"Usually, the Pack doesn't ask for help from outsiders, as you surely noticed during the first encounter we had", Derek started his explanation a while later, after the rest of the gang had been called and had assembled almost fully; since Dawn was at school and Xander at work, they weren't there, but the rest of them had come, even Anya, who had closed down the shop so she could attend.

To the disappointment of both Buffy and her, the young man was dressed by the time they arrived at Giles' house, having borrowed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the Watcher; the jeans were a tight fit, and the shirt even more so, the fabric straining over his well-defined muscles even when he sat still and looking as if it was close to tearing whenever he moved, at least giving the two girls a little something to look at.

"It has become unavoidable now though", Derek want on, either not noticing how Buffy and Anya were eating the eyecandy or not caring, "and since three of you are Friends of the Pack, it was decided that we would seek out your help. If you are willing to help us, that is."

"Let me guess", Pat gave back, raising an eyebrow, "it has something to do with the overgrown chicken you fought in the forest."

"Yes", Derek agreed at once, not surprising any of them, even though those who hadn't seen the bird were wondering what exactly the demon had meant with "overgrown chicken", "but you shouldn't call them that to their face, they don't like it."

"They obviously also don't like you", Willow pointed out, "why was this bird attacking you?"

"I'm not even sure", Derek grumbled in reply, a bit of his wolf coming through as there was a distinct growl in his voice, "we never had dealings with them before, until they suddenly, one day, started attacking us at our home. They won't speak to us when we try to find out what we did, they'll just attack, and we lost three members of our Pack already… Which is why we figured we might need help from the outside. Someone they'll talk to, because clearly, they're not willing to speak to us."

"What makes you think they'll talk to us?" Buffy wanted to know, frowning, "they might just attack us, as well."

"They might", Derek admitted reluctantly, "but we don't know that for sure. In fact, we don't know much at all about them, but we are running out of options, and getting killed off one by one… We need to put a stop to this, and you guys were so helpful during that whole mess with Valeriana. Not to mention that you were Alpha of our Pack for a short while, Pat."

"Yeah, for like half a day", Pat pointed out, "and I didn't do anything… Alpha-ish during that time. Also, I had no idea killing that bitch would make me Alpha. But I see your point, if these chi—birds won't talk to any of you, just kill you instead, you'll need some help to maybe restrain one and make them talk. The one you fought in the woods, did he follow you?"

"Yes", the young man sighed, "we weren't sure he would, but had to take the risk… it was lucky you guys found us before he might have done some serious damage to me, they are really fast and strong."

"Of course they are", Pat sighed, "cause we never get to fight anything weak and helpless. Like bunnies."

"Eugh", Anya let out, shuddering and reminding them all of her phobia of said animals; Derek, who was the only one who didn't know about it, gave her a confused look, but clearly decided not to ask, just shrugging his shoulders instead and making the fabric of the shirt strain dangerously once more.

"So you want us to talk to these birds", Willow recapped, "find out why they are after you, and hopefully make them stop."

"In a nutshell, yes", Derek confirmed, "do you think you can help us with that? I know you are reluctant to leave Sunnydale, what with all the evil going on here, but I'd need to take you to our home…"

"You two should go", Buffy decided, looking pointedly at the couple, "you've had the most contact to those shapeshifters, and I can't leave for too long, patrol and everything…"

"Oh, road trip", the demon gleefully replied to that, making the blonde smirk, "nice. It's been a while since we got out of Sunnydale, anyway."

"So you'll help us?" Derek wanted them to clarify, looking so absurdly relieved and happy that it endeared him to all of them forever, "really? Thank you so much, the Powers know that we can need a powerful witch and a demon to help us deal with them…"

"Let's see what we'll be able to do", Willow tried to tone down his enthusiasm a bit, "you know there's a chance they won't listen to us either… Giles, any idea on what exactly they are?"

"Several, in fact", the Brit replied, "there are many myths and legends about the kind of bird you described. You said the bird was changing shape even as you looked at him?"

