would Amy hurt Zoey?" Xander asked.

Carmen shook her head. "I don't know. They were close."

Giles looked at Zoey. "The others she just wanted out of the running. You she intends to, um..."

"Is she trying to kill Zoey?" Brooke asked.

Wyatt nodded.

"Wyatt, how much time do we have?" Alice asked.

They all looked at Wyatt.

Wyatt took a deep breath. "Oh, uh... I'm sure, uh..."

"Truth," Zoey told him weakly. "Please."

"Couple of hours," Wyatt answered. "Three at most."

"Well, how do we reverse the spell?" Eric asked.

"We can reverse all the spells if we can just lay our hands on Amy's spell book," Wyatt answered.

"And if we can't get a hold of it?" Giles asked.

"Well, the other way is to cut the witch's head off," Wyatt answered.

"Show of hands," Xander said, raising his hand.

"It's not Amy's fault," Alice told them. "She only became a witch to survive a witch to survive her mother."

"Look, I don't care why," Xander told her. "I just care that Zoey goes on breathing, that Carmen gets her sight back, Brooke gets her hearing back, that Buffy gets back to normal, and God forbid, that Cordelia gets her mouth back."

Zoey chuckled weakly. "That was the only good thing that came out of this. Cordy losing her mouth."

Carmen smiled sadly. "Ironic, since Cordelia can never shut up."

"Wyatt, where would she be casting these spells?" Willow asked.

"Oh, she needs a sacred space," Wyatt answered. "A pentagram. Cauldron."

"Her home," Eric told them.

Zoey sighed. "Okay. Help me up." They helped Zoey up. "We'll just go to her house and we'll get her book. I know where her house is. I know how to get around it."

"Okay, we'll go with you," Willow told them.

"Uh, no," Alice told them. "Buffy, Brooke, Brady, Xander, Willow, Eric, Carmen. You guys stay here and keep an eye on Amy."

"And keep her away from the science lab," Wyatt told them. "We'll need it to cast our counter spells."

"Alice, Wyatt, Zoey and I will go to Amy's house and see what we can find," Giles told them.

"Okay," Brady told them. "Be careful."

Alice and Wyatt helped Zoey walk out of the library with Giles.

Brooke was confused because she missed most of the conversation due to her hearing loss. "So, what the hell is happening? Where are they going?"

The others looked at Brooke in sympathy. 

"Brady, Buffy, you wanna explain to your sister?" Eric asked. "Brooke needs it."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Brady asked.

Buffy smiled, giggling happily, though she was still worried about Zoey.

Willow shrugged. "Maybe through writing?"

Carmen sighed. "Great."

"Buffy, Brady, write it up," Xander told them. "Brooke needs it."

Buffy laughed.

Brady sighed, writing down what was happening so that Brooke could be filled in.

∞

Madison House - Outside 

Wyatt drove his car up to the Madison House. Alice, Giles and Zoey were inside the car with him.

∞

Inside 

Catherine was sitting down, having a plate of brownies on her lap, taking a bite out of one. She heard a knock on the door, looking up, startled.

Outside, Giles was the one knocking, while Alice and Wyatt were helping Zoey stand. Zoey looked very sick, tired and out of it. 

Catherine lid the plate of brownies under the coffee table, standing, opening the door. "Who are you? Wha--um, uh, is there something wrong?"

"Mrs. Madison, we need to talk to you about your daughter," Giles told her.

"I'm not allow--" Catherine started. "You'll have to come back later."

Catherine triex to close the door.

Giles prevented her and pushed his way in. "Excuse me."

"What?" Catherine asked.

Alice turned to help Zoey. "You're all right." They looked around for a place to sit Zoey down. "Um, in here."

They led Zoey into the living room, helping her sit on the couch.

Giles looked at Catherine. "Your daughter is meddling with something very dangerous. Are you aware of that?"

"Uh, I don't know what you're talking about," Catherine told them.

"Oh, I think you know only too well," Giles told her.

