Title: Rain Falls On The Just (19/20)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: We're on part 19 for crying out loud! If you don't know what's happening, you better start reading. Come back when you're done. That's it. Go on.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a German import of "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window," and a roll of certs. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and (for now) the WB own Buffy and all related characters.
"Get the baby," Xander said, as he brought the baseball down hard between Angel's shoulders. " Get in the bathroom and lock the door. There are more vamps outside."
"I'm not leaving you," she said, and Xander knew it wasn't the time to argue with her.
"How touching," Angel said through gritted teeth. He struggled to get to his feet, but Xander kicked him hard in the ribs and he went down again.
"Shut up," Xander said. "You're not so tough now that you're human. I suggest you give us some information that will help get us out of here."
"Only one problem with that plan," Angel said, catching his breath.
"What's that?"
Angel shot to his feet and glared at Xander with demonic, yellow eyes. "I'm not human anymore."
Buffy paced on the rooftop. Giles had fired a line to the roof of Wolfram and Hart's building and was busy rigging the pulley that would carry them all across.
"He went back, didn't he?" Anya asked, appearing behind her. "He thought Cordelia was in danger."
Buffy nodded. "I couldn't stop him. Not after I questioned his feelings for Cordy. He had to know I thought he could handle himself."
"He could die," Anya said sharply.
"If he does," the Host said, stepping into their conversation. "it'll be because he's protecting your baby. The child is gonna play a huge part in the little play we call 'Things To Come.' Wolfram and Hart know this. They sent Angel after the boy."
"No," Buffy said. "Why didn't you tell me? Xander can hold his own against an ordinary vamp or two, but..."
"Angel will kill him," Anya said. "Human or not."
"Now hold on," the Host said. "Let's not go getting our knickers into a twist. Xander has his destiny. You ladies have your own. We have a job to do. I suggest we do it."
"He's right," Buffy said, fighting back the nausea she felt rising to her throat. "Xander would want us to end this. He'll save your baby."
"I know he will," Anya said, wiping away her tears with a transparent hand. "That's not what I'm worried about."
"I know," Buffy said. "But a lot of lives are at stake if we can't stop these creeps. Everybody has a part to play. I just wish Xander's didn't have him facing Angel."
"What's wrong boy?" Angel asked with a smile. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Before Xander could even react, Angel hit him in the face. The blow sent him flying over the back of the sofa. Cordelia screamed and made a run for the baby. Angel pulled a knife from his jacket and threw it her way. The blade lodged itself in her shoulder, causing her to drop to her knees in pain.
"Stay where you are," Angel said with a wink. "You're next."
"How?" Xander asked, picking himself up and gripping the baseball bat tightly. "You were human."
"Exactly. Past tense. See, after Glinda the good witch teleported me away, I realized the big battle was coming sooner than expected. It made sense that Wolfram and Hart would want me out of the picture once the Slayer was dead. Heck, I'd get rid of the loose ends too. But I decided I needed an edge. So, I found a nest on the south side. I convinced them of who I was, and they turned me. Seems I still have quite the rep in the vamp community. Lindsay never figured it out because they pulled my soul before they made me human. The vampire detectors in his building had been told I was okay, so they didn't alert anyone to THIS vamp being on property."
"Pretty slick," Xander said. "You ready to die now?"
"You couldn't take me before. You can't take me now."
"Bring it, then. We'll find out."
Buffy landed quietly on the rooftop. Faith was next, followed by the Host. Anya just appeared next to them. Willow came next with Giles bringing up the rear.
"Is the spell ready, Will?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. Giles and I are good to go." She checked her watch. "Give us a minute to set up. Oz will be in position in 5. We'll be ready."
"Good," Buffy said. "A little luck, and we might survive this thing."
Cordelia had finally managed to dislodge the blade from her shoulder, when Xander fell at her feet. His head was bleeding but it was impossible to tell where the wound was. To Xander's credit, Angel looked like a walking bruise. Unfortunately, vampires heal fast.
"Not bad," Angel said, licking Xander's blood from his fist. "I'm actually enjoying this."
