3rd Person's POV

It's dark, crowded and noisy in the Bronze. A fairly thrashsome band holds forth on stage, blasting the kind of music that would cause major moshing in a rowdier crowd. Coffee bar in the back, and a balcony above with tables for two.

Buffy makes her way through, still looking about. A good looking guy spies her and waves, smiling. She smiles vaguely, waving back. A moment before she realizes he's waving to a guy right behind her. She attempts to turn her wave into fixing her hair, looking embarrassed.

Willow is getting a soda at the bar. She turns back to look at the band just as Buffy comes up to her.

"Hi!"

"Oh, hi! Hi."

"Are you here with someone?" Buffy asks as she looks around.

"No, I'm just here. I thought Xander was gonna show up..."

Buffy smiles, "Oh, are you guys going out?"

"No. We're just friends. We used to go out, but we broke up."

"How come?"

"He stole my barbie."

Buffy frowns looking confused.

"We were five."

"Oh." Buffy nods.

"I don't actually date a whole lot... lately."

"Why not?"

"Well, when I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or witty, or at all... I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away."

"It's not that bad..."

"It is. I think boys are more interested in a girl who can talk."

"You really haven't been dating lately." Buffy laughs as Willow smiles sheepishly.

"It's probably easy for you."

"Oh, yeah. Real easy."

"I mean, you don't seem too shy."

"Well, my philosophy is– do you wanna hear my philosophy?"

"I do."

"Life is short."

"Life is short." Willow repeats as she looks at the band behind Buffy.

"Not original, I'll grant you. But it's true. Why waste time being all shy? Why worry about some guy and if he's gonna laugh at you? You know? Seize the moment. 'Cause tomorrow you might be dead."

"Oh... That's nice..."

Someone stands between them making them look at the person in shock.

"Um excuse you." Buffy says trying not to push aside the girl.

"Oh you're excused." Laney says as she smiles.

She turns away and hands her ID to the guy making drinks. He hands her back an alcoholic drink as she smirks and winks at him.

"That's alcohol..." Willow stammers as she looks at the drink.

"Wow thanks for stating the obvious Sherlock."

"I didn't know you had a fake Id?"

"And I didn't know you were the police." Laney says as she sips on her drink.

"I'm just-"

"Thanks but no thanks. I can take care of myself."

Laney struts away as Willow watches with concerning eyes.

"Wow she's very..." Buffy starts to say with a frown.

"She's my sister."

Buffy's eyes widen as she looks at Willow then back at Laney.

"Sister?"

"Yeah most people don't know. We hide it well. She doesn't actually hate me she'd just rather be popular then not be."

"You guys don't look alike."

"Yeah well she dyes her hair a lot and she's my step sister. Her dad married my mom before he died."

"Um I'm sorry."

Willow shakes her head, "It's okay. I love her and I know she loves me. It's just after her dad died she changed. She used to be friends with me, Xander, and Jesse but then she became more interested in clothes and boy bands. Then she met Cordelia and it was bye bye cool Laney."

Buffy sees somebody moving about on the balcony. Her brow furrows.

"Uh, I'll be back in a minute."

"That's okay. You don't have to come back."

Smiling at her self-effacing attitude Buffy replies, "I'll be back in a minute."

She takes off, leaving Willow at the bar.

Willow talks to herself as she looks around the bar, "Seize the moment..."

Buffy comes up, makes her way to the railing overlooking the stage. She leans on it, and we see that Giles is standing beside her. He doesn't even look at her.

"So, you like to party with the students? Isn't that kind of skanky?"

"Right. This is me having fun."

Looking out on stage, "Watching clown-hair prance about is hardly my idea of a party. I'd much prefer to be home with a cup of bovril and a good book. This is a perfect breeding ground for Vampire activity. Dark, crowded... Besides, I knew you were likely to show up. And I have to make you understand-"

"That the Harvest is coming, I know, your friend told me." Buffy replies as she looks over the crowd.

"What did you say?" Giles asks thrown off a bit.

"The... Harvest. That means something to you? 'Cause I'm drawing a blank."

"I'm not sure... Who told you this?"

"This guy. Dark, gorgeous in an annoying sort of way. I figured you were buds." Buffy says waving her hands around.

