1:30 am
Colorado
"Xander?" Anya tried again. They were sitting in his car on the side
of the highway, where he'd pulled over suddenly while he was on the
phone, scaring her half to death. She'd only heard one side of the
conversation, but gathered that Willow had been hurt in some way.
Xander hadn't spoken for fifteen minutes, after ending the call.
"Xander," she repeated and reached over, touching his arm. He jumped
and pulled his arm away quickly. He turned to look at her, and his
face softened as he said, "Sorry. Don't ask," he said.
"Whatever you need," Anya replied. "You want me to drive?"
He looked at her with relief, and asked, "Would you?"
"Of course," she smiled comfortingly. She got out of the car and
walked around to the driver's side, opening the door. "Xander?"
He looked at her blankly.
"Switch places," she said.
"Oh. Okay," he replied and did as she requested. Anya looked over at
him as she started the car, but he was too far away to hear her.
Despite her reassuring talk to him, she had a feeling that something
had gone very wrong. She hoped that they would get back to Sunnydale
before it was too late.
&&&&&&&&
12 am
Giles' Apartment
Cordelia broke down, and Doyle held her, letting her cry. Five minutes
later, she got a grip on herself and wiped the tears from her
face. "All right, enough of that. Let's go back out there. Angel
needs us," she said.
They walked out as Charlotte returned from her recon mission. She
said, "Well, I've got some good news, at least. When the grenades
exploded they blew the warlocks and Adam to tiny pieces."
"Are you sure about Adam?" Giles pressed.
"Well, of course I'm not 100% sure," Charlotte admitted. "I found
pieces of him, though, so I'd be surprised if he survived."
"Well, I hope you're right," Giles replied. "That was fast thinking,
using those grenades."
"I wish it would have stopped this, though," Charlotte said forlornly,
pointing to the two girls who were still screaming.
"I'm surprised it didn't," Giles said. "But the warlocks were just
powerful enough that killing them didn't negate the curse. If it makes
you feel better, I don't think you made things worse. If nothing else,
those Warlocks won't be hurting another person ever again. And if you
stopped Adam's terrorizing of this town, we are in your debt. You're
an excellent Slayer, Charlotte, I'm very impressed with your skill and
strength, considering you were only called three months ago."
Charlotte smiled, and said, "Thanks, Giles. That means a lot coming
from you."
"Why'd you stop looking?" Angel said, looking over at the two men. At
their blank expressions, he explained, "I've been watching you two.
You've had your heads stuck in books since we got here. But neither of
you have even glanced at a book in the last fifteen minutes. Why?"
"We've been through the books three times," Giles said quietly. "I
don't know what else to try."
"There's more black magic texts at the mansion," Angel said. "Stuff
that Tara left there."
"I'll go get them," Charlotte said. "Tell me where?"
"As you walk in, there's a room off to the left. There are several
books on the table," Angel replied.
"Okay, I'll be back," she said and ran out the door.
Buffy let out a scream, louder than her previous ones, making everyone
jump. The silence which she followed it with though, was even more
alarming. Her eyes, which had been open but unseeing were now closed.
"Buffy?" Angel shook her gently. "Buffy!" he shook her a little more
roughly. "NOOOOO!" he yelled.
Doyle rushed over, and grabbed her wrist, checking her pulse. "She's
still alive," he assured Angel. "But..."
"What!" Angel yelled.
"It's her pulse, man, it's really slowing down. I don't think she'll
last much longer."
"Don't die on me, Buffy Summers," Angel whispered, buring his face in
her hair. "Please hold on," he pleaded as a single tear rolled down
his cheek. The others tactfully retreated to the other side of the
room, except for Oz who stayed with Willow.
Angel kissed Buffy on the forehead, "Come on, Buffy. Baby, you're
stronger than this," he said, stroking her hair lovingly. "You can't
give up, you never have. What is this, our third, fourth, fifth
chance? Whatever it is, it's the first time there's really nothing
standing between us. You said that you wouldn't let Adam get in the
way of our happy ever after, remember? Well, I'm sure that went for
those warlocks, too. So prove it, Baby, stay with me."
Buffy let out another terrified scream, and slumped back against
Angel. "She's not breathing!" Angel yelled, as he laid her on the
couch. He and Doyle started CPR, as Cordelia went to the phone to
call an ambulance.
