Buffy could hear the incessant tapping on her door. Without getting up from her chair she shouted as loud as she could be bothered.
"Come in, it's open."
The door was pushed open a good deal more slowly than Buffy expected, and Willow half stepped, half hobbled into the room.
"Hi Buffy. How..... How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Buffy Replied. "But aside from that, worried."
"Worried?"
"Yeah, how are you coping?"
"Fine, never better." Willow straightened up as if to emphasise herself. "look, strong as a very strong thing. But look at you, you're hardly yourself. I mean,... I've never seen you so tired."
"I'll be okay in a few days Will." Buffy half smiled. "I can tell you want to talk Sit down, we've got some serious talking to do, and I'm not letting you go until you feel better. Okay?"
Willow Almost collapsed onto the bed as the facade she had been maintaining fell in upon itself. "I don't know what to do! Yesterday everything was fine. Well it's only been sort of okay since Angelus lost his soul, but it was good - not horribly scrunched up and spirally like it is now! Oh! and I put a dent in your front door, I'm sorry. sometimes I don't know my own strength what with pulling doors off hinges and breaking Oz and stuff. How do you cope with all this power?"
Buffy sat up with some effort and raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry about the door, for the last two years according to mom girls don't know their own strength. It was some other door you pulled off the hinges and not mine right?"
Willow nodded solemnly.
"Okay, now before I can understand the story I need to hear it at warp factor 2 or below. But first we need food. My weakened state has sent mom on a nutritional guilt trip so non-healthy food is reserved for emotional crisis or mother-daughter moments, other than that name your chosen food."
"Do you think we can get Ice cream?"
"It's an outside chance but I think I can manage it."
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Buffy and Willow lay spread out across the floor of Buffy's room. The Ice cream had arrived and had definitely been a catalyst for talk.
"......It's just that I don't feel safe at all anymore," Willow mused as the swallowed a mouthful of the ice cream. "You do know what I mean don't you.... It was like when I found out that Angelus could come into my house and kill my fish and stuff, but only worse."
Buffy nodded slowly, her brow creased with thought. "We have to get you some confidence training."
"Confidence training?" The confusion and fear in Willow's voice was evident.
"Yeah, you know when Giles puts all that padding on and I sort of fight him?"
Willow smiled. "Oh yeah, he looks so much like the Michelin man when you do that."
"See, you can smile, you just don't know it. Anyway we'll see If Giles can't put you through some of that tonight, With some training and all of that blood of mine you've got you should be able to show just about any vamp who's boss!"
"I might just do that." The beginnings of the resolve face were starting to form.
"Are we feeling good now? because I have to start on a difficult subject."
"Like what?"
"Xander. I've been dodging this issue for the past couple of hours but you need to get it off your back."
"When I was In the library, I was just waking up and Xander was talking to me..... I don't think he knew I could hear him."
"What did he say"
"He ....... It isn't important." Willow shook her head adamantly.
"I'm sensing major relationshippy things here and that's always important. Besides you should talk about it, you can't carry it around forever."
"Nono, carrying is good. and I carry like noone else, I carried how I felt about Xander since kindergarten and I can carry this too."
"Yeah, and look what it's done to you! Nothing good can come of keeping it bottled up like this."
Willow sighed and visibly sagged to the floor. "He said that he loved me."
"Wow...." There was a Thud as the tub of ice cream tumbled from Buffy's hand to the floor.
"I could hear the pain in his voice and I knew that it was me lying there hurt like that which caused it. I was so busy waiting for him to see me the same way that I saw him that I forgot how much he cared about me."
"He's changed." Buffy had retrieved the tub and stood it on the floor. "The way he was talking about you was just ........ different. I think he does see you like that now."
"I hadn't dared to think that. But Oz......"
"Do you know what you're going to do?"
"No. I mean, I love Oz..... I think, but Xander....... And they both love me......... And I don't know what to do about it." Willow cupped her face in her hands.
"Willow...." Buffy gently pulled away the hands that covered Willow's face. "I might not be the best person to give advice on relationships, given my track record..... but one thing I can say is follow your heart, whatever happens will be for the best."
Willow nodded slowly. "I know. And I know what I've got to do. I just wish it didn't hurt so much."
"welcome to love, life and difficult decisions. I think it does get less painful from here on in."
