Outside the school, Willow was lying on a grassy area, concentrating heavily.

A pencil levitated up from the ground, slowly turning end over end.

Willow smiled.

Buffy was doing sit ups next to us.

I was eating an apple, lounged out.

"The Watcher Council shrink is heavy into tests," Buffy told us. "He's got tests for everything. TATs, Rorschach, associative logic..." She sat up. "He even has that test to see if you're crazy that asks if you ever hear voices or you ever wanted to be a florist."

Willow looked at us. "Ooh, I used to want..." She reconsidered. "Wait. Florist means crazy, right?" She turned back to levitating the pencil in front of her. "I never wanted to do that."

I smiled, impressed. "Neat."

Willow smiled. "Thanks. It's all about emotional control. Plus, obviously, magic." She looked at us giddily. "Hey, you wanna go to the Espresso Pump and gt sugared up on mochas?"

"I'm gonna pass," I told them. "Hit the pool and do some laps."

"How come the sudden calisthenics?" Willow asked.

"Well, they've got us running around on the physical side, too," I told her. "A lot of reflex evaluation and precision training, you know. I--I just..."

"Wanna do it well?" Buffy finished.

"Well, I'm still only a Potential, a knock-off of you and Faith, Buff," I told her. "It means I gotta try and do harder than you guys."

"You are not a knock-off," Buffy told me. "You've kicked both of our asses a couple of times."

I smiled.

"You'll both definitely ace her on the psych tests," Willow told us. "Just don't mark the box that says, 'I sometimes like to kill people.'"

"I know Faith's not gonna be on the cover of Sanity Fair, but... she had it rough," Buffy told us. "Different circumstances, that could be us."

Willow shook her head. "No way. Some people just don't have that in them."

"Look, I'm sorry," I told her. "I--I know how you hate talking about Faith."

"No, it's okay," Willow told us.

"No, really, we should just..." I trailed off, looking at the pencil levitating in the air.

"No," Willow told us. "I--It doesn't bother me. I mean it."

"Uh, Will?" I asked.

Willow and Buffy looked at the pencil. "Oh."

The pencil was spinning wildly. It darted off, burying itself deeply into a trunk of a nearby tree.

Willow looked from me to Buffy, slightly embarrassed. 

Buffy looked at Willow. "Emotional control?"

Willow was abashed. "I'm working on it."

•••

Principal Snyder was making Willow tutor a jock named Percy.

Willow, Buffy and I walked into the library.

"So, he threatened you?" Buffy asked. "With what?"

"Well, i--it wasn't exactly anything he said," Willow told us. "It was all in his eyes. I mean, there was some nostril work as well, but mostly eyes."

"Snyder needs me to kick his ass," I told them.

"Oh, no, Zoey, don't get in trouble," Willow told me. "I'll be okay." We reached the table. Willow set down her books. Buffy sat at the table. I sat on the table, taking out a lollipop, consuming. "I just hate the way he bullies people. He just assumes everyone's time is his."

Giles walked out of his office. "Willow, get on the computer. I want you to take another pass at accessing the Mayor's files."

"Okay," Willow told him, walking behind the counter to use the computer there.

Faith and Wesley walked in. Wesley was out of breath.

Faith was in workout clothes, speaking sarcastically. "Well, that was a blast."

"How did it go?" Giles asked.

Faith pointed at Wesley behind her. "Princess Margaret here had a little trouble keeping up."

Wesley reached the counter, leaning against it, trying to catch his breath.

Buffy raised her eyebrows.

I smirked.

Giles looked at Wesley. "How did it go?"

Wesley was still trying to catch his breath. "Faith, uh... did quite well on the obstacle field. Still a little sloppy, though."

Faith looked at Wesley incredulously.

"Do you feel up to, uh, taking Buffy and Zoey out, or shall I?" Giles asked.

"Oh, no, no, no," Wesley told us. "I'll be fine. Just give me a minute. And some defibrillators, if it's not too much trouble."

