It was a busy night in the Bronze. Jasmine and Daz were dancing together, but not close. They exchange a few words as they moved around. Behind them Scarlett and Victoria were sitting at a table and chatting.
Angelus was standing beyond the table near the base of the stairs. She watched the slayer and her friend dance.

'Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping...waiting...And though unwanted...unbidden... it will stir...

She began to move around the room, all the while keeping her stare on Jasmine.

...open its jaws, and howl.

The Bronze was now closing and the gang made there way out. Jasmine had her arm hooked into Victoria's. Scarlett and Daz were behind then with their arms around each other. They walked past a couple, engaged in a kiss. A girl lifts her head from the other woman, it was Angelus. She had just finished a bite, she let the woman's dead body fall to the pavement. She stepped out into the alley, leaving the woman's body lying there and watched the gang as they walk away. They were completely unaware of her presence and her deed. She morphed back into her human face and began to follow them.

Jasmine was now in her bedroom, she walked around her bed past the window. On her way back she paused by the window and looked out. She lifted the blinds a little and scanned around. Satisfied that no one was there she walked back over to her closet, unzipped the back of her dress along the way.
Jasmine was now her in pajamas. She set her alarm then got into bed. She reached over and turned off her light. She then settled in to sleep. Outside the window Angelus was looking in.
Later that night Jasmine was sleeping. A shadow came across her bed, a hand reached over to stroke her hair with its fingers. Angelus was sitting on the edge of her bed, looking down at her, watching her sleep.

'It speaks to us... guides us... Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have?

In the morning Jasmine stirred and woke up. She opened her eyes and looked over at her clock but her eyes fix on an envelope left next to her on her pillow. She pushed her hair back moaning inquiry. She picked up the envelope as she sat up. The envelope was blank, she opened it and took out the paper from inside. She started in disbelief after unfolding it. On the paper was a pencil sketch of her sleeping.

-

"She was in my room."

The slayer had just entered the library. Ashley was standing behind the counter checking in various books. Jasmine walked past him towards the table as he looked up
"Who?"
"Angeles. She was in my room last night."
Ashley came out from behind the counter and followed her over to the table, where Daz and Scarlett where sitting.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. When I woke up, I found a picture she'd left me on my pillow."
"A visit from the pointed-tooth fairy." Daz laughed to himself. Scarlett hits him on the arm and turn to the watcher.
"Wait, I thought vampires couldn't come in unless you invited them in."
"Yes, but, uh, once you've invited them in, thereafter they're, they're always welcome."
Jasmine looked down, then over at Daz as he spoke.
"You know, I think there may be a valuable lesson for you gals here about inviting strange people into your bedrooms."

"Oh, God!" Scarlett looked to Daz realizing something. "I invited her in my car once." She looked over to Ashley. "That means she can come into my car whenever she wants."
Daz patted her on the shoulder. "Yep, you're doomed to having to give her and her vamp pals a lift whenever they feel like it. And those guys never chip in for gas."
Scarlett looked away disgusted. Jasmine rolled her eyes at Scarlett and turned to her uncle.
"Ashley, there has to be some sort of spell to reverse the invitation, right? Like a barrier, a no shoes, no pulse, no service kind of thing?"
"Yeah, that works for a car, too?" Scarlett chipped in from the table.
"Yes, well, I…I could check on my..."
Daz suddenly jumped up from his chair. "Hello!"
Everyone looked behind them and saw Jonathon and a girl come into the library.
"Excuse me, but have you ever heard of knocking?" Daz asked.
Jonathon gestured to the library before him. "We're supposed to get some books. On Stalin."
Daz pointed at Jonathon "Does this look like Waterstones?"
"This is a school library, Daz."
"Since when?"
Ashley ignored Daz and spoke to Jonathon. "Uh, y…yes, yes, uh, third row. Historical biographies." He gestured towards the stacks.
"Thanks." Jonathon and the girl walked past them, up the stairs and into the stacks. The others watch them go until they disappear. Daz and Scarlett picked up their things and started to leave. Ashley looked at Jasmine, confused, but follows.
""What…" Jasmine gave him a look. "Oh!"
Jonathon came back out of the stacks.
"Hey, did you say that was the..." He noticed everyone has gone. "Hello?"

