A/N: Hopefully this'll be short so we can get on with the fic! Just wanted to respond to one of the reviews I received…as far as my beliefs are concerned with the Wiccan religion and Christianity, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and Savior. I certainly wasn't implying that because Willow had turned to witchcraft that she was un-godly; however, it does say in the Bible that witchcraft is wrong. It's not in my power to judge or condemn people who do practice those beliefs; I'm merely stating what I believe…Ok, so not as short as I would have liked, but I hope that cleared things up. Again, I must bug you people to please review! I got 1 for the last chapter…
Disclaimer: BtVS and TbaA do not belong to me…the song "I Love You Lord" does not belong to me either, but I don't know who owns it.
From the last chapter:
"Buffy! Angel! Wait up!" A voice called out somewhere down the street. Buffy squinted to see who was yelling at them to stop, extremely annoyed. She had some best friend saving to do. When the figure came closer Buffy's hand rose to her open mouth and she gasped in surprise. "Oz??"
(And moving on)
Daniel Osbourne (AKA Oz) drew to a quick halt in front of an astonished Buffy and Xander. Angel and Cordelia were only mildly surprised to see him, as they didn't know about the big breakup. "Hey, Buffy," Oz gasped breathlessly. He nodded to the rest of the gang surrounding them. "Man, you move fast even when you're not really moving."
Buffy chuckled softly but quickly sobered. "Hey, Oz. Listen, I would love to catch up and find out where you've been, but we have an urgent matter to take care of."
"Big blue demon? Rocket launcher?"
"Short red-headed Wicca. And I don't think the rocket launcher would be helpful in this case."
"What's going on with Willow?" Oz asked urgently. Cordelia stepped back in shock as Oz fought to regain control. Fur sprouted on his face and forearms while he snarled warningly at them. He closed his eyes and seconds later the wolf was Oz again.
"Spike kidnapped her from the hospital," Angel stepped in. "It wasn't Willow who was in the hospital; at least, not as a patient. It was Giles…is Giles. We were all in the waiting room without Willow and she got taken. We were going to check out the old warehouse."
"Seeing how that's where he took Will and Xander last year," Oz muttered darkly. "Good plan; I'm in."
"Are you sure, Oz? I don't want this rescue to be an emotional reunion…" Buffy stopped, regretting her words. "Uh, what I mean to say is that I want a reunion, just as long as it doesn't slow us down."
"I'll be fine, but thank you."
Buffy nodded determinedly and turned sharply on here heel. It was about another ten minutes until they reached the bad part of Sunnydale where all the warehouses were. A few more down and they'd be at Spike's old stomping grounds. As they neared, Angel spotted a dark-skinned woman leaning against the side of the building. Getting closer, he heard her singing:
I love you Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O' my soul, rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear!
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound
In Your ear.
Oz smiled pleasantly; he hadn't heard a voice like hers in ages. "Hello?" He called out when she was finished. Under normal circumstances, Oz never would have spoken to a perfect stranger in Sunnydale. But the fact that she had a gorgeous voice and she was singing about the Lord, he figured he'd be ok. After all, how many vampires had he come across who were singing about God?
The woman straightened up and regarded them warmly. "Hello babies. My name is Tess. You looking for something?"
"Actually, we are," Xander told her. "Tess is it?" She nodded. "We're looking for my best-ugh!" Buffy had elbowed him in the rib.
"Dog!" She blurted out. Oz might have been more trusting, but Buffy was still wary of anything or anyone hanging around this part of Sunnydale. Or any part of Sunnydale for that matter. "We're looking for our dog, Rover. He's a mutt and he ran off this afternoon. We've been looking all over for him but I can't find him anywhere." Buffy explained growing more flustered by the minute.
Tess shook her head amusedly. "You're not looking for a dog, child."
"We're not?"
"Of course not. What you are looking for isn't here though."
A look of great confusion passed over the faces of every person, alive or otherwise, at that moment. "It's not?" Angel asked suspiciously. Something about this woman seemed off. She didn't appear to be a demon; as a matter of fact she seemed the complete opposite. Angel noticed that same light coming from Tess that he had seen in Buffy. This was stronger though, and that threw him off guard.
Tess merely smiled and stepped forward further. "You don't have a lot of time, so please, pay attention." Tess turned and faced Buffy. "You've met my friend Monica, I believe?"
Buffy nodded, still regarding Tess suspiciously.
"I am an Angel like Monica. We've been sent here to help you tonight when you fight Adam."
"Tonight?" Buffy looked at her friends, surprise and fear etched on her face. "But, we aren't ready tonight. I mean we have no idea how to even defeat Adam or where to find Willow." The Slayer shook her head in disbelief, eyes wide with dread.
Tess stepped forward and embraced Buffy tightly. "Shh, child. You belong to God now. He will provide you with what you need to know, when you need to know it. Just believe and He will give you what you need."
Buffy pulled away and looked up at Tess. The second Angel she had met in two days. Buffy shook her head, hardly believing that everything had happened in the matter of a couple days. "I know," she finally replied. She set her shoulders, eyes now steely with resolve. She turned to Angel, Oz, Cordelia, and Xander and saw that their expressions matched her own. Whatever they were about to face, they were ready to take it head on.
Oz raised his hand, as though to ask a question in a classroom. "Ok, so the $64,000 question is: where is Willow?"
