Chapter 30
Just then the bell over the door rang. All inhabitants looked over to see Angel and Cordelia enter. Their expressions mirrored that of the Scooby gang. Everyone seemed to be aware of the direness that they were about to face.
Buffy stepped toward her ex-boyfriend and his seerer. “What’s up?” The tone of her voice betrayed the upbeat phrase.
“Cordy had a vision,” Angel informed with dismay.
The slayer’s eyes fell on Cordelia. Cordy gave off an appearance of weariness. “I take it we aren’t gonna be dancing at the Light anytime soon. What was it of?”
“Spike, Buffy. I know where he is. Glory’s keeping him at her mansion,” Cordelia told her.
Buffy nodded. She suspected as much. “Can you take me there?”
“I think so,” Cordy said. “The PTB’s gave me a pretty good idea.”
Buffy spun to face Giles, Cristina, her sister, and her friends. “Everybody suit up. We’re going in.”
“Shouldn’t we call the others?” Xander suggested.
Buffy headed toward the training room, the others following. “Not enough time.”
Angel passed Giles on his way behind Buffy. “Rupert,” he addressed civilly.
“Angel,” Giles replied with little emotion, but without hostility. If the vampire would have taken a moment to look closely at the watcher he might have seen the contemplative expression cross the man’s face. Giles was trying to remember something, but found it difficult to collect all the details he wished.
Buffy stood before the weapons. They were placed together, shining with glory. She carefully took up a sword and practiced slashing in the air, accustoming herself to its feel. Satisfied, she let the blade fall at her side.
The slayer turned around to face them. “Pick up a weapon, people. You’re gonna need it.”
The group stared at her a moment, hesitantly. It was Dawn who reached for a weapon first.
“Dawn!” Buffy snapped. She had forgotten about her younger sibling being among the group. “You are staying behind.”
The teen scowled, crossing her arms. “I’m not deficient. I can be a help now. Please, Buffy.”
“I know you’re big with the key powers, but I have too much to worry about right now. I don’t need my little sister tagging along to face a hell god.”
“You don’t . . .”
“Quit! End of discussion, you are staying here.” Buffy turned toward Xander. “Could you. . .?”
“Sure thing, Buff, I’ll keep an eye on her,” he confirmed.
She gave him a small smile of thanks.
Cordelia selected a weapon. After that everybody began to move. Cristina stated that she would rather go in free-hand, being a messenger and not a fighter. She would be attending for strictly observational purposes only.
Giles caught Buffy’s arm as she went by. “Buffy, are you sure this is the right way to handle this situation? Maybe you should think this through first.”
She met his eyes. “You should know that thinking wastes time. We can’t spend hours making flow charts and maps. Many things can happen in a matter of minutes.”
“Quite right; I realize this. I recall the previous battle with Glory. There was hardly enough given time to breath. Even so, I think you are letting your emotions guide your course instead of your head.”
“You know what? I don’t care right now! All that matters is that we go in there and retrieve Spike without anyone dying. If we don’t defeat Glory, oh well.”
His eyes widened. “Oh Well!? Buffy this is the world at stake! You can’t let your judgment falter because your bloody boyfriend has been turned against you. Besides, what are you going to do when you get there? Fall into his arms? He will snap your neck without any pause. Dear lord, Buffy, you are the slayer for crying out loud! Act like one!”
She stared at him in shock. She had never heard him speak that way to her before. “I’m trying the best I can!” she threw back. “Last time I had to face Glory and be the slayer she killed me. Don’t you think I’m scared? God, you don‘t even know how hard this is.”
They were silent a moment. Giles took off his glasses to clean them. When he put them back on he said, “I don’t believe I do. I’m sorry, Buffy.”
She bit her lip. Keep it together, she told herself. Nodding, she turned away to go back to the main part of the shop.
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A hotel, the nearest to Sunnydale
Hadrian Gibbs straightened his tie. He glanced out the window at the moon. It was a new moon, precisely fifteen days till being full. Almost two weeks, he thought, a frown marring his face.
“We act tonight,” he told his companions who stood behind him.
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Cordelia led them to a mansion on the outskirts of town. It was big, but not overly so. The place stood on a hill, as if on a pedestal to emphasize its beauty. No one had noticed the house before.
“Musta just been built,” Buffy commented.
Beside her, Willow touched her arm. “You ready for this?”
Buffy’s eyes darkened. “Am I ever ready for this?” She drew up her weapon. “Let’s go.”
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“Got any sevens?” Xander asked.
From across the table Dawn just gave him a look.
“Come on, Dawnie, stop pouting. If you’re bored we could always do something else. I could teach you the snoopy dance.” She glared at him. “Ok, not in the mood for snoopy.”
