Willow, Tara and Xander sat around the table, at the magic shop, researching the recent questions that had come up, while waiting for Buffy's 10:00 check in. All three glanced up at Anya's sudden cheer, from over at the cash register. Anya returned the looks of the other three with a puzzled expression, then realising why they were looking explained.
"There was a 2% increase in profit this month." She stated, grinning happily. The other three rolled their eyes then returned to their books.
All looked up again as the bell above the door shrilly announced the entrance of another person.
"It's just me." Dawn stated as she crossed the threshold into the store, returning from her visit to the cinema.
"You were walking around at night time by yourself?" Willow asked worriedly.
"I'm not a baby," Dawn snapped back annoyed. "I can take care of myself, and anyway I wasn't alone. I walked with Spike."
"Sorry, it's just you shouldn't be wandering at night no matter how prepared you think you are." Willow apologised.
"Buffy's not back yet?" Dawn asked.
"No, but it's not…." Tara cut off mid sentence, "Well actually it's past 10. Do you thing she may have run into some trouble?"
"It's possible." Willow replied approaching the front window.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"Can this thing go any faster?" Buffy called desperately from the back seat of the Halliwells hired car.
A gang of 20 vampires sprinted along behind them. Buffy looked back puzzled and worried at the same time. Why were the vampires able to keep up so well? Even she couldn't run that fast and she was the slayer, stronger and faster then any vampire normally would be.
"They must be using some sort of spell." Phoebe suggested almost as though she had read Buffy's mind.
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
Standing at the front window of the shop, Willow stared out into the night lost in thought. A thought struck her. Why was it so quiet tonight when on a normal Sunnydale night you would at least see some stupid person or vampire pretending to be some stupid person wandering the night, but tonight nothing? It had been already unnaturally quiet anyway but now, it was almost as though all of the vampires and demons were somewhere else. Unless they were lying in wait for the right time to… Sudden panic washed over her as she caught sight of something in the corner of her eye.
"EVERYBODY DUCK!!" She yelled desperately while diving for shelter under the nearby desk.
Suddenly there was the sound of glass shattering and bullets ricocheting as the vampires on the street fired their weapons at the shop hoping to be lucky enough to kill all the humans cowering inside.
Xander, Anya, Dawn and Tara all dove for cover at Willows desperate cry. Tara dove for the sales desk but before she could clear the desk she felt the sudden unbearable pain piercing her right arm. She fell to the floor with a loud pain filled cry. Willow's head shot up desperately searching at the sound of her girlfriends cry. 'Tara!' she thought desperately trying to think of a way to reach her. Taking a few deep breaths she focused and begun chanting the barrier spell which they had used to hold of the knights and Glory, not that it worked well against Glory but perhaps it would against some trigger happy vampires.
Once the barrier was in place she dashed to Tara's aide. Xander moved towards them and begun checking Tara's arm. The barrier didn't hold out very long and it collapsed.
"It's not too deep but she will be alright once we stop the bleeding. It must have been a ricochet." He shouted over the noise, attempting to comfort both Willow and Tara. "We should get her to a hospital."
"I'll be OK for now. Find Dawn." Tara said, grimacing.
Dawn was with Anya behind the tipped table, using it for protection. She screamed, as a hole appeared where a bullet hit, right next to her head.
"Get down as low as you can." Anya told her. "The bullets could still come through the table and if we get low enough we can get out of the direct fire."
Anya covered Dawn as the glass cabinet nearby shattered and rained glass pieces all over them. She looked around for more suitable cover but could find none within a safe distance. She glanced over to the main counter. She couldn't see the others. Then Xander glanced around the edge of the counter and she sighed in relief.
"Are you and Dawn alright?" He mouthed to her, because even if he shouted, she would never hear him over the sounds of the guns and ricochets.
Anya nodded and mouthed a frightened "Yes".
Suddenly the barrage of bullets stopped. Xander dared to stand and look at why they stopped. He could see a car outside and a group of people fighting with the vampires. Suddenly a vampire came jumping through the window and running right at him. He put his arms up ready to fight when the vampire stopped right in front of him then exploded with a blast of heat. The dust settled to reveal Piper standing with her hands in a ready position. He heaved a sigh in relief.
"OH!" Anya shouted, alarmed. Everyone tensed up again, expecting the worst. Running over to the cash register Anya quickly opened it and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god they didn't hurt the money."
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
The battle ended as soon as it had begun, but that was just the first wave. There would be more to come. Even worse would be done. The gang all knew this and they sat on what was left of the chairs discussing the events that had occurred.
"We were being chased by like, a thousand vampires." Phoebe paused at the looks of the others, "Well actual more like a hundred." Another pause, more looks, "Actually about 20, but Piper got into the back and like, explodes one and he falls tripping the one behind and they are all bursting into flames in one big wave. It would have been fun if it wasn't so scary."
Anya meanwhile was rushing back and forwards attempting to clean up, muttering something under her breath about having to spend the money.
Willow and Tara were sitting over with Leo as he healed Tara's arm.
Dawn sat and stared at the floor in silence.
Xander had fallen asleep.
Piper was examining a magic book with bullet holes all through it.
Phoebe was babbling about the night's events.
Paige was just sitting, watching Anya rush about, and thinking about things.
Buffy was looking around as though expecting another attack.
Suddenly Xander's chair gave way and he fell to the floor, suddenly shaken into awareness. The group stared at him for a minute, just thinking, and then they all started laughing.
Meanwhile, on the street, two demons stared in through the smashed window before disappearing, dreading what they would tell their master.
TBC…Mmm-tasty reviews. Need reviews!
