B -- er -- Buffy makes an entrance

Way at the back of the Bronze, a naked Buffy walked out of a hidden entrance to the club, only to immediately hide behind a conveniently located table. Which, unfortunately, did not quite hide as much of her as she hoped.

Joyce-in-Faith walked out of the same entrance, but since she was fully dressed, she did not feel the need to squeak, squeal, blush, or flush like Buffy did. She did kinda wish that her body's original occupant had not chosen to wear leather pants but still she thought she was doing pretty well compared to Buffy.

Then Buffy spied a familiar face. Her mother's. Her mother's body was indeed surrounded by armed men just like Tara had said and if that wasn't bad enough, she recognized several other armed men in the club. These particular armed men were not only obviously American but they were people Buffy had worked with during the brief period that she had worked with the top-secret government project known as the Initiative. And if they were here, that meant --

"Riley Finn!" yelled Buffy the instant she spied her supposed boyfriend flirting with a well-dressed brunette who looked more than a bit like -- well -- Buffy. "What the hell!"

Riley turned and although he was the type of man who thought nothing about fighting vampires and demons, he took one look at an angry Buffy and thought, oh-oh.

Then he took a second look and realized that his girlfriend -- his shy, modest girlfriend -- at least she seemed that way in bed sometimes -- was totally naked. In public. With nothing protecting her modesty save a wooden chair -- which apparently wasn't doing a good thing of shielding Buffy's naked body from the view of anybody.

"Buffy!" cried Riley. "What the hell! Why are you naked? Especially here of all places?"

Buffy looked down and tried frantically to cover up. But her thin arms and small hands could cover only so much and there seemed to be no conveniently located counter behind which she could hide.

"It's a long story," she finally said. "Why are you flirting with that woman? You have a girlfriend, remember? Me!"

"Well, at first I thought she was you in a black wig," said Riley. "Then we got to talking and -- "

"This is all very interesting, but we really must take our leave of this place," said the leader of the armed men surrounding Faith-in-Joyce. "Come along, Ms. Lehane."

"Oh my God!" cried Buffy. "Don't let those men take my mom, Riley!"

"Don't worry," said Riley. "I won't."

Riley turned toward the men and said, "You heard the lady. Joyce Summers stays here."

The leader of the armed trio just smiled. "You have no idea whom you're dealing with, young man," he said.

"Nor do you,"said Riley. "I represent an agency of the United States government and I say, Joyce Summers stays here."

"Well, it just so happens that this particular woman beside me claims that she is not this Joyce Summers so she comes with us," said the leader.

"She stays here," said Riley.

"She comes with us," said the leader.

"She stays," said Riley.

"She goes," said the leader.

"Stays."

"Goes."

"Stays."

"Goes."

"Stays."

"Goes."

"Goes."

"No, stays," said the leader. "I say she stays and you can't make me do othe -- Wait a minute. You tricked me."

"Come along, Joyce," said Riley, holding out his hand. "You're coming with me and my men."

"That's what you think," said the leader of the trio.

And with that, he and his men aimed their guns in Riley's direction and prepared to fire.

Riley's men in return aimed their guns at the armed trio and prepared to fire as well.

I guess this is a good time to get out of here, thought Faith-in-Joyce as she began to slowly inch her way through the exit.

Then the leader put down his gun, took out a revolver from under his coat and pointed it at Faith-in-Joyce's head.

"Any more inching, my dear," said the man, "and I'll decorate the floor of this club with your brains."