TITLE:
THE BODYGUARD 10 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE
E-MAIL:
sh01@bigpond.com.au
FEEDBACK:
Feed me Seymore!
DISTRIBUTION:
Ask and ye shall receive!
DISCLAIMER:
All characters belong to Joss! He created everything! Set in season 5.B/X eventually (Is there any other?) Giles is
Buffy's watcher. Starts off with the
big battle with Glory then jumps two years into the future. My take on what
happens in the season final is just wishful thinking. PG-15 for adult themes.
THE CAR. Jack regained consciousness and struggled to sit up. His first
thought was for the wound in his side but when his hand felt for it there was
nothing there but blood. He ran a hand through his hair then looked around. "
Wait a minute, this isn't Germany!" Then the memories of the past two
years flooded into his mind like a damn had burst and one name and address kept
flashing in his mind." Buffy Anne Summers 1630 Revello Drive." He
jacked a round into his pistol and." 15 mill is a lot of folding money for
a mortal!" He grinned and started his rental car. Meanwhile at 1630 Revello Drive two hulking
demons stepped in through the smashed doorway and made sure the coast was clear
for their employer. They walked into the lounge to find Spike sitting there
nursing a beer by it's neck." Hey guys! Pull up a pew he'll be a
while." He sat forward." Do you think we'll get seconds?" The two demons looked at each other then at
the ceiling as they heard the sounds of women screaming from upstairs. Spike grinned."
I guess he found the other three!" One of the demons went to the door and
gave the all clear for his boss to come in then they strode up the stairs and
into the hallway. As the person responsible for the contract walked into the house
Spike whistled." Well I guess I win the sweep then!" They both jump
when they hear the unmistakable sounds of death as it shrieks from
upstairs." I guess you need two more morons." Xander began to walk
down the stairs, wiping demon blood off his hands with a torn dress. He sees
Spike talking to some one and tells him." I guess you're the last of the Scooby's
Spike." He glances at his guest and asks Spike." She alone?" The driver in the limo glanced up at the
bedroom window and saw three women and a man climbing down the guttering but
before he could warn the others Jack placed the silenced nine millimetre and
blew the back of his head off." No fair peeking! Besides I don't share
with anyone!" The
woman was about to speak when she heard the stairs creak. Xander grinned."
We had to be sure you were all alone... She's in here Buff!" The woman had
a shocked look on her face as Buffy appeared at the doorway. Xander stood toe
to toe with her." You have two choices Anya. Remove the contract on Buffy
and the rest of the Scooby's, or I remove your head!" Anya sobbed." I thought they killed
you! I was doing this for the love we have... Had." She turned the ring
over on her finger and told him." They caused your death! I had but one
thing on my mind when I met Frank.... Revenge. Revenge for what they had forced
you to do and for my loss!" She glared at Buffy." When I met Frank I
thought he was just a nice wacky guy like you but when I found out he was
loaded my mind switched to forming the perfect revenge. But after a while the
unexpected happened, I found myself falling in love with him" She slumped
in a chair and told them." I found myself planning your deaths less and
planning our future together more." She stroked her belly then looked at
Xander." I carry his child, like I had prayed to carry yours at one
time." Buffy's about to speak when Xander interrupts
her." It's called living, Anya. I'm glad you found someone to love and
raise a family with. We each have choices mine was to sit back and see all I
love destroyed or act and secure their safety with my own life. They weren't
the cause of my death An... I was." He glanced at the clock as it ticked
off his time on earth." I don't have much longer to convince you so just
take my word for it that you were as much to blame for my death as they
were." The other Scooby's filed in and Giles
told them." The driver's dead, someone blew the top of his head off!"
Xander shook his head." It wasn't me." Then they all looked at Spike
and he tapped his skull." Remember the chip?" Xander staggered and slumped into a chair.
Buffy rushed to him and brushed back the stray locks of hair from his eyes.
