Disclaimer: See Part One.
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Part Six
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"Le Tueur Enjoué!" cried Buffy. "That’s him! I know it’s him!" She was hysterical. "Willow! Xander!"
Xander jerked his head up and ungracefully fell off his chair onto the floor. He crawled over to Buffy and stood up. Willow simply walked over to her.
"Whuh?" said Xander, half-awake. "La Tour Eiffel?" His French was not funny, and the girls performed their usual drill of ignoring him.
Buffy started to read. "Le Tueur Enjoué, first discovered in France in the early 1600’s, is a very dangerous foe."
"Wait a second!" Xander interrupted. "Are you sure this is one of Giles’ books? Where’s the fancy words and Latin?" He looked genuinely confused.
Buffy sighed. "This book, Xander, is actually pretty new. It’s not even dusty. I wouldn’t be surprised if Giles saw how new it was and just stuffed it on a shelf." She grinned.
"Well, what else does it say?" Willow asked, interrupting.
The Slayer turned her attention back to the book. "Um…oh, here I am. ‘Le Tueur Enjoué is a fairly childlike demon. It chooses targets either specifically or at random. Once the victim is located, the demon will ‘play’ with the person for days, months, even years before killing it. Once the demon’s goal has been achieved, it will pick a new target and move on.’"
"Whoa." Xander scratched the back his neck nervously. "Doesn’t sound like this guy is one to see Buff and run." He suddenly scratched with more vigor.
Buffy’s eyes continued to scan the page. "Wait, guys, there’s more. ‘Le Tueur Enjoué associates often with vampires, finding that the creatures of the night can make useful servants. Along with its knowledge of various assassin weapons, Le Tueur Enjoué also has the ability to change forms, only revealing its true nature days before the kill.’" Buffy read. The realization of the situation hit her. "Oooooh shit."
"So this demon isn’t going to give up until he sees you dead, Buffy," Willow mused. "This is definitely not a good." She sat down at the computer and put her head in her hands.
"He killed that girl. It means…it means I’m next. I’m next." She was so deep in her thoughts she barely noticed Willow pick the book from her hands and scan it.
"Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is, it *is* possible to kill him. The bad news is, you have to do it when he’s in demon form. More good news: you can kill him with a stake through the heart." Willow read a little more. "Bad news: it’s gotta be made of a certain wood…redwood. It’s gotta be a redwood stake."
Buffy groaned. "There’s not a redwood within miles of here! I’m doomed." She just stood there, shaking her head. "I’m gonna die. Again."
"You bet you are, Ms. Summers," came a familiar voice from the doorway. "So how about confessing first?"
The Slayer and the two Slayerettes looked up, startled. "Principal Snyder!" Buffy exclaimed. "Wait!…I can explain!" She put her hands out defensively.
"Then explain why you three troublemakers are in the library after school is out, going through Mr. Giles’ precious books." When no one responded, a triumphant smirk crossed his face. "I thought as much. Now Ms. Summers, if you would come with me, I’ll escort you to your usual chair in my office."
Willow couldn’t stay quiet any longer. "Principal Snyder, take us too! We’re all in on it!" She clapped her hands to her mouth in shock.
"No, no, Ms. Rosenberg, I am convinced that whatever it is you three were doing, Ms. Summers here was the ringleader. So you and Mr. Harris can just run along home, and expect a call from me." When neither Slayerette moved, he lost his patience. "GO!!!" he screamed.
Buffy had never seen Xander and Willow move so fast. When they were gone, Principal Snyder turned to face her.
"Now for you, Ms. Summers," he said as he opened the door to the school.
Buffy gulped.
* * *
"Dru, darling, please let me go out and interfere with their petty lives. I do enjoy it so," Spike wheeled himself over to the weakened vampire.
Drusilla was still musing over the card. "An ally is an ally, Spike. We can’t go back on our word, can we?" She pulled a nearby doll closer to her. "It would set a bad example for Miss Edith." She patted the doll’s hair lovingly.
Spike swore, then left the room rather unceremoniously. Drusilla peeked around the door, confirming that Spike was gone.
She threw the doll onto a pillow. "How long am I to keep this masquerade up? The cards are right, we must lay low…but why must I act so weak!" Dru raved. "Angel’s blood helped me…a little…"
Drusilla fell backwards and slept.
* * *
Willow and Xander peeked around the corner into the library. Seeing that Principal Snyder and Buffy were gone, they reentered.
While Xander examined the volume Buffy had been reading, Willow worked her way over to Giles’ office.
"Whatcha doing, Wil?" Xander called out.
Willow continued her search while answering Xander. "I know Giles keeps a redwood stake around here, along with other different wooden ones…ah, here’s the drawer."
Turning the book over in his hands, Xander read the copyright. "Hey, wow, Buffy was right!" he exclaimed. "This thing was only made two years ago. Wow. There’s a new book in the library, Willow!" Xander’s faith in books had been renewed.
"Yeah, well, it happens," she answered as she rummaged through the drawer. "Let’s see…cedar, poplar, oak, maple, cherry…pine! Why would he have pine?" she mused. "Emergencies, I suppose. Now, where’s that redwood…?"
Xander laid down on his back on the floor, reading the book. "Hey Wil, did you know that there’s only thirty-seven known possessive animal spirits? Wolf, tiger, rat…hey, no hyena!" he said, shocked. "Looks like it’s thirty-eight, then…Wil? Any luck?" He rolled over onto his stomach and looked up.
Willow emerged from Giles’ office, a dazed expression on her face. "It’s not there," she said distractedly. "It’s missing…"
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