Faith looked at Buffy and me. "You're gonna love it. It's just like fun, only boring."

Faith grimaced.

"Faith, this evaluation is a necessary part of the Council's--" Giles started.

"I know," Faith told us. "I'm on board here. Just shooting my mouth off."

I looked at Buffy. "Slayers go first."

Buffy nodded barely. "I better change."

I patted Buffy on the shoulder, smiling. "Good luck."

Buffy smiled, standing, walking out, leaving.

Faith had been watching the exchange between me and Buffy critically.

I looked at Faith, raising my eyebrows.

Faith smirked. She noticed Willow at the computer, sitting on the counter to sit next to her and watch. "What are you doing?"

Willow was trying to concentrate and ignore Faith. "I'm trying to access the Mayor's personal files."

"Can you do that?" Faith asked.

"Well, he's got some tricky barriers set up," Willow told us.

"Can you get past them?" Faith asked warily.

"Eventually I'll get through," Willow answered stubbornly.

Faith watched intently.

•••

The next day, I was walking through the school hallway.

Oz walked closer. "Hey."

I smiled. "Oz. Hi."

Oz smiled, embracing me. "There's something about you that's causing me to hug you. It's like I have no will of my own."

We pulled away.

I smiled. "Where were you yesterday?"

We walked down the hallway, holding hands.

"Mm, me and the band got back late, sort of very," Oz answered. "We had a gig in Monterrey Sunday night."

We stopped by a classroom.

I turned to face Oz. "Oh, you did? How come I didn't know?"

Oz was surprised. "I thought you did."

I shrugged. "Maybe I would have liked to go."

"Didn't figure you for missing patrol and fighting the good fight," Oz told me.

I smirked barely, nodding knowingly. "You think I'm working too hard again."

"I'd call that a radical interpretation of the text," Oz told me.

I smirked. "Well, working too hard or not... It's worth the fight."

"Absolutely," Oz agreed. I smiled, kissing Oz for a moment, pulling away. "We're playing tonight at the Bronze. Be there?"

"Yeah," I answered. "Definitely."

Oz stepped closer to the classroom. Our hands didn't part until necessary.

Oz smirked, walking into the classroom.

I smiled, walking down the hallway. 

•••

Willow was sitting on the fountain outside, about to peel a banana.

Buffy, Xander and I walked toward her.

"Hey," Buffy told her.

"Willow, did you remember to tape Biography last Friday?" Xander asked.

"Uh-huh," Willow answered absentmindedly, struggling with the banana.

Buffy looked at Xander proudly. "See? I told you. Old Reliable."

Xander and I smiled, nodding.

Willow was unamused. "Oh, thanks."

Buffy was slightly taken aback. "What?"

"'Old Reliable'?" Willow asked. "Yeah, great. There's a sexy nickname."

"Well, I--I didn't mean it as--" Buffy started.

"No, it's fine," Willow told us. "I'm 'Old Reliable.'"

"She just means, you know, the geyser," Xander told her. "You're like the geyser of fun that goes off at regular intervals."

Willow looked disgusted. "That's Old Faithful."

"Isn't that the dog that--that the guy had to shoot?" Xander asked.

Willow looked incensed. "That's Old Yeller."

"Xander, I beg you to find your off button and shut up," I told him.

Xander nodded.

"Will, I--I didn't mean it as a bad thing," Buffy told her. "I--I think it's good to be reliable."

Willow stood in annoyance. "Well, maybe I don't wanna be reliable all the time. Maybe I'm not just some doormat person. Homework Gal."

"I'm thinking nerd strike," Xander told us.

Willow exhaled moodily, turning to leave, turning to face us. "Maybe I'll change my look. Or cut class. You don't know." Buffy, Xander and I looked at her in surprise. Willow held up her banana defiantly. "And I'm eating this banana. Lunchtime be damned!"

Willow walked away.

I walked toward Willow. "Will, wait."