In the hall Daz and Scarlett walked ahead while Ashley and Jasmine followed behind.
"So Angelus has decided to step up her harassment of you?" The watcher asked his niece.
"By sneaking in her room and leaving stuff at night? Why doesn't she just slit her throat or strangle her while she's sleeping or cut her heart out?" Everyone looked at Scarlett. "What? I'm trying to help."
Ashley gave Scarlett a funny look then carried on talking to Jasmine. "Uh look, it's classic battle strategy to throw one's opponent off his game. She's just trying to provoke you. Uh, to taunt you, to goad you into some mishap of some sort."
Daz looked back at the Watcher. "The nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah approach to battle?"
"Yes, Daz, once more you've managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form."
Jasmine looked sadly at the floor watching her feet as she walked. She looked up at her uncle. "Ashley, Debbie once told me that when she was obsessed with Chas, the first thing she did was to kill her family. Angelus has an all-access pass to our house."
"I told you I will find a…a spell."
"What about until you find a spell?"
Scarlett spoke over her shoulder to the slayer. "Until then, you are welcome to ride around with me in my car." Everyone chose to ignore her and carried on.
"Jasmine, I…I understand your concern, but it's imperative that you keep a level head through all this."
"That's easy for you to say, Ashley. You don't have Angelus lurking in your bedroom at night."
"I know how hard this is for you." He got a look from his niece. "All right, I don't. But as the Slayer, you don't have the luxury of being a slave to your…your passions. You mustn't let Angelus get to you. No matter how provocative her behaviour may become."
"So what you're basically saying is, 'just ignore her, and maybe she'll go away'?"
"Yes. Precisely."
Daz stopped in front of them and turn around to face them. "Hey, how come Jasmine doesn't get a snotty 'once again you boil it down to the simplest form' thing?"
Ashley and Jasmine both looked at him. He looked the slayer up and down. "Watcher's pet."

Later on in Laurel's computer science class she was teaching a class.
"Don't forget, I need your sample spreadsheets by the end of the week."
The bell rang to signal the end of the class, she walked around behind her desk.
"Oh, and I want both a paper printout and a copy on disk. Thank you."
She looked down at her desk for a second, then back up and reaches her arm out to get Victoria's attention before she left the classroom.
"Victoria."
The wanna be witch approached the desk. "Yes?"
"Um, I might be a little late tomorrow. Do you think you could cover my class till I show?
Victoria broke out into a huge bright smile "Really? Me? Teach the class? Sure!"
"Cool."
But then something suddenly hit Victoria. "Oh, wait. W…what if they don't recognize my authority? What if they try to convince me that you always let them leave class early? What if there's a fire drill? What if there's a fire?"
"Victoria, you're going to be fine. And I'll try not to be too late, okay?" The teacher reassured her. She young girl took a deep breather.
"Okay. Good. Earlier is good. Will I have the power to assign detention? Or make them run laps?"
Just then Ashley and Jasmine appeared at the door.
"Hey, Vic." The slayer greeted her friend.
Both Laurel and Victoria looked over, the teacher spoke first.
"Hi, Jasmine. Ashley."
Ashley looked down and the slayer chose to ignore her.
"Victoria, I thought I might take in a class. Figured I could use someone who knows where they are."
Victoria glanced over at Laurel with her eyes, then started to leave the classroom. She spoke to the slayer once she was close to her.
"Sorry. I have to talk to her. She's a teacher, and teachers are to be respected, even if they're only filling in until the real teacher shows up, because otherwise chaos could ensue..." The rest of her rant couldn't be heard as they had left the room. Ashley stepped into the room once the girls had past. His hands were tucked deep in his pockets.
"How have you been?" The teacher asked her once lover.
"Uh, not so good, actually. Uh, since Debbie lost her soul, she's regained her sense of whimsy."
"Well, that sounds bad."
"She's been in Jasmine's bedroom. I…I…I need to drum up a spell to, uh, keep her out of the house."
Laurel reached down to her desk and picked up an old book.
"This might help." She handed it to the watcher. "I've been doing a little reading since Debbie changed. I don't think you have that one."
"Thank you." He starts to flick through it.
"So, how's Jasmine doing?"
He closed the book and lowered it to his side. "How do you think?"
She faced away from him. "I know you feel betrayed."
"Yes. Well, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal."
She looked down at her desk. "Ashley...I was raised by the people that Debbie hurt the most." She looked back up at him. "My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught. I didn't come here to hurt anyone," Again she looked away. "A...and I lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do. I... I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know I was going to fall in love with you." She paused for a moment before looking back up at Ashley. They exchange a meaningful look, but then she looked away again. "Oh, God. Is it too late to take that back?"
"Do you want to?"
She looked back at him. "I just want to be right with you. I don't expect more. I just want so badly to make all this up to you."
"I understand. But I'm not the one you need to make it up to."
She looked at him, understanding. He gave her a little smile and raises the book.
"Thank you for the book." Then he turned and left the room. Laurel just watched him go.