They all looked to where Tess had been standing, very surprised to see that she wasn't there. In fact, the Angel had seemed to disappear altogether. The gang looked around the alley briefly but couldn't find any trace of her.
Finally, Xander shrugged and turned to his friends. "Okayy…so, she left." He stated, looking rather nonplussed.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Cordelia retorted under her breath.
Xander took a deep bow, all the while saying, "I only live to serve, milady."
"Guys. Willow. Adam. Initiative." Angel held up a hand to stem the pending sarcasm rally.
Oz looked at Buffy, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Buffy? Any ideas?"
"I remember Maggie saying something about some caves that went off of the Initiative. If the battle is tonight, then I'm betting that Willow is where we're supposed to be. And Adam is going to be at the Initiative. I can guarantee it."
"Do you think Spike has been working for Adam?" Xander asked, trying to maintain an expression of betrayal. After a moment, he found he just couldn't hold it.
"Spike working for Adam? Interesting concept, and entirely possible." Buffy pondered Xander's suggestion. "In fact, I'm willing to bank money on it."
Angel snorted softly. "I'd be willing to put my life-savings on it, Buffy. He's Spike. It's exactly the sort of thing my grandchilde would do." Angel shook his head in disgust, ruing the day when he allowed Drusilla to turn poor William in the alley.
Oz bounced on his toes impatiently. "Ok, so Initiative. We aren't going there, because?"
"Kind of what I'd like to know," Cordelia responded. "Buffy? Are we good to go?"
Buffy nodded. "We just need to stop and get weapons. Angel, you and Xander will go to my house and appropriate a few necessary items. If my mom's not home, just go through the window. We'll meet you at the frat house."
Angel looked confused at this reference but he figured that Xander knew what Buffy was talking about. He simply nodded and waited for Xander to get a move on.
Xander looked as though he wanted to make some remark regarding 'Deadboy', but wisely decided against it. Instead, he merely gave Angel a sideways glance then sighed in resignation. He nodded once to Buffy and they set off to 1630 Revello Drive. Buffy chuckled slightly as she heard Xander, "Do you have to walk so fast?"
Turning back to Oz and Cordelia, Buffy regarded them seriously. "While they go get the weapons, we'll head back to the hospital. Our Watchers are going to need to know what's going on." Upon seeing Oz's look of frustration, Buffy softly reassured him. She stepped forward, glancing at Cordelia, hoping she would get the signal to go away for the time being. Thankfully, Cordy got the hint and wandered a few feet away, examining some very interesting trashcans.
"Oz, I'm concerned about Willow too. I would love to just burst in there, guns a-blazing, but we need our guns first. We won't be any good to Willow without some firepower."
"You will." Oz muttered angrily.
"I'll be to busy fighting Adam. I need you all helping Willow and fighting anything that gets in my way." Buffy looked at Cordelia, who was still looking at the trash bin. "But if we stand here wasting time arguing about how much time we're wasting, well, we aren't doing Willow much good. Let's get a move on."
* * * *
Not long after, Buffy, Oz and Cordelia were entering Sunnydale Memorial. Cordelia looked around and sighed in reminiscence. "Oh the wonderful times we've had here, huh Buffy?"
The Slayer looked at Cordelia oddly, then shrugged. "Right. Wonderful times. And I'm sure we'll have many more."
Oz stayed silent, keeping focused on finding Willow. As soon as they had entered the hospital, he had caught the slightest scent of fear and he recognized it as Willows'. Oz growled dangerously, allowing the smallest part of the wolf to surface. During his travels, he had learned how to control the wolf during the full moon as well as controlling the degree to which it was revealed. This had come in handy many times recently when he was fighting the children of the night.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a door, which, Cordelia assumed was where Giles had been place. Buffy knocked briskly then opened the door and entered. Oz and Cordelia followed quietly and nodded in greeting to Wesley. Both of them looked at Merrick with interest then turned back to Buffy.
"Hey, Giles," Buffy greeted her Watcher softly as she sat by his bed.
"Hello, Buffy," Giles responded, regarding his Slayer fondly before reaching for her hand. "Wesley has filled me in on what's going on with Willow. I would assume there are some new developments, considering that you are here and not out rescuing your friend."
Buffy smiled sheepishly. "As a matter of fact, there's quite a bit going on. We went to the factory, where we ran into Oz and this rather odd woman. It turns out that she's an Angel, like Monica. Willow has been captured by Adam, and tonight is when I'm supposed to face him for the last time."
Giles looked surprised at the mention of Oz, but stayed silent. He looked at Buffy, waiting for her to continue.
Buffy looked down at her hands briefly as though trying to hide something from him. Finally, she raised her head and gave Giles that look that had so often torn at his heart. This young women; this Slayer, who had faced so many horrors, held the expression of a frightened little girl. Her eyes watered and her lip trembled when she spoke. "Except I don't know if I can do it, Giles. We just don't know enough. He's too strong for me."
Giles looked Buffy straight in the eye and told her softly, "Buffy, you are not only one of the most capably women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, you are one of the best Slayers this sorry world has ever seen. You have faced demons worse than Adam and you have defeated them. I have every confidence in you."
"We were always prepared before, Giles. If we hadn't done the research, I would have been dead a long time ago." Buffy looked down at her hands again. She began gesturing helplessly, fumbling for the words to tell him what she was feeling. "Giles, I--I appreciate what you said, I really do. But I'm scared. I've never been this scared before, Giles, and I don't know what to do."
