Part Six

Buffy ran as the mouthless demon chased her.  She stumbled onto the grass.  The demon stood over her.
With a secretive smile, she lifted her leg and kicked the demon in the leg, then jumped up, pulling out
her stake.
 
"You demons can't resist a 'run and stumble', can you?" she quipped.
 
Another of its kind joined it.  The two were incredibly attuned to each other, and to her, as they
anticipated each and every move she had made.
 
Buffy pulled one demon over her shoulder and threw it onto the picnic table nearby, driving the stake
into its body.  She didn't even notice the demon's blood pooling on the table near her hand, then
absorbing it...

"One down...one gone..." she murmured as she watched the other demon escape.
 
Loud clapping came from the bushes.  "Absolutely beautiful, Buff!" came Angelus' amused voice from
behind her.  She turned and grinned.  He stood there in a dark silk shirt, black slacks and his
trademark leather duster.  He was minus the favored leather pants, not wanting the gang to become
suspicious.
 
Buffy ran over to him, leaping into his arms.  As she did so, Angelus grabbed her by the waist and
helped her up until she had her legs wrapped around his waist and was kissing him fiercely.  "Where
have you been?" she asked, not really caring about anything other than the fact that he was there with
her now.
 
Angelus groaned as he felt Buffy wrap her arms around his neck, pulling herself upward, rubbing her
lower body against his hardening shaft.  "I've been reacquainting myself with the workings of
Sunnydale.  It's amazing how much more demons will talk when you're evil..."
 
"Just be careful about revealing that kind of thing," she warned.  "Now, how about reacquainting
yourself with my body...hmm?" she encouraged.
 
Angelus walked forward to another picnic table, away from the dead demon, and set Buffy onto it,
each undoing the other's pants.  "Good idea..." he whispered as he thrust himself into her waiting heat...
 
*~*~*
 
"So scabby demon got away?" Willow repeated.

"Scabby demon number two got away...scabby demon number one...big check in the 'slay' column,"
Buffy grinned.

"I don't like this whole 'no mouth' thing.  It's disquieting," she grinned at the almost-pun.

"Well, no mouths mean no teeth."  Buffy paused to think about it.  "Unless they have them somewhere
else..."
 
*~*~*

"Morning girls.  We've been researching the mayor's forthcoming ascension," Giles told them as they
entered the library.

"It's pretty riveting stuff," Oz admitted.

"What do we know?"

"What don't we know.  Tell her Giles," Xander bragged lamely.

"Based on the supposed date, graduation day, and the Mayor being impervious to harm, I've cross
referenced..." the Watcher began.

"He's a cross referencing fool," was Xander's little joke.

Giles glared at the boy.  "And I've eliminated several possibilities.  It's not the ritual flaying of the
demon Azorath... nor, the, uh..." He stopped, then sighed.  "I don't know what's going to happen."

"That was kind of an anti-climax," Oz observed.

"We don't know anything?  The whole Faith/Angel thing was for nothing?" Not that it really mattered
to Buffy, on a purely sexual level, of course...she repressed a grin.

"No.. no, no..." Giles denied. "Um, if nothing else Angel's charade has brought Faith's treachery into
the open.  And this information about the ascension will prove
useful...eventually... I just need to put... it..together."

Wesley entered the library noisily, apparently proud of himself if his stride was any indication.

"Terribly sorry, I was detained.  Official council business.  Mr. Giles, you were speaking?" he said
pompously.

"I was just filling Buffy in on my progress regarding the research of the ascension."

"Oh...?  And what took up the rest of the minute?" the younger Watcher laughed.

"Touché," was Giles' only reply.
 
"Of course my work is unofficial.  I am sure, however, with the resources of the
council at your disposal, you will have something to add?"

Wesley gave him a smug grin.  "Well... I am pleased to state, with certainty, that the
demon Azorath will not in any way be..."

Already having heard this, the entire group escaped the library, leaving the hopeless Watcher with
Giles.

"...Involved in the...I'm sure we'll find out more soon."

"The demon Azorath?" Giles smirked.
 
*~*~*

"So, have you talked to Angel lately?" Willow asked as she and Buffy pulled books out of their
lookers, ready for the next class.

"Not really...seeing him 'bad', even 'pretend bad', and with Faith..." Buffy pulled out every reserve
of angst she had accumulated over the years.  It wouldn't do very well for her to grin in the middle of
the conversation.
 
"He only kissed her for the greater good," Willow explained, trying to cheer Buffy up.
 