That night Jasmine was sitting on her bed talking into her phone.
"I know I'll sleep easier when I can... sleep easier."
In her room Victoria was on the other end of the phone sprinkling fish food into her tank.
"I'm sure he will. He's like book-man." She put the food down on the counter. "Until then, try and keep happy thoughts and..." She noticed something on her bed.
"And what?" The slayer asked, she got no answer. "Victoria?"
Victoria held the phone between her cheek and shoulder and reached down for the blank envelope on her bed. "Victoria?"
Victoria turned back towards her aquarium. She then noticed there was no fish in there. She opened the envelope and found a string. She pulled on it, out came her fish, strung together one after the other. She lost her grip on her phone and it fell to the floor.

Half an hour later, Victoria was now also sitting on Jasmine bed. Behind then was a string of garlic cloves hanging on the wall. Victoria had a stake in her hand that she's fidgeted with nervously while she looks around.
"Thanks for having me over, Jasmine. Especially on a school night and all."
"No problem. Hey, sorry about your fish."
"Oh, it's okay. We hadn't really had time to bond yet. Although for the first time I'm glad my parents didn't let me have a puppy."
Jasmine sat next to her staring into space. "It's so weird...Every time something like this happens, my first instinct is still to run to Debbie. I can't believe it's the same person. She's completely different from the girl that I knew." She looked over to her best friend.
"Well, sort of, except..."
"Except what?"
She looked over to the slayer. "You're still the only thing she thinks about." Jasmine looked down at her hands.

Over in Eli's warehouse, he was sitting at the head of the table. Chas came in behind him, holding a puppy behind her back.
"I brought something for you." She brought out the whining puppy. "Poor thing. She's an orphan. Her owner died..." She smiled wickedly at him. "…without a fight. Do you like her? Hmm?" She reached her hand into his jacket and rubbed his chest. "I brought her especially for you..." She pulled at his jacket. "To cheer you up. And I've named her...Sunshine!" She offered the puppy to Eli. "Open wide." However Eli just looks away. "Come on, love. You need to eat something to keep your strength up. Now…" She waved the puppy around. "Grrrrr, open up for mummy."
Eli moved away "I won't have you feeding me like a child, Chas."
Just then Angelus came in. "Why not? She already bathes you, carries you around and changes you like a child."
"Why, Angelus. Where have you been? The sun is almost up, and it can be so hurtful. We were worried."
"No, we weren't."
"You must forgive Eli. He's just a bit testy tonight. Doesn't get out much anymore."
"Well, maybe next time I'll bring you with me, Eli".
"Have you forgotten that you're a bloody guest in my bloody home?"
Angelus stepped closer to him. "And as a guest," She leaned into them. "If there's anything I can do for you...Any... responsibility I can assume...anything I'm not already doing, that is." She looked over to Chas. Eli shoved her away angrily. "That's enough!" Angelus smiled widely and giggled.
Chas moved closer to them. "Aww..." She leaned into Eli and gave him a peck on the cheek and gave him the puppy. He held the puppy as she stepped away and moved around the table and stood between two chairs. "You two...fighting over me and all. Makes a girl feel..."
Suddenly she looked up and moaned loudly in apparent pain. Angelus stepped over opposite her across the table, looking concerned.
"Chas, what is it, pet?"
She bent over in pain and was breathing hard. "The air. It worries. Someone...an old enemy is seeking help..." Angelus threw Eli a look. "…help to destroy our happy home." She leaned against a chair. "Ohhhh..."