Merrick looked up when he heard the tone of Buffy's voice. He was reminded of a younger Buffy; a Buffy who had just found out about the evils in the world, and his heart broke for her. He glanced at Wesley who looked as though he would like to say something for encouragement, then to Oz and Cordelia. The teens were looking everywhere but at Buffy and Giles, trying not to listen to this exchange. Merrick cleared his throat and went to Buffy's side.
"Miss Summers, I am inclined to agree with the both of you. You may not be prepared to face this creature, but preparation is not always the key to a successful battle."
Buffy looked over her shoulder and grinned wryly at Wesley. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion then chuckled as he realized what Buffy was looking at him for. Three key words...Preparation, preparation, preparation...That's one word three times...
"But Rupert is right," Merrick continued. "You are the best Slayer we have seen in lifetimes. You see many of the Chosen do not have this ability that you seem to have in abundance. Not only are you an excellent fighter, you are able to improvise and to think on your feet. And that could mean the difference between victory and defeat."
"I agree, Buffy," Oz piped up. He took a deep breath, placing his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I've met a few Slayers the past couple of years, yourself included, and I've noticed something. You're the best. Kendra was killed not too long after her activation, and Faith...well, she decided not to play on our team. Ability isn't everything, Buffy, and neither is knowledge. From what I've heard, you're not going to find Adam in the books. He's a brand new line of demon. So no matter what kind of preparing you *think* you can do, it just isn't possible. You're gonna have to be the unconventional, unpredictable Slayer that we've all grown to know and love."
Cordelia looked very impressed. Oz had just made a speech. And a good one at that. She wondered if he needed to sit down at take a rest after spewing so many phrases. "Buffy, you want to get Willow back, right?" Cordelia jumped in, ever the voice of reason. Buffy nodded, looking at Cordelia questioningly. "Well, if you sit here, being a Cry-Buffy, then you're gonna lose a lot more than this battle. Because the way I figure it, Willow is your best friend, and without her, you feel like you're nothing. You lose her, you lose everything, right?" She didn't wait for a response. Instead, the former Ice Queen plunged ahead. "So, if you want to get Willow back you're gonna have to fight Adam. You don't have a choice."
Giles cringed at Cordelia's harsh choice of wording, but Buffy seemed to be responding well. She nodded slightly then looked at Giles, Merrick and finally, Wesley. "We're going to need at least one of you Watcher-types," Buffy said firmly. She was getting into battle-mode and everyone in the room could sense it. They all perked up, listening to the 'plan'. "Wes, you stay with Giles. I seem to remember that your strong point isn't really hand-to-hand combat--"
"Wait, Buffy," Cordelia interrupted. "Wesley has gotten a lot better. You'd really be surprised."
"I can't afford to lose any of you. Wesley, I'm sure Cordelia is right, but the only one here I can afford to take is Merrick. He can fight, and he can't die. Both of you can," Buffy said firmly, gesturing to Wesley and Giles.
Giles held up a hand in protest. "Buffy, I'm afraid I disagree. I will not be told to sit idly by, waiting and wondering if you were successful. I may not be able to fight, but I will be able to help."
"Giles, I--"
"I love Willow too, you know. You children are all like my own," Giles interrupted softly. "If I had a daughter, or a son, and they had been captured I would do everything in my power to get them back. What kind of father would I be if I didn't fight?"
"Giles, I can't lose you again. Yes, I'm concerned about you being a liability, but that's not the whole of it. Do you remember any of what I said while you were unconscious?" Giles nodded hesitantly. "I told you that as far as I'm concerned, you are my dad. There was never a Hank Summers in my life. You've been there for all of the important moments. If I let you go to face Adam with me, I'll be risking your life. If something happens to you, no matter what you say, I will blame myself because I could have stopped you." Her voice grew faint and sad as she muttered, "I saw you die once, Giles. I cannot watch you die again."
"And now you know how I feel," Giles told her sadly. "I may not have been there when you drowned, but the thought of losing you is too painful to think about. Buffy, I fear I must put my foot down. I will accompany you to the Initiative, and I will help in rescuing Willow. I promise I will not fight unless it is absolutely necessary."
Buffy nodded in defeat. Giles had made up his mind and she knew it. There wasn't much good in fighting him about going now. "Alright," she said finally. "Giles, do you think the doctors will let you check out of here?"
"I rather think not," he replied dryly. "They're bound and determined to keep me here until kingdom come. I imagine we'll have to sneak me out somehow."
"Okay," Buffy replied slowly. "Giles, you and the other Watchers figure out how to smuggle you out of the hospital. The rest of us are meeting with Xander and Angel at the Initiative site. They're bringing weapons."
Wesley and Merrick went to help Giles get out of bed, while Buffy turned back to Oz and Cordelia. "We'll go and meet the guys on campus. The Initiative is located underground. I used to have clearance, but Maggie might have gotten a chance to revoke it. I don't know the exact location of the caves, but I think we'll be able to figure it out. Oz, maybe you can sniff Willow out once we get there?"
Oz nodded, in full agreement, while Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. Oz nodded, in full agreement, while Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disdain. The thought of Oz sniffing someone out, was well, kind of gross.
"Alright, let's move this party out," Buffy said, an edge of finality to her voice. "Giles, are you ready to go?"
Giles grunted and nodded in reply. "I just need to put my jacket on...Blasted cast!" He cried in frustration. After a few moments of struggling with his coat, Giles was finally ready to sneak out of the hospital. Upon looking in the mirror, Giles saw that his face was covered in bruises. The jacket covered his cast, which he was grateful for, but he only hoped that he could hide his limp.
As they walked out of the hospital, Merrick spotted a man wearing a brown fedora. He took a quick detour to the right and snatched it off the man's head. "Hey!" He cried indignantly. Merrick smiled and thanked him, catching up with Giles and placing the hat on his head. Giles reached up and adjusted it, so as to try to hide his face.
Buffy, Giles, Oz, Merrick, Cordelia and Wesley walked quickly and purposely to U.C. Sunnydale campus. Not a word was uttered during their trek to go fight Adam. Before they knew it, they were standing outside of Lowell House, Riley's old frat. Angel and Xander were standing on the porch; Angel fingering a long sword fondly and Xander slapping a stake against his hand repeatedly. They nodded to their approaching friends in greeting and looked toward the door.
"Hey, G-man!" Xander yelled exuberantly, happy to see Giles up and around.
Giles smiled irritably. "I told you not to call me that."
"So, Buffy." Angel began. "How are we supposed to get in?"
"Well, that's kind of the hole in our plan," Buffy awkwardly replied.
"Follow my nose," Oz cut in helpfully. "Buffy wants me to try to sniff Willow out. It might be the easiest way in if we can't sneak in through the underground."
Xander looked interested and mildly amused. Angel nodded in understanding. It was really the best plan they had, even if it wasn't really much of a plan at all.
Just then, Riley Finn walked out of Lowell House. He jumped in surprise, looking around at everyone with interest. Finally his eyes rested on Buffy and Angel, who were standing rather close together. Too close, in Riley's opinion. He quickly walked up to them, clearing his throat loudly as his did. Buffy looked up and when she saw Riley, her face registered surprise, and to Riley's dismay, hurt.
"Where the heck have you been?" Buffy demanded.
Riley glanced at his shoes, suddenly becoming very fascinated in them. "I've been out on assignment for the Initiative," he finally told her.
"You've been doing what for whom?" Buff asked, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Riley, what were you thinking? They're the enemy, remember? The bad guys?"
"I was contacted by General Houckson the other night when we were at Giles. He paged me. Anyway, he heads the department that funds the Initiative and he needs it shut down. The Initiative was an experiment, but it failed. He asked me to go undercover and expose what I could. They all think I'm back on their side, Buffy. This could come in handy."
Buffy shook her head. "That's what we thought before, Riley, and look where it got us. However, tonight, you might be right. (Buffy's a poet!) We need to get to those caves that Maggie mentioned. Spike captured Willow and we think he's working for Adam. We have reason to believe that's where he's hiding out right now."
Riley slowly nodded, not quite understanding, but he wanted to help. He knew he had to. "Alright. I can't get you all smuggled in; we'd be too inconspicuous. Buffy, you and Angel will come with me to the site. I have a set of walkie-talkies in my room. I'll give one to Giles and when we get in, I can direct them to the caves." Riley paused; making sure that everyone was in agreement. He wasn't happy about Angel coming with them, but other than Buffy, the vampire was the strongest one among them. "Are you ready to go?"
They all nodded, looking at Buffy and Angel, who had seem to have gotten closer in the past few minutes. Buffy finally looked towards Riley and nodded as well. "Let's do this," she said firmly.
Buffy, Angel, Riley, Giles, Merrick, Wesley, Xander, Oz and Cordelia quickly walked through the door to Lowell House, ready to face whatever would be thrown at them. Buffy smiled softly to herself as she glanced around at her friends. Even knowing that they weren't fully prepared to face Adam, there was something comforting about knowing that each of these people would willingly die for her. Even if she would never admit it, Cordelia had proven time and again to be a loyal friend who would come through whenever she was needed. These were the people Buffy knew she could count on and she took great comfort in that. With that thought in mind, the Slayer's mouth set in a grim line, eyes narrowed in focus. She would beat Adam. There wasn't any other option. They didn't know what Maggie's ultimate plans were for her Frankenstein-ish creature, but they weren't of the good.
Riley got Giles situated with the walkie-talkie and soon only he, Buffy and Angel were left standing in the hallway in front of the mirror. Riley looked at Buffy questioningly, who nodded in confirmation. He reached over and pressed a small button beside the mirror, which suddenly wasn't a mirror anymore. Angel's eyes widened in shock as a large elevator appeared before them. They quickly stepped inside and Riley hit the down button. They stood in the man-sized microwave in an awkward silence, not really knowing what to say.
Buffy was now brandishing a long sword, placed in a scabbard on her back, a few stakes that had been shoved up her sleeves, and a sharp dagger, which she held down at her side. Riley also carried a few stakes, as well as a crossbow. His aim wasn't as good with the crossbow, but if it came down to it, he could use the weapon as a blunt object.
Buffy looked at her male companions seriously. "Here's the plan," she said. "If we're stopped by anyone, we fight them. We can't take any chances. We've gotta get to those caves, and we've gotta do it fast. Are we agreed?"
Angel and Riley nodded in determination.
"Okay then." Buffy turned back towards the doors, which were just about to open. "Let's do this."
Just then, the doors opened to reveal the Initiative, and several commandoes, each holding an Initiative issued stunner. Buffy gulped. This wasn't going to be good.