"I dunno.  To the naked eye, it looked like fun.  Or maybe it wasn't...maybe he wasn't even tempted.  I
just wish I could be sure..." she bit her lip for good measure.  She was more than sure.  Angelus told
her everything these days.  She didn't have to worry about a thing...
 
"As always, I advise you to ask," Willow...well, advised.
 
"Like he'd tell me?" You betcha he would! she mentally admonished herself.
 
*~*~*
 
Buffy sat in the office of the library while Giles flicked through his books, examining her hand under
a lighted magnifying glass on the desk.

"You touched one of the demons," Giles parroted back to her, just to make sure.

"A good touch, not a bad touch."  Buffy screwed up her face at the double meaning.  "Anyway, it's
been itching like crazy.  No big.  Just another problem for the good people at Lubriderm, right?"

Giles dropped a large, and old book in front of her on the desk.
 
"Is this the demon in question?"
 
"In the disgusting flesh," she almost groaned.
 
"Hmmm..."
 
"What?" Buffy knew that tone.
 
"It says they can infect the host," he read.
 
"Infect? INFECT?!"  Buffy was beginning to panic.

Giles continued to read, failing to notice Buffy's growing hysteria.
 
"Giles!"
 
"Hmm?"
 
"INFECT!??!"
 
"Oh, um... In-infect the host with an aspect of the demon.  That's all it says," Giles repeated what he
had read.
 
"An aspect of the demon?"  Oh boy...Angelus isn't gonna like this...
 
"It is rather terse, isn't it," the Watcher observed.
 
"You mean...like a part of it?"
 
"Th-there could be any number of explanations for your hand...ah ah, a new fabric softener can cause
irritation.  I-I-In any case, I would advise to not to attempt to track the one that got away.  Let's
minimize your exposure," he advised.
 
"A part of the demon...I hope it's not the outside part."  Ick!
 
*~*~*
 
"H-O-G-A-N! It's Hogan! Goooo Hogan!" the squad cheered in the quad.
 
"Is it me, or is this really lame?" Buffy screwed up her face.
 
"I dunno.  I usually enjoy 'lameness', and this is leavin' me kinda cold," was Oz's take on it.
 
"Well, according to Freddie's latest editorial, 'The pep rally is a place for pseudo-prostitutes to
provoke men into a sexual frenzy, which when thwarted, results in pointless athletic competition,'"
she read from the newsletter.
 
"And the downside being?" Xander asked.
 
"The school paper is edging on 'depressing' lately...have you guys noticed that?"  Willow was becoming
depressed, herself.
 
"I dunno.  I always go straight to the Obits..." her boyfriend shrugged.

Buffy continuously checked herself out.
 
"What are you doing Buffy?"
 
"Checking for horns..." Willow told her best friend, sadly.
 
"Aw, you know, Buffy, I don't even think Giles is right about you becoming like a demon.  I mean, he's
totally burnt!  You know? Dealing with Faith and this ascension thing...Between you and me, he's not
doing his best work," she confided.
 
"What if he is right? I'm suddenly going to grow this demon part, and we don't even know what it is...
it could be claws, or scales, or...What?"  Buffy asked as her best friend stared at her.
 
"Was it a boy demon?" Willow whispered with apprehension.
 
Buffy emitted a loud and agonized groan.  Angelus really wasn't going to like this...
 
Part Seven
 
Angelus paced the floor of the mansion.  Buffy was late.  Not that that was anything unusual, but he
had a bad feeling that something had happened.
 
In less than a minute, he detected her fresh scent nearing him.  He turned to the doorway where Buffy
slowly made her way to him, her arms wrapped around herself.
 
"What's the matter, baby?" he asked, pulling her toward the sofa and seating her on his lap.
 
"That demon the other night..." she began.
 
Angelus frowned.  "Which night...?"
 
Buffy bit her lip to keep from smiling.  The situation wasn't funny...  "The picnic table..."
 
Her lover grinned.  "Hmm..that was incredibly memorable, lover..."  He met her deadpan look.  "Okay,
yeah, I remember."
 
"Well..."  Buffy began fidgeting with her skirt.  "Something happened that night..."
 
*~*~* 

Later that night, Buffy was out and about on the streets of Sunnydale, patrolling.  Still feeling totally
wigged out, she pulled out her compact with a sigh, once again, examining her features in the small mirror.

"Still got a mouth," she sighed again.

She closed the compact and turned around, startled to see Angelus standing behind her, right where
she was looking in her mirror.  Quickly recovering from his sudden appearance, Buffy walked into his
open arms.