Across town there was a tarot shop with a display table with a skull in a covered glass bowl, a small gong hung between two horns, a pig fetus in formaldehyde, what looked like a large crab also in formaldehyde and another jar. The shopkeeper was pricing up two more jars.
Outside Laurel walked around the railing in front of the shop and took the steps down to the entrance. She came into the shop and looked around. The shopkeeper looks up from his work. He spoke to her with a Rumanian accent. "Welcome. How may I serve you today?"
Laurel faced him. "Uh..."
"Love potion? Perhaps a voodoo doll for that unfaithful..."
"I need an Orb of Thesulah."
The shopkeeper dropped the accent. "Oh, you're in the trade. Sorry about the spiel, but around Valentine's Day, I get a lot of tourists shopping for love potions and mystical revenge of past lovers." He moved behind the sales counter. "Sad fact is, Ouija boards and rabbits' feet, that's what pay the rent around here." He went through into the back containing to talk to her. "So how did you hear about us?"
"My Uncle told me about you." She picked things up and looked at them.
The shopkeeper looked out at her. "So you're Laurel, then." She looked up at him. "Sorry to hear about your uncle."
"Thank you."
The shopkeeper came back through with a round wooden box. "He was a good customer. Well, no, there you go." He set it down and opened it. "One Thesulan Orb. Spirit vault for the rituals of the undead." She reached into her purse. "I don't get many calls for those lately." She pulled out her wallet. "Sold a couple as new age paperweights last year." She hands him a credit card. "Yeah, I just love those new-agers, boy. They helped to send my youngest to college." He imprinted the card fills in the form. "By the way, you do know that the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead were lost." He handed her the form and a pen. "Without the annals, the surviving text is gibberish".
"And without a translated text, the Orbs of Thesulah are pretty much useless. Yeah, I know." She said handing him his copy.
"Well, I only mention it because I have a strict policy of no refunds." He placed the lid the box.
"It's okay. I'm working on a computer program to translate the Rumanian liturgy to English based on a random sampling of the text."
"Yecchh. I don't like computers. They give me the willies."
"Well, thank you." She takes the box.
"You're welcome."
She took the lid off of the box as she slowly walked toward the door.
"By the way..." She looked back at him. "Not that it's any of my business, really, but, uh, what are you planning on conjuring up? If you can decipher the text?"
"A present for a friend of mine." She lifted the Orb.
"Really? What are you going to give her?"
She looked into the Orb and it began to glow. "Her soul."

At Sunnydale High School, Victoria and Jasmine were chatting as they walk along the sidewalk and up the steps. Daz jumped up behind them. "Well, good morning, ladies. And what did you two do last night?"
"We had kind of a 'pajama party sleepover with weapons' thing." Victoria told her childhood friend.
"Oh. And I don't suppose either of you had the presence of mind to locate a camera to capture the moment."
"I have to go. I have a class to teach in about five minutes, and I have to arrive early to glare disapprovingly at the stragglers." She noticed Laurel arriving. "Oh, darn. She's here." She starts to walk off. "Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain..."
"You know what? I'll see you in class." The slayer leaves Daz, and jogged up to the teacher and stepped in her way.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Jasmine looked at Laurel for a moment, then averts her eyes. "Uh, is there something that... Did you want something?" She asked the slayer.
"Look...I know you feel badly about what happened, and I just wanted to say..." Laurel looked at her expectantly. "Good. Keep it up."
Laurel rolled her eyes not surprised at all by Jasmine comment. "Don't worry, I will."
Jasmine held up her hands. "Oh, wait. Um...He misses you. He doesn't say anything, I mean, but I know he does. And I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."
"Jasmine, you know that if I have a chance to make this up..."
The slayer interrupted her. "We're...good here. Let's just leave it." She walked away leaving the teacher in her thoughts.

Ashley was in lounge talking with a couple of students while searching through his briefcase for some flyers. "I put it here somewhere." He found the flyer. "Oh, yes, yes. That's it." He handed the flyers over to the students. "Could you, um, hang those up?" The students nodded. "Thank you." He closed his briefcase and noticed his niece arriving. "Jasmine. So, uh, so how was your night?"
"Sleepless, but no human fatalities."
"I…I found a ritual to revoke the invitation to vampires."
Nether noticed Scarlett coming up behind them. "Oh, thank goodness. I actually had to talk my grandmother into switching cars with me last night."
"Um, the…the…the, uh, the ritual's fairly basic, actually. It's just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of, uh, moss herbs, sprinkling of holy water..." He turned and started walking down the hall.
Jasmine started to follow him. "All stuff we have in our house."
"Hanging of crosses..."

Later in Victoria's room she was nailing a cross next to her French doors and pulled the curtain over to hide it.
"I'm going to have a hard time explaining this to my dad."
"You really think it'll bother him?"
"His Jewish daughter nailing a crucifixes to her bedroom wall? I have to go over to Daz' house just to watch 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' every year."
"I see your point."
They both head over to the bed and sat down. Scarlett was already sitting down looking at Victoria's aquarium.
"Although it is worthwhile to see him do the Snoopy Dance." Victoria spook while putting down the hammer.
"Victoria." Scarlett turned to face them, her arms crossed. "Are you aware that there are no fish in your aquarium?"
Victoria frowned and whined. Jasmine placed a hand on her friends back then looked to Scarlett. "You know, Scarlett, we've already done your car. Call it a night if you want."
"Right. Thanks. And you know I'd do the same for you if you had a social life."
Both girls rolled there eyes. Once she has left Jasmine turn to her friend. "Is ok if I stay here tonight?"
"Of course but don't you want to magically change the locks on your house?"
"I'll do it tomorrow."

