Time To Rest

By: Lady Angelynn

            Buffy rolled over, the bed squeaking slightly. Spikes hand was softly laid across her side. She sighed, as his hand slowly moved off of her. Buffy stood up quietly, looking over at the still-asleep Spike. She looked around, finding her shirt she quickly slid it on, followed by her denim jeans, and leather jacket. Buffy walked over to the crypt door, glancing back at Spike once, then opened it, walked into the cold night and shut it behind her.

            She turned around once the giant door had let out a soft moan, indicating it was shut. An icy blast struck her, like a slap to the face on a winter morning, she inhaled sharply. "Brrr…" she sighed, releasing her breath, adjusting to the cold. Buffy ran a hand up the side of her arm quickly, as she hugged herself, trying to warm up.

            Buffy continued to walk deeper into the cemetery. The grass was wet, she could feel the water trying to touch her skin, slowly she let her self-hug slip away, and she ran a hand across the top of a tombstone, humming quietly to herself, and looking around the darkness. Everything seemed to be normal, tombs, crypts, newly dug graves, gravestones, shovels, and…wait, two guys roaming? That's not right…she told herself.

            Slowly Buffy approached them, as she got into view they spun around hissing, fully vamped out, the skin on their foreheads wrinkled, and eyes the golden color they all were. "You know, you two really shouldn't be out at night." She smirked, her green eyes shimmering. The darker hair one spoke up first, "oh, and you should?" he growled, and oddly enough he looked like a boy named Jordan from high school.

            Buffy shrugged, "nothing better to do." When the second one spoke, his mouth didn't move, he was invading her mind, which pissed her off, and caught her a little bit off guard. "We're what prowl at night, everything fears us." She couldn't help but laugh at the comment, "Oh, PLEASE!" she rolled her eyes, "how many times have I heard that?"

            Quickly Buffy made her move, pulling out a stake from her jacket pocket and easily sliding it into the non-talking vampires' heart; she pulled it out and looked over at the other vampire as the familiar death scream came from the dusting vampire. "He was annoying, how could you stand to be around him?" she smirked. The vampire looked confused, and he began to back up, she shook her head at him, "sorry, I can't let you go anywhere, well, except for hell."

            Buffy raised her stake as a flash of pain raced through her hand, she quickly release the stake bending over her hurt hand. She quickly recovered, glaring as she looked back up, seeing three cloaked men, whom she could instantly tell were demons by their yellowish faces and wrinkled hands and faces. Two of them were holding the vampires' arms with ease as the other ran Buffy's stake through the vampires' heart; the vampire screamed and dusted. The two whom held the vampire dusted themselves off, as the third clapped the dust off his hands and blew the stake off.

            Buffy stood up straight looking at the third, "that's mine." She muttered, indicating the stake. He looked at her, smiling and kneeled down in front of her, and bowing his head, extending the stake to her in his open palm. "of course." His voice flowed, but sounded powerful and ancient, it cracked and went with the way he looked. The others followed his example and kneeled down as well.

            Buffy raised an eyebrow and took the stake, confused, "thanks." The 'leader' looked at her, "you are the huntress, are you not?" he asked, now she was completely confused, "uh-I guess. I've been called many things…but never that. I'm supposing you all are demons, so I'll call you hunted." She smirked, getting things clear again, and raised her stake. "I'm also supposing this wont kill you," she gave a slight nod to the stake, "so if you would be kind enough to stay here while I go get a weapon…" she trailed off, as the leader stood up, quickly followed by his 'lackeys.'

            "We are not the enemy." He simply stated, clasping his hands together in front of himself. Buffy looked at him, "don't tell me. You're good demons?" she rolled her eyes. They all nodded in unison, "we're here to help you." One of the lackeys piped up. "Yeah, well what if I don't need your help?" she muttered. "Oh, huntress, you misread your future. We're here to change the outcome of the next apocalypse." The leader informed.

            Buffy crossed her arms, "right…and what would different about this apocalypse?" "It will kill you," the leader paused, trying to carefully pick his words, "it will start with the young one," Dawn "Moving to your source of comfort and humor," Xander "Then to your magicks," Willow, Tara "those you don't hold as close," Anya "it will kill them all, ending with your dead lover," oh god, Spike too? "And yourself." Buffy inhaled sharply, "what can I do?"

            The demons gathered into a group discussing their next move. Buffy watched from a distance, arms crossed and foot tapping. "How long does it take them?" She grumbled to herself, annoyed. She straightened up when they nodded to each other and looked at her; she raised an eyebrow, "so? What's the game-plan?" she asked, frustrated. The leader looked into her eyes, "we shall show you your undoing." He took a step closer to her; she winced slightly at the wording he used, he stopped, noticing the change. "Do you wish to continue?"  

            Buffy sighed, relaxing herself, "I'm fine." He nodded walking over to her and standing on the left of her, "I shall show you." He whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder. Pain flashed through her head as she fell to the ground, millions of memories came from the future, intruding her, rushing into her body. They started sparks at the tips of her fingers. Pain, anger, hate, despair, loneliness, finally…nothing.

            Buffy's eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly. "Oh god." She muttered, rubbing her face, then looked back up, "I think I know wh-" they were gone, she was alone. Where did they go? She pushed herself up off the ground, as she stood she wobbled a bit. She shook her head, and looked around, "thanks." She muttered sarcastically, and then got serious, "I'll change it." She placed a hand on her forehead and limped slowly back to Spike's crypt.

            Buffy pulled the giant door open, still holding her pounding head; she walked in watching the ground, thinking about what had just happened. She turned around, shutting the door. She looked up and her eyes met Spikes, whom must have just woken up, he was pulling on his jeans. "Didn't think you'd be back 'till tomorrow." He muttered, zipping his jeans. Buffy shrugged, taking her hand off her head, trying to look normal, she walked in farther, and forgetting there was a step, and she tripped landing face-first on the cold cement.

Spike hurried over to her helping her up as she cursed the ground for being so hard. "Are you okay, luv?" he asked. Buffy nodded, making herself nauseous, "yeah." She swallowed, "It'll be okay." What the hell is going on?! "At least I hope it will." She muttered to herself as she took Spike's hand and he lifted her up.

The annoying bell rang as Buffy pushed the door open to the Magic Box; she looked around, books, shelves, bottles of stuff that she'd rather not know if they were real or not, and the table with everyone, Dawn, Xander, Willow, Anya, and Tara. They were all looking at her as she and Spike stepped in closing the door. "Thanks for coming." She whispered.

"You have sex hair." Anya stated blandly. Buffy looked up at her quickly, "its not, I'm not having the best night." She muttered. "Oh, so bad sex hair?" Anya asked. Buffy shook her head, sighing, "No, as in bad night hair." "Speaking of bad nights, what's king-peroxide doing here?" Xander asked. Buffy looked quickly from Xander to Spike, then back to Xander, "we were, slaying." She paused; everyone looked like they believed that. "Speaking of slaying, Will, I feel like three demon guys just had an all you can eat buffet on my brain." She sighed, sitting down at the table. "And why would that be?" Willow asked. "Oh, maybe because three demon guys did." Buffy held her booming head again, trying to stop the pain.

Anya quirked an eyebrow, "actually, very few demons eat human brains anymore." She paused as everyone looked at her. "They're high in cholesterol." Spike sat down next to Buffy, "thanks for that little tidbit," he sighed, "but let's get this Scooby meeting going."