3rd Person's POV

"So what's the word?"

Giles hands a paper to Buffy and sighs, "Well, it seems there were a, a number of other attacks by a wild dog around town. Several animal carcasses were found mutilated."

Willow frowns upset, "You mean, like bunnies and stuff?" She glances over at Oz who pats her arm, "No, don't tell me."

He smiles reassuringly, "Oh, don't worry. I mean, they might not look it, but bunnies can really take care of themselves."

Willow stands calmer and smiling, "Yeah."

Laney looks at the two, smiles then frowns and looks down at her hands as they wring together.

Giles takes the paper back, "Yes, uh, um, fortunately, no people were injured."

"That falls into the 'that's a switch' column."

Giles nods to Buffy, "Well, for now. But my guess is that this werewolf will be back at next month's full moon."

"What about tonight's full moon?"

Giles frowns confused, "Pardon?"

"Well, last night was the night before the full moon, traditionally known as... 'the night before the full moon.'" Willow replies.

"Meaning the accepted legend that werewolves only prowl during a full moon might be erroneous."

"Or it could be a crock." Cordelia suggests.

Xander shrugs, "Unless the werewolf was using last year's almanac."

Buffy smiles, "Looks like Giles has some schooling to do."

"Yes, I must admit I, I am intrigued. Werewolves, it's... it's one of the classics. I, I'm sure my books and I are in for a fascinating afternoon."

Giles leaves as Buffy and Cordelia watch him go. Xander smirks at Giles' typical behavior.

"He needs to get a pet." Buffy says.

Laney chuckles standing with her books, "He needs to get laid... but you ruined that for him."

Buffy's mouth drops open as everyone immediately feels the tension in the room.

Laney glances over at Buffy's shocked face and shrugs, "Oops just stating the obvious. See you guys in gym."

Everyone watches her leave without another word or glance towards them. Buffy frowns with her arms crossed over her chest.

"It wasn't my fault was it? Ms Calendar was keeping a huge secret from us."

Cordelia stands up and throws her purse over her shoulder, "That she was. But I'm with Laney on this one. Giles isn't talking to Ms Calendar to stay loyal to you. I'm sure he really misses her. He really liked her. He hasn't smiled in like a week."

Buffy drops her arms from her chest and watches Cordelia leave the library as well. She glances over to Xander who smiles sheepishly then follows after Cordelia.

...

The gym is filled with teens waiting around for class to start. The students are seated on the bleachers listening to the female self-defense coach.

"Sunnydale is becoming more dangerous all the time. And a full moon like tonight tends to bring out the crazies, but with some simple basics of self-defense each of you can learn how to protect yourself."

Buffy whispers quietly to Willow, "Here's a suggestion: move away from Hellmouth."

"What you wanna do is gain advantage of the situation as quickly as possible." The Coach says as she walks around the gym.

Willow smiles at Buffy's suggestion. Behind her Oz reaches up and turns the tag sticking out of her sweatshirt back inside. She looks back at him curiously.

"Tag." Oz pats her on the back.

Willow smiles at Buffy.

"Your attacker may have the benefit of surprise."

Xander frowns in disgust as he watches Ox and Willow, "Would you look at that? He's all over her."

Cordelia looks over at Buffy, Oz and Willow. Laney who was sitting nearby shakes her head as she thinks of what an idiot Xander was. He could not just be happy with one girl.

"But if you plot ahead,... then you can turn that advantage to yourself."

Cordelia rolls her eyes, "I think you splashed on just a little too much 'Obsession For Dorks'."

"By being prepared, you have the power. Okay, everyone get into your assigned groups."

The students all get up from the bleachers and go down to the floor.

Larry takes off his sweat jacket and goes to the table in front of them to check which group he's in. Xander sees his arm all wrapped up in a bandage just above the elbow.

"What happened?"

Larry shrugs, "Oh, last week some huge dog jumped out of the bushes and bit me. Thirty-nine stitches. They oughta shoot those strays."

Oz stands next to Larry and holds up his finger, "I've been there, man. My cousin Jordy just got his grownup teeth in? Does not like to be tickled."