"Sorry," he murmured the apology.
 
"That's ok.  I didn't see you, so I should have known you were there.  What are you doing here?"
 
"It's a dangerous time, you know...not knowing what's going to happen..."
 
"Yeah..." she choked back a sob.  A lot of things are getting to me...the most recent being this demon.
Actually, two. I touched one of them, and now I'm going to get a big case of the bumpies, or a tail, or
something."
 
"Aspect of the demon..."

"You know the drill..."
 
"By rumor.  But that doesn't mean anything. I mean, sometimes, demons, they just exaggerate their
power," Angelus added helpfully.
 
"Demon hype.  Maybe not.  I spend all my time in the dark here anyway.  It's not like I'd be at a
game, you know, with my friends, where someone could see me in my new monster part."
 
"Hey!"  Angelus angrily increased his grip on her body.  "I won't let anything happen to you if I can
help it.  No matter what, I'll always be with you.  Hey...I'll love you...even if you're covered with
slime..."  And strangely enough, he didn't balk at the thought...
 
"I liked everything until that part..." Buffy grimaced.
 
*~*~*
 
Buffy watched as Xander turned to where Cordelia was holding a conversation with someone.  She had
stopped listening to her friends talk about the game last night.  She couldn't let them know, but she'd
had more fun with Angelus...
 
The group was sitting in the student lounge, just discussing the highlights of the night's events.
 
Buffy heard Xander's, I wonder if she and Wesley have kissed?
 
"It really bugs you, huh?" she observed.
 
He turned his attention back to Buffy.  "What?"
 
"Cordelia and Wesley...smooching," she amended.
 
"Man, you read my mind," came the amazed answer.

Buffy sat there in shock as she realized that that had been exactly what she had done...
 
*~*~*
 
Buffy walked down the corridor of the school, feeling decidedly wigged out.  She accidentally ran into
a teacher.
 
"Whoa there, watch where you're going now," he advised.
 
"I'm sorry Mr. Beach, I will," she apologized.
 
Students, if we could just get rid of all the students...came the man's thought as he walked away.

Buffy continued on her way.  The corridors were becoming more crowded.  She slowed down as she
realized that she was hearing all of the student's thoughts.
 
When I'm a software jillionaire, and you're all flippin' burgers, who's the loser then?

Maybe I'll take French, I said...how hard can it be?   French babies learn it...idiot!  A female student
berated herself.

I swear, someday my pants are gonna fall right off...Buffy grimaced as she heard that one.

Buffy's soo beautiful...I mean, look at that body...Buffy would have paused had she not had enough
lovin' to deal with from Angelus...she was flattered, though.

God...I'd love to shove her against that locker right now and just...oooh!  Came the same boy's next
thought.
 
The thought seriously disturbed her, so she quickened her pace and rushed to the library...
 
"Is this the thing?  The aspect thing? 'Cause I gotta say, if it is, it is way better than a tail...I mean,
I have a hard enough time as it is finding jeans that fit right," she rushed out when she got there.

"Buffy, slow down...um, I'm not even convinced this is genuine mind reading," her former Watcher
reasoned.  "You're most likely projecting your..."
 
"When I walked in a few minutes ago, you thought, "look at her shoes, if a fashion magazine told her
to, she'd wear cats strapped to her feet." Buffy glared at him.
 
"I, um..." The demons are telepathic, I should have known, that's why they don't need mouths...  "Of
course...the demons are telepathic..."
 
Buffy interrupted.  "I know.  You just told me.  That's why they don't need mouths.  And you should
have known."
 
"I..uh...this is astounding!" Giles stated with awe.
 
"It was happening out in the hallway.  Principal Snyder has "Walk like an Egyptian" stuck in his head.
And the boys of this school...are seriously disturbed.  It's weird.  But Giles, think about it...I mean
think about what I can do."
 
"Well it could be very useful...you could...uh...anticipate your opponent's every move...turn his plans
against him!"
 
"Ohhh, way better than that!" she enthused.

*~*~*

Buffy rushed to the phone box at lunch time.  She rang Angelus' number.
 
"Yeah?" came the sleepy greeting.
 
"Hey, lover...expect me early this evening...I have a feeling that patrol is only going to take half of my
time tonight..."
 
"Buffy?  What...?"
 
She hung up the phone with a giggle.
 
*~*~*
 
A few minutes later in the library...

"She can read our minds, our every impulse and fantasy?" Xander asked with a look of panic on his
face.
 
"Every one," Buffy answered.
 
