A/N: Sorry for the delay on this one! I had a little bit of trouble getting it started and keeping it going. It doesn't help that I got another story idea in my head for a different story...and it just won't leave me alone!

Regardless, I got the chapter done :)

As always, sincere thanks to everyone that reads and especially everyone that reviews! You guys flippin' rock! :)

Chapter Fourteen: Running with Wolves

(Edward)

"Into every generation a Slayer is born. One girl, in all the world, a Chosen one. One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires and stop the spread of evil.

That's how it was for a thousand years. It all started with a handful of stupid men that brainstormed the idea of the Slayer, imprisoning a girl with all the power that we possess. Every generation, just one girl. One girl to fight all the evil in this world…and occasionally other worlds.

We're meant to fight off vampires. Demons. Hell-hounds. The forces of pure darkness and hell. Yet, most Slayers don't last their first year.

I've been the original, activated Slayer for the last eight years. I've died twice, yes. But I'm still here and I'll be here for a long, long time.

The first time I died, a new Slayer was called. Kendra was strong and a tough opponent. She was good. But not good enough. Kendra only lasted a few months in Sunnydale. Faith was called to replace her. Faith has been slaying in her place for the last five years. Faith hasn't died once.

Clearly, the rules have changed a bit. Last year, this woman over here—Willow Rosenberg—she did a spell so powerful that it has changed the course of the Slayer line forever. It's no longer just the 'one girl in all the world' speech that Faith and I got. New Slayers, like some of you here, are awakening everyday.

Last year, the First Evil tried to tip the scales towards Evil and it failed. We're not trying to tip the scales towards goodness over evil. It cannot be done. Cannot.

On the bright side though, we've also clearly proved that it cannot be tipped towards evil either. All the Slayers that we have awakened are here to merely keep the scales in line. To keep them steadily flowing in the middle.

The First really tried to beat us. It tore at us. Each of us. It even went so far as to call up the very first species of vampire known to man. It still lost. It lost because a group of girls—half the size of the group of people here tonight—decided to fight and yes, possibly die, for the good of the world. They fought with honor and courage. Not everyone will survive this battle. It's just how it goes.

There will always, and I mean always be some big bad evil out there thinking it can take the world out or tip the scales. Always. There's never a vacation or a break. Our fight is everyday. It's hard and brutal and never ending.

It's every.

Single.

Day.

But we have a purpose. A destiny to fulfill. We cannot escape our fate, goodness knows that I've tried. It will always come back and find us, no matter what.

The enemies we go against now are tough to beat. They are intelligent and strong—stronger than the vampires you have grown accustomed to. Sunlight, stakes and holy water will not kill them. The only weapons you need to face them are a sword and a box of matches. However, slicing them through the chest will not do harm to them. They do not turn to dust. They…crystallize. There's only one known solution to killing them. Decapitation and lighting the remains on fire.

I'll be handing you all over to Jasper now. He has the most experience against these kinds of vampires. He will be splitting you up into groups for training."

We sat literally sprawled through out my father's backyard. My family. Buffy's. The Slayers. Even Billy, Jake and the six other members of the wolf pack. We all sat and listened intently to Buffy's speech, everyone taking away something different.

Jake and Billy had already heard most of it when they came to meet with my Carlisle, Buffy and myself a few days earlier. The rest of the pack and the new Slayers were the only ones actually hearing the whole thing for the first time.

There was fifty-five of us total, not including Andrew, Billy, Giles or Xander. The latter two having finally come out of their long comas.

Fifty-five was a good number for sure.

"How did I do?" Buffy's voice broke through my thoughts.

I turned and leaned down to kiss her lightly.

"You did beautifully. It was very engaging. Very…"

"Kinda like Giles, but I didn't fall asleep through it." Xander said from behind Buffy.

"Xander! What are you doing? You're not supposed to be out of bed!" Buffy exclaimed.

She had a small twinge of anger in her voice, but I knew it was false. She was ecstatically relieved that he and Giles were alright.

"Well, let's see. Hmm…choice A...lay in bed, being bored out of my skull, feeling useless and having Giles for company orrrr…choice B...sneaking out of my bed, coming outside for some nice, brisk air and taking in your 'Braveheart' speech. Hmm…guess which one I picked?"

Buffy smiled. "Okay…but you better get back upstairs before Carlisle sees you out of bed."

"Nah, it's alright. I'm sure Mr. C will understand."

"Not if you call him 'Mr. C.'" I said, chuckling.

"Xander, what are you doing out of bed?" Carlisle asked, walking up to us.

"Oh, you know. Just stretching my legs. Taking in a battle speech. The usual."

Carlisle smiled a warm smile. "Well, get back up to bed. I just got your stitches to stop bleeding through."

"You got it. Back to bed I go." Xander said, as he walked off, slowly.

"Edward, Jasper wanted me to tell you that your group is ready to train and that he'll need you to translate when it comes time to train the wolves." Carlisle smiled.