A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this next part posted. We're nearing the climax here though, so hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon! In the meantime, please R/R!
Disclaimer: BtVS and TbaA do not belong to me…the song "I Love You Lord" does not belong to me either, but I don't know who owns it.
From the last chapter:
"Buffy! Angel! Wait up!" A voice called out somewhere down the street. Buffy squinted to see who was yelling at them to stop, extremely annoyed. She had some best friend saving to do. When the figure came closer Buffy's hand rose to her open mouth and she gasped in surprise. "Oz??"
(And moving on)
Daniel Osbourne (AKA Oz) drew to a quick halt in front of an astonished Buffy and Xander. Angel and Cordelia were only mildly surprised to see him, as they didn't know about the big breakup. "Hey, Buffy," Oz gasped breathlessly. He nodded to the rest of the gang surrounding them. "Man, you move fast even when you're not really moving."
Buffy chuckled softly but quickly sobered. "Hey, Oz. Listen, I would love to catch up and find out where you've been, but we have an urgent matter to take care of."
"Big blue demon? Rocket launcher?"
"Short red-headed Wicca. And I don't think the rocket launcher would be helpful in this case."
"What's going on with Willow?" Oz asked urgently. Cordelia stepped back in shock as Oz fought to regain control. Fur sprouted on his face and forearms while he snarled warningly at them. He closed his eyes and seconds later the wolf was Oz again.
"Spike kidnapped her from the hospital," Angel stepped in. "It wasn't Willow who was in the hospital; at least, not as a patient. It was Giles…is Giles. We were all in the waiting room without Willow and she got taken. We were going to check out the old warehouse."
"Seeing how that's where he took Will and Xander last year," Oz muttered darkly. "Good plan; I'm in."
"Are you sure, Oz? I don't want this rescue to be an emotional reunion…" Buffy stopped, regretting her words. "Uh, what I mean to say is that I want a reunion, just as long as it doesn't slow us down."
"I'll be fine, but thank you."
Buffy nodded determinedly and turned sharply on here heel. It was about another ten minutes until they reached the bad part of Sunnydale where all the warehouses were. A few more down and they'd be at Spike's old stomping grounds. As they neared, Angel spotted a dark-skinned woman leaning against the side of the building. Getting closer, he heard her singing:
I love you Lord
And I lift my voice
To worship You
O' my soul, rejoice
Take joy my King
In what You hear!
Let it be a sweet, sweet sound
In Your ear.
Oz smiled pleasantly; he hadn't heard a voice like hers in ages. "Hello?" He called out when she was finished. Under normal circumstances, Oz never would have spoken to a perfect stranger in Sunnydale. But the fact that she had a gorgeous voice and she was singing about the Lord, he figured he'd be ok. After all, how many vampires had he come across who were singing about God?
The woman straightened up and regarded them warmly. "Hello babies. My name is Tess. You looking for something?"
"Actually, we are," Xander told her. "Tess is it?" She nodded. "We're looking for my best-ugh!" Buffy had elbowed him in the rib.
"Dog!" She blurted out. Oz might have been more trusting, but Buffy was still wary of anything or anyone hanging around this part of Sunnydale. Or any part of Sunnydale for that matter. "We're looking for our dog, Rover. He's a mutt and he ran off this afternoon. We've been looking all over for him but I can't find him anywhere." Buffy explained growing more flustered by the minute.
Tess shook her head amusedly. "You're not looking for a dog, child."
"We're not?"
"Of course not. What you are looking for isn't here though."
A look of great confusion passed over the faces of every person, alive or otherwise, at that moment. "It's not?" Angel asked suspiciously. Something about this woman seemed off. She didn't appear to be a demon; as a matter of fact she seemed the complete opposite. Angel noticed that same light coming from Tess that he had seen in Buffy. This was stronger though, and that threw him off guard.
Tess merely smiled and stepped forward further. "You don't have a lot of time, so please, pay attention." Tess turned and faced Buffy. "You've met my friend Monica, I believe?"
Buffy nodded, still regarding Tess suspiciously.
"I am an Angel like Monica. We've been sent here to help you tonight when you fight Adam."
"Tonight?" Buffy looked at her friends, surprise and fear etched on her face. "But, we aren't ready tonight. I mean we have no idea how to even defeat Adam or where to find Willow." The Slayer shook her head in disbelief, eyes wide with dread.
Tess stepped forward and embraced Buffy tightly. "Shh, child. You belong to God now. He will provide you with what you need to know, when you need to know it. Just believe and He will give you what you need."
Buffy pulled away and looked up at Tess. The second Angel she had met in two days. Buffy shook her head, hardly believing that everything had happened in the matter of a couple days. "I know," she finally replied. She set her shoulders, eyes now steely with resolve. She turned to Angel, Oz, Cordelia, and Xander and saw that their expressions matched her own. Whatever they were about to face, they were ready to take it head on.
Oz raised his hand, as though to ask a question in a classroom. "Ok, so the $64,000 question is: where is Willow?"
They all looked to where Tess had been standing, very surprised to see that she wasn't there. In fact, the Angel had seemed to disappear altogether. The gang looked around the alley briefly but couldn't find any trace of her.
Finally, Xander shrugged and turned to his friends. "Okayy…so, she left." He stated, looking rather nonplussed.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Cordelia retorted under her breath.
