An hour later, Buffy found herself sitting in her hotel room on the phone with Dawn. Dawn was excited about a date she had been asked out on and wanted to ask permission from Buffy even though she was far away and couldn’t really stop her. Buffy knew the boy, James, who had asked Dawn out and had seen Dawn point him out a few times when she had picked Dawn up from school. He seemed nice enough and they were going to a dance club, which had lots of people around so she should be safe. Dawn was taking her slayer friend, Sarah, with her so she would have someone to pair up with if things went bad. It was a double date. Buffy missed the joy of dating but knew her heart still wouldn’t let her look at anyone yet. It was just too soon even though it had been almost a year. Even being out with Angel tonight had made her feel guilty but perhaps that had something to do with the fact Angel had given her a kiss before she could stop him when the evening ended. She had returned upstairs, taken a long hot bath removing all traces of makeup and the day’s adventures from her body before getting dressed for bed and calling Dawn.
Dawn kept chattering away and Buffy smiled as finally a pause in the conversation occurred, “Dawn I thought of you a lot today. I did a spa day with this green demon and it was fun. I’ve never done the spa thing. I wished you were with me to enjoy it but it sounded like it was a good thing you were home. Guess what I got you though?” Dawn practically jumped for joy into the phone and Buffy could just sense her excitement, “What did you get me? You really thought of me even when you were spending the day in L.A.? Did you get to shop? Did you get to eat anywhere fancy? How was the law firm?”
Buffy grinned, “I got you dresses Dawnie! Just wait until you see what all I bought. I bought us jewelry, shoes, and dresses. You can even borrow some of my makeup if you want when I get home since we all know how much I bother with makeup. It’s just that there is no one I want to dress up nicely for anymore but you will just love what I got you.” The two girls rambled back and forth in excitement about the clothes as she tried to describe the outfits in great detail. Then Dawn asked the classic question Buffy had been dreading, “What was it like seeing Angel again?”
Buffy let out a deep sigh as she tried to describe it, “It was weird and awkward. I think Angel still sees me as something of a girlfriend or girlfriend material. That just made things even more awkward. He greeted me with a hug which was ok I guess. I don’t mind getting a hug from Angel. We talked some but mostly about you because it was a common and easy topic. I hope you don’t mind. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have a clue where we live. He offered Rome and I didn’t correct him. I figure it’s better this way. So then I did the whole spa and shopping thing with Lorne and then he took me out to dinner. My vampire tingles have barely settled down today. First the evil law firm, then the spa time with demons and vampires all around and finally the restaurant full of demons and vampires. I’m thinking there’s even a vampire somewhere in this blasted hotel because they are still slightly tingling. I feel like I’ve joined the enemy.”
Buffy let out another sigh as Dawn questioned, “Did he say why he wants this battle?” Buffy shook her head answering out loud, “I don’t exactly know. It sounds like it’s a battle to the death and that it isn’t a winning battle. I don’t get why he would do this when he always had hope for the future with becoming human and all…” Dawn spoke up then, “Say something happened so he wasn’t able to get the prophecy. Say he joined Wolfram and Hart and had to give it up for something better….He wouldn’t have a reason to fight for if the only thing he ever worked for is gone or perhaps he was working for you…You sent him away Buffy, meaning you don’t want him anymore. Ever stop to think that it might have caused Angel to not want to live anymore?”
Buffy grew quiet and the silence on the phone was deafening. Finally she heard Dawn’s quiet voice, “I have you thinking don’t I?” Buffy agreed, “Yes. I’ll talk to Angel about it in the morning. The limo is supposed to come by here to pick me up at 10 am. Dawn, I miss you.” Dawn whispered back, “I miss you too Buffy. Be safe ok? Are you going to see about patrolling tonight?” Buffy nodded, “I am. I actually was debating on going back the law firm to see about where I could fight and have some good battles but I might just go out on my own. I used to live here you know so I remember some places.” Dawn whispered, “Just be careful. I don’t want to imagine the world without you and without Spike to care for me in your absence; I don’t know what I’ll do.”
Buffy agreed to be careful and when she hung up, she climbed off her bed and threw on some sensible black clothing. She pulled out the duster and put her arms in it feeling the leather around her body. It sort of did smell of Spike a little bit. He had always smelt of the same leather smell that filled her nose now. She let the scent linger over her for a moment before she opened her eyes, went to her bag and began pulling out stakes. She slipped some into her back pocket and then some into the inner pockets of the duster and was ready to go. She slipped into her slaying boots and ran a brush through her hair. She didn’t need makeup to go out slaying. It wasn’t like the demon world would care what she looked like once they were dust blowing in the wind. She took a deep breath readying herself for the walk to the cemetery she had passed on her way in. She really needed violence right about now.
The cemetery was full of demons and vampires. She was surprised since this was Angel’s town and all but perhaps working in the evil law firm took up his time. The cemetery was crawling with action and she could hardly keep up. After battling about 18 vampires and 9 demons for 3 hours, it was almost 2 am and she was exhausted. She limped out of the cemetery only to be faced with 3 more vampires. She sighed as she flipped the last stake still left on her into her hand ready for battle. The vampires were older and wiser. Buffy had a horrible time battling them. She kicked one into the other causing them to both fall down leaving her with the last one. She tried to kick him but he grabbed her foot forcing her into the air. Unfortunately she landed on the leg she had earlier injured when battling a demon and she called out in pain before she quickly used her other leg to right herself. She sighed knowing this was going to hurt. She punched the demon taking a punch in the face herself.
She turned in the circle of the three vampires who had surrounded her and she longed for Spike to fight with her. He was always great at this sort of thing. They would always divide and conquer trusting the other to finish their current vampire before helping to finish off the last ones. Spike wasn’t here though so she had to do this on her own. She jumped up high into the air ignoring the pain that shot through her body from her leg and swung high swiping a kick to two of the vampires’ heads leaving her with the last again. The other two righted themselves while Buffy punched the third again and again ignoring the blood that was seeping from his mouth. She jumped up again swinging around nailing the other two as she righted the stake in her hand eager to take the plunge as she landed on the ground. Her leg was getting more and more injured so when she landed this time, she managed to plunge the stake into the vampire’s heart only to turn around and find herself on the ground on her back splayed out with two vampires over her. She screamed and tried to kick them off and managed to kick one aside leaving her with one.
The vampire laughed and she flinched noticing his breath smelt horrible as she continued to fight. The vampire’s claws scratched her arms holding her down as she felt his fangs rub against her neck. That gave her the energy she needed. She righted the stake and staked him from behind causing dust to cover her. She was able to recover as the last vampire jumped up on her landing on her stake. She lay there for a moment looking up at the dust swirling in front of the stars. Then she climbed carefully to her feet to start limping home thinking that she ought to kill Angel for letting the vampire population get so out of hand. Even on the Hellmouth she had never had to fight 21 vampires and 9 demons in 3 days much less one 3-hour period. She ignored the pain and managed to walk back to her hotel where the man at the desk eyed her as she took the elevator up to her room. Once inside her room she didn’t even bother undressing as she laid on her bed wrapping the duster tighter around her and fell asleep hoping her leg and her other wounds would heal themselves by morning.