All the magic users in Sunnydale and Buffy had to run into this one V

Buffy was human enough to admit that she had been tempted to leave the young redhead behind in the church while she went for help but in the end, she thought it best to accompany her on her way home. Not that Buffy relished the prospect of yet another detour on the way home -- especially since she was still naked -- but she knew deep down that she would not rest easy that night if she did not personally see to it that the young girl she had rescued made it home safely.

In any event, Buffy would probably need to find a phone from which to inform someone about the body in the church and where better to call from than the young girl's house. Granted, it was not likely that the body of the girl's would-be killer would just get up and walk away while Buffy and the girl was gone but then this was Sunnydale. Local dead bodies had done a lot worse.

As it was, it seemed to take almost of Buffy's Slayer strength to help her keep up with the young redhead. Unlike her, the naked redhead had been able to get dressed again and on the way to her house, she talked about a mile a minute about everything from her glass unicorn collection to her favorite figure skater.

Her name, apparently, was April. She had a twin brother who went to Sunnydale High yet who was also thinking of transferring to another high school. Her mother was very religious, but her brother was not.

When Buffy broke down and told April about the weird spell she was under, April got all excited and promised Buffy that she'd get a friend of hers to help her with her spell.

"My friend knows a lot about magic, Buffy," said April. "I'm quite sure she can help you with your problem."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Buffy. "And anyway, I'd rather not impose -- "

"Hey, you saved my life," said April. "In light of that, I insist that you let me pay you back by getting my friend to help you."

"Well, in all fairness," said Buffy, "I too have friends who know more than a little something about magic."

"Not like this girl!" exclaimed April. "She hasn't been in Sunnydale for very long but she knows all kinds of stuff."

"But can she cure what I have?" asked Buffy.

"Only one way to find out," said April. "Anyway, that's her house up ahead. Maybe we'll be lucky and she'll be home right now."

Buffy just shrugged. A female magician who would do anything for her good friend. Sounded a bit like Willow. But who knows? This girl April mentioned may really know of a cure. And April did seem like a nice person. Perhaps all this was a sign.

No sooner than April entered her friend's house than Buffy heard a voice call out, "Is that you, April?"

"Yes, it is, Anya," said April with a grin.

Anya, thought Buffy. Where have I heard that name before?

"Why are you out of school so early?" asked the voice. "You usually don't get out of school this early."

"I ran into a major problem during lunch," said April. "In fact, I almost got killed. But fortunately this nice girl came by and saved me."

Buffy took one glance at the blonde girl who had just entered the room -- the same girl April had just addressed as Anya -- and realized that it was the same girl that she had seen earlier standing next to Cordelia. The girl who had called herself Anya Emerson. The girl who had lent Buffy her sweater.

It seemed fairly obvious from the expression on Anya's face that Anya recognized Buffy as well.

"Oh, my," said Anya. "Now this is awkward."