Title: Falling
Author: Fi Tee or FreeWrite
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Stargate: SG1 or JAG. I am simply borrowing them for a little while. I promise to put the back where I got them from and not to make any money from them in the meantime.
Authors’ note: What can I say the plot bunny bit me in the butt and here it is my first crossover. Just so you know there is Scooby bashing. I was pretty pissed off at the gang when they kicked Buffy out of the house, and please don’t get me started on season 6 and 7 Giles, you have now been warned.
Time lines: BTVS season 7 from Touched onwards. JAG between season 4 and 5 (mainly Mac but the Admiral also makes an appearance) and Stargate season 6 after Disclosure but before Full Circle.
Let’s just pretend that the thing with Jasmine had already been resolved so LA is already safe and Angel doesn’t come down to Sunnydale.
Also just so you know there is only one ship in the story and that is B/G implicated. It’s not a shipper based story or anything like that, so don’t worry if you get a major ewww factor from that particular pairing, there will be no declaration of undying love or racy sex scenes. Just a comment here and there regarding something that has happened in the past. Ok, there’s also Sam/Jack UST, but then, when is that not there.
Summers Home
Sunnydale, California
"What the hell are you guys thinking? Getting rid of the only person who can probably win this war for us?"
"I thought you’d be relieved to no longer take orders from Buffy?"
"That was then this is now. You wanna know why she doesn’t listen to you guys anymore? Trust, she can’t trust you. I may not have been here but I know a thing or two about B none of you do. Betcha didn’t know she left a letter for me when she was killed by Glory. She told me that she wasn’t scared; that she knew everything would be ok with you guys here. With us here she wasn’t needed to fight anymore that she could rest. You took that away from her, you say that you’ve been here fighting by her side all this time that’s all well and good but you choose this, choose to live this life and fight the good fight she didn’t. You can walk away any time you want, we can’t, dying is the only time we get to stop fighting. All those years of fighting and protecting people who never gave a damn and you took the reward away from her. You wonder why she shies away from you after that. As for you Giles, you’re an asshole you told her she needed to grow up and do this herself, she did because you asked her to and now you can’t handle that she’s is doing it without you. Dawn she died for you, how dare you punish her for screwing up, she’s not perfect." Faith took a deep breath and shook her head at them.
"You ask why she won’t even consider taking on any of your ideas, look at yourselves first. If you don’t like what you see then feel free to walk away. You call her self-absorbed and get upset when she doesn’t notice the little things. When does she get the chance? How can she worry about all that and save the world?" Faith took a deep breath and shook her head.
"I’m gone. Do this on your own."
And she left.
"B wait, I’m comin with you." Faith ran to catch up with the elder Slayer.
Buffy turned to look at Faith questions in her eyes "It’s your turn Faith, what you always wanted. To be in charge"
"Never wanted to be in charge, just to be equal." The brunette slayer looked her directly in the eye’s " Do you think we can try the chosen two thing again you know without the whole Grand Larceny, man slaughter, evil girl thing."
"Yeah sure, let’s find somewhere to go and hole up for the night. I have another idea, but I need to talk to a friend first" Buffy smiled wanly and headed to one of the many abandoned houses now in Sunnydale.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Stargate Command
Sam Carter was exhausted, it had been an extraordinarily long day… week, ok it had been a long couple of years, and the last real holiday had been what four years before. The General had forced her to go on a months leave after Jolinar.
Laying her head down on her desk and closing her eyes Sam reflected on the last few missions, between DNA changing Goa'ulds, the NID, CO’s getting stranded, the NID, Harry Maybourne, and the NID. She didn’t think they had ever been so busy.
She was on the verge of falling asleep when her mobile phone rang loudly in her ear. Looking at the caller ID she recognized the area code, it was California, there were only two people in California who knew this number and that defiantly wasn’t her brothers’ number.
Why now? Four years on and never once had she called, written yes but not called… she wouldn’t unless it was a dire emergency.
But then again it might not be her after all,
"Major Carter"
Squaring her shoulders Sam knocked on the Generals office door preparing to ask for downtime with no good reason whatsoever.
"Enter" The commanding voice of General George Hammond echoed through the outer office.
Sam came to attention in front of his desk and waited for him to acknowledge her.
"At Ease Major, take a seat"
"What can I do for you?" General Hammond asked as she did so.
"Sir, I’d like to request some leave. I know its short notice but I would like to commence it straight away"
The General looked at Sam hard. It was an unusual request, Carter to his memory had never asked for leave before and even if she had it she very rarely took it preferring to work in her lab. Still he wasn’t about to reject her request.
"How long would you like Major?"
"Two weeks"
Three hours later Sam rode out of Colorado Springs, she had 21 hours before Buffy was going to call her back, Sam was going to have to put as much distance between herself and The Springs before The Colonel found out she had taken leave and tried to find out exactly why after all these years she was suddenly willing to take a vacation.
Two weeks, would that be enough. From what Buffy said over the phone something big was going down. Yes she knew all about Vampires, well not all but she had learnt enough from her first meeting with Buffy on a beach in LA…
August 1998
"What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing"
"Ok, I may be blond but I know what just happened was not right. Not natural, tell me what it was"
"They we’re Vampires, you were dinner and I just put a serious dent in their social life"
"Thankyou"
Present Day
Sam would never forget the pain filled eyes of Buffy Summers. She had looked so lost, like Sam was feeling, she would never know what had compelled her to follow this young woman for hours through the streets of LA, but when she finally got Buffy to talk to her she found a kindred spirit someone else who had been forced to grow up before her time although the circumstances were different she felt oddly drawn to this girl. She found herself talking about things she had never spoken to a soul before.
A week after returning to Colorado Springs and work she got a letter from Buffy, she had gone home.
And now four years on Sam was fulfilling the promise she had made in LA
"Anywhere, anytime, if you need me call; I’ll get there as soon as I can"
Within three hours Sam had crossed the border from Colorado into Utah, she knew she should stop and take a break soon but something was telling her that she had to get there as soon as possible, there had been an urgency in Buffy’s voice, she’d heard fear there, she didn’t want to guess but it had to be bad.
Against her back, Sam felt her mobile vibrate; only two people would be calling her this soon. Pulling her bike over to the side of the road and yanking her helmet off her head she hit the answer button.
"Carter"
"What the hell are you doing" The voice of her CO echoed over the line
"I’m taking a holiday Sir"
"Carter you don’t take holidays, you work and save the world and on a rare occasion sleep and eat but you do not take holidays."
"Sir, I’m no longer even in the state, I’m going to visit a friend in California. I’ll be back in two weeks. I’m sorry its short notice but it’s an emergency. Now I promised I would be there in 24 hours so I need to go. If anything comes up call me, if I don’t answer leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible."
Knowing she was possibly letting herself in for a lot of trouble she hung up the phone, before getting back on her bike she dialed the phone again.
Georgetown
Washington DC
"Mackenzie"
"Mac, its Sam Carter. You remember that California situation I told you about a few years back?"
"You think I’d forget something like that?" Major Sarah Mackenzie was surprised she rarely heard from Sam these days and it was usually in the form of email, they both had little time for anything else.
"I’m on my way there right now, you want to come with?"
"Sure why not I’ve got nothing better to do at the moment. Apparently I have to much leave accrued, the Admiral forced me to take a couple of weeks off."
Sam grinned, hopefully Buffy wouldn’t mind "Fly to LA, call me when you get there, I’m on the bike so bring your helmet"
"Done, talk to you later"
Less than a minute later Sam back on the bike and Mac was booking herself on a flight to LA.
Sunnydale California
Random abandoned house
"So this Sam can help us" Faith was slightly dubious about bringing another outsider in, especially one who worked for the government.
"I hope so" Buffy hadn’t wanted to bring another person but Sam had access to resources they didn’t "The Bringers aren’t demons, so that means that normal human weapons can work against them, including guns. You don’t have any and I don’t have any but Sam does and she’s a Major in the Air Force and in some kind of field unit, she has to be a pretty good shot. If we can draw them out into the open Sam can pick them off one by one."
"Ok" Faith leaned back thoughtfully. "We head back to the vineyard, make lots of noise to bring out the bringers; Sam picks them off, while we get inside. How we gonna get round Caleb? He kicked our collective arses last time"
"Did you ever play the game Keep away?" Buffy asked
Faith thought for a moment trying to work out why Buffy would bring up a childhood game at a time like this when a grin spread across her face as she got Buffy’s meaning.
"If he can’t touch us then maybe we’ll get lucky and find this thing of ours he has. Good idea and with no one else in there it’ll be easier to get round him"
"Exactly" They grinned at each other; finally after six hours of throwing ideas around some yelling and even a punch or two thrown they had a workable plan.
Los Angeles International Airport
10 Hours later.
Sarah Mackenzie made her way through the line of people flocking out of LAX bypassing the luggage claim, something had told her to pack light, well that and her ride was the back of a motor bike, through the crowds of people she could see blond hair glinting in the sun light. Heading towards the person she hoped was Sam.
Sam could see Mac heading towards her, glancing at her watch she realised they only had an hour before Buffy would be calling. Walking quickly towards Mac the two women hugged as they met.
"Come on, we have to go, Buffy will be calling in two hours, and we have to pick some stuff up before we head for Sunnydale"
"What kind of stuff" Mac was curious Sam had told her everything she knew about Vampires but Mac had never faced one herself, but then again, the work Sam did made classified look like the kind of stuff anyone and everyone knew about.
"You don’t want to know just yet. If anything happens you can honestly say that you didn’t know I was going to bring you here and will hopefully be able to represent me at the court marshal if we get caught".
Mac looked at her friend dubiously "Sam, why would we be doing something that could get us into trouble if we get caught if it means we can’t help Buffy?"
"Because" Sam grinned as she pulled on her helmet "We can help Buffy better if we have more supplies that work against our enemies"
"Oh" Mac shrugged obviously still slightly confused, and joined Sam on the bike.
Hermosa Beach
Los Angeles, California
For May the stretch of beach known, as Hermosa was strangely quiet as the motorbike carrying two women roared up the road.
The house they were heading for was a small townhouse dwarfed by the larger beachfront properties. If you didn’t know it was there you could easily go right past it. However the driver of the motorbike knew it was there and knew exactly what happened in there.
As she dismounted Sam turned to Mac with a serious look in her eye’s "Mac, stay with the bike, I’ll be less than five minutes"
Walking up the path confidently Sam didn’t even bother to knock at the door but simply let herself in.
True to her word 3 minutes and 38 seconds later (if you watch JAG you will understand) Sam exited the house carrying a large case which she silently strapped to the back of the bike. Taking her cue from Sam, Mac stayed silent and followed her lead; they got back on the bike and roared away heading North through the City and towards Sunnydale.
Sunnydale, California
Random abandoned house
Buffy looked at the clock closing her eyes, she wondered if she had been wrong to call Sam. She knew Sam could handle herself and she really needed someone who she could trust right now, but Sam had never been in an apocalyptic-fight-tooth-and-nail-for- your-life fight before, or had she. Buffy knew that being in the Military and a field unit at that had put Sam in some hairy situations before, but would she be ready for this.
Buffy’s eye’s raised to the clock again. It was time, 24 hours since she had called Sam. How close was she, had she been able to get the time off, reaching over to the phone she had had checked when she had first entered the house Buffy pulled it off the hook and dialed Sam’s number.
60 Miles South of Sunnydale
Both Sam and Mac felt the mobile phone ring at Sam’s left hip, quickly breaking Sam pulled off the road and grabbed the phone without even dismounting.
"Buffy?"
"No, who’s Buffy and why aren’t you back yet? I didn’t think that you could be out of your lab this long without going into withdrawal." The voice of Sam’s CO floated through the phone
"Sir, I’m not back because I’m taking a holiday. I’m expecting a phone call any minute now so I’m going to hang up and hope that the next call I get from you is because Uncle Nubie decided that we decorated in the wrong color and painted the main room red, or Siler’s been in my lab playing, and if it’s not, then not even Murray will be able to help you. Good bye Sir"
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Colorado Springs.
Colonel Jack O’Neill looked at the phone as it made that annoying beeping sound from when someone hangs up on you. Craning his neck he glanced over a Jonas
"Did you get it?"
"She’s about 120 miles north of LA. There’s no major town nearby, the closest one with an airport is another 60 or so miles north called Sunnydale" Jonas Quinn felt a little guilty about tracking Sam like this, but the Colonel could be very annoying when he tried hard. Scanning the screen for the Stats on Sunnydale he frowned.
"That’s weird."
"What’s weird?" Jack was getting frustrated; he wanted to know what was going on inside his 2IC’s head.
"I’m just looking at the statistics for Sunnydale, they have the highest mortality rate in California, and from the reports its been pretty much abandoned in the last three days, all but 5 local residence have relocated elsewhere."
"Who are they?"
"Willow Rosenberg, Alexander Harris, Anya Jenkins, Buffy and Dawn Summers. Whoa, big whoa. Buffy Summers has a bit of a rap sheet. Two counts of Arson, she was suspected of homicide in her junior year of high school, expelled from Hemery High in LA freshman year, and then again at Sunnydale high in her Junior year, but it looks like the Librarian made a plea to the State School Board and because the charges were dropped the principal was forced to let her back in. The local police also thought she may have had something to do with the school blowing up on her Graduation Day in 1999 but could never pin anything on her. Went to college but dropped out second year to look after her younger sister Dawn due to the death of her Mother. Nothing after her Mothers death in 2001 until later that year when she got a job at the Double meat palace, it’s like she just disappeared. Hmmm, also says she had some dealings with a government agency called The Initiative in 2000, but it’s listed as classified and I don’t have access"
While Jonas was describing this girl Buffy, Jack had gotten up and started pacing, the room obviously agitated.
"When Carter picked up the phone, that’s what she said"
"What is what Major Carter said, O’Neill?" Teal’c questioned him.
"Buffy, she said that name. What about the others anything in there?"
"Not really, Willow Rosenberg, good student, high school valedictorian, was approached by one of the top Software designers in the world but turned down their offer, she spent last summer in England, seems her girlfriend was murdered and she went over with a friend to recuperate. Alexander Harris, worked odd jobs after high school, finally got a job as a carpenter and was hospitalized a week ago when one of his eye’s were gouged out. Wow, check out these kids medical histories, either they’re a clumsy lot or they got into lots of fights, concussion seems to be highest on the list, but there are also a couple of knife wounds and broken bones. This Sunnydale doesn’t seem to be a very nice place to live"
60 miles South of Sunnydale
Sam and Mac were just about to get back on the bike when Sam’s phone rang again. This time she looked at the phone display before answering, just a number and a California one at that.
"Carter"
"Sam its Buffy" The younger woman’s voice floated through from the other end "Where are you?"
"Barring any complications, I should be there in an hour or so, I’m the bike. Don’t worry it’ll still be light"
"Good, just ride slowly and stick to the main streets we’ll find you. If you see someone that’s not me just keep riding and ignore them," Before Sam could say anything else Buffy had hung up the phone.
"So?" Mac asked
"She’ll find us when we get there. Let’s go"
Sunnydale 1 hour and 18 minutes later
Before they got into town Sam and Mac had taken their helmets off to make looking for Buffy easier. Although by the looks of the abandoned town it wouldn’t be too hard.
As they passed the silent High School, a flash of blond caught Mac’s eye. "Sam 10 o’clock"
Slowing the bike down even more Sam turned her head in the direction that Mac had indicated, frowning slightly Sam tried to get a good look but the girl was facing the other way. In an attempt to get the blond to turn around she revved the bikes engine.
Buffy was wandering round Sunnydale waiting for Sam to arrive, her mind still filled with doubts as to whether she should have called her or not, when she heard the sound of an engine revving. Turning towards the sound she saw a motor bike about 200 meters away, seated on top of it was Sam along with a brunette woman that Buffy didn’t recognize. Suddenly from behind them two black robed figures appeared and were running towards the pair on the bike.
"Behind you" Buffy screamed as she sprinted towards the two women. Both of the older women turned and saw the bringers heading towards them, automatically they jumped off the bike letting it crash down in front of them and reached behind and released their hand guns from the holsters. Bringing their weapons to bear Sam and Mac simultaneously fired, each hitting a bringer in both the head and chest. The two bringers were dead on the ground before Buffy had even reached them.
Walking straight past Sam and Mac, Buffy went over to the bringer and crouched down next to them. Turning her head to them she smiled "Guns work better on these guys than I had hoped.
Sam was studying Buffy carefully as the girl crouched down next to the bringers she and Mac had killed. She was skinnier than Sam had remembered and there were dark circles under her eyes. Things must be worse than she let on. Sam thought to herself as she held out her hand to help Buffy up. The younger woman took it and as she rose they wrapped their arms around each other.
"Thank you for coming," Buffy whispered into Sam’s ear.
"A promise is a promise" Sam replied simply
"Yo B" Faith called as she rounded a corner brought over by the sound of gunshots. "You were right, guns do work on these guys" she looked at the two Sunnydale new comers and smiled "So we found Sam, and Sam brought a friend"
Mac stepped forward "Mac, Sam said you guys needed a hand, I was a bit bored so I tagged along. Hope you don’t mind"
Faith looked her up and down "Can you fight?"
"Kick boxing. Something hits me I hit back" There was something in her voice that told Faith that Mac had hit back quite a bit.
"Good" Faith smiled "B we gotta jet. Day patrol is around and Red is heading them up."
"Who’s with her?" Buffy was worried, she had seen Dawn out on patrol with the others, the last thing Buffy wanted was for Dawn to get hurt out on patrol. Truth be told she didn’t give a damn about anyone else anymore, they could do what they wanted as long as her sister didn’t get hurt.
"Four mini uses, Andrew and Dawn. None of them top notch fighters but they can hold their own. My guess is their using their best fighters at night. I hope you two don’t need a lot of sleep"
"Life long insomniac" Mac shrugged
"If it’s not necessary I don’t need it" Neither of the two Older women seemed to be worried about the lack of sleep they would be getting in the next days.
"Lets go" Buffy murmured as a flash of red hair in the distance caught her eye.
Bending over she righted the bike and started to push it towards the opposite end of town to where Revello Drive was located
Willow was worried, they hadn’t been able to pin down Buffy and Faith’s location, they we’re moving to fast, add that to the motorbike she had seen going through town and the gunshots from less than 10 minutes ago. It spelled trouble.
Willow knew they had been wrong the night before when Buffy and Faith had left, emotions had been running high, they had had a terrible loss and we’re looking for someone to blame, unfortunately Buffy as their leader had taken all of it. She always had. The thing that really confused her was how quietly Buffy had gone, before she would have fought them until they gave in. It was almost as though… almost as though she just didn’t care anymore not about the potentials, or anyone else in that house, except Dawn. It had been Dawn’s words that had forced her to leave. Willow knew that Buffy would do anything for her sister, had proven it time and time again. Buffy had died for her.