“Stop trying,” Dawn advised.
“Trying what?” Xander questioned.
“Trying to cheer me up. ‘And’ to be the old Xander. You don’t have to make jokes all the time. It’s too forced. Stop it.”
Xander sighed. He set his hand of cards down. “I thought that was what everybody wanted. The good-luvin Xan-man.”
Dawn shook her head. “That isn’t what everyone wants. They just want you. And if that comes with the jokes and fun- loving, then good. If not, then ok. But you are trying too hard.”
“Fine, all right. You want to know how I really feel. Confused. One day I’m a regular guy fresh out of high school. Next I’m staking vampires with a red-head who seems vaguely familiar. Then, she tells me I’m reincarnated. It’s happening too quickly and I don’t know my place in all this. Why am I here in the first place? I can’t fight. I’m not a brainy bookworm or computer nerd. I’m scared and ready to run.” He paused. “But then. . . There is this side of me that knows that this is right. That this is my purpose. That I’m not useless. That I’m not here only to. . . baby-sit teenagers who could get into trouble.”
“Yeah, well I wouldn’t have to be baby-sat if I had gone along. I can do stuff, you know. I can even float. And do this cool glowy thing.”
“Sorry you feel left out. So do I. A little. But I bet we aren’t missing much. I mean, Glory doesn’t even have an army anymore. They’ll kick her ass in a heartbeat this round.”
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The front door wasn’t locked. The front hall was lit up, showing a red rug and plants. There was even a stone statue.
“Classy,” Cordy remarked. She noticed the winding staircase. “I wouldn’t mind living here. Hey, if this place is already paid for and we defeat this Glory chic, I get first grabs, k?”
“The house wouldn’t be in your name,” Willow pointed out.
“You can make a fake will, though, right? With the computer. Glory can be my long-lost aunt or something.”
Buffy shot Cordy with a stern glare. “Sorry,” Cordy apologized. “I wasn’t totally serious.“ She gripped her sword tighter. “Where is everybody? You sure Glory’s here? It looks deserted.”
As soon as she finished saying it the ambush started. Vamps came out from all directions. Damnit, why hadn’t they brought stakes?
Buffy tried to count the demons, but soon gave up. She quit thinking and fixed on swinging her sword. She hit one’s neck, watching it disintegrate, and moved on to another.
Angel dusted two vamps with no trouble. He made it a note to keep an eye on Cordelia. Surprisingly she was fairing pretty good. Better than in her previous life in fact. He wondered where she had picked up the skills.
Giles was thanking whatever God was above that he had aced the watcher combat training. A vampire almost banged him into a statue, but he managed to regain control and avoid it. The memory of being knocked out multiple times in the twentieth century flashed in his mind. He made the decision to never let it happen again. He raised his battle axe and swiped at the vampire.
Willow was trying out a new spell she had come across. She thrust out her hands, aimed, and called out, “Abustae!” She smiled in satisfaction when there was a cloud of dust.
No one was advancing at Cristina for some reason. They were probably too occupied at trying to get the real threats. She stood by a plant and watched the battle unfold.
Buffy was getting tired. There were so many vampires. The crowd was thinning, but she wondered if she would be too fatigued to continue until the end. The vampire she was fighting kicked the sword out of her hands. It slipped out of her fingers, crashing to the polished marble floor.
She blocked punches that were thrown at her. Her muscles ached, making her vulnerable. The vampire made his move, slamming her into the wall. She hissed from the impact.
A chuckle escaped the vampire. “Poor little slayer. Tired?”
“Yeah. Didn’t get my beauty rest. But you‘re one to talk. From the looks of it, I don’t think you’ve gotten one in the last few centuries,” she threw back. Her leg came forward, meeting his stomach.
The vamp stumbled backwards. To her surprise, he changed into floating dust before her eyes. When it cleared she came face-to-face with Spike. He held her abandoned sword. His expression was blank, staring into her with shadowy eyes. She leaned against the wall, her heart racing.
“Spike?” she said, breathlessly. That one word held all the hope she still possessed. Please let him come back to me, she pleaded silently.
“Don’t get any ideas, slayer,” Spike began. “I didn’t save you. I dusted him cuz you deserve a worthy opponent.”
A sinking sensation filled her.
His mouth shifted into a smirk. “This my good day, Summers?”
Buffy stood up tall. “I’m not gonna let it be.” A new found strength came over her. She felt . . . alive with determination.
“That’s my girl.”
“I’m not your girl. I don’t know who you are.”
Spike laughed. “That right?”
She pointed to the sword he gripped. “Ya need a weapon for this?”
