Inca Mummy Girl

I'm here!"

Libby smiled at Buffy's greeting into Giles' apartment. "Back here! No need to knock."

Buffy smiled to her watcher reading on the couch and entered with a smile to find her protector on her bed doing homework with an, 'Ugh, I'd rather be hit by a bus than do this' expression on her face. Libby looked up with a half-smile, not noticing that Buffy was taking in her finally completed room.

It was a shock to see such a teenager sanctuary hidden in the back of Giles' apartment, especially since Buffy had little to no idea that the room even existed back there. Libby had made it hers; covering the massive bookcase with collages made out of magazine and coloring pages, sticking little dragonflies everywhere, and hanging unique pictures across the long walls. Buffy took a moment to stare at the collage and got lost in the waves.

Following the dragonflies, her eyes jumped to the artwork over the bed. It was of a young girl with curly hair wrapped in golden string, wearing a Greek style dress. A purple gem hung from her neck, reminding Buffy of the bracelets they got a few days ago. However, it was the ram skull covering the girl's face that captured her attention. Maybe it was a southern thing, animal skulls as decoration? On the opposite wall with the dresser, there was a displayed blue Geisha fan above the dragon incense burner, next to the lamp with a purple lace mask in front of it.

Lastly, Buffy made her home by the storage cabinets. She sweetly pet the little clay animals, growing attached to the sleeping baby panda, and looked up to see four framed artworks spread out across the whole wall. Each had printed text as a background and pictures from the cartoon Alice in Wonderland. She was either with blue butterflies, ticking clocks, dozens of flowers, or with the Cheshire Cat. Buffy noticed how it resembled Libby's collage and began to read the quotes: "Do you suppose she's a Wildflower?" "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then!" "Sometimes I Believed As Many As Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast." "You must be mad! Or you wouldn't have come here!"

"Those the pictures you were working on?"

Smirking a little, Libby replied, "Not what you were expecting?"

"Not in the least," Buffy giggled. "But they're amazing. You're really talented."

Slightly blushing, Libby replied, "Thanks. It's just busy work, really. I love all kinds of weird stuff like myths and fables so I kinda, I don't know, reinvent them in my collages. It's a never-ending process."

"Then I can't wait to see more," Buffy giggled, happy to learn more about her. "It just almost feels like you're not quite a teenager. My room reflect my teen-ness, but yours reflects a lot more, well, years."

Libby laughed and teased, "The stuffed animals on my tribal turquoise and midnight purple bed don't help teenage it up?"

"Very funny! I meant instead of an almost sixteen year old it looks more like an almost nineteen year old."

"Wow! A whole three years, huh?"

"Yes!" Buffy laughed. "And you only have the stuffed animals because of me and Willow."

"I had stuffed animals on my old bed too," Libby defended as she curled up with the soft Charmander. "I got most of them from my mom. Fuzzies and magazines. I guess growing up with just her made me kinda…unique was the word she used."

"You only live with your mom?" Buffy asked as she sat down on the bed. "What about your dad?"

Libby shook her head. "He was never in the picture. Never wanted to be. So it's always been just me and my mom."

Buffy grabbed the fluffy Marie Aristocat and started plucking the pink ribbon from its furry body. "Like me and my mom."

"Sort of, I mean you're dad at least started out in the picture where as mine pretty much abandoned my mom when she got pregnant and refused to recognize me as his," Libby explained further. "My grandparents didn't support her having me out of wedlock, but my grandma came around after my grandfather died. May not be what's considered normal, but it works."

Buffy stared with her mouth open and twisted the stuffed whiskers around her finger. Libby had no father, no siblings, and it seemed like no other relatives besides a grandmother who may or may not be alive. She just had her mom and Buffy took Libby away from her.

"Wow," Buffy whispered. "I couldn't imagine not ever having a dad, no matter how absentee mine is."

"A lot of people didn't exactly relate, but I liked my life back home."

"I'm sorry," Buffy blurt out. "How do you not hate being here?"

"What?" Libby responded outright as she turned to fully face Buffy. "I'm actually pretty psyched to be here now. My life wasn't exactly all that exciting and the world you live in has opened up a lot for me. I mean how many people can say that they have supernatural powers and save the world with their newly found sister and friends? Besides, it's not like I can't ever go home again. I plan on making the most of it here for a long time so don't worry about me."

Buffy had to stop herself from fidgeting with the big bay horse or the plush Pluto or Norman, the floppy cow as she nearly ripped one of Marie's ears off. Gulping and putting on a strained smile, she said, "Yup, so guess what my mom just told me?"

The gang walked across the park in front of the museum they had to go to for their school field trip. It symbolized Sunnydale High being a part of the student exchange program, but to the students it was an excuse to get out of classes. However, Buffy wasn't particularly enjoying it.

"This is so unfair," Buffy complained.

"It's not that bad," Willow tried to console but to no avail.

"It's the ubersuck! Mom could've at least warned me."

"Well a lot of parents are doing it this year," Xander explained. "It's part of this whole cultural-exchange megillah. The exhibit. The dance."

"I have the best costume for the dance!" Willow chimed in excitedly.

"Oh, Willow you have to help me with mine," Libby asked in a pleading voice. "Especially since I have no idea what I'm going as."

"Of course! It'll be fun making our costumes together."

"I'm included in this right?" Buffy asked in a sarcastic 'I better be' tone.

"Yes, you both are," Willow answered as she looked over at Xander who nodded.

With that settled, Buffy went back to the pressing subject on her mind. "A complete stranger in my house for two weeks. I'm gonna be insane! A danger to myself and others within three days, I swear."

