Title: Rain Falls On The Just (10/?)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X... Get over it!
Description: If you don't know by now, I'm not telling!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a pickled herring and a single of Robert Tilton singing "You're Having My Baby." Buffy and all related characters are own by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. They are the ones with talent. I simply throw their name around.
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"I can't believe this," Giles said. "You're certain Oz was dead?"
"Yeah," Faith said. "I'm sure. It was a newly risen vamp. God, I was stupid. I had stopped to tie my hair back. Didn't even see the fresh grave. I heard something move and told Oz to stay put. When I came back the grave was empty and Oz was dead."
"Damn it," Buffy said. "Did you see the vamp? Was there anything unusual about them?"
"You're thinking this is part of whatever has been happening?" Faith asked.
"Well, I doubt it's coincidence," Angel said. "Oz arrives to help us out and gets himself killed. Whoever is after us must've targeted Oz as well."
"Which is exactly what I was afraid of," Buffy said. "You just left his body there?"
"Well, I had the feeling I was being surrounded. What would you have done?"
"Are you gonna be okay?" Angel asked Buffy. "You've lost so much within the last week or so. You need time to grieve... and say goodbye."
"And I'll take time to grieve as soon as whoever is behind this is dead. Faith, you and Angel patrol the west sector. Giles and I will take the east and plan our next move. I'm sick of flying blind. We have got to figure out who is behind this and put a stop to it."
"This has got to stop," Cordelia winced. A Luk'enra demon had her by the back of the neck and was lifting her off the ground. Xander came from nowhere, striking the demon in the back with a crude battle axe. The demon fell to his knees and cursed in some indistinguishable tongue.
"Why are these guys after us?" Xander questioned, while taking another swing and cleaving the creature's head from its shoulders.
"Maybe they're like demon fashion police," Cordelia said. "And they finally caught up with you."
"Funny. You okay?"
Cordelia rubbed the back of her neck and then slipped her arms around Xander. "I'm scared."
Xander kissed the top of her head . "We'll make it. Buffy will get us home."
"And if she doesn't?"
"She will. End of story. In the meantime, we'll take care of each other."
She looked up into his eyes. Before he realized what was happening, she was kissing him. He knew he felt nothing for her more than friendship, but just for a moment, he kissed her back. When he snapped out of it and pulled away, she knew the reason why. "Buffy?"
"Buffy," he repeated. "I love her, Cor."
"I know. I've always known. How could I not?"
"I'm sorry. That sounds lame, but I really am."
"It's okay. We were both scared. I won't say anything."
"Not sorry for the kiss. For the past. For having someone like you in my life and screwing it up because I loved someone else. I hurt you. I know that. I just..."
"Love her. It's okay."
He smiled at her for a second. "And we're okay?"
"We're good. She's lucky you know."
"Really?"
"No. Not really."
"Ah."
Buffy hugged Willow Rosenberg so tightly that Tara thought her girlfriend might be crushed to death. But she grinned and awaited her turn. Seconds later, she was the one being crushed.
"I am so glad you guys are okay," Buffy beamed.
"We were until you hugged us," Willow said with half a grin.
"Oz is on his way to L.A. to find Anya's husband and baby," Buffy said. "I need you guys to work on a spell to bring Xander and Cordelia back from the demon dimension they're trapped in."
"Straight to business, huh?" Willow's face got serious. "Faith told us about Angel. You think we can restore his soul?"
"I don't think so," Buffy said. "He's human now. He has a soul, demonic though it is. We need to focus on other matters first."
"I-I'm sorry," Tara stuttered. "It must be awful for you."
"I'll deal with my feelings over that once we put an end to Wolfram and Hart's plans. The first step is getting Xander back safe and sound. I can't take down Angel until that's done. If you guys can't get him back, I'll need Angel around to tell me how."
"We'll get started," Willow said. "This place should be safe enough."
"Yeah. It was Faith's idea. She said nobody really pays any attention to this place since it was deserted."
"Well," Tara said, looking around the place. "Even when the motel was open, things were pretty quiet around here."
"Which should give you plenty of time and privacy to figure out a way to get Xander home."
"And Cordelia," Willow said.
"Yeah," Buffy said, biting her bottom lip.
"Is something wrong?" Tara asked.
"It's just that... Xander and Cordelia were pretty... tight when we were in high school, and..."
"Buffy, Xander wouldn't cheat on you. He's wanted you from the start. He never loved Cordelia."
"But she loved him. What if he thinks I won't come for him? What if Anya couldn't get the message to him?"
"I did," Anya said, appearing behind her. Buffy, Willow and Tara all jumped out of their skins in unison. "And I think I have an idea of how we can get them home."
"So New Mexico is home?" Angel asked.
"Pretty much," Faith said, glancing across the cemetery. "They got a Hellmouth and everything in my town. Feels kinda homey."
"You scared? About this stuff going on?"
"Spitless. But I figure you only live once. Right?"
"Well, I may be the worst person to ask about that particular statement."
"Hmm. You scared?"
"No. If the end comes, it comes. So long as Buffy is safe, I'll be happy."
"Mighty big of you. Still..."
"What?"
"I wish there was another option. I mean, I know it's bad, but... what if they just want Buffy? I mean, the rest of us could just be getting in their way."
"She needs us."
"Yeah. I know. I guess it's just that old survival instinct in me. I get antsy to find a way out of this with my skin intact. C'mon. Let's head back to Giles' place."
She turned and walked on, not catching the look Angel gave her behind her back. "Interesting," he thought. "Slayer against Slayer? It has its possibilities."