In Laurel's classroom she was sitting at her desk working on the translation program. She was too busy staring at the screen that she didn't notice Ashley appearing in the doorway.
"Hello."
She looked over at him startled then quickly typed a few keystrokes and the screen changed.
"Oh! Hi."
Ashley made his way into the room. "You're working late."
"Special project."
"Oh."
"I spoke to Jasmine today."
"Oh! Yes?" The watcher sat on her desk. The teacher looked away.
"Mm. She said you missed me." She started playing with a pencil that was next to her.
"Well, uh, she's... a meddlesome girl."
She looked back at the man she hopped to be her lover again. "Ashley...Okay, I don't wanna say anything if I'm wrong, but I may have some news. Now, I need to finish up here. Could I see you later?"
"Y…yes, yes. You could stop by the house."
She broke out into a smile. "Okay."
"Good." The watcher smiled back at her, he got up from the table and began to leave. Once he was gone Laurel turned attention back to her computer.

Back across town in the tarot shop, the shopkeeper was turning off the light by the front entrance. Once they were all done he made his way towards the back. Just then a woman holding a puppy opened the door and stepped in.
"Sorry, honey. We're closed." The shopkeeper explained while blowing out some candles. He looked up and saw Chas standing there, he became very nervous and started fearing for his life.
"W... What do you want?"
Chas looked at the puppy. "Miss Sunshine here tells me you had a visit today." She looked back up to him. "But she worries. She wants to know what you and the mean teacher talked about."

Later in the classroom Laurel was still working on her computer. She tapped a few keys, then looked up at the screen. A percent complete window appeared over the Rumanian text, then a bar zips across it.
"Come on, come on..."
The bar disappeared and a translation scrolled up next to the original text.
"That's it!" She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled. "It's got to work! This... will work." She though it would be best to save the result, she saved it onto the computer itself and on a floppy disk. She popped out an unlabeled yellow floppy disk and set it aside by some books near the edge of her desk. In the mean time a hardcopy has started to print out. She wheeled her chair over to the printer, once finished she looked it over. She looked up from the paper and saw Angelus sitting in a desk at the back of the class. She gasped and jumped out of her seat.
"Angelus..." She slowly moved towards the door. "How did you get in here?"
"I was invited. The sign in front of the school... 'Formatia trans sicere educatorum.'
"'Enter all ye who seek knowledge.'"
Angelus giggled to herself then got up from the seat. "What can I say? I'm a knowledge seeker." Se came towards the teacher.
"Angelus, I…I…I've got good news." She was now starting to get frightened of the vampire.
"I heard. You went shopping at the local boogedy-boogedy store." The vampire noticed the Orb on her desk and picked it up. "The Orb of Thesulah. If memory serves, this is supposed to summon a person's soul...from the ether...store it until it can be transferred."
The Orb begins to glow as she looked into it. She glances up at Laurel for an instant. Laurel started to edge away from her.
"You know what I hate most about these things?" Laurel screamed as Angelus heaved it into the chalkboard behind her. It shattered into hundreds of pieces and a lot of dust.
Angelus smiled at the teacher. "They're so damn fragile." She dropped the smiled. "Must be that shoddy gypsy craftsmanship, huh?"
Laurel had backed into the wall and trembled with fear. She started to inch her way toward the door. Angelus reached over to the PC, she turned the monitor so she can see it.
"I never cease to be amazed how much the world has changed in just two and a half centuries."
Laurel had now reached the door and tried to open it. Sadly for her it was locked. Angelus turned the monitor back around.
"It's a miracle to me. You, you put the secrets to restoring my soul in here..."
She shoved the computer off the desk and onto the floor. It broke and the monitor shattered, it sparked then started to burn. Angelus ripped the printout from the printer.
"…And it comes out here." She looked at the paper. "'The Ritual of Restoration.' Wow. This, this brings back memories". She started to rip up the printout in half.
"Wait. That's your..."
"Oh, my cure?" The vampire finished tearing the printout in half. "No, thanks. Been there, done that, and deja vu just isn't what it used to be." She looks to the fire of the computer. "My...isn't this my lucky day. The computer..." She held the paper over the flames. "…and the pages." She started to warm her hands. "Looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone."
She crouched over the fire to warm herself more. Laurel started toward the back door. Angelus looked back up at her now sporting her game face.
"And teacher makes three."
Laurel started to run for it, but Angelus roared, quickly jumped up and grabbed hold of her.
"No!" She screamed at the vampire. Angelus threw her back into the locked door, and it broke open under the weight. The teacher looked back at the vampire, she scrambled to her feet and began to run.
"Oh, good. I need to work up an appetite first." Angelus grinned to herself and took off after Laurel.
In the hall Laurel came running the corner, she opened the door to the lounge area and ran to another set of door to the outside, but they were locked. She ran back into the lounge, she saw Angelus coming and runs further down the hall. Angelus pulled open the doors and followed her at a fast walk.

