3rd Person's POV

Buffy and Laney had just finished changing for gym as Willow rushes in, starts pulling off her sweater.

Buffy frowns, "Whoah, you're the late girl."

Willow shrugs, "I overslept."

"Till fifth period?"

Laney crosses her arms over her chest and stands near Buffy, "She was up all night..."

"Talking to Malcolm?"

Willow nods, "Yeah... What."

Buffy shakes her head, "Nothing."

"You're having an expression."

"I'm not. But if I was, it would be saying... It's just not like you."

"Not like me to have a boyfriend?"

Laney holds her hands up to silence her sister, "Woah hold on a second, since when was this stranger your boyfriend?"

Buffy nods agreeing with Laney, "He's... boy friendly? You don't even know him."

Willow glares at her older sister, "I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. Boys don't chase me around all the time- I thought you'd be happy for me."

"We just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face-in a crowded place- in daylight- with some friends. You know, before you get all obsessive."

Laney frowns, "Ughhh you used that word..."

Buffy groans knowing the word obsessive would be a problem.

Willow glares deadly at the two, "Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off
a couple of classes."

"Blow off?! I thought you overslept?! Mom's gonna have a cow!"

Willow turns away with a frown, "Malcolm said you guys wouldn't understand."

Buffy and Laney stand with blank stares.

"Malcolm was right."

"Whatever Dave is into, it's large."

Buffy is talking to Giles and Xander.

Giles frowns, "What was the name of the place?"

"Said CRD. I couldn't get close enough to see what it was--"

Xander nods, "Calax Research and Development.
Computer research lab. Third biggest employer in Sunnydale, till it closed last year... What, I can't have information sometimes?"

Giles shrugs, "It's just somewhat unprecedented."

"Well, my uncle used to work there. In a floor-sweeping capacity."

"But it closed."

Xander nods, "Uh-huh."

"Looked pretty functional from where I stood. I don't have a clue what they were doing..."

Xander agrees, "And what do they need Dave for?"

Buffy goes over her clues, "Something about computers, right? I mean he is off-the-charts-smart."

"We still don't know a terrible lot. Whatever's going on there could be on the up and up."

Xander shrugs looking over at Giles, "If CRD re-opened it'd be in the news."

"Besides, I can just tell something's wrong. My spider-sense is tingling." Buffy says shivering.

Giles frowns confused, "Your spider-sense?"

"Pop-culture reference."

"Duck." Xander says.

"Yes, well, I think we're at a standstill. Short of breaking into the place, I don't see--"

"Breaking in. This then is the plan."

Xander raises his hand, "I'm free tonight."

"Tonight it is."

Giles looks at the two scoldingly, "A moment, please, of quiet reflection-- I did not suggest that you illegally enter the... data into the file and then the
book will be listed by title as well as author."

The cause of this lame cover up was Nicki Calendar entering the room.

"Hi."

Giles smiles, "Hello."

"I was gonna check your new database, make sure your cross reference table isn't glitching. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone near it."

"A safe assumption."

Ms. Calendar looks over at Buffy and Xander, "You here again? You kids really dig on the library, don't you?"

Buffy nods, "We're literary."

Xander smiles, "To read is makes our speaking English good."

"Well, we gotta go." Buffy drags Xander away.

Giles stares at them pointedly, "Yes, we'll continue our conversation another time."

"No, I think we're done... Our speaking English good?"

"I panicked, okay?"

"That's nothing new. Where are you two headed?"

Buffy turns around as Xander freezes in place.

"Going to check out this weird place that Dave was at. We think something weird is going on."

"Gotcha. Do you think it affects willow?"

"We hope not."

Laney frowns slightly looking at Xander still turned away from her. Buffy looks over at him with a questioning stare but he doesn't say anything. He turns around slowly but doesn't even glance towards Laney.

"Well we gotta go."

Xander starts to pull Buffy away. Buffy drags her feet making him stop.

"You wanna come with?"

Xander glares at the nice blonde while shaking his head.

"Um okay..."

Xander sighs and Laney frowns but covers it up quickly.

"Alright let's move."

Buffy, Laney, and Xander walk past, is accosted by Dave. He is even antsier than usual.

"Buffy."

"Dave. How're you doing?"

"I'm okay. I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been sleeping much."

Buffy shrugs, "Don't sweat it."

"Uh, Willow was looking for you."

"Oh, great, I wanted to catch her before she went home. Do you know where she is?"

"She said she would be in the girl's locker room."

Buffy nods, "Great. Thanks."

Buffy heads off pulling Laney with her. Dave watches her go, upset. Xander looks over at Dave confused then makes his way back to the library.

The girls enter the locker room. It's dark and empty.

"Willow?"

Buffy moves down the line of lockers, turns the corner.

Nothing

Fritz stands in the shadows. He reaches out and turns on the shower then slips out of the room. Buffy hears the water going, starts toward it.

Laney stands with her arms crossed feeling kinda iffy, "Buffy this is kinda creepy don't you think?"

Buffy ignores Laney and walks further into the shower area, "Will? You taking a shower?"

She frowns noticing that it's empty.

"Guess not."

She steps into the shower area to turn off the faucet. Her sneakers step into the growing puddle.

"This is how droughts are started."

The puddle is growing, heading for the corner of the room-- where wires are laid brushing the floor, with exposed end of a zip cord running up into the light socket at the far wall.

Buffy turns the faucet off and is super close to the wires unseen by her.

"Buffy!"

Buffy spins-- Dave and Laney are at the other end of the locker room, looking terrified. Buffy looks around her-- sees the wires.

She bolts-- one step takes her to the edge of the shower stall, but not far enough out of danger. Quickly the puddle reaches the wires and Laney launches into the shower pushing Buffy into the locker room, a massive jolt running through her. Buffy lands hard on the bench, then to the floor.

She lies there, shaking, trying to catch her breath. Dave is gone. The bottom of one sneaker is melted and smoking. She hurries to her smoking feet and sees Laney off on the side of the shower. Her shoes also melted and smoking. She's passed out.

"Laney!"

Buffy carefully makes her way to the unconscious girl and notices a blood smear on the wall. Slowly lifting Laney's head she sees blood on the back of her head.

"Shit."

JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit