Ceres glanced towards the front door as she heard it shut softly and
watched as Buffy entered her house slowly.
"Long night?" Ceres asked.
Buffy didn't seem surprised to see her in the living room.
"You could say that again." Buffy agreed as she collapsed into a chair
opposite her friend.
"Dawn is upstairs in bed." Ceres told the Slayer. "Willow and Tara went
out. I was just waiting until you got home."
"Thanks for watching her." Buffy managed a smile.
"You ok tonight?" Ceres asked, concern tinting her voice.
"Me? Oh, yeah. All kinds of ok." Buffy assured her.
Ceres frowned.
"If you don't want to talk about it, say so. Don't lie to me."
Buffy sighed.
"Ceres.."
"Never mind, get to bed. You look exhausted." Ceres interrupted her.
"There are some things I need to do anyway."
"At one o'clock in the morning?" Buffy regarded the other girl.
Ceres got up and made her way to the doorway.
"Good-night Buffy." She called over her shoulder before leaving the
Summers' house.
Ceres scanned the graveyard around her as she cut through it on her way
home. She lived in a rather nice and rather large apartment not far
from the graveyard.
Then again, in Sunnydale, nothing was very far from the graveyard.
A warm spring breeze caressed her cheek, brining with it a scent that
made her blood run cold.
Ceres froze, not daring to move a muscle. Hardly even daring to draw
a breath.
It wasn't a vampire, and she wished with all her heart that is was.
Ceres could handle vampires, and most any other demon.
Except, maybe these ones.
She tasted the air carefully, channeling her powers into her heightened
senses.
There were at least five of them, maybe six.
Ceres shivered slightly.
She might not be able to take all of them.
And to make it worse, she couldn't tell where they were.
They could be hiding behind the next tomb, or clear on the other side
of the over-sized graveyard.
Taking a deep breath, Ceres started walking again.
If she were lucky, she might be able to get away before she was seen.
But lady luck was not with her tonight.
For as she passed the Buckham tomb, she spotted the five of them.
And to make matters worse, they spotted her too.
They looked like a cross between feline and human.
Standing from 5-6 feet tall with fur covering their bodies.
Cat ears, eyes, marking, and tails. Not to mention what looked like
midevil clothing.
The five creatures flexed their claws and hissed as they caught sight
of Ceres, who felt her heart stop as they regarded her.
"Oh shit.." She breathed.
With no warning, they were upon her.
Ceres blocked their attacks as best she could, using her magic every
chance they gave her.
But she knew she was losing.
Another few moments, and Ceres would be at their mercy.
As she threw one into the crypt with a gust of wind, Ceres noticed
another go down out of the corner of her eye.
"Spike!" She exclaimed, relief flowing off of her in waves.
"Thought you might like some help." Spike replied.
Ceres' words of thanks were cut off as she dodged a set of claws.
With a single word, she sent the offending creature flying into the
same crypt as the last.
The remaining two regarded the witch and vampire.
With their numbers evened out now, they had lost their advantage.
"You knew we would come eventually." The one with tabby markings
hissed. "You defeated us today, but there will be more. We know where
you are now, little one."
And with that, they turned and ran.
watched as Buffy entered her house slowly.
"Long night?" Ceres asked.
Buffy didn't seem surprised to see her in the living room.
"You could say that again." Buffy agreed as she collapsed into a chair
opposite her friend.
"Dawn is upstairs in bed." Ceres told the Slayer. "Willow and Tara went
out. I was just waiting until you got home."
"Thanks for watching her." Buffy managed a smile.
"You ok tonight?" Ceres asked, concern tinting her voice.
"Me? Oh, yeah. All kinds of ok." Buffy assured her.
Ceres frowned.
"If you don't want to talk about it, say so. Don't lie to me."
Buffy sighed.
"Ceres.."
"Never mind, get to bed. You look exhausted." Ceres interrupted her.
"There are some things I need to do anyway."
"At one o'clock in the morning?" Buffy regarded the other girl.
Ceres got up and made her way to the doorway.
"Good-night Buffy." She called over her shoulder before leaving the
Summers' house.
Ceres scanned the graveyard around her as she cut through it on her way
home. She lived in a rather nice and rather large apartment not far
from the graveyard.
Then again, in Sunnydale, nothing was very far from the graveyard.
A warm spring breeze caressed her cheek, brining with it a scent that
made her blood run cold.
Ceres froze, not daring to move a muscle. Hardly even daring to draw
a breath.
It wasn't a vampire, and she wished with all her heart that is was.
Ceres could handle vampires, and most any other demon.
Except, maybe these ones.
She tasted the air carefully, channeling her powers into her heightened
senses.
There were at least five of them, maybe six.
Ceres shivered slightly.
She might not be able to take all of them.
And to make it worse, she couldn't tell where they were.
They could be hiding behind the next tomb, or clear on the other side
of the over-sized graveyard.
Taking a deep breath, Ceres started walking again.
If she were lucky, she might be able to get away before she was seen.
But lady luck was not with her tonight.
For as she passed the Buckham tomb, she spotted the five of them.
And to make matters worse, they spotted her too.
They looked like a cross between feline and human.
Standing from 5-6 feet tall with fur covering their bodies.
Cat ears, eyes, marking, and tails. Not to mention what looked like
midevil clothing.
The five creatures flexed their claws and hissed as they caught sight
of Ceres, who felt her heart stop as they regarded her.
"Oh shit.." She breathed.
With no warning, they were upon her.
Ceres blocked their attacks as best she could, using her magic every
chance they gave her.
But she knew she was losing.
Another few moments, and Ceres would be at their mercy.
As she threw one into the crypt with a gust of wind, Ceres noticed
another go down out of the corner of her eye.
"Spike!" She exclaimed, relief flowing off of her in waves.
"Thought you might like some help." Spike replied.
Ceres' words of thanks were cut off as she dodged a set of claws.
With a single word, she sent the offending creature flying into the
same crypt as the last.
The remaining two regarded the witch and vampire.
With their numbers evened out now, they had lost their advantage.
"You knew we would come eventually." The one with tabby markings
hissed. "You defeated us today, but there will be more. We know where
you are now, little one."
And with that, they turned and ran.