“They make me feel manly. But I guess I gotta be fair. Right then . . .” He threw the sword aside.
Buffy threw a fist at his chin, which he blocked. Spike kicked, and she dodged out of the way. The look on Spike’s face clearly expressed how much he was loving this. It made Buffy sick.
“You are never gonna win, pet. You can’t kill me and you know it,” Spike told her. He rammed her in the side.
“Maybe not, but I can still kick your ass.” She swiped her arm at him. He caught it before it made contact.
He took a second to snigger, then threw a right hook to the left of her face. Her head snapped to the side and he hit the other half of her face. She recovered, throwing her own punch. When she went for another he ducked, swiping a kick. She jumped over his leg.
Buffy slammed her fist in his chest. After that, she let it fly at his mouth. His head swung back. She attempted yet another blow, but he snatched her wrist. He grabbed a hold of her and threw her body aside. She hit a small table. The fancy vase that had been sitting on it wobbled and then fell off to shatter in a myriad of pieces. Ooops, Buffy thought. That must have cost a pretty penny.
Recovering fast, Buffy hopped to her feet. She ran at Spike, going at him in a frenzy. She let her fists go like crazy, not giving him a chance to react. Before he knew it, she kicked his legs out from under him. He fell to the floor with great force, hitting his head. He let out a grunt.
Buffy jumped ontop of him, straddling his waist. She punched him a few more times in the face.
“This is not your good day. And it certainly isn’t mine. We are both going to live, damn it!” she shouted.
Below her, Spike’s face was a bloody mess. One of his eyes was developing a very nasty bruise.
“Buffy!”
At first Buffy didn’t hear the call. When it was yelled again, she stopped her violent actions and turned her head. Cristina was a few feet away.
“Use your gift, Buffy.”
Buffy blinked. “Gift?”
“Yes. Your gift.”
The slayer glanced down at Spike. He looked on the verge of passing out. He wasn’t going to be fighting back anytime soon. She really had given it to him good.
My gift, Buffy thought. My gift is death. She bowed her head. Tears began to fall down her cheeks.
“I can’t kill him,” Buffy whispered.
Her body shook, her vision full of tears. I can’t save him, she thought. She collapsed on Spike’s chest.
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The female vampire had a dagger and she was determined to use it. Her fangs were bared and she was snarling.
Cordy made a dodge for her fallen sword. She was caught on the way there. The female vamp gripped her tight around the throat. Cordy kicked, trying to get away, but it didn’t help. As a last resort (and ewwwing as she did), she bit the vamp’s arm.
The vamp thrust her aside. “You whore!” she screamed. Then she came at Cordelia with her blade. She slashed into the seerer. Cordy let out a yell as the metal ripped through her flesh.
Angel heard Cordy’s outburst and came upon the scene. He went up behind the female vampire and sliced through her midsection.
Rushing over, Angel knelt next to the fallen Cordelia. He helped her up. “You okay?”
She clutched her side, wincing. “Yeah, but she ruined my Tenko.”
Confusion came over Angel.
“My shirt,” Cordelia clarified. She looked down at her maroon blouse. “She completely ruined it.”
Angel smiled in relief. If Cordy could worry about her fashion sense she would be all right.
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Buffy was forced out of her state by Spike. He flung her off of him. “What do you think you’re doin, bitch!?”
“Spike,” she sobbed.
He snorted. “God, slayer, I thought you were tougher than this.”
Buffy regained some control. She crawled back over to Spike and sat back on him. He began to sit up, but she slammed him back down. She cupped his cheek. He flung his head away in revulsion. She held his face in place, making him look at her.
“I love you,” she told him.
He let out a series of laughs.
She smashed her mouth down on his, pinning him the entire time. When she pulled back, there was disgust in his eyes. He lifted himself up on his elbows.
Buffy got up off him and walked over to the sword lying discarded. She stared at it for a long time before picking it up. She stepped over to Spike’s side.
“What are you . . .?” Cristina asked. Fear could be heard in her voice.
Buffy raised the sword. “I love you,” she repeated to Spike.
Spike’s eyes enlarged in comprehension and astonishment, yet didn’t move out of her way.
Buffy swung the sword.
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I bet you all hate me. You shouldn’t, though, cuz this took hours to write. Seriously, hours. I kept being interrupted so I’m sorry if there are mistakes. I hope the action scenes didn’t suck. I tried, you guys. I even watched the fighting scenes from Smashed and School Hard. I’m sorry for leaving you at a horrible spot, but hey, it was getting long and cliffhangers keep the reader hooked. *backs away in surrender* Ok, ok, I admit it I’m EVIL. *he he he*
BTW, thanks for the reviews!
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