Xander laughs. Larry just shakes his head and then goes over to Theresa, who is doing stretching exercises while talking to Laney.

"Are you trying out for cheer this season?"

"Mm I don't know. I'm scared I won't make it." Theresa smiles awkwardly as she squats down not knowing guys were staring at them.

Laney smirks and balances on one leg as she holds the other behind her against her butt, "I'm on the team and my bestie is cheer captain soon to be. I have a good feeling that you'll be fine."

Theresa smiles and goes to reply but is interrupted by Larry coming up between the two.

"Laney... Theresa!" She straightens up and frowns as Larry throws an arm over Laney's shoulders, "Be still my shorts."

"Pig..." Laney coughs into her hand and throws his arm off her, but Larry being the oblivious brute that he was, doesn't hear her and continues to bother Theresa.

"We're in the same group." He chuckles and nods, "I may have to attack you."

Laney chuckles humorlessly, "Yeah and I may have to chop your dick off."

Theresa pats Laney's arm, "No, a-a-actually, I think, uh, in our group there are a few of us."

Buffy joins Theresa's other side, "And I'm one of the few."

Willow comes up behind her quickly, takes her arm and pulls her and Laney aside. Buffy keeps her eye on Larry another moment, then looks at Willow as she explains.

"Don't forget, you're supposed to be a meek little girl like the rest of us." Willow walks off leaving Buffy to pout.

"Spoil my fun."

Laney chuckles holding up a finger, "As meek and girlie as I am, no one would even question me. I got cheer arms, we hold up girls all the time for pyramids."

Buffy smirks, no longer feeling the awkward angry tension from earlier, and high fives Laney, "Oh this is gonna be good."

Laney walks over to Larry and pats his back once roughly making him jump in surprise, "Guess you'll be with me."

"Score." Larry grins wiggling his eyebrows.

Laney scoffs and rolls her eyes before grabbing him by the ear and pulling him to a spot in the middle of the gym floor.

A few minutes later, everyone is lined up and paired off, girls in front, boys in back.

"Okay, everyone, listen up. I wanna show you what to do should you be att*cked from behind." The Coach looks at Buffy and waves her over to help demonstrate, "In this situation, bend forward, using your back and shoulders," She bends her over, "to flip the assailant over to the ground."

The other girls all bend over, too. The boys follow Larry's lead and put their arms around the girls' necks.

Laney grabs Larry's arm and pretends at a few attempts to flip him over. Willow gives her a smile and nod.

"Uhh!" She grunts lowly as she tries to 'pull' him over her shoulder.

"Oh Rosenberg, you are turning me on."

Larry grabs her butt cheek hard with his other hand. Laney gasps and immediately flips him over hard onto the mats in front of them. Larry groans as he lies there.

Willow shoots Laney a look as she and Oz stand back up. The coach looks over at her also and grimaces seeing Larry holds his back.

Laney bends down and grabs Larry's arm pushing it into his back in an awkward position, "Don't ever slap my ass again."

"Noted." Larry squeaks out painfully as she then lets him go.

Oz points and smiles as Laney smirks down at Larry who groans in pain.

"That works, too."

...

Later back in the library, Giles is demonstrating the phases of the moon using a large earth globe with a smaller moon globe attached by a bar.

"And, uh, while there's absolutely no scientific explanation for lunar effect on the human psyche, uh, the phases of the moon, uh, do seem to exert a great deal of psychological influence. And th-the full moon is, is, seems to bring out our darkest qualities."

"And yet, ironically, uh, led to the invention of the moon pie." Xander jokes.

Giles who finally gets a joke chuckles then laughs harder, "Oh... Yes, the moon pie."

Off the look he gets from Buffy and Willow, he clears his throat, "Y-you see, uh, the-the werewolf, uh, is such a, a potent e-e-extreme representation of our inborn animalistic traits that it e-emerges for three full consecutive nights: the full moon and, uh, the two nights surrounding it."

"Quite the party animal."

Giles nods at Xander and continues, "Quite. And it, uh, acts on-on pure instinct. No conscience, uh, uh, predatory and, and aggressive."