"You've got to go," Catherine told them. "She's gonna be home soon, and you--"

Giles cut her off, holding a hand toward Zoey. "This girl is very sick. Now you will shut up and you will listen to me! Your daughter has access to some very powerful magics. And somehow your obsession with cheerleading has made--"

"I don't care about cheerleading," Catherine cut him off incredulously. "It's not my fault she's doing stuff."

Zoey saw the plate of brownies under the table, next to Catherine's chair, frowning, remembering when Amy and Zoey used to pig out on brownies but Catherine had never eaten on thing that caused her to gain weight, putting the pieces together.

Giles looked at 'Catherine'. "As her mother you should assume some responsibility for her actions."

'Catherine' laughed. "Well, you know, these kids today. I... She's out of her mind. Ever since Dad--her dad--left I can't control her."

Zoey slowly stood, looking at 'Catherine'.

"What are you doing?" Alice asked.

Giles looked at 'Catherine'. "You're afraid of her?"

Zoey looked at 'Catherine'. "Amy?" 'Catherine' looked at Zoey and realized she'd been found out. Giles, Alice and Wyatt looked at Zoey, still puzzled. "Are you Amy?"

Giles looked at Catherine. "I don't understand."

"She switched," Wyatt realized. "She switched your bodies, didn't she?"

Catherine/Amy looked down, defeated.

"Good Lord!" Giles told them.

"She wanted to relive her glory days," Alice stated.

Catherine/Amy looked up. "She said I was wasting my youth. So she took it."

∞∞

Giles, Alice, Zoey and Wyatt were sitting on the couch.

Catherine/Amy was sitting on the chair. "I didn't know anything about her powers. I mean, when Dad was here, they would fight and yell and he would... call her a witch and... I mean, I would, just thought he meant... Oh, God, when he left, I wanted to go with him. But she wouldn't even let me call. She went crazy, I mean, she'd lock herself upstairs for days, and she was always coming down on me, telling me I didn't deserve to have it so easy, and that I didn't know... how hard it was to be her, and... I guess she showed me, huh?"

Alice took both Catherine/Amy and Zoey by the hands. "Zoey, Amy, it's gonna be okay."

"A few months ago, I woke up in h... her bed," Catherine/Amy told them. "I didn't know where I was, and... then I looked in the mirror..."

"She locked herself upstairs?" Giles asked.

Zoey nodded. "Yeah. Even when she was supposed to be babysitting me."

Wyatt looked from Catherine/Amy to Zoey. "Where?"

∞

Attic 

Wyatt used magic to broke the door to the attic open, walking in, looking around. Giles followed.

Catherine/Amy also followed, trying to stop them. "Don't. If she finds out I've been here, she'll kill me."

Wyatt walked around the cauldron to the rack with the hanging dolls.

Giles saw the two dolls bound together for the body switching spell, taking them in his hand. "My God. Wyatt, can you reverse Catherine's spells? All of them?"

"I believe so," Wyatt answered.

"You could?" Catherine/Amy asked hopefully. "Really, you could?"

"We need to find her books," Wyatt told them. "There'd be specific volumes she'd need for this kind of casting." They looked around. Wyatt found a trunk, using magic to move the things off the top. "Giles, collect those dolls, and, uh, any other personal effects."

They opened the trunk. A black cat jumped at them, surprising them.

Giles jumped. "Ah. Nice kitty." He calmed down. "Let's see what you were guarding." They looked through the trunk. "Ah, yes." Giles took out a book, showing Wyatt. "Is this it?"

Wyatt took the book, nodding. "It is. Let's go. Get back to Zoey and Alice."

∞

Living Room 

Alice was waiting downstairs with Zoey, making sure that she was okay, helping her fever die down a bit. "I wish being a Guardian meant that I could cure the sick. But that is not the case."

"It's okay, Alice," Zoey told her. "You take way too much blame."

Alice smiled sadly. "Part of being a Guardian, I suppose. Blaming yourself when you fail to protect, or guard."

