Okay People,
Let's have some action!
Special thanks to Aline (my beta) and Roberta "The Oyster"…
I loved the comment!
Enjoy,
WA24
Part 14
"You know what? I'm starting to believe this is just a big waste of time" Anya sighed angrily "it's been a week seen you guys arrived with this new prophecy and we have already checked all books we have and nothing; honestly I think it's impossible to find anything if we don't have a new clue soon"
"She's right Giles…we have nothing to compare and we don't know what to look for" Xander agreed with his wife
"Yes, I'm aware of this…it's been a quiet week" the watcher said in a worried tone
"Too quiet actually…" Buffy jumped from her seat "even the patrols…we haven't been having much to slay around here lately, which is always a bad sign, by the way"
"So, what you suggest Buffy?" Giles asked
"I suggest we get into the offensive mode"
"How?" Xander asked curiously
"Well, we start asking" she said simply "if this guy is after Willow, he must have figured by now that the obvious place for her to be would be here, in the Hell mouth" she looked at the redhead who looked a little troubled "and if I'm not mistaken all this quietness could only mean that word has been spread, and it could only mean that this guy, whoever he is, must be close"
"I'm with B" Faith nodded and stood up "I say we go down to the bad places and start some action…right now" she said already grabbing her coat "anyone in favor show hands"
"I'm in" said Xander
"Me too" Kennedy joined them
"I'll stay here and keep searching the internet" Anya announced
"I'll go with you guys" Willow said getting up
"No Will…I think you'd better stay here" Buffy cautioned her best friend
"Buffy is right…it wouldn't be wise for you to expose yourself" Giles warned her "If you are the witch they've been looking for, you'd be safer here" Willow started pacing nervously
"I can't just hide…come on people I can defend myself" she pleaded
"Willow" Tara got close to her ex girlfriend "we don't doubt that, but please stay here…we can work on some protection spells" Tara's soft voice always had a soothing effect on the redhead; she just nodded and stared into the blonde's blue eyes. Sensing the climate between the former lovers, Kennedy jumped right in to regain some territory
"Yeah baby, stay here…it's safer" she said putting on a show by caressing Willow's face and kissing her softly.
Tara felt a not in her stomach caused by the display, but chose to ignore it. She looked down and moved away from the couple, missing the concerned look in Faith's eyes.
"Okay, so let's go" Buffy said trying to avoid anymore awkwardness
As the group left the house, Anya started researching in Willow's laptop; Tara and Willow set up a small altar in the living room, there were candles, crystals and incenses sticks burning everywhere. They sat crossed legs facing one another, then they joined hands, and for a second it seemed like no time at all had passed and they were back in college. And with the same synchronicity they had in the beginning of their relationship about eight years ago, the started chanting
"I call upon the powers above; protect this house and the ones we love. No harm shall fall upon them; no harm shall fall upon us"
And together they blew some red dust that flowed out of their hands, forming a coil that floated out of the room covering the house and the rest of the gang.
"What the hell was that?" asked Kennedy surprised by the red smoke who just covered them
"I bet it's Willow and Tara's doing" Buffy replied with a nostalgic smile
"Alright, so we are here...what do we do now?" Xander asked ready for action
"Faith and I will get in together first" Buffy said taking command "you guys stay here and guard the door...wait for our signal" she instructed
"And that will be?" Xander asked raising his brows. Buffy looked at Faith who simply shrugged
"We'll come up with something" she waved a hand at him "Okay, come on"
"Be careful you two" Giles told them. They nodded and started to the door of bar
"Right, so what's the plan" Buffy asked the brunette slayer
"Ah...er...what about playing 'good slayer, bad slayer'?" Faith suggested
"Nice..." Buffy smiled excitedly "can I be the bad slayer?" she asked in a child like tone making Faith laugh and roll her eyes before they got in.