Willow turned to me, chiding gently. "Zo, I'm storming off. it doesn't really work if you come with me."

I was chastened. "Oh."

Willow walked away, leaving.

I looked at Buffy and Xander.

•••

I was at the Bronze, listening to the slow, blusey song.

There was a commotion at the other end of the Bronze.

I looked toward where Willow was wearing a complete leather outfit, dark makeup, strangling Percy. Percy tried to strangle Willow, but didn't have much affect on her.

Xander walked toward them. "What's going on? Is there a funny thing?"

Willow smiled.

Xander pulled Percy off of her, pushing him to the floor. "Back off! You stay the hell away from her."

"Okay," Percy told them. "Suer."

Percy stood, running away.

Xander turned to make sure Willow was okay, stunned by the way she was dressed.

Willow was smiling, glad. "Xander!"

I walked toward them in confusion.

"Will, changing the look not an idle threat with you," Xander told her.

"You're alive," Willow told him, embracing Xander, running her hands sensuously over his neck and back.

"Uh, Will, this is verging on naughty touching here," Xander told her. Willow slid her hands further down. "Don't wanna fall back on bad habits." Willow grabbed his ass. Xander jumped back, surprised. "Hands. Hands in new places!"

Willow seemed to realize something, surprised and revolted. "You're alive."

Xander nodded, looking at Willow curiously. "You mentioned that before."

I reached them. "Will, are you okay?"

Willow seemed relieved to see me, but seemed to realize the same thing she had realized about Xander, distraught. "No. Everything's different."

Buffy walked toward us. "Oh. There you are."

"Hey, Buff," I told him.

"Aren't you gonna introduce me to your..." Buffy trailed off when she realized. "Holy God, you're Willow."

Willow looked at Buffy vehemently. "You."

"You know what?" Buffy asked, smiling supportively. "I--I like the look." She stammered. "It's, um... it's--it's extreme, but it--it--it looks good, you know. It's a..." She breathed deeply. "Leather thing, and, uh..." She looked at me. "I said extreme already, right?"

Willow stepped closer to Buffy, eyes narrowed with hatred. "I don't like you."

Buffy was taken aback. "Will, I'm sorry about today. You know how my foot likes to live in my mouth. But you know... you really didn't have to prove anything."

Willow glared at us in disgust. "Leaving now."

Willow turned to leave.

"Will, gotta say, not loving the new you," Xander told her.

I walked toward Willow. "Will, wait."

I grabbed Willow's arm.

Willow turned to face me, transforming with a vampire face, roaring. "Get off me."

Willow pulled her arm away, walking out quickly, leaving.

Buffy, Xander and I were left standing there in complete shock and dawning horror.

•••

Buffy, Xander and I walked into the school library, silent, very detached from reality.

Giles walked out from his office. "Oh. I thought you were going out tonight. I didn't expect..." He saw our expressions, very worried. "What is it?"

  •••  

Giles, Buffy, Xander and I were sitting on the stairs, detached, gazing off numbly in denial and despair.

Giles held his glasses in his hands.

Xander idly handled a cross, taking a breath. "This isn't real."

"I can't feel anything," I told them. "Arms, legs, anything."

"She was truly the finest of all of us," Giles told us.

"Way better than me," Xander told us. 

Giles nodded. "Much, much better."

"It's all my fault," Buffy told us. "I--it's me. I'm the one that called her reliable. She much have gone out and gotten attacked, which she never would have done if I hadn't have called her reliable. And now our best friend is..."

Willow walked in, wearing her normal fuzzy, light-hearted attire. "What's going on?" We looked at her in surprise. Xander lifted his cross in defense. Willow noticed the sad expressions, amazed. "Jeez. Who died?" She noticed just how deeply sad we really were, realizing she may have gotten it right, panicked. "Oh, God. Who died?"

Xander stood, pushing the cross into Willow's face. "Back! Get back, demon!"

