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Different Point of View

By Rach

"So scabby demon got away?"

Buffy shook her head as Willow held the library door open. "Scabby demon number two got away. Scabby demon number one, big check in the slay column."

"I don't like this whole no mouth thing. It's disquieting."

"Well, no mouth means no teeth. Unless they have them somewhere else... "

Willow dropped her books onto the table and took a seat next to Oz, Buffy perching on the table beside Xander. Giles walked out of his office with an armful of books.

"Here we go, we've been researching the, uh, mayor's forthcoming ascension."

"Its pretty riveting stuff." Oz added.

Buffy looked around. "So, what do we know?"

"What don't we know." Xander grimaced.

"Tell her, Giles." Fred piped up from her place at the end of the table.

"Well," Giles began. "Based upon the supposed date, graduation day, and the mayor being impervious to harm, I've cross referenced-"

"He's a cross-referencing fool." Giles glared at Xander and continued.

"And I've eliminated several possibilities. It's not the ritual flaying of the demon Azarath nor the, uh ..." He stopped, looking defeated. "I don't know what's going to happen."

"That was kind of an anti-climax." Oz smiled at Willow, and she reached for his hand.

"We don't know anything? The whole fake Angel thing was for nothing?" Buffy looked upset at this news.

"No, no, no." Giles emphasised. "If nothing else Angel's charade has brought Faith's treachery to the open and this information on the ascension will prove useful eventually, I just need to put it together."

Buffy began to scratch her hand as Wesley entered the library, breathing heavily.

"Terribly sorry, I was detained. Official council business. Mr. Giles, you were speaking?"

"I was just filling Buffy in on my progress regarding the research on the Ascension."

"Oh, and what took up the rest of the minute?"

"Touché. Of course, my work is unofficial. I'm sure, however, with the resources of the council at your disposal, you will have something to add."

"Well, I am pleased to state, with certainty, that the demon Azarath will not in any way be involved..." Buffy groaned, picked up her books and left the library, Xander, Willow and Oz following her.

"I'm sure we'll find out more soon." Wesley called after them, defeatedly.

Fred stepped up behind him. "I'm sure we will," she smiled. "We just have to put our information together right."

****

"You touched one of the demons?" Giles looked at the mark on Buffy's hand where she'd been scratching it, and pushed it under a magnifying lamp.

"A good touch, not a bad touch. Anyway, it's been itching like crazy." She looked through the lamp at her hand, before switching it off and standing up. "No big, just another problem for the good people at Lubriderm, right?" Fred came down the steps to Buffy's right carrying an open book.

"That your guy?" She questioned.

"In the disgusting flesh."

"Hmm." Giles took the book from Fred and began to skim the passage under the picture.

"What?" Buffy looked up. "'Hmmm' with you is never good."

"It says they can infect the host."

"Infect? Infect?" Buffy spoke impatiently, tapping the table when Giles didn't answer. "GILES!" He looked up. "INFECT?!"

"Oh, um, infect the host with an aspect of the demon. That's all it says."

"An aspect of the demon?" Fred frowned. "That could be nasty."

Buffy grabbed the book from Giles and stared intently at the passage.

"It's rather terse isn't it?" Giles remarked.

"You mean like a part of it?"

"There could be any number of explanations for your hand. A new fabric softener can cause irritation. In any case, I would advise not to attempt to track the one that got away. Let's minimise your exposure."

"Part of the demon?" Buffy repeated to herself.

"I hope it's not the outside part." Fred commented, and Buffy glared at her before picking up her bag and heading to her next class.

****

"Could you believe it? Right at the buzzer. Three points for the win." Willow spoke excitedly, and Oz nodded as they all sat down.

"It was intense."

Xander smirked at Oz. "Yeah, for a minute there I thought you were gonna make an expression."

"Well, I felt one coming on. I won't lie." Oz deadpanned.

"Man, I've never seen anyone jump like Hogan Martin."

Fred nodded happily at Willow's words. "They should call him -- the jumper!"

