Chapter 50

Silent Night

A/N: Chapter fifty of the series..

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in airing the shows.

Feedback: Sure, as you wish.

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London, England

The Watcher's Council

December 2017

"Can we look at the bigger picture for a second?" Willow asked, still looking at the blank screen.

"What would that be?" Buffy asked.

"We may have to evacuate the premises." Willow replied. "Regroup somewhere else."

"That seems prudent." Giles said, looking at the quickly diminishing lights above. "The power won't last much longer."

"We may have an hour or two." Willow said. "Slayers all around the world have been warned."

"So, fall back and regroup?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. Take as much as you can carry with you and let's go out." Giles answered. He turned around and looked at Annie. "What did you do to get the turok hans to let you pass?"

"Besides giving them a taste?" Annie smirked, showing her wounded neck to Giles. The two dots had already scarred and only a faint pink trace remained.

"Dear God, they bit you?" Giles gasped, and he carefully traced the dots on his granddaughter's neck.

"No big, grandpa." Annie shrugged. "It didn't hurt. Much."

"So they tasted your blood." Giles muttered. "And then they stopped."

He looked up and stared into Buffy's eyes.

"Something on your mind?" She asked. Giles looked around and decided it wasn't time for more secrets and discretion.

"Look, I don't like to talk without knowing or researching first, but I guess the turok hans tasted the blood of Aurelius on you."

"The blood of what?" Annie asked.

Buffy ran her hands through her hair, and Willow and Xander had similar confused looks on their faces.

"The line of Aurelius, dear." Giles replied. "Your father, when he was a vampire, he was of the line of Aurelius, one of the strongest and oldest lines of vampires."

"Huh."

"His sire, Darla, had been sired herself by the Master." Giles clarified. "You have probably read this already. Angel in turn sired Drusilla, who, as your mother told us, is the leader of this army."

"You think that the turok hans identified that in Annie's blood and identified her as what, family?" Willow stepped in.

"Not necessarily family." Giles countered. "Remember that blood was needed for a turok han to rise. Maybe it was Drusilla's blood this time. In vampire circles, Drusilla could be very much Annie's sister."

"So I'm the sister of the leader of this army of darkness?" Annie asked, a smile creeping up her face.

"It's not something 'cool', dear." Giles said. "You have met Drusilla, even though you may not remember her. It could be a strange coincidence, but maybe, just maybe, the blood you share has saved you."

"The turok hans did kneel in front of her." Buffy said, patting her daughter's head. "That in here and in China is a sign of respect."

"We could use that to our advantage." Xander said. "Y'know, for our safety."

"The turok hans have displayed a certain intelligence as of lately." Giles noted. "Maybe they can understand your words or actions."

"That means I get to go out wielding a sword and threaten them?" Annie smirked.

"Not like that, but maybe they will follow your command."

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Half an hour later, all slayers, watchers and essential personnel inside the Council slowly marched towards the exit. Each of them had been allowed or charged to take certain possessions and weapons with them, trying to get with them the very essence of the Council.

Giles merely carried a broad sword and his laptop, keeping inside all the information he considered vital and/or dangerous to them. Wesley had insisted on taking the magical volumes, all written info in existence available through them. The others carried objects that were important to them or some others essential as food and water.

"Man, I never thought we'd leave this place." Willow muttered. Xander, walking by her side, placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Neither did I." A smile appeared on his face. "Never thought I'd live to see this day."

Willow groaned and thought it was a good sign when Xander began making stupid jokes.

The rest of the walk outside was met in silence, as Annie, Buffy, Wesley and Illyria headed the group, hoping not to be caught unaware.

As soon as the turok hans heard them, a low growl erupted from their throats, but quickly diminished as they laid eyes on Annie.

"That's weird." Buffy said. Next to her, Wesley nodded and focused on the vampires.

"They seem subdued." He said. "But they don't feel threatened. There's no tension on the air."

