Dawn was pissed. No-scratch that-Dawn was uberly pissed. The high of a great patrol with Connor last night ruined by tonight’s patrol with Faith. Yes, Jess and Tara were present, but that didn’t help the situation. At all.
“We should split up. Jess and I can go one way, you two can go another.” Dawn said. Her skin itched. Itched for her to do something to Faith. For hurting Spike. For hurting Buffy. For hurting everyone. To make her pay. To make her wake up on fire. And she beat it down with everything she had within her because it was wrong to think that way; even if she liked the mental image it gave her. Her eyes flashed green for the briefest of seconds.
“I-I don’t know, Dawnie. Buffy said to stick together.” Tara disagreed.
“And suddenly Buffy’s commander and chief? I thought that was Katherine or Giles’ gig.”
“Katherine’s busy.” Tara deadpanned.
“Hey, we’re all friends here. We can patrol together.” Faith finally jumped in.
Dawn gave her a cold look. “We’re not friends. We’re not even acquaintances.” She looked at Tara, her gaze softening. “Fine. We’ll patrol together, okay?”
Jess followed Dawn and Tara gave Faith a sympathetic look; it was in her nature. “She’ll come around soon, Faith.”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. And one of these days, I’m going to learn how to fly.”
Katherine flipped through the book that she was forced to search from cover to cover. After nearly a month of being unable to find that last guide, she was resorting to a spell to show this last person to her.
“Ostendo mihi quisnam ego peto.” She murmured easily. A bright white glow appeared in front of her and flew in the air. She was ready to chase it out the door until Jonathon entered and it hit him in the chest, the glow spreading to him.
“Katherine?” Jonathon asked, confused.
“It’s you! This entire time, I’ve been runnin’ ‘round like a chick with my ‘ead cut off, it was you!” she exclaimed in awe, grabbing Jonathon by the shoulders. “You’re the guide!”
Tracy looked upwards in relief. It was about time Katherine found him. She didn’t even want to think of what would’ve happened if she hadn’t.
Tracy soon found herself facing Stacy Lynn. “You think you can stop this? Stop me? You’re wrong, Trace. I will kill them all. Hurt them badly. Startin’ with Angel ‘cause I haven’t even gotten my hands dirty…not that I actually can, but you get the idea.”
Tracy stepped back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“There is nothing compares to what I’ll do next. Watch them all you want, Trace, I’ll still win in the end. No matter what.”
Stacy Lynn woke up in the most comfortable position she could ever imagine. She was on Gunn’s chest, using it as a pillow. She’d healed, thankfully. But she had nightmares about it. And she was sure he knew. Thank God he never said anything.
She sat up a bit, looking at his face. He was still sleeping at ten in the morning; she had converted him to her kind of hours. He looked sweet, innocent.
“It’s amazing what life can have in store for people.”
Stacy Lynn turned from Gunn. “Who are you?”
“My name’s Alonna. I guess I should be angry my big brother decided to not only be friends with a vampire, but also date another one…only I can’t.”
“You’re Alonna Gunn?” Stacy Lynn found a pair of jeans and a shirt and put them on.
“Yeah. You’re going to hurt my brother. Eventually. A lot of times. Even when everything’s fixed, you’ll do it again, and again. All you’ll do is hurt him.”
Stacy Lynn’s eyes widened. “I wouldn-“
“But you did. You will. Because he’ll hurt you first. Karma’s a bitch, I guess.”
“Then tell me how to fix it.” Stacy Lynn said.
“I can’t. It’s already started. It’s been starting.”
“I-I don’t want to hurt him.”
“I know. But you will.” Alonna disappeared.
Stacy Lynn fell back onto the bed, stunned by this. Alonna was the real deal, she’d felt it. But this…with Gunn and the no-so-happy future…
“Tracy. Nice to see you again. What’s wrong now?” Katherine said as Tracy appeared in front of her.
“Watch out for the First.”
“Been doin’ that.”
“I’m serious. Katherine, it’s going to get really ugly. Remember that memories matter, not the faults. Don’t do anything rash…and watch over Angel. I have a bad feeling.”
Katherine woke up and sat still, thinking. She couldn’t help thinking that Tracy knew something she couldn’t directly tell.
She got up to check on Jonathon. He’d passed out the moment she’d made it clear to him about the guide thing.
“Hey,” she said, seeing him get up. She’d taken him to the back and took care of the shop instead of waking him right away. “Past the fainting thing?”