Willow was pretty sure that Buffy and Faith were planning something big. Unfortunately she was not privy to this particular plan so what would happen was anyone’s guess.
She wondered where it had all gone wrong. Sure they had had their share of fights and arguments over the years but they had always come back together. It was different this time though. This time she didn’t think that Buffy would come back to them.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jack was bored; things were oddly quiet at the SGC, for some reason they always were when Carter wasn’t around. He had finally caught up on his paper work and had nothing to do, he really wanted to call Carter again and find out what she was really doing but she sounded really cranky the last time he called, and Carter could be scary when she was pissed off, it was worse when the anger was directed at him.
Maybe he could convince Doc Fraiser to call Carter.
Sunnydale
"What do you think?" Buffy still wasn’t sure that the plan would fly with Sam.
"It’d make The First pretty cranky. If we go barging in there and take what it thinks we can’t it might go on the full offensive." Mac had been silent, as Buffy and Faith had caught them up on the going ons of Sunnydale but now she spoke up as they were talking tactics.
"First we have to get everyone else out of town. If The First is going to strike out then it will go for them."
"Ok, we’ve got 2 hours till sundown, we’ll get some sleep and then go on patrol. We’ll split up. Two wandering, two watching the house. Tomorrow we’ll get Giles to take everyone in that house out of town."
Faith looked at her "How we gonna convince him to do that? You have to get him alone first."
"If Sam and Mac are willing, I was thinking you guys could go and get him"
Sam grinned, "Can I hit him?" seeing the looks on the other three’s faces she held her hands up "ok, ok I promise I won’t hit him unless it is absolutely necessary"
For once it was fairly quiet at night in Sunnydale, Buffy and Sam sat in the dark watching the house they chatted quietly, catching up. Well Buffy was telling Sam what had really been going on and Sam was telling Buffy a watered down version of the last couple of years, when Buffy finally told her what was really on her mind.
"Sam, I’m leaving when this is over."
"Why?"
"After all these years I hoped they would finally get it, but they don’t. Willow, Xander, Dawn and Anya they don’t understand why I make the decisions I do." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as though remembering something painful "When we were fighting Glory Giles said to me ‘It’s my job to say and sometimes do what other people can’t, what they shouldn’t have to’. I get that, more than people think I do. I have to do whatever it takes to make sure the world keep turning. They don’t know, they’ve never had to make those choices. When I told Xander I would have to kill Anya he questioned it simply because he loved her, he looked at me as though I was a heartless bitch but he’s never had to make that decision, never had to shove a sword through the heart of someone they love." Her words were harsh but Sam got the meaning behind them.
"Where you gonna go?"
"No idea. Somewhere, anywhere, you got any ideas."
"Let me get back to you."
They continued sitting in companiable silence when all of a sudden the shrill sound of a mobile phone cut through the night air.
"Damn it. I’m really not going to hesitate the next time I have to hold a gun on him" Sam muttered as she reached for her mobile phone.
"Yes Sir" Sam gritted her teeth as she answered the phone "What can I do for you now?"
"Sam, It’s Janet."
"Let me guess, he’s bored and bugged you until you gave in and called me. My guess is he also has Jonas tracing my cell right now. Save Jonas the trouble and tell the Colonel I’m in Sunnydale California."
Buffy sniggered in the background, Slayer hearing enabling her to listen to both sides of the conversation.
Janet laughed, "How did you guess?"
Shaking her head in exasperation "I knew that I couldn’t take a couple of weeks off without him kicking up a stink about it. After all those times he bugged me about actually taking leave, and when I do he questions it and annoys me and the others at the Base."
"Sam he wants me to give you a message" Janet said hesitatingly "The Colonel wants you to avoid a girl called Buffy Summers, apparently she’s dangerous."
"Janet… just put the Colonel on please" Sam was really getting irritated now
Sam could hear muffled talking over the phone, finally the Colonels voice came over the speaker.
"Carter how ya doing?"
"Sir I really need you to stop calling me, I’m very busy…"
"Doing what? What is so important that you willingly take leave to do it?"
"You want the truth Sir? Ok then, right at this moment I’m sitting in Sunnydale California helping a friend trying to stop The First and Original Evil from taking over the World and sending it to hell. So from here we have two options. You can either stop calling me and let us get this done, or come out to Sunnydale and help. Goodbye Sir." As Sam went to hang up the phone a scream reverberated from the other side of the house. Dropping the phone she and Buffy got up and ran round the side of the house where the scream had come from.
"Carter… Carter, come on Carter pick up the damn phone. That’s an order Major" The now frantic voice of Colonel Jack O’Neill was nearly inaudible, as the fighting continued not far away.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jack looked at the phone in his hand, his face pale as he heard gunshots ring out through the line, and the sound of screams accompanying it.
"Oh shit… Doc, grab a med kit, we’re going to Sunnydale" Without further explanation Jack put the phone down and ran out of the infirmary.
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale California
There were bringers everywhere, the potentials fighting them off as much as they could but only just managing to stay alive, Buffy and Sam rounded the corner of the house at a run.
Sam surveyed the situation quickly "You go left, I’ll go right. You hit, I shoot"
Buffy nodded and joined the fray in a flurry of kicks and punches not bothering to find out who she was saving, all that mattered was that as many got out alive as possible. Across the yard, Sam took a step back and raised her gun, looking for the easiest kill she ran well trained eye’s over the fight, seeing a girl in trouble she immediately took aim and shot the Bringer straight through the back of the skull. The potential that had been fending it off smiled at Sam gratefully. Detaching herself from the battle around her Sam continued to find Bringers and picked them off one by one.
Between Sam and Buffy within minutes the fight was over. Silence descended over the group as everyone watched Buffy to see what she would do. Without saying a word Buffy picked up her sword and walked off, knowing that the current residents of her home did not understand why she was still defending them, fighting for them.
Sam looked around, at the stunned faces; finally understanding what Buffy was up against. Spying Giles standing on the back veranda she called him "Mr. Giles, can I have a word with you please?" Her words were polite and respectful but her tone of voice brooked no argument.
Eyeing the tall blond woman up and down he nodded his acquiesce. When Xander and Willow made to join them she glared at them "I have nothing to say to you two, if and when I do, it will not be pleasant. This is none of your business"
"You cone in here guns a blazing, no explanation, no name or anything, I don’t think so buster" Willow put her hands on hips, indignant at being left out.
Looking the witch straight in the eye "You don’t have a say in this Miss Rosenberg. Back off and let me talk to the nice Watcher"
Seeing the determined look not to go anywhere in their faces Giles gently said "Go check on the girls while I speak with Miss…" he trailed off realizing that the Woman had never introduced herself.
"Sam Carter" Sam filled in for him, while in the background Dawn’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline.
‘So this is Sam. Funny I always thought it was a guy’ the teenaged Summers thought to herself.
"I will speak with Miss Carter whilst the two of you see to everyone else" Giles insisted gently.
Once the two of them were out of hearing distance he turned to Sam all the gentleness of his voice was gone. "Now if you’d like to tell me what you and Buffy we’re doing to so conveniently come to our aid tonight so quickly?"
"Do you really think that despite everything you said to her the other night she would let anything happen to you, if you do then you really don’t know her."
Knowing the truth behind her words Giles managed to look ashamed "She never could let an innocent be harmed if she could help it"
"No she couldn’t. That’s why tomorrow when I come and ask you to meet with Buffy and Faith you will agree. If you want everyone living in this house to survive you will agree to do what we ask."
"I don’t like being told what to do Miss Carter" Giles was astounded that this woman dared to walk into Sunnydale and start ordering people, especially him, around.
"You may not like being told what to do but if you want to keep those girls alive you’ll listen to what we have to say. I’ll be round tomorrow" Without letting him, reply Sam turned around and walked off into the night.
Down the street Mac and Faith were running towards the house when they spied Buffy walking slowly away from it. Looking up at the sound of pounding feet Buffy finally broke out of the stupor she had been in since seeing her friends face to face again, so soon after they had kicked her out.
"What happened?" Mac asked breathlessly.
"Just a small scuffle at the house, only casualties of the robe kind. I think Sam’s back there, I just hope she doesn’t hit anyone to hard." Buffy sighed deeply.
"I promise I didn’t hit anyone, I just had a little chat with Mr Giles" Sam came up behind them. "Do you guys want to take over watching the house?"
Mac and Faith nodded heading off to the Summers home.
Cheyenne Mountain Complex
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Jack O’Neill was frantic as he ran through the SGC towards General Hammond’s office. Without bothering to knock he burst through the door breathless
"Sir, Carter… trouble… gun shots…" he gulped in a breath of air "taking Doc Fraiser and boys to California… need chopper and weapons, thanks"
Without waiting for a reply he left the office leaving a very confused General Hammond behind.
Next he stopped in his office long enough to bark an order down the phone for a helicopter to be ready within the hour, he was just locking up his office when the General finally caught up with him
"Jack, could you please tell me what in the hell is going on. Major Carter is on holiday"
Jack shook his head "No she’s not Sir. Have you ever heard of a group called The Initiative? They used to have their base of Operations out of Sunnydale California"
General Hammond narrowed his eye’s at Jack "I know what you’re talking about, I had some minor dealings with them when they closed down, we considered recruiting some of their men. What does that have to do with Major Carter"?
"Carter is there right now, with Buffy Summers" Jack watched the General carefully to see if there was any kind of reaction.
"Go, take what you need and get out there. Tell Miss Summers if she ever needs a job to come and talk to me"
Jack simply gaped at the General not sure how to react "Listen to Miss Summers Jack, if your up against what she fights then you do what your told, she’s the expert and she knows what she’s doing"
Understanding the seriousness of The General’s words Jack nodded his agreement, came to attention and at the General’s nod of dismissal he ran to make sure everything else was ready.
Sunnydale California
Giles stood there and watched the retreating back of one Sam Carter. His mind trying to fit her into the Sunnydale picture; she was to old to have gone to school with Buffy in either LA or Sunnydale. That and the fact that neither Willow nor Xander had known who she was. There was definatly something going on, he just didn’t know what. Turning back towards the house he saw Dawn still standing there a contemplative look on her face
"Dawn?" he attempted to get her attention
"Huh" She looked about her startled
Giles regarded her gently "Are you alright?"
"Yeah" she said absently "I always wondered who Sam was"
"Do you know who she is?"
"Nope, never met her. I don’t even know when Buffy met her, but I think it was the summer she ran away, cause it was after she got home that the letters started coming." Dawn paused for a moment
"They always made her smile" she finished wistfully
Mac and Faith had spent the majority of the evening in silence, neither of them willing to strike up conversation with the other, Faith being slightly gun shy of strangers especially those in the Government, and Mac who had heard some stories about this girl from Sam simply didn’t know what to say.
Although there was something on Faith’s mind, something Mac had said when they first met earlier in the day. She wanted to ask about it but didn’t know how.
"Ok" Mac finally decided to break the silence "We’ve been wandering round pretty much in silence for 2 hours 41 minutes and 20 seconds now, and you keep looking at me funny was there any thing you wanted to ask me"
Faith raised her eyebrows "Damn, color me impressed, how do you do that?"
Mac grinned "Secret"
"Ahh" Faith nodded and chewed her lower lip trying to work up the courage to ask her question "You’ve had to hit back a lot?"
"More than some, but not as much as others" Mac’s answer was cryptic at best but it told Faith more than anyone else would get out of it.
"Sometimes, when you have to hit back so much, you don’t know any other way"
Mac knew that the girl was fishing for information, but didn’t want to ask straight out. Giving Faith a small smile Mac thought about all the ways she could answer the unasked question
"But then someone will offer you a hand to get you out, so what are you gonna do? Take it and break the cycle or slap it away and stay in the cycle that someone else stuck you in?"
Silence once again descended over the pair, and remained.
As the sun started to rise that morning the four women met back at the house they had been staying in. Sam grabbed a 6 pack of beer and a bottle of water from the fridge and they made their way onto the roof, there Buffy, Faith, Sam and Mac sat watching the sunrise. Mac drank the water and the other three passed the beer between them. As they basked in the early morning sun an odd sound started to creep up on them, as it got louder and louder Sam and Mac immediately recognised the sound as that of a helicopter approaching at fast speeds.
"He wouldn’t…" Sam groaned and dropped her head into her hands.
Standing up she looked wildly around as the helicopter came into sight. From the co-pilots seat Colonel Jack O’Neill waved to Sam. With hands on hips Sam stamped her foot in frustration "Damn it, bloody hell and fuck. What does he think he’s doing…?"
Looking up to see a man eating a banana and another woman looking slightly frustrated Buffy laughed, "Well you did say for him to either stop calling or come out here and help, well it looks like he wants to help."
The four women watched at Jack indicated to the pilot, a very large black man, to land in the street below.
The four of them watched as he expertly piloted the chopper down and onto the street like he had been doing it his entire life, although Sam knew that that this was only the second time he had been in one and the first time he hadn’t been allowed to pilot it.
With an aggravated sigh, Sam shook her head and went back inside the house and out onto the street to confront those in the chopper.
"Should we go after her, maybe stop her from using them as a punching bag?" Faith grinned at the other two
"Nah" Buffy grinned, for the first time in a long time, back "He’s her Commanding officer, she can’t hit him"
"Although" Mac joined in "The big guy looks like he could take some punishment" she waggled her eyebrows
The three of them watched as Sam stormed out of the house, grabbing another drink each they sat back to watch the show.
Summers Home
1630 Revello Drive
Dawn Summers had stayed up the rest of the night, sitting on the back porch trying to work out where it had all gone wrong. She had wondered what her Mom had meant when she said Buffy wouldn’t choose her. She was right, Buffy had chosen Sam; someone none of them knew. Buffy would never choose her for something important. Little Dawnie always having to be protected.
Brushing away the tears she suddenly felt the need to run, to get away. Unheeding of the dangers she knew were out there, she stood and started running as fast as she could, not knowing or caring where she was headed.
Buffy, Faith and Mac were still sitting on the roof watching the group stand round the helicopter have a rather heated conversation, when a flash of brown down the other end of the street caught Buffy’s eye.
"Dawnie…" she breathed and without another word Buffy jumped off the roof and ran after her.
"Oh Shit" Faith quickly followed suit when she saw who Buffy was running after. Mac not able jump off the roof without risking major injury climbed down at a slower pace.
By the helicopter Janet Fraiser simply gaped as the two girls ran off without even stopping.
Trying to keep Dawn in sight Buffy didn’t bother to look at who was following her, all she wanted to do was make sure her sister was all right, Faith followed but at a distance to allow the sisters some privacy. Finally catching up to her Buffy called her name trying to get her attention.
Without warning the girl stopped and turned around tears still streaming down her face.
"Why?" she screamed, "Why don’t you ever choose me? All it ever is, is Dawn stay here, Dawn don’t touch this, Dawn you’re to young, Dawn this and Dawn that. You’re always ordering me around never letting me do anything, or help in anyway. I just want to help. Is that to much to ask?"
All through her yelling Buffy just stood there and waited. When she finally stopped Buffy looked her straight in the eye and simply said "Yes"
Taken aback Dawn didn’t know what to say so she just stood there mouth open "It is to much to ask" Buffy continued "When I want you safe, it’s too much to ask. When I want nothing more than for your biggest problem to be what you’re going to wear to school or that cute boy in the seat across from you. You want to walk the path I do, and get pissed when I try and keep you off it. Go ahead and get pissed at me, but remember this, I know this path well and its caused me nothing but pain. I’d be taking the easy way if I let you do it. I love you Dawn and I don’t want you to go through what I’ve been through. I love you so much that it hurts and I would do anything to give you a chance at a normal life. The chance I never had. I will always choose you Dawn. I will always choose for you to live, but I will never choose for you the life I’ve had to live"
"Then why did you leave, you should have stayed and fought them, fought me. Made us see that we do need you" Dawn asked when she had finally found her voice.
"You told me to. I would do anything for you Dawn. Even walk away"
With those parting words Buffy did just that. She turned and walked away.
And it was the hardest things she ever had to do.
How I wonder why the world can be so cold
And if only good die young
Then left with me cruel here to grow old
And I felt pleasure
And I felt pain
And I know now
I can never be the same
Ben Harper – Pleasure and Pain
Dawn stood there and watched as her sister walked away from her, again. It hurt, even more than watching her dive off Glory’s tower. Was everyone going to leave her?
Xander Harris was tired, tired of having to fight for his life constantly, tired of Sunnydale and tired of evil things trying to end the world, but there was always that niggling voice in the back of his mind saying ‘You chose this, so stop man bitching about it’
He wondered if the bad things would ever stop. Not just the demons and Vampires but everything else that they had put up with in this life. Would life ever get any easier? He didn’t think so. As a kid he’d always been afraid of the monsters under his bed and then when he met Buffy they became real, he could blame it all on her if he wanted to but if hadn’t have been for her he’d be a Vampire. So really it evened out.
Anya Jenkins was confused, they’d wanted her out of the house, they’d kicked her out of the house, they said it was all her fault but now she was gone they wanted her back. Even though she was one now, she would never understand human beings.
Xander had been thinking about that a lot lately, Buffy and himself, where they fit into each other’s life and the more he thought about it the more he saw that she was drifting away from them. When had it started? Why had it started? The easy answers would be when they pulled her out of Heaven, but if he was really honest with himself it had started long before then. If he really thought about it, it had started the summer she ran away. He’d never really forgiven her for leaving them like that and she… well she had started to hold back. He knew now it was partly him lying to her about Willow trying to do the spell again, but there was something else… something he had never been able to quite put his finger on, until Willow came back from England last summer.
Guilt. It was all about guilt. She was the Slayer and they got hurt, she wasn’t supposed to let that happen. Somewhere deep in the brain of Buffy Summers she was telling herself ‘don’t get to close they’ll get hurt’.
And now he felt guilty for letting it get this far. He claimed he saw things, then how come he had never seen this before.
He didn’t know much, but this he did know, it would be a very long time before Buffy Summers once again saw him as a friend and confidant.
Buffy came storming back up the street her face black as thunder, brushing past everyone she looked at Sam "Get Giles now" she growled "We go in an hour before sun set"
Not giving anyone a chance to reply she grabbed Mac by the arm and dragged her inside.
"What the…" Jack started to head inside after her when Faith walked up.
"Don’t, just leave her she’s got some things she needs to sort out with Mac."
Sam looked at her questioningly
"Dawn" Faith said simply
Sam nodded knowing the implications of Faith’s words after her discussion with Buffy the night before.
"Ok" Faith continued "Here’s what’s going to happen. Sam and I are going to get Giles, we’ll bring him back here and let him in on the plan…"
"Which is?" Jack interrupted
"Just a minute" Faith tried to placate him "As soon as they’re out of town we hit the vineyard"
"Faith, some of those girls didn’t look in to hot a condition, I want to take Janet with us to have a look at them"
Faith eyed the petite woman "You a doctor?" she asked
"Yes I am, from the sounds of it those girls need a lot more medical attention than their getting. Are many of them injured?"