Willow didn't cower from it, looking at Xander in concern as if she thought he was losing his mind.

Xander shook the cross as if it was broken, putting it in Willow's face.

Buffy, Giles and I realized she wasn't frightened of the cross, slowly standing, even more slowly approaching.

"Willow, you're alive?" I asked.

"Aren't I usually?" Willow asked. I ran to embrace Willow in relief. Willow was surprised, groaning a little from the tightness. Buffy and Xander embraced either of us tightly. "I love you guys, too." There was a moment of silence where none of us moved. "Okay. Oxygen becoming an issue." Xander, Buffy and I pulled away, smiling with tears in our eyes. Willow smiled, still not knowing what to make of it all. "Giles, what's going on with these--" 

Giles embraced Willow in relief, making her groan slightly, pulling back, slightly embarrassed at his emotional display. "Oh. Sorry."

Giles backed away.

"It's really nice that you guys missed me," Willow told us. "Say, you all didn't happen to do a bunch of drugs, did you?"

"Will, we saw you at the Bronze," Xander told her. "A vampire."

Willow was startled and insulted. "I'm not a vampire."

"You are," Buffy told her. Willow gave her a look. "I--I mean, you--you were." We were all very confused. "Giles, planning on jumping in with an explanation any time soon?"

Giles was comically unsure. "Well, uh... something... something, um, very strange is happening."

Xander nodded to Giles facetiously. "Can you believe the Watcher's Council let this guy go?"

•••

Giles sat in a chair, deep in thought.

Buffy, Xander and I sat at the table.

Willow leaned against Giles' office's doorway. "This is creepy. I don't like the thought that there's a vampire out there that looks like me."

"Not looks like," Xander told her. "Is."

"It was exactly you, Will, every detail," I told her. "Except for your not being a dominatrix. As far as we know."

Willow rolled her eyes, grinning sardonically. "Oh, right. I play 'Mistress of Pain' every night."

Giles frowned.

Buffy, Xander's and my eyes glazed over.

"Did anyone else just go to a scary visual place?" Xander asked.

"Oh, yeah," Buffy answered.

Angel walked in, breathing heavily from running, very upset. "Buffy, I... I just... something's happened that..." Buffy, Xander and I looked at him patiently, waiting. "Willow's dead." Buffy, Xander and I nodded knowingly. Willow stood straight. Angel noticed the movement, distracted. "Hey, Willow." He looked at Buffy, Xander and me. Xander raised his eyebrows at him. Angel suddenly realized, doing a double take at Willow, very confused. "Wait a second."

Angel looked at Buffy, Xander and me for confirmation.

Giles raised his eyebrows, rolling his eyes, grimacing.

"We're right there with you, buddy," Xander told him.

"We saw her, too, at the Bronze," Buffy told him.

Willow smiled reassuringly, blithely waving.

Angel was still somewhat unsure. "Okay. She's there now with a cadre of vampires looking to party."

Buffy, Xander, Giles and I instantly stood, walking toward the door. Angel and Willow followed.

"We can figure out who she is after we stop the feeding frenzy," I told them resignedly.

We walked into the hallway.

Buffy looked at Angel. "How many of them were there?"

"Eight or ten," Angel answered.

I looked from Buffy to Giles. "Should we call Faith?"

"No, I don't want her in combat yet," Giles answered. "Not around civilians."

"Hear, hear," Xander told us.

"Guys?" Willow asked. We stopped, looking at Willow. "What are we gonna do with me? The... other... me?"

Xander, Giles and Angel looked at each other uncomfortably.

Buffy and I stepped closer to Willow.

"I don't know, Will," Buffy told her. "I mean, we just have to stop them."

"I--I get that," Willow told us. "I just kind of wanted to know..." She realized something. "Oh. Hey, uh, go. I--I'll catch up."

Willow walked toward the library.

Buffy, Xander, Angel, Giles and I turned to leave.

•••

Vampire!Willow had tried to get to Willow in the library.