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Angelus hauled Xander up by his jacket, Xander clawed in vain at the crossbow bolt sticking out of Angelus' right shoulder in a futile attempt to gain some purchase. "Okay, one more time..... The heart is on the left hand side.... THE LEFT! I thought you of all people would remember that." With a snarl of contempt Xander was thrown across the room.
Xander groaned as he struggled to make his body respond properly. His left arm didn't work, but that had stopped working after the first time Angelus had thrown him across the room. What a great time to get your left and your right mixed up Xander, that's about as smart as going after Angelus alone because you're guilty that you let Willow get hurt! His eyes could just about focus on Angelus as he stood over him. Neither of them noticed the figure that had come in and was now seated in the shadows.
"Well I don't know about you, but I've had fun. But as we both know, all good things must come to an end."
Angelus reached over Xander's prone form to pull a sword off a rack on the wall. With all the effort he could muster Xander kicked out at Angelus' legs, bracing his back against the wall as he did so. The sword slipped from Angelus' hand as his legs were pushed out from under him. Xander desperately rolled to one side and just managed to avoid having Angelus land on him.
Xander hauled himself up to his knees and fumbled for the sword that he knew was on the floor next to him. His fumblings were rewarded with success and he looked up as he felt the handle within his grasp.
Angelus was still on the floor, he looked to have hit his head on something, and although he was moving it was slowly. Fighting the dizziness Xander pulled himself up to his feet. He staggered the few paces over to put himself close enough, and brought the sword down on Angelus' neck, at least he would have if Angelus was still there.
No vamp, no dust, no nothing. He caught sight of a movement in the corner of his eye, followed by the agonising pain as the kick forced his knee into a shape it should have never had to assume. The sword dropped from his hand to the floor with a staccato rattling sound, as Xander concentrated every fibre of his being on not crying out in agony.
"That really, REALLY PISSED ME OFF!" Xander looked to the side to see Angelus' demonic face leering at him.
Then it hit Angelus.
There was a dull clank as the large metallic object caught Angelus full in the shoulder, throwing him from his feet.
"That'll teach you to take my Bloody girl you Bastard! You wouldn't believe how long I've been waiting to do this." Spike strode over to Xander and swept the sword up from it's resting place on the floor. "Don't go anywhere mate, I'll do you in a minute." He snarled over his shoulder to Xander.
Angelus groaned as he heaved the wheelchair off him and started to get up. Spike strode over and kicked Angelus in the face, knocking him to the floor again.
"you've just got no respect have you? You enjoyed playing with her, and you enjoyed watching me suffer because of it."
Angelus half got to his feet before he was knocked down again.
"Well guess what? That's how much I'm going to enjoy this!" Spike dealt a savage backhanded blow to the face of Angelus' kneeling form. In one fluid motion he spun round and brought the sword down, severing head from shoulder.
The fountain of blood that usually accompanies a decapitated body was conspicuous by it's absence. Angelus' head had just enough time to hit the ground and roll before it started to disintegrate. Xander watched in confusion as the vampire that had been Angelus fell to the floor, destined to be entombed in a vacuum cleaner somewhere. Spike cast the sword to the ground and strode back over to Xander, chuckling as he saw the confusion on the boy's face.
"You still don't have a bloody clue do you?...... All I can say is never come between a guy and his girl." He shot Xander a savage look.
"Now the question is what are we going to do about you?"
"Well you could just let me go home, or even better, you could phone an ambulance for me." Xander grimaced as he said the words, mentally running through precisely how messed up he was.
"Now that is an amusing idea, unfortunately it's not going to happen. But you have done me a favour, so I'm going to return it. I'm not going to kill you..........."
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The sun hung high in the sky as Robert walked around the outside of the mansion, carefully shielding the bunch of flowers in his hand from the undergrowth that overhung the side of the path
"You should go now, you're going to miss your flight" Master Zachary said from behind him. Robert smiled as he turned around. It was if a good twenty years had come off, Master Zachary was standing straight, the colour was in his cheeks and a spark in his eyes.
"There's just one thing I have to do first." Robert said as he entered the garden.
"Foolish sentimentality." Master Zachary scoffed. "Why do you entertain it so gladly?"
"It's what separates us from those things we fight." Robert replied. "Don't tell me you've forgotten all you taught me."
"I was just making sure you remember it. There are testing times ahead." Master Zachary said as they neared the bottom of the garden.
