k i n e t i c
by bulletproof (bulletproof_android@yahoo.com)
characters owned by joss whedon.
picks up at the beginning of 'Spiral' and doesn't look back. beta'ed by the wonderful Lisa.

PART 1

There was an unmistakable fear in her voice though her words were of strength, of courage. That was okay. She was used to facades. Always, always with facades. She was a normal girl, a girl who went to high school, fought with her sister, had a crush on the boy in her art class. She was a girl who should be very, very afraid.

"And then *boom*."

"Buffy kicked Glory's ass?"

"Well," Dawn stalled, wincing at the small, mostly inconsequential detail, "the truck kicked Glory's ass-"

"Was Buffy wielding the truck that kicked Glory's ass?"

Everyone turned to Xander, the Sunnydale trademark 'duh' look on their faces.

"I'll shut up now."

"He's got a point." Buffy told the window before turning back to the gang, "I shoulda been. God only knows how we managed to get away."

"Well the how isn't important." Giles fussed gently, taking note of the distanced stance of his Slayer, the warmth that evaded her eyes, "All that matters is that you're safe."

She let out a bark, a high, nervous sound that cut into their skin. "Safe."

She could feel the bruises still creaking in her bones, and god they were from weeks, maybe from months ago.

Maybe from both.

Her neck bristled at the tension that charged the room.

"Yeah. Safe. We can do safe."

A collective sigh seemed to flood out of them and they went back to tending to each other's fears. Buffy reached across and drew a hand she desperately hoped was steady over Dawn's brow. If anyone was scared in this room...

She grew tired of the constant throwbacks in each and every one of the voices around her, constantly going from hope to defeat.

"You have a plan, right?"

She turned to face her friends and there was not one hard bone in her body. She wondered at how they had accumulated such youth in their eyes, at how maybe she had put it there. They counted on her, they relied on her. They believed in her. She wanted to collapse right there.

"Of course. Just get your stuff and we can put it into action."

And there it was again. That glimmer, that spark of absolute belief in her. Buffy knew what to do, Buffy had a plan. Buffy was shit scared.

She turned to the window again, so they couldn't see that emotion sparkling grim and true in her own eyes. Yeah, there it was, her plan was out the window. They had to get outta this room, outta this town and that overwhelming feeling of fear that came crashing again and again, it was suffocating.

She closed her eyes to ward off that feeling of disgust that was all too familiar these days. Since when had she become so helpless? So useless? She was the goddamn Slayer for crying out loud! Slayers didn't turn tail and run. Slayers didn't hide until the big bad went away. She could hear Faith laughing in her cell, could see the light glaze of arrogance in the First Slayer's eyes.

No, damnit, she had a plan.

Run like hell and hope the man who's tattered little card she clutched onto like a lifeline, had a better one.

* * * * *

"Your plan is a vamp-driven Winebago?"

"Just get in, Xander."

"Uh, uh." He dropped his bags to the ground and her spirits seemed to fall with them. "I am *not* getting in the same car as that blood-sucking fiend."

Buffy was at a loss, but even as Xander was crossing his arms, Giles was bending down to pick up the dropped bags, simply repeating, "Just get in, Xander."

"Besides," Anya leaned in, giving him a little push up the steps, "it's not like he's a *hot* blood-sucking fiend. When we were on patrol last time, I saw him sneaking outta the morgue wiping blood off his lips."

Spike looked up, indignant, but looking no less ridiculous in his sun-goggles. "You most certainly did not!"

"Look, we need Spike. He's the only one besides me who can get us there in one piece."

Xander was silenced, but that didn't stop him from swapping dirty looks with the bleach blonde vampire.

"Wait, get us where Buffy?" Willow asked, clutching desperately onto Tara's hand as her lover buried her head into her neck with the lurching motion of the vehicle, "Where are we going?"

"LA."

* * * * *

"Cordy?"

"Cordy?!"

Panic ripped through him, cold and hard. There wasn't a nerve in his body that wasn't snapped to attention.

But he still jumped when his cell rang.

"What?" Angel demanded, fumbling with the gadget against his ear.

"Angel?"

Oh God, that voice. That tiny, tiny voice that brought his world crashing to a standstill time and time again. That voice that was scared and threatened and pleading with him right now.

"Buffy, what's-"

"Something's after us. Something big. I can't... I can't fight it."

"Run." his voice hard with his protective edge.

"As we speak." She gave a small squeak of a laugh.

He grimaced at the telltale sound, but he'd deal with it later. "You headed in the right direction?"

"I'm headed towards you."

"Good. We'll work this out when you get here. Buffy, we'll get through this together."

"I know. We have to."

"I'll see you soon."

He closed his eyes, letting the line close between them. She was coming and everything would be fine as soon as she got here.

Or at least, until he opened his eyes.

"Cordy must've been sucked into the portal."

"Damnit," he simply stated, though some ludicrous part of him felt like adding, 'Of course'.

He ran an irritated hand through his hair, but again, nothing more.

"I must say," Wesley arched a brow, considering him somewhat dismally before joining the vampire on the raised platform, "I'm amazed you haven't jumped straight into the portal after her."

"Buffy's coming."

"What?" something akin to fear lacing his voice.

"Something's after them and they're running-"

"But Buffy never runs..."

Angel shot him a look.

"Oh. I see... Well, best we call Gunn, then."

"Yeah," Angel agreed, phone already in hand, "I think I might have a plan."

END PART 1/?
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