Disclaimer : Nothing's mine (sadly)

I decided to be nice and update much faster, because I have been a reader for long enough to know how frustrating it is to wait for what happens next. So, I try to play nice and I hope you'll be kind enough to let me a review, even if it is to yell at me. The couple of chapter following is really making me nervous so I hope you'll like it. You know how to let me know...

Thank you to Celeste38, Caellach Tiger Eyes, celticgothhardy, L.A.H.H., Bmangaka, Darkravie and freakanatomy for reviewing the last chapter. You rock!

Enjoy !

Chapter Twenty Five

"You Are Not Alone"

The first thing she became aware of was how hard the floor was against her back. The awkwardness of her position, arms stretched out and bound; the coldness of the room against her bare skin and the pain that permeated through every inch of her body. Eyes closed, she tried to move just a little but bit her lip in agony. Whatever they used to pin her down, every move she made sent a jolt of excruciating pain through her body. She heard whispers around her as a tear rolled down her cheek. She opened her eyes.

The room was dark, even with candles everywhere. The people in it wore some kind of dark outfit with a mask to hide their faces. One of them looked down at her and approached her when he realized she was awake.

"No need to fight, you can't escape. These bounds were made especially for you, Slayer."

"Who are you?" she asked in a raspy voice.

"The one who will finally kill you. We would have done it sooner if we had known that you would be such a nuisance to her plan."

"Sorry for that."

"Don't. You are going to be a great asset in our little collection."

She pulled at her bonds once again, her vision became blurry when the pain hit her again. She stopped, "You really think that you are going to succeed?"

"Of course. We will be long gone when your friends arrive. Last time, we had the time to kill a whole family. With you, it will be over so soon that it would be too late. Your sacrifice will serve to bring a better world."

"Do you really think that I'm going to let you kill me that easily?"

"You can't break your bounds. Do you feel that pain? The more you move, the worse it will get. You will pass out from the pain long before you break free."

The words he said rang out in her mind and something strange happened: she didn't feel any fear. She was so exhausted. Maybe it was her time. What did she have to win with fighting? Her life was nothing but one long endless fight. Maybe she could finally find her peace and go back to that warm and loving place that haunted her… When the blade began to carve the symbols into her flesh, she welcomed the pain and stopped fighting. Maybe it was finally her time to rest.

Tosh made a bee-line for her computers without looking at anyone. She was very aware of Gwen's glances and avoided her. She felt so angry and humiliated. She couldn't take it anymore. How could she be so stupid? Falling in love with Owen! He didn't even see her and she had to watch as he shagged nearly every female member of the team. She couldn't even feel sorry for the harsh words she had thrown at Buffy or the way she kicked her out of the Hub. A look at the meeting room reminded her that it wasn't the first time the Slayer was cast out and she quickly swallowed the guilt. No, she had absolutely no reason to felt guilty.

Of course, it was Owen who broke her bubble by asking her, "Where's Buffy?"

"Why? You want to finish what you started?" she snapped.

The look in his face was priceless until anger distorted it.

"What the Hell did you do?" he exclaimed angrily.

"It's none of your business!"

She tried to avoid him but his anger made him cross the line as he grabbed her arm, "It is! What is wrong with you?"

"What is wrong? What's wrong is that you shag everyone who joins the team!"

"Really? I was thinking that the problem was more about who I wasn't shagging."

She slapped him hard and silence fell abruptly in the Hub. Every eye was trained on them with mixed feelings concerning the situation. He let go of her arm and snorted, "Yeah, that's what I thought."

He searched for his cell and dialled Buffy's number. He tried her cell and her home with no success. He called her cell again and left a message. He hung up while staring at Tosh. He pointed at her, "If anything happens to her, it will be your fault."

Buffy felt light, like she was flying. There was a strange sensation in her mind, something annoying she should remember but she didn't care. She just went on flying, savouring the taste of the freedom.