Willow had shot her with the tranquilizer darts we used on Oz in case he had gotten out during a full moon, making her fall unconscious.

Angel and Xander dragged Vampire!Willow by the arms into the book cage.

Giles was dumbfounded. "It's extraordinary."

Willow was appalled. "It's horrible. That's me as a vampire?" Angel closed the door. "I'm so evil and... skany." She looked at Buffy and me, worriedly. "And I think I'm kinda gay."

"Willow, just remember, a vampire's personality has nothing to do with the person it was," Buffy told her.

Angel spoke without thinking. "Well, actually..." Buffy gave him a look. "That's a good point."

"So, uh, what do we do now?" Xander asked.

"We still have to get to the Bronze," I told them.

"Well, even if they're supposed to wait for her, they may start feeding," Angel told us. "Vampires are not notoriously reliable."

"So, we charge in, much in the style of John Wayne?" Xander asked hopefully.

"High casualty risk," Giles told us. "I haven't any other plan, though."

I raised my hand. "Uh, I have a really bad idea."

  •••  

Outside the Bronze, Angel dropped down from the roof onto a crate, down to the pavement. "They're still in a holding pattern. That's good. It means they must really be afraid of you."

Willow walked closer wearing Vampire!Willow's leather attire. "Who wouldn't be?"

Willow shifted around uncomfortably, trying to get the feel of the tight outfit.

"Are you okay in that?" I asked.

"It's a little binding," Willow told us. "I guess vampires really don't have to breathe." She noticed how exposed her cleavage was. "Gosh, look at those."

Xander stared.

Giles stammered. "Uh..." He cleared his throat. "Willow, you, uh, you go in and defuse the situation as best you can. At least try and get some of them to come out and even up the odds a bit."

"First sign of trouble, you give us a signal," Buffy told her. "We come in hard and fast."

"What is the signal?" Xander asked.

"Me screaming," Willow answered worriedly.

"Zoey, you, Giles and Xander wait by the back entrance," Angel told me.

"Good," Giles told us.

"I'll catch up," I told them. Giles and Xander nodded, walking around back. I looked at Willow worriedly. "Now, you're sure you're up to this?"

"Don't worry," Willow told me. "I won't do anything that could be interpreted as brave."

Willow smiled nervously.

"We'll be right outside," Buffy told her.

Willow nodded wanly, walking toward the door, still twisting uncomfortably in the leather. She took a deep breath, knocking with firm resolve.

She was let inside.

Buffy, Angel and I exchanged a slightly nervous look.

 I walked around back toward Giles and Xander.

•••

Willow screamed at the top of her lungs. 

Buffy, Angel and I walked into the main room.

Buffy log rolled over the edge of a pool table, grabbing a cue stick along the way.

Vampire 1 ran toward Buffy, trying to punch her. Buffy used the cue to block the move, hitting him in the chest with it, spinning halfway around to face another vampire, stabbing him in the stomach with the cue, making him double over in pain, spinning around, slamming the end of the cue into the back of his head.

A student from school, Anya, looked around the chaos, running toward the door.

Willow stood in her way.

Anya smiled guilelessly.

Willow punched Anya in the face, making her fall to the floor, really hurting her hand. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Happy, but ow!"

Willow ran up onto the stage.

Devon tried to climb up the stage ropes, but didn't have the strength to do it.

The customers ran out of the now-open front and back doors.

Vampire 2 tried to kick Angel with a half-spinning jumping in-to-out crescent kick. Angel ducked, pushing him into a post, punching him in the stomach. Vampire 3 ran toward Angel. Angel saw him, kicking him in the stomach, grabbing Vampire 2, throwing him through the air into a magazine rack, making him fall to the floor. Angel turned to Vampire 3, spinning, backhand punching him in the face, making him fall into the pool table. He grabbed the vampire's jacket, pulling him up, punching him in the face, making him fall. Vampire 2 stood behind Angel, punching him in the face.