"Yikes!" Libby staggered to the side as she put up her hands. "I don't want to think about what would've happened if I had moved in with you."

"Please! You know you'd be the only exception!"

"I think the exchange-student program's cool," Xander admitted as they walked up the museum steps. At the girls' looks of disbelief he defended, "I do! It's a beautiful melding of two cultures."

"Have you ever done an exchange program?" Buffy asked, wondering how he could like the idea.

"My dad tried to sell me to some Armenians once. Does that count?"

"I'd say no," Libby joined in. "That's just damaging."

"You're telling me! I wanted to go, but they wouldn't take me."

Laughing at Xander's clown-like frown, Libby shoved him lightheartedly and was then chased up the stairs by her new guy friend, with Buffy and Willow right behind them. Once they were inside the large and packed museum, the four followed the flow of students and found Cordelia gushing over something in a pamphlet.

Curious, Buffy leaned over to look and asked, "What're you looking at?"

"Our exchange students look! 100% Swedish, 100% gorgeous, 100% staying at my house!" Cordy then turned back to Buffy and asked, "So how's yours? Visually, I mean."

Not knowing and not caring, Buffy shrugged and answered, "I don't know. Guy-like."

Taking advantage that Cordelia was distracted by something behind a glass case, Xander interjected, "By guy-like, we are talking big, beefy, guy-like girl, right?"

Smiling at her jealous and overprotective friend, Buffy replied, "I was just told 'guy.'"

"You didn't look at him first?" Cordy re-entered the conversation totally shocked at what she was hearing. "He could be dogly. You live on the edge!"

Buffy and Willow chuckled together as Cordelia left while Libby couldn't help but roll her eyes. Naturally, Xander refused to drop the subject.

"Hold on a sec, so this person who's living with you for two weeks is a man? With man parts? This is a terrible idea."

All Xander could picture was some foreign guy feeling one of his best friends up – the best friend he liked – and it made him very antsy and upset.

"What about the beautiful melding of two cultures?" Willow teased, just thankful it wasn't a new and beautiful exotic girl for Xander to notice.

"There's no melding, okay? He better keep his parts to himself," He warned Buffy.

"I don't think it's going to be an issue, Xander," Libby promised with a light pat on his shoulder.

"Well you can't promise me it won't!" Xander half joked with her.

"I can with Buffy, not so much with you…" Libby trailed off, waiting for something to distract Xander before he could ask what that meant.

"What's he doing?" Buffy asked, bringing everyone's attention to a guy hovering over a mask in the middle of the hall.

"Oh that's Rodney Munson. He's God's gift to the bell curve," Xander responded.

They all watched Rodney growl like a dog at someone who tried to see what he was doing. Libby shook her head and kinda felt bad for him.

"What he lacks in smarts he makes up in lack-of-smarts," Xander finished with a resentful glare in Rodney's direction.

"You just don't like him 'cause of that time he beat you up everyday for five years," Willow commented in her own sweet but sarcastic way.

"Yeah, I'm irrational that way."

"I better stop him before he gets in trouble," Buffy said, feeling obligated to help in all aspects of her Hellmouth town of Sunnydale.

"I got it," Willow countered. "The nonviolent approach is probably better here."

As she watched her cute and nerdy friend walk to Rodney, Buffy couldn't help but disagree, but then think that Willow was right…but she couldn't help it. She's the slayer. Violence is in her programming.

"I wasn't gonna use violence. I don't always use violence." She looked to Xander and Libby for reassurance in the confliction that was rattling in her blonde brain. "Do I?"

Xander placed a hand on her shoulder blade and replied, "The important thing is…you believe that."

"Don't sweat it, Buffy," Libby said, "Most of the time violence is required and you're right there to help, so don't feel bad that it's your instinct. I'd rather have a fighter than a negotiator if my life's in danger."

"She's right, Buff," Xander agreed, "Besides, Rodney can't be saved. He's worse than a caveman."

"Thanks guys," Buffy smiled in amusement and acceptance of what they said.

"Welcome, students," The tour guide began, "We shall now proceed into the Incan burial chamber. The human sacrifice is about to begin."

When they entered the chamber, the artifacts caught Libby's attention because they looked so real but Xander was unimpressed. "Typical museum trick," he complained. "Promise you human sacrifice, deliver old pots and pans."

"It's not that bad," Libby debated.

"Five hundred years ago, the Incan people chose a beautiful teenage girl to become their princess," The guide informed as the Scoobies walked up the steps to see the tomb.

"I hope this story ends with, 'and she lived happily ever after,'" Willow hoped, but was dashed when she saw the shriveled girl lying their like a human raisin.

"No, I think it ends with, 'and she became a scary, discolored, shriveled mummy,'" Xander recited as he looked down at the princess more bored than grossed out.

"The Incan people sacrificed their princess to the mountain god, Sabancaya, an offering buried alive for eternity in this dark tomb," The guide continued in the background.

"She was buried alive?" Libby repeated in disgust. How could she have forgotten that part? "Okay, can we go now?"

"You can handle being trapped in a school by vampires, but you're freaked out by a mummy who was buried alive hundreds of years ago?" Xander asked in ironic confusion.

"I'm kinda claustrophobic," Libby confessed. "Imagining being trapped in their alive doesn't help with that."

"It's horrible," Willow whole-heartedly agreed. "And they could have at least wrapped her in those nice, white bandages – like in the movies."

"Yeah, she's like what happens in The Mummy where the big bad mummy awakens and tries to kill everyone and take over Egypt and then tries for the world."

"What movie is that?" Buffy asked, matching the 'huh?' stares of Xander and Willow.