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X... Get over it!
Description: If you don't know by now, I'm not telling!
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a pickled herring and a single of Robert Tilton singing "You're Having My Baby." Buffy and all related characters are own by Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and the WB. They are the ones with talent. I simply throw their name around.
******************************************************************************************
"I can't believe this," Giles said. "You're certain Oz was dead?"
"Yeah," Faith said. "I'm sure. It was a newly risen vamp. God, I was stupid. I had stopped to tie my hair back. Didn't even see the fresh grave. I heard something move and told Oz to stay put. When I came back the grave was empty and Oz was dead."
"Damn it," Buffy said. "Did you see the vamp? Was there anything unusual about them?"
"You're thinking this is part of whatever has been happening?" Faith asked.
"Well, I doubt it's coincidence," Angel said. "Oz arrives to help us out and gets himself killed. Whoever is after us must've targeted Oz as well."
"Which is exactly what I was afraid of," Buffy said. "You just left his body there?"
"Well, I had the feeling I was being surrounded. What would you have done?"
"Are you gonna be okay?" Angel asked Buffy. "You've lost so much within the last week or so. You need time to grieve... and say goodbye."
"And I'll take time to grieve as soon as whoever is behind this is dead. Faith, you and Angel patrol the west sector. Giles and I will take the east and plan our next move. I'm sick of flying blind. We have got to figure out who is behind this and put a stop to it."
"This has got to stop," Cordelia winced. A Luk'enra demon had her by the back of the neck and was lifting her off the ground. Xander came from nowhere, striking the demon in the back with a crude battle axe. The demon fell to his knees and cursed in some indistinguishable tongue.
"Why are these guys after us?" Xander questioned, while taking another swing and cleaving the creature's head from its shoulders.
"Maybe they're like demon fashion police," Cordelia said. "And they finally caught up with you."
"Funny. You okay?"
Cordelia rubbed the back of her neck and then slipped her arms around Xander. "I'm scared."
Xander kissed the top of her head . "We'll make it. Buffy will get us home."
"And if she doesn't?"
"She will. End of story. In the meantime, we'll take care of each other."
She looked up into his eyes. Before he realized what was happening, she was kissing him. He knew he felt nothing for her more than friendship, but just for a moment, he kissed her back. When he snapped out of it and pulled away, she knew the reason why. "Buffy?"
"Buffy," he repeated. "I love her, Cor."
"I know. I've always known. How could I not?"
"I'm sorry. That sounds lame, but I really am."
"It's okay. We were both scared. I won't say anything."
"Not sorry for the kiss. For the past. For having someone like you in my life and screwing it up because I loved someone else. I hurt you. I know that. I just..."
"Love her. It's okay."
He smiled at her for a second. "And we're okay?"
"We're good. She's lucky you know."
"Really?"
"No. Not really."
"Ah."
Buffy hugged Willow Rosenberg so tightly that Tara thought her girlfriend might be crushed to death. But she grinned and awaited her turn. Seconds later, she was the one being crushed.
"I am so glad you guys are okay," Buffy beamed.
"We were until you hugged us," Willow said with half a grin.
"Oz is on his way to L.A. to find Anya's husband and baby," Buffy said. "I need you guys to work on a spell to bring Xander and Cordelia back from the demon dimension they're trapped in."
"Straight to business, huh?" Willow's face got serious. "Faith told us about Angel. You think we can restore his soul?"
"I don't think so," Buffy said. "He's human now. He has a soul, demonic though it is. We need to focus on other matters first."
"I-I'm sorry," Tara stuttered. "It must be awful for you."
"I'll deal with my feelings over that once we put an end to Wolfram and Hart's plans. The first step is getting Xander back safe and sound. I can't take down Angel until that's done. If you guys can't get him back, I'll need Angel around to tell me how."
"We'll get started," Willow said. "This place should be safe enough."
"Yeah. It was Faith's idea. She said nobody really pays any attention to this place since it was deserted."
"Well," Tara said, looking around the place. "Even when the motel was open, things were pretty quiet around here."
"Which should give you plenty of time and privacy to figure out a way to get Xander home."
"And Cordelia," Willow said.
"Yeah," Buffy said, biting her bottom lip.
"Is something wrong?" Tara asked.
"It's just that... Xander and Cordelia were pretty... tight when we were in high school, and..."
"Buffy, Xander wouldn't cheat on you. He's wanted you from the start. He never loved Cordelia."
"But she loved him. What if he thinks I won't come for him? What if Anya couldn't get the message to him?"
"I did," Anya said, appearing behind her. Buffy, Willow and Tara all jumped out of their skins in unison. "And I think I have an idea of how we can get them home."
"So New Mexico is home?" Angel asked.
"Pretty much," Faith said, glancing across the cemetery. "They got a Hellmouth and everything in my town. Feels kinda homey."
"You scared? About this stuff going on?"
"Spitless. But I figure you only live once. Right?"
"Well, I may be the worst person to ask about that particular statement."
"Hmm. You scared?"
"No. If the end comes, it comes. So long as Buffy is safe, I'll be happy."
"Mighty big of you. Still..."
"What?"
"I wish there was another option. I mean, I know it's bad, but... what if they just want Buffy? I mean, the rest of us could just be getting in their way."
"She needs us."
"Yeah. I know. I guess it's just that old survival instinct in me. I get antsy to find a way out of this with my skin intact. C'mon. Let's head back to Giles' place."
She turned and walked on, not catching the look Angel gave her behind her back. "Interesting," he thought. "Slayer against Slayer? It has its possibilities."