Devon had gotten caught on the ropes.

Vampire 4 grabbed Oz by his shirt, throwing him into Devon, making them fall to the floor.

I rolled onto the stage, standing to face Vampire 4. Vampire 4 tried to punch me. I blocked the move, grabbing his shoulder, flipping him forward onto the stage. Vampire 4 flipped into a standing position. I backhand punched him, turning around, grabbing his shoulders, kneeing him in the stomach, making him back into the drum set behind him. I took a drum cymbal off the set, throwing it toward Vampire 4, through his neck, decapitating him, killing him, making him fall into ash.

Vampire!Willow arrived in Willow's fuzzy clothing, transformed, standing in front of Willow.

Willow was afraid. "No more snuggles?"

Vampire!Willow backhand punched Willow, making her fall to the floor.

Vampire 5 threw back a fleeing patron. Xander grabbed Vampire 5 from behind, trying to stake him. Vampire 5 threw him into a wall, making him fall to the floor. Giles punched Vampire 5 in the face twice. Vampire 5 threw him into another wall, making him fall to the floor. Xander stood, punching Vampire 5 in the face, dazing him, grabbing him by the jacket, flipping onto the base of some stairs. Giles crawled closer, kneeling next to Vampire 5, staking him in the heart, killing him, making him explode into ash.

Vampire!Willow stepped over to Willow, gripping her throat.

Buffy swung her pool cue around, aiming for Vampire 1's head. Vampire 1 grabbed the cue, wrested it from her grip, the shock of the blow sending him falling to the floor. Vampire 2 punched Buffy in the head. Buffy backhand punched Vampire 2 in the face with one hand, punching him with the other in the jaw, making him stumble back into a beam. She roundhouse kicked him twice in the face. Vampire 2 tried to punch her. Buffy caught his arm, sidestepping him, throwing him into a rack of cues, making him fall to the floor.

Willow held Vampire!Willow at bay.

Vampire 3 tried to ax kick Angel. Angel rolled out of the way just in time, making the vampire's leg land on the pool table instead of Angel's head. Angel punched Vampire 3's knee, breaking it, backhand punching him in the face, making him fall to the floor. He reached onto the pool table, picking up some balls, throwing them at Vampire 4, making them bounce off. Vampire 4 triedto punch Angel. Angel blocked it with both hands, backhand punching him in the face, making him stagger back into the beam. Vampire 4 roared, running closer, grabbing Angel, throwing him aside.

I tried to do a roundhouse kick to Vampire 6. He caught my leg right before it connected with his head, grabbing my shoulder, spinning halfway around, throwing me against the ropes. I caught the ropes before I fell down, turning to kick Vampire 6 in the head twice, making him fall to the floor, jumping down.

Vampire 1 swung the cue stick at Buffy. Buffy grabbed hold of it, swinging it downward and around, wrestling it from his grip, following up with a full spinning wheel kick to his face, making him fall to the floor. Vampire 1 stood. Buffy uppercutted him with the cue, making him fall into the pastry bar.

Vampire!Willow strangled Willow.

Vampire 6 circled around me, trying to punch me. I high blocked the attack with my left arm, grabbing his left arm with my right hand, bringing both of his arms down hard, kicking him in the head, still holding his arms, making him fall to the floor, letting go of one of his arms to stake him in the heart, killing him, making him fall into ashes.

Vampire 1 stood. Buffy staked him in the heart without looking, killing him, making him explode into ashes.

I ran toward Vampire!Willow and Willow, about to stake Vampire!Willow in the back.

"Zoey, no!" Willow told me. I held back just short of penetration, grabbing Vampire!Willow, pulling her roughly away from Willow, retraining one of her arms. Buffy stood on the other side of Vampire!Willow, restraining the other arm. Angel was finished with his fight, walking onto the stage. Vampire!Willow realized that she was now outnumbered. Willow stood, gingerly massaging her neck, looking at Angel, Buffy and me admiringly. "Nice reflexes."

