With a loud electronic hum, a set of transport rings appeared in an underground chamber. After a bright flash of light Colonel Jack O'Neill and Dr Daniel Jackson materialized. Just as they both dived into a tunnel leading from the chamber, a large blast collapses the ceiling behind them. As the reverberations from the blast hit the tunnel, the lights began to flicker. After a couple seconds, the lights finally flickered out, plunging the tunnel into darkness.
"Damn it!" O'Neill swore, as the rescued cult members started to raise their voices in panic. "We'll never find Seth before he gets out of the tunnel in this darkness."
"He won't get past Selmac, Jack." Daniel said as he got up from the floor of the tunnel.
At the far end of the tunnel, Jacob Carter, standing in a pool of light streaming in from the tunnel exit, turned to Teal'c and said, "Stay outside and cover the other end! Just make sure he doesn't get out another way."
Samantha Carter, hearing her father's voice, pushed her way past a few of the cult members to join him. "Dad? Where are you going?" She asked in a concerned tone.
Giving her shoulder a quick squeeze, Jacob answered, "Seth's used a hand device on Colonel O'Neill and Daniel. Are you ok?"
Samantha smiled at her father and said, "I'm fine, but you'll never find him this darkness. It'd be better if we stayed here in the light and checked each one before they climb the ladder."
Nodding his head in agreement, Jacob stepped to the other side of the ladder. "That's an excellent idea, Sam." He said as he turned to the next cult member in line. Reaching out, he removed the hood and looked at the face of the woman revealed, before guiding her hands to the ladder. After several minutes Jacob turned and came face to face with O'Neill, "That everyone Jack?" He asked.
"That's it. You sure Seth didn't get past you?" O'Neill asked sceptically. "That is not possible. I would have sensed Setesh's presence." Selmac said as Jacob's eyes flashed.
O'Neill opened his mouth to make some pithy comment when Teal'c's voice interrupted him. "Colonel O'Neill, I have acquired some hand held lights. I suggest we make a detailed search of the tunnel." He said as climbed down the ladder.
Several minutes into the search, Daniel called out, "Sam?"
"Yes, Daniel?" Samantha said as she moved over to join him next to a section of the tunnel half way down its length.
Tracing his hand down the wall, "Does this feel like painted wood instead of brick?", Daniel asked.
"Yes it does." Samantha said as she passed her hands over the section indicated by Daniel. Continue her exploration of the wall, she paused as her hand felt a raised brick near the ceiling. The brick moved inward as she pressed firmly and the painted wooden section silently jumped out an inch along one side. As Daniel pulled the hidden door open, revealing another tunnel, Samantha turned her head over her shoulder and called out to the rest. "We've found a door!"
O'Neill lead the way down the new tunnel muttering about 'damn sneaky Goa'uld... building a second tunnel.' After travelling down this much longer new tunnel, they finally came to the other end of it, to an open manhole. Climbing out they found themselves near the edge of the woods some distance from the compound.
"Ok people, spread out and see if you can spot which way Seth went." O'Neill ordered.
A few minutes later Teal'c called them over to faint trail and showed the white robe he had just found. Following the trail they eventually came to a road. It was Samantha who spotted the skid marks a couple of meters away from where they join the road. "Sir, these marks are fresh." She pointed out.
As Samantha examine the skid marks, O'Neill glanced into the ditch along side the road and swore. Following his gaze the others saw the reason. Sprawled out in the ditch was the Host body of Seth.
As Jacob's eyes flashed, Selmac spoke. "I cannot detect the presence of the symbiot. I must conclude that Setesh has acquired a new host."
"Ya think?" O'Neill said sarcastically. Looking along the road, he asked, "Where does this road lead?"
"It leads to the interstate." Samantha said.
Turning to Jacob, O'Neill grimaced and said. "Sorry, it looks like we've lost him."
"It happens Jack." Jacob said. "We'll find him again." He added.
"Well, now that he thinks that the Tok'ra control the military, it won't be so easy to find him." Daniel stated. "He'll try to keep a low profile." He explained.
"He's a Goa'uld. He thinks he's a god for Pete's sake. There's no way he'll be able to keep a low profile for long. He's too arrogant for that." O'Neill said. "Let's bag that and get back to the mountain." O'Neill ordered as he waved his hand at the body.
