A Buffy The Vampire Slayer/Dawson's Creek Crossover
Episode Four - "Uninvited"
*FADE TO: The entrance gate to the Ruins. Standing there are Buffy, Willow, Giles, and a short young man with flaming orange hair(Oz).*
Buffy had a hint of a smile on her face as she spoke, "Looks like a killer party here... mind if we crash?"
"Buffy?" Angelus exclaimed dumbfoundedly. The demon's heart was fluttering at the sight of the Slayer, and his grip on Xander faltered. Xander gasped for air as he hit the ground, and slowly crawled his way over to where Pacey and Joey could drag him away.
"That's not the face of happy to see me." Buffy said calmly, noting Angelus' demon visage.
"How did you find this place?" Angelus remained in an emotional limbo, not his demon nor his human in control.
"We became a little worried when you didn't return from L.A. in short order, as per usual with you. So we contacted your supposed location, to find the number out of order. Upon getting a phone call from Xander concerning the events in Boston, we surmised someone was heading for a specific destination... with the death of a local person in this town of Capeside, we projected this was the killer's destination." Giles said, long-windedly.
"In other words, we tracked you here via your victims... you're getting very sloppy, Angelus."
The name reminded Angel/Angelus of just who he was, and his rage returned, "You shouldn't have come here, Slayer. I'll have your blood on my hands just as easily as the boy you care for's." Buffy flinched at this, and in an instant Angelus and his vampires were gone from the scene.
The Slayerettes slowly approached Pacey, Joey, and Xander, and an awkward silence filled the air of the ruins. Pacey looked around and observed everybody, commenting sadly, "Well... this is awkward."
*Dawson's Creek/Buffy The Vampire Slayer combined credits*
*FADE TO: Daylight, the Ruins. The gang(s) have remained there through the night on vigil, not much being said between the two groups.*
"Are you going to ignore us all day, Xander?" Buffy said bitterly, "Or run off again while our backs are turned."
Xander's expression remained the same, and he continued talking to Joey and Pacey.
Their voices where barely a whisper, "What are we going to do, Xander?" Joey asked.
"That Angelus guy can't bother us in the daytime, can he?" Pacey asked.
"No... sunlight doesn't have a very good effect on his complexion... we should be fine."
Joey was relieved, "What are we going to do about... Buffy?"
Xander sighed, standing up, "Why are you still here, Buffy? Angelus is gone, there's no one left to protect. Just go home."
Buffy's eyes flared, "Angelus is NOT gone. You've read about his past, Xander. You know that once he sets himself a goal, he follows it through until the end. For whatever reason, his new goal is to eliminate you... and he's willing to kill anyone and everyone in this town until he gets it done. I don't want the responsibility of their deaths on my hands."
"Then leave... nobody asked you to come here anyway." Xander was yelling.
"You two, be quiet." Giles chided, "I suggest we retire to a secure place where we can discuss things even-headedly." He looked at Pacey and Joey, "Would either of you know a place we could go?"
"My house is out of the question... my family may hate me, but that doesn't mean they don't come home..." Pacey said, shaking his head.
"My house is out too... Bessie, Bodie, and Alex are probably all home right now..."
Pacey shook his head, "The only logical place would be, uh, the school."
Xander rolled his eyes, putting on a mock English accent, "To the library, Giles."
*CUT TO: Pacey sat down loudly in a library chair and propped his feet up on a nearby table. Everyone else filtered in slowly, until all seven of them were in the room.*
"I hearby call his meeting of the Freaky-Diki Club to order." Pacey said casually, with a hint of humor.
"Yes." Giles stated dryly, "Well, this Freaky-Diki Club, as you so humorfully call it, has a purpose. We are to subdue Angelus and his followers, by any means neccessary." He eyed them all nervously, uncomfortable with the two newcomer's(Joey and Pacey) presence.
"So says you, G-man... Buffy, here, has an ulterior motive for this little get-together, I do believe." Xander said brightly, "See Buffy, here, has been driving herself crazy wondering just what the heck happened to me. This trip is just a convenient way to find out... the jig is up, Buff, you can let the guard down now."