Faith thought back to the last time she had seen the girls. "I think just about everyone has a minor injury or two, and there may have been more last night in the scuffle with Bringers. The worst that I know of is a broken arm, stab wounds and an eye gouged out. Xander’ll defiantly need that checked"
" So you kids really are fighting a war in California" Jack mused, this disturbed him greatly, the brunette in front of him couldn’t have been more than 19 or 20 and here she was battle hardened, but it was the resignation in her voice that really got to him. It was that of someone who had seen to much fighting, pain and death, and knew that their number would be up soon. But there was something in her eye’s that told him she wouldn’t go down without a fight.
"Yeah" Faith smirked "Its been going for thousands of years and will keep going long after I kick it. Look at B, she’s been goin since she was 15, I was 16 when I was roped into the fight, and it’ll never stop. Not for us"
"Why would you think that" Jonas was curious about this girl, she was physically young but her mind and spirit were older through sheer experience.
"That’s the way it is when you’re a Slayer. Your born, you fight, you die fighting, and then you get peace. I’m kinda looking forward to it"
The members of the SGC didn’t know what to say to this, anything they would have replied was interrupted by a smoking huddle sprinting towards them.
"Oy, killer find me some shade would ya. I don’t fancy barbeque Spike is on the breaky menu today" The unmistakable shout of a platinum blond Vampire sliced the tension into shreds.
The others jumped back shocked as Faith just laughed and opened the door to the house letting Spike go past her.
"Where in the hell have you been? We we’re worried" Spike threw her a look that plainly said ‘don’t bullshit me I know you weren’t worried’
"Ok" Faith Conceded "B was worried and I’m out of smokes"
Spike smirked at her and looked around at the others who had followed them inside "Next time go down to the shop, they’re all abandoned and still stocked. Who’s the cavalry?"
"The tall chic’s Sam and the Short one’s Janet." Faith looked at the three men and shrugged "Gramps, Tank and Beddable"
Jack glared
Teal’c raised an eyebrow
Jonas grinned
"Buffy are you sure that this is what you want?" Mac was dubious about this. She thought that Buffy was making a decision without really giving any thought to it.
"I’m positive, she wants a life that I cannot, I will not give her. She’ll be better off with them anyway. They did all right without me before, they can do it again."
Mac looked at her and nodded, knowing there was nothing she could do to change the girls mind.
* * *
Out in the lounge room, there was an uneasy silence as Faith had just finished outlining their plan, as it stood. Fortunately now that they had more people they could alter it a bit.
"Just remember no matter what happens don’t go up against Caleb, if you do you won’t live to see us win this"
"Perhaps we will be more fortunate than you, if we go up against this man" Teal’c interjected
"No you won’t" Faith assured him "He kicked both mine and B’s arses, and you don’t get any better than B"
"Ok, ok, ok, hold on a minute. We’re professional soldiers" Jack was getting sick of this kid telling him what to do "I think we can handle this guy"
"Really, if you think that than tonight your either going to be very dead or very hurt. You have no idea what we’re truly up against. This pillock has joined with The First somehow and that makes him faster and stronger than even the Slayer, and me so any normal human is bollixed. Also The First can appear as any dead person. Think of the dead person you love or hate the most, the first will know this and use it against you. Don’t be fooled onto thinking we can beat this thing with brute strength and numbers. We’ve tried that and people, girls died" Spike was getting sick of this and the disbelieving look on Jacks face "How many Vampires have you gone up against Gramps?"
"Sir, I’d pay attention to them, I’ve both seen and fought the things their up against. I wouldn’t have won if Buffy hadn’t turned up."
Just then Buffy and Mac walked through the door to rejoin the group.
"Where’s Giles?" Buffy looked around the room.
"We’re going soon, just splainin some things to our new friends here."
Buffy nodded accepting Faiths explanation, "So everyone’s good to go"
"Umm not really…" Sam started. "The Colonel wants to go into the vineyard with Teal’c instead of you and Faith"
"Ahh" Buffy nodded "Teal’c right" she looked as the large black man "You can fight right?"
Teal’c bowed his head slightly "I have been training and fighting for many years"
"Good" she walked over to stand in front of him "Hit me"
"I do not believe that would be a good idea Miss Summers"
"Don’t worry about me, just throw a punch. Don’t pull it cause then I’ll get cranky"
"I do not wish to hurt you" Teal’c was doing his best to get out of hitting the young and fragile looking woman.
"You won’t. Even with you friend down here" she patted his pouch "You won’t do any damage"
Upon hearing her words Jack’s head whipped around to look at Sam, but she was as shocked as the rest of the SGC personal.
Teal’c merely raised his eyebrow at her and without warning his fist flew through the air aimed straight at her head. She didn’t flinch but caught his fist in her hand and held it there. After that it became a war of the wills, neither backing down nor taking their eyes off each other.
Eventually Teal’c started to try and push his fist further forward, using his larger body weight to get her off balance. Buffy simply smirked and squeezed harder, not giving an inch.
Tightening her grip on his fist one more time Buffy held on tight and dropped down to sweep his feet out from underneath him. With the grip she had on him Teal’c could do nothing but fall on the ground in a heap.
Turning round to look at Jack she simply said, "You either stay outside or you don’t go at all. I won’t have you blood on my hands as well."
Summers Home
1630 Revello Drive
It was 10 am in the morning by the time Sam, Faith and Janet arrived at the house. Without bothering to knock Faith simply walked in through the door.
"GILES?" She hollered not caring if she woke the whole house.
There was a loud thump from the couch as Andrew fell off it, the three women looked over to see the young man peek fearfully over the arm of the couch. He gave a squeak and scuttled out of the room and into the kitchen so he wouldn’t have to face Faith. Sam and Janet raised their eyebrows in amusement as Faith snickered. From upstairs they could hear a lot of thumping and clattering as the various girls got up to see what the commotion was all about.
"You don’t need to holler you know" A polite British voice came from the dining room, "I’m right here"
The three women turned to look at him standing in the same clothes he had been wearing the night before.
"Faith, Miss Carter and… I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure" Giles looked pointedly at Janet
"Dr Janet Fraiser. I understand you have injured girls here, I’d like to check them out please"
"I’m gonna wait here with Janet, while you go with Sam to see Buffy"
"Lets go then"
With a bit of commotion on the part of Willow and Xander, Giles and Sam left without the other two much to their chagrin.
Faith watched as Janet started to tend to some of the girls newer wounds and grimaced "I’m just goin upstairs to B’s room, she asked me to grab some of her stuff"
"I don’t think so Faith" Xander blocked the stairs.
"I don’t give a damn what you think. I’m just grabbing some clothes and personal shit so B doesn’t ever have to come back here and see the people who turned on her so easily"
"Like you did?" The remark was meant to hurt and if it did, Faith didn’t let them see.
"That seems to happen a lot. I’m surprised she didn’t cut everyone loose a long time ago. It wouldn’t have hurt as much as a rejection of who you truly are"
Faith pushed past him and walked slowly up the stairs. She stopped and turned around suddenly
"By the way, where’s Dawn?"
Opening the door to what had once been Joyce’s room, then Willow and Tara’s and finally Buffy’s, she saw that not much had changed since the day she had been in there holding Joyce captive.
Trying not to dwell on the past Faith grabbed a bag from the closet and start putting clothes in there. Looking round she saw pictures of Joyce and Dawn, pulling them down from the spot they had lovingly been placed and shoving them in the bag she zipped it closed. Giving the room one last look to see if anything else looked like it should go with them she walked out and closed the door behind her.
Abandoned House
"How did you know about Teal’c?"
Jack was worried, this 5ft 2inch girl had taken down the toughest person he knew and not even broken a sweat.
"I could sense it. Its not human, it shouldn’t be there."
Jack nodded, as each minute passed here in Sunnydale he gained a larger understanding of these Girls, this town and why Hammond had said what he did "Our CO General Hammond, was on the review board for The Initiative when they shut it down. He said thanks and if you want a job to come back with us he’ll give you something. Until I saw you take down T, I didn’t understand why he said it"
Buffy murmured non-committaly "Maybe, got to do something so why not join up. I’m good at fighting and killing things"
They sat in silence for the next few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
"How much has Carter told you about her work" Jack finally asked
"It’s in Colorado and its classified. She tells me bits and pieces, like how much fun she has getting to play with technology and the eternal Jello debate. She’s like the ultimate nerd isn’t she."
"Yeah" Jack smiled "but she’s our nerd, we wouldn’t change her for anything in the world"
Buffy looked at him a teasing glint in her eye "You like her" she exclaimed
"For crying out loud, of course I like her she’s been on my team for 7 years now, if I didn’t like her I’d transfer her"
"Nuh uh you like, like her" Buffy nudged against him
Before Jack could even think of a reply Mac came out of the house and interrupted them
"Sam is back with Giles"
Buffy’s good mood was immediately dampened by the imminent confrontation with her former watcher.
"Come on kid, lets go talk to your friend"
There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
All around him was the stench of evil. It was thick and permeating, sticking to everything like molasses. The wood of the walls the floorboards, the foundations, even outside the building the trees were draped in it.
In evil.
And Caleb loved it he relished it. It was so pure, almost orgasmic, well what he imagined orgasmic to feel like.
There was but one thing, one place deep in the bowels of his nest his refuge, one contamination to his home, and it stunk of her, her goodness and her light. It was made for her but he wanted it. To kill her with it.
He paced in front of the first weapon she would need, hands behind his back, head held high.
Not for you
But her alone.
Those words still angered him like nothing else. He had been promised it. The First had promised him that it would be his and he would be able to cut down the dirty girls with it. Oh some had perished already and those acts had slated his lust for their deaths somewhat but she was still out there. Her, the strongest, the oldest, the only one that he feared. Only she had the power-the ability-but she didn’t know it, didn’t know how to win this, it was possible, just not probable not without both of them, that knowledge relieved him to no end, but…
He would kill her.
Of that her was sure.
He fingered the second weapon, the one that was hanging round his neck, the one she would never get her hands on. She would never know she needed it; she would never have it, so therefore she could never win.
"Oh Caleb?"
He turned and saw her. His greatest love and yet his greatest hate
"Our friend has been a naughty girl. She’s asked some friends to the party. And I don’t like that. I’m the only one allowed to give out the invitations"
The image of her stood in front of him arms crossed over, pretty pout on her lips.
"Doesn’t matter" Caleb drawled "We’ll kill them"
The First suddenly morphed into a man in his mid to late 30’s with short brown hair and intelligent blue eyes. He stared intently at Caleb, and brought a hand up to rest on his cheek, an action that was familiar to the image but not the being "These friends have been aggravating me for years. They’ve killed some of my greatest Generals, and turned one I’d worked hard to cultivate as my agent, to their side. I don’t like them"
"Like I said before" he said, his innocent farm boy features curling into a cruel snarl "We’ll kill them"
Had he been wrong? Not that he would ever admit it to anyone but Rupert Giles had been going over the events of the last few weeks and wondered when it had all spun out of control. When had he let himself become so detached from the one person he had once loved the most that he would willingly commit actions that would drive her away?
It had hurt, that she would choose a Vampire over everyone else, over him, especially after… No he wouldn’t go there, they’d made their choices and would now have to deal with the fallout.
Giles thought that afterwards she would see that The Vampire was not as necessary as she believed him to be; that his actions would somehow convince her that The Vampire could not help them win this battle
After all it was the battle to end all battles. Good versus evil, how could a Vampire possibly help them win it? She had to see this, understand this.
Then, well then she had the chip removed, without his knowledge, without his consent. That had smarted the most: she didn’t get permission, not that she needed it anymore. She was a grown woman quite capable of making her own decisions.
What had happened to the girl who had told him not to leave? The scared schoolgirl who had held him outside a flaming warehouse while they grieved a lost loved one? The young woman almost in tears, as he told her he was leaving for her own good?
She had said she needed him, told him time and time again but he believed it wasn’t true, he had to, else he wouldn’t have been able to force himself to leave.
What had happened?
She had grown up.
She’d grown up when his back was turned, when he had run away.
Why had he done it anyway? It was really very simple. She didn’t need him anymore, and he hated it. He needed to be needed. Especially by her.
Buffy walked inside the house her features schooled so as not to give away any emotion. She saw him standing there looking out the window, hands in his pockets. This was a painfully familiar pose but on a man who had become almost a stranger to her.
Where had the man she knew so well gone?
Clearing her throat to get his attention she took a deep breath and she looked her former watcher in the eye’s hoping to see something there, but what she was looking for… she had no idea. Was it approval, or shame – or did he even did a damn about her anymore?
She found nothing but a blank look staring back at her.
"Buffy" He finally nodded his head formally at her "Are you going to tell me what’s going on. Miss Carter wouldn’t tell me anything."
"Take the girls and get out of town. Go to LA, Angel can help protect them."
"Ah" Giles took his glasses of and cleaned them with a handkerchief out of his pocket. It was another familiar act on this stranger "And may I ask what you will be doing?"
"We’re going to take down Caleb and The First" Buffy said forcibly "but I want everyone else out of town before that"
Narrowing his eye’s at her Giles looked like he could have spit nails "Your wants in regard to the people in that house do not matter anymore Buffy. You no longer have a say as to what happens there"
"I own that house and I can evict every single one of you if I wanted to. Or hey. Here’s an idea, how about we go piss off Caleb and The First, steal back whatever it is of mine that he has and then sit back and watch as him and The Bringers slaughter everyone in that house, including you" The venom in her voice forced Giles to back up slightly.
Deciding to fight fire with fire "Including Dawn"
"Dawn has made her own choice in the life she wants to lead. I never got a choice like that Giles. My choices were fight or die." Buffy paused in an attempt to get her thoughts and her mouth working in conjunction with each other. "I’ve been fighting for over 7 years now, Giles. Dawn doesn’t have to do that." Buffy took a deep breath trying to calm herself down.
"The constant fight for your life? She doesn’t deserve that. That’s no life at all, but its what she wants. I… I just can’t watch her do that to herself. It was hard enough with Willow and Xander."
"So that’s it you can no longer be bothered to care for you’re sister?"
Buffy looked at him incredulously, "How dare you…" she started "I died for her!" She couldn’t contain the scream that ripped out of her throat.
Giles knew then that he had gone to far. He knew never to question Buffy’s love for Dawn. That it would only alienate and anger her further. Running a hand through his greying hair he changed tactics.
"And who, may I ask, is going to look after her?"
"Can’t handle the responsibility?" Now Buffy was now just plain pissed off
"Just wanting to know if its one more thing you’re going to dump on me"
"No" Buffy took a deep breath to try and calm herself down "If she wants to come with me she can, but if she doesn’t… well I really don’t know its up to Dawn. If she wants to live with dad, she can go there… I’ll be leaving and not coming back once this is over" Buffy slumped into a chair, emotionally drained, not wanting to fight any longer.
"Running away again?" He raised an eyebrow at her "Typical"
Looking up at him, she let the mask drop and the weariness seep through into her features "I’m tired Giles. I can’t fight both you guys and the bad guys any more. It’s just too hard; you want me to save the world again? Then I can’t do it with you and The Gang, not like we used to. I need to find out if Buffy can be the Vampire Slayer without the rest of the team to back her up. You wanted me to do it on my own. Fine then, I will" She lifted her chin in daring him to contradict her, and then dropped it again as a thought occurred to her "Nothing I do is good enough any more is it?"
He remained silent, not knowing how to answer her question. She closed her eye’s in defeat, he didn’t understand, not any more
"I’ve sworn to protect this world and everyone in it, but that means, saying and sometimes doing things that no one else can, that no one else should have to. You said that to me, you taught me that. I’ve done nothing but look at the big picture." She threw his words from two years previous back at him
"Somehow I think we’re looking at different pictures now" Cocking her head to the side she looked at him once again searching for something she still couldn’t find
"Take everyone in that house and get out of town"
She stood and started to leave the room, her head held high when a soft voice stopped her in her tracks "You’ve gotten too good at it. You had everything under control, and I felt useless"
He watched her carefully as her shoulders shuddered while she exhaled and allowed his words to sink in, without turning she replied "Then you’re a bigger moron than I thought. Goodbye Watcher-Mine"
Giles watched as she left the room. She didn’t look back at him. He stood there and watched the empty doorway, as though by sheer will he could make her reappear in front of him. Make her understand.
She didn’t and he couldn’t.
So he stood there and watched.
After all, that was what he was best at.
And it's whispered that soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.
Summer’s Home
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale, California
Janet was astounded at the condition that some of these girls were in, it looked like only the worst injuries had received proper medical attention, and even that was limited. How could it have gotten this bad? Had no one noticed a house full of young girls covered in cuts bruises and an assortment of other injuries? There may be no one left in town but some of these injuries looked weeks old.
"You know this would be a lot easier if you gave me a bit of space" Janet turned and glared at Xander and Willow who had not let her out of their sight the entire time she had been there.
"I’m sorry if we don’t trust you, for all we know you could be an agent of Caleb" Willow had been in a grumpy mood since the night before when they had been given the brush off by Sam.
Janet sighed, shook her head as she tried to ignore them while she wrote her notes on the girl she was examining.
Turning to face Xander she pointed at him "You" and then to the chair "Sit, I need to check that eye for you"
"Sorry lady, you may look like a Doctor and act like a Doctor with the gloves and thermometer and all that official professional type stuff but I don’t trust you. You ain’t gettin anywhere near this man’s one eye"
Janet rolled her eye’s and…
"There you see you’re mocking me with the rolling of both your eyes"
Janet was getting really, really tired of this. Resisting the urge to once again roll her eyes at the young man, she pulled a tootsie pop out of her bag and waved it in front of him. She was always fascinated by how easy it was to get to a man through his stomach and Mr Xander Harris proved no different.
He reached out to grab to sucker but she moved it from his grasped.
"Sit" She commanded, in the voice she usually reserved for Jack O’Neill.
"Yes Ma’am." He moved to sit down, but before he could Willow grabbed his arm.
"Xander…?" she pleaded.
His eye strayed back to Janet, especially her hand "But… sucker"
"Yes you are, if you let her get her hands on you"
Typical Xander, Willow still didn’t know how she had put up with him all these years, but then she knew deep down she wouldn’t change him for anything in the world.
"We haven’t decided if she’s evil or not yet, remember"
"No one who offers tootsie pops can be truly evil"
Willow sighed "Ok fine. Go let the maybe evil lady poke and prod you. On your head be it" She poked him hard in the chest.
She finally got it. It had taken awhile for her to get, but now… Faith was seeing things… well lets just say her initial impressions from four years before were deeply skewed. Faith finally got understood, why things happened in Sunnydale the way they did. Sitting out on the Summers front porch, cigarette in one hand, drink in the other, she saw them all in a whole new light. Looking back she could see that they hadn’t changed all that much: their view of the world was still so black and white. There was so little belief in the grey areas, especially as far a Xander was concerned. Everything was so simple, they we’re the good guys, so if you weren’t one of them that made you a baddie.