At another hall exit Laurel busted through the door and ran along the colonnade. Angelus wasn't far behind, and continued after her at a quick pace. Soon Angelus started to run as well. Laurel kept running, checking behind her every so often. She reached the next building and struggled with the door. She looked back and saw Angelus running toward her with an evil grin on her game face. The teacher yanked hard at the door several more times before it opened, then ran in. She pulled the door closed behind her and Angelus slammed into it. Laurel started to run down the hall. Angelus had to yank at the door a couple of times before it opened for her too. Once opened she ran after the teacher. A cleaning cart was left in the hall by the stairs, Laurel grabbed it and pushed it into Angelus. The vampire slammed into it and went flying over it and onto the floor while Laurel rushed up the steps.
She got to the top of the stairs and out of view. But back on the floor Angelus was no longer on the floor, she was nowhere to be seen.

On the landing by a large arched window Laurel ran up onto it and right into a waiting Angelus. She screamed when the grabs held of her. She chuckled and looks into Laurel's face. The vampire put one hand around behind the teacher's head and touched her lips with the fingers of her other hand.
"Sorry, Laurel, this is where you get off."
Angelus took her fingers from Laurel's lips and put her hand under the teacher's chin. In one swift movement she twisted Laurel's head and snapped her neck. Her body collapsed onto the floor. The vampire looked up and around, breathing heavily from the running and the excitement.
"Ah...I never get tired of doing that."

Back at the Thomas house Ashley had arrived home. He wasn't look where he was going as he was searching for his keys. Once he reached the door he looked up and saw a red rose on the door. Music from the Opera "La Boheme" could be heard from inside. He took the rose off the door, he inhaled its aroma and smiled to himself. He unlocked the door and poked his head inside.
"Hello?"
He noticed there was no one in sight so he stepped indoors closing the door behind him.
"Laurel?"
He placed his briefcase aside and stopped over to his coat rack.
"It's me!"
He took off his coat and hanged it up. He looked around again and noticed a chilled bottle of champagne and two long-stemmed glasses on the table. On top of the crystal ice bucket was a folded piece of paper leaning against the bottle. He sets down his keys and the rose. He picked the note and unfolded it. Written on it is one word: Upstairs. He smiled and looked up toward the stairs. He placed the note down and picked up the bottle and glasses. He headed up the stairs. On just step there was a rose, they counted along the hall towards his room. The opera music got louder the closer he got to his room. He smiled to himself as he came to the open door of his room. He's smile quickly faded as he see Laurel lying on the bed not moving. The opera reached a crescendo as he dropped the bottle and glasses, they shatter on the floor. He continued to look at Laurel's body. Her dead eyes stared back at him.

Half an hour later Ashley was leaning on the wall by the front door starting blankly into space. There were police cars in the street and the door was open. The coroners took Laurel's body away in a black bag. A police officer approached the broken watcher.
"Mr. Thomas, I need to ask you to come with us. Just to answer a few questions."
Ashley contained to stare blankly. "Of course. Yes. Procedure." He finally looked up at the officer. "I need to make a phone call...if that's all right."
The officer looked over at the phone then back at Ashley, giving him tacit permission. The watcher got up muttering a yes to the officer, then heading to the phone.

At Victoria's Angelus was looking into the dining room through the window from the porch. Jasmine and Victoria walked through it on there way into the living room.

Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love...clarity of hatred...and the ecstasy of grief.

The telephone rang in the dining room. Jasmine ran back into the room to get it. She picked it up from the phone stand, she turned around. Angelus could now see her face.
"Hello. Ashley, hey! What wrong? Did I leave the door open ag…What?"
As she listened to Ashley talk her expression became increasingly blank. She lowered the phone from her ear. Victoria, who had came into the room, saw her friend and took the phone from her.
"Ashley?"
Jasmine leant against the wall and slide down against it until she was crouching.
"What? No!" Victoria dropped the phone. "No!" The witch began to cry uncontrollably. "Noooo!"
Angelus gloated as she looked into the window. Victoria's mum came running into the dining room when she heard the crying and held her daughter. The slayer looked off into space, then finally lowered her head onto her knees. Angelus smiled to herself then left.