Buffy was scowling, "You could have called, Xander. I know you've been calling Giles and Willow regularly... but I haven't heard from you since..."
He interrupted her, "Since *you* yelled at me and hung up, Buffy. Don't blind yourself here."
"Would you to PLEASE shut the bloody hell up?" Giles demanded, raising his voice. His face was worn and tired, "If you want to yell at each other, go do it somewhere else. The rest of us are trying to figure out what to do about Angelus." They looked at each other, and started walking away, but Giles stopped them, "And please, try not to kill each other." They disappeared into the next room, but they're yelling was still audible.
"Giles... are you sure it was such a good idea to send them off like that?" Willow asked meagerly.
The librarian sighed heavily, "No I'm not... but I'm fairly sure they'll be able to keep from offing each other." He glanced towards where the two went, "And if not, all the better anyway." He had a trace of bitterness in his voice.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Joey cried in Xander's defense. It suprised both her and everyone else.
Giles eyed her wearily, "Xander's departure several months ago left long-lasting effects upon us all. It has caused nothing but misery for all of us."
"Hey hey." Pacey said, hopping up out of his chair, "Maybe on your end, but there's been anything but misery around here. There have been some damn fine parties, I do tell you."
"Damn fine parties, eh?" Giles said evenly, standing up as well, "Well while you've been at your 'damn fine parties,' we've faced the very real threat of the Slayer dying because she's not paying attention. If Buffy *does* fall to the forces of evil, all our months and years of training her will be all for naught, and by the time a *new* Slayer is trained and brought to the Hellmouth..." He sat back down again, his voice lowering almost to a whisper, "It will be too late."
*CUT TO: Simultaneous with previous scene, Buffy and Xander enter the next room.*
Xander turned around to face her, and came head-first into a Slayer-powered slap. It stumbled him into a nearby table. He got back up and screamed, "What the hell was that for?"
"Why, Xander? Why did you do it?" She yelled back.
"What, Buffy? What did I do?"
She screamed, almost swinging at him again, "You kissed me, Xander... you came right out of the blue and kissed me. Then, before I know what hit me, you're gone... bound for the other side of the damn country!"
"That was anything but out of the blue, Buffy. If you had been paying attention to anything other than yourself and that pretty boy Angel, you'd have seen it from the beginning. From the minute I met you in that hallway, I..." He choked on the words, not having used them in such a long time, "I loved you, Buffy."
Her expression softened, but hardened instantly, "Then why did you leave, Xander? Why?"
"Do you not understand that it wasn't my choice to make? My parents decided my future, not me."
"Why didn't you put up more of a fight? You know you could have come to live with any of us. We would have worked things out." She looked like she was about to cry, but she was fighting desperately not to let it win over.
"Worked what out? They had me packed and on a plane the next morning. There wasn't time to call any of you. I learned something from this Buffy. Things don't work out. At least not the way you expect."
"That's MY point, Xander. I haven't a clue *what* to expect. Up until you kissed me, I thought I had everything figured out. I was the Slayer. I had my Watcher, and I had friends helping me out. I had survived death countless times... and then *boom* one kiss ruins it all. You left me hanging, Harris. And I still haven't gotten back on my feet."
"I left you hanging?" Xander said, not betraying any emotion with his voice. She nodded sadly, but was started as he reached a hand over and started patting himself on the back, "That's one for the good guys. Against *God knows* how many times YOU left ME hanging, SUMMERS. In as long as I've known you, you've tossed me back and forth like a yo-yo when your pangs for Angel grew and faded. Its about damn time the yo-yo started fighting back."
*CUT BACK TO: The library.*
"Too late?" Willow worried, sitting up in her chair.
Giles removed his glasses and lightly pinched the bridge of his nose to aleviate his oncoming headache, "Yes. With Angelus' return, he will undoubtedly attempt to summon Acathla and..." He lowered his head, "And open the Hellmouth." They all looked at him, stunned. Pacey and Joey were simply dumbfounded, Pacey knowing what the Hellmouth was, but not understanding what would happen if it was opened.
Giles continued, walking around the room wearily, "If the Slayer... if Buffy dies... there won't be enough time to train in a new Slayer before the ceremony is performed. Angelus will have no opposition, and Hell on Earth will begin."
