Willow could see the gust of air that always accompanied the dusting of a vampire hit the back of the slayer's twisting body and sighed in relief. She was doing her best to keep the vampires at a manageable flow, but that one had gotten by her thickening spell. Luckily, Xander had been at Buffy's back with that ax before it had attacked and given the small blonde a third opponent.
"Thanks, Xan," Buffy didn't pause in her kicks and punches even as she thanked the dark haired man.
"Not a problem." Xander had already turned back to face Anya and Giles, trying to keep his girlfriend from being hurt. "How we doin' up there, Wills?"
"Seven left." Willow could feel the energy coming from the vampires like an oil slick, black and deadly. These were different then Spike, more killing machine than cunning, planning adversary. She wondered briefly if that was why Spike didn't feel the same.
"Buffy!" Giles' shout brought Willow's attention back to the blonde who was throwing kicks and punches at a particularly large vampire. As she watched, a vampire, shielded from the slayer's view by the body of the other demon, fired a bolt from a crossbow aimed perfectly at her head.
The demon she was fighting exploded into dust as the arrow passed through its heart, but Buffy was spared as Spike threw himself into her side in a modified football tackle. They landed in a heap on the floor as the last of their enemies was dusted by a nearly drained Willow. Buffy pushed the unconscious Spike off of her with a look of disgust before turning to the rest of the group.
"Thank you, guys. I knew this was a big job, but I didn't know it was going to be *this* big."
Willow had knelt beside the blond head of the vampire on the floor, taking in how much blood he was losing from the gaping wound just above and to the right of his heart. Goddess, that's a lot of blood! He needs to be bandaged and fed, and soon.
"Guys," Willow had to raise her voice to be heard above the rest of the group. "Spike's hurt. We need to get back to Giles' apartment so we can get him cleaned up."
"Why? He's a big vampire, he can take care of himself." Buffy barely spared the prone body on the floor a glance before she turned back to Xander and Anya. "Let's go to the Bronze. It's early, and I'm all jittery from fighting."
"Sounds like a plan to me. After you change your `I just killed ten people' shirt, anyway."
Buffy pulled the hem of her shirt out with her thumb and forefinger. "I do look pretty nasty, huh."
"All you need is a chainsaw to complete the look." Xander snickered at his perceived brilliance. "An, what are you doing?"
"Helping Willow carry Spike, since she's so worn out from all the magic use and no one else seems to be concerned."
"Concerned about what? Willow's back?" Xander just shrugged his shoulders at Anya's exasperated look. "He has to have at least a hundred pounds on her."
"Then why don't you help instead of discussing wardrobe choices with the Slayer?" Anya's sweet smile was belied by the steel in her voice.
Xander sighed before taking Spike's arm from around his girlfriend's shoulders and draped it over his own, easing most of the oblivious man's weight from the small redhead. Giles slipped his arm around Spike's other side, nodding at Willow's softly mumbled thanks. Willow let her feet automatically follow Giles and Xanders as the two men drug the other from the echoing room.
"Ack! He's still bleeding!" Xander tried to get the blonde shifted so that his hand wasn't being soaked in the red substance.
I hope we make it home soon. Willow shook her head at her best friend's whining. If we don't, and Spike wakes up before we get there, he's going to be angry and hungry. Not a good combination in a vampire.
Taking a look at the way Xander was roughly handling the vampire, Willow smiled softly to herself. Maybe we could just feed him Xander.
Willow was barely able to drag her feet by the time the rest of the group, now nearly a full block ahead, rounded the corner into the park. Great. Not only am I tired and all achy, but now I get to walk through the park almost alone! Why don't I just sit down on a bench with a sign saying `free lunch'!
Xander's sharp yelp startled the redhead from her thoughts, and Anya's answering scream pushed new life into her tired limbs. Willow ran along the winding sidewalk, senses alert to the sounds of fighting ahead.
She rounded the corner just in time to be taken to the ground by Spike's hastily dropped body. Xander was cradling his left hand to his chest while he held off vampires with a cross in his right. Giles had put down the blonde vampire in order to use both the sword and the crossbow he now wielded with practiced ease.
Buffy was surrounded by five other demons, obviously fledglings, who were taking turns rushing at the blonde. Willow took a moment to shake her head in amusement. Uh huh. This is the slayer who took down the Master. Somehow I doubt you guys stand a chance.
"What's the deal G-Man?" Xander had gotten his good hand on a sword and grunted as he used it to lop the head off a particularly ugly fledgling who had rushed at Anya.
"Yeah, I thought we got rid of these stupid buggers." Spike had regained consciousness enough to pull himself upright. Now he stood, wobbling, in the center of the sidewalk.
Willow sagged against Spike's side as she fought to keep a shield up around herself and the injured vampire. "Please, Spike. You're hurt."
"You're worse off than I am, Red. Now put down this wall and let me kick a little fledgling arse."
"I'm not certain, but I think that rather human looking purple man may be able to shed some light on the subject." Giles motioned to an extraordinary looking man standing to the side of the battle with a look of detached amusement on his face.
"Then let's go ask a few questions." Buffy staked the vampire she'd been playing with and somersaulted over another's head, back kicking him into Xander's waiting sword.
Willow tried to keep her eyes on her friends even as she felt her control slipping. The young witch sagged to the ground as the last of her energy seeped out into the fading wall. The last thing she saw before her eyes drifted closed was Spike leaping onto the nearest demon with a roar. Stupid vampire. He... should be... resting... Resting... good.
"Ungh!" The cry of pain pulled Willow up from the black pool she had been slowly sinking into. It took her exhausted brain a full five seconds longer to realize that it was her own voice that had woken her. Thankfully, she never fully registered the searing pain radiating from her abdomen, just above her dimpled navel.
The words being whispered harshly in her ear weren't English or any other human language Willow had ever heard. Something in her brain made her understand, though. It was almost as she were talking to herself.
`The one with the sword nearly took me before I could get to you. I've carried this burden for too long, and I'm tired. To think I have been looking all over this town for the redheaded sorceress, and she comes to me. What was mine is now yours. Use it wisely.
Willow felt something impossibly warm and sweet sliding down her throat. Her hands moved on their own to pull the source of such wonderful nectar closer, hesitating only a moment when they found themselves wrapped around the wrist and forearm of the purple demon man.
A pain sliced across her brain as if an electric current was running from one temple to the other. Willow's lithe body hit the ground and bowed as an agonizingly silent scream flew from her parted lips. The pain ricocheted down her spine and then pushed its way into her arms and legs. Willow whimpered as she felt the very cells of her body being invaded.
`Shhh. It will only hurt for a moment. Sleep now, Brilliant One.'
And Willow *did* sleep. The sounds of the taunting and staking ceased all at once, and the witch simply floated into the nothingness.