"Alice, you helped save Carmen's life yesterday, and you've saved a lot of ours since all this started," Zoey pointed out weakly. "I say that's fair enough."

Alice chuckled. "How did you know it was Amy?"

Zoey pointed toward the brownies under the table. "And when... she brought up her dad, she didn't... hate me."

"What do you mean?" Alice asked.

"I saw Catherine cheating on Amy's dad with my dad," Zoey answered. "When I told Amy, her dad overheard us. That's why he left. Catherine blamed me ever since."

"That's why Catherine's killing you," Alice realized. "She blames you for her husband leaving." Zoey nodded weakly. Giles, Wyatt and Catherine/Amy walked in. Alice looked up. "Did we find?"

"We found," Giles answered. "Come on."

Wyatt and Alice helped Zoey up from the couch. Zoey could barely stand anymore, nearly falling. Wyatt caught Zoey in his arms, lifting her up in a cradle to carry her out.

"But where are you going?" Catherine/Amy asked.

"We're going to school," Giles answered. "And you're coming with us."

∞

Night - Sunnydale High School - Gym

(Song:) Get Ready For This (Rave Version) - 2 Unlimited

The Sunnydale basketball team came through the doors, running onto the court. The cheerleaders were already cheering. Amy/Catherine was clearly happy to be there. Buffy, Eric, Brady, Xander, Willow and Carmen were in the stands, watching Amy/Catherine. Carmen was still wearing sunglasses to hide her completely white eyes.

(Song Ends)

∞

Science Classroom

Brooke was waiting when Alice, Giles, Zoey and Catherine/Amy arrived.

Wyatt carried Zoey into the lab. Brooke pushed everything off of a lab table so Wyatt could lay Zoey onto the table.

Brooke took off her jacket, still in her uniform. "We're gonna stop this. I promise." Zoey looked up at her. Brooke folded her coat, putting it under Zoey's head as a pillow. Zoey's vision blurred and her hearing was a little distorted. "You just hang on." Zoey moaned in pain. Alice and Brooke both took her hands. Wyatt and Giles walked toward the box of books and other things Catherine/Amy had set on Dr. Gregory's desk, reaching in to get Catherine's spell book. "How is she?"

Alice made sure that Brooke could read her lips clearly. "We only have a few minutes left."

Brooke understood even though she couldn't hear, looking at Zoey worriedly.

∞

Gym 

Buffy, Eric, Brady, Xander, Willow and Carmen were in the stands, watching Amy/Catherine.

The cheerleaders, including Amy/Catherine, were doing their routine. "Go, Sunnydale, go! Go, Sunnydale, go! Go! Six, seven, eight. Go, Sunnydale, go! Go, Sunnydale, go! Go, Sunnydale, go! Go! Six, seven, eight. Go, Sunnydale, go! Go, Sunnydale, go! Go, Sunnydale, go! Go!"

The camera focused on Amy/Catherine in slow motion, along with a slow pan across the crowd, including the Scoobies in the stands. Amy/Catherine was smiling as she was cheering.

∞

Science Classroom

Alice and Brooke were trying to keep Zoey awake from where she was laying on the table.

Giles and Wyatt were setting up the spellwork that needed to be done to reverse it all. Alice cut an eye from a frog to help them with the spell.

"Right," Giles told them. "Here we go."

Zoey felt even weaker, fighting to keep her eyes open.

Brooke handed the last of the spell's ingredients to Wyatt. "All you. Wyatt?" Wyatt looked at her. "Save her. All of us."

Wyatt nodded reassuringly, mixing the potion, starting the spell. "The center is dark. Centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. Tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears. Hear me!"

∞

Gym 

Buffy, Eric, Brady, Xander, Willow and Carmen were in the stands, watching Amy/Catherine.

The cheerleaders, including Amy/Catherine, were doing their routine. Amy/Catherine stopped chanting, looking startled. Her vision flashed to what Catherine/Amy was seeing in the science lab, the book, and the frog. She saw the gym, taking up the count again, but had a worried look on her face.