*CUT BACK TO: The Storage room/Materials room.*
*(OL):Music - "I Quit" by Hepburn*
"What happened to you, Xander? You've changed."
"Yes I have, Buffy." He leaned up against a storage locker, "Its part of the territory when you grow up."
Buffy was trying to remain even tempered, "What else comes with growing up, Xander?"
"A new life. New friends." He hesitated before saying the last part, "New loves."
Buffy's eyes widened a little, "What happened to you saying you loved me?"
"Exactly what I said. I *loved* you. Past tense. As in history."
Buffy's face formed a frown, "Whats her name, Xander?"
"There is no she, Buffy. I don't love anybody new. I just stopped loving you. The new love in my life is life itself. The life I deprived myself of when I started lap-dogging after you."
"So its over before it even had a chance to begin? *We're* over?"
Xander shook his head, and laughed bitterly, "We had plenty of chances to begin, Buff. You just never noticed them. I'm tired of sitting idly by while you go chasing off after someone else. So my chase is officially over. Even if you are coming here to beg for me."
"I am *not* begging." Buffy said adamantly.
He smiled, but not happily. His point had been proven, "Ahh, so you don't deny your reason for coming here was me, and not just Angelus." He got back on his feet and headed for the door, "As much fun as this conversation is... we're getting absolutely nowhere. Let's get back to the group so we don't miss too much."
*(OL):Music - Fade out.*
*CUT BACK TO: The library, at the end of Giles' words.*
"...Hell on Earth will begin." Giles finished.
Xander walked in at these words, and clapped his hands together, "Hell on Earth? Sounds like a blast, G."
"Xander..." Pacey said warningly, letting him know it was a serious matter. He sobered up quickly.
"Alright, what do we do about the old, fangy, bloodfiend who has a thing for me... in the way of my death?"
"We're not sure where he may be residing at the moment. This town may be small, but it still holds a considerable number of hiding places." Giles said wearily.
"We don't really have any caves or dark nestles here in Capeside..." Pacey replied dryly.
Joey sat up, "Vampires have a whole... can't enter unless invited thing, right?"
"Put blunty, yes." Giles said, unclear of what she was getting at.
"So to get in any place around here, he'd have to have permission to come in. I doubt anyone around here would trust him and his angry looking friends..."
"They can't invite themselves in anywhere." Xander said dejectedly, but his head quickly shot up, "Unless..."
"Its they're own house." Pacey said hoping up too. The three congregated nearby.
Joey's face dawned with realization, "And whose the only victim of his who lives in the Capeside area?"
"Abby!" Pacey and Xander said in unison. Xander turned to Giles, "Get the crew armed, Giles... we're heading to the Morgan residence."
*CUT TO: Exterior of the Morgan house. The sky is getting dark, but there is still a good amount of sunlight in the sky.*
They were all walking towards the front of the house, talking. "So you went through this every night back in Sunnydale?" Pacey queried.
"Welcome to the world of slaying, Pace. Where the nightmare has just begun." Xander ribbed.
"How can you be so light about this subject, Xander?" Joey asked quietly.
"If you deal with it for as long as I have... it sort of becomes a non-issue." His face saddened, "Sad, I know... but it comes with the territory."
"Which is probably why you weren't all broken up about going away from it, huh?" She asked seriously.
He glanced momentarily up ahead of them at Buffy, "Yeah... that was one of the reasons."
They all gathered close, scouting the perimeter for traps, and Xander ran into Willow, "Uh, hey Will."
"Hey Xander." Her eyes were averted.
"Like the new hair," He commented, noting her short locks. She nodded silently, and he continued, "So who's the furball?"
She jumped defensively, "The *what*? How did..."
"Relax, Will... I'm talking about the grunge rocker with negative heels... the one you've had entoe all day." He was confused by her reaction.
"Oh, him... he's, uh... Oz." She stated nervously.
"As in Wizard of...?" She nodded, "Ahh... so he your boyfriend?" He stated evenly, as if it were obvious.
"He... uh... I..." She looked down dejectedly, "Yeah."