Back in the house, Willow and Tara were cleaning the living room
"Mama?" Tara turned to see her little girl rubbing her sleepy eyes with her hair tousled
"Hey sweetie, why are you up?" she said reaching for her little girl
"I had a bad dream" she answered in a small voice
"Oh, poor baby" Willow said getting close to the girl who flinched and buried her face in Tara's neck. The redhead froze in middle action and looked desperately to Tara
"Hey" Tara started rubbing the girl's back "what's happening?"
"Ariel? Are you afraid of me?" Willow asked feeling her body shake when she saw the girl nod and tighten her hold on Tara
"Honey, it's Willow...she's your friend remember?" getting no answer from the girl, she tried again "I remember that you told me she's you new best friend...you said you like her"
"I don't like her anymore!" came a muffled voice from Tara's neck. Tara looked at the redhead witch who seemed to be in the verge of tears
"And why is that?"
"Because she's gonna hurt you" the little girl lifted her head but didn't look at Willow
"Baby, she's not gonna hurt mama" Tara tried to placate the situation "right Willow?" she raised one eyebrow to the redhead who got the idea and started shaking her head frantically
"No…no...Never, I would never hurt your mama...I swear"
"Yes you will" the little girl snapped at her "I saw in my dream…you will help the bad guy, he will come here to take me and you will throw my mama at the wall…"
"You saw that in your dream, baby?" Tara asked softly; the little girl nodded
"I saw Willow dressed in black, and her eyes were black, and her hair was black too…she came here and hit you and you didn't wake up" she said breathing heavily
"Come here angel" Tara said holding the girl. Willow kneeled next to them and tried a different approach
"Hey, baby girl…look at me, please" she pled softly. The little girl shyly turned to her
"Your mama told me you are a very, very powerful little girl and that you have some special abilities, is that true?" Ariel nodded shyly and Willow mimicked her
"Okay…so how about we try something here, huh?" the girl eyed her suspiciously "why don't you read me? I'll let you see what is inside my heart…what you say?" she looked at her daughter expectantly
"Can I mama?" she asked looking at Tara who looked uncertain
Meanwhile in front of the demon bar, the group was starting to get restless
"What's taking them so long?" Kennedy asked impatiently "maybe we missed their sign" the moment the words left her mouth a demon came flying out through a window
"Nope…we definitely couldn't miss that" Xander said rushing inside with the others.
Giles, Xander and Kennedy stood at the door and watched a complete chaos where Buffy and Faith exchanged punches and kicks with a bunch of demons. Suddenly they saw a group of women dressed in black coming from the back door.
All the demons stopped fighting and stepped back leaving the slayers alone with the witches
"Were you looking for us?" one of the witches asked defiantly
"No, actually I was looking for the underwear I lost somewhere around here" Buffy replied cynically
The witch raised her hand and sent Buffy flying across the room; she landed on a table breaking it in half. Faith charged forward and tackled the witch pulling her aside, landing on her back on the floor with the witch on top of her. The other witches came forward and so did Kennedy, Giles and Xander; they split and went in different directions. Buffy got up and was grabbed by another witch. Faith was still wrestling with the first witch; she broke out of her grasp and shoved her backward. Buffy punched the second witch over her shoulder, then flipped her, she fell on her back but raised her leg and kicked Buffy's stomach making her step backwards. Xander was sent flying by a third and landed on his back; she straddled him and tried to choke him. Kennedy came and grabbed her taking her off of him. Giles came and helped him up. The third witch shoved Kennedy against the wall. The second witch got up and tried to punch Buffy while she was panting, but Faith blocked her and hit her on the face. The first witch stood up and was about to run at their direction but stopped suddenly. She made a gesture and the other two witches ran to join her and they left through the back exit.
"I don't get it" Xander said rubbing his neck "were we winning?"
Faith looked at Kennedy getting up and wincing in pain
"I'd say we were even" she said looking at Buffy who was still gasping.
"Then, why did they run?"
"They must've been called" Giles deduced
"Willow!" Buffy whispered worried