Later on Scarlett and Daz drove up to Jasmine and Victoria, who were waiting outside for them. Daz open the passenger door for them to get in.
"Where's Ashley?" The slayer asked when she got into Scarlett's car.
"No luck. By the time we got to the station, the cops said he'd already left. I guess they just wanted to ask him some questions." Daz informed the slayer.
"Scarlett, will you drive us to mine?"
"Of course."
"But don't you think he wants to be left alone?" Victoria asked from her sit at the back.
"I'm not worrying about what he wants. I'm worried about what he's gonna do."
Scarlett started the car back up and they headed back to the Thomas house.

Back at the Thomas house everything was still. All the roses had all been trampled on and broken. The weapons chest in the living was open and almost empty. Ashley walked across the room drawing a sword. Over at the old Victrola the opera record had played out but was still spinning. On the desk Ashley had a large bag sitting open with various weapons stashed inside. He added a small can of gasoline, grabbed the bag and headed out of the back door. Back on the desk where the bag had just been was a pencil sketch of Laurel lying dead on his bed.

Half an hour later Daz pushed the door open, there was still a piece of yellow crime scene tape stretched across the doorway.
"Hello? Ashley?"
He ducked under the tape and headed inside. The other followed after him. He went over to the desk then looked around.
"I guess Ashley had a big night planned tonight."
Jasmine gave over and picked up the sketch of Laurel. "Ashley didn't set this up. Angelus
did." She handed Daz the sketch, cursing herself for not doing the spell sooner. "This is the wrapping for the gift." She made her way up the stairs.
"Oh, man." Daz let out a breath. "Poor Ashley."
Victoria found the nearly empty weapons chest. "Look, all his weapons are gone."
"But I thought he kept his weapons at the library." Scarlett asked.
"No, those are his, uh, everyday weapons. These were his good weapons. The ones he, uh, breaks out when company comes to visit." Daz explained to his girlfriend.
Jasmine came back the downstairs and stopped on the corner landing.
"So he's not here." The wanna be witch stated.
"Well, then where is he?" Scarlett asked.
"He'll go to wherever Angelus is." Jasmine said with a sick feeling in her stomach.
"That means the factory, right?" Victoria asked coming closer to her best friend.
"So Ashley is gonna try to kill Angelus then?" Scarlett asked.
"Well, it's about time somebody did."
"Daz!" Victoria screamed at her childhood friend.
"I'm sorry, but let's not forget I disliked Debbie long before you guys jumped on the bandwagon. So I think I deserve a little something for not saying 'I told you so' long before now. And if Ashley wants to go after the, uh…" He looked at Jasmine. "…friend that murdered his girlfriend, I say, 'Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!'" He looked back at his girlfriend and childhood friend.
"You're right." The other two girls looked up at Jasmine in shock.
"Thank you." Daz said with a smug grin. The slayer took the rest of the steps down and stood next to Daz.
"There's only one thing wrong with Ashley's little revenge scenario."
"And what's that?"
"It's going to get him killed."