I turned to Buffy. "Looks like I'm being called over to the cavalry."

She nodded her head. "Make me proud, Captain!"

I laughed. "I'll sure try, Mrs. Cullen."

(Buffy)

It was well into the middle of the night now. Everyone had been learning and practicing for hours on end.

I stood on the Cullen's back porch, leaning on the railing, just watching everyone and thinking.

I felt someone walk up beside me.

"You know, this is one of the more brilliant plans I've seen. Brilliant, yet dangerous."

"That's how I work, Jasper. Brilliant and dangerous." I half-joked.

"The Volturi will no doubt notice that you've got an army started against them."

"Oh, I planned on them finding out. I'm well aware that we're being watched."

Jasper cocked an eyebrow. "You wanted them to find out?"

I nodded my head. "Yup. I want them to know exactly who they are messing with and exactly what the repercussions of messing with me are."

"Brilliant." he smiled.

"They kidnapped my baby sister, hurt my family and killed two of my friends. They are going to suffer before I kill every single one of them."

I said it quietly, but there was rage flowing throughout my body and I could tell that Jasper definitely felt it.

"Remind me to never piss you off." he said with a smile.

Everyone dissolved at dawn. Angel and Spike went down to the basement before the sun came up.

Everyone that required sleep did just that.

I sat up in Carlisle's office looking over everything that was laid out and all the information we had gathered so far.

I felt that everyone was ready. Well, as ready as they ever could be. There was just one little piece still missing.

We had no idea where they were holding Dawn.

Italy, Seattle, Port Angeles….they could be literally anywhere.

Edward, Emmett and Jasper were sitting across from me, talking over some battle strategies when it hit me.

Emmett noticed first. "Edward, I think Buffy's got an idea."

I didn't bother responding; I just got up and ran out of the office, up to the room that Edward and I had been sharing with Willow and Faith since the new Slayers had arrived.

Edward, Emmett and Jasper were right on my heels.

I burst through the door. "Willow, can you do a location spell thingy?"

"Um, yeah, I guess. Why?"

I didn't answer and it didn't take long for realization to come over her face.

"To see where Dawn is! Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?"

She quickly scrambled up and wrote some things down on a piece of paper, handing it to Emmett and Jasper.

"I need you guys to go around and find me these ingredients. There's an herbal store downtown. Just hand the list to the lady behind the counter and she'll get everything. Tell her it's for me."

Jasper and Emmett nodded and left.

"Buffy, I need you to get me some of Dawn's stuff from her room. And I'll need a lot of maps. This can work, we just have to narrow it down. Start with the places you think she is and we'll go from there."

(Edward)

We had gotten everything that Willow had asked for in about thirty minutes.

Willow said she needed open space, but since it was so cold outside, for her, she preferred to do it inside. So, once again, we found ourselves upstairs in Carlisle's office.

Buffy had cleared everything off of Carlisle's desk and Willow was now sitting on top of it, laying out the several maps that we had gotten.

Once she had them all laid out, she took bits of the ingredients and mashed them up in a bowl, all while chanting softly in Latin. She grabbed the necklace that Buffy had gotten from Dawn's room.

"I call on you, my fellow Gods and Goddesses. We have the need to find Dawn Summers." Willow whispered as she tossed the necklace in with the mashed up ingredients.

The contents of the bowl popped and flashed a bright purple.

Willow then took a small handful of the now purple powder and sifted it over each map.

"Locate Dawn Summers."

We waited on baited breath for a few moments before Willow smiled.

"Found her."

"Where? Where is she?" Buffy asked, impatiently.

"She's been here all along. We should've searched more thoroughly. She's been in Port Angeles all along."

"Where?" Buffy asked again.

Willow looked closer at the map that had the tiny, sparkling purple spot on it.

"197 South Ocean View."

"Not the greatest part of town, but hey, did you expect anything different?" Xander said from the doorway.

Buffy turned. "Xander, get back to your bed."

"Buffy—"

"You're hurt Xander. You're not fighting this fight. You're sitting this one out. So isn't Giles. And Andrew. But that's just because he's worthless in a fight."

Willow hopped off the desk.

"I gotta say Xander…Buffy's right on this one. You're sitting it out."

"If you expect me to-"

"Get back in your bed before I re-break your bones?" Buffy said, seriously.

Xander thought a moment. "Okay, you win this time, Summers, er, Cullen. But next time.."

"You'll be safe, I promise. I'm having a handful of the Slayers stay here with you guys." Buffy said, sincerely.

Xander just nodded and walked back to his room.

Jasper turned to Buffy. "So, what's the plan?"

"I'm not waiting for them to send a 'message'. We know where Dawn is.

Someone call up Billy and tell him to get the boys ready. I'll have Faith and Robin get the Slayers ready."

I raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at my wife.

"Buffy...darling..."

She turned towards me.

"We go tonight, at midnight."