"No... The Harvest... Did he say anything else?"

"Something about the mouth of Hell. I really didn't like him."

They both look down at the floor for a moment, at the dancing kids.

"Look at them. Throwing themselves about.... Completely unaware of the danger that surrounds
them."

Buffy frowns leaning on the rail with her hand under her chin, "Lucky them..."

"Or perhaps you're right. Perhaps there is no trouble coming. The signs could be wrong. It's not as though you're having the nightmares..."

Buffy's face clouds over as she stays silent. Kids writhe about to the music with healthy abandon.

Down the stairs, Cordelia stands off to the side, watching the band with her friends.

"My mom doesn't even get out of bed anymore. The doctor says it's Epstein Barr, I'm like, 'please, it's chronic hepatitis or at least Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.' I mean nobody cool has Epstein Barr anymore."

Jesse approaches the group, smiling.

"Laney!"

"Oh, yay, it's my stalker." Laney frowns as she nudges Cordelia who laughs.

"Hey, you look great." Jesse says confidently as his hands run through his hair.

"Well, I'm glad we had this chat-"

The groups of girls walk away as Jesse stops Laney. Laney grabs Jesse's hand off her arm and looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Listen, I, um, do you wanna dance?"

"With you?" Laney asks witheringly.

"Well, uh, yeah." Jesse starts to get nervous. He scratches his neck and gives off a grimace smile as Laney stands still.

After a moment she finally answers, "Well, uh, no."

She turns to leave but what Jesse says next stops her.

"We used to be friends Laney. What happened to you?"

"Life."

She takes off without even as much as a second glance. Jesse watches her leave as he soaks up the pain.

"Fine. Plenty of other fish in the sea. Oh yeah. I'm on the prowl. Witness me prowling."

He looks around at the throng, officially beginning his prowl.

Giles and Buffy continue to argue as Willow makes her way to the dance floor.

"You have to hone your senses, focus until the energy washes over you, till you can feel every particle of-"

"There's one."

Giles stops, nonplused.

"What? Where?"

"Down there. Talking to that girl." Buffy says pointing.

In the corner, stands a good looking young man, talking to a girl Buffy and Giles can't really see.

"But you don't know-"

"Oh, please. Look at his jacket. He's got the sleeves rolled up. And the shirt... Deal with that outfit for a moment."

"It's dated?" Girls frowns in confusion.

"It's carbon dated! Trust me: only someone who's been living underground for ten years would think that was the look. Oh, no..." her hands clench as she notices something.

The vampire is still chatting with the girl. He motions for her to come with him, and she comes into view. It's Willow.

"Isn't that-"

"Willow."

"What is she doing?"

"Seizing the moment."

Buffy fights her way down the stairs. She looks toward where they were and sees they're gone. She looks about a moment, and then, guessing correctly, heads for the backstage door as well.

But it's a struggle: the closer she gets to the stage, the more crowded it gets. She finally pushes to the door. It's dark here, and somewhat labryinthian. Buffy moves slowly, cautiously. There is no one about. She finds an old chair, snaps the leg off, a makeshift stake.

There is no one about. Buffy heads for the exit door. Sticks her head out it but there's no one in the alley either. Slowly, perturbed, she starts back for the main door.

She turns the corner and she's on her! She grabs him, throws him up against the wall, holding him two feet off the ground.

Well, holding her, actually. Holding Cordelia, who has the same dumbfounded gape that the other girls coming out of the bathroom have.

"Cordelia!"

"Excuse me... could you be any weirder? Is there a more weirdness that you could have?"

Buffy lets her down, lowering the stake.

"God, what is your childhood trauma?"

Buffy ignores trying to be chipper, "Did you guys see Willow? Did she come by here?"

"Why? Did you need to attack her with a stick? Excuse me. I have to call everyone that I've ever met right now."

Cordelia leaves with her posse on her heel. Buffy steps in front of Laney stopping her from leaving.

"Did you see Willow?"

"No why do you care? Better yet why would I care?"

Laney steps to the side to leave but Buffy blocks her again.

"Because she's your sister. And she's in trouble. Please."

Laney shrugs and looks at the back door. Buffy sighs with a red face, retreating out the door.

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JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit and Shoes