Setesh thought deeply as he drove new host's car towards Seattle. Now that the Tok'ra had discovered him on Earth, it would not be long before the System Lords would be following on their tails. The Tok'ra would probably leak the news as a distraction in one of their innumerable plots against the System Lords. Ra, because of his own failed plot against him, would probably be the first one to turn up looking for him. With the Tok'ra on Earth, the chapai had probably been uncovered. That or they flown here. Either way it was time to leave this rotten planet. He still had that small ship hidden away. After his aborted rebellion against Ra, it was the only ship he managed to save. He'd carefully maintained it over the centuries and it was his final method of escape if needed.
First of all he'd have to gather what was left of his equipment in a central place. There wasn't all that much left after several centuries, but he'd need all of it to set up base on a new planet.
Rifling through his new host's memories, Setesh smiled in satisfaction. Excellent! Simon Greeley held title to an empty warehouse situated in a small town in California. The town was only a couple of hundred miles away from his ship's current hiding place.
Yes, he thought. Sunnydale, California would be an excellent place to prepare for his escape.
"How was your date last night?" Willow asked Buffy as she lent her elbows on the table.
"Misfire. I was late due to unscheduled slayage. Showed up looking trashed." Buffy answered sadly.
"Was he mad?" Willow asked.
"Actually he was pretty unmad. Which probably had something to do with the fact that Cordelia was drooling in his cappuccino." Buffy answered in annoyance.
"Oh, Buffy. Angel would never fall for her act." Willow said supportively.
"You mean that 'actually showing up, wearing a stunning outfit, embracing personal hygiene' act?" Buffy asked sarcastically.
"You know what I mean. Uh, she's not his type." Willow said.
Buffy raised an eyebrow at Willow and said. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't know what his type is. I've known him less than a year, and if you haven't noticed, he's not exactly one to over share."
"True. It's too bad we can't sneak a look at the Watcher diaries and read up on Angel. I'm sure it's full of fun facts to know and tell." Willow said Sympathetically.
"Yeah. It's too bad. That stuff is private." Buffy said.
"Also Giles keeps them in his office. In his personal files." Willow said.
"Most importantly, it would be wrong." Buffy said, looking at Willow.
After a silent pause, they both shared a grin.
Willow and Buffy peered in through the round door window and scanned the library. When they failed to spot anyone they shared a look and Buffy, being as quiet as possible, opened the door and entered. Looking back over her shoulder at Willow, who gave her an expression of encouragement, Buffy entered further into the library. Reaching the counter, Buffy looked around again. Satisfied that the library was empty, she headed towards Giles office.
"Buffy!" A voice exclaimed from behind her. Spinning around Buffy saw Giles in the cage getting some old books. "Excellent! " He added as he left the cage and walked towards her.
"Nothing! Hi!" Buffy said with a start.
Giles looked at Buffy with a baffled expression before saying. "Yes, I-I just wanted to talk to you about tomorrow night. As it should be, uh, calm, you might work on some new battle techniques."
"You're beginning to scare me, Giles. You need to have some fun." Buffy said as she waved to Willow to come in as he looked down at his books. Willow shook her head and mouthed 'no'. As Giles looked up, Buffy pulled her hand back and pretended she was scratching her head.
As Giles returned his gaze back to his books, Buffy made a face at Willow and said "You know, there's this place you can go, right, and you sit in the dark, and there are these moving pictures, right, and the pictures tell a story."
"Yes, yes, ha, ha, very droll." Giles said sarcastically as Willow slowly crept into the room.
"I'll have you know that I have very, uh, many relaxing hobbies." Giles said in a slightly indignant tone.
"Such as?" Buffy asked.
"Well, um..." Giles said as Buffy mouthed something to Willow in an effort to goad her on.
"I enjoy cross-referencing." Giles finally answered.
With a small grin Buffy leant back slightly and said "Do you stuff your own shirts, or do you send them out?"
As Giles opened his mouth to make an indignant reply, Buffy attempted to grab a book from the stack he was about to take to his office and inadvertently knocked it to the floor in her haste.
As Giles bent over to pick up the book from the floor he spotted Willow out the corner of one eye and turned to her as he rose. "Hello Willow." He said. "I didn't hear you come in." he added.
Buffy's quickly changed her annoyed expression to a smile of welcome for Willow as Giles turned back to her.
"Can I help you with anything?" He asked.
Willow had a panicked expression on her face as she tried to find a reason for being there. "I-I need a book on historical fashions in the late 17 hundreds." She said finally.
Giles looked up at the ceiling briefly as he thought, before moving to a shelf and pulling a large book from it. "This should help you." He said, placing the book on the table.
