The rain poured down hard on them. Buffy glanced over at Faith who marched next to her. Giles had some of the girls waiting inside with Dawn and Andrew while the rest followed Buffy and Faith. Overhead Buffy could swear she saw a dragon. Impossible, she thought. The rain was going to make this fight difficult, but nothing they can't handle. Still, she had no idea what to expect. Was there one big bad, two, thousands? Were they human, demon, vampires? Buffy still had no real information about the Black Thorn. She didn't even really know much about Wolfram and Hart.

There was a loud roar just east of where they stood. A bolt of light exploded in front of them. "There you guys are," Willow cried, happily.

Buffy turned to Willow, who stood a few feet in front of Kennedy. They had a legion of girls behind them. Some were Kennedy's, some Giles, Faith's. Buffy ran to Willow and gave her a huge hug. Willow winced in pain and tapped Buffy's shoulder.

"Uh, Buff, I'm human, ya know. I can break."

Realizing she was hugging her too hard, Buffy let go and apologized. "Oh my God Wil, I'm so sorry, I'm just so happy to see you!"

Willow winked at her, then stood by her side as they marched into battle. The rain was harder now. Buffy could almost sense something in the air. Something huge. Bad. Evil. Then there it was. A wall of demons, literally taking up entire blocks. She could barely make out what kind they were, they were still too far away. Buffy knew this was bad.

Giles marched the rest of the girls out, keeping a good distance. He wanted to make sure they were spread out enough to ensure everyone's safety.

Buffy heard a voice in the distance behind her. She knew that voice. As she turned around, she could see Xander running towards her with a woman. "This must be Issa", Buffy thought. He caught up to her and hugged her , lifting her into the air. Buffy laughed.

"Aren't ya gonna introduce me?" Buffy asked.

Xander, flustered, put Buffy down and threw his arm around Issa's waist.

"Everyone, this is Issa, Issa this is, well... everyone."

Almost in unison, they yelled, "Hi Issa!" Issa gave a small bow and smiled.

Chuckling at the comedic moment, Buffy held out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you Issa." Buffy glanced at Xander.

He knew that look. "Buff, she's a really powerful witch, she'll be okay."

Giles had filled her in earlier about Xander being slayer-less. It didn't matter. They had enough and Xander brought Issa. She knew Xander never went for the normal gals, just as much as she went for the normal guys. Spike. Angel. They're out there somewhere in that craziness, fighting. She had to find them. She looked at Willow as if Willow knew what she was thinking.

"Wil, we need to locate Angel and Spike. Can you...?"

"On it!" Willow nodded.

With a quick flash, a light flew above them. It was bright and big like the size of that big ball in Times Square on New Year's Eve. They saw the ball bounce around in the air then it headed east. It went fast, then stopped, hovering over an area.

That's it, Buffy thought. There they are!

Spike grabbed the arm of a Serparvo demon and swung him into a few other ones that stood there. They fell down like bowling pins. "Too easy," Spike mumbled.

The rain was making it very slippery. Some of his punches just slipped off of the demons. No more fists, he thought. He motioned to Angel. Angel lifted a battle-ax and threw it over to Spike. He caught it and whacked a few more demons, their heads rolling to the ground.

"Too bad these guys don't dust like the rest of us, huh?" Spike joked, tripping on the severed heads.

Angel smirked, but kept his concentration on the dragon flying overhead. Behind him he can hear Gunn yelling something, but couldn't make it out. Suddenly a bright ball came towards them in the sky. It flew fast, then stopped overhead.

Spike looked up, barely able to keep his eyes open against the pounding rain. He knew that light. He knew exactly what that was. Willow. He scanned the area for her, frantically. Where was she? Was she here? Why was Red here?

Illyria stood still, staring up at the brightness, ignoring the fact that a Woruk demon came at her full speed with a very large sword. Illyria grabbed the sword without flinching just as the demon swung it at her. She broke it off then sliced the demon's head off with the broken piece of the blade. She then flung the broken blade like a Frisbee, beheading five other demons that were headed her way.

Spike chuckled at the sight, then focused again at the light. "Locator spell. Red's in town and she's looking for us," Spike shouted.