He gently used his hand to lift up her chin, "Relax, Will. I know you had a thing for me before I left. I got here and looked back, and it was so obvious. I don't know why I didn't see it, and I'm sorry. But that doesn't mean you need to be feeling guilty or anything. Its not like you're cheating on me."
She nodded again, and Oz came walking over, noticing Willow's nervousness. He had a slightly annoyed look on his face, and spoke briefly, "Trouble here?"
Willow shook her head, "No... I was just letting Xander know who you are." She smiled for the first time all day, grabbing Oz's hand and proudly latching onto it. Both she and Xander felt better now that their issues were aired, as much as they needed to be.
*CUT TO: Shot of the house as the last of the light fades out of the area. Nightfall is upon them.*
"Stay on your feet people..." Xander warned. Everyone nodded, and were startled as seconds later something grabbed Joey from the tree above her. She screamed, swinging upwards has hard as she could. Xander ran over and aimed a crossbow at her aggressor, but her wild flailing made it impossible to shoot without hurting her. He yelled up at her, "Jo, calm down... I can't shoot it unless you..."
He was interrupted as her aggressor dropped her down on top of Xander, sending them both crashing to the ground. The collision caused Xander to lose his grip on the crossbow, setting it off. The bolt narrowly avoided embedding itself in her arm, leaving a gaping wound in its path. The bolt continued sailing skyward, until it struck the offending vampire in the shoulder. It spun out of the tree and landed on the ground with a thud.
Buffy pounced on it, driving a stake into its chest and making dust of it in no time. Xander carefully rolled Joey onto the ground and observed her wound. He motioned Pacey over and instructed him, "Pace... take Jo back to the truck and use the first aid kit to dress this." Pacey nodded and cautiously aided Joey back towards the truck.
Xander watched their backs as a few more vampires came out of the Morgan house. When all was clear for them, he turned around to return to the battle, finding himself face-to-face with Angelus.
"Hey loser." He jabbed before he, well, jabbed Xander straight in the jaw, sending him backwards. He followed him quickly, landing an arching kick across Xander's shoulder. Xander did a half-spin, landing on his back. Angelus stood above him, grinning evilly with his vampire face, "You're just too easy..."
He was sent rolling as a kick landed at the back of his head, and where he stood was immediately filled by the blonde Slayer. She stood there silently, determination written all over her face.
Angelus got back to his feet and looked suprised, "What? No acerbic barb for me this time, Slayer?"
Her eyes lowered momentarily, "Nope." She cracked a smile, forcing Angelus to follow her previous gaze. He came face-to-foot with the toe of Xander's shoe, sending him backwards. Xander flipped to his feet and resumed a fighting stance. Buffy took up a spot near his side, and they stood against him.
He wiped the trickle of blood from his lips as he observed them, "Well isn't that precious... and me without my camera." He lunged at Xander with a punch, which he avoided, and followed after Buffy with a backhand. The move was avoided easily and the both landed kicks to Angelus' midsection.
"Divide and conquer, huh?" Angelus coughed, "Such a weak strategy." He jumped forward and traded several punches with Xander, spinning around to block a flurry from Buffy. They both tried to double team him again, launching a pair of arching punches. Angelus ducked in time, forcing his opponents blows to strike each other, staggering them. He took the opportunity to duck down and sweep the feet from under both of them.
They responded by quickly pulling his feet out from under him as well, spinning to their feet and dropping quick kicks to opposite ends of the vampire. They moved back quickly, so as not to be caught by their own tactic, and waited for him to get back up.
*CUT TO: Willow, Oz, and Giles taking care of a pair of vampires.*
Giles inefficiently held back a vampire, bearing its chest for Oz and Willow to strike. Willow prepared to lunge at it with her stake, when the vamp broke free. Giles was left in the way, but Willow barely managed to halt herself and avoid staking her friend. The vampire came back, hitting Giles in the head with an elbow and a kick downstairs. It grabbed Willow, making eyes at her, and fended off Oz with a swift kick to the chin. It held Willow's arms behind her, and grinned its wide, toothy grin.
It drew close to sink its teeth in, and Willow struggled with all her might to escape. Unfortunately she just wasn't strong enough. The vampires fangs broke the skin, but it had no more time to feast as it screamed loudly, convulsed, and exploded all over Willow in a cloud of dust.