Buffy shrugs, "In other words, your typical male."

Xander holds up a finger, "On behalf of my gender, hey."

Giles sighs, "Yes, let's not jump to any conclusions."

"I didn't jump. I took a tiny step, and there conclusions were."

"The point is that our wolfman could also be a-a-a wolfwoman, or-or anyone who was bitten by a werewolf."

"So then I'm guessing your standard silver bullets are in order here?" Xander asks.

Giles shakes his head, "No. No bullets. No matter who this werewolf is, i-it's still a human being, who may be completely unaware of his or her condition."

Buffy nods, "So tonight we bring 'em back alive.

Laney who was sitting quietly listening to everyone, sighs picking up her books, "You guys have fun with that. If you need me... don't need me..."

The three watch as Laney walks out the library without another word. Buffy raises an eyebrow and frowns.

"What's wrong with her now?"

Xander shrugs, "She's been mopey and moody all day. Maybe Willow knows?"

Willow walks in the library at that exact moment and stares with wide eyes, "Maybe Willow knows what? I mean me. I mean I?"

Buffy chuckles shaking her head at Willow's normal cute antics, "Maybe you know why you're sister has been so down for the past couple of days."

Willow shakes her head, "No idea. She doesn't really come out of her room. Not even for mac and cheese Monday-"

Xander gasps holding a hand to his chest, "Not mac and cheese Monday... that savage..."

Willow smiles, "I can talk to her if we need me to."

Buffy shakes her head, "No let's just leave her alone. Maybe she just needs space."

"Good idea." Xander nods as the three walk out the library together.

What they didn't notice was Giles standing at the table looking at a piece of paper that he had seen left behind by Laney as soon as she disappeared.

He frowns reading and analyzing it before putting it in his jacket pocket. He clears his throat and shakes his head as he realizes that Laney was slowly and surely and most definitely suffering alone in secret. Three important people in her life were not around; one physically, one mentally, and the last emotionally.

"I miss the times when you were here,
Telling me to have no fear.
To hold my head up high and strong,
Add happy notes to my sad song.

I miss the way you look at me
As if I were too blind to see.
The path I'm on might hurt and scathe,
But all goes well if you just have faith.

I miss the sound of your sweet voice,
Through bitter times a saving noise
That told me what was right and wrong
But rang in my ears for far too long.

A caring person, you were such
Who helped and hurt me, oh so much.
You'd guide and mislead me through the day
You left me lonely when I'd rather you stay.

Over things like that you had no control.
A rock set in motion will continue to roll.
No matter how hard you tug and heave,
You were always pushed and forced to leave.

Then one day you never returned,
My tears so hot they almost burned.
Aware now about what I lack,
But crying and mourning won't bring you back."

...

Late that night, on a dark quiet street, Theresa is walking home alone. She passes a house with a fenced in front yard overgrown with weeds. She hears some rustling and stops to look around. Seeing nothing, she continues.

She hears more rustling and stops to look again. Something lets out a low growl, and Theresa decides it's time to run. She looks back again and doesn't see Angelus in front of her. She slams into him and screams.

Angelus stands twirling a daisy as he smiles down at her, "Everything okay?"

Theresa catches her breath and nods as she pushes a strand of loose hair behind her ear, "Yeah, I just, uh, I, I thought I heard something... behind me."

He walks around her to have a look, then turns back to her, "No one there."

Theresa frowns, "Oh. I guess I was wrong. I could have sworn that..."

"It's okay. It can get pretty scary out here, all alone at night."

Theresa nods pulling her jacket closer, "Yeah."

Angelus raises and eyebrow acting as if he had just realized something, "Hey, don't I know you from somewhere? Don't you go to school with Laney?"

Theresa smiles, "Oh, you know Laney?"

Angelus chuckles, "Yes, I do, very well. And she would actually be really upset with me if she knew I let you walk home alone."

Theresa keeps smiling, "She's so nice."

"She really is. You can thank her tomorrow... Come on, I'll get you home."

They walk off together, taking another quick look behind them.

