Authors Note: Sorry for the longish wait guys, I hope you like it!

I ran all the way back to the Scooby gang, a huge silly smile on my face.

I love him. I love Spike. God, I have to get him back!

But when I found the door of Giles ripped off its hinges and crumpled to the ground, my smile faded, being replaced by fear.

"Guys? Giles? Mom?" I called into the apartment, stepping over the doorway into the dark room.

"Buffy!" I heard Mom cry and she appeared from in the kitchen, running over to give me a hug.

"What happened?" I demanded, once everyone got out from their hiding places since they realized it was me.

"The army guys came. Apparently Riley was wearing a bloody tracking device," Giles answered my question, rubbing his forehead while looking around to survey the damage to his home.

"They took Riley?" I sighed.

There goes any chance of negotiating a trade off or something. Now where back to square one again. Great.

"And Willow," Xander replied.

I froze. Deep breaths, Buffy. Don't get hysterical.

"But why? She's just a human. Well, she's a witch, but I'm sure they have plenty of those. Why would they take her?" I demanded of the room.

"We don't know. We couldn't stop them. They're strong, Buff. Way stronger then regular men should be," Xander rubbed his shoulder.

"Well, then we'll just have to be stronger," I shrugged out of Mom's hug and made my way to the weapons and pulled out my crossbow.

"Buffy, I know how hard this is, with Spike, and now Willow, but we can't go off rushing into the lions den," Giles came over to stay next to me as I loaded the crossbow.

I stopped and looked him in the eye.

"I'm not waiting for them to come attack us again, Giles. We need the element of surprise. They won't expect us to strike back this soon. And we don't know how long they'll keep Will and Spike…," I couldn't say alive, so I let my sentence trail off and started gathering weapons again.

I cleared my throat and turned around to face everyone in the room.

"You all said you were with me earlier, but if you want to back out now, you can. Either way, I'm going. Even if I'm going alone," I told them, my tone determined.

"Well, I'm not going if we all have to wear those unicorn backpacks," Layla pointed to the forgotten object still attached to my back.

"That's ok", I took it off and put it on the table, "Because you're not going,"

No one backed out. Everyone agreed Layla would stay behind to watch over Anne in the apartment. Both parties were angry and full of objections.

"I want to help!"

"That's my son you're going to save!"

"The whole reason I came was to go on an adventure!"

"I won't let you go in there without me!"

"I'm perfectly capable of helping with the rescue even though I'm young!"

"I'm perfectly capable of helping with the rescue even though I'm old!"

"This is the most exciting thing ever, I'm not staying behind!"

"Me either!"

"Why can't you have Xander watch Anne? I'll be more help then him!"

"Hey! I'm standing right here. And I'm helpful!" Xander glared at Layla and she glared right back.

"Guys, guys. I'm sorry Layla and Anne, but this is for your own safety. I'm the Slayer, and I say you two are going to have to stay here, my Mom will be with you," I watched as both their faces fell.

"Fine," they answered in unison and Layla helped Anne have a seat on the couch where they both continued to sulk.

"Wait, no, I'm not staying!" Mom suddenly said.

"Both Mom's and everyone below the age of eighteen are staying here, that's final. Right Giles?" I crossed my arms to look at my former watcher.

Mom crossed her arms and did the same.

"Rupert?"

"Well, y-you see…," He faltered under both our gazes.

Giles never could stand up to my mother. If I didn't know better I'd say there was something going on there. No time for that now though.

"You're staying here," I told my Mom, giving her a hug before she could respond.

She sighed in defeat.

"Be safe," she whispered, pulling away to smile at me.

"Always," I replied.

We spent the next half an hour getting the weapons ready and Giles did a spell to use Spike's possessions that I found to track him. For some reason it led us to Lowell house.

Everyone was getting ready inside while I helped Giles load the weapons in his car. We had been silent the whole time, both wrapped up in our own thoughts and worries when suddenly he spoke.

"You know Buffy, I hate having to say this, but you should be prepared that…,"

"That what?" I stood up and looked at him.

"That it's… too late," he looked away.

I kept my face neutral. Slayer mode on, emotions off.

"I can't afford to think like that, Giles," I returned to my work.

Don't cry. Not now.

"Buffy, it's just…Spike can take a lot more abuse than Willow, and from what you've told me, even he didn't fair very well. Besides her new powers, she's still only human. Just…be prepared," he whispered, squeezing my arm.

I nodded at him, and thought over his words. How do you prepare for two people you love to die?

"Do you think it's to late?" I replied.

I saw the look cross his face.

"It's been hours since they took her, a day since they took Spike…Buffy, I…," He sighed, removing his hand from my arm to clean his glasses in his discomfort.

"They're still alive. And I'm gonna find them," I slammed the car shut with a loud bang that rang out like a gun shot.

"And nothing I say will change your mind?" Giles prompted.

"No. I'm going," I told him firmly.

He smiled at me, his kind eyes wrinkling in the corners. My own father never smiled at me like that. For some reason, Giles looked proud.

"You really are something special, Buffy," he shook his head.

I smiled a little back at him.

"Just doing my job. I'm the Slayer, it's what I do," I hugged my ex-watcher tightly until I was sure I heard bones groan in protest, but he didn't seem to care.

I left Giles outside to start the car as I went back inside to get everyone coming along on the rescue mission.

Thinking over her words, Giles chuckled. Buffy Summers was indeed the Slayer, but she was so much more then that. So much more.

Review! I'm getting less feedback lately, so just wondering if anyone still likes/reads this story. If I get 10 reviews on this chapter (total of 130 on the story), I'll post another by Wednesday as a thank you! Au revoir!