Buffy walked over to where Giles and her mom were sitting, and
said, "He woke up."
"Oh, Buffy, I'm so glad. So he's okay?" Joyce asked.
"Well, he's cracking jokes, so that would probably be a yes,"
Buffy said with a grin. She sank into a chair next to her mom,
and leaned up against the wall, closing her eyes. "God I'm
tired," she sighed.
"So when do you want to try to locate Spike?" Giles asked.
"What do you think he's up to?" Buffy replied.
"General mayhem and evil I imagine," Giles said. "We know he had
a rather ridiculous plan to get Willow to help him get Drusilla
back. Now that failed and he's mad. We all know that's not a
good situation. So the sooner we find him, the better."
"Yeah, it's about time he was stopped. Do you realize he's caused
more trouble for us than any other demon?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, well, he is very powerful. And smarter than he pretends to
be," Giles said. "He has killed two Slayers in his time, that's not
an easy accomplishment."
"Well this time his luck has run out, he's messed with his last
Slayer," Buffy replied. "To answer your earlier question: let's
go out tonight. We can split up into teams and use those new
walkie-talkies you had me buy the other day. You and me in one team,
Willow and Oz in another."
"That sounds fine," Giles agreed. "So after sundown, meet at my
apartment. All right?"
"'Kay. I'll be here until then, if anybody needs me."
"Buffy, don't you think you should come home and try to get some
sleep?" Joyce asked. Buffy looked over at her, she'd forgotten
her mom was even there, she'd been so quiet during her discussion
with Giles. *I can't believe she stayed silent during all that
talk of slaying.*
She realized her mom was waiting for a reply. "I need to stay
here with him, mom. I'll sleep later, when he's out of the
hospital and Spike has been scattered to the wind."
***********
Buffy returned to Xander's hospital room, after the herd
of medical professionals had left. "Hey," she said with a smile.
"So did you survive the onslaught?"
"I think I convinced them I'm feeling okay," Xander replied.
"After telling them about two hundred times, that is. I get the
feeling they really weren't expecting me to wake up." He saw the
look of sadness in Buffy's eyes. "They weren't, were
they?"
She sighed, and said, "They didn't exactly admit that, but I
heard what they didn't say. I was so scared..." her voice broke,
and she looked away.
"Come here," Xander tugged on her hand, and she willingly fell
into his arms.
"Sorry," she said. "It's been a long couple of days. Guess it's
catching up with me." She pulled away and managed a small
smile.
"You don't need to apologize," Xander replied, squeezing her hand
comfortingly. "So you're going after Spike tonight?"
"Yes," Buffy said. "And before you start to argue, we're going
out in teams. Me and Giles, Oz and Willow. We're going to use
walkie-talkies to stay in touch the whole time. All of us will be
fine, Xan."
"Promise me you won't do anything dangerous," Xander said.
"I promise," Buffy said. "There have definitely been enough close
calls around here for a while."
"Well, I'm not sad that Spike will soon be dust," Xander said.
"I'll do my best to make that happen," Buffy said, nodding. She
stifled a yawn, and added, "And then I'll sleep."
"_Have_ you slept lately?" Xander asked, a worried expression on
his face.
"Who needs sleep?" Buffy replied. At Xander's not-amused
expression, she added, "I vaguely remember sleeping the night
before you were attacked."
"Buffy, you _need_ to go home and get some sleep," Xander
insisted. "You can't fight Spike like this."
"I don't want to sleep, I want to make sure you're okay," Buffy
frowned.
"I'm fine," Xander argued, "If you don't want me to worry, go
home and sleep before you go out there tonight."
Buffy opened her mouth to argue, but realized she'd lose the
argument. *One thing I've learned about Xan, he's as stubborn as
I am. If not more.* "Fine," she said with a sigh. "I'll go. But
I'll come back after patrol, if that's okay with you?"
"What do _you_ think," Xander threw her what could best be
described a 'duh' look.
"Okay, then. I'll see you later," Buffy said, and then surprised
him by leaning down to kiss him on the cheek before leaving.
*******
"Anything?" Buffy asked on the walkie-talkie. She and the others
had been through the streets of Sunnydale at least three times in
four hours, and she was getting irritated.
"Still nothing," Willow's voice answered .
"I give up," she sat on a nearby bench and looked up at her
Watcher. "I'm tired, Giles," she sighed. "If I've learned
anything about Spike, I just know he's staying just out of sight,
laughing hysterically at our total failure in finding him."
Giles looked at his watch and replied, "I suppose you're right. We might as
well call it an evening."
"Thank you!" Buffy said, relieved. "I'm sure he'll show up sooner
or later, he always does you know."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Giles answered, but realized he was
talking to himself, as Buffy had run off in the direction of the
hospital. "I'm glad I get so much respect," he sighed, and
followed her.