"I just told you, The Mummy with Brendan Fraser? It came out late 90's." When she got blank faces Libby added, "The guy from George of the Jungle?"

"Oh! Yeah, that came out a few months ago," Xander laughed at the fond memory.

"I guess that mummy movie hasn't come out yet," Buffy said as the guide began speaking again.

"The princess remained there, protected only by a cursed seal placed there as a warning to any who would wake her."

"See! She's like the movie. Mess with that seal – boom – she comes to life and kills people."

"I doubt that's gonna happen," Buffy debated in an unbelieving intonation.

Right as Libby was going to try and make her case, Xander blurted out, "So Buffy, when's exchange-o boy making his appearance?"

"His name's Empata," Buffy replied, "I'm meeting him at the bus station tomorrow night."

"Ohhh! The Sunnydale bus depot. Classy!" Xander mocked. "What a better way to introduce someone to our country than with the stench of urine." Buffy laughed at Xander's truthful comment and the guide began leading them away.

"You as happy to get out of the burial chamber as I am?" Libby hung back to talk to Willow.

"Oh yes, it gives me the jeebie-heebies," Willow said as she shook the creepy vibes out of her. "And, well, I feel bad for her too. Why did they have to sacrifice anyone anyway? It's not like a mountain god can control important stuff. Or did he just live on a mountain?"

"I don't know, but I'm in the same boat you are," Libby smiled at Willow. "And you might want to advise Rodney to not go back and try to steal that seal thing."

"He's gonna steal it?" Willow asked in disappointment of her tutorial student.

"Attempt to and it won't end well and since he seems to like you, it'd be better if you told him instead of me."

"Gotcha, I'll talk to him about it."

The next day, Giles had Buffy and Libby stay after school for some training. The new training sessions consisted of Buffy practicing her blows on her padded watcher while Libby practiced her telekinesis on the dummy. Giles had assigned Libby to try and knock it down in one movement and then bring it back up again and Libby was doing well with knocking it down, but she was lacking the concentration to balance it on the way back up. After a while of this, Libby got so fed up that she just grabbed the thing and lifted it manually. She saw Giles' disapproving look out of the corner of her eye as well as Buffy and Xander's amused faces.

"What? I brought it back up!" Libby whined, wanting nothing more than to be done for the day.

"All right, why don't we try something new?" Giles suggested as he put his pads down.

"Ooo! Like Libby and I going to the dance?" Buffy snuck in with a huge smile.

"No," Giles answered with a frown. "I would like both of you to practice on each other for a bit."

"What?" Buffy and Libby asked simultaneously.

"You want them to fight each other?" Xander asked in amazement. "We must get whipped cream!"

Ignoring Xander, Giles said, "It will help polish Buffy's skills and help Libby form hers." He then sat down on the table and gestured them to begin.

Libby turned to face Buffy and said, "Please don't hurt me."

"Only as long as you don't hurl me through a wall."

"Deal."

The Slayer and Protector circled each other slowly not knowing who was supposed to start and what they were supposed to do once they had. Buffy decided she would break the ice and swung a punch at Libby's face. Surprisingly, Libby dodged it so fast that Buffy didn't have time to recoil so she wouldn't actually hit her protector. Buffy repeated this action and Libby moved so swiftly that Buffy never got close to touching her. The slayer tried mixing it up with kicks and hits everywhere she could think of, but her protector just kept evading every attempted blow with an agility faster than hers.

Wondering whether if it was her going easy on Libby or Libby actually being that quick, Buffy let loose and went for the one strike that would prove one of her theories true. Giles watched in astonishment as he took notes in his journal and Xander stared all hormonally happy with a Scooby grin plastered on his face.

Buffy did everything she could to hit Libby, but no matter what Buffy did or how fast and strong she was Libby avoided all of it. When Buffy leapt off her feet to try and kick her down, Libby swooshed underneath her and then fled behind Giles heavily panting in fear while trying not to collapse.

"Make her stop it!" Libby wheezed. "It's scary and exhausting."

Buffy walked over with her hands on her hips – hardly sweating and not out of breath – and said, "How can she do that? She has better reflexes than me!"

Giles stood up from the table as he went over his notes and answered, "It's not reflexes, exactly. What I've concluded is that Libby has passive powers, which is what makes her different from you as well as important for you."

"Huminah?" Buffy asked.

"Think of it like you – the Slayer – is the offense and Libby – the Protector – is the defense." When Buffy continued to frown, Giles said, "It is in your nature to fight and slay and that requires your strength, speed, etc. and that makes you the 'aggressive.' It is in Libby's nature to protect and help you and that requires her to have powers that don't allow for her to fight in the strictness sense, making her the 'passive.'"

"Libby will never have the ability to fight like you so she has her super agility to help her survive in a combat situation – along with her telekinesis – if it ever becomes rather unavoidable in a battle, which unfortunately it will." Giles looked at his chosen girls and was pleased to see that they seemed to have followed. "Also, I do believe the presence of adrenaline is what gives Libby a lot of her power."

"I'll say," Libby agreed as she plopped down on the table, the top of her head covering Xander's book.

"I was reading that," Xander fake complained with a smile as he looked down at her heaving a lot of breaths into her tired system.

"No you weren't," Libby laughed as her body was finally getting the oxygen it needed. "Besides, I need a pillow."

"My book is yours," Xander bestowed as he rumpled her hair to help make the pillow less book-ish.

Laughing from her stomach, Libby reached up and patted his head in thanks before she turned to witness the present slayer-watcher argument. Giles had put the padding back on so Buffy could resume her training, but the discussion of the dance was on-going.