"You've done well." Master Zachary said, looking at the pile of stones at the bottom of the garden. "You have my thanks."
"I only wish I'd had time to make a headstone." Robert sighed "It just doesn't seem right without one."
"You did what you could, that's what counts. I wish I could stay longer, but I've remained here much longer than I should have already." With That Master Zachary seemed to fade away until nothing remained at all. Robert knelt down, placing the flowers carefully onto the grave. "Goodbye Master...... You will be missed." He said quietly to himself, and whatever else may have been listening. Then he rose slowly from his kneeling position and started to traverse his way back to the house. He had a plane to catch, and destiny wouldn't wait.
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Rupert Giles stalked, Stake in one hand and cross in the other. Mentally cursing the chain of events that had led to him being out, patrolling for vampires with only Oz for backup.
He was about to take a step forwards when Oz's arm moved across his chest.
"What is it now?" He whispered.
"Don't go that way."
Giles gave him a quizzical look. "And might I ask why?"
"Couple, big smoochies. Not to be interrupted." Oz paused for a moment. "And two people just behind us being seriously stealthy."
Giles nodded. "On three. One.....Two.......Three."
Giles and Oz both spun round, attempting to plunge their stakes into the chests of their would be assailants. Buffy intercepted Oz's stake and snatched it from his hand before taking a step back to allow Oz to absorb the situation. Willow panicked. Her mind shut down and something from deep down inside of her took over. She grasped Giles' arm and turned in towards him, shifting his centre of gravity over her right shoulder and Giles with it.
"Hey, only me! No slaying the slayer." Buffy looked as innocent as possible as she handed the stake back to Oz.
"So what are you doing out here? I thought you were in a no-slaying zone for the next few days."
Buffy gestured over towards Willow. Giles was getting up off the ground, and being helped by Willow.
"Ooops, sorry! Buffy said that I needed training to control my new found strength."
"Yes, I think this is one time when Buffy and I are in total agreement." Giles said, rubbing his head.
"It's not like we're going to do particularly well patrolling in our current conditions." Buffy Commented. "What do you say? No time like the present?......"
"I'd say I'm quite surprised. This lack of blood seems to have precipitated an alarming mental clarity in you. I think you should give blood more often."
"Thanks........ I think."
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Xander Squinted as his eyes attempted to adjust to the low light conditions. He looked down at his leg, something was wrong. Last time he remembered his leg would have passed as roadkill, but now aside from the torn trousers it was fine. Slowly he got to his feet, feeling for all the bruises that were conspicuous by their absence. My other arm works too, something is very wrong. He strained to force his mind back, the fight with Angelus was crystal clear, up to a point. He knew that Angelus was dead, but he couldn't remember how no matter ho hard he tried. He looked around as his low light adjustments completed themselves. He was definitely in a cell of some kind and a none too hospitable one either, no bed, no windows, no nothing, just the wrought iron door with what looked like a sliding flap on it. As he examined the door part of him screamed out "Just break the thing open, it's not exactly difficult." Xander shook his head to think straight That door must weigh like half a ton or something, there's no way I can move it. . Morbid curiosity overcame his disbelief long enough for Xander to convince himself that it wouldn't hurt to try. Gathering all of his strength Xander braced himself on the back wall of the cell. Think coiled spring, coiled spring.... Then he was across the room and slamming shoulder first into the door. It hurt, boy did it hurt. Xander was tempted to sink to the floor of his corridor right there and then.
Corridor?!?! Xander checked, he was in fact out in the corridor just outside his cell. The door had taken up residence half way into the opposite wall and Xander was leaning on it at this very moment. Xander looked up to see A vampire starting down the corridor towards him. The rational part of him said to be very afraid, but the door experience had robbed it of credence somewhat. What about the part that had told him to break the door? Xander turned to this new found part of himself for advice, he knew in that instant that the vamp was nowhere near as strong as he was. Putting the sceptical part of his brain to one side he advanced on the Vampire.