But then there was B. B had changed, more in some ways than Faith her self, as far a B was concerned black and white no longer existed; it was all shades of grey.
Faith still felt guilty about what had happened, in Sunnydale in previous years but what was the point in that. She had a job to do, and nothing was gonna stop her from doing it. She wouldn’t screw up this time.
Those girls in that house we’re scared, they didn’t know what to do, who to trust or how to stay sane. Like Buffy, like Faith, they had a destiny, but they didn’t get it yet. It was a long hard road to understanding.
She and B may be destiny’s bitch but it would never stop them. They couldn’t let it.
The others couldn’t teach them this. They had chosen this life, to fight the good fight or some shit like that, but those girls hadn’t been given that choice.
They had to know, and understand. That no matter what they would never loose. The Slayers, as long as they went down fighting…
As long as they went down fighting for what they believed in, they could never loose.
They would win this. Faith could feel it in her bones.
Nothing could stop her and B; they were the Chosen Two after all.
Abandoned house
Sunnydale, California
As soon as Buffy knew she was out of his sight she let go of the sob she had been holding back. The tears flowed freely down her face. It wasn’t right. He was the Watcher, she was the Slayer, in a battle like this they should be working together, like peas and corn, or… or… peas and corn.
Not looking where she was going she ran smack bang into Jack O’Neill. Not having the presence of mind to keep herself up right, she let him hold her up as her legs gave way beneath her.
Jack was shocked, the emotionless and controlled young women from a few hours before had been reduced to a mess from a five-minute encounter with a man who was supposed to be her staunchest ally and supporter.
Not knowing what else to do he just held her and let her cry. Hearing another noise he looked up to Carter standing there, her face as black as thunder. Jack knew that look; Mr Rupert Giles was in big trouble.
If there was one thing about Sam Carter that never ceased to amaze him it was the fierce protectiveness that she had for the people she cared about. Nothing would stop that woman on a mission to save someone.
Their eye’s met and he shook his head, telling her to leave it, she gave him a cold hard stare and walked out, leaving Jack to look after Buffy. Rocking back and forth slightly to try and calm her down, he wondered what condition Rupert Giles would be in by the time Carter was finished.
Summers Residence
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale, California
"Ok" Janet leaned back up against the dining room table, arms crossed over her chest "If you want my professional medical opinion I would suggest that you take every single one of these girls out of this town, you take the injured ones to a medical facility and get the wounds checked properly and cleaned out, some of them are getting infections…"
Anya slipped out of the room; she didn’t really care what the short bossy lady had to say. She didn’t really like any of the girls anyway. Opening the front door quietly she walked out on to the front porch and sat down next to Faith. Turning her head to the side she decided to say exactly what she had to then leave Faith alone.
"Tell Buffy I’m not sorry, for what I said" Faith turned to look at her incredulously
"And why the hell should I give her that type of message"
Anya pouted "Because, you two going off on your own to solve this is the best thing to do. You can’t win this while looking after those whiners in there. I like Buffy, I really do, she’s saved the world and my life a couple of times, but when she gets on a holier than thou kick its kind of annoying, she really needs a good orgasm friend to get rid of the tension."
"So in other words, were doing the right thing kicking you guys outta town and B needs a good screw" Faith snickered
"I’d stick around and help but I don’t think Buffy likes me too much any more" She stood and nodded her head sharply "That’s all I have to say and I hope you guys live through this, because if you two die then the rest of us are screwed"
"Weird girl" Faith muttered as Anya walked back inside the house.
Faith was still sitting there waiting when she saw Dawn coming up the footpath, tear tracks down her face, grass and dirt stains on her pants. The girl looked at Faith warily,
"Buffy didn’t send you did she"
"Nope" Faith took a drag of her cigarette "We got a Doctor to come and check on the girls"
Dawn nodded
"You all right kid?" not that Faith cared too much but… the kid looked like she could use someone to talk to.
"Yeah…" Dawn sighed, "Just been talking to Mom" she smiled wanly "Been doing a lot of thinking you know?" She looked at Faith, a question in her eyes "Do you ever do that? I mean talk to someone who’s not really there?"
"Sometimes" Faith grimaced "I used to talk to The Boss" seeing Dawns look of confusion "The Mayor" she embellished "but since The First decided to visit me… it just doesn’t seem right somehow…"
Dawn nodded, and the two of them sat there in silence until Janet exited the house.
Abandoned House
Sunnydale, California
Sam stalked into the lounge; her anger dissipating slightly as she saw Rupert Giles slumped in a chair, his head in his hands. She decided not to pummel him at this point although she may change her mind in the future.
"Mr. Giles…"
He looked up startled "Sorry, I… I didn’t hear you come in"
She nodded in understanding "Please, do what we ask. We want those girls safe. You may not give a damn what I think but please believe we have those girls’ best interests at heart."
"And how do you propose I get 40 people out of here all at once?" Giles didn’t mean to sound snarky but the stress of the situation was getting to him.
"It may have been my imagination but did I see an abandoned school bus or two on my way through town" She held her hands out, palm upwards in a half shrug.
"Hmm… thankyou Miss Carter" He stood, and started to leave the house when he stopped and turned slightly "Look after her… please"
Their eyes met in a moment of solidarity, Sam nodded her agreement "Of course"
She stood there and waited for a few minutes trying to gather her thoughts before turning around and going to see how The Colonel was dealing with Buffy.
Wandering down through the hallway, she discovered that they were no longer there, she headed up the stairs when she saw The Colonel coming quietly out of one of the bedrooms "She cried herself to sleep, so I brought her up here" Sam smiled grimly "When was the last time that girl got a good nights sleep?" He asked not really wanting to know the answer
"You mean a good solid 8 hours, no interruptions or dreams and night mares?" Jack nodded "Not for the last two years that’s for sure… When you’ve lived your worst nightmare after knowing peace, it kinda sticks with you"
"22?" He asked referring to Buffy’s age
"Yeah" Sam admitted sadly
Jack ran his hand through already disheveled hair in bewilderment.
"There any cake around here?" crying women had never been his forte
"Dunno Sir, wanna go have a look?" Falling back on familiar territory Jack and Sam went down into the kitchen to look for cake.
No way construction of this tricky plan
Was built by other than a greater hand
With a love that passes all out understanding
Watching closely over the journey
Her Mom
A Boy
Cassie
Jenny
A Woman
Tara
Larry
A man
Snyder
Jesse
Flutie
More faces she didn’t recognize
A cavern
Faith
A Weapon
Caleb
A medallion
Herself
Abandoned House
Sunnydale, California
Buffy sat up with a start, gasping for breath as she ran the dream over in her head again, dead people, hundreds of them all making a cameo appearance in her dream. Looking out the window she saw that sunset was approaching. Pushing herself out of the bed she attempted to fix her dishevelled hair but to no avail, it simply refused to do anything but sit there in a tangled lump. Sighing she ran her hands over her face and tied it into a messy pony tale.
Looking in the mirror, the image that stared back at her was not the face she had once been proud of. The image she saw was of a tired and world-weary young woman; dull eye’s, which had once shined had dark circles underneath them. Her hair had once been lustrous and full, was sadly limp and badly in need of a trim. Her face was bony and angular, accentuating the weight she had lost when her mother had been sick, and the fight with Glory for Dawn’s life. She had never put it back on after being pulled out of heaven, food hadn’t been a priority at first, and then with everything else that had happened… she ate enough to keep going, but… there are more important things happening then whether she got a full meal or not.
Buffy closed her eye’s and took a deep breath, how could she have been sleeping while there was a battle to be prepared for? She remembered talking with Giles, and after she had walked out… She must have fallen asleep sometime after leaving the room.
Seeing a familiar bag sitting by the door, she smiled and knelt down to rummage through it. Finding a large assortment of clothes and underwear, she picked an outfit and wandered through into the hallway to have a shower.
Downstairs in the kitchen where Faith, Janet and Jack we’re sitting discussing that nights plan, Faith looked up at the ceiling and breathed a sigh of relief
"She’s awake" She told the others "and having a shower, probably worried about how she looks. You know bed hair and all that shit"
Jack snickered "And I bet you never worry about that kind of ‘shit’?"
"Nope. I’m more of a get some and get gone type of girl" Faith shrugged "Although lately…" She trailed off as Jonas walked into the room; book in one hand apple in another.
"Colonel, I’ve been doing a bit of reading about this hellmouth, we’re apparently on. Man all sorts of stuff goes on here. High death rate, weird occurrences, they get more earthquakes here in Sunnydale than the rest of the greater San Andreas fault combined. The weirdest thing is, no one seems to really notice or report it. I wonder why that is?"
"Denial" Sam pushed Jonas out of the doorway and sat down with Mac close on her heels.
"What do you mean" Jonas looked at her questioningly before taking another bite out of his apple "I mean" he talked around the mouthful of fruit "If stuff like this is an everyday occurrence wouldn’t you want to put a stop to it instead of just ignoring it"
Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair and tried to think of a good example that Jonas would understand "You remember the experiment your old team was working on before you joined up with us?"
Jonas looked at him confused for a moment, but then what Jack was talking about hit him. "Oh… Yeah"
"It’s kinda like that" Jack continued "You knew it was dangerous, but you didn’t do anything cause…" He threw his hands towards Jonas in a gesture for the Kelownan to finish
"I didn’t know anything different. No one else believed it was dangerous so I thought I was imagining things, and whether it was or not, they just didn’t want to know"
"Give the boy a prize" Jack grinned, "No one can force you to believe anything"
"Exactly" This time it was Buffy freshly showered who pushed Jonas out of the way "Why do you think Sunnydale has so many barbeque fork stabbings?"
Before she could continue, Teal’c came in through the back door "The sun appears to be setting, are we not going into battle soon?"
"Yeah" Buffy replied, "As soon as everyone else is out of town we’ll go in…"
"They’re gone Buffy." Janet interrupted "After I checked the girls over, we stuck round to make sure they got out of town alright" Buffy smiled at her
"Thanks guys" The weight on Buffy’s shoulders lifted somewhat knowing the others were out of town.
"So are we going to kick butt yet?" Jack asked with raised eyebrows as he looked around the kitchen
* * *
Big Yellow School bus
Outskirts of Los Angeles
"What have we done? She’s our best friend, she’s saved us more times than I can count, not once judged us for all the screw up we made, but she makes a bad decision and we kick her out. Why did we do that, it’s not the first time she’s made a mistake… but it was like the only thing that mattered was us winning this, and not … not… everything else that goes on in the meantime. She’s been cutting us off more and more for months now, only telling us stuff so we wouldn’t worry. I didn’t even notice, not even when you said it to her face, she was cutting us off again then. So we made a mistake… we didn’t have to kick her out of her own house. What kind of friends does that? I’ll tell you what kind of friends, us kind of friends. Oh God Xander we’re bad friends, we really really are bad…" Xander clamped a hand over Willow’s mouth before she could say anything else.
"Calm down Will, we’re not bad friends…"
"Yes you are" Anya interrupted them from her seat across the isle "I am too. I admit it, I’m a bad friend, but then again there was the time she stuck a sword through my chest, so I think we’re even"
"Not helping An" Xander cut her off. Meanwhile Willow was sick of having Xander’s hand over her mouth, so she stuck her tongue out licked all over the inside of his hand "That hasn’t grossed me out since the 5th grade Will"
"What is she doing?" Anya craned her neck trying to see what was happening.
"Imph liphkng hish hnd" Willow mumbled, her mouth still covered by Xander’s hand.
Giles, sitting up the front of the bus could hear bits and pieces of the conversation, got up and made his way shakily down to where the others were seated, taking the time to check up on a few of the potentials as he went. Finally sitting down on the seat in front of Willow and Xander. Looking softly at them he wondered if he had the words that would comfort them… make them feel better so to speak.
"I never liked the fact that, at the beginning, you two tried to help out Buffy and myself. But…she seemed to fight harder give it that little bit extra if it were you two in danger, so I didn’t discourage it as much as I should have. It was when things really got tough, when we had the big fights that I truly questioned your being there to back her up." Giles paused to gather his thoughts
"I guess you could say that it is the nature of the Slayer, to fight alone, to be alone… Buffy claimed that her emotions gave her an edge, that they gave her that little bit extra that meant she would always win, but I wonder, how well she would have done if she had been more isolated…"
"Giles, please don’t you ever finish that thought?" Xander pleaded "You know as well as I do what would have happened if Deadboy and me hadn’t followed her into the caves that night.
Before Giles had a chance to think about giving the young man a carefully worded reply Anya jumped in
"Yes because if you hadn’t then Buffy would be dead and we wouldn’t be in this mess"
"What…?" Willow and Xander screamed and turned an icy glare on the Woman turned Vengeance demon turned Woman turned Vengeance demon turned woman.
Giles groaned
Yeah but what it takes to cross the great divide
Seems more than all the courage I can muster up inside
Although we get to have some answers when we reach the other side
The prize is always worth the rocky ride
Caleb’s Vineyard
Outskirts of Sunnydale, California
Faith glared at Jack as he continued to make those annoying hand signals that she had no idea what they meant. They were lying on the ground in the dark waiting for… well she didn’t really know what they were waiting for but it was something. She met Buffy’s eyes and they both nodded. Looking back at Jack she saw he was still going with the hand signals she rolled her eye’s at him, gave him the one fingered salute - the only hand signal that she actually knew - waved at him before she and Buffy stood up and took off towards the building.
"Ok since those two are going to play their own game, how about we do the rest our way?" Jack looked around at the others.
Checking her weapon one more time Mac simply shrugged "Fine with me Sir, but we should give them a few minutes to get in before we start shooting"
"Agreed Sir" Sam put in her two cents.
"I don’t know about you wankers but I’m itching for a good fight. So what ever you do don’t shoot me" Spike smiled at the group he’d agreed, albeit not without complaint to work with "Right then, shall we kick some arse"
"I believe this night we shall be most successful in defeating our opponent" Spike looked at Teal’c as though still unable to believe anyone from earth talked like that.
"Spread out and try and keep them all out here and off Faith and Buffy’s back."
With that they all went to their position and got ready.
Inside the Vineyard
Buffy and Faith were not met with a lot of resistance as they made their way through the vineyard, trying to get to the basement where they assumed that Caleb and their weapon was.
"All is quiet on the western front" Faith quipped nervously. Buffy looked at her incredulously
"I saw it last year when I was in lock up. Good movie" She explained.
All of a sudden several Bringers attacked them from behind. They dispatched them as quietly as they could, Buffy and Faith moved on hoping they hadn’t made too much noise.
Finding the entrance to the basement from before they seemingly, without care or caution went down the stars chatting.
"What do you think, B? Could we make do with this place?" Faith grinned sardonically
"Well…" Buffy put on a show of thinking deeply "a bit of paint here and there, put in some windows for the light, oh and get rid of all the bodies up stairs. It show’s promise"
Caleb looked up to see them, fury coursing across his face. "Don’t you two ever give up?"
"Nope" They replied in unison
"Catch us…" Faith started
"If you can" Buffy finished
They both dived in opposite directions as Caleb stormed towards them.
"Now that’s a good movie" Buffy called to Faith as she jumped over a barrel narrowly avoiding Caleb’s grasp.
"Haven’t seen it yet" Faith hefted a barrel and threw it straight at Caleb’s back, causing him to stumble and turn his attention towards her.
Buffy turned to see the brunette duck under a meaty fist and dive through his legs, trying but not succeeding to kick his ankles out as she went. Buffy watched in barely concealed horror as Caleb grabbed Faith and threw her like a rag doll against a wall.
Faith slumped to the ground in shock as pain burst through her back. Buffy picked up another barrel and smashed it over him forcing Caleb to turn his wrath on her. Trying to give Faith time to recover she led him on a merry chase through the basement.
Outside the Vineyard
Mac looked around amazement as more and more Bringers appeared. It seemed the more that they took down the more that appeared.
In the dim moonlight she could see the bleach blond hair of Spike moving through the darkness taking down as many as he could trusting the others to keep the rest off his back.
On each side of the building Sam and Jack we’re catching and Bringers coming out the doors in a deadly crossfire of bullets. Where Teal’c was exactly she couldn’t be sure but she knew he was doing a large amount of damage to the Bringers wherever he was hiding.
Checking on first Jonas and then Janet who were on either side of her, she gasped as a Bringer crept up behind the petite doctor knife raised high and ready to strike.
Inside the Vineyard
Faith groaned in pain as she saw Buffy leap frog over barrels kicking trying to trip Caleb over them. Glancing around the room she saw a familiar face grinning over the fight.
Gwendolyn Post was sitting there grinning manically as the fight continued.
"Come along Caleb, you can do better than that. Two Slayers should be no match for you?" The image of the woman sighed
"Could you please not do that? It’s distracting, do you want these two dead or not?" Caleb pleaded to the image of Mrs Post, as he took another swing at Buffy who ducked it again.
"Fine, but you had best hurry." Mrs Post disappeared and Faith sighed in relief.
Seeing Buffy was doing ok against Caleb she made another sweep of the basement with her eyes. There was something just out of her view, concealed by another Wine vat, scooting over slowly trying not to draw attention to her self she moved enough to see that there was a trap door in the floor with light spilling up out of it.
Faith grinned "Hey B…" she called as she stood and started running towards it. The blond Slayer jumped and grabbed a beam hanging from the ceiling using the leverage to push herself in Faiths direction.
"Pay dirt"
The Chosen two dived towards the trapdoor sliding through it one after the other, knocking the support out as they went shutting it behind them.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
"What do you mean she kicked you out of town" Angel was livid when he found that Buffy and Faith were not with the group from Sunnydale.
"Well" Willow began nervously "it’s kinda like this…"
"She sucked as a leader and was getting more of us than them killed so we kicked her out of the house. For some reason she got pissy brought in another woman, and they forced us out of town" Kennedy interrupted her nervous girlfriend.
Willow cringed at her blunt words "ixnay on the uckagesay" she muttered urgently.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked, when Kennedy simply raised her eyebrows at him, Angel turned to the others "Who the hell is she?"
"Huh hm…" Giles cleared his throat "That would be Kennedy, one of the potential Slayers"
"Oh, and I supposed you’ve saved the world?" he gave her a withering look.
"Well not exactly…" She stammered, shrinking slightly under the angry Vampires glare.
"Angel, may I speak with you in private" Giles intercepted before anything else could be said.
Angel nodded and led Giles to his office.
"What’s going on Giles" Angel leaned back against the desk, arms crossed.
The former Watcher pinched the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses "Ah, The First Evil has been attempting to gain foothold in this dimension by killing off all the Potential slayers and eventually Buffy and Faith themselves. For months we’ve been bringing the girls to Sunnydale trying to save the Slayer line. Unfortunately, there were some bad decisions made…" he pulled his glasses off and proceeded to clean them "on everyone’s part, and as a result Buffy and Faith have remained in Sunnydale with some others… how they all got involved is still a bit of a mystery, but they are going to attempt to take down Caleb and The First without our assistance" Giles replaced his glasses and looked at Angel his brow furrowed in concern.
