Buffy, Willow and Xander filed into the library during their free period. They sat down at their usual table. The room quickly filled with voices. Or rather filled with complaints about the thing that they hated the most... well, that Xander and Buffy, hated the most: school.

"English sucks," Xander complained. "Like I'm really going to read a book and say 'Oh look. That sentence should not begin with so'."

"But math is the worst. I'll never use it!" Buffy said, joining Xander's complaining. "Can you see me going to stake a vamp thinkin' that two complementary angles equal ninety degrees? No. Why do we even have to take it?"

"To combat communism?" Raksha asked, from the doorway. She walked over to the table and flopped down in one of the vacant chairs. She started inspecting her nails, trying to postpone the inevitable.

"So how did it go with Spike last night?" Buffy asked.

Raksha looked up and found that three curious faces were staring, awaiting an answer. Raksha sighed. "Where's Giles? He needs to know too."

As if on cue, Giles walked into the library carrying a box.

"What's in the box G - Man?" Xander asked.

"Just a couple of books that a friend of mine thought I might like," Giles answered.

Buffy ignored Giles' presence, as usual. "So... Are you going to tell us already or do I have to beat it out of you?" Buffy asked, rather impatiently.

"Tell us what?" Giles asked, bemused.

"Spike came into the Bronze last night and wanted to talk to Raksha. She left with him ---," Willow explained.

"And she's avoiding telling us what happened," Xander added, being not - so - oblivious for once.

"I am not!" Raksha defended herself. "I just didn't want to have to repeat it."

"So spill!" Buffy demanded.

"Spike wants me to help him get rid of Angelus -- and *Drusilla*. I haven't agreed to anything yet, but he's supposed to meet me here after sundown," Raksha finally told them.

"Great. He comes here tonight and we stake him. One down, two to go," Xander stated.

"There will be no staking Spike," Raksha growled. "Don't even think about it." Raksha glared at everyone in the room to see that her point was made.

"You've got it bad," Willow observed.

"NO I DO NOT!!" Raksha denied.

"Whatever," Buffy said, not believing Raksha's protests.

"So, you want us to be here tonight?" Giles asked, trying to get back on track.

"Yes. I guess. He said he would agree to my terms. I want him to stay away from you guys. Plus if I miss anything you'll be here to catch it," Raksha answered.

"Fine. We'll be here," Buffy answered. "Besides we're in this together. And it's better than spending the night patrolling in the cemetery."

"Which you'll do after we get through here," Giles told her.

"I just had to open my big mouth," Buffy complained. Everyone in the room laughed except Giles.

Giles sighed. He retreated to his office and busied himself looking at his new books, leaving Raksha and the teenagers to themselves.

"So Spike's supposed to agree to your terms before you make a deal?" Willow asked Raksha, trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah," Raksha answered. "I'm thinking Godiva chocolate and a day - or night rather - of being my slave."

Buffy laughed. "Why not ask for a year?"

"I don't think I could up with his *male stupidity* for that long," Raksha quipped.

At the mention of stupidity Xander perked up. "Male stupidity? What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"You tell me. You seem to be an expert," Raksha said.

"Hey!" Xander exclaimed.

Raksha laughed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't resist. You have to have some intelligence to come up with those jokes." < Not much, but some. >

"Apology excepted," Xander said. "So, ladies, after we come here tonight are we Bronzing?"

Before they could respond, the bell rang. The three teenagers gathered their things and got ready to leave.

"We gotta go. See you tonight," Buffy told Raksha.

"See ya," Raksha said.

The teenagers filed out of the library. As they left, Xander resumed his complaining. "Why is our free always so short and all the other periods so long?"

Raksha watched them until they were out of the library. < I guess I'll do what I told Spike I was going to do. Read. Ugh. I wonder if Giles has any errands that need to be done. >

Raksha got up and walked over to Giles' office. She found him absorbed in one of his new books and muttering to himself. < If you can call it new. That thing looks older than me! >

"What language is this?" Giles asked himself. Or at least he thought he did. "Some Celtic dialect? No, I don't think so..."

"Excuse me. May I look at it?" Raksha asked.

Giles jumped almost a foot.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Raksha apologized. She looked at his book. "Problems?"

"Uh... Yes. I'm not certain what language this is. I don't have a clue," Giles answered.

"Could I look at it? I've learned almost every written language there has been, from Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics to English and French," Raksha stated.

"Really. I didn't think that they taught women how to write and such in those times," Giles said. Despite what he said he handed her the book.

Raksha laughed. "They didn't. But I've had my ways of getting people to teach me." She opened up the book. "Ahhh. This book is even older than I thought."

"You can read it then?" Giles asked.

"Yes. It's a form of one of the early African languages," Raksha answered. "What I can't figure out is why it is in a book and not on scrolls. It's rather odd."

"Maybe someone copied the original scrolls into a book," Giles suggested.

"Most likely," Raksha agreed. "I'd be happy to translate it for you, if you want me to."

"Shouldn't you be resting for tonight?" Giles asked.

"I've slept. It's not that I need to, anyway. And I really don't have anything to do today, so I'd be happy to," Raksha answered. < At least now I'll have a legitimate reason for not staying home with Spike. >

"Perhaps you should tell me what it is first; before you go to all the trouble of translating it," Giles suggested.

"It looks to me to be a book of magic. A spell book, of sorts. Black magic," Raksha stated.

"Interesting. Are you sure you want to do it?"

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't."

An hour later Raksha was hard at work and working at an incredible speed. She first read a section or spell and then went back and translated it. She had almost translated a quarter of the book to English.

She started to read the next spell. < What's this? Wait! Oh sweet Goddess! I can't believe it! > Raksha hurriedly copied the spell, so she could show Giles.

"Giles!!!" Raksha exclaimed, when she was finished. "Come here!"

Giles emerged from his office. "What is it?"

Raksha handed him the copy of the spell. "Read this."

Giles took the copy from her. His eyes widened as he read the spell. He looked at Raksha. "Will this work on a vampire?"

"Yes, with a few alterations, it should," Raksha answered, excited.

"You're the only one who has the spell casting skills. Are you going to do it?" Giles asked.

"Yes," Raksha laughed. "I'm going to restore Angel's soul."