A/N: Thank you all for reading! We are so close to the end now. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please let me know what you think. Thanks again!

Chapter 51: What We Wagered

"The world should have protected you, but you have been asked to protect it.
What an honour. What an injustice."
— Brian Murphy "Not Another D&D Podcast"

I didn't get a chance to talk to Kelly. Not alone. The bar was empty before two am and we were all told we could leave. Eric would meet us back at the house. The rest of us crammed into the car. It was a bit tight considering there were five of us but we made it work. We were just lucky that Chloe and Derek had stayed behind for the night otherwise we would have had problems.

I ignored the chaos of Logan and Lafayette in the backseat and tried to focus on driving.

"Are you guys tired?" Veronica leaned forward between the seats. "What do you say to poker when we get back?"

"Are you just asking because you're freakishly good?" Kelly asked. "Scam the boys, not us." Veronica grinned and sat back.

"Well I'm in," Logan said. "What are we waging?"

"We have pay now, how 'bout we put that in?" Lafayette asked.

"We haven't gotten paid yet," Logan sniped.

"Future pay, white boy."

Kelly stepped in before they could argue further. "You know what? Let's do it. See if anyone else is up and wants to join. We can wager chores."

"Chores?"

"Yeah, we shouldn't be the only ones to clean the bathroom. If it gets too crazy...we could try something like crazy eights."

Logan made a face. "What the hell is crazy eights?"

I somehow was not the worst player this time around. We had gathered nearly everyone in the dining room except for Giles who was not interested, Chloe and Derek who had already gone to sleep and Jane, who had "no desire to participate in futile games." Five was also missing. No one had seen him since we left training.

"This is the worst. I'm out." Kelly flung down her cards. I tried not to laugh.

"Come on, pet, giving up already?" Spike grinned around the cigarette in his mouth. "We're just startin' to have fun."

"Yeah, pet," Logan said. "You haven't collected them all."

"Speak for yourself." Veronica laid down her cards. "Read 'em and weep boys."

Spike swore under his breath while Remy laughed.

"You do good there, cher."

"I don't know why I bother." I folded my cards together and dropped them on the table. I couldn't stop myself from yawning.

"I'm not sure you won," Hermione spoke up. "This is a full house, correct?" She showed her cards.

"Bravo, though don't think we didn't see that trick you did," Klaus said. He put down his cards.

"What trick?" Logan asked.

"Nifty little card switch. Ben saw it."

All of us looked at Hermione surprised. She just smiled and shrugged. "Can't blame a witch for trying."

Spike laughed. "Knew I liked you, poppet."

"Please don't call me that," she replied.

The next game had Eric winning, despite all the attempts to cheat by Spike and Remy.

"Arse," Spike muttered as he handed over the fresh pack of cigarettes.

"Don't be jealous you are not as...superior as I."

"I'll show you superior," Spike stood up, pushing his chair back. Eric was up in an instant, fangs bared.

"Boys!" I snapped. "You're both ferocious. Sit down."

They glared at one another before they finally did so. I tried not to roll my eyes. Despite the shared space, they didn't hesitate to antagonize each other. It was almost like watching siblings. I doubted either of them would appreciate the analogy though.

"So how close are you?" Veronica asked. I looked over at her, confused. "To finding a way home." Everyone turned to me. I glanced at Kelly in panic.

"Uh," I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell her that we were told the worlds were destroyed or that time flowed differently between them.

"We are not, yet," Hermione spoke up. "Giles and I have been doing a majority of the research in that area. There is...little record of anything like this."

"Oh."

I wasn't sure if Hermione was telling the truth or not, but I appreciated the save. "Do you...will you be alright if we don't get back?" I asked hesitantly. I just wanted to know.

"I ain't going back," Spike chimed in. There was a chorus of "what" and "really"s. "What's left in that world? A future with the bloody slayer? The only one in control of me is me. There ain't nothing like me in this world and once I get this chip out, they're never going to forget it."

"It seems we agree on something," Eric said. He looked over all of us before his gaze settled on Kelly and me. "You told me once that the human I cared for would choose Bill. There is great potential in this world. I will shape it to me."

"What about your children?" Kelly asked. "Or your sire?"

"They will find others." He said it so confidently. I almost wished I had even a glimmer of that self-assurance.

"Well I ain't into that shit," Lafayette said. "I got family and a life back home. No offence, but I ain't looking to hang around with you bitches more than I have to."

"I want to go home," Veronica said. "I want to see my dad again."

"I could go without seeing mine," Logan added. "I don't need that asshole in my life."

"Here, here," I raised a glass to him. He looked surprised but raised his back.

"There's always something to go back for." Remy smiled at Logan but it didn't reach his eyes

"There are no promises with this field," Hermione spoke up. "We are searching but I do not want to get anyone's hopes up."

"Well, this is cheery. Let's play crazy eights." Kelly gathered the cards up before she started shuffling.

"Give it here, cher. Remy'll shuffle."

The house was oddly peaceful the next day. I had gotten a couple more hours of sleep. It wasn't much, but I was having nightmares of Lucifer. It was odd to be grateful to have nightmares, but it beat seeing him again. I wandered into the kitchen after training. I needed to shower but at the moment, food came first.

I made a sandwich and carried it into the living room with me.

"You look happy," Kelly said from where she was lounging on the couch. Chloe was curled up on the other end of the couch, reading the book Sam had bought me.

"Food," I said, around a mouthful. She made a face, her nose crinkling in disgust. I swallowed before speaking again. "When are we heading out to the bar?"

"Eric said there's no point opening til dark, so...sunset?"