"There is confusion." Illyria said, her head oddly straight. "As if their allegiances had shifted. Traitorous half breeds."

"See? Now you're not making any sense." Wesley frowned as he slowly walked next to her, lifting his sword and keeping his eyes on the vampires. "These are not half breeds."

Illyria cocked her head and turned around to stare at her companion.

"What?" She asked, and Wesley didn't get to answer when all the turok hans took a step forward, growling menacingly.

"Whoa, down boys!" Buffy bristled and lifted her sword as well. Annie hushed her mother and step by step, she approached the nearest vampire, who growled softly and began sniffing the air around Annie.

"Annie…" Buffy whispered, feeling every small hair on the back of her neck raising at the sight of her only child in danger. "Of all the stupid things you've done…"

Annie motioned her mother to be quiet, and even though her pulse was quickening and her brain was screaming, she held her ground and let the vampire sniff her.

After tense seconds, the vampire growled again, but in a different tone and a clearly different mood. The vampire lifted its claw and in an impossible move, softly caressed the side of Annie's face.

The slayer gasped and fought hard against every instinct in her, as slayer and as a mother, to charge the creature and hack it to pieces for daring to touch her daughter.

Instead, the vampires again growled and took a step back, kneeling before Annie.

"Impossible." Wesley and Giles whispered at the same time, and behind them, Willow spoke into Xander's ear, telling him what had happened.

"No way." Xander drawled. "That really happened?"

"This is something entirely new." Giles said, fascinated by the view. "And the possibilities…"

"There will be no possibilities." Buffy cut Giles' monologue. "There will only be walking."

"But Buffy…"

"I said walking!" Buffy shouted. "I don't want to know what this implies, and I certainly don't want you watchers going 'ga-ga' over this!"

Wesley and Giles remained in silence, not wanting to upset the already disturbed slayer.

Soon, with Annie and Buffy leading the way, all slayers and watchers gained safe passage through the burning city, and in a very strange move, the turok hans flanked the fleeing warriors, oddly protective of them. In the rear, Illyria, Wesley and Connor guarded the back, not entirely trusting the weird vampires walking next to them.

"This is just fucking weird." Connor said, scratching the back of his head.

"Got to agree with you on that." Wesley muttered, the thing inside of him uncharacteristically relaxed and calm, as if the violence around had completely receded.

"I mean, what's up with my little sis, then?" Connor continued. "What has she got inside of her that makes this vampires as threatening as a poodle?"

"Perhaps it is the blood of Aurelius on her veins." Welsey replied.

"Yes, well, I have it as well, and completely." Connor countered. "Remember? Dad, Angelus, mom, Darla."

"You have a point there." Wesley thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps one of the vampires got to bite her. That could explain it."

Connor nodded and kept walking in silence.

Hours later, the exhausted slayers and watchers finally found the outskirts of the city, glad they had managed to leave the burning city behind.

As Wesley, the last of the long line, set foot outside the city limits, they noticed the vampires had remained blocks behind, growling low in their throats but making no attempts to move.

"Now what is wrong with them?" Buffy asked. Annie turned around and stared at them.

"Don't know mum." Annie said. She trotted back to where the vampires stood, and she warily took the claw of one of them. The vampire didn't utter a sound, but refused to move when Annie carefully pulled on its claw.

"What is wrong?" She asked. "You walked next to us. You were taking care of us, weren't you?"

"They were taking care of you."

Annie yelped and almost jumped when she heard the female's voice. She quickly turned around and saw a female's silhouette glowing in front of her. The bright light made the vampires take a step back, safe for the one whose claw was still firmly held between Annie's hand.

"What?" Annie asked, not knowing who was talking to her. The light soon diminished and there stood her grandmother.

"Grandma?"

"Hello, Annie." Joyce said, smiling at the child. "How are you?"

"Uh, hi grandma." Annie replied, letting go the claw of the vampire, who immediately cowered from the light being. "What brings you this far?"