Willow stumbled forward, only just maintaining her balance, and looked back to see who saved her. She smiled faintly as she saw it was Pacey, holding an oar menacingly. He smiled back, "Now *thats* what I'd call the vampire equivalent of premature ejaculation."
Willow snickered as she helped Pacey get Oz and Giles up. Pacey turned bright red, "I can't believe I just said that."
Giles was dumbfounded, looking at Pacey and his oar, "How did you know..."
"G, I've been hanging around Xander. I stumbled on his secret, that much you know. But I forced him to teach me how to deal with them. And its a good thing, too." They all looked over to see the battle between Buffy, Xander, and Angelus going on.
*CUT BACK TO: Buffy, Xander, and Angelus.*
Angelus bore several cuts and bruise marks on his face, as did Buffy and Xander. The battle had become a giant stalemate. Buffy and Xander's combined skills still only drew even with Angelus and his vampire strength.
"Isn't it about time you gave up, Dead Boy?" Xander taunted.
"Not until I've got your heart in my hands." Angelus said, his breathing heavy.
Xander smirked, "Sorry, precious, but I just don't swing that way." This caused Angelus' blood to boil, and he sprung forward. Xander deftly spun around with a kick, placing it evenly on Angelus' jaw. The vampire went falling backwards, kicking up dirt all around him.
Buffy and Xander glanced up momentarily to see Willow, Oz, Giles, and Pacey approaching. They all stood around him in a circle. Buffy's smile still had not left her face, "Looks like you're outnumbered, Angel."
"Don't call me that." He hissed.
"Now now... you aren't really in a position to argue now, are you?" Xander taunted.
Buffy continued, "You're outnumbered, and if you keep up your silly little vendetta, you're going to be dust in the creek in a few minutes." She knelt down, "Just give up."
Angelus was about to spout another clever protest, but found himself drawing a blank. He had no good reason to keep fighting, especially if it meant his dusting. He sighed inwardly. His anger towards Xander would have to be satiated another day. "You win, Slayer." He got up and walked out of their circle, "For now. This isn't over." In a blur he was gone into the night.
*CUT TO: All of them walking back to the truck.*
"Why did you come back out here, Pacey?" Xander asked.
Pacey laughed, "Are you kidding? Joey nearly *forced* me to go back out and help."
Xander's head perked, "I almost forgot Joey." He dashed ahead curiously. None of them really took notice except for Buffy. She stared after him with jealousy on her face.
They arrived at the truck, where the door was sitting open and Xander was speaking to Joey inside, "...well, its good to know I didn't do any permanant damage... This..." He sighed, "This is why I don't want you and Pace involved."
"I'd like to see you keep me away, man... this is just too much fun." Pacey called excitedly. Everyone just rolled their eyes.
*Commercial Break*
*FADE TO: Xander and Pacey's study hall, the next day. The teacher had granted them the right to work together on their homework, and they were taking advantage of it.*
"So we're just supposed to go back to normal now?" Pacey asked incredulously, his voice just a whisper.
"Exactly..." He said in a similar whisper, not looking up from his work, "Its quite effectively like nothing happened at all."
"What happens if something else comes up... more vam..." He caught himself, "More trouble?"
Xander still didn't look up from his work, "Then Giles and... Buffy will take care of it. They're staying here indefinitely, to make sure Angelus isn't just hiding out."
"What about us?"
Xander finally looked up, "We aren't involved anymore, Okay? We're just your average teenage nobodies again." He pointedly returned to his studies, hoping Pacey would notice and drop the issue.
He did, and silence ensued. It was uncomfortable, and Xander was the one to speak up this time, "Have you seen Jo today?"
Pacey thought, "No, I don't think so... she usually shows up early, though... not my kind of thing."
Xander glanced at the clock, seeing class was almost over. He imperceptably nodded and commented, "I think I'll stop by her locker after class, see how she's doing."
Pacey nodded, "Sure, I'll swing by Dawson's locker and see if he..."
Pacey fell silent, as he and Xander came to the same realization at the same time. Xander's mouth fell open, "Oh my god... I totally forgot about Dawson's..." He gulped.
