Buffy Goes to Stars Hollow

Chapter 20: Everywhere I Go….

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Gilmore Girls, nor any of the characters. I make no money for these stories; they are written purely for fun.

A/N: I have been working on more images for this story. If you want them email me at twilight. and I will send them to you.

"Buffy! Buffy!"

Buffy spun around to find a frantic Giles hurrying towards her. By the time he got to where she stood, his face was strained and a fine line of sweat was beginning to bead on his brow. Clearly, he'd been looking for her for some time.

"Oh Giles, I want you to meet my boss-Lorelai," Buffy said easily as she gestured to the stunning brunette standing at her side.

Giles managed a polite nod, and grasped her head in a rushed handshake. "Could you excuse us?" Giles said to Lorelai. He was pulling Buffy away before she could even answer. Once they were far enough away not to be overheard, Giles turned towards Buffy.

"Giles, what's your trauma?" Buffy whispered loudly, as she pulled her arm free of his grasp.

"Where's Kate?" he said in a hushed whisper.

"She's over there with," Buffy pointed towards Luke. But Luke was now standing between Babette and Miss Patty, looking very uncomfortable. Buffy turned towards Giles again. "Well, that's not good," she spoke under her, breathe.

"No, quite right," Giles said sharply. "You're not taking this seriously at all, are you Buffy? I just don't understand you right now."

Buffy rolled her eyes, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "I'm doing the best I can Giles."

"I don't think that's true," Giles said. " You may be all over the place when it comes to life, but when it comes right down to it; when it comes down to what really matters, you're always so…proactive. You can always step up and do what you have to do. You're a fighter Buffy."

Buffy's cool façade faltered. Basically, he was expressing his disappointment in her. Nothing got to her more than feeling like she was letting the man, she thought of as her father, down.

"You're right," Buffy said, finally. " You're absolutely right. The delivery could have been better, but I got the message. Excuse me." Buffy turned, and with a renewed purpose, she went to find Kate.

Giles watched her walk away, with a smile on his face. A passing server offered him a glass and he gladly accepted. As he watched Buffy charge towards Luke, he felt that familiar tug of pride he'd always felt for his slayer. He couldn't imagine what was going through her head after all she'd been through the past year, but if being tough on her made her stronger than so be it. If she only knew what he had been researching for the past couple of months, she wouldn't be quick to spend her time at Christmas parties and making friends. However, maybe spending time at 'being normal' wasn't such a bad idea. Who knew how many days they had left?

"Oh, hello dear. Don't you look beautiful," Miss Patty said, as Buffy drew near.

Buffy smiled politely. "Thank you."

"What a skinny little thing you are honey. I used to be as tiny as you are when I met my Morie," Babette said, in her usual raspy tone.

"In what life time?" Miss Patty said sarcastically, as she nudged Babette. Babette nudged back and soon the two women were laughing about past events.

Buffy looked to Luke for help. Luke shrugged. " Why do you think I've been standing here, if I had an escape plan?"

"Oh Luke, you are such a tease," Miss Patty said, as she cuddled into his side.

"I'm sorry ladies, but I need to steal Luke away for just a moment," Buffy said. " I will bring him back in one piece." She added a wink to her promise, which had both women laughing again.

Buffy reached for Luke and lead him to a less crowded area. " Thanks for saving me. I kept trying to think up excuses and each one somehow triggered a childhood experience." Luke laughed. " Next time you come into the diner, coffee is on the house. If you find a way for me not to return then you can eat on the house as well."

Buffy forced a smile. " Thanks. But actually I just wanted to ask you where Kate was."

Luke looked surprised. " Kate? She went off with that Billy Idol wanna-be."

Now it was Buffy's turn to look surprised. Luke smiled. " Never saw that resemblance before?"

"No, I have. I was just surprised that you knew who Billy Idol was," Buffy said.

"Is there anything wrong?" Luke asked. " Is he trouble?"

Buffy choked back a laugh. "Well, that's another story, but no. Sorry to leave you hanging, but I just need to discuss something with her. Did you see which way she went?"

"It looked like they were heading outside," Luke answered. He was starting to look more and more concerned as the interrogation pursued.

Buffy attempted to reassure him. " Just girlie stuff. No worries. Thanks."

Buffy headed back towards Giles. She took the drink from his hand and took a large swig. " Spike took her outside. No doubt to try and remind her that she is supposed to be in love with him or something. The guy really can't let go of these things." She shook her head, making a 'tsking' sound with her tongue.

"And?" Giles said.

"And," Buffy said, with a sigh. Geez, could she ever someone to just have some faith in her for a moment? " I came over to tell you and then I am going to go outside and find her. Is that ok with you? Geez Giles, I have everything under control…" Buffy said in with a wide smile, as she placed her hands on her hips.