"You, actually." Joyce smiled and hugged her granddaughter as the girl approached her. "You must have so many questions, dear."

"She's not the only one."

Both Joyce and Annie turned to see Buffy standing a few feet away, a sad smile on her face.

"Yes, I guess so." Joyce said and let go of Annie. "What Giles said is true. The vampires do recognize Annie as one of their own."

"Figures." Buffy crossed her arms. "What else?"

"They won't leave the city." Joyce revealed. "This is ground zero, Buffy. They won't leave the battle site."

"Great, so that allows us to leave and find somewhere to rest and reorganize." Buffy nodded.

"I don't think it will be so easy, dear." Joyce sighed. "This is the battle ground, and I don't think you'll be allowed to leave."

"What?" Buffy almost choked. "Don't give me more bad news, mom, please."

"I have to, dear." Joyce sadly said. "I told you this would happen. I talked to you. You chose this."

Joyce pointed at the burnt city, where sporadic explosions still went off.

"This city fell because of your choice, honey." Joyce continued. "Don't feel bad. This is war. This is what happens in a war. But it won't end so easy. So simple."

"What are you telling me?" Buffy ran her hands through her hair. "Just, please, don't… what are you telling me?"

"You can't leave the city." Joyce said, and pointed upwards. Dark colored planes flew over the city at supersonic speed, leaving sonic booms behind them. "The so called initiative has begun their attack."

"So they told me." Buffy nodded.

"They don't have the power to end this." Joyce shook her head. "They don't have weapons powerful enough to kill the dragons or destroy part of this army of darkness."

Buffy stood there, not moving at all, seeing how the planes deployed several missiles directed at the dragons. Some were avoided swiftly, while others found their mark and did nothing more than anger the creatures.

"Was wondering why they didn't attack us on our way out." Annie whispered. She turned to look at her grandmother. "They didn't attack because they knew we wouldn't get far, right?"

"You are very smart, Annie." Joyce nodded. "And I wish you were wrong."

"What does that mean?" Buffy asked, shaking her head. "What does that mean?"

"You know what it means." Joyce softly replied.

"That it doesn't matter what we do?" Buffy cried. "That it doesn't matter how hard I try, the only outcome will be a world war?"

"I told you, my dear. "Joyce firmly said. "I told you before. I warned you about this very thing."

"And what was I supposed to do?" Buffy sighed. "Just give up and let you rob them of their very essence?"

"We won't get into this again." Joyce shook her head. "You're not a child anymore and you'll have to learn to live with your decisions. I just came to tell you this is far from over. You should gather your troops and get ready for round 2."

"God, I can't believe I'm hearing this from you." Buffy almost choked. "Figures."

"No, Buffy, you don't get to be mad or angry at this." Joyce stepped right in front of her daughter's face. "You said you'd fight, well, this is your fight, and you'd better gear up and get ready to give them hell."

A loud explosion above them brought them back to the present, and they looked up to see the remains of two fighter jets pummeling to the ground, no parachutes in sight.

"Man, they're getting creamed." Annie said. "Those bloody idiots should leave asap."

"Riley knew what he was getting them into." Buffy said. "As do I. How much time we got, mum?"

"Not much." Joyce replied. "You'll be safe with these turok hans, Buffy. Have your troops rest as much as they can and then get ready."

Buffy nodded and took her mother's hand.

"I'm sorry for overreacting." She said. "I'm not used to getting into something I can't completely control."

"I know, dear." Joyce replied, caressing her daughter's head with her free hand. "But you have to keep calm and think things through."

"Already called more slayers." Buffy said. "I'm going to need them all, won't I?"

"Oh yes, dear." Joyce said, and sighed again, which Buffy had already learnt was a sign for more bad news.

"Ok, what is it now?"

"Sun won't come up tomorrow, my darling." Joyce revealed.

"There won't be a tomorrow until you either win or lose this war."

End of Chapter.