"So can we go?"

"I think not."

Pouting, Buffy hit Giles as hard as she could four times and that was not pleasant for the watcher.

"How come?" She moaned like a toddler who wasn't allowed candy before dinner.

"Because you are the Chosen One…s."

"Thanks for the inclusion!" Libby said in the background as Xander began playing with her hair.

"Just this once, I'd like to be the Overlooked One…SSS," Buffy replied to both Giles and Libby.

"Well, I'm afraid that is not…" Buffy kicked him and sent Giles faltering backwards. "An option!" After regaining his composure, he continued, "You have responsibilities that other girls do not."

"Oh! I know this one!" Buffy exclaimed in sarcastic debate. "Slaying entails certain sacrifices, blah blah bitty blah, I'm so stuffy, give me scone."

"It's as if you know me," Giles replied in his own form of sarcasm.

"I would've said tea instead of scone and he's not stuffy, he just looks it," Libby interjected with a yawn.

"Thanks for the support," Buffy lightly shoved Libby's face to the opposite side. "You're supposed to help me remember?"

"Sorry, I just like Giles more than you," Libby stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, goodie! I come in second to our librarian," Buffy smirked with her protector before she landed eight powerful kicks onto Giles' not-so-much protective padding.

Wincing and trying to breathe, Giles informed, "You're secret identities will be difficult enough to maintain while this exchange-student is living with you."

"Not…" Xander cut it, leaving Libby on the table to stop the beating of Giles. "..with her. In the same house as her. Am I only one who's objective enough to make that distinction?"

"Yes," Libby answered. "But it's kinda the same thing."

"No it's not!"

"Little bit," Libby giggled.

"Not at all," Xander protested hovering over her in teasing intimidation.

Seeing that she had an opening when Libby distracted Xander, Buffy said, "So, going to the dance like a normal person would be the best way to keep that secret." Pounding her foot on the ground, Buffy playfully whined, "Giles, c'mon budge! No one likes an un-budger."

They both stared each other down for a few moments, but Buffy knew what would make him budge like…something that budges. She backed up a bit and then came straight back with enough momentum to kick Giles across the room. Right as she was about to collide her leg with his padded arm Giles yelled, "Fine! Go."

"Yay! I win!" Buffy celebrated as she scooted Libby into a seating position on the table.

She then began collecting the training gear as Giles went to get an ice pack for his shoulder without the help of a muscle sore Libby and a chatty Xander.

"So I guess we're dance-bound," Xander said excitedly as he followed Buffy. "Cool. I think I can get my mom's car, so I'm Wheel Man."

"I thought you were taking Willow?" Buffy asked, wanting her friend to wake up and see the light that was his oldest friend.

"Well, yeah, I'm gonna take Willow, but I'm not gonna take Willow in the sense of 'take me.'" Xander explained as Buffy walked back to sit next to Libby on the table. "See with you and Libby – with four – everybody's safe, it's a good group. Without you guys we're two."

"Ah, and we enter dateville. Romance, flowers –" Buffy replied.

"Lips," Xander concluded with an uncomfortable expression.

"Oh come on," Buffy verbally prodded. "In all the years you've known Willow, you've never thought about her lips?"

Libby saw Willow enter the library and couldn't bear to look at her heartbroken face when Xander began speaking.

"Buffy, I love Willow and she's my best friend, which makes her not the kinda girl who I think about her lips that much. She's the kinda girl that I'm best friends with."

And there it was. Libby could practically hear Willow's heart shatter and despite knowing her future, it made Libby hurt for her deeply. Willow was about to make her presence known when Libby cut her off.

"Well maybe you should start because you're not gonna get a free bowl of chances with her forever, especially when there's only one Willow in the world. I personally think that you'd miss out on a good thing."

Willow swelled up with appreciation for her new friend and couldn't remember a time that she had been more flattered in her life. No one had ever seen that in her, but Libby seemed to see her in ways she never saw herself as and it was empowering. So the redhead walked confidently to her friends and solidly said, "Hey guys." She smiled widely at Libby who smiled back in welcome.

"Willow! Hi!" Xander exclaimed as he went over and ushered her to the table. "We were just talking about happy things. Like the four of us going to the dance together, see? Happy." Seeing her face fall, Xander said, "Not happy."

"No, ah-uh yes," Willow quickly corrected towards Buffy and Libby and went on, "No. Rodney's missing."

"Trouble with Mr. Munson again?" Giles asked as he joined the group with his ice pack.

"His parents said he never came home last night," Willow informed further as she looked at Libby in concern.

"You know, I don't remember seeing Rodney on the bus back from the field trip," Buffy realized.

"I didn't either," Willow agreed. "I hope he didn't go back to steal that seal thing or got in trouble at the museum."

Laughing at the thought of Rodney getting a hold of the seal, Xander suggested, "Hey, maybe he awakened the mummy."

"Right and it rose from its tomb," Willow laughed with him.

"And attacked him," Buffy finished.

That's when all their faces sank in horror and they all crowded their stares around Libby for confirmation.

"This is why you should pay attention when I make references to what could happen," Libby timidly scolded as the stares didn't let up. "Even if it is only about a mummy movie."

The five walked into the chamber of the mummy and Willow huddled behind Xander, majorly creeped out by the whole mummy issue while the rest merely remained on their guard.

"On the other hand, maybe Rodney just went out for a smoke," Willow commented, not wanting what Libby mentioned to be true.

"For 21 hours?" Xander opposed.

"It's addictive you know," Willow replied in her small voice.

"We'll deal with that when we've ruled out evil curses," Giles stated from the back.