Oh God!  Came his thought.
 
I don't see what this has to do with me...  "I don't see what this has to do with me," Cordelia always
had been blunt.
 
"Well, I think its great, right?  I mean, you enjoy your other slayer powers..." Willow tried to find
the up side.
 
"Yeah, it'll be fun.  And did you see Nancy Doyle's face in English class today?"  Buffy laughed.
 
"Yeah... she's super competitive..."  She's hardly even human anymore...how can I be her friend now?
She doesn't need me!
 
"No, I do need you!" Don't be this way, Will..please?
 
"Okay, what are you talking about?  Cause you are sooo creepy right now," Cordelia said.
 
"I-I think there must be some precedents for occurrences such as this...I'll, I'll research it.  Wesley,
can you give me a hand?" Giles addressed his fellow Watcher.
 
"Of course...where do you think we should start?"
 
Oz frowned as he contemplated Buffy's new skill.  I am my thoughts...if they exist in her, Buffy
contains everything that is me, and she becomes me.  I cease to exist.  Hmmm.
 
What am I gonna do?  I think about sex all the time!  Sex...Help!  Four times five is thirty...five times
six is thirty-two...Naked girls.  Naked women...Naked Buffy...Oh, stop me!  The thoughts ran through
Xander's mind at a mile per minute, along with his rising hysteria.
 
"God Xander, is that all you think about??" Buffy was appalled.  You'd better hope to God that
Angelus never finds out...she mentally added.
 
"Actually...? BYE!"  Xander bolted from the library at full speed.
 
"Xander has just illustrated something.  Chances are, you're all going to be thinking whatever least you
want Buffy to hear.  It's a question, of course, of mental  discipline," was Wesley's logic.
 
"He's right. There are..." Giles began, but Buffy's mind was occupied with Wesley's next thoughts as
he gazed to Cordelia.
 
Look at Cordelia...no, don't look at Cordelia!  She's a student...oh, I am bad.  I'm a bad, bad man...
Wesley turned and realized that Buffy was listening in as she stared at him, smiling secretively.
"Excuse me," he rushed into the office, embarrassed.

"What's it like Buffy?"  Willow wanted to know.

"I dunno...I mean, its a little weird... but, look, please don't for a second think I don't need you, cause
I do.  I wanna share this with you...it's like...all these doors are opening to all these little worlds, and
I can just walk inside," the Slayer tried to explain.
 
Oz's thoughts broke in.  No one else exists either...Buffy is all of us...We think, therefore she is...

Willow watched as Buffy observed her boyfriend.  She knows so much...she knows what Oz is thinking!
I never know that...before long, she'll know him better than I do...
 
"No, don't think that!" Buffy turned to her best friend.
 
"I can't help it Buffy...I'm sorry, I just can't..." she rushed out of the room.
 
"Uh...If you don't need me I'm gonna follow the redhead," came Oz's parting comment.
 
"Guess I won't be writing that book, 'winning friends through telepathy'," Buffy murmured sadly.
 
Whatever.  I wonder when I can go... "Whatever.  Can I go??" Cordelia asked.

Wesley emerged briefly from Giles' office, leaning out only as much as he needed to. "Excuse me...can
you hear me thinking in here?  Uh, I could go out into the hall...?"
 
Buffy looked down at the floor, the got up dejectedly.  "You know what?  You stay, I'm getting a
headache, I'll go."
 
Part Eight

She is so hot...

I hate my body...

I could scream from boredom...

No one is ever gonna love me...

What if I never get breasts...?

I can't believe the test is today...

I have the worst...

Get rid of the students...it's so easy...

He has the cutest butt...

I hate her... came Nancy's thought directed at Buffy.
 
The thoughts were getting clearer and they were hitting her from every direction.  It was getting
harder to distinguish the different thought.  Buffy wished that she had Angelus with her...he'd know
what to do...
 
*~*~*
 
Back in the library, Giles and Wesley were busy researching..

"Here...it's happened before.  A man in Ecuador.  Quite recently," Giles informed the other Watcher
as he continued to read.
 
"Can we contact him?"
 
"I'd say not...he can't communicate with anyone."
 
"Dead?"  Wesley questioned.
 
Giles looked up to Wesley from his seat.  "No...he's in complete isolation.  The power...you can't shut
it off."
 
*~*~*
 
The voices were screaming at her hazy brain.  Buffy frowned at the painfully growing intrusion as the
lunch lady glared at her.  She started to move off after getting her lunch, only to be greeted with yet
more thoughts.