Somewhere far far away, voices begun to rise in a strange and guttural chant.

Alarms cut through the tense silence of the Hub and shook everyone out of their work.

"What's that?" Xander asked.

"It means that the ritual is being performed somewhere," Jack explained. "Gear up guys, we only have a few minutes. Ianto, you take the other SUV."

He turned towards the American, "Time to see what's happening here yourselves."

They all left the Hub, except Tosh who stayed behind to guide them.

Everything around Buffy was darkening and she felt something pull at her, like someone was trying to vacuum her insides. She started to regain consciousness and pain engulfed her. She didn't want to fight it, she was too tired for that. However, after what felt like an eternity, she felt that other part of herself she had started to accept stirred up and the pain recessed a little. The more the pull strengthened, the more it woke the Slayer. Buffy felt her body burn up, consumed by the power as the primal essence of the Slayer was trying to protect her, to save her.

Both of Torchwood's SUVs were driving through the streets at an ungodly speed.

"She's not answering," Gwen announced.

"She couldn't choose better time to disappear!" Jack groaned.

They focused on the case and started to ready themselves for what they were going to see. They had few hopes for the family, knowing full well that there were little chances that they would arrive in time. They just hoped that they arrived soon enough to catch some of them.

Images flooded her mind. She saw her mother looking at her lovingly, a beautiful smile on her lips. She saw memories of her family when they were all living together, Dawn was so young and already full of the same vibrant energy as today. Even if she knew that that hadn't happen, it felt real, it felt familiar. She saw Merrick the day he told her about her destiny. Her meeting with Willow and Xander, the first years of their friendship when they weren't as broken as now, when they had all their dreams and hopes intact. She saw Angel and the love that filled his eyes every time he looked at her.

She saw Riley and remembered the good times they had together. She saw Spike and remembered the violent passion they had shared, the feeling that with him she could let go and be as broken as she really felt.

She saw Giles and his glasses, Anya and her obsession with money and fear of bunnies, Andy and his geek-attitude, Cordelia and her bitch-attitude, Oz and his almost complete calm, Tara and her shyness. She saw herself laughing in a Welsh pub, surrounded by Owen, Tosh, Ianto, Gwen and Jack. She remembered Rhys' humour and Andy's friendship. All the faces blurred and she felt warm and strong. Faith appeared, all leather and provocative attitude and looked right in her eyes.

"Come on Buff, you can't let them win that easily. You're the Slayer! Show them why demons run away screaming when they see your shadow."

They were close when Willow gasped as the power hit her hard. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly. Ianto looked at her in the rear-view mirror.

"Are you all right?"

She felt panic rise inside her as she recognized the taste of the magic she was feeling. She shook her head and muttered, "Hurry up."
And she began to pray the Goddess to prove her wrong.

The power was painful now. Everything was bathed in a gold light. She felt the wave of pain explode from inside her and she collapsed against a cold wall, the same one that was stealing her life force. Faith looked at her.

"You are not alone."

Images shifted. The happy memories disappeared along with the familiar faces. Instead, she saw young girls fight day after day and die. She smelt their blood as it poured out of them, felt their lives dissolved. But most of all, she felt their pain and their desire to live. Even if they had been raised to fight and die, in the last moment of their lives, they had been overcome by the intense desire to live. Thousands of girls, thousands of faces, thousands of names and one unique gift, one unique jolt: the need for survival, the desire to live.

Her head was pounding, her heart racing, the pain consumed her — burning her alive. Suddenly, the past disappeared and she felt them, thousands of young girls joined in one unique fight, animated by the same love for life, the same hopes for their future, the same innocence. It was so beautiful that she wanted to cry as she could almost feel their presence filled and warmed her. Yes, she was not alone, she was hundreds.

The power lashed out one more time and exploded against the invading force where it pushed and pushed and pushed harder until the other one dissolved, so weak in front of the ageless essence of Slayer line.