"All we've got is an evil curse on this one, Giles," Libby informed as she climbed to steps to the tomb.

Sighing, Buffy said, "One day I'm gonna live in a town where evil curses are just generally ruled out without even saying."

"Where was the seal?" Giles asked as he looked around for it himself.

"It was right here," Buffy answered as she looked in the tomb. "And it's broken."

"Does that mean the mummy's loose?" Willow asked as she stood as far away from the tomb as possible.

"Yuppers." Libby answered as she looked in to see something even creeper than before.

"But the mummy's still in there," Buffy stated as she looked down and pointed to everyone who wasn't Libby.

"Yeah, that's Rodney," the protector bluntly observed, "See the braces?"

As they all looked in on the newly mummified Rodney, yelling sounded from behind them and a man jumped at them with a long knife. Giles immediately went to block Willow when she screamed and Buffy was able to duck from his swinging knife. As he looked into the tomb, Xander jumped on his back only to be thrown off in seconds before the man ran off.

"Okay, I just saved us right?" Xander asked totally baffled by what just happened.

"Something did," Buffy responded, just as frazzled as he was.

"We'll fret about the details later," Giles stated as he motioned everyone to head out. "Let's just get out of here before he comes back."

"Here," Libby offered more pieces of the seal to Giles. "It's all I could find."

"No, it's very good. Thank you."

They returned to the library after dark and no one was in the best mood.

"Rodney looked like he had been dead for 500 years," Willow marveled in sorrow. "How could that be?"

"Maybe we should ask that crazy man with the big old knife," Xander haughtily suggested.

"I don't think he seemed overly chatty," Buffy responded, keeping a cool head about the situation.

"The way he bolted when he saw Rodney, I'd say he was as freaked as we were," Willow mused before adding, "Except for Libby at least."

"Just because I knew it was Rodney and not Inca Mummy Girl doesn't mean I'm not freaked, trust me."

"My resources on the subject are extremely limited," Giles grimly stated, "I gather this particular mummy was from the Sabancaya region of eastern Peru. It's very remote."

"Spot on," Libby congratulated her watcher.

"Good, if there's an answer then it's locked in –"

"In the seal." Buffy finished for Giles as she looked it over herself.

Taking it back from her, Giles put his glasses back on and began examining it again saying, "It could take me weeks to translate these pictograms. Libby, would you happen to know what any of these mean?"

"No – well kinda," Libby replied. "I know that the guy with the knife means that the guy who tried to slice and dice us is a guard to make sure that the mummy doesn't escape."

"So he's on our side?" Willow asked.

"How nice of him to mention it," Xander scoffed.

"Sort of –" Libby tried to continue.

"Empata!" Buffy suddenly burst out. "I'm late! I told my mom I'd pick him up!"

"Buffy, where're your priorities?" Xander called after her. "Finding a mummifying killer or making time for some Latin lover who's stocking trade is the breakage of hearts?"

"Say that three times fast," Libby smiled, completely impressed at how fast and smooth it came out and luckily Xander caught on that it was something of a compliment.

"Empata's there alone. And I don't know how good his English is, he's from South America," Buffy had an epiphany and she was pretty proud of it. "Hey, you know maybe he can translate the seal."

"Not so much…" Libby whispered, but no one heard.

"Oh yeah," Xander groaned in jealousy. "Fall for the old 'let me translate that ancient seal for ya' come-on. Psh! Do you know how many times I've used that?"

Buffy, Willow, Libby and Xander all ran to the bus station as fast as they could but when they got there, everything was dark and closed.

"40 minutes late!" Buffy scolded herself. "Welcome to America."

"Maybe he left already?" Willow said a bit worried.

"Or got the life sucked out of him by the mummy," Libby hinted.

"Empata! Empata Gutierrez?" Buffy shouted, still not seeing anyone.

The girls went back down the stairs and began looking for him with Xander who still wasn't happy with the situation.

"So do we have to speak Spanish when we see him?" Xander asked, this time actually wanting to know. "'Cause I don't know anything much besides 'Doritos' and 'Chihuahua.'"

"I think you'll do fine, Xander," Libby assured.

"Empata!" Buffy shouted again.

"Here," A female voice called out from the shadows of a bus. "Hello."

A beautiful teenage girl walked out from the side of a bus and took the speech away from all of them, especially Xander. He felt as if he had fallen under some sort of spell at the sight of her beauty and there was no way of hiding it. At the sight of the girl, Willow wanted a rainy cloud to hover over her like Eeyore because that was the only way anyone would truly understand the pain of being trumped by yet another girl in Xander's eyes.

Buffy on the other hand just couldn't believe that it was a girl and not a guy. She really didn't care much but seeing how pretty and mature she was made Buffy a little uneasy with herself. Now she had to help another girl fit in when she could barely do it. Goodness, a guy would be so much easier.

When she was fully bathed in the streetlights, the girl said, "I am Empata."

"Ay caramba! I can also say that."

The four walked Empata back to the Summers' home and Xander couldn't keep his eyes off her the whole way and that did not go unnoticed by Willow. When they entered the house, Buffy began the grand tour and ended it in the kitchen where everyone made themselves comfortable.

"It's very good," Empata complimented the kitchen in wonder.

"Yeah, you've got your stove, your fridge. It's very functional," Buffy replied. "We're very into it."

Xander stepped in front of Empata and said, "Would you like a drink?" He spoke as if she knew no English and performed some of his best mime work, but luckily for him it made Empata laugh.

"Let's see," Buffy mused as she raided her fridge. "We've got milk and…older milk. Juice?"

"Please," Empata answered as she continued to gaze around.