Angel nodded. He picked up his sword and ran over to Gunn who was nearly fallen over. Gunn was weakand he didn't have much fight left in him but he pushed on. Angel let him. Illyria turned her head to the side and smirked, looking past them. Angel followed her gaze and his eyes widened.

Spike neared Angel, turning his attention again on the demon brigade, and he noticed some of the demons backing away. Some even looked almost spooked. Spike smiled as he lifted his chin and stuck out his chest with pride.

"That's right, run off to mum! Spike's here and he's gonna kick your sorry little..."

"Buffy!" Angel yelled.

"Your sorry little Buf... huh?" Spike questioned Angel's sanity at this point.

"Spike, you idiot, look!"

Spike followed Angel's finger. There in the distance was a large group of people heading their way. He can see clear as day, in the lead next to Faith and Willow, was his Buffy. His slayer.

Willow and Issa threw their arms up as a wave of energy came splashing down on the demons approaching Spike and Angel. Buffy and Faith ran ahead, almost a block away from the fight. Buffy's heart froze. There was a figure in black. Platinum hair. Looking right at her. He was standing next to Angel and some blue chick. There was a guy on the ground. Gunn. He looked beaten. Buffy got closer, then turned to Faith who was grinning hard. She couldn't wait to fight. She lived for this stuff. She saw Faith's expression change as her eyes went over to Spike's direction.

"Well, here they are. Are we going to do this or what?"

Buffy smiled and ran faster.

Spike stood frozen. Buffy closed in on them. Faith who was already bagging some baddies. Buffy stopped in her tracks looking at them. She turned to the strange blue girl. Was that really Fred?

"Buff... is it...?" Spike stammered.

All the years of fighting, all the hurt they caused each other. All the cruelty and harshness they had shown one another. It all just washed away at that moment. All Buffy could see was Spike. The man who loved her. The vampire who fought for his soul, for her. The one who saved the world and is now about to die again in some stupid battle that made no sense to her.

Buffy looked at him deeply. As their eyes met, her insides felt like they were on fire. Their gaze was interrupted as Buffy grabbed Spike by the collar of his duster and pulled him down to the ground. A sharp blade came crashing above him, almost decapitating him.

Buffy leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Are you okay?"

He looked at her still in awe. Was she really here?

"Buffy?" Spike choked.

"Spike, why...?"

She could barely get the words out when Angel ran up to them and helped Buffy to her feet. Spike rose slowly.

"Why are these strong women here? Are they assisting us with our battle?" Illyria so matter-of-factly asked.

Buffy shot a look at Illyria. She looked like Fred, but spoke kind of like... Anya?

Faith slammed a demon's head into the pavement with her foot. She grabbed a blade from her pocket and bent down. "Sorry, but I can't let you do that" Then she sliced it's neck open. She sighed and headed back towards Buffy.

"Actually, we're all here to help you!" Faith said as she motioned towards the army of slayers and witches walking towards them.

Angel didn't look pleased.

Buffy turned back to Spike. He was looking at this army with the same look in his eyes. Buffy leaned in next to him. "Listen, we're not leaving," she told him. His attention was back on her. Buffy continued, "I don't understand why you never bothered to find me when you mysteriously came back to life... I mean..."

She was still upset that he kept his return a secret. Yet someone like Harmony can... oh jealousy sucks. Spike looked hurt. Was he hurt from what she said? There wasn't time. The wall of demons came full force. Buffy took at least three on at once, pushing Spike out of the way of a pointy tentacle. He bounced back up onto his feet, still looking at Buffy. A Grigora demon whacked him hard in the face. He fell back, but remained on his feet. Spike turned from Buffy and slid under the Grigora demon that was leaping over him. He sliced it's belly open. Guts pouring over him. He grunted in disgust, but thanked the rain for washing most of it away.

The rest of the girls arrived with Kennedy in lead and started in on the demons with raw aggressiveness. Kennedy lifted her ax, slammed it hard on the back of a Yoltug demon. It screamed as it turned to her. She held a defensive pose as it closed in. Then it fell at her feet, dead. Kennedy shrugged then moved on to the next one.

