Giles locked the basement door behind Buffy. Willow sat on the bed, staring at the spaced out slayer. Willow began to whisper to her, and all though the two girls were many feet apart, Buffy heard her friend clearly.
"Buffy, he wants you so badly. You have the opportunity to serve him in a greater way than anyone else. You will be the most important. Your strength can protect him against the men who want to hurt him. You are his chosen one, you will allow him to rise to
his rightful glory, atop society, with limitless wealth and glamour. All this can be your gift to him. But you need to open your mind to him first. He taught me how to show you how to contact him. I can guide you. It'll just be a deepening of the same wonderful trance he put you under earlier. It will feel almost as good as when he does it. I'll guide you down Buffy, you know you want it. Will you let me take you there?", Willow asked
"Take me there.", Buffy responded.
"Let your mind clear Buffy. Let everything else fade away. Let my voice fill your mind. Remember his eyes. Remember the blue, the piercing blue. Remember how it shot right through your mind. Remember how sexual it was. It felt so right to be dominated. To obey. You wanted to serve him, you wanted him to take you, both mentally, and physically. Go back to that feeling now Buffy, go back. Can you see his eyes Buffy?"
"yes"

"Do you remember how sexually stimulating it was Buffy?", Willow asked
"mmm yess", Buffy replied
"Good, now you need to harness that sexual energy, that animal magnetism. You need to harness it and focus on it's source. Let the magnetism lead your mind to his. They are two opposite magnets. You are pulled right into his mind. Let your mind fly to his. You are connected now, his thoughts are coming into your mind, Buffy...let it happen!"
"He's scared. He knows they're after him. He needs me to protect him. But-but he's unsure over his control over me, he didn't think he had enough time. He needs me to get back to him so I can become his totally. I must hurry, otherwise I will realize I have the power to fight back. I have the power to fight back? .... I have the power to fight back! I will fight back!", Buffy said. Her telepathic journey had come at an inopportune time for Mesmotto. His fear of being hunted by men had distracted him. She saw his insecurities, and it snapped her out of the trance. Now she was going to kick his ass!

 

"That wanker? I remember him from the forties. Put on a good show, but what a pissy little whimp. So he's got Sommers, hey? What makes you think I am going to get in his way. If she's his little sex toy, she won't have time to worry about staking me!", Spike told Xander.
"Hmmm, well, you sure are smart, the smartest in fact. I wish I was as smart as you Smarty McSmarty pants.", Xander teased, annoyed, "Because if I was as smart as you, I would realize that you are secretly in love with Buffy! Therefore, when she is constantly sucking the cock-aroo of some netherworld baddy...
you're going to get mighty jealous. Good ol' Mes, who has a little fear of jealous guys, will sense your ill will. He'll send his little slayer slave after you, and she will be void of any compassion that may have spared your undead life in the past. Plus, you'll never get that first date you've been dreaming about. But... you are obviously to busy to help, so see ya later!", Xander announced. He could see by the look on the now harmless vamps face that his argument had set in.

 

"Good news Giles, Buffy broke the spell. I let her out of the basement!", Anya boasted.
"This is no time for jokes Anya, please", admonished Giles.
"No, no it's true. But don't worry. I checked to make sure that she was free of his influence.", she reassured.
"I see. And how, exactly did you do that?", Giles asked.
"Before I let her out, I said,'Buffy - are you sure you

are not under his power?', and she said,'you bet!'"
"Yes, well, at least you were thorough. Is she still here?", Giles asked.
"I am", Buffy answered from behind, "and don't worry, I'm really not under his influence right now."
"I certainly hope not. You understand though, that I can not allow you to face him again.", Giles told her.
"Giles and Xander don't want you to see them get their butts whipped!", Anya said.
"Come Buffy, let's talk about this in my office... alone"

 

"It was weird. It was like he was my destiny or something. All I could think of was serving him, pleasing him. The scariest part was, it felt so good! There was this wave of complete bliss when I thought about serving him, obeying him. I felt so powerless, and I liked it. I'm so ashamed."
"Don't be Buffy. He is a very powerful force. I did some research. In the forties, in Italy, he had so many lovers, it was like a cult. People knew the women and girls he had taken by changes in their behavior, attitude
and attire.", explained Giles.
"Really, how so?"
"Well, all his women were dressed impeccably. A girl who was a peasant the day before, would suddenly be adorned in the finest furs and designer dresses. Mesmotto was very concerned with appearances, he wanted to be known as having the most beautiful, desirable women at his beck and call. He loved to make other men jealous ... though that is what eventually killed him."
"It is no doubt my own fabulous fashion sense that has made me his target.", Buffy joked.
"I would doubt that belly shirts and bellbottoms are his idea of a fine wardrobe. He seems a little more sophisticated.", Giles answered frankly. Buffy turned her nose up at him, knowing he didn't get her joke.
"Seriously, Buffy, the reason Mesmotto needs you is for protection. He now seems to have a phobia of angry men. Your strength would offer him protection. You would be both a bride and a bodyguard."
"I know, Willow hypnotized me and connected me telepathically to him."
"Oh dear, he does have some sort of telepathic power. It is worse than I feared. Did you say that Willow hypnotized you?"
"Yeah, I mean, it wasn't that hard, I was pretty trancey already."
"Yes, I suppose. That does make me nervous though."
"You're gonna have to chill a little bit Giles, we can only handle one problem at a time"

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