3rd Person's POV

"Turn up the music!" Buffy screams as she dances across the gym.

The cheerleaders practice. Buffy has a big, happy grin on her face, she's workin' this cheer... unfortunately she's workin' it completely out of sync with everyone else. Buffy stomps on the Senior Cheerleader's foot.

"Ow! Get it together, Buffy. We have a game in less than four hours."

Willow and Xander slip in to watch.

"Hey Willow, Xander! My buds are here. I love my buds."

"Is it me, or is Buffy somewhat looped?"

Willow looks over at Xander and nods, "Well this isn't good."

Each girl launches the one next to her into a spinning cartwheel. Buffy is launched.

"We better get her out of there."

"Yeah, before she..."

And just as those words leave Xander's mouth, Buffy cartwheels to the Senior Cheerleader, grabs her and hurls her across the gym like a flying sack of potatoes.

"....hurts somebody."

Splatted in the corner of the gym where she landed, the senior cheerleader gets up, way more angry than hurt.

"Did I do that?" Buffy grimaces.

"You are so out of here!"

Willow and Xander rush in and grab Buffy.

"It's not her fault."

"She's on medication."

"Obviously not enough. Who's our next alternate? Oh..."

Amy is right there, in costume.

"Amy, you just made cheerleader. And where the hell is Laney?"

"No no no, you don't want her, she's a wi-"

Xander clamps a hand over Buffy's mouth as Willow and he hustle her out.

"A wise choice indeed."

Amy stands innocently and joins the line. Willow and Xander drag Buffy out then shut the door.

"She's a witchy!!"

"Buffy!" Willow shushes her.

Buffy looks down sadly, "I just got kicked off the team, didn't I?"

"I don't think it's your fault."

Buffy smiles at Xander, "I know you don't. That's cause you're my friend. You're my Xander-shaped friend."

Xander smiles widely as she continues, "...do you have any idea why I love you so, Xander?"

"We gotta get you to-"

"Let her speak!" Xander interrupts Willow who glares at him.

"I'll tell you. You're not like other guys at all... You are completely and totally one of the girls. I'm that comfy with you."

Willow can't help but look a little pleased.

"That's great." He replies sarcastically.

"Any other guy gave me a bracelet, they'd want to date me, it'd be a thing, but you-- you..."

She staggers a bit, "Oh. I don't feel so good."

She slumps over, pale and sweaty.

"Buffy?" Willow looks at her concerned.

"Something is really... not good..."

She collapses in their arms.

Buffy's laid out in two easy chairs. A cold compress on her head. She's conscious but very sick. Laney is laid sideways on the table holding a rag to her bloody nose. Every now and then she goes into a coughing spell and hacks up blood but her sight has slowly come back.

Giles paces around with two books in his hands, reading furiously. Willow and Xander stand over them, concerned.

"We gotta get them to a hospital."

Giles looks over at them in worry, "They can't help them. This is a Bloodstone Vengeance Spell, hits
the body hard, like drinking a quart of alcohol, then eradicates the immune system."

"Vengeance spell. Like she's getting even with Buffy?"

"'Cause she knows we know she's a witch." Buffy says weakly.

"The others she just wanted out of the running, you she intends to..."

"Kill." Buffy replies looking at Giles with a sad face.

"Ugh why me though? I didn't do anything."

Xander shrugs, "You're friends with Cordelia. That's enough."

Laney glares deadly at Xander making him smile sheepishly.

Willow looks between her new friend and her sister, "How much time do we have?"

"I'm sure we have-"

"Truth please."

"Couple of hours, three at most."

Xander shakes his head angrily, "So how do we reverse the spell?"

"I've been researching that. We can reverse all the spells if we can get our hands on Amy's spell book."

"And if we can't get our hands on it?" Willow frowns.

"The only other way is to cut the witch's head off."

Xander raises his hand, "Show of hands..."

Laney's hand flies into the air, "I like that idea."

Xander looks at her in disgust, "Oh no we need to hurry. She's agreeing with me now."

Buffy shakes her head, "No. It's not Amy's fault. She
became a witch to survive her mother."

Xander shakes his head with a determined look, "I don't care why, I care that you two go on breathing."

"Giles, where would she be casting these spells?"

Giles glances over at Buffy then back at the book, "She needs a sacred space with a pentagram, a large pot..."

"At home. Help me get up."

Giles helps her up.

"We'll go to her house, find her book."

Willow stands, "We'll go with you."

