While Giles might be able to pull an all nighter, Buffy was feeling
  utterly useless and beyond tired after what seemed like an
  interminably long night of slaying. She was just about to crash for
  a few hours on the couch in Giles' office when Ms. Calendar
  stumbled into the room, a look of sheer terror on her face.

  Giles ran over to her. He wrapped his arms around her trembling
  body. "Good God Jenny! Wha..?"

  "They've got Xander," Jenny managed to choke out from within the
  circle of his arms. Giles grip tightened on her as shock rolled
  over him.

  Hearing her words Buffy nearly stopped breathing, her body going
  numb as she sank into a chair.

  "He's alive." Jenny tried to speak again without her voice
  breaking. "But they-they gave me a message for Buffy."

  "What is it?" Buffy said in a low voice, keeping out the hysteria
  that was building inside her.

  "You have until the solar eclipse to go down to the caves beneath
  the library or-or," Jenny swallowed hard, "they'll k-kill him. I'm
  sorry. I c-c-couldn't stop them. There were so many and they-they…"
  Unable to keep from crying now Jenny sobbed against Giles' chest.
  It had all happened so fast that only now was she dealing with the
  full measure of shock and fear.

  "Shhh, it'll be all right Jenny. It wasn't your fault, there was
  nothing you could have done," Giles comforted her. At the same time
  he looked up to gauge how Buffy was taking this. It wasn't well.
  Buffy strode over to the weapons locker and started to stuff all
  manner of deadly devices into a duffel bag. It looked like it was
  all out war.

  "Buffy, it's a trap," Giles warned unnecessarily.

  "I know. But I don't care," she replied gritting her teeth in pain
  and rage. "They're using Xander to get to me. Well, they're gonna
  get me all right!"

  "The Anointed One is trying to get you to go to him in order to
  destroy you and open the Hellmouth!"

  Covering her fear with stubborn adamance Buffy replied, "I won't
  just wait until after its over and they've killed Xander!"

  Giles saw that he wasn't getting through to her. He knew she was
  going. Nothing would stop her. But he had to make her at least
  aware of what she was facing. "With the huge rise in the number of
  vampires we've seen, there's no telling how many the Anointed One
  will have at his disposal. He could have a small army."

  "Then I'll have to make sure to take a lot of stakes with me."
  Buffy retorted.

  Giles considered things for a moment and decided. "I understand why
  you have to do this Buffy. So I'm going with you."

  Jenny stirred out of his arms at this and Buffy's eyes narrowed.
  Before either of them could say anything, Giles said forcefully, "I
  AM going with you Buffy. And you are NOT, I repeat not going to
  knock me out like last time because this is Xander's life we're
  talking about! Not to mention the fate of the world. You're going
  to need all the help you can get."

  Turning back to Jenny now, Giles' face begged for her
  understanding. And Jenny did understand. She knew exactly why he
  felt he had to go and do this despite the odds. She and Rupert had
  had many a discussion about his overwhelming need to guide and
  protect not only Buffy, but Xander and Willow as well. Willow's
  trials had deeply marked Rupert. He felt he had failed her terribly
  and he certainly wouldn't allow Xander to be added to his list of
  failures. Not without a fight.

  So swallowing her fear for him, Jenny nodded and said, "Please,
  please be careful Rupert. You'd better come back me!" Then she
  kissed him passionately as a good-bye and as an incentive to
  return.

  Buffy looked away. Most of the time she was embarrassed seeing
  these type of displays between them. Giles was her Watcher, her
  mentor and in some ways even a father-figure. But now unfazed, she
  looked away only to give them privacy. She didn't want to put Giles
  in danger but this time she didn't have the right to take the
  decision from him.

  Giles insisted on taking Jenny home. He wanted to make sure that
  she was somewhere safe, somewhere other than where she was right
  now. They knew all too well that the library, which was right over
  the Hellmouth, would be the last place anyone would want to be if
  something were to happen. So with the assurance of endless promises
  that Buffy would not leave until he came back, Giles left with
  Jenny while Buffy made preparations for the confrontation that lay
  before them.

  When Giles returned, everything was set. They were almost out the
  door when they heard pounding footsteps in the hallway, signaling
  that someone was in a hurry to reach them. Since it was still
  before dawn, if only barely, it meant they were vulnerable to
  whatever attack the Anointed One might spring on them. Taking a
  defensive position they readied themselves. But when the doors were
  flung wide open, instead of a horde of vampires there was only one.