...

Buffy paces around the library as Willow sits at the table with Giles behind her. Xander is leaning against the counter and Laney is sitting on top of the table by Willow.

"I can't believe I let that thing get away. Cain was right. I shoulda killed it when I had the chance."

Oz comes in, and has overheard that last comment.

"Um k*lled what?"

Buffy clears her throat shaking her head, "Uh, the, uh, the werewolf. It-it-it was out last night."

Oz frowns, "Is everybody okay? Did anyone get bitten or, or scratched?"

Willow shakes her head, "No, we're fine."

"Gladness."

"Yeah, but he got someone. Theresa."

Laney's head snaps to the side as she frowns, "Wait what?"

"'Got', as in..."

Buffy just looks at Oz and briefly raises her eyebrows.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Buffy sits, "And I coulda stopped it."

Laney bites the inside of her cheek as she feels her eyes begin to water. She clears her throat and stands up straight with her arms crossed over her chest. This was yet another person out of her life. Everyone she seemed to get close to would leave. Was she cursed?

"Well, we, we have one more night." Giles says reassuringly.

"Another night?" Oz questions confused.

Buffy nods, "Oh, yeah. Believe me, I'm gonna give that wolfie something to howl about."

Xander comes over, "But while we hang here doing nothing, there's a human werewolf walking around out there, probably making fun of us."

Willow replies with a hint of sarcasm, "The way werewolves always do."

"But there's really no way to tell who it is." Oz asks.

Xander shrugs, "Oh, sure there is. Giles knows stuff, and I'm practically an expert on the subject."

Willow raises an eyebrow at him, "On account of once you were a hyena?"

Xander nods, "I know what it's like to crave the taste of freshly killed meat, to be taken over by those uncontrollable urges."

Laney stands up hastily and leaves the library without a word. She didn't want to think about those times. And she sure as hell didn't want to stick around and listen. Everyone was so nonchalant about everything happening at the moment. They had to deal with Angelus, other vampires, and now werewolves for goodness sake. 

Buffy frowns looking back at Xander, "You said you didn't remember anything about that."

...

Laney follows behind Xander and Buffy as they walk together into the funeral home. They creep into the back lit up room and see Theresa laid out in her coffin with a scarf around her neck.

Laney gulps and looks away while biting her lip.

Buffy pulls back the scarf and sees the bite cursing, "Vampire."

Xander shrugs, "So that's good, right? I mean in the sense of the werewolf didn't get her, and..." He frowns as he gets a look from Buffy, "No. There is no good here."

Buffy shakes her head, "No good. Instead of not protecting Theresa from the werewolf, I was able to not protect her from something just as bad."

Laney tunes out the two as she walks over to the guest register that was laid out on a podium. She takes the pen to add her own goodbye in the book alongside many others that had visited.

Buffy walks over to stand beside Laney and frowns, "She had a lot of friends."

Xander sighs, "Buffy, you can't blame yourself for every death that happens in
Sunnydale. If it weren't for you people'd be lined up five deep waitin' to get themselves buried. Willow would be Robbie the Robot's love slave, Laney would-"

Laney gives him a sharp glare as he begins to stammer.

"She would be as beautiful as ever."

Laney smiles evilly before looking back down at the book she was writing on.

Xander continues, "Back to what I was saying... I wouldn't even have a head," He pauses and looks at the coffin behind the two girls and stares with wide eyes, "and Theresa's a vampire."

Theresa sits up, looks over at them and growls. Buffy turns around and sees her hop out of the coffin. She lunges at Theresa, grabs her and tries to wrestle her to the floor, but Theresa throws her down instead.

Laney dives after Buffy falls and tries to pin Theresa. She rolls her over and gets on top. She makes a quick grab for a stake she always had on her. She's about to thrust it into Theresa's chest when she speaks.

"Angel sends his love."

Laney is caught off guard by that and hesitates a moment while looking down at Theresa's smirking face, "What did you just say?"

Theresa kicks Laney's arm and sends the stick flying away. She then kicks Laney away making the girl fly back as Buffy quickly punches Theresa. Theresa punches Buffy back and lunges for her. The two roll across the floor in hopes of holding one person down.