Angel was beating a demon's head into the pavement. He pulled out his ax and slammed it into the demon's back, making him holler then go limp. He glanced at Spike who was fighting off a big one with pointy claws. He saw one claw rip through Spike's arm. Spike roared, then took the claw and broke it off. The demon made a play with the other claw, but Spike caught it in time and broke that one off too. The demon flayed his arms around in a desperate attempt to take Spike down. Spike laughed at the sight and quickly dug his sword into the demon's head, causing it to fall on it's back, convulsing. Spike drew the sword back and wiped it on the leg of the demon. No sense making his jeans dirty.

Rona climbed over a few dead demon bodies to reach Vi who was grabbing her leg. "Vi, you okay?"

Vi picked herself up and quickly switched to fighting mode. "Fine, just a small cut." They nodded at each other and jumped back into battle.

One girl up ahead was taking on a Suvolte demon. The girl crouched under it's legs and whacked it's shin with her ax. Yellow blood squirted from the site. It bent down to attack. She slid behind it, quicker than the demon, and stabbed it's back. It turned to find her, but she was too quick for it, and jumped in front of it. She pulled up her ax and drove it into the demon's chest. Buffy noticed it was Bianca. She felt proud. Her young Bianca bagging her first demon. Patricia was close behind her. She grabbed a demon's arm and swung him into another who was trying to hit Adriana.

Adriana looked at her and mouthed "Thank you!"

Sabrina was taking on two Mandraz demons. One grabbed her arm and she fought to get free. She swung her legs up and kicked the other one coming for her in the face. It fell back and growled. Bianca ran, swinging her ax, hitting the demon's face. It fell to the ground. She swung at it again, chopping it's head off swiftly. Sabrina, now free, went after the lone Mandraz. It crouched in position to fight. She took her sword and drove it through the demon's skull. She looked back at Bianca and the two smiled at each other.

Buffy noticed that this fight was under control. Her girls were fine. Rona and Vi were slicing and dicing their way through the brigade. Angel was taking on at least five at a time. Willow and Issa were making waves of energy blasts at the demons that were further away, knocking them dead in their tracks, never even having a chance to make it Buffy and the gang. Spike was cheerfully taking down demons left and right.

She noticed that he had a large gash in his left arm. Blood came pouring out, dripping down his duster, only to be washed away by the rain. She wanted to run up to him and make sure he was okay. As she walked towards him, Illyria got to him first. She patted his wound and said something to him she couldn't make out.

Why was she looking after Spike that way?

As if Spike heard every thought in Buffy's head, he turned to her. She blushed. Did she look jealous? Could he tell? There was no time for this. They were in a battle. At that moment, she felt a hand grab her shoulder. She turned to strike.

"Woa... I just need to know if you want me to do that thingy now," Willow asked, nervously.

"Oh, sorry Wil, yea, we're going to have to get everyone to one side."

"Okay, do that now, I'll start it up."

Buffy motioned for everyone to get on the other side of Willow and Issa as they made a wall of energy separating them from the demons. These demons were stupid too, they kept walking into it as if they were forgetting it was there.

"Everyone run towards Giles!" Buffy yelled.

Giles stood down the street with Dawn, Andrew, Robin and Xander. He gave a light wave so they can spot him out. Buffy looked over at Spike and Angel. "You too, all of you. Go. Grab Gunn and run. NOW!"

Without hesitation Angel ran over to Gunn and threw him over his shoulder. Spike nodded at Buffy then ran with with Illyria.

Buffy shot a look at Faith who was grinning like a child. She ran to her and grabbed her hand. "You too skippy," Buffy smirked.

As they ran, a huge wave of energy flew over head, down the street, and wiped out all the demons on the other side of the barrier. Willow and Issa barely flinched as the burst wiped out the block. They had just enough energy to protect themselves. Anyone else in that area would be dead. Another burst came from their hands, more demons were knocked back, then burst into flames. Some even exploded. It was pretty gross, actually. Issa kept up with Willow. She was impressive.

She yelled "De-Dal!" A fireball rolled over the empty streets and incinerated everything in it's path.

It was over.

For now.