Part 14
Wednesday 4 am
Buffy and the entire Scooby gang, along with Cordelia and Doyle,
arrived at the entrance to the sewer tunnels. "I know this has been
a long night, guys but we're almost done. I'm sure Spike had sent
most of those vampires out looking for us. Are we ready?" The others
nodded, she looked at each one. They looked tired, but able to handle
the impending fight. "Just remember, Spike's got the ring, so he's
more dangerous than usual. He's my vamp to deal with," she added.
"Watch out for Drusilla too, we don't know how she'll react," Giles
reminded them. "And we know Spike has several minions with him."
"Got it, watch out, our lives are in danger," Xander quipped. "As if
that's something new. Can we get on with it already?"
"Yeah," Buffy pulled the grate off the sewer entrance and started
down the ladder. The others followed. "Okay, according to Willy,
Spike and the others are off to the north, there's a large room, and
several tunnels lead off of it. Everyone got their holy water,
stakes and other fun weapons?"
The others nodded, and she led the way down the tunnel.
********
Fifteen minutes later
"EWWWW!" Cordelia shrieked for about the fiftieth time. The others
shushed her in unison.
"Cordelia, I swear. If you do that again, I'm going to send you back
up to the street," Buffy threatened.
"I stepped on a dead rat," Cordelia said, her nose wrinkled in
disgust. "AH-" Doyle clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her
scream as the vision hit her. He held her against him, leaning up
against the wall, knowing it would not make her happy to be sitting
in the sewage when this was over.
"Great, _now_ who's going to die?" Anya wondered with a sigh. "I knew
I should've stayed home tonight."
"Nobody's going to die," Willow said, but reached her hand out to Oz
nervously.
Oz smiled at her, and put his arm around her waist, pulling her
close. "I agree with Willow," he said. "Cordelia's visions just tell
us what to avoid, right? So I see it as a good thing."
Cordelia quieted, and Doyle removed his hand. "Okay, that was a more
helpful vision than some I get," she said, as she stayed leaning
against Doyle for support. "Spike's a sneaky one. When we get to
their lair, or whatever you want to call it, he's going to have
several of his little minions attack us from behind. So some of us
need to be ready for an attack from the rear."
"Cordelia, I'll help you back to Giles' place," Doyle said.
"No," Cordelia replied. "I need to be there, and so do you," she
said. At Doyle's worried look, she said, "Look, I'll be fine. I
promise."
"Let's go," Angel said. "We can trust her. She wouldn't stick around
if it would put us in any unnecessary danger."
"And Angel's vote is good enough for me," Buffy said. "Cordelia,
where's Spike gonna be?"
"Inside the main room."
"So here's the change of plans. Me, Willow, Oz, and Giles will go for
the frontal attack. Xander, Anya, Doyle, Cordelia, and Angel will
cover our backs. Sound good?" The others nodded, and she led the rest
of the way down the tunnel.
************
4:30 am
"Something's coming!" Drusilla yelled, holding her head anddropping
to the ground, rocking.
"Bloody hell," Spike said, as he went to her quickly, and lifted her
to her feet, holding her against him. "Dru, what is it, Luv?"
"Slayer. Her friends," Drusilla whimpered. "It's all going to end."
"That's the plan, Pet," Spike said. "What else?"
"Nothing else. Just tears," she whispered.
"Everything's going to be okay, Dru," Spike whispered into her
hair. "I've got the ring, remember? We'll win this time, I promise
you." Then he turned to Angela, "Take her in the other room and watch
her."
"Spike, no!" Drusilla protested. "I want to stay with you!"
"I need you to go with Angela. I'll take care of the Slayer, then
you'll feel better," Spike said. She pouted at him, but let Angela
lead her into a side room. *Room,* Spike sighed. *No walls, sewage
anywhere. First thing I'm doing when this is over is getting my
Princess into a proper mansion.* He turned to the fledglings, only
eight of them had returned. *Typical. No loyalty anymore to their
sires. Ungrateful wankers.* "Four of you go out that tunnel, circle
around and come up behind the Slayer and her gang. The rest of you
stay here with me." He watched four of his minions go off down a side
tunnel. Just in time, as he heard a scream from nearby indicating the
Slayer and her Slayerettes were close.
He glanced into the side room. "Angela, you protect Dru, and you'll
be well rewarded." The girl nodded at him. He looked at his other
remaining fledglings, and said, "Get ready. It's time to play."
