Ch4

"Pike, you said that he owns part of the town, right?" Buffy ask as the Scobbie-gang plan their defense.

"Yes, but its not just vampires he got working for him. Other monsters too." Pike said sharpping weapons. Buffy nodded at this looking at the floor plan of the building she was going to, that Willow had got her.

"Okay, I want teams of two. Giles, Anya, I want you guys to take the front, Spike, take Dawn up to the roof, and Xander, I want you and Pike to guard the back. And Willow, do you think you do a shield charm to keep everyone, but us, and Merrick from coming outside?" Buffy pointed to different spots of the map, then turning towards Willow waiting for her answer.

"Yes I can try. But the best place for that would be on the roof, too. That way I can see inside as well, to know when to weaken the shield for you." Willow said after thinking about it.

"Okay, Spike, Dawn, I want you guys to watch over Willow don't let anything get her, to lose focus. Any question?" Buffy turning towards the group.

"Yes, why are you going in alone?" Pike said.

"I'm not, well not really. See, if I go in alone, then he'll think everyone else is not with me, easy prey. While you guys, sneak up to guard kill them, then wait for my signal. Then come you come and fight with me. Prefect plan." Buffy told Pike.

"Okay, what's the signal?" Pike ask.

"That'll be me screaming. Yeah it odd but it works, they wouldn't suspect me to scream, hopefully cover their ears, and let me get a lucky shot. Now here's the thing, getting in is going to be the easy part. Its getting out and to safety that going to hard." Buffy lean forward.

"Yea, where are we gonna meet? I mean it cant be here, they already know that we're here." Anya ask looking around for an answer.

"Yea I've been thinking that to." Buffy rubbed her forehead, thinking.

"The School!" Pike said.

"You want us to meet at the school." Buffy raised her eyebrows.

"Well it's the perfect place. After last time, they close it down. Its deserted. Come on, I'll show you." Pike getting up headed for the door.

"Well lets go see." Buffy getting up following him, with the others.

After a short drive, they walk in to a dirty, ruin down high school.

"Wow, kinda, remind me, of Sundydale High, after the Mayor." Willow said.

"Yea, but with no dead snake." Xander replied looking around.

"Or a Hellmouthy vibe." Dawn said, too.

"A Hellmouth?" Pike ask.

"Yes, Hellmouths are places of increased supernatural energy. Its an area an which the barriers between two or more dimension are weak, and evil can raise." Giles quoting his books. At the confused look on Pike face, Xander stepping in.

"Basically, the Hellmouth is a portal, between earth and Hell. It attracts demons and other creatures. So if you heard a lot of supernatural activity, there might be a Hellmouth about. Okay guys I've mark the weak spots, so be careful, round them." Xander said looking round for any weak spots and marking them.

"Wow, Xander, have you been reading Giles books?" Buffy was surprise that Xander could remember all that, when he couldn't remember to bring a pencil to class.

"Well yea, both me and Dawny here, have. We figure you guys could use some more hands, when the big bads come out." Xander shrugged but pleased that she notice.

"Well good, keep it up. Just don't push yourself to hard. You too, Dawn." Buffy turning towards her sister, missing Xander's face lit up, but everyone else saw it.

"So what do you think is this spot good, for a hide out?" Pike ask Buffy.

"Yes, it needs some work done. Willow can you make a safety net for this place." Buffy saw Willow nodded and getting her magic stuff out.

"Buffy, if you get Merrick out, he more likely to be hurt, wont he?" Dawn ask.

"Yes, he might. Why?" Buffy ask.

"Well maybe we should set up a little clinic. So that we can bandage him, and anyone else who it hurt. If you want Anya and I could do it?" Dawn looking at Anya who nodded, agreeing.

"Okay you two are in charge of medial care. Xander, use your army tech and set up and trigger devise to let us know if someone's coming." Xander nodded and set off, Spike went with him. And Anya and Dawn started to clear a spot to put anyone injured, and going to the store and getting and Medial Aid packs. Giles and Willow were study on how to make the place safe, and what shielded to use tonight.

"Wow, you guys work well together. How long has this been going on?" Pike said sitting down with Buffy, who was fixing her own weapons.

"About seven year, now. See at first it was Giles, me, Willow, Xander. Then Angel, Cordelia, Oz, whos a werewolf, Spike. Faith, another slayer, Wesley, another watcher, Anya. Then Riley, Spike, again, Tara, another witch. Then Dawn, and lastly was Andrew. But now its just us eight. Oz, because it was getting harder for him to control his wolf whenever Willow was around, Angel left to L.A. but he comes now and then, Cordelia is with Angel, Faith went off afterwards, Wesley is also with Angel, Riley got married, Tara, she died. And Andrew went to England to start over. So we've been though lot together. And they know how to take care of themselves, and each other." Buffy told Pike, trying to get him to see her new life.

"Wow, I can see that. You really are special Buffy. So how come you don't have a boyfriend?" Pike ask not looking fully at her.

"No time really, I mean in high school it was always hard, because of the demon activity, and almost every time I get a boyfriend, he get killed, or hurt, or runs offs. Then college Riley was the prefect boyfriend, because he found out, and didn't care, but after awhile it just fell apart. Then I died was brought back by Willow, got depressed, hook up with Spike for awhile, now I'm just kinda taking a break. It hard to someone who wont mind me going off at all hours at night to fight demon, without getting all crazy on me. How about you, meet anyone on your journey?" Buffy switching the subject off her.

"Well not really, there was one girl after you, but when she found out about Vampires, and monster were real, and I fought them, she freak out and left, but not after giving me the choice to go with her, but I couldn't, it just didn't feel right, you know. I mean I know what's out there, and with you and Merrick, help fight them, kinda hard just give that up and then find out you could've save someone when you did, you know." Pike said sadly.

"I do know, being a Slayer, its my job, and until I died, it will always be my job, even with that spell Willow cast. I found that out the hard way, at the end of my second year of high school, I ran away because I didn't want to deal with being just the slayer anymore, but I wanted to do something else, but after while my slayer job found me, after I got out alive, with some other victims, I realize that being the slayer is a whole part of me, no matter how much I hated it, I accepted it, and went home, to try and get my life together, mend me friendship and trust with everyone. It was hard but well worth it." Buffy smiled at Pike, knowing he got her message.

"So what are you going to when get Merrick out?" Pike ask.

"I don't know." Buffy said thinking about her old mentor. After a couple of hours of making sure the school was safe. They went back to the hotel, and got lunch, sharing some stories, of their adventures, with Pike, both the funnies and sad ones. After lunch, all got some rest, because by night fall, a new mission was beginning.

So what do you think?