"Or a name that isn't an article of women's clothing." Xander pointed out, and Fred laughed. "Hey, remember when-"

"Shhh...." Xander turned as Willow nodded behind him, and spotted Buffy heading towards them. "Hmmm... quietness. We either lost, or we won and you don't want me to feel bad."

"Well, yeah it wasn't a really good game." Willow's eyes darted around, landing anywhere but on Buffy.

"Yeah tall hoops, with thin tall guys. What's the point?" Fred added.

"Pretty dull." Cordelia heard Oz's comment and stopped walking.

"Are you guys crazy? That was an incredible game! I've never cheered so hard in my life. I still have knee marks on my back." She noticed the glance Willow gave Fred, and grunted. "From the pyramid." Shaking her head, she walked back to join her friends.

"Yeah, well, I still bet patrolling was way better cause, wow, important." Willow nodded her head as she spoke.

"Well, I thought I saw a four legged demon." She looked around at their eager expressions. "But it was just a dog."

"A weredog?" Oz questioned.

"Regular."

"Tough luck." Xander commented, as he watched Cordelia talking animatedly. 'I wonder if she's dating anyone new right now,' he thought. Buffy turned to look at him.

"You're still cut up about that, huh?"

"What?"

"The whole Cordelia situation."

"Man, you read my mind." Xander turned back to the conversation about the game, and a grin slowly spread across Buffy's face. Excusing herself, she headed to the library.

****



"She can read our minds? Our every impulse and fantasy." Xander glanced round the table, hoping to see the same worried look on every face.

"Every one." Buffy grinned.

'Oh god.' Xander thought. Buffy's grin grew even wider.

'I don't see what this has to do with me.' Cordelia thought, seconds before saying it out loud.

"Well, I think it's great. Right? I mean, you enjoy your other slayer powers." Willow smiled.

"Yeah, and it'll be fun." Buffy was practically dancing with glee. "Did you see Nancy Doyle's face in English Class today?"

"Yeah, she's super competitive, and you really showed her." Willow's smiled wavered slightly, as a thought hit her. 'She's hardly even human anymore. How can I be her friend now? She doesn't need me.'

'I wonder what'll happen now,' Fred thought at the same time. 'It's not like she'll need us.'

"No! I do need you!" Buffy yelled at both of them, as Cordelia's face took on a puzzled expression.

"Ok, what are you talking about? Because you are soooo creepy right now."

Giles looked around worriedly. "Um...I think there must be some precedence for occurrences such as this. Uh, I'll research it. Wesley, Fred, can you give me a hand?"

"Of course." Fred pushed out her chair and headed for Giles' office, collecting a few books before retaking her seat at the table. "Where do you think we should start?"

'I am my thoughts.' Buffy turned to gaze at Oz as she heard him think. 'If they exist in her, Buffy contains everything that is me and she becomes me. I cease to exist.'

"Hmm..." Oz frowned.

'What am I gonna do? I think about sex all the time! Sex! Help! 4 times 5 is thirty. 5 times 6 is 32. Naked girls. Naked Women! Naked Buffy! Oh stop me!'

"God Xander! Is that all you think about?" Buffy laughed.

"Actually..." he thought for a second, before gathering his books and leaving the room. "Bye!" He yelled. "Xander has just illustrated something." Wesley came and placed a few books on the table, taking a seat. "Chances are, you're all going to be thinking whatever you least want Buffy to hear. It's a question, of course, of mental discipline."

'Look at her.' He thought, glancing at Fred. 'No! Don't look! She's a student! Oh, I *am* bad. I'm a bad, bad man!' Wesley looked up to see Buffy staring intently at him, another grin on her face, and jumping from his seat, he retreated to the office.

Fred watched as he left the room. 'Look at him. He's so cute, with his suits, and his James Bond good looks.' Buffy smiled. 'Plus, he has a really tight-'

"Okay!" Buffy yelled, not wanting to hear any more. Fred blinked, realising what she'd done and followed Wesley into the office.