*************
Wednesday 4 am
Buffy and the entire Scooby gang, along with Cordelia and Doyle,
arrived at the entrance to the sewer tunnels. "I know this has been
a long night, guys but we're almost done. I'm sure Spike had sent
most of those vampires out looking for us. Are we ready?" The others
nodded, she looked at each one. They looked tired, but able to handle
the impending fight. "Just remember, Spike's got the ring, so he's
more dangerous than usual. He's my vamp to deal with," she added.
"Watch out for Drusilla too, we don't know how she'll react," Giles
reminded them. "And we know Spike has several minions with him."
"Got it, watch out, our lives are in danger," Xander quipped. "As if
that's something new. Can we get on with it already?"
"Yeah," Buffy pulled the grate off the sewer entrance and started
down the ladder. The others followed. "Okay, according to Willy,
Spike and the others are off to the north, there's a large room, and
several tunnels lead off of it. Everyone got their holy water,
stakes and other fun weapons?"
The others nodded, and she led the way down the tunnel.
********
Fifteen minutes later
"EWWWW!" Cordelia shrieked for about the fiftieth time. The others
shushed her in unison.
"Cordelia, I swear. If you do that again, I'm going to send you back
up to the street," Buffy threatened.
"I stepped on a dead rat," Cordelia said, her nose wrinkled in
disgust. "AH-" Doyle clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle her
scream as the vision hit her. He held her against him, leaning up
against the wall, knowing it would not make her happy to be sitting
in the sewage when this was over.
"Great, _now_ who's going to die?" Anya wondered with a sigh. "I knew
I should've stayed home tonight."
"Nobody's going to die," Willow said, but reached her hand out to Oz
nervously.
Oz smiled at her, and put his arm around her waist, pulling her
close. "I agree with Willow," he said. "Cordelia's visions just tell
us what to avoid, right? So I see it as a good thing."
Cordelia quieted, and Doyle removed his hand. "Okay, that was a more
helpful vision than some I get," she said, as she stayed leaning
against Doyle for support. "Spike's a sneaky one. When we get to
their lair, or whatever you want to call it, he's going to have
several of his little minions attack us from behind. So some of us
need to be ready for an attack from the rear."
"Cordelia, I'll help you back to Giles' place," Doyle said.
"No," Cordelia replied. "I need to be there, and so do you," she
said. At Doyle's worried look, she said, "Look, I'll be fine. I
promise."
"Let's go," Angel said. "We can trust her. She wouldn't stick around
if it would put us in any unnecessary danger."
"And Angel's vote is good enough for me," Buffy said. "Cordelia,
where's Spike gonna be?"
"Inside the main room."
"So here's the change of plans. Me, Willow, Oz, and Giles will go for
the frontal attack. Xander, Anya, Doyle, Cordelia, and Angel will
cover our backs. Sound good?" The others nodded, and she led the rest
of the way down the tunnel.
************
4:30 am
"Something's coming!" Drusilla yelled, holding her head anddropping
to the ground, rocking.
"Bloody hell," Spike said, as he went to her quickly, and lifted her
to her feet, holding her against him. "Dru, what is it, Luv?"
"Slayer. Her friends," Drusilla whimpered. "It's all going to end."
"That's the plan, Pet," Spike said. "What else?"
"Nothing else. Just tears," she whispered.
"Everything's going to be okay, Dru," Spike whispered into her
hair. "I've got the ring, remember? We'll win this time, I promise
you." Then he turned to Angela, "Take her in the other room and watch
her."
"Spike, no!" Drusilla protested. "I want to stay with you!"
"I need you to go with Angela. I'll take care of the Slayer, then
you'll feel better," Spike said. She pouted at him, but let Angela
lead her into a side room. *Room,* Spike sighed. *No walls, sewage
anywhere. First thing I'm doing when this is over is getting my
Princess into a proper mansion.* He turned to the fledglings, only
eight of them had returned. *Typical. No loyalty anymore to their
sires. Ungrateful wankers.* "Four of you go out that tunnel, circle
around and come up behind the Slayer and her gang. The rest of you
stay here with me." He watched four of his minions go off down a side
tunnel. Just in time, as he heard a scream from nearby indicating the
Slayer and her Slayerettes were close.
He glanced into the side room. "Angela, you protect Dru, and you'll
be well rewarded." The girl nodded at him. He looked at his other
remaining fledglings, and said, "Get ready. It's time to play."
*************