∞

Science Lab

Catherine/Amy seemed startled and weak. "Oh, it's... it's working."

Wyatt picked the book up from the table and read. "'Unlock the gate. Let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear.'" Catherine/Amy staggered back, covering her face. "Show me..."

Brooke seemed affected, looking down, propping herself up again the table, slowly starting to hear clearer. Alice was making sure that Brooke and Zoey were both okay. The lights went out.

∞

Gym 

Buffy, Eric, Brady, Xander, Willow and Carmen were in the stands, watching Amy/Catherine. Buffy and Carmen felt the effects of the spell also, looking weakened and winded. Buffy returned to seriousness. Carmen took the glasses off her face, still having cloudy white eyes, but not nearly as cloudy as they had been.

The cheerleaders, including Amy/Catherine, were doing their routine. Some of the cheerleaders were lifting Amy/Catherine. Once up, Amy/Catherine put her fists into the air, giving the crowd a big smile, but the smile faded as she had another flash to the lab, where she got a glimpse of Wyatt, Giles, Zoey, Brooke and Alice. She came back to the gym, beginning to lose her balance, looking as weakened by the spell's effects as Catherine/Amy, Zoey, Brooke, Buffy and Carmen did.

Eric, Brady, Xander and Willow knew that the spell was working because of how weakened and effected Buffy, Carmen and Amy/Catherine were, looking at Buffy and Carmen in concern and worry, knowing that Zoey and Brooke were also weakened, along with the other girls that had been cursed by Catherine.

The cheerleaders supporting Amy/Catherine struggled for control, but they collapsed. The crowd reacted to the fall. Buffy, Eric, Brady, Xander, Willow and Carmen watched, though Buffy and Carmen were still weakened, and Carmen was only starting to get her vision back in glimpses.

"Amy, what's your problem?" Joy asked.

Amy/Catherine glared at Joy, making her jump, getting up, looking around, staggering from the gym. Buffy and Carmen stood, staggering and stumbling slightly because of the effects of the counteracting spell. Eric, Brady, Xander and Willow stood to help Buffy and Carmen walk down the stands so they could go after Amy/Catherine.

∞

Science Lab

While Alice was making sure the weakened Brooke and Zoey were okay, Wyatt continued with the spell.

Catherine/Amy looked up. "She's coming!"

Giles was worried.

∞

Hallway

Amy/Catherine violently pushed open a door.

Eric stopped her. "Amy."

"Get out of my way," Amy/Catherine told him angrily.

Willow walked up to them. "Wait. We need to talk to you. We can help you."

"Help me?" Amy/Catherine repeated. "With what?"

Carmen walked closer, still a bit weakened by the spell. "Uh, well, you know, all your witchcraft. I have a lot of neat witch tricks, too, bitch."

Carmen used her telekinesis to throw Amy/Catherine down the hallway, though she still couldn't see much, which led to several lockers bursting open and papers raining out, and lights overhead sparking and raining down.

Brady stepped up next to Carmen, grabbing her arm to tell her to stop before more damage was caused, mocking Amy/Catherine. "We know this really good cauldron." Buffy walked up behind Amy/Catherine, spinning to kick her in the back, but was still weakened by the spell, staggering slightly. Eric and Xander helped Buffy stay standing. "Do you actually ride a broom?"

Amy/Catherine stood, taking advantage of the fact that Carmen couldn't see much and both she and Buffy were out of it, holding out her hands like she was grabbing their necks, magically strangling them, making them hold their throats and gasp for breath.

Eric stepped closer worriedly to help. "Buffy. Carmen."

"Eric, wait a sec," Xander told him.

Amy/Catherine growled, magically throwing Buffy and Carmen into Brady, Xander and Eric, making them fall. 

Willow watched worriedly. "Guys!"