Pacey looked stricken, "These past days have just been so... active... god, I can't believe I forgot about my own friend dy... dying." He was pale.
"If *we're* this freaked... imagine Jo..."
"Do you suppose she might have not come to school today... to go to... his house?" Pacey choked out. The bell rang to signal the end of class, and they gathered their things together.
Xander looked determined, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."
"Huh? What are you gonna do?"
"What else? Ditch." He headed out the door, Pacey followed him closely.
"Wait for me, man!"
*CUT TO: Xander and Pacey in the Witter truck, headed towards the Leery house.*
They approached the house slowly, coming around the bend at a crawl. Pacey slammed on the brakes when he saw the flashing red and blue lights just up ahead. The police were there, as well as an ambulance.
They squinted, and could see Mr. and Mrs. Leery standing out front, holding each other tightly. This tragedy looked to be settling their greviances with each other in favor of banding together. Looking closer, they could see a policewoman asking Joey some questions.
Pacey pulled the truck over, so as not to hold up traffic, and ran a hand through his hair. He looked over at Xander, his stricken look magnified.
"This looks bad." Pacey said quietly.
Xander was pale, but still unemotional, "No so much. They just found, uh, Dawson... and they're investigating." His worry finally broke through his bravefront, and he whispered, "But what about Jo?"
"What about, Jo?"
Xander looked at Pacey seriously, "What do you think? What happens if she opens up about what she knows?" He shook his head, "I know what happens. They cart Joey off to a psychiatric ward and we don't see her again."
"Relax... Jo is a lot smarter than that."
"I know... but we both know about her and Dawson. She'll be pretty torn up, and she might just start to run at the mouth." He sighed, "I probably would."
"We'll just have to deal with it, I guess... y'know, try to remain your average teenage nobodies." Pacey's voice was slightly bitter.
Xander's worry was overpowering, but his common sense prevailed, "As much as I wish I could be there for Joey right now... showing up in the middle of a school day probably isn't a good idea. We should just continue on and hit her place later."
Pacey reluctanly nodded and started the truck up. He did a technically illegal U-turn and headed back up the road.
*CUT TO: Joey being interviewed by the policewoman. She looks over and sees the Witter truck turning around down the road, and she momentarily stops talking.*
The police woman said something, but Joey didn't hear. It was repeated, but Joey still didn't hear. Finally, she snapped out of the daze that had caught her and asked, "What did you say?"
*CUT TO: The Library, day unknown. The Slayerettes, minus the Slayer herself, are present.*
"Giles... anything new on Angelus and the Passage of Acathla?" Willow asked her nose buried in a book. Giles did not respond, causing her to close her book and look up. She saw he was looking out a nearby window, gazing distantly into the sky. "Giles? Earth to Giles?"
Giles was startled as she laid a hand on his shoulder, "Oh, um, I'm sorry... what was the question?"
"Is there something wrong, Rupert?" He smiled. She only used his first name when she was very concerned about him, as did everyone else.
He shook his head, "I'm just worrying about Buffy... she's still not handling the situation with Xander well. Perhaps it wasn't such a wise idea for us to go chasing after him."
Willow had wandered back over next to Oz, who was as quiet as ever. He looked up, contemplatively, and spoke simply, "If we didn't, those people would be dead, right?"
Giles nodded, "Yes, I suppose." He came to sit over at the table, "Ah, I remember now. You asked about Angelus and Acathla. Well, my assumption is... now that Angelus' mission to kill Xander is sidetracked by our presence, he will undoubtedly call upon Acathla to bring about the end of the world."
"How?" Oz asked flatly.
"The Watcher Journals explain that the demon Acathla was a vicious and ruthless daemon. He caused the deaths of thousands, all with no reason."
"So your average demon?" Oz asked.
"Far from it, Mr. Osbourne." Giles said, knowing his real name would spite any of the boys further off-hand comments. "Acathla had the ability to open a gate straight to the depths of hell. He had never used the ability, but at his will was the power to damn all living creatures to an eternity of pain and suffering. The threat alone was enough to give him legendary status and the awe of all other daemons."
"So what does Angelus have to do to summon him?" Willow inquired.