Over at Eli's warehouse he was in the middle of lecturing Angelus.
"Are you insane? We're supposed to kill the bitch, not leave gag gifts in the friends' beds."
"But, Eli, the bad teacher was going to restore Angelus' soul." Chas said while cuddling her puppy.
"What if she did? If you ask me, I find myself preferring the old Jasmine-whipped Angelus. This new, improved one is not playing with a full sack. I love a good slaughter as much as the next bloke, but her little pranks will only leave us with one incredibly brassed-off Slayer!"
"Don't worry, Eli. I've got everything under control."
Just then a Molotov cocktail swooshed in and busted on the table, setting it ablaze. Chas ran away with Eli right behind her. The stood out of the way of the flames. Angelus ran across to the end of the table but got hit in the shoulder with a crossbow bolt. She grabbed it to pull it out whist looking to see who her attacker was. Ashley walked towards her with a baseball bat. Angelus pulled the bolt out and throws it aside. Ashley placed the end of the bat into the flames, and it catches fire. He swung it and smacked Angelus in the face, then again on the return swing. Angelus staggered and bent down.
"Jeez, whatever happened to wooden stakes?"
Ashley whaled on Angelus' back several times. Chas wanted to make a move to intervene, but Eli stopped her. "Uh-uh. No fair going into the ring unless she tags you first."
Angelus stood back up, but Ashley swung the bat into her face twice again, making her fall once more. He continued beating on her, making Angelus collapse all the way to the floor. She tried to get up, but he swung into her jaw from underneath. He wielded the still burning bat over her head, but as he brought it down Angelus caught it. They began to struggle. Angelus quickly gained the upper hand, and took Ashley by the throat, lifting him off of his feet. The watcher dropped the bat.
"All right. You've had your fun. But you know what it's time for now?"
She got kicked in the back by and let Ashley fall to the floor. Her attack was the slayer, she picked her former lover up and slammed her into the spiral staircase.
"My fun." Jasmine said before kicking the vampire in the face and shoving her onto the floor. She kicked Angelus in the face again as she tried to get up, then lunged for her. The vampire grabbed her, flipped her over trying to get a chance to get away up the stairs. Jasmine got back to her feet fast with Ashley's dropped baseball bat in hand and pushed it between the stair railings to trip Angelus up. Angelus fell, so Jasmine grabbed onto one of her legs. The vampire kicked out at her with it and knocks her off onto the floor then scrambles up the stairs. Jasmine quickly got up, seeing a stack of crates, she ran up it to the catwalk above, and meets Angelus there. Angelus swung at her, but Jasmine ducks and kicks her in the back of the knee, making her collapse onto the railing. The slayer grabbed a loop of rope, throwing it around Angelus' neck and yanked her back and forth between the railings several times, then kicked her in the chest, making the vampire staggered back and fall onto her butt. Angelus got up fast, but Jasmine grabbed onto a pipe above the vampire's head and swung with both feet into her chest again, making Angelus fly back into a barrel and some ducting. She waits on the catwalk for the vampire to come at her again, ready to fight. Angelus charged, Jasmine took her and diverts Angelus past her and onto the catwalk grating, where she landed with her head against one of the vertical railing bars. Jasmine kicks her face, and followed it up with several punches and another kick. The vampire started to laugh as Jasmine grabbed her by the coat and bangs her head into the railing a couple of times.
"Are you gonna let your old man just burn?"
Jasmine looked down and saw the flames getting higher and nearer to her Uncle. Angelus took advantage of the distraction and grabbed Jasmine's legs, lifting her and throwing her over the railing. The slayer managed to control her fall and landed on her feet near Ashley. Angelus took off down the catwalk and out of the building. Jasmine woke Ashley and got him to his feet, and she supported him as they make their way from the building as well.
They both came out coughing from the smoke. Ashley pushed her away from him.
"Why did you come here? This wasn't your fight!"
She punched him in the jaw, he span and fell to the pavement.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
She began to cry. She crouches down to hug him. Ashley began to cry too and hugged her back.
"You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." The slayer sobbed into her Uncle's shoulder.

Later back at the Thomas house the Watcher and slayer stood at the door, with the crime scene tape still across it.

It hurts sometimes more than we can bear.

Ashley tore the tape from the doorway and just stares at it for several seconds.

If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow.

Jasmine took hold of his hand and together the entered the house.

Empty rooms, shuttered and dank...

It was a few days later in one of the many graveyards of Sunnydale.

Without passion, we'd be truly dead.

Ashley was knelt down at Laurel's gravestone, laying some flowers on her grave. He looked at her name on the headstone for a moment before standing back up. Jasmine was there next to him.
"In my years as...Watcher...I've buried...too many people. But Laurel was the first I've loved."
Jasmine look up at her Watcher/Uncle. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't kill her for you..." She looked back down at the grave. "…for her...when I had the chance."
They both looked back at the gravestone that read just 'Laurel Potts'.
"I wasn't ready. But I think I finally am. I can't hold on to the past anymore. Debbie has gone. Nothing's ever gonna bring her back."

At the same time across town students where waiting at their desk, in Laurel's classroom, for the teacher to arrive. Victoria walked in and stood at the front of the room.
"Hi. Principal Pollard asked me to fill in for Ms. Potts...u-until the new computer science teacher arrives. So I'm just gonna stick to the lesson plan she left."
She walked around to the front of the desk looking over the books and things that are there. She placed down her own books, and in the process nudged a few books aside a little. As a result the yellow disk that Laurel had set next to the books got pushed off of the edge. It fell down between the desk and the small filing cabinet next to it. It hut the floor and span round a few times before coming to rest leaning against the side of the cabinet.

-

Coming up; Ghosts in Sunnydale High, Who you gonna call?