Amy/Catherine spun around, punching Willow hard in the face, knocking her to the floor, staggering her way to the lab, still weakened but on a mission to kill.

∞

Science Lab

Wyatt was holding up his arms and chanting. "Corsheth and Gilail. The gate is closed. Receive the dark. Release the unworthy. Take of mine energy and be sated."

Wyatt plunged his hands into the mixture he had concocted.

∞

Hallway

Amy/Catherine slammed through another door, walking to the lab, trying the door, but it was locked, yanking at it. 

∞

Science Lab

Wyatt took his hands out of the brew. Alice looked at the door and saw it was being yanked on, knowing that Brooke, Buffy and Carmen needed time to be at full strength because of the curses and the counteracting spell. 

Wyatt continued to chant. "Be sated. Release the unworthy."

∞

Hallway 

Amy/Catherine stopped pulling at the door, finding a fire ax in a glass case, breaking the glass with her magic, taking out the ax. 

∞

Science Lab

Zoey, laying down still, could barely keep her eyes open, just rolling her head slowly.

Wyatt continued the spell. "Release." Amy/Catherine began to chop down the door with the ax. "Release!" Alice pulled Giles, Brooke and Catherine/Amy away from the door, standing in front of them protectively, ready for whenever Amy/Catherine came in. Amy/Catherine made a hole in the door, reaching through to open the door, marching in, ax in hand. "Release!"

Amy/Catherine held the ax ready to slash into Alice. Alice used her Guardian energy to stop the blow midair, twisting her hands to pull the ax out of her hands and throw it down to the floor. There was a flash of light, and the spells were all broken. 

Amy was herself again. She looked around, a bit confused.

Brooke and Zoey had their strength back, both completely cured from their curses. Zoey sat up with ease.

"Alice?" Amy asked. "Brooke? Zoey?"

"Amy?" Brooke asked.

Catherine lunged at Zoey from the side and tackled her to the floor.

Giles advanced, holding his arm out and pointing. "You... you..."

Catherine growled and looked at Giles, using her powers to force him back and pushed a table against him, knocking him down and out.

Alice ran to Giles' side worriedly. "Dad!"

Amy just stood there watching.

Catherine stood and confronted Amy. "You! You little brat. I gave you birth. I gave up my life so you could drag that worthless carcass around and call it living? You've never been anything but trouble. I'm going to put you where you can't make trouble again."

Wyatt used magic to pull the ax from the floor into his hands, holding it up to Catherine threateningly. "I think you've caused enough damage, Catherine."

"Well, I heard all that," Brooke told them. Catherine turned to face her. "And I've heard about enough of that. Wyatt?"

Wyatt swung the ax toward Catherine, using his power to send her flying through the air, making her fall onto a lab table and roll off, hitting a shelf full of bottles along the way, magically throwing the ax toward Catherine. Catherine barely managed to duck.

Catherine quickly stood. "That body was mine. Mine!"

"Oh, grow up," Alice told her, holding her hand toward Catherine, using red Guardian energy to send her flying against the wall, making her hit the wall and fall to the floor, a few feet away from Zoey.

Catherine looked at Zoey. "And you, you little bitch." Zoey looked at her, raising her eyebrows. "You're the reason the man I loved left."

"You're the reason that he left," Zoey told her. "You're the one that hooked up with my dad and ruined both marriages."

Catherine began to cast a spell. "I shall look upon my enemy." She looked at Zoey, her eyes pitch black. "I shall look upon her and the dark place will have her soul." Alice and Brooke formed red Guardian energy to stop her. "Corsheth, take her!"

Alice used her red Guardian energy to shield Zoey from Catherine's spell. Catherine's spell leaped from her hands toward them. Brooke used her Guardian energy to counteract the spell back on Catherine. Wyatt used his power to make sure that the spell only surrounded Catherine and only Catherine, no one else. The glowing power of the spell enveloped Catherine as she screamed. The energy twisted around her and disappeared with a roar, taking her with it.

Buffy and Carmen ran inside, surveying the scene.