  It was Angel, looking more distraught and desperate than either of
  them had ever seen him. His eyes held a wild glint reflecting his
  overwhelming agitation. Seeing them both Angel's words spilled out
  hurriedly. "Thank God you're here!"

  "Angel, what are you…?" Buffy started.

  "The Anointed One has Willow," Angel broke in.

  "What?" Giles and Buffy shouted nearly in unison.

  "Willow was captured last night. They were taking her to the
  Anointed One. You've got to help me get her out of there." Angel
  nearly begged.

  "He has Xander too," Buffy informed him in a husky voice.

  < Willow AND Xander? > Giles pondered this and in an instant his
  eyes went wide with comprehension. "Of course! I should have seen
  it before. It's starting to all make sense. Willow is the key! Do
  you know about the prophesy?" Giles questioned Angel.

  "Prophesy? No." Angel's apprehension and fear increased
  immeasurably.

  "The signs all point to an event during the eclipse which might
  open the Hellmouth. It's only hours away now."

  "The eclipse? But there's no way that he can….." Angel's face
  showed dawning understanding. "Willow. That's why he needs her.
  She's the only one who could perform the necessary ceremony during
  the height of the eclipse."

  "But Willow would never do that," Buffy said staunchly.

  "No. But today is a year to the day that Willow crossed over,"
  Angel reminded them both.

  Buffy knitted her brows. "So what? Why is that significant?"

  Angel explained, "This is the day that the Anointed One can perform
  the Ritual of Binding."

  "I hate to sound like a broken record, but again so what? What does
  it do?" Buffy asked impatiently.

  "If I remember correctly, when a vampire and his sire are bonded,
  their life forces are combined." Giles clarified. "I'd assume with
  this ritual, the Anointed One will attempt to bring out the demon
  in Willow and strengthen its presence in her and make her his
  willing cohort in all of this."

  "It's a voluntary ritual. With Willow he would have to coerce her
  somehow," Angel stated quietly.

  "Xander!" Buffy exclaimed.

  "Exactly."

  "It looks like he was trying to use Xander to get to both Willow
  and me. Sort of killing two birds with one stone. Well, we have to
  get to them before its too late," Buffy said grimly.

  < It may already be too late. > Giles thought with a horrible
  feeling of premonition as they all headed out using the school's
  access tunnels that led down to the Anointed One's lair.

  *~*~*~*

  Willow was released from her chains and to Xander's unbelieving
  eyes, she literally slinked up to the Anointed One and in a gesture
  of fealty she knelt on one knee before him. That made Colin give a
  small smile of triumph.

  "You are welcome back to your own kind," Colin exulted.

  "I thought you'd never free me, sire. Oh and not only from the
  chains I mean. You don't know what it's been like locked inside
  that goody two shoes. I haven't had any fun at all since I was
  made," Willow pouted.

  "There's time to make that up. Once we open the Hellmouth, ruling
  beside me you will have free rein," Colin promised.

  Willow looked enthralled at the idea. "What do we have to do?"

  "There is a solar eclipse today. No Master has ever been able to
  utilize its power, its mystical energy because of
  our…vulnerability. But with you, with your ability to move about in
  the sunlight, *I* will take advantage of it."

  "Tell me how," Willow demanded.

  "Under the high point of the eclipse you will sacrifice the slayer.
  Draining her and calling upon the combined powers of the sun and
  moon, you will be able to open the Hellmouth and unleash a reign of
  darkness."

  From anyone else it might have sounded like a bad speech from a B
  movie villain, but the Anointed One said it with a convincingly
  chilling force. Colin handed over an ancient parchment detailing
  the rite which she would execute. Reading it carefully, Willow
  absorbed its contents, memorizing it in a few short minutes.

  Then she grinned in a base imitation of her usual glowing smile.
  "It shall be as you desire, Sire."

  "Of course it will be." Colin turned to one of his servants, "You
  gave the teacher the message?"

  "Yes. Even now she is telling the Slayer all."

  "Good. That will draw her to us and that is all the chance you will
  need my Unslayable One," Colin said to Willow. He then nodded to
  one of the vampires holding Xander. "We don't need him anymore. You
  can kill him now."