Anya saw this and said." She loves him." Spike shrugged." When
he was gone it took her a while to realise just how much he meant to her and
how much her heart felt empty with his going." He shrugged." I stuck
around hoping she would need a shoulder to cry on or a body to squeeze but all
she ever did was patrol and go to that damned monument they had erected." Xander
looked into Buffy's eyes and he felt his heart miss a beat. ** Does she love
me? Or is it sympathy for what I did?** He felt her lips as they brushed his
and he whimpered." Buffy don't!" She stopped and backed off, a look
of confusion crossed her face." I don't need your sympathy Buff. I don't
want you to do this out of a sense of gratitude or some misplaced feelings of
duty." She placed a finger to his lips, silencing any further protests.
Dawn tells him." Jeez Xand! You've
been after her ever since we moved here!" She shook her head." If you
could have heard her since you left you'd know she loves you, and not just for
what you did that night!" Buffy held his face in her hands."
Xander what you did that night just showed me a glimpse of all the things you
hade done for me, for all of us. I began to ask questions, questions I should
have asked long ago." She knelt at his side." The first thing I did
was call Angel and ask him if he knew about you." Xander
shrugged." What the hell would Deadboy know about some dumb mortal?" Buffy grinned." He told me of the
adventure you had in the hospital... White Knight!" Xander jumped."
Why would he tell you that? All I did was..." Giles grinned." Stood down the scourge
of Europe, I'd call that pretty brave." Xander shook his head."
You wouldn't have called it that if you could have heard my knees knocking! Man
I was so scared..." Buffy shook him." Why do you do that? Why make
yourself out to be less than you are?" Anya nodded." Yes Xander why? You were always putting
yourself down in everything you did. When Olaf told you to choose between
Willow and me to see who died, you chose yourself! Even when it would have been
easier and safer to have chosen the witch!" Willow and Tara glared at her
and both exclaimed." HEY!" Giles wipes his glasses as he tells
him." Then of course there was the matter of one Mr. Jack O'Tool and his
gang." Xander blanched." You found out about him?" Buffy turned his head to her." Oh yes Mr. Secret Slayer! Who
do you think disposed of the 'cake' they were baking? Angel was told by some
demon that there was a bomb in the boiler room of Sunnydale High and when he
pushed it the demon told him the whole deal. How you were forced to help O'Tool
and his merry undead men get the ingredients and then how you drove off with
the makings before they could build it." Willow
spoke up." And how you tried to get help from us, but we were too busy
trying to 'protect' you so you went it alone." Giles finished off."
About how you brought them down while we fought the hell beast, then forced
O'Tool to disarm the bomb with little time remaining." Dawn grinned."
You do know that if it had gone off the Hellmouth would have opened and we'd
all be Scooby snacks by now?" Xander
shook his head." But you do this everyday Buff!" She placed his hand to her
cheek." But not alone Xander! I had you and the others to help me."
She looked deep into his eyes." Then, last but certainly not least,
there's the matter of my death at the hands of the master and you making a lie
of the prophecy by bringing me back!" A
voice from the doorway made them all jump. "For man hath no greater gift
than to lay down his life for those he doth love! How sweet." They turn
and grin as they see its Jack but their smiles freeze when he walks over to them,
keeping his gun trained on Buffy. He saw their looks and shrugged." I was
made an offer I couldn't refuse." He saw Giles make a move towards him and
he shoots him in the leg." Sit down Old man! You're not part of the
contract so just sit there and bleed a while!" He points the gun at
Buffy." You on the other hand are worth 15 million to me.. Dead!" Willow
stutters." Ugh now would be a good time to use those new 'muscles' of
yours Xand!" Xander had jumped up with the others when Giles had been shot but
Anya told Jack." I have called off the contract on Buffy, so even if you
kill her you'll get nothing!" Jack looked angrily at Anya and Xander took
his chance. He dived at Jack and as they struggled the gang heard an almost
silent cough, then another. Xander backed off and they saw Jack fall to his
knees and drop the gun." He looked at the hole in his chest that leaked
blood like a faucet." This isn't happening!" The clock on the wall struck midnight and Xander shuddered."
Times up!" End Of 10