"So Empata," Willow joined in. "You're a girl."

"Yes," The new girl replied not understanding. "For many years now."

"And not a boy. 'Cause we thought a boy was coming and here you are in a girl way."

"Just one of those crazy mix-ups, Will," Xander responded, still completely fascinated with Empata.

"Yes, mix-ups," Libby interjected a little snippy. "Girls are so often mistaken for having penises."

Buffy suddenly spit out a mouth-full of juice and it spilled all over the floor. Her laughter came out as chokes, but she put out her hand and managed to say, "I'm fine, I got it."

Willow too had to cover her mouth so she wouldn't show how pleased she was with the comment as well as how surprised she was by it. Xander matched her expression with total shock and couldn't find any words to respond and all the while Empata looked very lost over what just happened.

"So, have you ever been to America before?" Buffy asked, controlling her calming hysteria as she placed glasses out for everyone.

"I-I've toured," Empata answered.

"Where did…you go?" Xander asked in the same tone as before.

"I was taken to Atlanta, Boston, New York."

"New York, that's exciting," Willow said as she poured herself some juice. "What was that like?"

"I did not see so much."

"Why not?" Libby almost demanded. "If you toured some cities in America than you were there for a reason so you must have seen stuff. Even if it was strictly for school or something, they normally let you sight-see."

Empata looked at her like she was ready to scream, but she remained indifferent and answered, "The people in charge of my tours are very harsh when it comes to leaving the – uh – group so I never got to…sight-see."

Libby frowned that the Incan Mummy covered so well and was about to try and expose her again, but Xander beat her to the speaking. "Your English is very bueno."

"I listened much."

"That works out well because I talk much."

They both laughed, but Buffy and Willow looked at each other in a disapproving manner. Willow hated that Xander was going all goo-goo eyed for someone else and Buffy did not need this girl to split up her group. Libby, however, was plotting for the perfect time to expose who Empata really was.

After Willow and Xander left, Buffy settled Empata into her room on the make-shift bed while Libby returned to Giles' and did her best to remember what happens next so it would all end faster and better for all of them.

The next day, Buffy and Empata walked up the front steps of Sunnydale High. Empata couldn't believe how bright it was and how alive. Everyone was bustling about and it was wonderful to her; full of opportunity.

"First day of school. Nervous?" Buffy asked.

"It is just more people than I have seen in a long time."

"Ah, don't worry," Buffy assured. "You'll have no problems making friends. As a matter of fact, I know someone who's dying to meet you."

Buffy took Empata's hand as they entered the school and headed to the library. Willow and Xander caught up to Libby, who followed behind, and they reached the library in record time.

"How do you do," Giles smiled as he shook Empata's hand. Without hesitating or even easing into it, he pulled a large chunk of the seal out from behind him and handed it to her asking, "I was – I was wondering if you could – uh – translate this?"

"That was in no way awkward," Buffy commented.

The moment Empata laid eyes on it, fear entered her eyes and everyone noticed. It took all she had not to destroy it right there so she never had to be trapped again.

"Is something wrong?" Buffy asked.

"No, it is…" Empata began and then decided to ask, "Why are you asking me?"

"Well – uh – it's an artifact – uh – from your – your region," Giles explained trying not to give anything away. "It's from the tomb of an Incan mummy, actually. We're trying to translate it…as a project for our – um –"

"Our archaeology club," Willow finished for him in the knick of time.

"Very good," Giles complimented softly.

"It is broken," Empata pondered, hoping they didn't have the rest. "Where are the other pieces?"

"That's all there was," Libby lied. "We looked around but there wasn't anything else."

The gang looked at her confused by her actions, but Libby gave them a 'trust me' look and no one said anything.

"It's very old. Valuable," Empata mused before she declared in a rush, "You should hide it!"

Confused by her actions, but not thrown by them, Giles urged her on by asking, "Is there anything you recognize here? This – um – chappie with a knife, for instance?"

Empata looked at the image and knew exactly who that man was. He was another obstacle trying to send her back to her death, but she wouldn't let that happen and she couldn't let them know.

"Well, I do not know exactly," Empata falsely informed. "But I think this represents…I believe the word is…bodyguard?"

"Bodyguard?" Giles inquired as he glanced over at Libby who raised an eyebrow and slightly shook her head. "Interesting."

"Legend has it that he guards the mummy against those who would disturb her," Empata finished, trying her best to lead them in the wrong direction, but was thwarted.

"We never said the mummy was a 'her'," Libby challenged with a subtle smirk on her face. "We never mentioned what mummy it was or its gender. How'd you know?"

Buffy and Willow stared at Empata, intrigued by what Libby was bringing up, but Xander never even caught it, he was too wrapped up in Empata's beauty to see the fear and underlying anger appear behind her eyes.

"My people are taught to know of the Incan Princess and the seal that was buried with her."

"Right."

"Yes, well, that's a very good start for our – um – club." Giles interrupted in order to have Buffy realize that he wanted Empata out of there so they could start working on the seal.

"Oh!" Buffy burst out a bit startled in her realization. "And – uh – as club president, I have lots to do. Lots of stuff. Dull stuff. Willow, maybe you could –"

"Stay with Empata for the day," Xander finished for her with a big smile in Empata's direction. "I'd love to."

"Yes," the new girl smiled widely back. "That will be fun."

As Xander and Empata walked out, Willow's eyes followed them with a melancholy gaze. It wasn't fair and was far more painful than she ever imagined. Xander had only liked other girls before; he never actually went out with any of them.

"Right, I'll continue with the translation," Giles planned. "Libby, you said that the bodyguard was to guard the mummy to make sure she wouldn't escape, yes?"