The SUVs stopped in front of the deserted house and they were out quickly, guns in hand. When Willow emerged, she was bathed in power, her hair floating around her. They were surprised when people emerged from the house, running.

"Gwen, Owen, inside."

The others followed the retreating backs of their enemies without waiting a second, almost desperate to catch them. Willow, Xander and Dawn ran with them. The more they were, the better their chances were.

Gwen and Owen walked carefully to the house, Giles in tow. They methodically scanned their surroundings, ready to shoot at the first sign of danger. However, there was no one left and they quickly entered the crime scene. There was no family, just one tiny blond girl in her underwear, pinned to the floor and covered in her own blood. She was not mummy-like as the others were and they almost sighed in relief.
Owen rushed to her side. He sat on the floor and leant to open his bag when he saw the scar on the throat of the girl. A scar he knew very well after he spent so much time kissing it the past few weeks.

"No! No no no..."

"Owen?" Gwen asked, surprised by the doctor's tone.

He brushed the hair away of the face and his heart stopped. He searched for her pulse while scanning her injuries, calculating the blood loss and calling, "Buffy! Buffy, can you hear me?"

This stopped his two companions.

"What?" Gwen yelped.

She stared at the girl on the floor in horror. Her flesh was exposed, red, angry wounds all over her body, blood covering her like a blanket. The doctor glared at her, "Move and help me! She's still alive! We have to free her. You, there's some blanket in the car and bring every medical thing you can find!"

The brunette rushed to her team mate while Giles tore his gaze away from his protégée and left the house. He ran to the cars and opened the trunk. He searched quickly, franticly moving things aside for anything that could be used inside. His mind was elsewhere. It was back there with his broken Slayer drenched in her own blood, with the woman he was learning to know once more. It couldn't happen. Not now, not like this.

He saw the others arrived and looked at the bloody face of the man Ianto and Xander were supporting. Something snapped in him. He let everything fall and walked towards him, his mind screaming for revenge, his soul consume by desperate anger. They didn't understand what he was doing before it was too late. He grabbed the man by the neck and threw him down rashly before hitting him on the face again and again and again. Soon, his hand was on fire and he could see his blood mixed with the other's. Three sets of arms were needed to separate him from the man he was intending to kill.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Jack yelled.

Giles ignored him and looked at Willow and her sad face. He saw Xander clench his jaw and took a step forward Dawn.

"Can you do something?"

"It would be against the rules. It can damage the balance."

Jack looked at them like they were crazy, "What are you talking about."

Xander grabbed Dawn's arm gently and the move was enough. She looked at the house then at Giles and at Willow before focusing on the Watcher. Tears appeared and she begun to sob uncontrollably as she pleaded, "No, it can't be. Please, Giles, tell me I'm wrong!"

Gwen appeared on the doorstep and glared at Giles, "What the bloody Hell are you waiting for?"

Jack snapped, "Can someone tell me what the Hell is going on here?"

Willow looked at him. She knew that Tosh was listening. She had witnessed what had happened a few hours earlier and she said, "At least, when we kicked Buffy out, she didn't die."

It was a very low blow but she didn't care. These people had been judging them since they arrived and she was sick of it. They weren't the only ones to have made mistakes. At least theirs hadn't cost Buffy her life. A little voice in the back of her mind was telling her that it could have but she ignored it.

Jack wasn't happy as he watched as Xander and Ianto forced the man to his feet. Two of them were dead, the others had escaped. At least they had this one. On their way back to the cars, he was already trying to decide how he was going to make this man tell them everything when they got back to the Hub. They were meters from the cars and Jack frowned when he spotted Giles emptying them. The man looked at them and his face changed in a blink. Jack was taken aback by the intensity of the rage he could read and in seconds, Giles was on the man, hitting him with everything he had and Jack didn't need to remember Ripper to know that he was intending to go at it until the man died. And for some time after.