He saw the first blow before it was even launched and intercepted the Vampire's hand with his own. He saw the desperation in the vampire's face as he grabbed and twisted, smiling in grim satisfaction as he felt the tendons and ligaments start to give. Just as the cracking sounds became audible over the vampire's screams he savagely plunged his fist into it's midriff, causing it to bend over double, this was followed by his releasing the vampire's hand and pumping a double handed blow upwards into the vampire's face. The vampire was fully lifted off the floor by the blow and landed some 10 or so feet away, not moving. Xander stepped over the unconscious body and towards the steps that presumably led up and out of this place. He casually wondered how the rest of the gang would react to his actions, he knew they would be seriously pissed off, but he was only mildly shocked to discover that he didn't really care.
A dark shape appeared at the top of the stairs, Xander cocked his head to one side as he tried to identify it.
"Oh Bloody hell! Now look what you've done, don't make me come down there and kick your ass!"
Spike.
Xander stopped as the events of the past few hours slowly returned to him. He hadn't killed Angelus, Spike had. Another thought entered Xander's head. cautiously he felt for his canines with his fingers. Yep, two big fat sharp vampire teeth.............. HOLY SHIT!
"Why?"
"Well, we couldn't have you going back to being the pathetic little Xander Harris. Not after it looked like you were starting to grow a backbone."
Xander stood silent in thought for a moment. He was right, you know. The old Xander would never have gotten out of that cell. He would have sat in one corner, wallowing in self pity and waiting for the slayer to rescue him. Xander glanced over at the unconscious body behind him. And that vampire would've kicked his ass.
At the top of the stairs Spike cleared his throat. "Right, now you've had your quiet period of self reflection it's time for you to help me kill the slayer and all of her pesky little friends."
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"What you said just now,... not going to happen."
Spike sighed. "Let me run a little concept by you. You vampire, her slayer. That means she slays you, or you kill her."
Xander started forward up the stairs. "I don't have a problem with killing the slayer."
"Then why the bloody hell did you say no?"
"Willow."
Spike started smiling.
"She's mine." Xander continued. "I'm going to make her one of my own. The rest of them I'll kill for you."
"That's fighting talk if there ever was. But don't think the slayer's going to drop dead because she happens to think of you as a nice person. I think Angelus proved that."
"Sounds almost like you have a plan there."
"Well, Angelus had this actually rather good plan, seeing as you killed him I'm handing the plan over to you. It's this way, I'll show you."
"I didn't kill Angelus" Xander corrected. "You did."
"You did now."
"Any reason in particular?"
"Dru happened to like him." Spike winced as he said the words. "Now with you she can let it slide because you weren't yourself, if you get what I mean."
Xander nodded. "So if she ever found out about it being you........."
If Spike had been human there would have been a sharp intake of breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment of silence it closed again.
Xander looked up, straight into Spike's eyes. "Remember that."
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Willow twisted round to one side as she propelled herself off the floor with one leg, her other foot coming up into a savage side kick that her opponent blocked with some difficulty. Slowly she rose from the crouch that she had landed in and mopped the sweat from her forehead with one sleeve as she looked across at her opponent. "How about that one?"
Giles worked his wrist back and forth as if trying to gauge whether or not any of the damage was getting through the padded guard he was using. "Not bad, but you're still leaving yourself wide open after you finish the kick. You have to be back up and fighting as soon as you land, If I was a vampire I wouldn't have waited for you to get up."
Willow looked down at the floor. I'm too tired for this now, we've been doing it for two whole hours."
"Of course." Giles responded. "This training is entirely for your own benefit, any time you need to take a break just say. With you doing as well as you were at the start it's easy to forget you aren't a slayer. I think you've done enough training for one day. There's always tomorrow, and if you've had some rest you can start fresh."
Willow nodded. "So when do I get lesson two?"
"Monday, after school. Buffy's going to be training then. It's as well for both of you to be there. Just a moment, I'll go and wake the other two up." Giles peeled some of the more encumbering padding off as he hobbled over to the Librarian's office. He walked into the office to see Oz sitting in his chair rolling a crystalline orb about the size of a tennis ball back and forth between his hands.
"Shhh, she's asleep." Oz said quietly, pointing over in Buffy's direction. Buffy was asleep on the bench, curled up in a foetal position.
"Do be careful with that." Giles scolded. "It's an orb of Thessulah, a means of contacting the spirit world. It's very valuable."
"And yet it makes a surprisingly good paperweight." Oz observed. "So, Willow finished with the training for now?"
Giles nodded "Yes. She shows a remarkable proficiency considering the circumstances. I think she missed her calling, so to speak."
"A piece of advice." Oz said. "Humour; not your talent."
