Ch. 8

About 6 hours later Buffy was walking nervously around the lobby of the Hyperion. Ora should have been back hours ago and Buffy was really worried. So was Angel for that matter. He was sitting on the lounge watching the love of his life walking round in circles. Angel sat up and began asking Buffy questions in an attempt to get her mind off things.

"So Buffy, Alex mentioned Tara. I thought she died."
"She did. Willow has a gigantic picture of her in the living room and a smaller picture in every room of the house. They adopted him before she died and the papers came through about 2 months after. Plus it turns out that you aren't the only one able to contact the spirits. Tara and Alex talk quite often we all do actually. It's kinda like she never left."
"That's good. So what about Xander. Are he and Anya doing ok?"
"Anya returned to her line of duty."
"She's a vengeance demon?"
"Yup. She's back to cursing men. Ironically though she's still trying to figure out why she can't curse Xander. She turns up about once a week to see if she can curse him yet. I think she just turns up to see him though."
"I first met her about 70 years after I'd been turned. I was about to kill this guy when she turned up to curse him. That was an interesting night."
"I bet."

Buffy started to twist her arms and hands into weird positions. Angel could tell she was seriously stressed. He got up and pulled her into his embrace.

"Buffy, I'm sure she's fine. She's a smart kid."
"How do you know?"
"She's mine so she must be smart."

Buffy gave a lopsided smile.

"Honey why don't you give her a call?"

Buffy's head shot up.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

She pulled out her cell. And dialed Ora's number. Buffy held on for a few minutes before she hung up.

"She's not answering."
"Buffy she'll be fine. Come on let's train while we wait."

As he said this Gunn, Cordelia, Doyle and a girl she'd never seen before walked in.

"Hey guys we're about to train."
"Oh good." Cordy replied. "You guys have to see this. You ever want to know what perfectly matched means you gotta watch."
"Who's she?" The girl asked.
"Oh Buffy meet Fred. She's Gunns girlfriend. She also works here."
"Hey." Buffy replied.
"Cordy you told me that Buffy and Angel were never going to get back together."
"I was wrong."

Buffy smiled and got all excited.

"Oh the May queen gets it wrong. Can we get that in writing Queen C?"
"No you can not. Start training will you?"
"Buffy we haven't trained together in a while. Do you want to start slow?"

Buffy responded with a quick double punch to the chest, which Angel blocked.

"I think you remember how we fight."
"As you wish my lady."

Buffy and Angel began to circle each other. Angel made the first move throwing a punch to the side of Buffys head. Buffy dropped to the floor throwing her leg out and up almost catching him in the groin. He caught her leg and held it.

"Sweetheart if you want more kids I wouldn't do that."
"You were fine the last time I did it."
"Not a vamp any more."
"Oh yeah."
"Yeah."

He threw her leg back and she turned a perfect back flip landing in a fighter's stance. She gave a roundhouse kick that sent him flying across the room.

"Sorry sweetie."
"It's ok."

He got back up and they continued fighting for nearly 20 minutes. As Angel over balanced and Buffy flipped over him using his back as support a rock came hurtling through the window. Buffy landed from the flip and caught it.

"That was brilliant." Doyle remarked.

Buffy looked at the rock and found a note tied to it.

"How very original" she muttered.

She took the note off the rock and read it. As she did she let out a gut wrenching sob and dropped the note and the rock. She dropped to the ground shaking and crying. Angel ran over and picked up the note. He read and went pale.

"Oh my God."

He dropped the note and ran to Buffy holding her so tight he almost cracked a rib. Cordelia picked up the note and read it aloud.

'Slayer.

I know that you hear this a lot so we are sorry to sound so cliché. We have your daughter. See we found out that your daughter is one of the key figures in a prophecy. Only problem is we only need part of her. Next time you see her she will be completely insane. Unless you can stop us of course. We need her mind, the part of her that can read ours. We get what we want and the end of days will come. You know where we are. See you soon.'

"Oh my God."

Angel held the broken Slayer in his arms.

"Angel it was my fault. I should never let her go alone."
"Buffy listen to me, listen. We will get her back. She will not be insane. They will not take her mind. She is my daughter and I will not let anything happen to her. Now hop up and get ready and we'll go and get her."

Buffy got up fear and Anger raged through her. She turned to the LA gang.

"We leave in half an hour. Get anything you need for a trip away. Angel get your special weapons. Cordelia get the main weapons. Wesley Get all your books that have a reference to the end of days Get Giles in here and get him to help you. Gunn you and Fred pack the cars. Mine, Angels and Cordys. Doyle you help Cordy and Angel pack the weapons."
"Um where are we going?" Fred piped up. In truth she was a little afraid of the girl that was suddenly ordering them around

Buffy looked at all of them, catching their eyes for a brief moment. She spoke in a level and deadly voice.

"We're going to Sunnydale, to war.