"Should I head down there?" Angel let his arms drop to his side.
"No…" Giles started slightly uncertain "I believe she wants you to protect the Potentials, and should anything go amiss, or God forbid they fail, we’ll need someone who can lead the troops so to speak"
Angel nodded his consent "I don’t like it, but…" he sighed "if she wanted me there then she would’ve asked"
Outside the Vineyard
Sunnydale, California
"Janet behind you" Mac screamed as she bought her weapon to bear. The Doctor looked up just in time to see the Bringer’s knife descend down, letting out a very unmilitary like squeal she didn’t hesitate to fire up at him at the same time as Mac and Jonas hit him from either side. Janet rolled to the right as The Bringer fell forwards and landed half on top of her, his knife missing her by inches.
She breathed a deep sigh of relief, when Mac pulled the heavy body off her.
"I’m good," She gasped out "kinda angry about nearly getting stabbed in the back, but good"
The Marine grinned, "I don’t think anyone likes that"
"It can be annoying" Jonas added, "look out more are on their way"
Inside the Vineyard
Buffy and Faith made their way cautiously through the tunnel they had found themselves in after sliding through the trap door.
The power in the air so potent it made Faith shiver.
"Can you feel it?" Faith asked her blond counterpart.
"Not exactly sure what it is, but yeah it’s something alright" Buffy agreed as they came across a well-lit cavern.
There sitting in the middle of it was a rock, in that rock was a weapon. The weapon from Buffy’s dream!
Its long shaft gleaming bright red in the torchlight, the deep brown of the wooded stake attached to the end of it and the wickedly curved metal still stuck in the rock, called to the both of them.
"I guess we found it" Faith quipped quietly mesmerized by the call of the scythe "It feels like…" she started
"It’s yours" Buffy finished "Like it was made for you"
"Yeah… something like that" Faith’s heart plummeted to her stomach as she realised that Buffy was getting the exact same feeling as Faith
"No Faith. It’s for the Slayer. You" Buffy looked at the younger woman, understanding what Faith was thinking "Not me. You."
Faith turned to gaze at her curiously "What the hell you goin on about B?"
Knowing the truth of the words she was about to utter knowing and understanding that she was no longer The Chosen One but one called to fight the darkness even though her first role in the fight against evil was finished there was still much more to be done. Buffy turned to face her fully "You’re The Slayer Faith, it’s for Her alone to wield. The Slayer… you. I’m a Slayer but not the head of the line, that’s you and you only. I have a new job" Buffy took a deep breath "Take it Faith, its yours"
Faith tentatively reached out a hand to grasp the handle when a scream echoed through the cavern from behind them.
"You filthy whores"
The two girls whirled around as Caleb came storming towards them, his face bright red with fury, a glimpse of gold around Caleb’s neck caught Buffy’s eye.
She muttered something to Faith under her breath and went to try and distract the Evil Preacher while Faith got the Scythe. Buffy wasn’t expecting Caleb to bring a two by four from behind his back and smash it across her face, flinging her against the cavern wall. With the force of both impacts the blond Slayer slumped to the floor unconscious.
Acting on instinct Faith pulled the Scythe out of the rock with surprising ease, whipped around and lashed out at Caleb slicing the blade in a deadly strike across his belly.
Caleb looked down in shock at the profusely bleeding cut across his midsection, then up at Faith, unable to believe that she had just done that.
Meeting her gaze he sniggered "You’ll never win"
Faith smirked back at him "Wanna make a bet" she brought the Scythe down low between his legs and up hard, slicing him neatly in half.
Faith looked down at him "Moron".
She remembered what Buffy had muttered to her before being knocked out
‘Medallion’
Looking down, she could see the dull gold glinting in the torchlight. Faith reached down to pull it off his neck when a painfully familiar voice stopped her
"Now, now Faith, that’s not yours. Why would you have need to take it?"
Looking up she saw her first Watcher standing there mischievous yet serious glint in her eyes. Just like Faith remembered. Yanking the medallion off Caleb, she put it in her pocket.
"He’s dead, doesn’t need it anymore. It’s important ain’t it? Why else would you use her to try and stop me? Sorry bubs ain’t gonna happen." With another grin in the direction of an infuriated The First, Faith hoisted Buffy up into the fire mans carry and ran out of the cavern as fast as she could.
The First stood there looking like it was about to cry, the image started to shrink getting shorter and more petite, the hair lengthened and got lighter and lighter until a perfect copy of Buffy stood there.
"S’not fair" She stamped her foot with hands on hips.
Outside the Vineyard
Sunnydale, California
Sam was getting worried; it shouldn’t be taking Buffy and Faith this long, unless… No she wouldn’t think like that. The girls would be fine. She fired another three round burst as another Bringer attempted to get to the main doors.
"Not on my watch buddy" she muttered more to herself than at the dead Bringer.
Without warning the doors burst open, she opened fire at the figure that burst out, not sure whether or not she had hit them when they jumped back behind the door’s, she kept firing until she heard Faith’s voice in the dark.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing? I’m on your side remember"
"Faith?" The Colonels voice echoed from the other side of the door.
"Yeah, lets book it, B’s hurt"
Keeping her eye on their surroundings Mac stayed where she was, just in case more Bringers arrived. She watched as Teal’c came out from his hiding place to take Buffy gently in her arms. The others slowly filtered away but something was keeping her there.
Looking towards the doors that Faith had come out of Mac could see a figure coming towards her. The shape and swagger were familiar, more familiar than she would have liked.
"Sarah…" she could hear her name resonating from within the vineyard, the voice painful in its familiarity.
In the light of the doorway stood a man, short dark blond curls, rugged features and boyish smile, gasping audibly Mac brought a hand to her mouth at the sight of her dead ex-husband, Chris Ragel.
"Come out, come out wherever you are…" How many times in her youth had Sarah heard that particular phrase, whether from the voice currently calling her or her Fathers? "Sarah I know you’re out there. I told you, wherever you go I will find you. We were good together once, and can be again"
Blinking back the tears that suddenly sprang to her eye’s Mac stayed as silent and as still as she could, hardly daring to breathe.
"You may have killed me, but that doesn’t mean I’m gonna leave you alone." He paused "I love you Sarah" Mac tried to work up the courage to run, get away from here, but she couldn’t.
She was mesmerized by the image presented in front of her. Chris Ragel was dead, by her own hand, but there he was walking talking, standing just like she had seen him the year before.
He had been her ticket out and away, the hand that pulled her out of the cycle, only to put her into another one. Mac tried to stop the assault of memories seeing the image of Chris had brought up, but starting slowly and getting faster and faster they ran through her minds eye, getting more and more vivid the more painful they were.
A crashing through the bushes startled her and broke through the memories, when Mac looked up Faith was standing over her.
"Whoever the hell he is, he’s not worth your life girl", Faith yanked her up into a standing position and pulled her away from the vineyard.
As they were running his voice could be heard in the still night
"You can’t run away from me forever Sarah. I’m your husband, I will always find you"
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
"Angel Investigations, We help the hopeless" Fred Burkle was the fastest to get to the phone, in the reception of the Hyperion Hotel.
"Hiya, how ya’ll doin?"
"Uh huh"
"Uh huh"
"I can get…"
Giles, Dawn, Anya, Willow and Xander listened on in interest hoping that it was news from Sunnydale
"Oh… Ok… I’ll let them know"
"That’s fine… Any idea when?"
She turned her back on them "Ouch"
"That’s good news"
The Sunnydale residents sighed. Buffy and Fred had never met, so it couldn’t be her…
"No problem, see you later"
Fred turned to the five of them and smiled "Faith wants to know how you like your preacher, sliced or diced? Cause she’s got both"
They all stood up at once and started shouting questions at Fred.
Torch the moon, burn the schools
She wrote in red on her bedroom wall
-
"Nothing's pure", the paint runs to the
floor
She laughs too easily and cries too
hard
Shouldn't drink alone, the colors run
How can she forgive
When we know well what we do?
Summers House
Sunnydale, California
Teal’c laid Buffy gently down on her bed; the diminutive blond had not yet regained consciousness after being struck by Caleb. Janet immediately pushed him out of the way and started to check Buffy over.
Pupils even and reactive
Reflexes good
Pulse normal
BP 130 over 70
Janet sat down on the bed beside the young woman and sighed. They were only a few years older than Cassie… In her years as a doctor at the SGC she had seen many things, great and terrifying, but the condition of the girls she had seen today and the condition of the young woman in the bed, well that scared her more than anything else.
Here, in Sunnydale California, a war was going on. A war that had apparently being going on for thousands of years, these young people had been fighting it with some of the most arcane weaponry she had ever seen. Daniel would have a field day with it.
Funny she should think of the ascended archaeologist at a time like this.
When Sam had first told her of the encounter she had had with Vampires and a young girl who apparently slew them Janet had been ready to send her for an evaluation with Dr Mackenzie but then… something had changed. Sam was unwavering in her certainty of the existence of Vampires and demons and the fact that she was a scientist to the core… but to suddenly believe so strongly in the supernatural. It had baffled Janet for a long time. She had thought it was just another reaction to, or memory from Jolinar, but here she was, in the same house as a Vampire.
Sam wasn’t insane after all.
Gently wiping the blood of Buffy’s face Janet saw that the wound was already healing over. The only other time she had seen healing like this was on Teal’c and even that wasn’t as fast. A light gleam of sweat broke out on the young woman’s forehead, reaching out Janet placed a hand there; her temperature was rising. Janet’s brow furrowed in concern, if an infection was going to set in it wouldn’t have set in yet… This she knew, after years of treating battle wounds Janet knew that infection took 24 to 48 hours to set in…
It was just another thing to add to the mystery that was these girls and this town.
Sighing she left the room trusting Teal’c to keep and eye on her and alert her if anything went wrong.
As she entered the kitchen Janet found Colonel O’Neill and Sam in there quietly, attempting to concoct some kind of meal. She watched them silently as they seamlessly worked together with Spike sitting by drinking something she didn’t want to think about, telling them where to find certain things.
It had always amazed her to see the two of them working together.
"Anything decent to eat?" She finally broke in.
Sam looked up and gave her a relived smile; if Janet was here then Buffy was fine.
"Nope" Colonel O’Neill spoke up before Sam and Spike had a chance to "If we want something decent we’re going to have to wait for Jonas and Faith to get back from town. They’re going to see what they can scrounge up. Although I’m guessing the pizza place is closed."
"Mac?"
"Taking a shower. Do you know what happened? Something’s upset her, I mean really upset her" Sam was concerned for her long time friend.
"No idea" Janet sighed "She was fine when I…" Janet trailed off not really wanting to tell them how close she had come to being stabbed.
"When you what?" Jack looked at the Doctor pointedly with raised eyebrows.
"A Bringer crept up behind me, I guess I’m lucky I don’t have an extra hole in my body right now. Mac saw him and warned me. She was fine then…" Janet trailed off as Mac entered the kitchen, hair still wet from the shower.
They all looked at her concerned, she had been oddly quiet since she and Faith had returned from the vineyard.
"What…" Jack started
"My husband" Mac interrupted him before he could complete the sentence "We’d been separated for 10 years, he came back. Things got a bit out of hand, he threatened me, I pissed him off some more, and then he threatened a friend. He wanted money… Then it got really ugly, John tried to pay him off but…"
She blinked back tears, the image of Chris burned into her bringing back all the pain from the previous year.
"How did he die?" Janet asked gently
"I shot him…" Mac whispered, "He pulled a gun on John and I… I tried to get it off him but…" She looked down at her hands as though she could still see the blood there "It went off and he died"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" A voice from the back door echoed through the house "I died, or you killed me. Either way I told you I’d always find you didn’t I Sarah." The First/Chris Ragel smirked from his position. His form started to shrink and morph
"I always loved to play cowboys didn’t I Daddy? I guess gun’s are more dangerous than I thought" The form of a young boy with sandy blond hair and a mischievous smile turned his attention on Jack O’Neill.
Closing his eyes against the assault of memories and guilt the vision induced "Your not Charlie" he muttered trying to stop the tears that welled up.
A gasp from his right told him that The First had changed form again.
Standing there was a woman, tall, light blond hair, piercing blue eyes and an eerie resemblance to Sam Carter. A chocked sob erupted from Carter as she took in the image of her Mother for the first time in nearly 20 years, she brought her hands up to her face and rubbed her eyes and looked again, just to make sure the vision in front of her was real.
"Mom…" She whispered.
"Hey Sam-girl." The malicious grin out of place on the kind face of Carter’s mother. The image changed again, to show the young woman currently unconscious upstairs.
"Man you guys have such fun memories. Who shall we hear from next, hmm?"
She turned to face Janet, growing in height the hair got shorter and darker till the image of a young man about 20 years old was facing the Doctor.
"Well, well, well if it isn’t little Janet Fraiser. Never could remember your place could you? Always butting in where you weren’t needed or wanted…"
Janet went pale at the sight and sound of the man in front of her. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably, shaking her head tears sprang to her eyes and she started muttering under her breath "no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no…"
"But I put you in your place good didn’t I. I was doin you a favour, and how did you thank me for it" The man in front of them pretended to think
"Oh that’s right you stabbed me in the back" He smirked again "Being the good little med student you were, you knew exactly how to kill me. Oh I know they ruled it self defence, but you and I know better don’t we li’l Janet Fraiser."
"We’ll got to go." The First morphed back into Buffy.
"See you soon… or would that be, be you soon" She giggled and disappeared.
Buffy’s Bedroom
Most people considered Teal’c to be enigmatic, he very rarely let his feelings show and one could never tell exactly what it was he was thinking - unless of course you could read eyebrows. If you were there in the room with him it would be quite clear that he was worried about something.
He had seen many things in his years as the First Prime of Apophis but nothing disturbed him as much as these two girls… these Slayers. They had seen and experienced battle since a young age, they had seen much darkness in both the world outside and inside themselves, and yet… yet they continued to fight.
They knew at a young age what it had taken Master Brata’c years to instil into him.
Never give up
No matter how dark it gets there is always something worth fighting for.
Downstairs a door slammed. Rising from his seat he went over to the window and looked out of it to see Doctor Fraiser standing there, shoulders hunched over as she hugged herself as though trying to get warm.
A few moments later the light changed slightly as the back door opened again, Teal’c continued to watch as Mac joined the Doctor silently. The Marine Major simply reached out and laid a hand on the diminutive Airforce Major’s shoulder to get her attention.
He could not hear the conversation below but watched over them anyway. Just as he was watching of Buffy.
A low moan from the bed brought his attention away from the goings on outside. Looking over he saw Buffy’s eyes flutter open. She brought a hand up to her forehead and cringed slightly as she hit one of the many scapes on her face.
"Are you well Buffy Summers?"
Buffy looked at him, she hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room, but then again the room was spinning slightly so…
"I’ll be ok, but I wouldn’t mind if someone got the licence plate on the preacher that hit me. I’d really like to kick his butt sometime soon" She grimaced again
Teal’c tilted his head slightly to the left and raised his right eyebrow "I do not believe that this Preacher had a licence plate. However it will be impossible for you to ‘kick his butt’ as Faith slayed him after you lost consciousness"
She sat up quickly "What?" All the blood rushed to her head "Ooh bad idea" Buffy muttered to herself as the room spun slightly.
"Caleb’s dead" She wanted to make sure she heard him right.
"If what Faith was telling us then he is indeed dead."
"Everyone Ok?"
"You were the only one injured in the assault against Caleb and The First however I do believe that Major Mackenzie suffered some kind of emotional trauma due to the fact that she did not return with the rest of us and when she finally did return she appeared to be quite upset. I believe that The First has made its presence noticeable to her."
"Damn" Buffy had hoped that that would not happen to any on them.
"Damn is right." Jack said from his position leaning against the doorframe, hands stuffed deep into his pockets. "I know Spike told us that this thing could appear as dead people but… My son died when he was 9 years old and I just saw and spoke with him except it wasn’t him… Ya know"
Buffy chuckled humourlessly "Yeah I know, did any one else make and appearance?"
"Mac’s husband, Carter’s Mom, You" Buffy rolled her eye’s at the last one "and some guy that the Doc knew in med school. Big story behind that one, I’m guessing… she’ll tell when she’s ready"
Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head "I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have called Sam, then none of you would even know…"
"Buffy Summers are you regretting seeking aid from an outside source" Teal’c interrupted her before she could go into full guilt mode
"Hell yes, you guys have no idea what goes on here in Sunnydale. Tonight was an easy fight. No – one died…"
"Listen kid" Jack started "We’re here and we’re gonna help no matter what you say to us. Just because you don’t like it, it doesn’t mean you can tell us to stop helping you. You can boss your friends around as much as you want, but there’s no way your getting rid of us. I think I know Carter pretty well, and she’s not gonna leave you girls here to fight this alone, and I’m not leaving Carter here in hostile territory without us to watch her six."
"You don’t understand…" Buffy was going to talk them into leaving even if it killed her… again.
"Like hell we don’t" Jack left his spot by the door and stalked over to the bed "Carter probably didn’t tell you but we’re a combat unit. We’ve walked through wars, we’ve seen and done things that would give any normal person nightmares for years to come. I’ve been in the Air Force for over 20 years and that entire time has been as a combatant. Whatever happens here will be no worse than what I’ve already seen"
Jack could see he was getting through to her, but he could also see that if he pushed any harder she would close him off completely.
"A week ago I found a 15 year old girl in the bathroom across the hall." Buffy sighed and rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wipe away the tears that threatened and the weariness that seemed to have over taken her suddenly. "She’d killed herself cause she couldn’t handle this. Three nights ago, several girls were killed and people severely injured, including one of my best friends. I don’t want any more deaths on my conscience." He could see the tears threatening to fall despite her attempts to stop them.
"No, no, no, no please don’t cry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. Look I’m just saying, we’re here, and we’re willing to help. Let us help you"
"Buffy Summers" Teal’c decided it was time for him to interject "It may not be your choice to have us involved here, but you can no more stop us from helping than you could control untamed equines"
Buffy looked at him confused
"Wild horses T, wild horses" Jack rolled his eyes at the Jaffa.
Buffy still looked confused
"Oh, for cryin out loud. Shut up and accept our help"
Buffy nodded… still slightly confused.
Feather scratches on her wrist
Dry run with a bread knife for a final
twist
It wouldn't be for show if it should come to
this
She was born to feel it all, to see it
all
When I feel so lightly it's still burning
brightly
And she won't look away
Torch the moon, burn the schools
Why it's a man making all the rules
Frida Khalo poster on her door
Summers Home
Sunnydale, California
The kitchen was silent, the two people currently residing in it sitting there trying not to make it obvious that they were studying each other. They didn’t really trust each other and the only reason they were even in the same room was because of a mutual acquaintance.