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Spike pushed open the door at the top of the stairs and beckoned Xander to follow in. The room was spartan except for the fireplace and the long wooden table flanked by chairs. Xander looked to see one of the most beautiful women he'd seen in a long time sprawled atop the table. There was something familiar about her, like he'd seen her before. But he couldn't quite place it.
"So where's this almighty plan of yours?" Xander asked
"First things first." Spike replied, walking over to the table. "Dru? Honey, did you miss me?"
"Mmmmm. The wind's been saying the most cruel things about you...... But I wouldn't believe it." Dru sat up, stroking Spike's chin with her hand. "Would you believe it, my precious?"
"Not unless it told me you were the most beautiful woman in the world." Spike replied, cupping Dru's waist in his hands. "But you haven't met the newest member of our family yet."
Drusilla's Eyes snapped wide open as she noticed Xander in the background. She hopped off the table and walked over to him. "You........." She said, pointing at him. "Are a very naughty boy!"
"Mmmmm. Spank me." Xander replied.
There was the barest of pauses before all three of them simultaneously burst into laughter.
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Xander sat at the table, studying the newspaper page. Spike sat on the other side of the table, Dru in his lap.
"I must be missing something here." Xander said, pointing to the picture in the paper. "Because It looks like a big rock to me."
"That's what I said too. But apparently there's some big bad demon in there who can suck the world down into hell."
"So we go and let him out then he can do the bad thing."
"Not quite that simple." Spike put an open book down in front of Xander. "That." He said, tapping a section of the page. "Is the ritual we need to do to wake our boy acathla up."
"Great..." Xander said sarcastically. "I was research boy for Giles, and now I get to do the book thing for you pair as well."
"Don't worry." Spike replied. "You'll still get to have fun."
"You need to eat." Dru said. "So that you can grow up big and strong like my Spike."
"I trust you have some suitable fun lined up." Spike grinned, showing his teeth.
"Yeah." Xander said. "I'm going to kill Oz.
"Who?" Spike asked.
"We're off to kill the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz..." Dru sang.
"Short guy, variable hair colour. Plays in a band. Willow's soon to be posthumous boyfriend." Xander answered. "When he dies she'll turn to me...."
"And you'll turn her." Spike finished.
"That's about the size of it."
"I'm not happy with you." Dru said to the pair of them. "You weren't listening to my singing."
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Willow woke up, and instantly wished that she hadn't. There wasn't a part of her that didn't hurt. She batted her hand out to silence the alarm clock. The sound of cracking plastic and the warbling of the alarm clock as it died roused her into full awareness far more effectively than the alarm clock ever had.
"Uhhh, now look what I've done." She muttered to herself. "It's a good thing mom and dad are out of town for the weekend or they'd be wigging so badly by now."
Slowly Willow got out of bed and switched her computer on. She stared in dismay at the long list of sent e-mails, none of which Xander had replied to. She'd helped set his computer up herself; the only way he wouldn't know about those e-mails was if he hadn't been back to his room yet. She thought about going over there to check, but dismissed it almost as quickly. Xander's parents would be far too hung over at this time in the morning to appreciate it. It was a pity. She wanted so badly to talk to him, to know how he felt. She couldn't make her decision without knowing that. She sighed, there wasn't a whole lot she could do right now. Reaching for her school books she looked at the homework assignments she'd been given for the weekend. With all the action on Saturday she was well behind schedule. Besides, homework always made her feel better.
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Robert Sherman squinted as he stepped out of the bus and into the glaring Sunnydale sunshine. Stopping to collect the suitcase that contained the sum total of all his possessions. The other people getting off the bus rushed about their business as if nothing was even slightly amiss. It was probably a good thing they couldn't see this place the way he could. No wonder the slayer was needed here. He glanced down at his copy of the town map. A friendly demon had sold him the "enhanced" version in exchange for a few arcane blessings.
"Ahh. A lost soul in search of accommodation."
Robert eyed the short balding man suspiciously. "You reek of demon."
"Well, reek is such a strong word." Willie recriminated. "You could use less offensive language. I have feelings here too."
Robert raised an eyebrow.
"Anyway." Willie continued. "You look like you could use somewhere off the beaten track. If you get what I mean. And I have just the place. $100 a week, negotiable. Minimal questions asked. What'd'ya say?"