Theresa finally gets the upper hand being a new vampire with greater strength. She grabs Buffy by the shoulders, wrestles her onto her back and pins her. Buffy struggles to keep her at bay.

Behind her Xander has grabbed the wooden easel holding a wreath of flowers and breaks it in half. He quickly jams one of its legs through Theresa's back. She bursts into ashes as Buffy stares up at Xander. He tosses the easel aside and looks down at her. Buffy looks aside sadly and then rolls over.

Xander leans down to her, "Are you okay?"

Buffy takes his hand, "This isn't happening." She pulls herself up and hugs Xander. She had heard Theresa say Angel's name and immediately knew what he was doing. He was trying to break her, "He's gonna keep coming after me."

Xander hugs back gently, "Don't let him get to you. He's not the same guy you knew."

She pulls back a bit and looks up at him. He looks back kindly. She lets go, picks up her backpack and looks around the empty room frowning.

"Where did Laney go?"

Laney pulls her jacket tighter as she walks home. She couldn't stay there. She couldn't be around the Scooby Gang right now. She felt like she was about to burst. It was hard not to show emotion. What she doesn't notice that a shadow is watching her from the trees.

After a few minutes, she passes her mailbox and pauses feeling herself melt into a flashback of the other day.

~ FLASHBACK ~

Laney walks into the post office smiling widely as she holds a medium sized box, almost like a shoe box. She had decided to send out a cute care package to Colby now that he was allowed to get mail. Inside she had put his favorite snacks and goodies as well as a couple letters she had written and saved for him. She hoped that he would like it.

After giving the box to the postal service lady, she walks up to her P.O. Box and gets any mail that she hadn't been able to receive yet seeing as her mind had been preoccupied with other things in life.

Standing in a corner away from people, Laney reads the first letter she had received from Colby. Well first actual written emotional letter. All the recruits were allowed to write their families and friends when they first arrived at boot camp just so their people would know they were okay and so they could have the address.

Grinning happily, Laney perfectly tears open the envelope. She feels her heart elate as she sees Colby's calligraphy written across the paper. She frowns as her eyes read over the words over and over again.

Pulling her bottom lip into her mouth and biting down, she huffs as she begins to feel her eyes tear up.

"Don't cry..." She mutters to herself before pushing the card back in the envelope.

Shaking her head, she quickly pushes her purse onto her shoulder and hurries out the post office.

~ FLASHBACK ~

Laney comes back to and realizes that she was still standing outside. She groans and hurries to her door unlocking the lock. Quickly going inside, she closes the door behind her and locks it back.

As her mind begins to wander off thinking about Colby, Laney shakes her head and begins to make her way upstairs.

"Don't do it..." She mutters to herself, "Do not cry..."

Laney holds her necklace tight in her hand as she walks up her stairs slowly. Her mind far away as she doesn't really pay attention to her surroundings. As she steps into her room, she frowns seeing the window up.

"You really should lock that."

Laney jumps in fright as she quickly moves away from Angelus who stands at her room door. He closes it and as Laney quickly reaches under her pillow for a stake. She frowns feeling around and not finding anything. Throwing her pillows to the ground, she then hears Angelus whistle. Turning her head slowly to the bad vampire, Laney sees him stand with his hands behind his back as he leans against the closed door.

"Got rid of it... you're very predictable. Under the pillow? Really?"

Laney stands up straight and clenches her fists hoping he didn't see how much her hands were shaking.

"What do you want? You turned Theresa... then you show up in my house? You do realize I'll kill you..."

Angelus chuckles shaking his head as he takes a step from the door making Laney quickly move over her bed to the other side of the room. She quickly pulls open her drawer to her makeup vanity and curses.

"Got that one too." Angelus smirks, "You do realize I know you, short stack."

"Well I don't know you... all I know is that you're a monster."

Angelus ticks his tongue shaking his head as he begins to walk to the other side of the room where Laney was standing.

"But you became friends with one..."