“God, I hope so. I feel so stupid.”
“For passing out when you found out you’re supposed to guide some warrior for the Powers That Be?” Katherine perked.
“Yeah. That.” Jonathan took the offered hand and stood. “It’s just…the guys and I, we…” he paused, remembering to himself that he didn’t leave them; they died. And Katherine killed them. “We always said we’d be like god one day.” His voice was low, saddened.
For all anyone else would’ve known, Jonathon could have just punched Katherine in the gut. The blonde took a step back, a stricken look on her face.“
For that, bastard, y’die.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to forget the memory. She didn’t want to remember. If she remembered that day, she’d remember-
“Kat, y’mum…and dad. They were found by the river.”
“Katherine? Are you okay?” Jonathan asked, noticing the look on her face.
“Yeah. You’re the one who passed out.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“You are okay, though, right?” Katherine asked abruptly.
“Yeah. Fine.”
“Good. That’s…good.” In a whirl of black and white, she left the back room as Buffy came upstairs.
“Hey, Katherine. Angel and I can’t find that root-“
The slayer’s comment was cut off as a horde of robed figures crashed through the window, weapons raised.
Buffy grabbed the sword conveniently lying by the basement door while Katherine raised an arm and a sword flew out the training room door and into her palm.
“Good thing Anya’s at the doctor. She’d kill me about the windows.” Jonathan said, just as a minion knocked him down.
Katherine flipped the Harbinger over her shoulder and spun to kick another in the gut before stabbing a third with her sword.
Buffy ducked low and then struggled as a figure threw her back towards the wall. She used the momentum to run up the wall and flip in the air, spinning and landing on her feet, also swinging her sword to decapitate the five nearest Harbingers.
Jonathan hit a Harbinger with a chair and ducked being decapitated by Buffy’s sword in enough time to save himself. “Hey!”
“Sorry!” Buffy called out as she sliced her weapon through the air once more with deadly accuracy.
Katherine flipped in the air and landed on the counter lightly. She kicked a Harbinger in the face and dropped to one knee to stab another in the gut, twisting the weapon with extra strength.
Buffy was surprised when a Harbinger shoved her into a wall and retreated, quickly followed by the last remaining ones. Katherine too, was mid-attack. She managed to land on her feet, if only a bit awkwardly and Jonathon came from under the reading table. It collapsed without him to hold it up any longer.
“Anya’s so gonna kill me.” Jonathon said, taking in the damage done to the shop in disbelief and no small amount of fear of Anya.
“Anya’s the least of your problems.” Katherine reminded.
“You don’t work for her.” Jonathon mumbled to himself.
“Like, one: why did they attack and then run off for no reason? I mean, we’re all here, they attacked, then they ran away. All of us are still alive, right? No one’s dead, including Jonathon, which is…” Buffy paused. “Really surprising.”
“I defended myself.” The male protested.
“Ha!” Katherine exclaimed. “With a chair! I saw you!”
There was something inkling at the back of her mind. Something she was told…
“And watch Angel. I have a bad feeling.”
“Hey, Katherine. Angel and I can’t find that root-“
Katherine’s eyes widened. “Oh bloody-Angel.”
She bolted for the basement. Buffy caught on and followed her to the basement. She bumped into the demi-god’s back and saw what Katherine saw.
Nothing. No Angel. No anyone. Just a few dead Harbingers and overturned boxes showed that anything happened.
“So, Angel was taken by these Harbringers-“ Cordelia started.
“Bingers.” Katherine interrupted.
“What?”
“You said ‘Harbringers.’ They’re Harbingers.” Katherine corrected without a single thought towards it, trying to paint her nails perfectly.
“Fine. Harbingers, while you three fought them up here?”
“That’s good to know,” Dawn started, “but why?”
Anya looked a bit drained. After complaining about her shop for several moments, Jonathon had been able to convince her to let go of her vice grip on his throat and explain about Harbingers.
A meeting soon after came into effect. It seems that it was Cordelia’s turn to deal with the problems of dating the only vampire with a soul, but she was determined to not break under pressure, or let Angel, for that matter.
“Look, we’ve known what it wanted for more than just the past month,” Stacy Lynn said, standing up.
“What do you mean?” Wesley asked, as everyone’s attention was now on the vampire.
“Four years ago, as Buffy mentioned, she dealt with the First. And it was trying to get Angel to kill himself. The way it seems, Angel’s a factor when the real shit hits the fan. Shanshu Prophecy, Abjerian Scrolls, all that.”