Xander took a deep bow, all the while saying, "I only live to serve, milady."
"Guys. Willow. Adam. Initiative." Angel held up a hand to stem the pending sarcasm rally.
Oz looked at Buffy, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Buffy? Any ideas?"
"I remember Maggie saying something about some caves that went off of the Initiative. If the battle is tonight, then I'm betting that Willow is where we're supposed to be. And Adam is going to be at the Initiative. I can guarantee it."
"Do you think Spike has been working for Adam?" Xander asked, trying to maintain an expression of betrayal. After a moment, he found he just couldn't hold it.
"Spike working for Adam? Interesting concept, and entirely possible." Buffy pondered Xander's suggestion. "In fact, I'm willing to bank money on it."
Angel snorted softly. "I'd be willing to put my life-savings on it, Buffy. He's Spike. It's exactly the sort of thing my grandchilde would do." Angel shook his head in disgust, ruing the day when he allowed Drusilla to turn poor William in the alley.
Oz bounced on his toes impatiently. "Ok, so Initiative. We aren't going there, because?"
"Kind of what I'd like to know," Cordelia responded. "Buffy? Are we good to go?"
Buffy nodded. "We just need to stop and get weapons. Angel, you and Xander will go to my house and appropriate a few necessary items. If my mom's not home, just go through the window. We'll meet you at the frat house."
Angel looked confused at this reference but he figured that Xander knew what Buffy was talking about. He simply nodded and waited for Xander to get a move on.
Xander looked as though he wanted to make some remark regarding 'Deadboy', but wisely decided against it. Instead, he merely gave Angel a sideways glance then sighed in resignation. He nodded once to Buffy and they set off to 1630 Revello Drive. Buffy chuckled slightly as she heard Xander, "Do you have to walk so fast?"
Turning back to Oz and Cordelia, Buffy regarded them seriously. "While they go get the weapons, we'll head back to the hospital. Our Watchers are going to need to know what's going on." Upon seeing Oz's look of frustration, Buffy softly reassured him. She stepped forward, glancing at Cordelia, hoping she would get the signal to go away for the time being. Thankfully, Cordy got the hint and wandered a few feet away, examining some very interesting trashcans.
"Oz, I'm concerned about Willow too. I would love to just burst in there, guns a-blazing, but we need our guns first. We won't be any good to Willow without some firepower."
"You will." Oz muttered angrily.
"I'll be to busy fighting Adam. I need you all helping Willow and fighting anything that gets in my way." Buffy looked at Cordelia, who was still looking at the trash bin. "But if we stand here wasting time arguing about how much time we're wasting, well, we aren't doing Willow much good. Let's get a move on."
* * * *
Not long after, Buffy, Oz and Cordelia were entering Sunnydale Memorial. Cordelia looked around and sighed in reminiscence. "Oh the wonderful times we've had here, huh Buffy?"
The Slayer looked at Cordelia oddly, then shrugged. "Right. Wonderful times. And I'm sure we'll have many more."
Oz stayed silent, keeping focused on finding Willow. As soon as they had entered the hospital, he had caught the slightest scent of fear and he recognized it as Willows'. Oz growled dangerously, allowing the smallest part of the wolf to surface. During his travels, he had learned how to control the wolf during the full moon as well as controlling the degree to which it was revealed. This had come in handy many times recently when he was fighting the children of the night.
Suddenly, they stopped in front of a door, which, Cordelia assumed was where Giles had been place. Buffy knocked briskly then opened the door and entered. Oz and Cordelia followed quietly and nodded in greeting to Wesley. Both of them looked at Merrick with interest then turned back to Buffy.
"Hey, Giles," Buffy greeted her Watcher softly as she sat by his bed.
"Hello, Buffy," Giles responded, regarding his Slayer fondly before reaching for her hand. "Wesley has filled me in on what's going on with Willow. I would assume there are some new developments, considering that you are here and not out rescuing your friend."
Buffy smiled sheepishly. "As a matter of fact, there's quite a bit going on. We went to the factory, where we ran into Oz and this rather odd woman. It turns out that she's an Angel, like Monica. Willow has been captured by Adam, and tonight is when I'm supposed to face him for the last time."
Giles looked surprised at the mention of Oz, but stayed silent. He looked at Buffy, waiting for her to continue.
Buffy looked down at her hands briefly as though trying to hide something from him. Finally, she raised her head and gave Giles that look that had so often torn at his heart. This young women; this Slayer, who had faced so many horrors, held the expression of a frightened little girl. Her eyes watered and her lip trembled when she spoke. "Except I don't know if I can do it, Giles. We just don't know enough. He's too strong for me."
Giles looked Buffy straight in the eye and told her softly, "Buffy, you are not only one of the most capably women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, you are one of the best Slayers this sorry world has ever seen. You have faced demons worse than Adam and you have defeated them. I have every confidence in you."
"We were always prepared before, Giles. If we hadn't done the research, I would have been dead a long time ago." Buffy looked down at her hands again. She began gesturing helplessly, fumbling for the words to tell him what she was feeling. "Giles, I--I appreciate what you said, I really do. But I'm scared. I've never been this scared before, Giles, and I don't know what to do."