Willow pulled the book towards her as she seated herself at the table. Quickly flipping through the pages as Buffy sat besides her, Willow stopped and looked at full colour plate, before grinning at Buffy. As Buffy looked at her with a baffled expression, Willow looked at the drawing of a noble woman with a tiny waist wearing a billowy gown and began to speak to Buffy in a loud voice. "Look at that Buffy, She's got a funny... uh, waist. Look how tiny that is. I wonder if she sort of glided in that gown."
Buffy looked at the picture and snorted. "You got to be kidding! One sneeze and she'd break off at the waist." She said. "And that gliding stuff is just in the movies. No way could you move like that in real life."
Glancing at Giles, out of the corner of one eye, Willow put on a fake expression of disappointment and said. "We'll never really know. If only there were some eyewitnesses we could ask."
A sudden look of realization flashed across Buffy's face as she looked up from the drawing. Buffy grinned slightly before making a thoughtful face and said. "Well there is one eyewitness we could ask. Angel."
Giles, who had been listening to them absentmindedly as he checked the condition of the book that Buffy had knocked to the floor, looked up at the mention of Angel and moved besides Willow. Looking down at the drawing he snorted. "I hardly think Angel would be a reliable witness for that."
"Why not Giles?" Willow asked.
"Only a noble woman would dress like that. Angel would be unlikely to see someone dressed like that." He explained. Pointing to the date 1775 written at the top of the page, he continued. "Angel would be 18 at the time and still mortal."
As Buffy's face fell in disappointment, Willow quickly asked. "What sort of dress would Angel see women dress in then?"
Giles lent over the book and flicked on a few pages before stopping at a new page. "That's what he would be more likely to see." He said, pointing to a woman dressed in white blouse and a thick woollen skirt. Pointing to man dressed in dark blue frock coat and cotton breaches, he added as an after thought. "He probably saw one woman dressed like that quite often at the time as well."
As Buffy looked at the drawing of the man with thoughtfully, Willow looked at Giles and exclaimed. "I don't think that's funny Giles. No woman would dare to wear men's cloths back then." Muttering under her breath, Willow added. "Those male chauvinist pigs would burn her at the stake"
With a smug look on his face, Giles began speak in his lecturing voice. "Normally you would be right Willow. However there are always exceptions to the rule and Angel was acquainted with one of those exception. Quite well in fact." Pausing in his lecture, Giles looked at Willow and Buffy. Noting their avid expressions, he continued. "The name of the woman in question was Captain Colleen McCaffrey. She was a notorious pirate at the time. In fact she was the only female pirate that I've ever heard of."
"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed. "A pirate! Did she capture Spanish galleons and make the crew walk the plank?" She asked.
Giles blinked at Buffy's bloodthirsty question and answered. "Possibly. The records of her battles are quite fragmentary. Though there are rumours that she preferred to attack French ships."
"Why French ships?" Willow asked in fascination.
Taking off his glasses and polishing them, Giles answered Willows question. "There are reports that Captain McCaffrey...rescued...a French woman named Aimee LeFaye from a ship early on in her career." Replacing his glasses, Giles said. "Apparently, Aimee had been the...um... personal slave...of the French ships captain."
As Willow blushed with realization at what Giles meant by personal slave, he hurriedly continued. "After her rescue, Aimee and Captain McCaffrey became...best friends "
Buffy glanced at Willow and noted that she had obviously missed the pause Giles made before saying 'best friend'. "Is that why she went after French ships? Because they had been nasty to her new friend?" She asked Giles.
Giles nodded and said. "Yes. The captain of the French ship had very high connections in the French government and could do practically anything he wanted on his own ship."
As Buffy and Willow made a sour face and nodded at Giles answer, he concluded. "Aimee and Captain McCaffrey stayed together for the next 15 years until they disappeared in the Caribbean on their last voyage."
After a few moment silence, Willow looked up suddenly and said. "That's a great story Giles, but what's it got to do with Angel?"
"Oh, did I forget that part?" Giles said with a slight grin on his face.
Buffy glared at Giles and said annoyed tone of voice. "Yes, you did!"
"Yes, well...Captain Colleen McCaffrey was his aunt on his mother's side of the family. He's recorded as saying that she was his favourite relative." Giles explained as to them. "He liked her so much that after he was turned he never attacked them...even though he had plenty of chances to do so." He added as both girls gasped.
"Now if you will excuse me, I have to finish sorting these books." Giles said as he picked up the small pile of books from the table.