Amy was badly shaken.

Giles sat up. "Well, that was, um, interesting."

Alice helped Giles up.

"You guys okay?" Carmen asked.

"I'm fine," Amy answered.

"I assume the, uh, all the spells are reversed," Giles told them. 

Wyatt shrugged. "Eh, not my finest casting."

Brooke smiled. "Don't be modest, Wyatt. You saved our lives. You were a god."

Everyone smiled.

Amy shrugged. "Well, I didn't think you'd pull it off."

Suddenly Brady, Xander and Eric came rushing in and grabbed Amy tightly. "We got her! Got her! Cut her head off!"

"Brady, Xander, Eric, what are you doing?" Alice asked.

"Saving you?" Eric asked what sounded like a statement.

"Get your hands off of her," Alice told them.

"But she's evil," Xander told them.

"It wasn't exactly her," Giles told them.

"I was my mom," Amy explained.

"Oh!" Brady said, all three boys letting her go.

Willow ran inside, holding a baseball bat raised and ready to use. "Where is she?"

"Uh, hey, Willow," Eric told her. "It's cool."

"It is?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, we took care of it," Xander told her.

They all looked at each other.

∞

Summers House - Living Room 

(Song:) Count the Time - The Children 

Buffy, Brooke and Brady were just getting home.

Joyce walked toward them. "I don't get it."

"What?" Brady asked.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about... where you're coming from, how to relate to you, and I've come to a very simple conclusion," Joyce answered. "I don't get it."

"We're inscrutable, huh?" Brady asked.

"I think there's a--a biological imperative whereby I can't understand you because I'm not a teenager," Joyce told them.

"Do you ever wish you could be a teenager again?" Brooke asked.

Joyce chuckled. "Oh, that's a frightful notion. Go through all that again? Not even if it helped me understand you."

They all smiled.

"We love you, Mom," Buffy told her.

Brady nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We really, really do. Love you. Really."

The three siblings walked out of the room.

Joyce smiled. "I don't get it."

(Song Ends)

∞

Day Four 

Morning - Sunnydale High School - Hallway

Amy and Zoey were walking together down the hall.

"My dad is so impossible," Amy told her. "He doesn't ever want me going anywhere. He wants to spend total quantity time together. And I'm, like, 'Dad, I can go out, it's perfectly safe.' But he's got all this guilt about leaving me with my mom. And he's being a total pain."

Zoey smiled. "You're loving it."

Amy smiled. "Every single minute." They walked around a corner. "This Saturday night he wants to stay in and make brownies. Well, the brownies were my idea."

Cordelia came up behind them. "Hey, I'm really sorry you guys got bumped back to alternate. Hold it, wait... No, I'm not."

"Well, I know that I'll miss the intellectual thrill of spelling out words with my arms," Zoey told them sarcastically. "Or the bitchiness maximity."

"Ooh, these grapes are sour," Cordelia told her, walking ahead of them.

Amy and Zoey stopped at the trophy case.

Zoey looked at Amy. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that you wanted to be on the squad."

"Oh, hey, that's okay," Amy told her. "Cheerleading's just a little too hairy for me these days."

Zoey took a breath. "That's for sure."

They walked around to the front of the case and looked at Catherine's picture.

"Catherine the Great," Amy said.

"And there's been no sign of her?" Zoey asked.

"That last spell..." Amy trailed off. "She said I'd never make trouble again and that the darkness would have your soul. Wherever she is, I don't think we'll have to worry."

They looked at Catherine's cheerleading trophy, the eyes looking like they were moving.

"Twisted," Zoey said.

They turned and walked away.

"I'm just happy to have my body back," Amy told her. "I'm thinking of getting fat."

"You know, I hear that look's in for spring," Zoey told her.

They laughed, walking away.

The camera closed in on the cheerleading trophy. Catherine's eyes were looking out, and she was making muffled noises, leading to believe that Catherine was trapped inside her own cheerleading trophy.