Friday night
The gang had met at the Bronze to see the Dingoes play.
Afterward, Buffy and Xander walked back to her house. "So, you
tired?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, but I had fun tonight," Buffy said.
"Yeah, Oz' band is getting pretty good," Xander replied.
"So here's the dilemma," Buffy said with a smile. "Do we cut
through the cemetery, or go around?"
"Got your stake with you?" Xander asked.
"Never leave home without it," Buffy replied.
"Up to you," Xander shrugged. "I say let's go for it."
"Okay," Buffy nodded. "So Xander, mom's out of town, so the house
would be a quiet place to talk. Unless you're too tired?"
"I'm never too tired to talk to you, Buffy," Xander assured her.
"Good," she replied.
"Shit!" Xander yelled then, and shoved her out of the way. Buffy
saw that he'd pushed her out of the path of a Chaion demon that
had run at them. He had a nasty looking knife, and Xander grabbed
his arm, twisting it. The demon roared, and flung Xander off him,
but Xander was up again and in the demon's face in no time.
"Xander, get out of there!" she yelled. She grabbed the stake she
kept in her purse. She looked up just in time to see the Chaion
demon stab Xander in the stomach with his knife. "NO!" she
screamed. Then, she felt something hit her on the back of the
head.
**********
Buffy awoke, and looked around. She was in a dark, damp room of
sorts, chained to a cot. *Sewers? Great* Then she saw Xander
lying nearby. "Oh, God!" There was a gaping wound in Xander's
stomach, and he was, she hoped, just unconscious. She struggled
against the chains, but couldn't break them. She felt herself on
the edge of panic. "Not again. Not Xander," she whispered.
"Xander, wake up," she pleaded.
He moaned and stirred, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "You're
still alive," she said. "Hey, Xander open your eyes."
No response.
"Xander!" she yelled, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked over
and their eyes met. "There you are," she said, smiling at him.
"You scared the hell outta me, Xan. Stay awake."
"Buffy?" he said weakly. "Where are we? What happened." He looked
around. He winced, then, and added, "Are you okay?"
His thought _would_ be for her safety. She held back the tears
that threatened to come. "I'm fine," she tried to reassure him.
"We're both going to be fine." The look he gave her told her he
wasn't fooled.
"You're hurt," she admitted. "But you're going to be okay. I
can't" she struggled against the chains again. "I can't get free
yet, Xander. But we don't want you bleeding anymore than you
already are. So stay still"
Xander looked at her, and shook his head, "I can't. Gotta get you
free--"
"Xander I am begging you not to move. You're hurt really badly,
you need to stay still and put pressure on your wound. Please."
He gave a resigned sigh, and nodded.
"Promise me you won't move," Buffy requested.
"Fine. I promise. Buffy, who...what did this?" he asked again,
gritting his teeth against the pain.
"Dunno," she shrugged. "That was a Chaion demon you took on, but
he wasn't behind this. They're not that smart. Somebody or
something hit me over the head and knocked me out, and whoever
that was is probably the brains behind the operation. We're in
the sewers, I know that much. As soon as whatever it is shows
itself, I'll kill it and we'll get out of here."
Xander chuckled, and then groaned at the pain. "That's my Buffy,
always the optimist," he smiled at her.
"After what that thing did to you, do you really think I'm not
going to make it and it's leader die a horrible death?" she
returned.
"No," he said. "I think you're ticked. And I know what it's like
to be on the receiving end of that."
She looked up as she heard footsteps outside. "Very funny,
Xander." The door opened, and she looked up into the leering eyes
of their captor.
The gang had met at the Bronze to see the Dingoes play.
Afterward, Buffy and Xander walked back to her house. "So, you
tired?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, but I had fun tonight," Buffy said.
"Yeah, Oz' band is getting pretty good," Xander replied.
"So here's the dilemma," Buffy said with a smile. "Do we cut
through the cemetery, or go around?"
"Got your stake with you?" Xander asked.
"Never leave home without it," Buffy replied.
"Up to you," Xander shrugged. "I say let's go for it."
"Okay," Buffy nodded. "So Xander, mom's out of town, so the house
would be a quiet place to talk. Unless you're too tired?"
"I'm never too tired to talk to you, Buffy," Xander assured her.
"Good," she replied.
"Shit!" Xander yelled then, and shoved her out of the way. Buffy
saw that he'd pushed her out of the path of a Chaion demon that
had run at them. He had a nasty looking knife, and Xander grabbed
his arm, twisting it. The demon roared, and flung Xander off him,
but Xander was up again and in the demon's face in no time.
"Xander, get out of there!" she yelled. She grabbed the stake she
kept in her purse. She looked up just in time to see the Chaion
demon stab Xander in the stomach with his knife. "NO!" she
screamed. Then, she felt something hit her on the back of the
head.
**********
Buffy awoke, and looked around. She was in a dark, damp room of
sorts, chained to a cot. *Sewers? Great* Then she saw Xander
lying nearby. "Oh, God!" There was a gaping wound in Xander's
stomach, and he was, she hoped, just unconscious. She struggled
against the chains, but couldn't break them. She felt herself on
the edge of panic. "Not again. Not Xander," she whispered.
"Xander, wake up," she pleaded.
He moaned and stirred, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "You're
still alive," she said. "Hey, Xander open your eyes."
No response.
"Xander!" she yelled, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked over
and their eyes met. "There you are," she said, smiling at him.
"You scared the hell outta me, Xan. Stay awake."
"Buffy?" he said weakly. "Where are we? What happened." He looked
around. He winced, then, and added, "Are you okay?"
His thought _would_ be for her safety. She held back the tears
that threatened to come. "I'm fine," she tried to reassure him.
"We're both going to be fine." The look he gave her told her he
wasn't fooled.
"You're hurt," she admitted. "But you're going to be okay. I
can't" she struggled against the chains again. "I can't get free
yet, Xander. But we don't want you bleeding anymore than you
already are. So stay still"
Xander looked at her, and shook his head, "I can't. Gotta get you
free--"
"Xander I am begging you not to move. You're hurt really badly,
you need to stay still and put pressure on your wound. Please."
He gave a resigned sigh, and nodded.
"Promise me you won't move," Buffy requested.
"Fine. I promise. Buffy, who...what did this?" he asked again,
gritting his teeth against the pain.
"Dunno," she shrugged. "That was a Chaion demon you took on, but
he wasn't behind this. They're not that smart. Somebody or
something hit me over the head and knocked me out, and whoever
that was is probably the brains behind the operation. We're in
the sewers, I know that much. As soon as whatever it is shows
itself, I'll kill it and we'll get out of here."
Xander chuckled, and then groaned at the pain. "That's my Buffy,
always the optimist," he smiled at her.
"After what that thing did to you, do you really think I'm not
going to make it and it's leader die a horrible death?" she
returned.
"No," he said. "I think you're ticked. And I know what it's like
to be on the receiving end of that."
She looked up as she heard footsteps outside. "Very funny,
Xander." The door opened, and she looked up into the leering eyes
of their captor.