"Ah, crap, sorry." Pike runs into a group of people (scoobies).
"Dude! You shouldn't be lurking like that." Xander says.
"And you guys really shouldn't be out here at this hour, at the cemetery. You never know what's out here."
"Oh believe me, we're good. You're the one that's alone you know." Willow says.
"I'm ready for anything. You guys should really go home." Pike says.
"Hey pal, I'm not going anywhere." Xander says.
"That's true." a vampire says from behind Pike. Pike turns around and punches the vampire. And Willow, Xander and Giles join in. Willow splashes some holy water on him, Xander pulls out a bunch of crosses and Giles takes out the crossbow. Whilst Pike takes out his stake and a lighter. As the vampire is still burning from the holy water and turning away from the crosses Giles sends an arrow but misses as the vampire moves.
"Where is your leader hiding out?" Pike asks.
"Sssss." the vampire sizzles.
"Tell me!" Pike yells.
"No." the vampire answers.
"Fine." Pike says and stakes him.
"Well I was wrong. Apparently you do know what lurks out here." Pike says to the scoobies.
"Ah, well, it is the hellmouth. But you seem to be prepared too. Though going out alone with only a stake…" Giles says.
Buffy, knowing she's late for the patrolling, tries to hurry to the point of meeting in the cemetery. Of course when she sees Giles with his crossbow out and Willow holding an open bottle of holy water and Xander with his cross out she runs and a person in front of them she runs. The group doesn't even see Buffy because she runs from the darkness behind the tree. She kicks the supposed vampire in the back and he crumbles to the ground and then punches him in the face.
"Buffy?" the strained voice of the supposed vampire says. And Buffy stops her next punch. Her eyes go wide as she realizes it's a human and a person she knows.
"Pike? Oh my god, Pike! I am so so so sorry! I thought you were…"
"A vampire? Nope...not yet at least."
"Wow."
"Believe me, that's what I'm thinking."
"Oh no! I hit you!"
"Yes, yes you did. And I'm trying to be very manly about it but it's starting to get hard. As your hits and punches have seem to have gotten better."
"Really? You think so?"
"Definitely. I can feel it!"
"Ugh. We should get you to the hospital."
"No, no, no hospital."
"Okay, well at least lets get you to my house, it's the nearest and put some ice on your back and face and clean up the blood."
"Ooh, I like that idea."
They get to the house.
"So, where's lil' sis?"
"Ah, not so little."
"Of course, a teen now eh?"
"Unfortunately. And she's at a friends house."
"Cool. And mom's out?"
"Yep. I presume so. I mean I live in a dorm so…"
"Of course."
"Here. Sit here. Will could you get the med kit? And Xander could you get loads of ice? And Giles could you get some cloths and water? And I'll go find some lounge cloth to tie the ice
on. And you, you stay here."
"Trust me. I'm not moving."
They all come back to Pike with all the stuff.
"Okay, can you take off your shirt?"
"Well finally!" Pike laughs and Buffy hits him playfully.
"Okay, maybe sit on the chair the other way around." Giles advises.
"Alright."
"Xander and Giles could you figure out a way to keep the ice on his back? And Willow and I will work on his face. And in the mean time you can tell me why you're here."
"Ah, right. Well before that, do you mind officially introducing us?"
"Right, of course. So this is Willow and Xander, my best friends and this is Giles my Watcher."
"Ah a Watcher is…" Giles begins to explain.
"Yeah I know what a Watcher is."
"Oh."
"He met my first Watcher." Buffy explains.
"Right. Of course." Giles says.
"Someone getting jealous?" Buffy lightly taunts Giles.
"Oh don't be silly."
"Do they all have to be British and old? No offense."
"Some taken."
"And besides, I've probably seen more of you then I did of Merrick."
"Of who?"
"Oh of her first Watcher."
"And why is that?"
"Well I tended to be unconscious a lot of the time that he was around."
"That's true."
"And well...he um...died quite...soon...saving us."
"Yeah. Anyways. So why are you in Sunnydale?"
"Many reasons actually."
"Oh wow. This places is famous."
"Mostly three reasons. First reason was to find you."
"Aw, isn't he sweet." Willow swoons.
"Will." Buffy says.
"Well after our Las Vegas stint and me leaving unexpectedly I had no way to contact you and when I was finally free to go I went straight to LA but you weren't there anymore and I
couldn't find out where you went. And you wouldn't believe where I got that info. Which kind of ties into the other reasons for me being here. You remember Amilyn?"
"Who? Please don't tell me it's one of my friends."
"No believe me, not one of your friends. It's Lothos' right hand man." He laughs and Buffy tries to suppress a laugh and kind of giggle-smiles.
"That was a cheap joke." Buffy answers to that.
"I don't get the joke. Do you?" Xander says to Willow and Giles and they shake their hands.
"It's...a long story. I'll explain later."
"Wait you're telling me you went to him to find out information about me?!"
"No! Jeez, I'm not stupid. I was walking by when I heard him and several of his vamps in an alley talking and they were talking about Amilyn being their new leader after Lothos' death and that they would avenge his death, killing the slayer and that they were almost an army, having a large number of them and that they would be going to Sunnydale after sundown to kill the slayer. So that's how I knew where you were. Which brings me to the second reason. To warn you about Amilyn and his group. I tried to kill some of his followers and I managed a few but it was usually when one of them was alone. I obviously didn't go out there amongst them all. I'll leave that to you. So I took out a few but believe me his group is still large. I don't know when and how they're going to attack but I'm sure it's soon."
"Well thanks for the heads up. And I'm glad that the reason at the top, the first reason was to see me."
"Of course it is!"
Xander makes some weird faces as he does when Buffy talks to cute guys.
"And the third reason?"
"Ah yes. To save Benny."
"And by save you mean...kill."
"Yes. I owe at least that to him."
"Pike. It wasn't your fault you do realize that right?"
"Maybe not fully but it was at least a little."
"No it wasn't. You guys got attacked by vampires for heavens sake. Nothing you would've done could've saved him."
"We were drunk."
"A little, yeah. But even if you hadn't you wouldn't have won. The only reason you are alive is because Merrick got there. But it was too late for Benny. You have to stop blaming yourself. And it's been years."
"I know...I know…But I have to do it. He's here with Amilyn."
"Okay."