It's gotta get better...please tell me it gets better...
 
I hate school
 
I never should have taken honors math...I'm' too stupid.
 
Am I normal..?

Jonathan was standing in the line behind her, watching her freaking out.  "Are you...through with the
mashed potatoes?" Buffy quickly resumed her escape.  She doesn't even know I'm here...

I'll never get my driver's license...
 
I want a car sooo bad...

Come on...come on...

What did Mrs. Kelley say?
 
Didn't she wear that skirt yesterday?

Oh my god, his fly is down!

Buffy failed to see Freddie standing near her, trying to catch a glimpse of her breasts.  If I stand in
just the right place, I can see in the arm hole...

The test is today!

Buffy looked around, trying to shake the ongoing thoughts out of her head.  She began to feel
disorientated.  Angelus...I need you...her mind whimpered.

This time tomorrow...I'll kill you all...

Buffy stood in shock as the thought invaded her consciousness, forcing every other thought from her
head, it was that powerful and full of hatred.   Her lunch tray fell to the floor.  Many students looked
at her as if she were crazy, some as if concerned.

Buffy grabbed Jonathan by the shoulders and stared at him for a moment before rushing to the next
student.  She touched me...!

More and more thoughts assaulted her brain...Buffy grabbed her aching head, spinning around, hoping
to stop them.  Finally, the power and force of the invasion of her mind became too much as she fell to
the floor of the cafeteria, unconscious.
 
*~*~*
 
Buffy came around to find the Scooby Gang surrounding her.  They were out in the school grounds.
More thoughts assaulted her brain.  She easily identified them.

I think she's waking up!  Willow

She's OK...  Oz

Oh thank god...  Giles

Her eyes are opening...  Xander

I'm cold...  Cordelia

"You all right?" came Giles' concerned voice.

"I told them not to move you.  They probably severed your spinal cord," was Cordelia's typically blunt
response.
 
"I'm OK..."
 
"Buffy...!"
 
"No really, I'm Okay... listen, there's a killer in the cafeteria."
 
"See, I been saying for years that the lunch lady's gonna do us all in with that 'mulligan stew'..."
 
"Xander!" Cordelia hit her boyfriend.
 
"I mean, what the hell is a mulligan?" Xander concluded.
 
"Someone was thinking it...they thought... 'this time tomorrow I'll kill you all...' I have to...find them..."
Buffy struggled to get up.
 
"Did you recognize a, a-a voice?" Giles frowned.
 
"No,"  Buffy murmured.
 
"Boy or girl?"
 
"I don't know...I mean, it was hardly human...it was so full of anger and pain..."  she answered Willow.
Buffy headed back toward the school, but reeled back as another wave of thoughts invaded her mind.

"You can't," Giles deducted.
 
"No...I have to find them..." Buffy argued.
 
"Are you sure they meant it?" Oz asked.
 
"Yeah, I mean, who hasn't just idly thought about takin' out the whole place with a semi-automatic?"

Everyone gave Xander the evil eye.

"I said idly," he defended.
 
"I-I know the difference...he...she...whoever, they meant it...they're gonna do it."
 
She looks so tired...  Giles.

How horrible.  Willow.

I'm not getting any warmer...Cordelia.

I bet it was Hogan...Xander.

Who could it be...?  Oz.

"SHUT UP!!"  Buffy screamed.  "Uhhh...I'm sorry...could you guys not think so loud...or so much?" she
asked irrationally.
 
"Buffy you should go home...I'll take you home."
 
"Yeah...okay...No!  I need you guys to go back to the cafeteria...make a list of everyone who's there.
We have to find the killer before lunch tomorrow," she addressed her friends.
 
"We'll do it Buffy...a list of all the students," Willow assured her.
 
"Yeah...Nancy was there...she's scary...and, uh...oh teachers too...uh, Mr. Beach h-he thought something
about getting rid of all the students."

"Come on..." Giles directed her toward his car.

"I can't shut it out Giles...it's like this invasion of my head...it's like there's these strangers walking
around in there.  Look at this...I can't even be around people anymore.  Not that they're really
clamoring to be near me anyway...even you," she whispered in despair.
 
"I'm sorry Buffy it's, i-it's hard for all of us...But Wesley and I are looking for a way to...help."
 
"But I'll be okay...right?  I mean even if you can't get rid of it?" she questioned hopefully.
 
"You'll be fine, I promise," he lied as he walked on ahead.  If it doesn't go away, she'll go insane...

Buffy stared at his back, wishing like crazy that he would think to call Angelus...
 
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