"Buffy, what's it like?" Willow asked, trying to be supportive.

"I don't know. It's a little weird." She sighed, her euphoria of moments ago gone. "But... look, please, don't for a second think that I don't need you, because I do. I want to share this with you. It's like all these doors are opening to all these little worlds, and I can just walk right inside."

'No one else exists either. Buffy is all of us. We think. Therefore, she is.' Oz's thoughts interrupted her mind again.

'She knows so much. She knows what Oz is thinking. I never know that. Before long, she'll know him better than I do.' Willow complained inwardly.

"No, don't think that!" She exclaimed.

"I can't help it Buffy. I'm sorry, I just can't." Willow stood up and ran from the library. Buffy stood to follow her, but Oz shook his head.

"If you don't need me, I think I should go follow the red-head."

"Whatever. Can I go?" Cordelia asked, again echoing the thoughts that had been in her head moments before.

"Excuse me." Wesley popped his head out of the office door. "Can you hear me thinking in here?"

Fred peeped out behind him. "We could go out into the hall."

"You know what? You stay. I'm getting a headache. I'll go." Buffy left the library, and the research continued in silence, until Giles spotted something.

He groaned. "Here. It's happened before. A man in Ecuador. Quite recently."

"Can we contact him?" Wesley peered over Giles' shoulder.

"I'd say not. He can't communicate with anyone." Giles frowned.

"Dead?" Fred questioned.

"No, he's in complete isolation. The power -- he can't shut it off."

****



Everyone watched Buffy worriedly as she lay unconscious on the floor outside. She'd fainted in the cafeteria, and Giles had carried her to somewhere cooler and quieter.

'I think she's waking up now.' Willow thought, as she noticed Buffy's eyes begin to flutter.

'She's ok,' thought Oz.

'Oh thank god!' Giles bent down beside her.

'Her eyes are opening.' Xander grinned to himself.

'She's gonna be fine,' Fred thought. Buffy still found it weird that she could hear them speak without them actually speaking.

'I'm cold.' Cordelia complained to herself.

"You alright?" Giles asked, as Buffy struggled to sit up.

"I told them not to move you. They probably severed your spinal cord." Cordelia nodded, speaking sympathetically.

Buffy gave her a Look. "I'm ok." She sat up completely to prove her point.

"Buffy..." Giles warned and took hold of her arm. Buffy shook it off.

"No really. I'm OK." She looked around intently. "Listen, there's a killer in the cafeteria."

Xander laughed. "See, I've been saying for years that the lunch lady's gonna do us all in with that Mulligan Stew." Fred hit him on the arm. "I mean, what the hell's a Mulligan?"

Ignoring him, Buffy looked around her. "Someone was thinking about it. They thought 'This time tomorrow, I'll kill you all.' I have to find them." Giles took hold of her arm again and helped her to stand.

"Well, did you, uh, recognize a voice?" He queried.

"No."

"Boy or girl?" Willow piped up.

"I don't know. I mean, it was hardly human. It was full of so much anger and pain." She started to walk away from them, but the cacophony of their thoughts seeped back into her mind and she felt her legs begin to give way again.

Giles held his arms out to keep her from falling, and then guided her back towards them.

"No, I have to find them."

"But, I mean, who hasn't just idly thought about taking out the whole place with a semi-automatic? Everyone stared at Xander. "I said idly!"

Buffy glared. "I know the difference. He... she... whoever, they meant it. They're gonna do it."

She grabbed her head as their thoughts began to intrude again. 'She looks so tired.' That was Giles.

'How horrible.' Willow thought.

'I'm not getting any warmer.' Buffy grunted.

'I bet it was Hogan.' Xander looked around him, unaware of the pain his thoughts were causing Buffy.

'Who could it be?' Oz completed the set. She could only pick every other thought out of the din.

"Shut up!" She yelled. Things quietened for a second. "Uh, I'm sorry. I, it's just, can you guys not think so loud? Or, so much..."