"Goodbye Giles." Willow said as Buffy waved to Giles.
Buffy paused as Willow went through the library doors and turned around. "Aimee and Colleen were...Best friends?" She asked Giles.
Giles blushed a bright red and stammered. "Yes...that is...umm."
Buffy smirked at Giles. "Give! Were they or weren't they?" She asked.
Blushing even more, Giles finally answered Buffy's question before he hurried into his office. "They were...ah...lovers..."
Laughing at Giles's embarrassment, Buffy hurried after Willow.
The store was full of mothers and their kids looking for Halloween costumes as Buffy approached the counter. Buffy picked up a plastic pumpkin on display and starts when it suddenly lit up and screamed. Quickly putting it back on the counter she turned as Willow came over to her. "What'd you get?" She asked Willow.
"A time honoured classic!" Willow said as she held up a ghost costume.
Buffy looked at the costume in Willow's hand and asked "Okay Will, can I give you a little friendly advice?"
Willow moved the costume around as she said "It's not spooky enough?"
"It's just... you're never gonna get noticed if you keep hiding. You're missing the whole point of Halloween." Buffy said.
Willow smiled and said "Free candy?"
"It's come as you aren't night. The perfect chance for a girl to get sexy and wild with no repercussions." Buffy explained.
Willow had a look of mild panic on her face as she said "Oh, I don't get wild. Wild on me equals spaz."
"Don't underestimate yourself. You've got it in you." Buffy said forcefully.
"Hey, Xander!" Willow exclaimed in relief as she spotted Xander enter the shop. "What'd you get?" she added as he came up to them.
Xander pulled a toy military rifle out of his bag and held it up for Willow and Buffy to see. "That's not a costume." Buffy stated.
Xander gave Buffy a look, then turned to Willow. "I got fatigues from an Army surplus at home. Call me the Two-Dollar Costume King, baby!" he said as he smiled at her.
"Hey, look, Xander..." Buffy's voice trails off as she's distracted by a costume. Staring at it in wonder, she slowly walks towards it.
"Hello! This is me your ignoring here." Xander complained.
"I'm sorry, it's just... Look at this." Buffy said in distraction as she walked over to a mannequin dressed in a blue frock coat and white breaches.
Willow had a look of recognition on her face as she said softly "It's amazing."
Ethan noticed her looking at the costume and came over to them. "Please, let me." he said as took the costume off it's dressmaker's mannequin.
"Oh, i-it's..." Buffy whispered as she passed her fingers of the raised anchors embossed on the brass buttons of the coat.
"Magnificent. Yes, I know... There." Ethan said as he held it up to her in a mirror. "My. Meet the courageous captain of a sailing ship. I think we found a match. Don't you?" he asked.
"Oh, uh, I-I'm sorry. There's no way I could ever afford this." Buffy stuttered as she looked at Ethan.
Ethan waved a hand in dismissal as he said "Oh, nonsense. I feel quite moved to make you a deal you can't refuse."
Buffy looking back into the mirror, takes the dress from Ethan and shares a knowing smile with Willow.
Ethan hid a smirk as he hurried over to a dark haired girl gazing at a frilly, bright red, billowy 18th-century gown. "Ah, the hidden princess. It's definitely you my dear."
"Here it comes." Spike said as he watched Buffy in a fight captured on video. "Rewind that. Let's see that again." he ordered. One of Spike's vampire minions rewound the tape as Spike strolled around to another monitor. "She's tricky. Her two friends distract some of them so she doesn't have to fight them all at the same time." Spike said, chuckling.
"Miss Edith needs her tea." Drusilla said, coming from another room.
"C'mere, poodle." Spike said as he held out his hand to her.
Drusilla took his hand. "Do you love my insides? The parts you can't see?" she asked.
"Eyeballs to entrails, my sweet. That's why I've got to study this Slayer." Spike said smiling at her. "Once I know her I can kill her. And once I kill her you can have your run of Sunnyhell. Get strong again." he added.
"Don't worry. Everything's switching. Outside to inside." Drusilla breathed at Spike's neck "It makes her friends weak. Just as the snake man arrives as well."
"Really? Did my pet have a vision?" Spike asked.
Drusilla eyes lost focus as she said "Do you know what I miss? Leeches."
"Come on, talk to Daddy. This thing that makes the Slayer weak? When is it?" Spike asked.
Drusilla looked at Spike and said "Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow's Halloween. Nothing happens on Halloween." Spike said.