"Yes, constantly", Pat was the one to confirm that, "it was quite the sight actually, I mean, I change pretty fast, but I couldn't do what this birdy was doing. It looked as if he was shifting all the time, constantly, a body part here, from feathers to skin and back again there…"

"They are exceptionally good at shifting", Derek confirmed, "when they attacked us the first time, they shifted their feet from talon to human just seconds before they landed. That's like one of us shifting from wolf to human in mid-leap, we can't do that."

Nodding, as if he had expected something like this, Giles got up from his seat and moved to one of his bookshelves, pulling one of the older and quite ancient looking volumes out and leafing through it, quickly finding what he had been looking for.

"Here", he said, turning the book so they could look at the drawing, "is this the bird you've seen?"

"Yes", all three confirmed in perfect unison, and he nodded yet again, snapping the book shut and looking at them over the rim of his glasses.

"They're called Donnervögel", he let them know, earning frowns at the weird name for the birds, only Willow recognizing it as German, "so far, I believed that they are merely a legend, or that they're extinct."

"We thought that, too", Derek nodded, making them all look at him again, "apparently, this is how they wanted it, until they attacked us, for whatever reason."

"It's strange that you have no idea what they might be attacking you for", Giles commented, raising an eyebrow at the young man, "because, according to this book, they prefer solitude and peace, only attacking in retaliation to someone going after them first. And since usually, they live quite secluded, this hardly ever happens."

"Well, we didn't attack them first", Derek gave back, frowning, "why should we? We had no business with them before they started coming after us. We didn't even know they lived close to us!"

"We'll figure it out", Buffy tried to reassure him, "well, Will and Pat will. Right guys?"

"Right", the witch agreed, giving the young man a smile, "we'll come up with a plan to capture one of them and then find out what is going on."

Nodding, Derek gave them a thankful look, then asked if they had to get anything from their home before they'd leave for the home of the shapeshifters; it quickly was decided that they'd get some clothes and weapons from their home, Buffy letting them know that she'd accompany them part of the way, until she'd have to go another way to reach her home.

"Take care", Giles told the couple as they made their way to the front door, "we don't know much about these birds, and who knows how they might react to any help they see our shapeshifting friends get."

"Probably pissed", Pat shrugged, following Buffy outside, with Willow right behind her and Derek behind the redhead, "but that has never stopped us, right?"

"Right", Buffy agreed, "but you guys take care anyway, and don't forget—"

She never got to say what they shouldn't forget, a high-pitched shriek from above interrupting her – and then the bird came rushing down, wings flapping and creating a breeze strong enough to blow her hair back, a startled cry escaping her as the Donnervogel's talons dug into her shoulders, drawing blood, another yell coming from her when the bird flapped his shockingly big wings and lifted her off the ground.

"Buffy!" the blonde heard Willow cry out, then felt strong hands close around her ankles as Pat made a grab for her; she had a second to hope that the demon would be strong enough to get her out of the grip, then the bird flapped his wings again and the taller woman lost her hold, cursing as all she could do was watch how the bird took Buffy higher and higher.

"He's going to drop her", Derek brought out behind them, in an oddly strangled voice, "this is what they did to some of us, they grab them and fly up and then they…"

"A spell, I need a spell", Willow fretted, running both hands through her hair as her mind was drawing a dreadful blank, while the bird carried Buffy higher and higher, "Giles! There must be something!"

"I, I don't know", the Watcher gave back, unable to take his gaze off the blonde, her screams by now sounding quite faint, but still loud enough to have attracted a number of people, surprised exclamations coming from them as the saw what was going on, "something to soften the ground perhaps, or…"

"Goddess", the redhead started in reply, figuring that this was the best idea they had, since her mind was still refusing to give up any spells useful for such a situation, "hear my call, um, work thy will to soften her fall…"

As if in response to her words, the bird let out another shriek high in the sky – and then the talons opened and Buffy was falling, her screams going louder again as she rushed towards the ground, mixing with the shocked cries her friends were letting out before she slammed onto the sidewalk.