Spike didn’t want to talk to the Air Force officer and Sam was still reeling from The Firsts visit. She had wanted to follow Janet outside but something in Mac’s eyes had told her to leave it.
Whoever it was that Janet saw had not been a friendly face.
They picked up their mugs at the same time and took a sip of their individual drinks.
Downtown Sunnydale
He was grinning.
It was damn irritating
Faith was nearly ready to punch something
Preferably it would be the grin on his face that she punched.
"What the freakin hell are you so happy about?" She cried out clenching her fists, to anyone but Jonas noticeably restraining herself.
"Oh" he looked at her slightly confused by her tone of voice "nothing much, just my first time in California that’s all"
"Well just stop smiling, it’s annoying" She was really getting pissed at this guy.
"You know Colonel O’Neill says that all the time"
Her eyes widened in incredulity "I am so not surprised" Faith muttered under her breath.
"Wait" She grabbed his arm and they stopped dead in the middle of the street "Over there" Faith dragged him towards a convenience store that looked like it hadn’t been locked up to tight.
Trying the doors, only to find them locked Faith ushered Jonas back a few metres. Taking a deep breath, she launched into a roundhouse and kicked the door, shattering the glass.
"Now we can go in" Bowing slightly Faith allowed the young Alien proceed her into the store where they looted and plundered the unspoiled goods to their hearts content.
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
"Unauthorized off world activation… Unauthorized off world activation…" The warning alarms clanged throughout the SGC disturbing General Hammond, as he attempted to explain on paper why his flagship team and CMO had all taken unexpected leave at the same time.
Pushing his chair away from the desk General Hammond sighed and made his way down to the control room.
"Report" he commanded from his position.
"It’s the Tok’ra Sir"
"Open the iris" George held his breath as he waited for their visitor to materialize out of the event horizon.
His patience was rewarded when Jacob Carter stepped out of the gate alone.
Buffy’s Bedroom
"T" Jack turned to look at the Jaffa "Can you go check on the Carter and the Doc"
Teal’c bowed his head slightly in agreement and made to leave the room "Oh" Jack stopped him "If Faith and Jonas are back whip up something to eat would you, but for the love of God, don’t let Carter cook."
Jack turned his gaze to Buffy; she already looked physically better than when he walked though the door mere minutes before, but mentally… well that was a bit iffy.
"You can’t protect everyone kid"
She looked at him, hard glint in her eyes "I can try"
"Try as much as you want but sometimes we humans are dumb and don’t want to be protected."
Buffy sighed, knowing that he was right, but wasn’t willing to admit it just yet. She looked out the window, the sky lighting slightly at the east signalling that the sun was about to rise.
"Did you ever love someone so much that you would give your life for them without even thinking about it? You would do anything to make sure that they never knew the things you did? But one day you realised that you’d failed?"
Jack sat down on the bed next to her and pulled his knees up to his chest "Yes"
"Who?"
Jack felt his heart clench at the thought of telling her about Charlie, but he had the feeling she knew what it was like.
"My Son, Charlie. He loved to play cowboys, always had his toy guns out and would set up these courses in the back yard that he had to run. I used to love helping him set them up, but it’d irritate my ex to no end. One day he asked to see my real gun… I told him no…" Jack trailed off and swallowed hard
"He found it somehow… Sarah and I were out the front of the house… she was showing me his school photos we heard a gun shot… he was dead by the time we got inside the house."
Buffy looked at Jack in time to see him wipe a tear from his eye.
"Two years ago a hell god was trying to get back to her dimension. Dawn’s blood was the only way for her to do that. We stopped Glory but… it was to late, the portal was open and I had to make a choice… her or me. Who got to live and who died." Buffy looked down at her hands, they we’re trembling slightly; she rubbed her thumb and forefingers together. " I remember standing on top of the tower and… I knew, I just knew that it was the right thing to do. Dawn had a chance to do everything I didn’t, to have a life without the badness. They brought me back to life 5 months later to find out that she was right there with them, researching, living the exact way I didn’t want her to… That was a bad year…" Buffy sighed and rubbed her hands against her face.
"And everything you do is for her. For her own good?" Jack asked one of the many questions that had been plaguing Buffy.
"That’s what I tell myself" Honest, she had to be honest with this man.
"Then, you’re lying to yourself kid"
Hello Jack O’Neill, subtle is thy name.
"Are you trying to protect her?" Jack asked quietly "Or are you protecting yourself?"
Buffy didn’t answer, she just sat there silently contemplating his words. Deciding that he had had enough of that particular line of conversation Jack took a chance to look around the room. Sitting up on the mantle were about 10 photo’s, the same two kids appeared quite a bit but there was the occasional extra person or two, there was one picture on the far end that caught his eye. A woman in her early 30’s sitting on a couch. A toddler in her lap and arm wrapped round another little girl. A book was open in front of her but both of the children were asleep and the woman was smiling not at the camera but at the person behind the camera.
It was the kind of photo that you treasured.
"So, was that the worst this thing had to throw at us? And why the hell are Vampires so afraid of Holy Water?"
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California.
"So everyone is ok then?" Xander was still a little miffed, Caleb was dead, and apparently Buffy and Faith had done it by themselves.
"That’s what Faith said, some bumps and bruises but that’s pretty much it" Fred was getting tired of this, they had been asking the same question over and over again "I don’t know how they did it, but its done, they’re back at the house planning what to do next"
Over in the far corner of the lobby sat Dawn, just sitting there watching as the others kept asking senseless questions. They were alive, Caleb was dead that was all that mattered.
Out of the corner of his eye Giles saw Dawn sitting alone, watching the proceedings with deep thought etched into her features. Quietly he turned away from the group and sat down next to her
"Are you ok?"
Dawn turned her face upwards towards him. "I will be…" sighing she let her shoulders slump "Buffy never stopped them from getting involved did she?"
Giles chuckled lightly "Actually she was quite vocal in her protests against Willow and Xander getting involved. I seem to recall her constantly telling them not to join her on patrol, and the worse things got the more she told them to stay away, the more they refused to. On some occasions it was quite amusing to see the battle of the wills…" Giles trailed off "Whenever they, or even I got hurt, Buffy blamed herself."
"I remember when she ran away. You guys were all hurt; Angel was dead… I’ll never forget the fight between her and Mom…"
"You have no idea how dangerous, how lonely it is. I would love to be up in my room watching TV, talking about boys or God even studying, but I have to save the world… again"
"… Mom just sat in the kitchen and cried. It got worse the next morning when she found the letter…" Dawn sighed and leaned her head against Giles’ shoulder "I wish Mom were here"
Giles wrapped his arm around her "You know something Dawn, I wish your mother was here as well"
Summer’s House
Sunnydale, California
"We’re baaaack" Faith hollered as she threw the front door open.
Not seeing anyone in the living area or dining room, she went straight through to the kitchen to see Spike and Sam still sitting there in silence, along with Teal’c standing by the back door discreetly watching Janet and Mac.
"Fang… Sam… Tank, what’s up?"
Spike looked up at her and smirked "Not much…"
He was about to continue when Buffy and Jack joined them.
"I thought you said that there was food down here?" Buffy turned to face Jack, placed her hands on her hips, stuck her bottom lip out and pouted.
"There is" Jack pointed to the shopping bags in Faith and Jonas’ hands "See food, it just isn’t cooked yet" He turned and looked at the others "Who’s cooking?"
Sam held her hands up "I don’t cook, I heat, reheat and on a rare occasion bake, but I don’t cook"
"Ask me to flip burgers, burn Mac and Cheese or stake a Vampire I’m your gal but cooking…" Buffy cringed slightly and shrugged.
Faith simply shook her head, raised her eyebrows and looked at the stove disdainfully.
"Fine" Jack huffed "Looks like its you and me Big Guy" he gestured to Teal’c to join him, as he took the bags from Faith and Jonas.
"Where are Mac and the Doc?" He started pulling things out of the bags giving each a cursory glance but stopped at the packet of double stuff Oreo Cookies. Ripping them open he grabbed two for himself and threw the rest at Buffy who easily caught them and started to munch.
"They are out in the rear garden, I believe they are conversing over the events of the evening" Teal’c replied to Jack’s question. "Doctor Fraiser looked most upset when she exited the house before"
Buffy absently handed to cookies to Faith and wandered over to the door, pulling the blinds slightly to one side she saw the two women sitting side by side on the back steps, neither of them talking any more just sitting there staring at the sky deep in their own individual thoughts.
"B, they ok out there?" Faith broke the silence that had descended over the kitchen.
"Yeah" Buffy didn’t turn away from the door "They’re just sitting"
"Do you think they can sit inside?" Jack asked, "We have a plan to share and food to eat"
"You came up with a plan without me?" Faith pretended to be hurt "I’m insulted"
Buffy laughed, opened the door and stepped outside.
The back porch
Buffy closed the door quietly behind her and sat down on the steps next to Janet. She didn’t speak straight away but joined them in their sky watching.
The silence was comfortable, each contemplating what had happened both that evening and the months and years previous.
Eventually Buffy spoke up "Come on you two, we have a plan to discuss and food to eat, we can brood and look at the stars when all of this is over"
Summers Kitchen
Sunnydale, California
"So" Sam stood up, taking a moment to stretch arms high above her head arching her back, Jonas cringed as the vertebrae in her back cracked, she walked behind the bench to stand next to Jack "What’s to eat?"
"Nachos" Jack looked at her and grinned in an attempt to be nonchalant, but he was a little wary of his cooking. It had been a while since he had last had to cook Nachos.
Sam’s eye’s lit up in anticipation…
"The only problem is" Jack continued while stirring the meat sauce "We don’t have any guacamole dip"
Sam sighed, no guacamole dip!
"I wouldn’t be too upset about it" Faith called from the other side of the kitchen where she and Jonas were still eating Oreo’s "That stuff tastes like shit"
"What do you care what it tastes like Faith" Buffy interjected as she came in with Janet and Mac trailing behind her "You’ll just inhale it faster than you can say Taco Bell anyway"
"Hungry and horny?" Faith smirked when the blond slayer blushed.
"Nudity and crocodiles" Buffy replied through her blush as they both remembered their first meeting.
Jonas looked back and forth between the two girls grinning at the imagery their comments presented.
"So" Jack said loudly with a slight blush creeping up his cheeks "Buffy, do you want to explain our plan?"
"I’d be delighted" Buffy grinned and started to out line the plan she and Jack had come up with.
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
"So let me get this straight" Jacob Carter started slowly from his seat in General Hammond office.
"Sam took a vacation" He leaned forward with his hands resting on his knees.
"That’s correct" George want to laugh at the shocked look on Jacob’s face.
"Willingly?" Jacob continued one of his hands raising and waving around slightly, "I mean, Jack didn’t have to forcibly drag her out?" His eyebrows raised "hogtied, blind folded and gagged?"
"No he didn’t" George was trying really hard not to laugh, "She left willingly. A friend needed help…"
"So of course Sam went running" Jacob interrupted, with only a little bit of sarcasm seeping through his words.
George nodded, not trusting himself to keep a straight face.
"So what are the rest of the team up to?" Jacob asked innocently
Summers Home
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale, California
"Are you insane B?"
"Sir I’m not sure whether this is the best idea"
"Sounds like fun"
"O’Neill, I do not believe your plan would work in its current form, however with some work it could become viable"
Upon hearing what Buffy and Jack had come up with Faith, Janet, Sam, Spike and Teal’c had all expressed their opinions rather loudly, however Mac and Jonas remained quiet letting the others do all the talking.
"I know it wouldn’t work, that’s why we’re sharing, to see if we can make it work somehow." Jack looked at each of the protesters in turn "Yes we know it’s insane that’s why it’s a good idea." He then grinned at Carter and Spike who had spoken the same words "Does sound like fun doesn’t it!"
"So…" Mac started slowly speaking up for the first time since re-entering the house "Where are we going to get everything? I mean, I can call a friend a get my hands on some tracers and other hardware, but we’d need proper clearance and authority. It would be impossible to get on such short notice and as for the other…" Mac shrugged helplessly.
"We’re not worried about hardware. If we can’t get our hands on it I’m sure Carter’ll be able to rig up an alternative" Jack placated her "It’s the other were worried about, we’re still trying to work out the logistics. Where we’re going to find something big enough…" he brought his hands palm upwards and gave the group a helpless half smile
"So that’s our biggest problem" Jonas spoke up "Logistics?"
"Yep" Buffy and Jack both nodded
"So after we eat" Jack started but was distracted when he wouldn’t find plates "Where are the dinner plates?"
Buffy walked behind the breakfast bar and pulled them out so Jack could continue "We get a few hours shut eye, then I want Jonas and Teal’c to go find us some transport, towns empty so if you find something suitable grab it, Doc and Faith your on supplies, food, first aid etc. Spike, sorry buddy but you’re here…" The Vampire grinned in superiority at not having to do anything "coordinating everyone else," The grin fell off Spike’s face "there’ll still be nasties around and probably pissed off, so everyone checks in with Spike hourly." Looking at the plates he made sure that they all had an even amount of food on them. "Buffy and Mac you’re looking for a priest. A real, not evil Priest who’ll do the job for us. Meanwhile Carter and I are looking for Hardware"
He looked around the group who all nodded "Ok lets eat"
At the grins he was met with, Jack knew he wasn’t the only one looking forward to the meal.
Cheyenne Mountain
Colorado Springs, Colorado
"Jacob, I can honestly tell you I don’t know where they are…" General Hammond exclaimed.
"But" Jacob leaned forward in his seat "I’m sensing a but in here and I didn’t need Selmak to tell me that"
Both the Generals were getting sick of this line of questioning.
"No buts at all" They both knew when the other was bull shitting "Listen Jake. Get out of the mountain, stay at Sam’s place for a couple of days" George held his hand out for Jacob to shake. The Tok’ra took it reluctantly, knowing that George knew more than he was letting on.
Without another word General Hammond walked out of his office, leaving Jacob to stare at the small piece of paper in his hands. Written on it were simply a name and address.
Buffy Summers
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale California
Summers Residence
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale, California
Buffy rolled onto her back and sighed, she couldn’t sleep. Her injuries had almost healed and after the huge meal that Jack had cooked up she was almost buzzing with energy.
Sliding out of the bed so as not to disturb Faith, Buffy sat down at the window seat and stared out at the clear day that had dawned.
What was she going to do? Assuming she survived this, that any of them survived this, what would she do with the rest of her life?
It was tempting to just leave and start over, but what about Dawn? Would she be willing to go with her, cut the ties with Sunnydale and all that was here? After all the gang had been through together would she be able to just up and walk away?
She knew what the answer was. She knew that if she really wanted to she could leave, walk away from Sunnydale, but not the fight. Buffy could never walk away from the fight, from her calling. She had told Faith the truth down in that cave. She was no longer The Slayer, but that didn’t mean that she ever stopped fighting.
It wasn’t possible.
She could never simply walk away; the fight had been a part of her to long.
It was who she was.
Even if it wasn’t here on the hell mouth she could fight somewhere else, fight what ever else was out there.
Couldn’t she?
"You can’t sleep either?" Faith spoke softly from the bed.
Turning her head to look at the younger woman Buffy smiled when she saw Faith sitting up.
"Nah, too much energy after my nap earlier"
A dangerous glint came into Faith’s eyes "You wanna spar B?"
Buffy grinned back in anticipation "Your on F"
It was horrible.
Sam had never heard a sound like that.
She pulled the pillow round her ears.
Who knew that something that atrocious could come from something that small?
Jack O’Neill was uncomfortable. No matter what anyone ever said sleeping on a couch no matter how comfortable it could be was nothing compared to your own bed. This morning’s attempt at rest was a perfect example of this.
There was something else, a noise that was disturbing him. There it was again…
Thud…
Thump…
Crash…
Crash? That wasn’t right. Sitting up straight he threw the blanket off.
A voice…
"Where in the hell did you learn that move B?"
Everyone was supposed to be asleep.
Crash
"Something you learned in gaol F?"
Those two…
Why was he not surprised?
Wait a minute… Gaol?
Finally he got up off the couch and followed the sounds of the fight through the kitchen. When more speaking caught his attention
"Time for toys?" Buffy’s voice floated through
"What ya got in mind" Faith replied
He couldn’t hear Buffy’s reply but what Faith said next was worrying.
"Cool"
Then came the unmistakable sound of metal against metal.
What the…
Walking up to the door he gingerly peeked through the blinds and was floored when he caught a glimpse of the two girls in light workout clothes…
Sword fighting.
Whoa
"Scary isn’t it" The soft voice of is 2IC came from behind him.
Jack jumped and brought a hand to his chest as he turned in shock "Geez, Carter give me a heart attack. A little warning next time and, aren’t you supposed to be asleep"
"Yes Sir" Carter sniggered "Sorry Sir. I would be asleep, but who would have thought that Janet snored… loudly"
Jack choked back the urge to laugh at the thought of the tiny Doctor being a snorer. "Well it looks like those two wouldn’t mind if you took Buffy’s room"
"Nah, I’m awake now." Standing next to Jack, Sam looked out the window "I was watching them from upstairs for about the last 20 minutes" She shook her head "you should have seen it, they’re not playing around, if it we’re any of us… well I’d be a walking bruise right about now"
"No they’re not playing" A voice from behind them said, "They never play." Jack and Sam froze at that particular voice. They turned slowly to see someone they had so recently lost and had both cared for dearly. "They’ve fought each other so many times… to the death even." The image of the ascended archaeologist paced in front of them. "As you can see neither of them won" He stopped and looked at the two of them "They could be the greatest team out there." Daniel grinned; "If it wasn’t for jealousy and stubbornness they would be formidable" The grin slowly changed into a snarl "and that’s why they’ll never win" The image sniggered.
"Why you’ll never win"
With an aggravated sigh hiding the tears that were trying to fall,
"You won’t get to us… Not with him" She waved a hand at him "So go plot your evil plot and we’ll stay here and plot to foil your evil plot" She turned her back on the image to watch Buffy and Faith again
"You’re a bad influence on her Jack" and with those parting words the image disappeared.
Not really wanting to talk about Daniel, or the fact that The First was trying to use his memory against them, they wordlessly continued to watch the two girls fighting.
Sam and Jack cringed as Faith’s foot caught Buffy in the stomach, but the blond slayer barely seemed phased by the blow, she simply rolled with it and countered with an attack of her own.
Instead of flipping herself up to face Faith again, Buffy started to roll over her left shoulder and used the fence to propel her legs back at Faith hitting her in the upper chest with both feet. Not expecting a counter attack like that Faith stumbled backwards giving Buffy time to grab her sword and get back onto her feet.
Both girls had a unique style, but an experienced fighter like Jack could see that the root moves were the same. Their training had started the same but time and experience had developed in each of them and individual fighting technique that he had never seen before.
The girls were still going strong, not showing any sign of fatigue, Jack turned to face Sam.
"Coffee"
"Sounds good"
"Come Jonas Quinn" Teal’c hurried the young Kelownan along "We have much to do and little time to achieve it"
Jonas glanced over at Teal’c "So what exactly are we looking for?"