I shrugged. "Well, we work out."

"This world's no fun," Vampire!Willow told us sadly.

Willow looked at Vampire!Willow in surprise, empathetic. "You noticed that, too?"

  •••  

Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Angel, Oz, Anya and I took Vampire!Willow to the factory.

Giles, Anya and Oz finished setting up for the spell to send Vampire!Willow back to her own world.

Giles lit the candles.

Xander stepped over to Vampire!Willow cautiously, not getting too close.

Angel kept a wary eye on Vampire!Willow from behind.

"So, um, in your reality, Zo and I are like these badass vampires, huh?" Xander asked. "People are afraid of us?" Vampire!Willow looked askancely at him, rolling her eyes, turning away. Xander looked at me gleefully. "Oh, yeah. We're bad."

I rolled my eyes, looking at Vampire!Willow.

Oz stood, walked up behind Willow, Buffy and me.

"I'm not sure about releasing this thing into the wild, Will," Buffy told her. "It is a demon."

Vampire!Willow looked at Angel behind her.

"I just can't kill her," Willow told us.

"No," I agreed sadly. "Me, neither."

Willow hesitated. "I mean, I know she's not me. We have a big nothing in common, but... still."

"There but for the grace of getting bit," Buffy told us.

"We send her back to her world, and she stands a chance," Willow told us. "It's the way it should be, anyway."

"Uh, we're about ready here," Giles told us. Willow walked toward Vampire!Willow. Giles looked at Anya warningly. "Don't you try any tricks now, dear."

"I don't need tricks," Anya told us, arrogantly contemptuous. "When I get my powers back, you will all grovel before me."

Vampire!Willow and Willow rolled their eyes, shaking their heads, scoffing.

Giles was unimpressed. "Yes, uh, if you, uh, Willows, would like to, uh..." He gestured to where they should kneel. "Complete the circle."

Willow looked at Vampire!Willow. "Good luck. Try not to kill people." Vampire!Willow didn't react. Willow smiled warmly, embracing Vampire!Willow. Vampire!Willow wasn't sure what to make of that, getting into the spirit, grabbing Willow's ass. Willow jumped back. "Hands! Hands!"

 Vampire!Willow smiled knowingly, naughtily.

Vampire!Willow and Willow walked over to join the circle, kneeling down.

We sent Vampire!Willow back to her own reality.

  •••  

The next day at school, Willow, Buffy and I were sitting together on a wall.

"You wanna go out tonight?" Buffy asked.

"Strangely, I feel like staying at home and doing my homework, and flossing, and dying a virgin," Willow told us sadly.

"You know, you can OD on virtue," I told her.

"Between me and my evil self, I've got double guilt coupons," Willow told us. "I see now where the path of vice leads. I mean, she messed up everything she touched. I don't ever want to be like that."

Percy walked toward us nervously. "Hey. Uh, hi."

"Oh, hi," Willow told him. "Listen, I didn't have a chance--"

"Okay, so I did the outline for the paper on Roosevelt," Percy told her, handing the paper to Willow. "It turns out there were two President Roosevelts, so I didn't know exactly which one to do, so I did both." He handed Willow the other paper. Both papers were nicely bound in folders. Buffy and I exchanged a knowing look, smiling. Willow looked at Percy in stunned amazement. "Um, and I know they're kinda--kinda short, but I can flesh them out. Oh, and here's the bibliography." Percy handed the bibliography to Willow. "Um, and I can retype that if you want. You just let me know what I did wrong, and I'll get on it."

Willow was speechless, amazed by his sudden change in attitude.

Percy turned to leave, turning back, laying an apple on the folders in Willow's lap, walking away, hopping over a low wall, leaving.

I looked from Willow to Buffy innocently. "You wanna go out tonight?"

Buffy nodded. "9:00 sound good?"

Willow, Buffy and I exchanged a look, smiling.