"Over two-thousand years ago, Acathla was finally removed from his powerful postion, and encased in a stone form by a band of warriors and sorcerors. This form has stood the test of time, and the method for releasing him from it are sketchy. The texts refer to the 'blood of a soul'... but since a soul has no physical form, let alone blood, it is unclear what it means."
"So if Angel figures out what 'blood of a soul' is, he can unleash Acathla?"
"Yes... and in gratitude for his release, Acathla will likely grant Angelus one request..."
"Sort of an evil Genie in a bottle, huh?" Oz commented. Willow and Giles gave him a look, and he cried defensively, "What? Its as close as we can get to a description."
"Yes..." Giles said calmly, "Angelus will undoubtedly request a portal to hell to be opened."
"So we have a choice... Stay here and protect Xander, at the cost of Earth turning into Hell. Or stop Angelus' from summoning Acathla, at the cost of Xander's life."
They were all silent. A voice from the entrance of the library caught all their attention, "Xander's life against the world's? I'd say that's an easy choice." Buffy stood there, her face taught and without emotion. Her voice betrayed her bitterness, her body stance showing her anger.
"Buffy, we must not be hasty." Giles warned.
"Hasty?" She cried, incredulousness in her voice, "If it weren't for *him* Angelus wouldn't even be here anymore."
Giles' face fell. Her logic was true, but her motives were not. "You cannot choose to blame him for what he had no control over, Buffy. That would be as if I blamed you for every single life you were unable to save. It is unfair."
Buffy's face was filled with anger and resentment. Was her Watcher turning on her? In favor of a civilian? She resisted her immediate urge to attack him. "I don't understand, Giles. You're taking his side? Over mine?"
Giles rubbed the bridge of his nose roughly, "Buffy, I am not choosing anyone's side, except maybe the side of common sense. There are larger issues ivolved here than just the petty squabble between you and Xander. The world is at stake." She began to open her mouth in protest, but Giles immediately shushed her.
*CUT TO: The Potter front porch. Joey is out swinging, wrapped in a blanket and staring blanking out towards the creek. The night is silent, save for the crickets and the rustling of the creek, until a sudden creeking of the porch startles Joey.*
She turned her head lazily, groaning depressed, "Bessie, I told you already, I'm..." She stopped speaking abruptly as she came face-to-face with the point of a stake. She looked past it at the holder, and was even more suprised to see Buffy. "Uh, hi Buffy..."
The determination and conflicting emotion on Buffy's face was extremely frightening to Joey. The Slayer girl deadpanned, "If you want to stay fine, you'll keep away from Xander." Before she had a chance to respond, the stake was driven into the nearby wall, and Buffy was gone, as if by magic.
*CUT TO: Several minutes later, Joey hasn't moved from her previous spot. Xander and Pacey come walking up to the porch.*
Xander saw her state and rushed over, "Jo, whats wrong?" She didn't respond.
Pacey gave it a shot, "Hey Josephine, are you alright?" There was still nothing. He glanced around to see if something had caused this, and his eyes landed on the offending item, "Uh, Xander... I think she may have had a visitor." He pointed.
Xander looked up and saw it, and was immediately angry. He wanted to run back to the library and give the Slayer a piece of his mind, but he didn't want to leave Joey in this state. He knew he could have left her with Pacey, but something just wouldn't let him go.
He plucked the stake out of the wall and stuffed it in his jacket pocket, before he sat down on the opposite side of Joey that Pacey did.
"Jo, *are* you alright?" Pacey repeated.
"She didn't do anything to you, did she?" Xander asked quietly. Joey shook her head, and looked off at the creek again.
They just sat there in silence for a while, before Joey spoke up in a croaky voice, "I think you should go." She sounded sure, and was focusing it more towards Xander than Pacey. They reluctantly nodded and stood up. After standing there for a long time, they finally wandered off down the path, back towards Pacey's truck. The headlights faded, and Joey slowly slid over on the porch swing, until she was laying sideways on it. She fell asleep there, quietly crying.
*FADE OUT*
I'd love to hear what you think... and why not go check out http://northernstar.8m.com/acos/ Its the page I put together about this particular series. I'd love to hear what you think of that too.