"Yes siree Giles," Libby answered.

"Boy, they really like each other," Willow mumbled to herself and Buffy rubbed her shoulder to comfort her best friend.

"So would you say Empata translated wrong or are you mistaken?" Giles continued as he studied the seal.

"I'm right, she's wrong and I remembered something," Libby replied. Giles expectantly looked at her and Buffy was still trying to get Willow to focus while gazing over at Libby every few seconds. "The mummy kills by sucking the life out of people and leaves them wrinkly raisins. She has to kill in order to live so more dead people will be showing up if we don't stop it."

"Okay," Buffy huffed in slight frustration. "Good info, but how are we supposed to (a) find and (b) stop the mummy?"

Libby turned her head and smiled at the slayer with calm confidence. "I have a plan."

"I can't believe that's your plan," Buffy commented with wide eyes. "And your making me wait, why?"

"I'm cutting off about ten hours here so stop complaining," Libby groaned. "This'll work. I promise."

"When's Xander coming back?" Willow asked as she twirled a stuffed frog in her hands.

"Relatively soon," Libby replied with a shrug since she didn't know exactly when.

"I must say," Giles joined in and he sat down next to Willow as he examined a piece of the seal. "You are doing very well with your knowing power, Libby, and I'm glad your plan is so simple." He gave a quick smirk in Buffy's direction. "Normally they are made much too late or not at all."

"That's so not true!" the slayer rebutted at the insult. "I have good plans! None of mine have died thank you very much."

Suddenly, Xander and Empata came bursting through the door announcing that they were attacked by the man with the big knife on the bleachers.

"Why's this guy so into us?" Willow asked as soon as everything calmed down. "What does he want?"

"He said 'give me the seal,'" Xander answered a little on edge that his day with Empata was ruined.

"Apparently this is more popular than we realized," Giles pondered as he examined the seal for the hundredth time. "I just don't know what we should do with it."

"Destroy it," Empata's voice was soft as she raised her head to look at the seal and then to everyone. "If you do not someone could die."

"I'm afraid someone already has," Giles said as he sat on the table.

Empata's eyes grew wide as this knowledge flooded her mind. How did they find one of her victims? "You mean the man with the knife killed someone?" She inquired, hoping it wasn't the real Empata they found.

"No!" Buffy blurted out and then calmed her tone to not draw more attention. "Well, not exactly."

"You are not telling me everything," Empata accused, needing to discover whether or not her secret was close to being known.

Sighing and wanting the beauty to trust him, Xander placed her hand in his and said, "You're right, Empata, and it's time we do. We're not an archaeology club we're in uh-" Stunned that Xander was about to give them away, Giles coughed rather loudly and Xander received shocked expressions from all of his friends demanding him to change his course of action. "We're in the crime club," Xander finished. "Which is kinda like the chess club only with crime and, um, no chess."

"Please understand me that seal nearly got us killed. It must be destroyed!" Without skipping a beat, Empata got up and ran out of the library with Xander following her.

Once he caught up with her, Xander knelt down by the bench she sat on and soothed, "Empata listen to me, nobody's gonna hurt you. I won't let them."

"Your investigation is dangerous," Empata tried to explain in a near panic. "I do not want that. Just normal life!"

The sixteen-year-old girl darted to the water fountain to try and cool her nerves and Xander watched her not knowing what to do.

Willow soon showed up behind him and asked, "Is she okay?"

"Wigged," he replied with an uh-oh feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I'm trying to convince her that our lives aren't just danger and peril around here."

Willow gazed over Xander's shoulder to see Empata and knew what she had to do. It was painful and unfair, but she knew it would help in the long run and make him happy for a little while and that was all that mattered.

Smiling almost sadly up at him she said, "You should take her to the dance."

"That's a good idea. We'll all go," Xander responded with joy, honestly believing that's what she meant.

"No, I mean just you," Willow corrected as she forced her smile to not fade completely.

"But you were psyched and your costume."

"I'll see you there."

"You know what, Willow? You're my best friend."

And so she watched him walk away for another girl and Willow sighed an unfortunate, "I know."

Xander and Empata walked down the stairs and he decided that it was now or never. "Okay, I have something to tell you and it's kind of a secret and a little bit scary," Xander said with a determination not to choke. "I like you. A lot. And I want you to go with me to the dance."

"Why was that so scary?" Empata laughed in some confusion but smiled at how sweet he was.

"Well because you never know if a girl's gonna say yes or if she's gonna laugh in your face and pull out your still beating heart and crush it into the ground with her heal."

"Then you are very courageous," Empata continued to smile and then chose to return the gesture, "Can I tell you a secret?"

"Yeah," Xander replied hopeful.

"I like you too."

"Really?" Xander asked in amazement.

"Really."

"That's great!" Xander excitedly said. "Really?"

"Really!" Empata laughed.

"That's great! You're not a praying mantis are ya?" At her look of total puzzlement, Xander brushed it off by saying, "Sorry, someone else."

They walked a little further down the hall in silence because Xander didn't know what to say. He had never been in the situation where the girl you like likes you back. It was thrilling and terrifying all at the same time, but he was truly loving it.

"I will return to you," Empata stated to break the silence.

Not understanding, Xander asked, "Where're you going?"

"Where you cannot follow," Empata answered as she opened the door to the ladies' room.

Now knowing what she meant, Xander smiled wide somewhat awkwardness and said, "I'll wait outside."

Empata walked up to the bathroom mirror grinning happily to herself as she put on some more lipstick. She had never been so happy and to think she almost rotted away in that tomb forever. Suddenly, the guard appeared behind her and fear swelled up inside her weakening body.