Colorado
"Xander?" Anya tried again. They were sitting in his car on the side
of the highway, where he'd pulled over suddenly while he was on the
phone, scaring her half to death. She'd only heard one side of the
conversation, but gathered that Willow had been hurt in some way.
Xander hadn't spoken for fifteen minutes, after ending the call.
"Xander," she repeated and reached over, touching his arm. He jumped
and pulled his arm away quickly. He turned to look at her, and his
face softened as he said, "Sorry. Don't ask," he said.
"Whatever you need," Anya replied. "You want me to drive?"
He looked at her with relief, and asked, "Would you?"
"Of course," she smiled comfortingly. She got out of the car and
walked around to the driver's side, opening the door. "Xander?"
He looked at her blankly.
"Switch places," she said.
"Oh. Okay," he replied and did as she requested. Anya looked over at
him as she started the car, but he was too far away to hear her.
Despite her reassuring talk to him, she had a feeling that something
had gone very wrong. She hoped that they would get back to Sunnydale
before it was too late.
&&&&&&&&
12 am
Giles' Apartment
Cordelia broke down, and Doyle held her, letting her cry. Five minutes
later, she got a grip on herself and wiped the tears from her
face. "All right, enough of that. Let's go back out there. Angel
needs us," she said.
They walked out as Charlotte returned from her recon mission. She
said, "Well, I've got some good news, at least. When the grenades
exploded they blew the warlocks and Adam to tiny pieces."
"Are you sure about Adam?" Giles pressed.
"Well, of course I'm not 100% sure," Charlotte admitted. "I found
pieces of him, though, so I'd be surprised if he survived."
"Well, I hope you're right," Giles replied. "That was fast thinking,
using those grenades."
"I wish it would have stopped this, though," Charlotte said forlornly,
pointing to the two girls who were still screaming.
"I'm surprised it didn't," Giles said. "But the warlocks were just
powerful enough that killing them didn't negate the curse. If it makes
you feel better, I don't think you made things worse. If nothing else,
those Warlocks won't be hurting another person ever again. And if you
stopped Adam's terrorizing of this town, we are in your debt. You're
an excellent Slayer, Charlotte, I'm very impressed with your skill and
strength, considering you were only called three months ago."
Charlotte smiled, and said, "Thanks, Giles. That means a lot coming
from you."
"Why'd you stop looking?" Angel said, looking over at the two men. At
their blank expressions, he explained, "I've been watching you two.
You've had your heads stuck in books since we got here. But neither of
you have even glanced at a book in the last fifteen minutes. Why?"
"We've been through the books three times," Giles said quietly. "I
don't know what else to try."
"There's more black magic texts at the mansion," Angel said. "Stuff
that Tara left there."
"I'll go get them," Charlotte said. "Tell me where?"
"As you walk in, there's a room off to the left. There are several
books on the table," Angel replied.
"Okay, I'll be back," she said and ran out the door.
Buffy let out a scream, louder than her previous ones, making everyone
jump. The silence which she followed it with though, was even more
alarming. Her eyes, which had been open but unseeing were now closed.
"Buffy?" Angel shook her gently. "Buffy!" he shook her a little more
roughly. "NOOOOO!" he yelled.
Doyle rushed over, and grabbed her wrist, checking her pulse. "She's
still alive," he assured Angel. "But..."
"What!" Angel yelled.
"It's her pulse, man, it's really slowing down. I don't think she'll
last much longer."
"Don't die on me, Buffy Summers," Angel whispered, buring his face in
her hair. "Please hold on," he pleaded as a single tear rolled down
his cheek. The others tactfully retreated to the other side of the
room, except for Oz who stayed with Willow.
Angel kissed Buffy on the forehead, "Come on, Buffy. Baby, you're
stronger than this," he said, stroking her hair lovingly. "You can't
give up, you never have. What is this, our third, fourth, fifth
chance? Whatever it is, it's the first time there's really nothing
standing between us. You said that you wouldn't let Adam get in the
way of our happy ever after, remember? Well, I'm sure that went for
those warlocks, too. So prove it, Baby, stay with me."
Buffy let out another terrified scream, and slumped back against
Angel. "She's not breathing!" Angel yelled, as he laid her on the
couch. He and Doyle started CPR, as Cordelia went to the phone to
call an ambulance.