The moment the words left her mouth, the room was pitched into darkness. Before anyone could make a sound of surprise there was a massive boom. It seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the exact same time. The ground beneath his or her feet seemed to pitch forward, and everyone was thrown forward at the same time. Buffy felt like her teeth were rattling in her mouth, as she was thrown against a pillar.

She took the brunt of the knock against her, already bruised, ribs. Buffy let out a grunt of pain as she struggled to right herself. The shaking stopped as quickly as it began, but the lights remained off.

In the small amount of moonlight coming through the large bay windows, Buffy saw Giles staring at her with a look of ' I told you so' written all over his face.

Buffy frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest, as if to challenge her watcher. " As if that was my fault!"

Kate felt like her throat was going to collapse in on its self. It felt like an icy hand had wrapped its fingers around her throat and begun to squeeze. Her wide eyes stared, unblinking, at the robed thing in front of her. It was unnerving enough to face an evil thing, but staring at a gaping hole was somehow more unnerving.

Finally, she found her voice. " Talk to me about what?"

"About your past," it rasped.

Its voice resembled the sound of sandpaper being used on a piece of lumber. The grating tone of its voice sent chills through her body. A chill that had nothing to do with being cold.

"I don't remember much of my past," Kate answered.

"That is because you haven't accepted," it replied.

"Accepted? Accepted what?!" She asked. This conversation was sounding more and more like a religious conversion every second. Next, it would probably ask her if she'd found Satan.

"I need you to come with me," it said simply. " I need to talk with you."

"You just want to talk with me?" she repeated slowly, just to make sure she was hearing it correctly.

"Yes," it answered, as though amused at her confusion. Kate thought she even heard a slight chuckle come from inside the black hood. When she thought she couldn't get any more confused, Mr. Robey Deep Voice, continued. " I only ask that you come with me, hear what I have to say and then you can return here."

"You make it sound like I have a choice," Kate said.

"You do have a choice, Katya."

"So, you are telling me that if I don't want to talk to you I can turn around right now and return to the Inn. And you won't kill me or attack me if I try to go?" Kate clarified. This was too easy.

"Yes," it said again. It held out its arms to the side as if to let her know that it would not stop her.

"I don't believe you," Kate said. " Why would you ever think that I would come with you willingly?"

"Because, Katya, I have no doubt that you will come with me." It replied. The easy way he spoke was beginning to infuriate her. It didn't seem bothered with her one way or another.

"What makes you so sure?" she asked. She regretted asking the question the moment it left her mouth.

"Curiosity," it replied. " You know what they say about curiosity don't you?"

"Yeah, it killed the cat," Kate replied.

"Oh…well, that is a poor analogy then isn't it?" It said, chuckling.

Kate's eyes widened in surprise. It was joking with her now? What the hell was going on? The strangest thing is that it was something she would have said her self. It talked to her with a familiarity that was unnerving.

"You said that you knew me in Ireland," Kate said. " I have never been to Ireland."

"Yes, you have," it replied.

"If you trust me so much to follow you, then why do you have me paralyzed?"

The robed thing waved a hand in front of it as if erasing a mistake and the paralysis was gone. Kate moved her limbs to test that it had worked completely. Even though, if she attempted to run, it would probably just put the whammy on her now.

Kate took in a shaky breath, her lips starting to tremble. "Did…did I die?"

The robed thing didn't say anything for a moment. Then it nodded once and it sent Kate's heart hammering in her chest.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut as the blood starting to pump loudly in her ears. There were so many questions and she had no idea where to start. And if she did have questions, how could she possibly know that this thing was telling her the truth?

"You said that I couldn't remember because I hadn't accepted something right?" She asked. She waited for the robed thing to give her any sort of agreement. It nodded. "So if I accepted you then I would be able to remember. What do I have to accept?"

The robed thing seemed to stare at her for a moment. For a second, Kate thought it might turn and leave. Had she upset it somehow? Did she care?

Finally It began to move. Slowly, as though capitalizing on the drama of the moment, it began to reach for its hood. Kate's breath caught in her throat. She was about to see its face, and she had no idea what she was in for. But she was missing a huge piece of her life's puzzle and she was getting to the desperate point where she wanted to figure it out. So badly, in fact, that she didn't care where the information came from anymore. She was so tired of the confusion and all the questions; she wanted facts for once.

Closing her eyes, she drew in a shaky breath. The chill of the night air entered her nose and froze its way down her throat. Trying to remain as calm as possible, she opened her eyes. In a few seconds she would see what she faced.

"Are you sure?" It asked as its hands stilled.

Kate chewed her lower lip, considering this. She stood a little straighter and stared at it head on. She nodded once.

It removed its hood.

"What the hell…." Dawn gasped.