"I beg you," Empata whispered. "Do not kill me."

"You were already dead for five hundred years," the guard replied harshly.

"But it was not fair. I was innocent," she pleaded to no avail.

"The people you kill now, so that you may live, they are innocent."

"Please, I am in love."

"You are the chosen one. You must die," the guard finished as he stepped right in front of her. "You have no choice."

He raised his arm to bring down the knife and kill the princess, but with a rush of desperate strength, Empata grabbed his wrist in order to twist his arm around and lock him low in front of her.

Empata glared down at him and hissed, "Yes, I do."

As she was about to kiss him, Libby and Buffy entered and Empata froze in place not knowing what to do or what to say.

"Looks like we caught you red handed," Libby said with a way too pleased smile.

"Yeah, I mean I gotta say you mummy's sure don't kiss and tell," Buffy smirked. "Now why don't you let him go so there's one less reason to kill you for?"

Empata obeyed not knowing what else to do and the guard stared at the two girls just as dumbfounded.

"How did you know?" he inquired as he clenched his knife in his fist.

"Magic eight ball," Libby replied.

"You have been keeping secrets from me," Empata declared as she readied herself to fight them and kill them if she had to. "You are not normal girls are you?"

"Neither are you!" Buffy scoffed.

"Okay!" Libby announced to interrupt the argument. "Here's the plan, Mr. Big Knife Guy you get to go home or where ever it is you go and Empata you have two options."

"Do I?"

"I can't leave; I must trap her again or kill her. She must die," the guard explained.

"Yeah, we heard that part but we've got this," Buffy replied and continued, "Empata, your options are (a) go to the dance and have the one night of fun you never got to have and then shrivel quietly back into your tomb or (b) die now."

Empata thought on this and then coldly responded, "Either way, I have to die."

"Pretty much yeah," Libby said, "But you can either die painfully or go peacefully with happy memories."

"I will not go back," Empata said sternly. "I will not die another death that is unfair."

"It may not be fair," Buffy mocked, "But it's justified this time around."

Empata swiftly grabbed the guard and before the slayer had time to react, she kissed him and he fell to the ground mummified. She then went for Buffy but the slayer punched her and the princess fell into a stall. The blonde and Incan brunette fought all over the bathroom, cracking mirrors and unhinging doors, while the protector was trying her best to use her telekinesis to help. All she did was push them into the sinks, dislodging them or the wall, breaking the tile. However, when Buffy was hurled into a toilet bowl to be drowned, Libby got very pissed off and automatically sent the knife into Empata's back, straight through her heart with a flick of her hand. Empata turned back to her mummified self before she even hit the ground and shattered.

Buffy swung her head up and shook water everywhere and practically coughing a lung out. "Why am I always drowning?" she grunted in total disapproval as she stomped on Empata's leg.

"No idea."

"Thanks for stabbing her in the back and having mine," Buffy smiled, walking out of the bathroom.

"Not a problem."

They exited the restroom to see Xander and Willow sitting on the bench and Giles cleaning his glasses over to the right. Xander was pounding the back of his head against the wall with a very upset expression and Willow was rubbing his arm in comfort, but it wasn't exactly helping as much as she wanted.

"If it helps she loved you and was gonna go to the dance with you," Libby said in an attempt to save Xander's brain from turning into mush. "If we hadn't intervened of course."

"I guess," Xander groaned in aggravation. "It's just – present company excluded – I have the worst taste in women of anyone in the world ever!"

"Empata wasn't evil," Buffy replied in earnest, "At least not to begin with and Libby's right she really cared about you."

"Yeah, but I think that whole sucking the life out of people thing would've been a strain on the relationship."

"She was gypped. She was just a girl and she had her life taken away from her," Buffy continued so that he would see it wasn't his fault for what happened or getting caught up in it. "I remember how I felt when I heard the prophecy that I was gonna die, I wasn't exactly obsessed with doing the right thing."

"Yeah, but you did," Xander affectionately said, "You gave up your life."

"And I had you to bring me back."

Liking the sweet moment between them, but noticing that Willow looked like she was about to cry and that Giles was still cleaning his glasses, Libby interjected, "Look on the bright side! Now we can all go to the dance with no stress or worries and have fun!"

"We could even have that sleepover tonight!" Willow added with a promising smile.

"Perfect!" Libby cheered. "I say we get out of here, make our costumes, go to the dance, and then stay up all night watching movies and eating things that could give you a heart attack."

"While I go inform the authorities about the bodies in the bathroom," Giles said as he walked away from the group of teenagers.

"I think Libby's on to something," Xander replied as she stood up. "But what are we going as?"

"Can I tell him?" Willow asked with a huge childlike grin of excitement.

"Tell me!" Buffy cried out. "I'm still out of the loop in this."

"I'm an Eskimo, Libby's a gypsy, and Buffy is in a traditional Swiss dress."

"We're gonna look authentically hot," Libby smiled along with Willow. "And Xander shall be our pimp from Leone."

"That's in Italy pretending to be Montana right?" Xander tried to laugh.

"Exactly," Libby said as she hooked her arm in his. "And you're going to be looking real sexy in that costume with us on your arms."

"You are and tonight's gonna be nonstop fun," Willow reassured, hooking arms with Xander and Buffy.

"Well, I'm excited that we all get to go and actually have a night of normal teenage fun!" Buffy proclaimed to the empty hallway.

The four ended up having more fun making the costumes than dancing at the party so right as Oz was going to introduce himself, the gang left and had their movie binge at the Summers' house. It was exactly as Buffy said: a night of normal teenage fun.