"You don't strike me as the generous type. Where's the catch?"
"Again you go with the insults." Willie procrastinated. "I'm very hurt here that I can't do people favours and have them accepted in good faith."
Robert raised an eyebrow. "Where's the catch?"
"No catch, really. And you won't think I'm so generous after you've seen the place. But you won't find a better offer on such short notice. Not without all those pesky little questions."
"If It's as bad as you say you can let it go for $50 a week." Robert commented.
"$75, and I'm slitting my own throat here." Willie said.
"Done." Robert said.
"Right this way then."
Robert shook his head. Prophecies did have a funny way of coming true. He'd have thought that wild horses couldn't have dragged him here. But here he was, so close to the mouth of hell he could practically smell it. If the rest of the prophecy held up, the next few days were not going to be fun.
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Xander looked up at the crescent moon riding high in the sky as he walked to the Bronze. He could feel the hunger now. Spike had said it might take a day or so to really set in, but it was there with a vengeance now. He stopped as he noticed the girl walking up behind him, she'd do just fine. Carefully he manoeuvred himself s that she caught the back of his heel with her own foot, putting his new found dexterity to use he faked a fall as best he could.
"Oufff!" Xander made as convincing exclamation of pain as he could as he landed face down in the gutter.
"Ohmygod! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" The girl scrambled over to help him up.
Xander groaned as he got up onto his knees. "Yeah. I might me concussed, but I think I'll live. How about you?" Xander pretended to force a smile as he looked at the girl. She was quite a catch. Young, her blood was pure, even he could smell that. She would taste good.
"Do you want any help? I can help you to the hospital if you want." She looked up and down at him as she helped him to his feet. She could excuse the clothes being as she had probably ruined most of them, even with that taken into account he wasn't really all that. She wouldn't even be looking twice at him if not for the aura of confidence he seemed to be wearing like a cloak.
"I don't think I'm quite a hospital case." He replied smiling inwardly to himself as he noticed the look in her eyes. He could get used to this. "But I tell you what.... I know a quite good all night cafe round here. I could use a drink and a sit down, and you look like you could use someone to talk to, or at least to listen to you. What do you say?"
She smiled as she linked her arm through his. "Okay.... By the way, what's your name?"
Xander paused a moment, his brow creased in thought. A name was so much more than what people said when they wanted your attention, your name carried with it your whole life. He didn't need that.
"Alex." he responded. "You?"
"Lisa"
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The silence was split by her scream. A terrible, primal sound of fear she made as she scrambled away and sprinted down the alleyway as fast as she could. Xander watched her for a moment, relishing in the shock and fear that had erupted when she saw his face. She wasn't going to make it, but it was more fun if she didn't know that.
The trash bags and the dumpsters flashed by her as she ran, the only sound audible to her was her own breathing as her heart raced in terror. With a rush of air a dark shape dropped down in front of her. Unable to stop in time she collided with the figure and bounced away, landing on the floor a few feet distant. She looked up at the figure, who seemed completely unmoved by the impact and her eyes widened in terror as she saw the two fangs glinting in the bright moonlight. Frantically she scrambled backwards, but his saunter easily closed the ground as he reached down and clasped his hand around her neck. Ignoring her retchings he hauled her up and pinned her against the wall, seemingly with no effort whatsoever. As his eyes met hers her struggling ceased. It was over now, she at least knew that much. A wicked smile played across his features, despair was just as sweet an elixir as terror. Gripping her by her shoulders he planted her feet on the ground. She remained dumbfounded, her glassy eyes staring plaintively into his. Reverting to his human face he caressed her cheek.
"Shhh now." He whispered "Shhh."
She shuddered slightly as the tears began to flow. "What...... are you?" She whimpered.
"Shhh, Shhh" He whispered again as his body moved closer to hers. "All be over soon." He said as his hand moved down to the curve of her neck, his vampire face manifesting itself again out of her sight. He felt her back arch in pain as he sunk his fangs in. Her mouth open in a silent scream she tried in vain to push him away with all of her failing strength. Her vision faded first to a murky grey twilight, then to black as consciousness left her altogether.
Xander slammed the empty vessel against the wall, staring up at the sky as the new blood flowed through him, invigorating and rejuvenating him. letting the body slide down to the floor he looked into the dead eyes for a moment.
"Was it good for you too?" He quipped as he walked off down the alley.