"Buffy, you should go home. I, I'll take you home." Giles led her towards his car, a concerned look on his face.

****

Buffy left Willow with instructions to interview everyone who'd been in the cafeteria. They had to find out who was doing this. She split the suspects between each of them, while Giles and Wesley worked on a cure.

They met up in the newspaper office, with only one person left to interview. After questioning Freddy Iversen, it became clear that their plan of action wasn't working.

"We have no shot." Cordelia sighed. "The killer could be anyone. We lose." Buffy entered the room through a door behind the gang.

"We still have a few minutes." They all turned to look at her, and Willow hugged her, grinning.

"You're okay!" Xander looked at her carefully. "Can you hear thoughts?" Buffy shook her head. "Damn! Just when I wasn't thinking about sex." Buffy laughed.

"So, Giles and Wesley came up with the goods?" Fred spoke up.

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. Between the two of them and Angel, I'm now completely thought free." She tapped the side of her head. "Well, apart from my own. And believe me, they feel good to have their space back." She looked around at them, and turned to Willow. "Okay, here's the new plan. We're going to get Snyder to evacuate the school. I just hope the killer's not waiting outside."

Cordelia picked a letter from Freddy's now-vacant desk. "'By this time tomorrow, you'll all know what I've done. I'm sure you understand that I had to do it, and that although death is never easy, it's the only way.'" She paused. "God! Doesn't anyone write in to praise the Cheerleaders! We are so unsung." Willow grabbed the letter.

"Jonathan! Oh, I had him in my grasp. Slippery weasel."

Buffy took charge. "Split up." She looked around. "Find him," she urged.

****

Xander ran into the cafeteria screaming. "RAT POISON! RAT POISON!" He was followed out of the kitchen by the lunchlady, wielding a large kitchen knife. He knocked over tables as he ran, yelping as he tripped over a chair and fell to the floor. He watched as the lunchlady stepped next to him, and pulled her arm back to strike. He winced, his arm shielding his face.

Nothing happened.

He opened his eyes to see Buffy with her hand clamped on the lunchlady's wrist, preventing her from swinging.

"Okay, let's calm down."

"Vermin!" The lunchlady screamed. "You're all vermin. You come in here and you eat, and you eat. Filth!"

Buffy sighed. "I don't see this being settled with logic." She twisted the woman's arm, sending the knife flying across the room and clattering to the ground. Buffy kicked her again and finished her off, sending her flying across the room, unconscious.

"It's good to be me again."

Xander jumped up and threw his arms around Buffy. "So, not Jonathan then?" He commented, looking around at the mess. Buffy shook her head.

"No, although that's another problem that needs solving." Xander cocked his head, curious. "He went up there to kill himself, Xand. I felt so bad for him. He thought his life was so awful that the only way it could get any better way by ending it."

"Where is he now?"

"I talked him down just before I heard you yelling. Fred's taking care of him."

****

Giles and Buffy walked towards the library. "How's Jonathan getting on?"

"Pretty crappy. His parents are freaking. He got suspended. And toting a piece to school, not exactly winning him a place with the in-crowd. But, I think he's dealing."

"Well, it's good of you to check on him."

"I think he kinda thanks Fred more, you know. She was the one he really confided in, I just stopped him doing it."

"You were still a great help, Buffy. There ... well, there wouldn't have been a Jonathan left for Fred to talk to if you hadn't worked so hard to convince him his life was worth living."

Buffy smiled. "Well, it's nice to be able to help someone in a non-slaying capacity. Except, he's starting to get that look, you know, like he's gonna ask me to Prom."

"Well, it would probably be good for his self-esteem, if you..."

"Oh come on! What am I, Saint Buffy? He's like three feet tall!" She exclaimed.

Giles laughed. "I'm glad to see you've recovered from your psychic encounter more or less intact. Feel up to some training?"

"Sure. We can work out after school. You know, if you're not too busy having sex with my MOTHER!"

Chapter Five



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