"No. Stay here, keep an eye on Amy. And make sure Laney is okay."

The two start to walk away until Giles turns around for a second, "And keep Amy away from the science
lab. We'll need it to cast our counter spells."

"Alright Xander is going to stay here with you until Giles and Buffy get back. I'm going to go watch Amy. When they get back Xander come to the gym."

Xander nods watching Willow leave the science lab. He looks down at Laney as she coughs then groans in pain.

"Do you need anything?"

"No thanks Al-sorry Xander."

Xander shakes his head and holds her hand, "No it's okay you can call me Alex."

"You're warming up to me Harris."

Xander shakes his head chuckling to himself as Laney teases him.

"It seems as if I am."

"Well I guess you're not the only one... You're not too bad Alexander Harris."

Xander looks down at her in awe, "Wait can you say that again. This time let me record you."

Laney laughs then sighs in pain, "Nice try Alex."

"It was worth a shot."

Xander flinches slightly as Laney raises her hand up to his face. He got so used to her hitting him that he didn't know what would happen. She caresses his cheek and looks at him with an emotion he can't quite decipher.

"Thanks for staying with me... you're a sweet guy Alex."

Xander opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by the door slamming open. Laney drops her hand and Xander moves away as Giles comes in carrying Buffy. Behind him is Amy's mom, Catherine.

"What is she doing here?" Laney asks weakly.

"She's Amy. Amy is her mom." Buffy says.

Giles placing Buffy in a chair as Catherine drops the box on a table. He squats before Buffy, looks her in the eyes.

"I'm going to stop this."

Buffy looks at the figure of Giles, which is a colorful blur. The room seems to teeter and shift around him, his voice a bizarre and deep echo.

"I promise. Just hang on."

He turns when he hears Laney start a coughing spell again. This time is worse. She starts to hyperventilate and passes out.

"Laney!" Xander yells lightly shaking her shoulder.

Giles grunts angrily then stands up and digs in the box for the book.

"How are they?" Catherine (Amy) asks looking between Buffy and Laney.

Giles shakes his head, "We only have a few minutes."

"I'll go to Willow and keep Amy away... Well Catherine."

Xander runs out the room. Giles pulls the book out of the box, starts looking through it.

"Let's see... I'll need lead, sulphur, some sort of diacetate..."

He goes over to the glass cabinet with the chemicals in it. It's locked. Casually, still looking down at the book for reference, he picks up a metal beaker and smashes the glass. He looks in and starts picking out vials of useful substances.

"What should I do?"

Giles turns to Catherine (Amy), "Find me a frog."

In the gym, the game has started. The kids stand in the bleachers cheering. The cheerleaders are on the sideline, doing steps.

Amy (Catherine) is right there with them, last on the left. She is beaming as she relives her greatest glory.

In the stands, Xander and Willow sit side by side. They alone are silent, their eyes never leaving Amy.

Giles has something bubbling in a beaker, a Bunsen burner under it. Catherine (Amy) is nearby, reluctantly prying out a dead frog's eyes.

"Right."

He throws in a powder, and begins.

"The center is dark. centrum est obscurus. The darkness breathes. tenebrae respiratis. The listener hears."

He throws in another powder.

"Hear me."

Amy (Catherine) is still strutting in step, still basking in her glory.

The appreciative crowd is before her, and then suddenly it becomes dark. It's just a flash, and then it's lit again. Amy (Catherine) starts, wide eyed, and nearly messes up.

Catherine (Amy) is reeling just as Amy (Catherine) was, shaking off the momentary change.

"It's working..."

"Unlock the gate, let the darkness shine. Cover us with holy fear. Show me."

He barks the order again, "show me", but this time in Arabic (waar re-nee). The lights in the room blow out.

The cheerleaders are forming a pyramid, Amy at the top. She is up there when she gets a flash of view through Catherine's (Amy) eyes. She sees Giles, and the whole room. Her gaze sweeps over to include the dying Buffy and Laney. Then she comes back to and looks at the audience.

Amy (Catherine) screams and falls, wrecking the whole pyramid. The girls tumble about, the fans laughing a bit.

The senior cheerleader glares at the girl, "Amy, what's your problem?"

Amy (Catherine) stands, primal fury on her face making the cheerleader back off. Quickly Amy (Catherine) runs out of the gym.

Willow gasps, "She must be heading for Buffy and Laney!"

"Come on." Xander says as they run to catch up with the witch.