Jess lifted his head, staring at the black room around him. " Power outage?"

Dawn's heart began to thud against her ribcage. "Then why the mini earthquake that followed?"

"Construction?" Jess offered. It sounded lame even as he said it, but the girl in his arms was clearly freaked.

"I don't think so," Dawn muttered.

"Maybe…"

"Shhh…" Dawn pushed herself upright, straightening her dress. The hairs on the back of her neck rose as an ominous feeling settled over them. In her life things like this weren't a symptom of normal occurrences. Something was happening. Something bad.

"Dawn, don't worry about it," Jess whispered. He was so close, that she felt his warm breathe tickle her earlobe.

Dawn put a hand on his chest, holding him back. "Something isn't right. We should go check it out."

"It's a power outage. It's perfect, actually." Jess said suggestively, trying to pull her back down onto the bed.

Dawn pushed him aside, getting to her feet. She heard Jess mutter something under his breath.

"Dawn, stop worrying."

Just then a noise caught Dawn's attention. " I think someone's coming."

Jess got off the bed and stood beside her. Clearly he had heard the noise too. He put a reassuring hand on the small of her back. " Probably just coming to see if we are ok."

Even Jess sounded freaked, Dawn thought. This wasn't helping the panic. Suddenly the door to the room burst inward. Wasn't that locked? Dawn thought as the panic seized her. Only one thing had that strength.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Jess said, as he walked towards the figure in the doorway.

Dawn reached out for Jess. " Jess!" But her fingers caught air.

Dawn took a step forward, just as the figure lunged at Jess and threw him across the room. Jess made a grunt of surprise as he sailed across the room and hit the wall with such force, that he crumbled to the ground. Dawn's heart jumped up into her throat.

The figure leaped at her. Dawn managed a single scream before she was hit with a force that knocked her flying.

There was chaos on the main floor. Somehow most of the people had fled out onto the lawns in a panic from the power outage and mini earthquake. Buffy tried the door shortly afterwards and found themselves locked in.

"They put up a wall," Giles muttered in her ear.

"Well, thankfully some got out," Buffy said, as she huddled with Giles behind the large sofa in the reception room.

"Can you see anything?'

"No," Buffy whispered. " There's no one in here."

Just then Buffy heard a loud scream come from upstairs and her blood ran cold in her veins. Dawn!

"Was that?" Giles began.

"Dawn!" Buffy screamed, as she jumped from her hiding place. The moment she was in the opening, something hit her upside the face. Buffy reeled backwards, but Giles was there and caught her before she hit the ground.

Xander came flying from the other side of the room and jumped in front of Buffy. Always the protector. The figure laughed, as it tossed Xander aside as though he were nothing.

"Hey, you can't go throwing people around all willy nilly!" She said, aiming a punch at its head.

The vampire ducked and came up with a punch aimed at her ribcage. Buffy exhaled loudly as she was thrown backwards. As the vampire hovered over her, Buffy feigned unconsciousness. And as the vampire came closer, Buffy brought up a piece of debris from the broken table and plunged it into its undead heart.

Giles pulled Buffy to her feet. "Where did they go?" Buffy asked.

Giles looked around. " They are after someone in particular?"

"Dawn!" Buffy said, heading for the stairs.

"Buffy…."Giles said, quietly. Buffy turned and found Giles looking to the left of him. Buffy followed his glance and found Rory lying on the ground with about 7 vampires standing around her.

"What the…" Buffy began.

As Buffy took a step towards them, she felt another rumble below her feet. Buffy stumbled, but remained upright.

The vampires had begun to lift Rory, when the shifting ground caused them to pause a moment.

"Let her go!" Giles yelled. As though that would stop them.

The vampires smiled wickedly at him, as they stepped aside to reveal to figures just behind them. As a gust of wind began flowed through the dining room, papers were flung into the air and a bright gold light illuminated them.

As Buffy stared, the two figures emerged from the light. The whites of their eyes had taken over the pupil and the magic seemed to be flowing from them, as they stood over Rory. With a sudden horrifying clarity, Buffy found herself looking at Ashley and Brooke.

Kate's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and confusion as she stared at it. This couldn't be possible. She was seeing things.

"You look stunned," the figure said, amused.

"I….but how?"

"Don't you recognize me Kate?" It asked. " This is what you need to accept."

Kate shook her head in disbelief. "No, I…you can't."

Kate stared back at its face. She recognized the face immediately, how could she not? After all the years, the confusion and the worry; the face she stared into….was her own.

"This is what I need to accept?" Kate asked in disbelief. "A demon that looks like me."

"A demon who is you," it replied. " What you have to accept…is yourself. Who you really are. Will you come with me?"

Kate looked fleetingly back at Spike's unconscious form on the porch. Turning back to the demon, she nodded. "I will come with you."