Merrick looked up when he heard the tone of Buffy's voice. He was reminded of a younger Buffy; a Buffy who had just found out about the evils in the world, and his heart broke for her. He glanced at Wesley who looked as though he would like to say something for encouragement, then to Oz and Cordelia. The teens were looking everywhere but at Buffy and Giles, trying not to listen to this exchange. Merrick cleared his throat and went to Buffy's side.
"Miss Summers, I am inclined to agree with the both of you. You may not be prepared to face this creature, but preparation is not always the key to a successful battle."
Buffy looked over her shoulder and grinned wryly at Wesley. He cocked an eyebrow in confusion then chuckled as he realized what Buffy was looking at him for. Three key words...Preparation, preparation, preparation...That's one word three times...
"But Rupert is right," Merrick continued. "You are the best Slayer we have seen in lifetimes. You see many of the Chosen do not have this ability that you seem to have in abundance. Not only are you an excellent fighter, you are able to improvise and to think on your feet. And that could mean the difference between victory and defeat."
"I agree, Buffy," Oz piped up. He took a deep breath, placing his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "I've met a few Slayers the past couple of years, yourself included, and I've noticed something. You're the best. Kendra was killed not too long after her activation, and Faith...well, she decided not to play on our team. Ability isn't everything, Buffy, and neither is knowledge. From what I've heard, you're not going to find Adam in the books. He's a brand new line of demon. So no matter what kind of preparing you *think* you can do, it just isn't possible. You're gonna have to be the unconventional, unpredictable Slayer that we've all grown to know and love."
Cordelia looked very impressed. Oz had just made a speech. And a good one at that. She wondered if he needed to sit down at take a rest after spewing so many phrases. "Buffy, you want to get Willow back, right?" Cordelia jumped in, ever the voice of reason. Buffy nodded, looking at Cordelia questioningly. "Well, if you sit here, being a Cry-Buffy, then you're gonna lose a lot more than this battle. Because the way I figure it, Willow is your best friend, and without her, you feel like you're nothing. You lose her, you lose everything, right?" She didn't wait for a response. Instead, the former Ice Queen plunged ahead. "So, if you want to get Willow back you're gonna have to fight Adam. You don't have a choice."
Giles cringed at Cordelia's harsh choice of wording, but Buffy seemed to be responding well. She nodded slightly then looked at Giles, Merrick and finally, Wesley. "We're going to need at least one of you Watcher-types," Buffy said firmly. She was getting into battle-mode and everyone in the room could sense it. They all perked up, listening to the 'plan'. "Wes, you stay with Giles. I seem to remember that your strong point isn't really hand-to-hand combat--"
"Wait, Buffy," Cordelia interrupted. "Wesley has gotten a lot better. You'd really be surprised."
"I can't afford to lose any of you. Wesley, I'm sure Cordelia is right, but the only one here I can afford to take is Merrick. He can fight, and he can't die. Both of you can," Buffy said firmly, gesturing to Wesley and Giles.
Giles held up a hand in protest. "Buffy, I'm afraid I disagree. I will not be told to sit idly by, waiting and wondering if you were successful. I may not be able to fight, but I will be able to help."
"Giles, I--"
"I love Willow too, you know. You children are all like my own," Giles interrupted softly. "If I had a daughter, or a son, and they had been captured I would do everything in my power to get them back. What kind of father would I be if I didn't fight?"
"Giles, I can't lose you again. Yes, I'm concerned about you being a liability, but that's not the whole of it. Do you remember any of what I said while you were unconscious?" Giles nodded hesitantly. "I told you that as far as I'm concerned, you are my dad. There was never a Hank Summers in my life. You've been there for all of the important moments. If I let you go to face Adam with me, I'll be risking your life. If something happens to you, no matter what you say, I will blame myself because I could have stopped you." Her voice grew faint and sad as she muttered, "I saw you die once, Giles. I cannot watch you die again."
"And now you know how I feel," Giles told her sadly. "I may not have been there when you drowned, but the thought of losing you is too painful to think about. Buffy, I fear I must put my foot down. I will accompany you to the Initiative, and I will help in rescuing Willow. I promise I will not fight unless it is absolutely necessary."
Buffy nodded in defeat. Giles had made up his mind and she knew it. There wasn't much good in fighting him about going now. "Alright," she said finally. "Giles, do you think the doctors will let you check out of here?"
"I rather think not," he replied dryly. "They're bound and determined to keep me here until kingdom come. I imagine we'll have to sneak me out somehow."
"Okay," Buffy replied slowly. "Giles, you and the other Watchers figure out how to smuggle you out of the hospital. The rest of us are meeting with Xander and Angel at the Initiative site. They're bringing weapons."
Wesley and Merrick went to help Giles get out of bed, while Buffy turned back to Oz and Cordelia. "We'll go and meet the guys on campus. The Initiative is located underground. I used to have clearance, but Maggie might have gotten a chance to revoke it. I don't know the exact location of the caves, but I think we'll be able to figure it out. Oz, maybe you can sniff Willow out once we get there?"
Oz nodded, in full agreement, while Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disgust. Oz nodded, in full agreement, while Cordelia wrinkled her nose in disdain. The thought of Oz sniffing someone out, was well, kind of gross.
"Alright, let's move this party out," Buffy said, an edge of finality to her voice. "Giles, are you ready to go?"
Giles grunted and nodded in reply. "I just need to put my jacket on...Blasted cast!" He cried in frustration. After a few moments of struggling with his coat, Giles was finally ready to sneak out of the hospital. Upon looking in the mirror, Giles saw that his face was covered in bruises. The jacket covered his cast, which he was grateful for, but he only hoped that he could hide his limp.