Laney bites the inside of her cheek, "That wasn't you. I knew Angel... not whatever you are right now."

Angelus doesn't say anything as he takes another step.

Laney quickly looks around and grabs a pencil off her desk behind her and holds it up, "You take another step, and it's over. I'm not Buffy... I will seriously end you."

"Oh no I know... that's why I took all your weapons." Angelus speaks nonchalantly as he now stands a few feet away from Laney, "But what you don't seem to grasp is... if you do... Buffy will hate you. And you know that if she hates you... everyone will hate you. They follow after her like lost puppies. They don't really care about you. They care about her... you know that."

"Fuck you."

Angelus chuckles and throws something into the air, "Think fast..."

Laney instinctively drops the pencil, reaches out, and catches the object which so happened to be a stake that Angelus was holding behind his back. Just as she grips it into her hand, Angelus standards directly in front of her. Her backside against her desk as one hand grips the desk tightly and the other clenches onto the stake that was pointed right at his heart. Angelus looks down at the stake and smiles evilly.

"Do it..." He steps closer allowing the stake to push against his chest, "All you need is a little more pressure... do it! This will all be over."

Laney begins to tear up as her hand shakes. She quickly pushes him away with both hands then jumps over her bed and runs to her door. Just as her hand touches the handle and pulls the door open, its slammed closed and she's turned back around. Her back is slammed into the door as Angelus grips onto her arms tightly.

"Do it!" He sneers with his vampire face on.

Laney shakes her head trying not to look at him.

"What do you want from me?" She whispers so quiet he almost couldn't hear her.

"See it's not that easy... you might say you're not like her but I think you're worse... you truly believed that I was good. That we were friends. That I actually gave a shit about you."

Laney sniffles while trying to hold in a sob as she looks down at the ground. She didn't know what to say or do.

"You actually believed me... trusted me... made me feel... now I'm going to make you feel. You're going to be the last person I kill." Angelus growls out as he speaks close to Laney's neck while he plays with a strand of her hair. His sight falls on the necklace making him scoff and rips it off of her.

Laney gasps feeling the necklace torn away from her neck. She watches Angelus stare at it before a glimmer shines through in his eyes.

"Wow... he really gave you this. Well that just makes this a lot more interesting..."

Angelus takes the hand holding the necklace and holds her chin making her look at him in the eyes.

"Angel was weak. He wanted to be nice and befriend instead of ripping your throat out..." Angelus leans closer tilting his head to the side almost sniffing Laney's neck as she stands frozen in fear, "Now Buffy I'm going to kill... no mercy. Quick and easy... but you..." He chuckles letting her arms go.

"I'm gonna ruin you."

Laney flinches as Angelus pecks her forehead. He chuckles moving away from her. Laney watches as he walks over to her window and puts a leg out, turning back to her.

"I'm sure I don't have to warn you again to lock your window... sweet dreams..."

Angelus disappears through the window and off the roof.

Laney begins to cry in shock, fear, worry, anger, and any emotion she could feel as she slides down onto the floor, back against the door.

She had tried so hard to show everyone that she was okay. Buffy was the one who was dating Angel, Laney felt like if she showed too much emotions and grievance over Angel, that everyone would think the wrong thing. They would think her and him had an affair or just something that wasn't true.

Angel was her best friend. And it tore her to pieces when she figured out that he was gone. But she tried to stay strong because she knew everyone else would lose it. But now... she felt like she was on a thin string.

Now she had no one.

No Colby.

No Cordelia.

No Angel...

She was truly and utterly alone.

And she was terrified of Angelus and what he had planned.

5,000 WORDS!!!

What did y'all think of this chapter?! Did we enjoy?!

What do we think about what Giles realized? Who are the three people missing from Laney's life and which one is which well-being: mental, physical, and emotional?

Laney is so cute to send Colby a care package. What's crazy is I actually did this once to a boy 😂 I didn't send it out but waited for him to come back into town.

What do we think the letter entailed?

How do we feel about Angelus knowing that Laney putting up a tough front? Is he going to use this against her and go for someone close to her? Or use it against her personally?