As patient as ever "We are looking for vehicle’s large enough to accommodate the supplies that O’Neill and Buffy Summers require for their plan to become a reality"
"Ah" Jonas nodded "So we want a regular truck or van and…?"
The question hung on his lips
"Something large enough to carry an extraordinary amount of liquid"
Jonas nodded and grinned "Does this mean I’ll get to drive?"
"Are you sure this is alright" Janet looked at Faith as they went thoroughly through the abandoned hospital "I mean I feel kind of bad taking off with all these medical supplies. What if someone needs them?"
"Doc, the entire town is abandoned" Faith threw another set of bandages at the Doctor "No one will care, we’ve done it before." Faith rifled through a cupboard " How do you think we got all our supplies in the old days. People got real good at turning a blind eye"
She paused for a moment "Even at me. Especially once I joined up with the Mayor"
"The Mayor" Janet queried
"Yeah" Faith looked at Janet wondering whether she could tell the whole story "The Mayor was a really powerful guy who wanted to be a pure demon. He built the entire town to do it. Why else would you build a town on a Hell Mouth?" Faith shrugged "I joined his team… seemed like a good idea at the time" She grinned wryly. "Lets just say the shit hit the fan and… things went real bad for me, for everyone."
"So where are we going to locate a Priest in an abandoned town?" Mac was holding tightly as Buffy screeched out of Revello drive in the Jeep.
"Were not"
Mac closed her eyes ‘It’s better if I just don’t see’ she thought
"There’s a little town about an hour east. We’ll head there first"
Mac could smell the burning rubber as they took off round the corner and headed east out of town.
Buffy grinned; she loved doing this to people. She really was a very good driver; it was just more fun to do it this way.
"Sir?" Carter looked across at her CO as they drove out of town "Where are we going to get this ‘Hardware’ you want on such short notice?"
Jack grinned slyly at her out of the corner of his eye "Probably from the same kind of people you got that nice rifle you used last night"
"Ah" She cringed slightly, she had wondered when he was going to bring that up.
"We just don’t have to go as far as LA, and won’t have to pay as much money for them."
"So where are we going again?" Curiosity killed the astrophysicist.
"Carmel" Satisfaction bought her back.
Spike was bored.
He had been sitting in this house for over three hours by himself now and so far they had all called in twice. There was nothing he could really do while he waited.
Except maybe cook.
He didn’t want to do that.
Well… Maybe he could make some sandwiches when Faith and Janet got back.
Maybe.
"Hey Teal’c"
Teal’c looked around to see where Jonas’ voice was coming from. They had headed down to the shipyards where they had found vehicles of all shapes and sizes but had yet to locate one that would suit their needs. Although if the holler from Jonas indicated anything, perhaps he had found a vehicle suitable for the plan that Colonel O’Neill and Buffy had come up with.
Teal’c still believed that it would need a lot of work and refinement if they we’re going to pull this off.
Spying Jonas by two large oil tankers, Teal’c let a small smile grace his features "I believe that these will be sufficient for our needs"
"I think we’re done here"
Faith could almost imagine Janet stripping off latex gloves as she stood over a patient. There was something in her demeanour that just screamed ‘DOCTOR’, but there was also something there, that hadn’t been noticeable the night before. A guard had come up, and wasn’t going to come down any time soon.
It worried Faith.
Not that she would ever admit to being worried about someone else.
Or would she?
"Thank you for doing this Father."
Mac and Buffy grinned at each other as they exited the rectory; as long as Jonas and Teal’c could find something they were right for making Holy Water, transporting and storing it.
Before they got into the car Buffy looked over at Mac.
"There’s one more thing I have to do" The grin had dropped off her face as she pulled a bunch of papers out of her bag.
"Sam signed these before we left"
Mac gave the girl a measuring look "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah" Buffy looked at the papers in her hand "I’m sure’
"You want what?"
Bill Roche was astounded, he hadn’t heard hide nor hair of Jack O’Neill in years and then out of the blue he turns up looking for grenade launchers and flame throwers and other pieces of hardware that… well was hard to get and very flammable. He also wanted it cheap and within 24 hours.
"Jack, I don’t think…" he started, wanting to convince Jack to take some stuff he already had and was not so… destructive.
"That’s right Bill, you don’t think, you do." Jack glared at him, attempting to be threatening.
"Jack you haven’t been able to scare me for almost twenty years, what makes you think you can do it now?"
Jack grinned wickedly "I know I can’t, but if you don’t I’ll let Carter over here have her wicked way with you"
"Hey" The blond Major cried from the background.
"No offence Carter" Jack threw over his shoulder, turning back to Bill "She has an IQ higher than both of us combined, I’ll let her teach you everything she knows about physics…" he turned back to Carter "What’s your full title again?"
"Major Doctor Samantha Carter, United States Air Force, PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics of which I’m a published author in. I’m working on a Theoretical Quantum Physics doctorate as well"
Bill paled visibly "Let me go make a few calls. I’ll let you know"
"Thanks" Jack beamed
When Bill was gone Jack gave Sam a measuring look "When the hell do you get time to study for a degree in Quantum Physics?"
"Well Sir" Sam blushed "I don’t actually study for it, I just do the exams and present the papers. Considering its half my job now, I figure that I should be qualified for it"
Jack slapped his forehead and groaned "Oh, for cryin out loud Carter, your smart enough. You don’t need to be any smarter"
Sam grinned.
"Who do you see?"
"Huh" Buffy took her eye’s off the road long enough to glance over at Mac.
"When The First appears to you" Mac said quietly "Who do you see"
Buffy gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter "Myself… people I couldn’t save… but mostly myself"
"I was wondering about that" Mac mused as she watched the scenery pass by, Buffy’s driving having improved dramatically much to Mac’s relief "I mean, your alive and I thought The First could only appear as dead people?"
Not sure if Mac could handle it after the night before Buffy kept her answer short "It can"
"An explanation would be good, cause it’s a little confusing" She wasn’t going to give up any time soon was she?
"I died"
"Oh"
"Twice actually"
"Huh"
The car was silent for a few moments before Mac spoke again.
"What was it like?"
Buffy sighed, she hated answering this question, she didn’t want people’s pity.
"It was everything that was ever good and more"
Summers Residence
1630 Revello Drive
Sunnydale California
"Hey Fang we’re back"
Faith and Janet struggled through the front door with all the ‘Shopping’ they had done over the last few hours.
Heading straight through to the kitchen, Faith stopped short of the sight in front of her.
The former ‘Big Bad’ William the Bloody aka Spike was standing at the bench, oven mitts covering his hands, frowning over a cook book he had located.
"What the…" Faith started but couldn’t continue as a look of mass befuddlement, graced the bleached blond Vampires features.
Looking up to see Faith staring at him in barely concealed amusement, he ducked his head in embarrassment.
"Got kinda bored, knew you wankers’d be hungry when you got back so thought I’d see if…" He trailed off helplessly and shrugged.
"Still tryin to impress B?" Faith raised an eyebrow and sniggered.
"No!" Spike quickly retorted, a little to quickly to Faith’s ears.
She sniggered again and was about to make another snide remark about love struck Vampires; but Janet’s voice sounded from the front door cutting her off.
"A little help out here"
"Ok" Bill walked back into the room "I’ve got the tracers and flame throwers, the launchers were a little harder to get"
Jack glared at Bill.
"I said harder not impossible" He hastily continued not really wanting the impromptu physics lesson that had been threatened "They’ll be here in twelve hours"
Jack smiled congenially at the other man "Well be back in twelve hours then"
"Come on Carter. We’re going back to Sunnydale"
"Don’t you ever say that your buddy Bill doesn’t come through for you" Bill smirked at their retreating backs but his face paled slightly when he heard the word Sunnydale.
Jack walked out of the house with Carter following close behind, "Now I know why you wanted me with you" she said when they were far enough away.
Jack looked at her and rose an eyebrow "Why do you think I wanted you with me"
"You’re using me for my brain"
"Ok fine" Jack threw back at her as he unlocked the car "I only want you for your brain"
Sam opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again and got into the car.
The deep roar of diesel engines startled everyone who was currently inside 1630 Revello Drive. Looking out through the front windows Faith laughed as she saw Teal’c jump out of the first Tanker with Jonas not far behind him in the second one.
Making her way out the front door she grinned at the two aliens (although she didn’t know that was what they were).
"Damn, you guys and I say damn again. I know we said large and able to haul liquid but this takes the cake."
Teal’c raised an eyebrow at her
"I did not realise that cake would be needed for this venture, however Jonas Quinn has had an idea that may assist with the accomplishment of O’Neill and Buffy Summers plan."
Just then Buffy and Mac pulled up in the jeep, as they got out of the car Buffy and Mac gaped at the site of the two extraordinarily large trucks that now graced Revello Drive.
"I see you two were successful" Mac commented, "How about you and Janet?" She turned to Faith.
"Janet and Spike are inside, they’re cooking up a storm and getting all the stuff we got organised"
Buffy was about to comment on the thought of Spike cooking but was distracted as from behind Mac a crossbow bolt whizzed through the air towards the young brunette slayer.
"Faith" Buffy screamed out a warning but couldn’t do much else because she was on the other side of the car.
The four of them watched in horror as Faith attempted to move out of its path but wasn’t quite fast enough.
She let out a strangled yell as the bolt struck her.
Buffy watched as in slow motion her sister slayer fell to the ground crossbow bolt embedded in her upper body. She couldn’t quite see exactly where.
From the left side of the house another bolt flew through the air.
"Everybody down"
It wasn’t a warning but an order, coming from Buffy’s mouth, following her cue and order Jonas, Teal’c and Mac all dropped to the ground, trying to take cover from the deadly cross fire of bolts that were flying where their heads had been only moments before.
Crawling along the ground in an attempt to get to Faith Buffy stuck her head round the side of the Jeep. Faith was there facing Buffy, a pool of blood slowly seeping from what Buffy could see was a wound in the shoulder. Slowly her eyes cracked open just enough for her to see Buffy glancing worriedly her way.
Not visibly moving Faith tried to convey to Buffy that she was ok. Luckily Buffy got the message loud and clear. Easing her way back into the cover of the Jeep Buffy saw that Mac was now there having gotten out of the way.
"You got your gun?" Buffy had stuck her head over the top of the bonnet only to have it nearly taken off by a bolt.
"Yeah" The Marine nodded nervously.
"I’m gonna go distracto girl." Buffy grinned. "While they’re distracted you shoot ‘em"
Mac nodded again "Whenever you’re ready to run through a hail of arrows, I’ll be ready to shoot the enemy"
"Bolts" Buffy grinned "They’re bolts not arrows" Buffy could see that Mac’s hands were shaking.
"Right…" Mac looked at her with nervous anticipation "Whenever you’re ready"
"You sure?" Buffy asked
At Mac’s nod Buffy vaulted over the car and landed at a dead run. She ran in random directions trying to confuse whoever was shooting at them. Gunfire started from behind the Jeep where she knew that Mac was, but also from the side of one of the trucks. She could only assume that either Teal’c or Jonas had gotten the idea.
From the direction of the house came a quiet shriek and the slamming of the front door. Buffy could only guess that Janet had come out when she heard the gunshots and quickly retreated back inside to safety.
Hurtling over the hedge into the neighbour’s front yard, she hid behind the tree momentarily to get her bearings and try and find out where all of the others were.
Mac was still behind the Jeep where Buffy had left her minutes before. Faith had managed to roll out of harm’s way, Janet kneeling beside her checking the wound.
Wait a minute…
When had Janet come outside?
She must have dived out instead of in. Hopefully she was safe.
She could see two figures beside the first truck…
First truck? Those gunshots had come from the second one.
If Jonas and Teal’c were behind truck number 1 then who was their mysterious ally behind truck number two.
A single gunshot rang out and from the far side of the yard a black-cloaked body fell out of a tree.
Cautiously Buffy poked her head out from behind the tree. Seeing that there were no more bolts flying through the air she took a hesitant step.
Nothing flying through the air? Nope… good.
With more confidence but keeping her senses on full alert. Buffy walked over to the dead Bringer. Nudging him with her foot she saw that he had been hit once. A clean shot right between the eyes.
"You don’t need to worry. He’s dead" A male voice from behind her came.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
Angel paced up and down what had been his old office but had since been put out of use since they had taken over Wolfram and Heart.
Everything in him was screaming to go up to Sunnydale and help Buffy. It was an automatic reflex. Protect Buffy, do anything to keep her safe. He didn’t know why it still flared up whenever he knew what was going on down in Sunnydale…
They may be from two different worlds, living different lives, or un-lives in his case, but hopefully they would always be friends.
Hopefully
Summers Residence
Sunnydale, California
Jacob Carter gasped in shock as the girl he had just seen do something that ranged in the Jack O’Neill area of stupid moved faster than he would have thought possible from a regular human being. With barely time to blink she had him by the throat his feet barely touching the ground.
If she had been any taller they wouldn’t have been.
"Murray, Jonas…"He was sure he had seen the Jaffa and the Kelownan behind the other truck "A little help here" Jacob gasped out.
He didn’t say anything else because of the gun barrel he was sure was pressing against the back of his skull.
The little blond grinned sweetly, yet there was a lot of danger and wariness lurking behind those eyes… it was disturbing. Jacob got the feeling she could crush his windpipe without breaking a sweat.
The two aliens saw what was happening and started towards the trio but were stilled when Buffy released one hand and held it up to them. Wisely they stayed where they were.
"Who are you? What are you doing here? What are you? And are you evil?"
The questions came out of her mouth rapidly.
"Jacob Carter, looking for Sam, American and depends on who you ask" The answers were given just as rapidly.
Buffy’s grip tightened at hearing his last answer. Jacob’s hands grasped hers trying to pry them away from his throat.
‘She’s ‘freakishly’ strong’ Selmak said to him.
‘No shit Sherlock’ Jacob really hated it when he had to be sarcastic to himself, it just wasn’t as much fun
From the front of the Jeep Janet finally looked up to see what the commotion was. Seeing who was standing there with Buffy’s hands around his throat and Mac’s gun to his head Janet called out
"Um, Buffy I don’t imagine Sam would appreciate it if you throttled her Dad"
Buffy looked over at the Doctor with raised eyebrows, but without loosening her grip on Jacob.
Seeing the Doctor nod at her she let go of him and this time smiled genuinely but sheepishly at him.
"Sorry about that but you can never be to careful." Mac flipped the safety on and tucked the gun into her pants.
"So you’re Sam’s Dad"
"Yes, and I’m guessing your Buffy Summers" This girl made him nervous. She was stronger than she should be.
Buffy leaned towards him and said loud enough for only him to hear "Does she know you’re not human"
She cocked her head to the side questioningly as he pulled away in shock.
‘Oh Shit’ Selmak surmised perfectly.
Jack and Sam were turning into Revello Drive after a nearly silent ride back to Sunnydale when Jack was met with a sight that worried him "Ah Carter" Sam looked up at him, not having seen what was outside Buffy’s house, being engrossed in whatever she was doing on her laptop.
"Yes Sir?"
"Why" He let go of the steering wheel with one hand and started throwing it around as he spoke in typical Jack O’Neill style "may I ask are there two very very big trucks and your car outside the house?
Sam sat up abruptly and peered out the windscreen.
"I have no idea… who on earth has the keys to my car?" She looked back at him.
"Your Dad" He answered his voice dripping in sarcasm "Oh wait a minute, he’s not on earth"
Sam fought back the response that she would have given anyone but a superior officer. Slipping her gun out of its holster she flipped the safety and held it by her side out of sight.
As they pulled into the driveway behind the trucks Jack got worried by the sight he was met with.
He wasn’t worried about the number of bolts now adorning the house. In fact it may just become the new fashion in external decorating.
He was a little worried about the fact that Faith was lying on the ground bleeding but Janet and Mac were with her. A little bit of blood wouldn’t stop Janet; she was The Doc after all.
The dead Bringer on the other side of the yard was slightly concerning but if it was dead it couldn’t hurt them any more.
No it was Jacob Carter’s presence, and the glaring competition he was having with Buffy that really worried him.
Especially the fact that it looked like Buffy had choked first and asked questions later.
Nope, Jack decided. Not good.
This was really bad. In fact this was phenomenally bad. In fact this was… this was… this was Tokr’a bad.
"Jacob" Jack nearly tripped over his own feet rushing to get out of the car. "What brings you back to our corner of the universe?" He grinned nervously.
Jacob turned and faced Jack and Sam momentarily. His eyes lingering on Sam as her grin made him glad he had taken the chance and come out to California.
"I had a bit of free time, so I thought I’d drop by for a visit." He gave Sam a measuring look "See my only daughter. Only when I get there I find out that she’s taken a vacation." Jacob crossed his arms and shrugged slightly "To my knowledge you’ve never willingly taken a vacation Sam. Why now?"
"Well…" Sam started only to be interrupted by Jacob again.
"Anyway, so I’m chatting to George and he mentions that you’ve gone to California with a friend, right about the time that Jack here thinks it’d be a good idea to show Jonas and Teal’c around a bit, specifically California. And you know something, coincidentally the base CMO has to take urgent leave at the exact same time…"
"And coincidentally" Janet called out from where she was tending to Faith " Said CMO has a bleeding patient who she would like to get into the house for treatment"
It seemed that everyone sprang into action at the same time Buffy and Jacob immediately stopped their glaring competition, Jack and Sam breathed a sigh of relief and Teal’c walked over and picked Faith up off the ground cradling her like a baby.
"Hey" the injured slayer slurred, "I’m good. T’is a scratch I say," Her head lolled slightly "I can walk"
"I do not believe that it would be wise" Teal’c intoned as he climbed the steps and into the house "You have lost large amounts of blood, any movement may worsen your condition"
Janet grabbed Buffy by the arm halting the girl as she walked into the house behind Teal’c.
"We need to find somewhere that we can clean easily, this could get messy"
The blond looked around the her trying to think of where in the house they could use "Umm" He lip curled slightly in apprehension "Upstairs bathroom, you could put her in the bathtub"
"Right… Good" Janet grimaced at the thought of treating someone in a bath tub but pushed Teal’c towards the stairs slightly "Mac and Buffy you’re with me. Everyone else…" Janet shrugged a little "entertain yourselves"
"Ahhh, Janet" Buffy trailed up the stairs after the doctor "Why me? I don’t do to well with the blood and pain and screaming…"
As her voice trailed off Sam and Jack looked at each other and sniggered. That is until they saw Jacob standing there glaring at them. Jack cringed, fleeting thoughts of making a run for it went through his head, but he knew that no matter how fast he ran both of the Carters would catch up to him and make his life a living hell. While Jacob would return to the Tok'ra eventually Sam wouldn’t, she was his 2IC and a woman and whatever she came up with would be worse than the worse torture he had ever endured.
She was a scientist after all.
Damn that woman could be evil.
It was better to stay and live through whatever was given to him now.