Everyone looked not-so-optimistic and Stacy Lynn shook her head slowly. Even Katherine looked skeptical. “Look,” she sighed, “I get the fact that you’re all for us winning, Stace, but if Angel’s a factor and the First has him, then-“
“Then we get him back! We’re supposed to be the good guys. The ones that win. The ones that never give up. Where the hell is that?”
“Angel is a warrior for the Powers That Be. Angel is my warrior. And, more importantly, my boyfriend. We’re not just going to abandon him. That’s the last thing I’ll let happen.” Cordelia stood suddenly.
Buffy shared a look with Spike and knew she had to find Angel. For Cordelia. For the war. For herself. “Stacy Lynn and Cordelia are right. We can’t just give up. We’ll get Angel back in time. When we’re prepared. Until then, what’s the worst that can happen?”
“It’s pathetic that you’re my kin. A vampire with a soul, feeling guilt and other things.”
The First transformed from Angel’s father to Buffy. “Love. Need. Want. Humanity. The disgusting need to save even the murderers. All because they’re human.”
It walked towards Angel, the click of its non-existent heels an illusion all too real.
“You do all that…but lack the tendency to breathe and eat human food…like Spike had…when he’d been a vampire…like you still are.”
It watched as Angel was lifted over the Seal of Danthazar, watched as the Champion of the Powers That Be was bled into the hell mouth to bring back something so ancient and powerful…it watched with hungry green eyes as the vampire’s blood dripped over the seal.
The seal glowed and opened the First smiled as its form once again changed, this time to that of the sire of the vampire whose blood dripped for its cause. It was pretending to be Darla. “See? I always knew school would have something for me one of these days.”
Margaret closed her eyes, taking deep breaths and concentrating. The more she did it, and the longer she lasted, meant the closer she was to pinpointing the exact location of every current warrior and guide. It would prove a useful ability in the future if she could only master it.
It was like a sixth sense that washed over when she felt Dawn sit in front of her, legs crossed. “Dawn. Is there something you need?”
“No. I was…just wondering…if you need any help, y’know, trying to find Angel. Because I can. Help.” Dawn said. She’d talked to Cordelia and the brunette seer had told her that Margaret didn’t believe she could anything worthwhile.
“Help.” Margaret echoed, opening her grey eyes slowly. “You want to help me? What can you do? You’re a child.”
“I’m not child! I-“
“You are the key, millenniums old and made into the form of a human, the slayer’s sister.” Margaret cut Dawn off. “Now, you are a guide to one of our best warriors. But…that doesn’t change the fact that you are in the form of a teenaged girl and, as long as you are, I cannot find it in myself to expect you to contribute in any way, shape, or form, nor can I trust you enough to do so either.”
Cordelia closed the door to her hotel room and paced the length of the room. Angel had been gone for approximately two days by now. And she was worried, appropriately so. The First was after Angel for a specific reason, whether it be to use him, of to kill him, and either way, it wasn’t a good thing for Angel or the side of good.
There was a knock on her door and she went to answer it, revealing a nervous Fred who entered quickly. Cordelia closed the door behind her. “What’s going on, Fred?”
“I just-you ever get the feeling that-that maybe all of this isn’t right? That things are off kilter?” The older brunette asked nervously.
Cordelia looked at Fred. “You mean…like there are places we shouldn’t be, things that are, that it’s going too fast, happening to quickly to be right? ‘Cause if you do, I’m right there with you on the ‘this is wrong’ train, set to crash any moment now.”
Fred nodded. “Do you-I’ve been thinking a lot, y’know, ‘bout where we were headed and stuff…and I was happy with Gunn…at least I think I had been. And then Katherine told me that there was something deeper and in a period of nearly a year, I’m suddenly with Wesley.”
Cordelia looked at Fred in something akin to awe. “You think it’s Katherine…that she changed things…maybe even messed with the order of things.”
Fred sighed, looking at Cordelia. “Yeah. I do, actually. Is that wrong?”
“No. I’m pretty sure you’re right.”
It’s kinda funny when you think about it,” Buffy said. “Well, okay, maybe not ‘ha ha’ funny, but still….kinda funny.”
“What?” Spike looked at Buffy with a bit of confusion as they walked through the cemetery alone, holding hands and waiting for at least one vampire to show up and make this trek through the gravestones have a point.
“Dawn hates Faith, Margaret thinks Dawn’s useless, and no one thinks we can get Angel back from the First Evil.” Buffy said. “Including Katherine.”
