"So," said Buffy, as she handed Cordelia a glass of water. "You wanna tell us what happened?"
Cordelia shook her head, quite obviously disturbed by the day's course of events.
"Really, Cordelia! We don't have time for these, uh, childish games of yours," barked Giles,
confidently. "There could be a lethal killer out on the loose, and if we don't find..."
"It was a horse!" screamed Cordelia, angrily. "It was a goddamned horse, OK?"
* * *
Several glasses of diet coke later, Cordelia had finished telling her tale.
"I told you *he'd* laugh," she hissed angrily, as Xander tried desperately to stifle his giggles. "It's
not my fault. I mean, my beautician said that you can't get blood out of a cream Lacroix, and
how do you think I feel about that?!" She studied everyone's eyes, carefully. "A blood stain?! It's
soooo unfair." Cordelia bent down, and reached into the depth's of her shoulderbag,
precariously. Recognition swept across her face, as her fingers brushed against an object inside
of her bag. "I mean how could I have made this up, huh?" she squealed, as she produced a small
silk dress, with a large red bruise stained into the fabric. Willow glanced over at Oz for
reassurance, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Sighing, she slumped back into her seat, and
listened intently to the conversation.
"Cordelia, I see that you've been, uh, traumatised by your experience," said Giles, finally
summing up the courage to break the silence, "but, it's time to let go of these fantasies...I..."
Cordelia shook rolled her eyes, tiredly.
"Look if you don't wanna believe me, that's fine, she whispered, softly. "But don't lead me on
like this. You can't just listen to what I have to say, and then decide that I'm insane, and need to
be restrained with a strait-jacket." She frowned, and slipped her hands onto her hips,
authoritatively.
"I believe you, Cordy." Giles turned to stare at Buffy. He couldn't believe what she had just said.
"Y'never know. It could be some kind of shape-shifting thing," she shrugged her shoulders,
inconclusively. "Ok, lets all stare at me; the insane girl." Giles smiled tightly. "What's up, Giles?"
queried Buffy.
"I-I must go and look something up in my books." Buffy smiled, as she triumphantly folded her
arms."
"The Buff-ster does it again!" cheered Xander, flirtatiously, and Buffy eyed him curiously. Willow
smiled, and turned around to talk to Oz, when she suddenly remembered that he had gone.
"You guys, I'm gonna go find Oz," she said, softly. Buffy nodded, and waved her away with an
official air.
"See ya later, Will." Willow smiled, and sprinted out of the musty library, into the cool corridor
outside. The snow had ceased, but a strange chill hung in the air. Willow dismissed this thought,
and marched comfortably along the corridor. As she turned a corner, she could hear Oz's voice,
drifting through from one of the adjacent classrooms.
"Willow, are you really sure, you wanna do this?" Willow paused uncertainly. What was Oz
doing? Was he practising a speech for her, or what? Willow smiled. "At least there's no harm in
listening in!" she thought, happily, as she pressed her ear to the door.
"Willow, you have the most...fascinating...fascinating..."
"You really think so?" Willow stepped back, awkwardly. The returning voice had been female,
and it sounded very familiar...almost, like her own...
"Oh god, Willow. You are so beautiful, with no, uh...you know what I mean right?" Willow
frowned, uncertainly. She wanted to know who was in the room with Oz. Without thinking, she
plunged her hand forwards, towards the door handle, and yanked it down hard. The door
swung open, and Willow saw a mirror image of herself dancing in front of Oz with a bare upper
half.
"Omigod," she screeched, as tears inflated her eyes. "Who's that?!" Oz span around, and stared
up at Willow in the doorway.
"Willow?" he whispered, dubiously. "What goin' on?!"
"I was gonna ask you the same question! Who's she?!" Willow knew it was a stupid question.
The semi-naked girl who stood before her now, was obviously a representation of herself.
"Where'd she come from, Oz?! And...and..." Willow felt her tears begin to run furiously down
her cheeks. "What were you planning on doing together?!!" The semi-naked Willow smirked.
"That isn't any of your business," she purred, as she ran a hand through her silken locks. Oz
looked between the two Willows, confusedly. He hazarded a guess that the real Willow was
definitely not the one with her bra slung across the room, but he couldn't be completely sure.
'Semi-naked Willow' rose to her feet, and beamed at Oz, sweetly.
"Oz, darling," she whispered. "Would you kindly put out the trash for us girls?" Grabbing the
metal bin which sat beside her, she swung it swiftly through the air, and into the back of Oz's
head. He groaned painfully, and then sank to the carpeted floor, slowly. Willow backed against
the wall uncertainly, as her counterpart advanced towards her. Willow knew that she had to
defend herself somehow. Thinking quickly, she span around, and kicked her leg weakly at the
intruder, the but semi-naked Willow caught it easily.
"You're way out of your league little girl," hissed Willow's evil twin. "You as might as well
surrender right now." She cackled, as she began to tighten her grip on Willow's ankle...
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