"I’m probably the worse person to give someone medical attention" Buffy was still trying to get out of assisting.
"Yes but" Janet turned around to face her "You’re the only one strong enough to hold her down"
"Oh" Buffy was taken aback.
"Now strip and get in the tub"
"Huh?" Buffy’s eye’s widened.
Janet refrained from rolling her eyes at the girl.
"I need you to hold her arms and legs down, but it’s going to get really bloody hence the stripping"
"Ok" It came out as more of a squeak than anything else. Turning around Buffy started to walk out of the room while pulling her top off. Leaving a trail of clothes she headed towards her bedroom. When Buffy returned to the bathroom she was wearing an old singlet top and a pair of shorts.
Without complaint she climbed into the bathtub and awaited direction from Janet. When Teal’c gently lay Faith down so that her back was resting against Buffy’s chest the blond wrapped her arms and legs around the younger woman locking her ankles and wrists around Faith.
"I didn’t think you felt that way about me B?" Faith drawled as she lay almost limply in Buffy arms not resisting at all.
"Despite the past Faith" Buffy had to hold back the snigger "I do kinda like you alive"
Meanwhile Janet had shoed Teal’c out of the room and was getting Mac to wrap both ends of the bolt with gauze as she looked through the supplies she had grabbed on her way up the stairs.
Leaning over she checked the wrapping that was covering the bolt and looked at the other two silently asking if they were ready.
Buffy held on a little tighter while Mac grabbed the bolt where it entered and exited Faith in an attempt to hold it steady. As Janet went to snap the tip off Mac interrupted.
"Wait…" letting go she stepped into the tub facing Faith and Buffy, and kneeled, placing a leg on either side of the two girls she reached around again and grasped the bolt.
"Ready this time?" Janet asked.
Buffy and Mac both nodded, but Faith felt the need to comment.
"Ooh kinky, I thought the military frowned on this type of thing"
Mac simply rolled her eyes as Buffy snigged and mumbled "Gutter brain".
Janet reached in and grabbed the tip of the bolt firmly, as cleanly and quickly as possible she snapped off the tip. She could see that it had hurt Faith but she didn’t make a sound, just bit her lip and breathed a little deeper.
Looking up her eyes met with Mac’s, letting go of where the tip used to be Mac put her free hand on Faiths shoulder, while Janet pressed against the gauze holding it in place. When she saw that Janet was ready in one fell swoop Mac yanked the bolt out…
"Great Mother Fucker woman… a little warning…"
Jack and Sam raised their eyes to the ceiling at the scream that had just permeated throughout the house.
"Colourful girl" Jack commented.
Sam smirked at him and looked back at Jacob who was standing looking out the window trying to process what he had just been told.
‘Vampires?’
‘Yes Jacob that’s what they said’
‘Huh… I mean I can accept that but… that tiny little blond and the bleeding brunette are the ones who fight them? That’s what I’m having trouble with’
‘Your daughter explores the galaxy strapped to a P90, and you have trouble believing that it’s a girl that fights these things?’
‘Well…’
‘I worry about you sometimes Jacob’
‘I worry about us all the time Selmak’
"So you’re a Vampire?" Jonas and Spike stood side by side in the kitchen chopping vegetables for the spaghetti sauce.
"Your point?" These people did not impress Spike at all, what with their fancy guns and military ‘experience’ but… Buffy trusted them so that had to count for something.
"Is it fun?"
The knife stilled in Spikes hand, he didn’t have the chip any more and wondered if anyone would be to upset if he slit the boy’s throat.
"Well…" he drawled instead, killing their ally’s would not impress Buffy "The first hundred or so years were just fine and dandy, you know with the killin, an all that, real simple life it was. Killed me a couple of Slayers, the wars were the most fun, no one noticed if we killed people…"he trailed off momentarily caught up in the memories.
Looking up at the young Kelownan he grinned sadly "A bits changed over the last few years. Don’t go for the killing of humans so much anymore… got meself a chip an then a soul…"
They dropped into silence…
"How much do they know?" Jacob interrupted the comfortable silence that had descended over the living room since Faith’s scream.
"How much does who know, Dad?" Sam looked at him questioningly leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees.
"The people here, the blond girl Buffy… she knew about Selmak" Jacob sat down opposite Sam and grimaced slightly "When I introduced myself…"
"Before or after she tried to choke you?" Jack interrupted with a Cheshire grin gracing his face.
"Before" Jacob wrinkled his brow in thought "but after I’d helped them when they were being attacked"
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California
"He doesn’t like me very much does he?" Kennedy looked at Willow as the red headed Wicca came out of the shower.
Willow crinkled her forehead in confusion "Who doesn’t like you sweetie?"
"Angel" She sat back against the headboard arms crossed over her chest "He brushed me off earlier when I tried to help with the demon they were after. They wouldn’t even listen to the idea’s I had"
Willow’s head came up from where it was bent over so she could dry her hair "Angel can be a bit moody." She dropped the towel and walked over to the bed, sitting down next to the young potential. "He doesn’t like being out of the action, if he thought Buffy’d welcome him he’d be down in Sunnydale before you could say ‘free blood’, but…" she trailed off unsure of what to say next. "Buffy asked him to stay here, I don’t know why but he’ll respect her wishes." Sighing Willow wrapped an arm around her girlfriend. "Probably be the first time to" she added under her breath.
"I just…" Kennedy squirmed out of her embrace "don’t know what’s so great about her, it’s like you all think the sun shines out her ass. It doesn’t, I don’t understand why you stuck with her for so long…" She got off the bed and started pacing back and forth across the room.
"She saved my life" Willow stated evenly trying not to get upset at the girls callousness "If it weren’t for her I would’ve been vamped, and the world would have been sucked into hell years ago." She took a deep breath "I’ve listened to you constantly bitch about what a bitch she is for the last couple of days and…" Willow got off the bed as well and headed for the door "…and I can’t anymore. Yeah some bad stuff happened but where would you be right this second if Buffy weren’t the slayer and fighting and dying for each and every one of us. She could have walked away countless times. Left us to do it, or not do it on our own. So I’m going to go and be somewhere that’s else for now. None of us are perfect" Hand on the doorknob she turned it but didn’t open it "If anyone’s to blame it’s me and Xander. I was scared, she went into the caves that night cause I finally got a look at the big picture of the good fight and it scared me more than anything else could’ve. Xander wouldn’t let her go he saved her and brought her out. Don’t blame her… blame us" She met her girlfriends eye’s as she opened the door.
"Think about that"
Kennedy could only watch as the door closed behind Willow, there was nothing she could do or say to that.
Nothing at all.
Catch me as I fall
Say you’re here and it’s all over now
Speaking to the atmosphere
No one’s here and I fall into myself
This truth drives me into madness
I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away
Buffy thought she was going to pass out, even after all this time the sight of someone else’s blood still made her feel a little squeamish, and a lot guilty. Was there something different she could have done to stop it? If she had been a little faster, stronger, smarter… better somehow, would they be in this position right now.
It shouldn’t have happened… she should’ve been able to stop it.
She may have had her differences with Faith but… now… things were as they always should have been.
The two girls in all the world with the strength and skill to hunt the Vampires. They both had a mission and a destiny. Buffy knew what Faith’s was, but her own… that night 6 years ago had changed her destiny… didn’t matter…
They were going to save the world.
Buffy watched from her spot on the toilet seat as Janet worked on Faith’s shoulder, trying to determine how much damage was done. Unable to watch any longer she got up and excused herself. Walking out of the bathroom, straight down the stairs and out the front door she plopped down on the top step and let the sun warm her suddenly cold body.
From the living room Sam and Jack exchanged glances as Buffy wandered past not even sparing them a single glance. Jack rose to go after her but a light hand on his forearm stopped him, looking down at Sam she shook her head at him and went after the blond herself.
As Jack sat back down he looked at Jacob nervously who had watched the silent exchanged with raised eyebrows and an unreadable look on his face.
"So Jack" Jacob crossed one leg over the other wrapping his hands around his knee "How exactly did you end up involved?"
Sam opened the front door and stepped out into the bright sunlight, relishing in it for a moment before sitting down next to Buffy.
"Faith ok?" A simple question to start off the conversation.
"Yeah" Buffy sighed "Her body’ll do most of the healing by itself, as long as you get whatever is in there out before the healing starts a Slayer’ll generally bounce back from most injuries"
Sam nodded in understanding "Are you ok?" not so simple question.
"I have to be. Don’t I?" Buffy lay back across the porch stretching out with Sam following suit. "I mean, if I’m not ok who’s gonna do this?" She turned her head to face Sam.
"Well" Sam started "You’ve always had your friends to back you up, now we’re here, do you think we’re going to turn away from this just because it’s getting a bit tough?"
"Of course not but…"She trailed off having trouble putting the thoughts into words she could say "There have been others… who… who have helped out. I’ve fought with them instead of Willow Xander and Giles but no matter what it always, always ends up just being the four of us." Sam could see the tears well up in her eyes "I don’t want them fighting anymore."
"Why not" Sam prodded gently "Why don’t you want them to fight?"
Buffy closed her eyes "because… because… I don’t know what I’d do if I ever lost any of them… when Giles went back to England. I got so lost and Xander took off after the non-event wedding… he just got back but then…" Her voice dropped to a whisper "when Tara died and Willow didn’t cope at all she went to England with Giles. I knew that if anything ever happened to those three in a fight… it would only be me to blame…"
Sam didn’t like interrupting but… "What about Dawn?"
"If anything happens to Dawn… I don’t know I don’t even want to think about it. Why do you think I…" Buffy scrubbed at her eyes trying to wipe away the tears "Mac and I stopped at the notary after we spoke with the Priest today. It’s all done… now it’s Dawn’s choice."
"So, now I want to know why you have two oil tankers parked outside the house?"
Jack really wanted an excuse to get out of here, why couldn’t someone else explain all of this to Jacob.
"They’re to transport large amounts of liquid. I don’t know why they got two, we only need one"
"Jonas Quinn had a suggestion regarding that" Teal’c had come into the room while Jack had been explaining how they ended up in Sunnydale to Jacob, but had remained silent much to Jacks chagrin.
"He thought it would be a good idea to use some other flammable liquid as well as the Holy Water. If we could locate a large enough amount of gasoline or oil would it not assist in taking down our opponents?" He cocked his head slightly to the left while raising his right eyebrow.
Jack’s eyes lit up with satisfaction. "That’s actually a good idea" looking down at his watch "Damnit" he swore "I gotta get back to Carmel, pick up the hardware" Walking over to the window he looked out and saw that Sam and Buffy were still deep in conversation. Turning around to the other two men "Want to come with?"
"Hardware?" Jacob asked not really wanting to know but asking anyway "There’s no military base at Carmel is there?"
Jack looked down at his feet "No, but we need the stuff now and don’t have time to go through official channels…"
"I really don’t want to know, so I’ll just stay here."
"Yeah sure you betchya. You coming big guy?" He looked over at Teal’c.
Wordlessly the Jaffa bowed his head at Jack in agreement. As the two of them headed for the front door Jack called back to Jacob over his shoulder "Ask your daughter about the rifle she has with her"
Janet checked the bandages covering Faith’s shoulder one more time before sitting back on her heels. Ripping the gloves off she wiped her sweaty hands on a towel before reaching over and placing one on the girl’s clammy forehead.
"Give it a couple of hours, I’ll be good as new" Faith smiled wanly at the Doctor "I’ll sleep it off and be alright in the morning"
"I have no doubt about that," Janet murmured "Now we just have to get you out of that tub and into a bed. Mac?" She turned to the Marine who had taken over Buffy’s spot on the toilet "Can you give us a hand here?"
Together the two Majors managed to wrestle Faith into an upright standing position, unfortunately due to the difference in heights of the three of them actually getting her out of the tub was more problematic. Slowly they managed to get her out of the tub and together the three of them stumbled into the closest bedroom, which happened to be Buffy’s. Finally getting the girls into the bed Janet once again checked her temperature and pulse. Finding that they were no better or no worse, Janet and Mac silently watched the girl slip into a deep sleep.
Letting out a sigh of relief Janet smiled wanly at Mac "I’ll stay with her for a while, but send someone up in about an hour to relieve me"
Mac turned towards her hands firmly on hips "Nope, I’m going to get changed and come straight back and you are going to take a break"
Janet opened her mouth to protest but it would have been to empty air as Mac had walked out without giving her time to draw breath.
Hyperion Hotel
Los Angeles, California.
As the sun was just beginning its final descent into the western horizon, Rupert Giles sat atop the Hyperion Hotel sipping a glass of red wine, unsure of exactly what else he was supposed to be doing. He had done what Buffy had asked, gotten the Potentials and everyone else out of Sunnydale, but now…
He supposed that he could return to England, eventually; help to rebuild the watchers council… but… It didn’t hold the attraction it once did.
A noise from behind made Giles turn to see what it was, hoping that no otherworldly creature had decided to brave the Hyperion Hotel. There in the dim light stood an older and wiser Wesley Whyndam-Pryce.
It astonished Giles that the once awkward and bumbling and bordering on incompetent man was… he was something else entirely, Giles was not even sure he could categorise this man in front of him. The man he had first met clean cut, three-piece suit perfectly pressed was gone. Now that man had been replaced by a world wise man, who had been throw into the fire and come out stronger for it.
Like many before him Wesley now knew what it was like to have to do things that no one else could. Although Giles did think that keeping a woman chained in his closet was going a bit far.
Giles turned back to the sunset as Wesley walked up and joined him silently. They stood together and watched for a few minutes before Wesley finally spoke up.
"It’s a strange feeling. You’ve been told your entire life that you have a calling and that it is your duty and destiny to fulfil it. Only one day you find that it’s not, that everything you think to be true is in fact not"
Giles laughed humourlessly, "All of a sudden you find yourself in a situation that you have no idea how to handle. Standing in front of you is a young girl, who despite the life she has grown up with has been told of this destiny that she is required to fulfill. It’s your job to guide her through her short life…" He trailed off as an unbidden memory came to mind
"Giles, I’m 16 years old… I don’t want to die!"
The two men took sips of their individual drinks.
"You know everything about what you’re supposed to do, but the training never prepared you for what you would have to do"
In a moment of solidarity the two men both sighed and lapsed into thoughts of the two girls who had once been their charges.
"Is it true that you used to give Buffy cookies?"
For the first time in a long time Giles laughed, he really truly laughed.
Carmel, California
Bill Roach stood nervously watching as Jack inspected the hardware. The man he had brought with him this time was just standing there hands behind his back, watching every move that was made.
An overgrown guard dog came to mind. Bill could see that if he even thought about making the wrong move that this giant of a man would be on him like a stink on shit. Therefore he was just going to stand there and if Jack wanted to know anything he could ask.
Jack could feel the nervous energy radiating off Bill and had to actively stop himself from laughing out loud at the looks Bill was throwing Teal’c. Jack wasn’t sure who the poor man was more scared of, Teal’c who could easily beat him to a pulp or Carter who could talk his brain to a pulp.
Grinning he turned to face the younger man.
"Sweet" He then looked over his shoulder at Teal’c "Let’s load em up and ship em out Murray"
Bowing his head slightly the Jaffa silently started picking up the larger pieces of hardware.
Trusting Teal’c to get everything packed in the car without a fuss Jack turned back to Bill.
"How much?" Jack hoped he had enough for it all; there was some pretty heavy-duty stuff in the package.
Bill gave Jack a measuring look "You helping out down in Sunnydale" Bill could almost see the shutters come up over Jacks face.
"That’s where we’re staying yes" Jack was wary now, how much did Bill know bout what was going on down in Sunnydale. Even though it wasn’t exactly eyes only… still he knew that every man and his dog shouldn’t know what went bump in the night.
Bill nodded knowingly and smiled "It’s on the house, and tell the pretty little blond that Willie the snitch still thinks she should model and is cheering for her." Turning on his heel Bill walked through the door behind him. Jack stood there dumbfounded as the audible click of a lock turning over echoed through the room.
Shrugging he started picking up the last of the gear and headed out to the car, and back to good old Sunnydale.
Did you ever feel like your entire life you’ve been falling down a giant hole? And every time you hit something hard you think you’re at the bottom only to find that the bottom gives and you’re falling again.
Buffy rolled over and looked at Sam resting her head on her upper arms tear tracks streaking her face. Bringing her hands up she covered her face and started to sob again.
Occasionally you manage to grab a hold of something and start to climb out, but no matter how high you get you can’t seem to climb out of the bottomless pit you’re life is
Upstairs Faith lay, a light sheen of sweat glistening on her forehead. Mac sat silently watching over her, wondering what was coming next. Hoping she could be the hand that pulled this troubled young woman out of the darkness that had plagued her, her entire life. Just like had been once done for her.
But then one day, when you’re totally not expecting it you see this tiny patch of sky and you know that you’re close so close you can feel it.
Xander and Willow sat together on a bed the television flickering but neither of them paying attention. Somehow it seemed right the two of them together, holding each other, protecting each other against the world. Just like it always had been, and probably always would be.
So you climb higher and higher aiming for the ultimate goal
Jack and Teal’c drove in silence the car cutting swiftly through the night. Warriors both of them, and both of them wondering if this would be their final battle.
All in the hope that one day you’ll get to the top, that you won’t start to fall again
Giles sat in the dark still atop the Hyperion Hotel, not willing to go in and face the real world. In the silence he vowed to himself that he would make it right, make it up to her… somehow.
You know you can do it, you can get there, but…
Standing silently and out of sight, Spike stood, lit cigarette dangling out of cool lips. He watched and wondered if he could offer comfort to Dr Janet Fraiser as she broke down, finally allowing herself to cry… allowing the strong mask to drop and the pain to show through although she would never willingly let anyone see.
It’s just so hard, it’d be so easy to give up, and walk away from everything.
Not really interested but listening Jacob and Jonas continued to work in the kitchen as the young Kelownan regaled the Tok’ra with stories of his latest adventures with Stargate Command. Jacob’s smile dropped as his eyes strayed to the back door, where he had seen Janet walk out of… Spike was out there but… he still worried. Following his gaze Jonas frowned in concern; the doctor still hadn’t spoken about the visitor from the night before.
All you want to do is get to the top.
And you know that if you can just get to the top everything’s gonna be ok
Dawn sat curled up in a corner of the room she was given, arms wrapped around herself not wanting anything or anyone to come in. Letting people in meant getting hurt, turning her face up to the bright moonlight the teenager for the first time allowed herself to wonder what if? What if they could walk away, be normal people?
You’re scared of Falling, scared that you’ll never get to the top…
Reaching over Sam drew Buffy into an embrace, holding the younger woman as she cried. Not knowing that there were others that needed her but right here, right now, she could only comfort one.
But you know that you can’t give up…
If you give up all you’re gonna do is keep falling
You’ll never get out
You’ll never land
As the late May moon shone through the sky over California people wondered what the next days would bring. To think beyond that would be folly…
So they didn’t.