“Right then. So, I’m assuming you have a plan to fix that.”
“Duh, I do. I just have to wait for the right moment, Will, and Xander to put it into action.”
“Angelus, I bet you think you’ve seen a real vampire,” the First said in the vestige of the Master, while a clawed hand reached out of the seal. “I bet you think you are a real vampire. Well, you’re wrong.”
The monster lifted itself out of the seal.
“This is a real vampire, Angelus. You could learn a thing or two from it.”
Angel didn’t bother with an answer, glaring at the First hatefully as it morphed into Drusilla. “Oh, but don’t worry, Angel. I’m sure my beautiful pet won’t mind helping. The stars whisper he will…oh, yes, it will be so beautiful…”
“You’re not Drusilla,” it was hoarse, but it was there.
The First kept the form, but dropped the insanity and laughed a little maniacally, a chipper smile on its face as it said, “No, I’m really not.”
“You know, I made Dru crazier than you.” Angel retorted, a smirk quickly forming on his face.
“Oh…” the First’s eyes widened and it put a wounded look on its face. “Daddy’s not being nice. Miss Edith says to punish him.” It barked, much like Drusilla would’ve. “Bad doggie…he deserves no presents.”
An idea came to the First as it watched Angel. “No more cake for you,” a sinister smile crossed its face. “But a lot of pain.”
“It’s a Christmas tree lot in December.” Buffy commented as she and Katherine entered the vacant space. They, as in the Powers That Be, had told Katherine (well, given her a hint), as to where to look for Angel, and so, there they were, searching.
“I noticed…” Buffy started carefully. “We haven’t really talked since you came back.”
“Yeah, we did. There was that thing at your house before it went pear shaped and not to forget-“
“I’m not stupid, Katherine.” Buffy stopped walking to turn and look at Katherine very seriously. She didn’t blink once as she said, “You don’t just fall out of love after eight months.”
And there it was, out in the open. Katherine’s worst nightmare as of late, the thing she was so awfully afraid of was happening.
“Did Xander tell you?”
“Why does it matter?”
“So, he did then?” She’d kill him. She’d absolutely kill-
“He hinted.”
“Bastard.” Katherine said hatefully. She sighed. “Does it really matter whether I am or not?”
“Not if you don’t want it to.” Buffy replied after a long moment.
“Good. I don’t.” The started to walk again. “I can’t believe this all started a month ago.”
Nice topic change, Buffy thought and hoped Katherine didn’t catch it as she responded with a “Yeah-.” Her reply was cut off with a scream as the wood leading to an underground hole broke under her and she fell through.
Katherine didn’t think twice, though she did roll her eyes, and jumped down after Buffy, landing silently on the ground as Buffy stood and brushed herself off.
“What do you think is down here?”
“Dunno. Not really in the mood t’find out.” The demi-god was slammed into the wall by a monster she couldn’t see, all the air knocked out of her lungs. It disappeared into the shadows of the cave as Buffy helped her to her feet.
The slayer scanned the dark cavern, eyes narrowed. She felt a slight movement to her right and spun to punch the demon, only for it to grab her throat and tossed her back into the same wall it had sent Katherine into. She groaned as she stood and looked over at Katherine.
“Spoke too soon?”
“Oh, yeah, maybe just a bit.” Katherine murmured sarcastically as she eyed their attacker, her vision slowly adjusting to the dark. She didn’t like what she saw. “Shit.”
“What?”
“The demon. It’s a goddamn Turok Han.” Katherine fell into a sloppy fighting stance and then ducked out of the way of an attack from the creature. Buffy did the same, but looked extremely confused.
“Kat, what the hell is a Turok Han?”
“It’s most the primal species of vampires. The First. The strongest. Stronger than you half-breeds. Pure demon. Untamed and pure. A mere sliver of wood wouldn’t harm them.” The First said conversationally as the Turok Han beat Angel. “You should feel privileged that my baby wants to teach you everything it knows.”
"Go…” Angel spit blood and glared at the entity. “To hell.”
The malicious smile on Buffy’s face became Darla’s. “Been there, didn’t remember…or did I not tell you that? I swear, Dru is something. She’s better to me than you ever were, that’s for sure. “ It hitched up its skirt slowly. “She does everything to please her Darla. To please me.”
It let the skirt drop and watched the Turok Han reach for a cross, smiling as it barely burned the hideous thing.
“Now, enough about me and more about you. Screaming.”