"How's that a good business choice?" I asked.

"It's because he's a vampire," Lafayette called from where he looked to be nursing a coffee in the kitchen. "Vamps don't trust nobody with their blood or their money."

Kelly shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, I'm not complaining." I sat down on the floor on the other side of the living room table. "Much rather be here than there." I saw her roll her eyes at me but I ignored it. "Where's Derek?" I asked Chloe.

"Sleeping. He's been having...well, he's not feeling well." It was a not-so-subtle code for werewolf issues. That explained why I hadn't seen him training with Jane. "Veronica and Logan are still in their room. I heard them fighting earlier."

"Joy," I muttered. Things were getting slightly better but the house was only so big, even with Hermione's enchantments. "What about Giles and Hermione? I didn't see them in the dining room."

"Hermione took Giles back to Bobby's," Kelly said. "Something about looking for some reference. They were arguing about it, actually."

"Really?" I couldn't picture Giles arguing with anyone.

"Yeah, it was very...passionate," Kelly's eyes darted to Chloe as she said it. "They barely noticed the rest of us. I just heard the bang that signalled the apparation."

I turned back to my sandwich. I used to wish I could teleport. Now I just wanted to be okay. It seemed more impossible than teleportation at this point.

"Have you heard yet from Dean?" I asked Kelly.

She scowled. "No, and I'm going to kill him for making me worry."

"No, you won't."

She sighed. "Fine, I won't, but he'll make me wish I did. What about you? Anything from Sam?" I shook my head. I was trying not to think about that either. It felt like we had slept together and now he was done with me. I was going to kill him if that was the case. I didn't like being used.

I finished eating and brought the plate back to the kitchen. I left it in the sink. I only had a few chores since we played for them last night. It was a small win but I was going to take it. I left Kelly dozing and Chloe reading and headed to shower.

My hair was tied back in a small ponytail as I sat on the floor in front of the couch, waiting for Kelly to be ready to leave. The TV was playing some inane reality show that Logan and Veronica were watching. They had gotten the TV while Kelly and I had been on that stupid search for the vessel. Apparently without us around, it was deemed a necessity.

There was a crash at the front door. I stood up instantly.

"Little pigs, let us come in." The voice was unfamiliar. I ran for the door. Black eyes flashed as the two men stepped in.

"UPSTAIRS!" I screamed at the kids in the living room. "NOW!"

I shifted my stance, blocking the demons as the teens ran behind me. "Who are you?" I asked.

One of them stepped forward. "Where's Lucifer?"

"What?" I stared at him confused. "How the hell would I know?"

"We will tear the answer out of you, out of everyone in this hovel."

"Try it."

He lunged forward only to get stopped by the trap. "Bitch!"

"Mish!" I glanced back to see Kelly running down the stairs. "Who the fuck are they?"

"Demons." I started to recite the exorcism when there was a crash from the kitchen. The window in the living room shattered as someone fell into it. "How many are there?"

"Here!" Kelly handed me a gun.

"What's this going to do against a demon?"

"Fuck, I don't know! Something!" The house rocked slightly with the sound of an explosion.

"Did you think we came alone?" The demon spoke again. "We will carve the -"

"Shut up!" Kelly and I both yelled at him.

"We gotta guard the stairs," I said. "We can't let them get to the kids."

"I love children," the other demon said. I rattled off the exorcism as fast as I could, but someone came from behind. I slammed the gun down on the man's shoulder before kicking him back and shooting. I missed. "Fuck, take this." I gave the gun back to Kelly. She'd have more use. I kicked the man again, this time hitting his jaw. He stayed down. Someone came in through the window. Another from the kitchen. I heard a demon swear as they got caught in one of the traps in the hall.

The one who came in through the window charged forward.

"Duck!" Kelly shouted. I dropped and she shot. He fell. I walked over carefully. The man was dressed like a hunter, not a demon. "Where are you going?" Kelly asked.

"To get answers." I flipped him with my foot. The man groaned. "Why are you attacking us?"

"To save the world, devil bitch." I heard enough. I kicked him in the head, knocking him out. I was tackled from behind.

It happened too fast.

The demons kept coming in and didn't stop as they were hit. Hunters were coming in, attacking everyone they found. I was pulled from Kelly, fighting in the living room as I tried to get back to help protect the stairs. I slammed the heel of my hand into someone's nose. Their fist crashed into my cheekbone. I spat blood. I blocked the next punch, holding on to the man's arm before twisting and shoving up. He screamed as it dislocated.

"Now this is a wake-up call!" I heard Spike shout. I grabbed the man's head and pulled it down as I lifted my knee. I dropped the body. He was still alive.

I kicked out behind me as someone tried to sneak up. Twisting, I grabbed the hand their gun was in and threw them over my shoulder. I stomped on the wrist of the hand holding the gun. Something slammed into my stomach. I turned, looking for the attacker but didn't see any. Instead, I saw Kelly in the hallway. Dean was with her. I frowned, confused. When had he gotten here? My stomach started burning. I touched where it hurt. It was wet. I looked at my hand to see it covered in red. That wasn't paint. The room spun suddenly and I felt myself drop.

"Mish!" I heard someone yell.

I vaguely heard something crash. Kelly's face appeared in front of mine. I tried to smile but something pressed on my stomach. I screamed. It hurt. It hurt more than anything I had felt before.

"..be okay, Mish, right? Come on, you can't do this."

"Kel-" I wanted to tell her I was sorry, that I didn't mean for this to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. I couldn't seem to form the words. The edges of my vision were fading. I tried to smile at her, some kind of reassurance. She was alive. The world went black.

[tbc]