Willow sat at her computer, typing a report. Even she was bored with the subject. She had no idea how she was going to fill eight pages about binary and trinary star systems. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked at the screen and quickly reached for her phone. She dialed a number imbedded in her brain. It rang for an eternity.
* * *
Buffy entered her room to find the phone ringing. Part of her hoped it was Giles with more info on the monster, and the other part really wanted a break. She decided it was probably necessary, whatever it was.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Buffy. It's Willow. Um, I think I have a problem."
"What is it, Will?" Buffy asked, immediately in alarm mode.
"I was typing my astronomy report and I got that message on my screen. Oh, God!"
"What?" She was guessing that by that "oh, God" Willow had just jumped high enough to touch her ceiling.
"I think I heard something downstairs!"
"Normally, I'd say it was your imagination, but I think it's better to assume it's not. I want you to get out through your window and get over here now. Okay?"
"O-" There was a soft thud and then silence.
"Will? Willow, you still there?" She was met with no reply. "Oh, no!" She hung up the phone and climbed out the window.
* * *
The library doors swung open rapidly, and Buffy came through them. Giles looked up from his book.
"Buffy, I'm glad you're here. I've found some historical information on Tumunbeck that might be useful. It seems that . . ."
"Giles, we don't have time for that now! Tumunbeck picked a virgin sacrifice."
"Who?"
"Willow. She called and told me that she had the message on her screen, then there was this noise, and the phone went dead. I'm putting my money on her being her own kind of chosen one. We gotta save her."
"But we have no idea where she would be."
"Well, I say we find out. I think the park is the best place to start looking. It's the only place I can think of that Tumunbeck would find trees."
"Good point." They started to leave. "Should we call Xander and Cordelia?"
"I don't want to get them involved. The less people, the better."
"Surely, Oz would want to know."
"Giles! We don't have time for this! Besides, it's the full moon. We can't call Oz, duh!" She refused to listen to any more and left the library. Giles followed her, after a short side trip to his weapons store. He grabbed anything he thought would be helpful, but he still didn't know how to fight this thing.
* * *
When Willow came to, she found herself sitting in a large tree in the park. She didn't remember ever seeing this tree before. It was huge! She saw a symbol carved in its trunk. It seemed familiar, but she wasn't sure how. She looked from the branch she was in downward. She was a little higher up than she would have preferred. She wasn't really afraid of heights, but she wasn't too fond of them either. She noticed that the tree seemed newly planted. She wondered who would plant a tree like this, and how and why. Whatever the reasons, she was pretty sure they weren't good.
She looked at herself, and found that what she was wearing was not what she remembered wearing. She didn't even own a white dress like this, come to think of it. She felt a weight on her head and realized she was wearing some sort of crown. She couldn't see what it was, but, by the feel of it, she was going with flowers. She thought that this was what the sacrificial virgin always looked like before they threw her in a volcano. she thought. She realized her hands were tied. This was definitely not looking good.
* * *
Giles and Buffy were hurrying as fast as they could to the park. They had opted not to take his car, because it was too much trouble to find a place to park it.
When they reached the park, they found Xander and Cordy there, fighting as usual. The couple stopped as they noticed the others approaching.
"What are you guys doing here?" Xander queried, as if he didn't know.
"I don't know about them, but we're out for a little stroll and dinner," a voice from the shadows called. Angel stepped out, and Dru was immediately at his side.
"I really don't have time to fight with you guys right now. I have to go save Willow," Buffy declared irritably. They really did have the worst timing in the world.
"Oh, Willow, right. The cute, helpless one. Gee, she sure seems to get in a lot of trouble. You're always saving her. Is she really worth it?"
"I'm not doing this now!" She pulled a stake from her sleeve.
"You wouldn't."
"I *so* would! Just try me." Angel took a step forward. Buffy reached out and grabbed Druscilla's wrist. She pulled the vampire close to her so that they were both facing Angel and held the stake above her heart. "You wanna take another step, smart ass?" Angel stood there. "Listen, you know you wouldn't enjoy killing me if I was preoccupied, so why don't we just save this for a time when we can both concentrate, or would you rather I get rid of your creation? You're choice, big guy."
It was a staring contest for a moment. Neither moved. Then Buffy took this for a no and pulled her arm back to plunge the stake in. Druscilla whimpered slightly.
"Angel?" she implored. The stake was about to hit home, when Angel spoke.
"Wait!" Buffy looked up.
"Yes?"
"I'll agree."
"Good. Now, go find your meal somewhere else." She shoved Dru back into Angel's arms. The two vampires slunk off, Angel gentling consoling Dru as they went.
"So what's this about saving Willow?" Xander urged.
"Giles will explain on the way," Buffy stated shoving the stake back up her sleeve.
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