"It's been too long." Said Dawn, obviously upset.
"It's only been like…sixteen hours." Said Anya.
"And that's not too long how?" asked Dawn sarcastically.
"Well I don't know," Said Anya, throwing up her hands in frustration, "she's supposed to be this big bad Slayer right? You said she could take care of herself."
"She can, but she's never fought a Witch before. Especially one as powerful as Willow." Said Dawn.
"Well, I think its time to pack." Said Anya.
"No."
"Dawn…"
"No!" shouted Dawn.
"Dawn stay still." Said Anya urgently.
"What? Why?" asked a confused Dawn.
"Because, Werewolf Oz is looking at us through that window," explained Anya, "stay still. Maybe he won't see us. It's pretty dark in here."
"Do you really think he can't see us?" asked Dawn.
"No. I think he can see us." Said Anya. "But there's a slight hope that he doesn't."
As if in answer to their questions, the window suddenly smashed, glass falling to the floor in a crunch.
"Uh-oh." they both said in unison, Dawn half turning so she could see the vicious beast.
She expected it to jump in the window and tear them to bits, but it didn't. It just starred at them.
"Can it not come in without being invited?" asked Dawn after a few long moments. "Like a Vampire?"
"No. He can come in." Said Anya, never taking her eyes off of the Werewolf.
"Why isn't he then?" Asked Dawn.
"I think he's going to pin us in here until the sun goes down."
"But Xander and Willow are Vamps. They can't come in without an invite." Said Dawn.
"Well, Dawn, that's correct," said Anya impatiently, "but she can make Ozzy here come in and drag us out by the hair. Or she can just rip down the house around us. Either way, she can get us."
"Oh."
"Yeah. Oh."
Dawn ran over any possible escape routes in her head. There wasn't any. The basement apartment was small, and all windows looked out the same wall of the building. Where Oz was.
She had been training lately. Maybe she could take Oz, then they could run before Xander and Willow arrived. She looked at Oz and realized how futile an attempt like that would be. 'He would rip me apart, easy peasy.' She thought to herself. If only Cordelia was there. 'oh no,' she thought, 'Cordelia.'
"If Oz is here," she asked aloud, "do you think that means Cordelia is…"
"Dead? Probably." Replied Anya.
"Anya!" shouted Dawn, and the sudden yell made Oz give a bark in suprise.
"Shush!" said Anya in a whisper. "Don't make him mad please."
Oz cocked his head to the side, looking at them. It seemed like he was enjoying making them sweat.
"Glad to see you're having fun fur-ball." Sneered Dawn.
"Dawn!" whispered Anya again.
Oz gave another bark, then held out his arm.
"Uh-oh." they said in unison again, but all Oz did was drop something. He gave them another sharp bark and a growl for good measure, then turned, and was gone.
"Oh. My. God." Panted Anya, "get packed, we're leaving right now." She started walking around like someone on edge but didn't know what to do with themselves. "C'mon Dawn! Now!"
"Wait," said Dawn, "he dropped something." She walked over and picked it up. It was a small roll of paper. When she un-furled it, it had a short note. It read:
'180 JAMES AVE. THE FAUX SLAYER IS BLEEDING. COME SAVE HER.'
"Oh no." said Dawn. "They have Cordelia."
"Well I told you that already." Said Anya, annoyed. "She's dead or dying. There's nothing we can do. But leave. Let's go."
Anya reached for Dawn's hand, but Dawn retracted it from her grasp. "No Anya," she said, "Cordie would die trying to save me. I could never live with myself if I walked away now."
"What?" asked Anya, sounding desperate, "We have to go! Now! They will kill us. Worse. They will torture us for days. Then kill us. You don't understand what you're dealing with here. We have got to get out of here now."
"And do what?" asked Dawn, her voice eerily calm. "Run? Forever? They're going to keep catching up. I don't want to run."
"Dawn. Please." Said Anya, her body visibly trembling in panic. "They torture.."
Dawn cut her off. "Go Anya. I won't hold it against you. You've already escaped from them once."
"Dawn. Don't do this. It's suicide." Pleaded Anya, tears streaking her face.
Dawn smiled reassuringly, and wiped away a tear from her friend's cheek with her finger. "It's ok Anya. I have to do this. Go."
Anya, realizing that pleading with her was pointless, and quite anxious to get out, hugged her friend, probably for the last time and said "I love you Dawn. I'm sorry."
Then she turned, opened the door, and was gone too.
Dawn closed her eyes for a moment to get her focus.
'Firsts things first. Weapons.'
Cordelia thought that Dawn didn't know where her magical fire katana was, but Dawn had found it one day while cleaning. Cordelia hated that weapon, and as far as Dawn knew had only used it once, when she had fought Faith and Evil Buffy*. When she had saved her.
Now it was Dawn's turn to do the saving. And it was her turn to use the magical kick-ass sword too. 'Last time didn't count,' She thought to herself, 'it was only for a sec.'*
Dawn unsheathed the weapon after retrieving it from under the sofa, (Cordelia was bad at hiding things), and felt the air around her instantly get warmer. The reason Cordelia hated this sword so much was because it was too dangerous.
But that was ok. Dawn wanted dangerous.
"I'm coming Cordie."
*See Cordelia The Vampire Slayer no.1