As they walked out of the hospital, Merrick spotted a man wearing a brown fedora. He took a quick detour to the right and snatched it off the man's head. "Hey!" He cried indignantly. Merrick smiled and thanked him, catching up with Giles and placing the hat on his head. Giles reached up and adjusted it, so as to try to hide his face.
Buffy, Giles, Oz, Merrick, Cordelia and Wesley walked quickly and purposely to U.C. Sunnydale campus. Not a word was uttered during their trek to go fight Adam. Before they knew it, they were standing outside of Lowell House, Riley's old frat. Angel and Xander were standing on the porch; Angel fingering a long sword fondly and Xander slapping a stake against his hand repeatedly. They nodded to their approaching friends in greeting and looked toward the door.
"Hey, G-man!" Xander yelled exuberantly, happy to see Giles up and around.
Giles smiled irritably. "I told you not to call me that."
"So, Buffy." Angel began. "How are we supposed to get in?"
"Well, that's kind of the hole in our plan," Buffy awkwardly replied.
"Follow my nose," Oz cut in helpfully. "Buffy wants me to try to sniff Willow out. It might be the easiest way in if we can't sneak in through the underground."
Xander looked interested and mildly amused. Angel nodded in understanding. It was really the best plan they had, even if it wasn't really much of a plan at all.
Just then, Riley Finn walked out of Lowell House. He jumped in surprise, looking around at everyone with interest. Finally his eyes rested on Buffy and Angel, who were standing rather close together. Too close, in Riley's opinion. He quickly walked up to them, clearing his throat loudly as his did. Buffy looked up and when she saw Riley, her face registered surprise, and to Riley's dismay, hurt.
"Where the heck have you been?" Buffy demanded.
Riley glanced at his shoes, suddenly becoming very fascinated in them. "I've been out on assignment for the Initiative," he finally told her.
"You've been doing what for whom?" Buff asked, her eyes glinting dangerously. "Riley, what were you thinking? They're the enemy, remember? The bad guys?"
"I was contacted by General Houckson the other night when we were at Giles. He paged me. Anyway, he heads the department that funds the Initiative and he needs it shut down. The Initiative was an experiment, but it failed. He asked me to go undercover and expose what I could. They all think I'm back on their side, Buffy. This could come in handy."
Buffy shook her head. "That's what we thought before, Riley, and look where it got us. However, tonight, you might be right. (Buffy's a poet!) We need to get to those caves that Maggie mentioned. Spike captured Willow and we think he's working for Adam. We have reason to believe that's where he's hiding out right now."
Riley slowly nodded, not quite understanding, but he wanted to help. He knew he had to. "Alright. I can't get you all smuggled in; we'd be too inconspicuous. Buffy, you and Angel will come with me to the site. I have a set of walkie-talkies in my room. I'll give one to Giles and when we get in, I can direct them to the caves." Riley paused; making sure that everyone was in agreement. He wasn't happy about Angel coming with them, but other than Buffy, the vampire was the strongest one among them. "Are you ready to go?"
They all nodded, looking at Buffy and Angel, who had seem to have gotten closer in the past few minutes. Buffy finally looked towards Riley and nodded as well. "Let's do this," she said firmly.
Buffy, Angel, Riley, Giles, Merrick, Wesley, Xander, Oz and Cordelia quickly walked through the door to Lowell House, ready to face whatever would be thrown at them. Buffy smiled softly to herself as she glanced around at her friends. Even knowing that they weren't fully prepared to face Adam, there was something comforting about knowing that each of these people would willingly die for her. Even if she would never admit it, Cordelia had proven time and again to be a loyal friend who would come through whenever she was needed. These were the people Buffy knew she could count on and she took great comfort in that. With that thought in mind, the Slayer's mouth set in a grim line, eyes narrowed in focus. She would beat Adam. There wasn't any other option. They didn't know what Maggie's ultimate plans were for her Frankenstein-ish creature, but they weren't of the good.
Riley got Giles situated with the walkie-talkie and soon only he, Buffy and Angel were left standing in the hallway in front of the mirror. Riley looked at Buffy questioningly, who nodded in confirmation. He reached over and pressed a small button beside the mirror, which suddenly wasn't a mirror anymore. Angel's eyes widened in shock as a large elevator appeared before them. They quickly stepped inside and Riley hit the down button. They stood in the man-sized microwave in an awkward silence, not really knowing what to say.
Buffy was now brandishing a long sword, placed in a scabbard on her back, a few stakes that had been shoved up her sleeves, and a sharp dagger, which she held down at her side. Riley also carried a few stakes, as well as a crossbow. His aim wasn't as good with the crossbow, but if it came down to it, he could use the weapon as a blunt object.
Buffy looked at her male companions seriously. "Here's the plan," she said. "If we're stopped by anyone, we fight them. We can't take any chances. We've gotta get to those caves, and we've gotta do it fast. Are we agreed?"
Angel and Riley nodded in determination.
"Okay then." Buffy turned back towards the doors, which were just about to open. "Let's do this."
Just then, the doors opened to reveal the Initiative, and several commandoes, each holding an Initiative issued stunner. Buffy gulped. This wasn't going to be good.
A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to get this next part posted. We're nearing the climax here though, so hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon! In the meantime, please R/R!