The next couple of minutes were confusing as he tried to make sense of what the others were saying. When Dawn lost it, he was sure that something was wrong. When Gwen appeared, he felt fear spreading into his heart. When the witch looked at them and say that about kicking her out, his blood froze.

"Ianto, make sure he doesn't go anywhere," he said before rushing into the house.

The scene made him want to destroy everything. Owen was massaging Buffy's chest with everything he had, muttering under his breath, blood all over his clothes and his face contorted in anguish. Giles arrived with Gwen and the brunette turned on the portable defibrillator. Jack watched as Owen put the electrodes to the woman's chest.

"Oh my God!"

He didn't turn toward Ianto or anyone else, just clenched his fists in suppressed anger. It wasn't fair. It couldn't be happening. She was the only one who had understood him in a long while. She had been through Hell and she was finally given a chance to have a life. Why was it happening to her? Why did he have to watch the others die without a single way to stop it?

He glared at Willow as Buffy's fame shook from the electrical discharge. "Do your mojo! Heal her!"

He ignored the sorrow in her eyes. She was leading her own personal struggle and was brave enough to keep a clear mind and whispered, "I can't."

"Please," Dawn sobbed. "You can save her! Please, Willow! It's Buffy."

"You know I can't, Dawnie. This is forbidden magic. I don't have the right to decide who deserve to live or die. I can't interfere."

"You did it before!" the Key accused angrily. "You can do it now!"

"Before was a mistake! I was weak and feeling almighty. I brought Buffy back from Heaven! It nearly destroyed her and it brought the First on us! I'm not doing it again. If she's meant to survive, she will."

They could hear the prayer in her voice. Her pain was evident. She might have the ability to save Buffy, but she didn't have the right. Even if he wanted to threaten her until she saved her, Jack admired her strength. Because he knew that if it was him, he wouldn't be as strong.

They waited, hypnotized by Owen's fight to save Buffy's life. After what seemed like a lifetime, the machine emitted a steady noise as her heart started beating regularly again. Jack moved into action, barking orders to everyone, Torchwood and Scoobies alike. He glared at them until they moved. He stayed by Owen's sides as he stabilised Buffy.

"Is she going to make through?"

The doctor didn't look up to answer, "They carved symbols into her skin, almost down to the bone in some places! She's lost a massive amount of blood and her heart stopped beating a long time for a human. If she pulls through, she could have brain damage due to the lack of oxygen. She heals faster than humans but this time, it's a lot of abuse put on her body. So to answer your question, I have no bloody idea!"

When she was stabilized, Jack took her on his arms. Owen, Dawn and Giles accompanied them as they piled into the SUV. The Captain left Gwen in charges of the clean-up and their prisoner. They made their way to the Hub in silence except for one moment when Jack glanced at Rupert's hand and asked, "How's the hand?"

The man barely looked at it before glancing at the Slayer, tucked in the back with Dawn and Owen.

"Fine."

They knew it was a lie and also that it wasn't important.

A couple of hours later, everyone was back in the Hub. Their prisoner had been thrown into a cell. Buffy's wounds had been cleaned and dressed. She was laying in the medical bay, connected to a myriad of machines which monitored every function of her body. No one talked. Owen had explained that even if she was breathing on her own, her brain activity was much lower than normal and that her injuries weren't seeming to heal at all. He couldn't do anything more.

They had had another argument about Willow's magical ability and her inaction. She explained as well as she could her reasons and the laws of magic. She couldn't do a thing. She could heal light injuries because people would have survived. But she couldn't interfere in mortal injuries. Not again. Healing someone who should have died would disrupt the balance and it would be bounced back. If Buffy had to survive, she had to do it by herself. Willow couldn't intervene. It was easy to understand but complicated to accept.

That was why, at the end of the day, they were all holding their breath, waiting for a miracle to happen.

¤ ¤ tbc ¤ ¤