********
said, "He woke up."
"Oh, Buffy, I'm so glad. So he's okay?" Joyce asked.
"Well, he's cracking jokes, so that would probably be a yes,"
Buffy said with a grin. She sank into a chair next to her mom,
and leaned up against the wall, closing her eyes. "God I'm
tired," she sighed.
"So when do you want to try to locate Spike?" Giles asked.
"What do you think he's up to?" Buffy replied.
"General mayhem and evil I imagine," Giles said. "We know he had
a rather ridiculous plan to get Willow to help him get Drusilla
back. Now that failed and he's mad. We all know that's not a
good situation. So the sooner we find him, the better."
"Yeah, it's about time he was stopped. Do you realize he's caused
more trouble for us than any other demon?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, well, he is very powerful. And smarter than he pretends to
be," Giles said. "He has killed two Slayers in his time, that's not
an easy accomplishment."
"Well this time his luck has run out, he's messed with his last
Slayer," Buffy replied. "To answer your earlier question: let's
go out tonight. We can split up into teams and use those new
walkie-talkies you had me buy the other day. You and me in one team,
Willow and Oz in another."
"That sounds fine," Giles agreed. "So after sundown, meet at my
apartment. All right?"
"'Kay. I'll be here until then, if anybody needs me."
"Buffy, don't you think you should come home and try to get some
sleep?" Joyce asked. Buffy looked over at her, she'd forgotten
her mom was even there, she'd been so quiet during her discussion
with Giles. *I can't believe she stayed silent during all that
talk of slaying.*
She realized her mom was waiting for a reply. "I need to stay
here with him, mom. I'll sleep later, when he's out of the
hospital and Spike has been scattered to the wind."
***********
Buffy returned to Xander's hospital room, after the herd
of medical professionals had left. "Hey," she said with a smile.
"So did you survive the onslaught?"
"I think I convinced them I'm feeling okay," Xander replied.
"After telling them about two hundred times, that is. I get the
feeling they really weren't expecting me to wake up." He saw the
look of sadness in Buffy's eyes. "They weren't, were
they?"
She sighed, and said, "They didn't exactly admit that, but I
heard what they didn't say. I was so scared..." her voice broke,
and she looked away.
"Come here," Xander tugged on her hand, and she willingly fell
into his arms.
"Sorry," she said. "It's been a long couple of days. Guess it's
catching up with me." She pulled away and managed a small
smile.
"You don't need to apologize," Xander replied, squeezing her hand
comfortingly. "So you're going after Spike tonight?"
"Yes," Buffy said. "And before you start to argue, we're going
out in teams. Me and Giles, Oz and Willow. We're going to use
walkie-talkies to stay in touch the whole time. All of us will be
fine, Xan."
"Promise me you won't do anything dangerous," Xander said.
"I promise," Buffy said. "There have definitely been enough close
calls around here for a while."
"Well, I'm not sad that Spike will soon be dust," Xander said.
"I'll do my best to make that happen," Buffy said, nodding. She
stifled a yawn, and added, "And then I'll sleep."
"_Have_ you slept lately?" Xander asked, a worried expression on
his face.
"Who needs sleep?" Buffy replied. At Xander's not-amused
expression, she added, "I vaguely remember sleeping the night
before you were attacked."
"Buffy, you _need_ to go home and get some sleep," Xander
insisted. "You can't fight Spike like this."
"I don't want to sleep, I want to make sure you're okay," Buffy
frowned.
"I'm fine," Xander argued, "If you don't want me to worry, go
home and sleep before you go out there tonight."
Buffy opened her mouth to argue, but realized she'd lose the
argument. *One thing I've learned about Xan, he's as stubborn as
I am. If not more.* "Fine," she said with a sigh. "I'll go. But
I'll come back after patrol, if that's okay with you?"
"What do _you_ think," Xander threw her what could best be
described a 'duh' look.
"Okay, then. I'll see you later," Buffy said, and then surprised
him by leaning down to kiss him on the cheek before leaving.
*******
"Anything?" Buffy asked on the walkie-talkie. She and the others
had been through the streets of Sunnydale at least three times in
four hours, and she was getting irritated.
"Still nothing," Willow's voice answered .
"I give up," she sat on a nearby bench and looked up at her
Watcher. "I'm tired, Giles," she sighed. "If I've learned
anything about Spike, I just know he's staying just out of sight,
laughing hysterically at our total failure in finding him."
Giles looked at his watch and replied, "I suppose you're right. We might as
well call it an evening."
"Thank you!" Buffy said, relieved. "I'm sure he'll show up sooner
or later, he always does you know."
"That's what I'm afraid of," Giles answered, but realized he was
talking to himself, as Buffy had run off in the direction of the
hospital. "I'm glad I get so much respect," he sighed, and
followed her.
********