Drusilla smiled dreamily as she said "They've come to change it all. Something new. The magic man and the Snake."
Ethan came through the curtain and knelt before his statue of Janus. Pressing his hands together, he winced in pain. When he pulled them apart, wounds gaped open in his palms, and blood flowed freely from them. "The world that denies thee, thou inhabit." He recited. "The peace that ignores thee,..." he said, dabbing the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger and smearing it over his right eyelid. Switching hands, he dabbed the blood from his right hand with his left middle finger and smeared it over his left eyelid. "...thou corrupt." He continued. Dabbing the blood from his left hand with his right middle finger again he smeared a cross onto his forehead. "Chaos. I remain, as ever, thy faithful, degenerate son." He finished reciting.
Setesh scowled at the costumed children as he drove slowly down the street. He had been having second thoughts about staying in this new host's body. One of the reasons he had situated in compound in such a sparsely occupied area was because strangers would be more noticeable. Now that decision could backfire on him. He was sure the agents of the Tok'ra he had encountered would find it easy to find out his host's name. He had been so intent on escaping this world, that he had overlooked something while sifting through his host's memories. Simon Greeley's memories showed that he had stayed overnight at the motel in the nearby town. Setesh was sure that the Tok'ra agents, and their human servants, would find it easy to track him once they had his new host's name. Pulling over to the side of the road to think. He would have to acquire a new host, and quickly. Looking around him, he began to smile. There would be lots of screams and shouts going on tonight. One more scream would go unnoticed. Even one filled with real terror.
Buffy stands in front of her long mirror wearing her frock coat and a long, black wig. She's putting a single gold earrings through her right ear after pulling on a pair of sneakers. As Buffy turns to inspect the white cotton breaches that hug her legs, Willow calls from bathroom "Where're you meeting Angel?"
"Here. After trick-or-treating. Mom's gonna be out." Buffy answered
"Does he know about your costume?" Willow asks.
"Nope. Call it a blast from his past. I'll show him I can coif with the best of 'em." Buffy said, turning to bathroom door. "Okay, Willow, come out. You can't hide in there all night." she adds.
"O-okay, but, but promise you won't laugh?" Willow asked nervously.
"I promise." Buffy answered.
Willow opened the door and came out wearing boots, a short, black leather skirt and a burgundy, long-sleeved, V-necked, midriff-baring top. Nervous and uncomfortable, Willow quickly stepped over to her ghost sheet and picked it up.
Buffy smiled. "Wow! You're a dish!" she exclaimed as Willow tried to hide herself with the sheet. "I mean, really." Buffy added as she took the sheet from her and tossed it aside.
"But this just isn't me." Willow said as she covered herself with her arms.
Buffy walked around Willow to show her the mirror "And that's the point. Look, Halloween is the night that not you, is You, but not, You. Y'know?" Tilting her head to one side, Buffy looked at Willow. "There's something missing." She stated. Grinning mischievously, Buffy pulled something from a small shopping bag and stepped behind Willow.
Willow gasped as Buffy quickly fastened a leather collar around her neck. "Buffy! what are you doing?" Willow exclaimed as she lifted a hand to the collar.
"Well, you have to follow the theme tonight Willow." Buffy explained. "If I'm gonna be Colleen. Then you have to be Aimee." Buffy added.
"B-but... but..." Willow stammered as the front doorbell rang.
Buffy dragged a protesting Willow downstairs. Pausing in front of the door, she showed Willow a metal tag the size of a silver dollar with the name Aimee written on it. "You said you'd help me. Y'know to show Angel that modern girls are just as interesting as those he knew in the past." Hiding some more writing on the back with her thumb, quickly fastened it to the front of the collar as she added "You promised."
Willow swallowed nervously. "Yeah. O-o-okay." she said.
"Cool! I can't wait for the boys to go non-verbal when they see you!" Buffy said as she opened the door.
Xander enters saluting with his toy rifle in his hand. "Gunnery sergeant Harris reporting for..." Xander pauses as he gets a good look at Buffy. "Buffy! Leader of Buffdom, Captain of the good ship Buffonia, I am in awe! That's what a real power suit should look like!"
Buffy bowed. "Thank you, gunny." she said. As Xander saluted, she added "But wait till you see..." She stepped to one side revealing Willow. "...Aimee, the slave girl."
Willow stood there looking vulnerable, and incredibly sexy. "Hi." She whispered.
Xander just stared at her with his mouth open. Buffy, grinning smugly, waved them towards the door. "Come on, time to pick up those kids from school."