  During all of this, Xander had stood by in horrified silence. He
  had just taken it all in, unable to even react. Now from the way
  that one of the vampires was looking at him, he felt like he was an
  entrée and the diners were more than ready to dig in.

  < This is it. > Xander thought as one of the vamps bent towards him
  fangs extended.

  "NO!" Willow's voice cracked like a whip across the room.

  Xander's heart leapt for a moment thinking that Willow still had a
  part of her that cared for him and would save him. But his heart
  sank at her next words.

  "He's mine," she snarled.

  The vampire about to make him the main course was an ugly looking,
  stupid sort of fellow and he disregarded the tiny girl. "I had him
  first."

  Xander felt fangs graze his jugular but suddenly the vampire was
  pulled away and was delivered a punishing hit to his face by
  Willow. The vampire went down and Xander wanted to cheer. Willow
  may not be the same girl who he had grown up with and called
  friend, but it was satisfying anyway to see her beat up this blood-
  thirsty thug.

  "I told you - he is MINE." Willow punctuated each word with a punch
  and with the last word she hit the vampire's face with a sickening
  crunch. The vampire was now lying helplessly on the ground with
  Willow straddled over his body. Pull him up to her by his shirt,
  she said dangerously, "I may be new around here but you will obey
  me. I am in charge and the only one who takes precedence is the
  Anointed One," she conceded nodding to Colin.

  The vampire really was stupid for it looked like he was about to
  protest to Colin, when Willow broke one of his fingers with a
  cruelty that made Xander look away.

  Above his howls Willow demanded once more "Do you got that?"

  The vampire made haste this time to agree. "Yes," he wheezed in
  pain.

  "Good." She dropped him back onto the floor with a ungentle thud
  and stalked over to Xander.

  Xander froze. < Can someone say out of the fire and into the frying
  pan? My best friend is about to munch on me! >

  Willow circled him predatorily. Her hand rested on his shoulder
  then traced its way along his back to his other shoulder. Coming to
  a stop in front of him, she stared impassively into his face. With
  her head cocked to one side, she seemed almost reflective.

  "Are you going to kill him or not?" Colin demanded.

  Willow turned to the Anointed. "Sire, I don't want to question you
  since you've planned everything so carefully, but are you sure that
  the Slayer will come for him?" she said motioning toward Xander.

  "This boy and the Slayer are very close. They're in love," he
  sneered.

  "Yes. But the Slayer's watcher has probably already warned her
  about what is happening. So many prophesies and signs. Giles isn't
  stupid. He won't let her walk into a trap blindly."

  Narrowing his eyes Colin asked, "What are you saying then?"

  "I have a plan for a sure way to get the Slayer down here at
  exactly the apex of the eclipse," Willow boasted.

  "Which would be?" Colin inquired impatiently.

  "I go to her and tell her that I was captured by you, but escaped
  from your clutches. I tried to rescue poor Xander here. But he was
  killed before I could save him. I'll even bring his body to her.
  She'll be devastated. Oh this is too good!" Willow crowed as she
  became slightly side tracked.

  Xander's blood ran cold at her calculated words.

  "Well? Go on," Colin prodded, now curious.

  "This will get her to trust me completely, if she doesn't already.
  Especially if I can wring some tears out over the untimely death of
  such a good friend." Willow patted Xander on the cheek. "Of course
  she'll want revenge. What Slayer wouldn't? I'll feed her all sorts
  of misinformation about how I would never participate in your
  schemes for the eclipse and that without me there's nothing you can
  do. She'll buy any story I give her. Even her Watcher will believe
  me. I'll guide her here to 'help' her avenge Xander. She's a
  powerful Slayer. She's even defeated the Master, but when the time
  is right I'll be able to take her out without even a struggle. She
  won't see it coming. Even if I'm wrong and she comes down here,"
  Willow shrugged, "you've still got her. Consider this a back up
  plan."

  "It's completely diabolical," the Anointed One approved. "I should
  have thought of it."

  Xander was desperate now. Hearing all of this he feared more for
  Buffy than his own inescapable demise. "Don't do this Willow. I
  know you're in there somewhere, fight it," he pleaded.

  "There's nothing to fight," Willow said indifferently. "You're
  about to die and Buffy soon along with you."

  Going in for the kill, Willow tugged Xander's resisting body into
  her arms.