"Leave him alone!" Cordelia shouted.
"That's no fun," Angel said with a smile. "The best part is that look on your face as I kill him."
"Don't," she begged. "Don't kill him."
"Okay, but only for you," he said matter-of-factly. "Xander, you're out of the number one position on my kill list." He grabbed Cordelia roughly by the hair and pulled her to him. "But I just gotta see that look."
Xander willed his body to move, but it refused. His ribs were cracked. He tasted iron in his mouth and knew it was blood. His vision was blurred. The only thing he could do was scream. "No!"
There was a loud crack just before Cordelia's body slumped to the floor in front of him. Her eyes were open, staring at him blankly.
"That's a real shame," Angel chuckled. "I really liked her."
Oz crashed the van through the front of Wolfram and Hart's building just as Willow and Giles were starting their spell on the roof. He jumped out of the van, preparing himself for an onslaught. Security was on him in an instant. He managed to fend them off for a moment, but they soon had him down, They kicked and punched until he thought he would black out. Then suddenly, he smiled. He could feel the change coming.
The guards jumped away from him when they saw what was happening, but there was nowhere to run. The werewolf was on them faster than they could react.
"It's done," Willow said.
"Let's move," Buffy said. "Faith and I'll take point."
"I'll...*cough*... kill you," Xander slurred. "Like... promised I would."
"You're funny," Angel said. "I hate that." He kicked Xander hard enough for another rib to crack.
"Any second now you're in trouble," Xander wheezed.
Angel picked him up by the throat and held him over his head. "Bored now. Time to die."
There was a sound. It was wet and horrid. Angel's smile disappeared just before he erupted in a cloud of dust. Xander hit the ground with a thud, dropping a pencil from his right hand. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
"He's alive," the Host whispered to Buffy.
"Xander?" she asked.
"Took Angelus down, too."
"And he's okay?"
"He's alive, I said. He's still got to get the baby out of there, before the other vamps figure out Angel lost and storm the joint."
"He'll make it," Buffy smiled. "Seems like he always does."
"Maybe. But there's sort of a haze around what happens next. There's really no predicting it."
"You mentioned Xander and the baby, but not..."
"She's dead, hon," the Host said glumly. "It's a shame too. Cordelia was something."
"Yeah," Buffy said, thinking back to her high school days. "She was."
"I think it best not to tell the others," the Host said. "No sense depressing everyone now that we're inside. You ready for me to split and try to lead the guards away?"
"Yeah. Make some noise," Buffy said, removing her sword from its sheath. "Let's get this party started."
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: We're on part 19 for crying out loud! If you don't know what's happening, you better start reading. Come back when you're done. That's it. Go on.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a German import of "How Much Is That Doggy In The Window," and a roll of certs. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and (for now) the WB own Buffy and all related characters.
"Get the baby," Xander said, as he brought the baseball down hard between Angel's shoulders. " Get in the bathroom and lock the door. There are more vamps outside."
"I'm not leaving you," she said, and Xander knew it wasn't the time to argue with her.
"How touching," Angel said through gritted teeth. He struggled to get to his feet, but Xander kicked him hard in the ribs and he went down again.
"Shut up," Xander said. "You're not so tough now that you're human. I suggest you give us some information that will help get us out of here."
"Only one problem with that plan," Angel said, catching his breath.
"What's that?"
Angel shot to his feet and glared at Xander with demonic, yellow eyes. "I'm not human anymore."
Buffy paced on the rooftop. Giles had fired a line to the roof of Wolfram and Hart's building and was busy rigging the pulley that would carry them all across.
"He went back, didn't he?" Anya asked, appearing behind her. "He thought Cordelia was in danger."
Buffy nodded. "I couldn't stop him. Not after I questioned his feelings for Cordy. He had to know I thought he could handle himself."
"He could die," Anya said sharply.
"If he does," the Host said, stepping into their conversation. "it'll be because he's protecting your baby. The child is gonna play a huge part in the little play we call 'Things To Come.' Wolfram and Hart know this. They sent Angel after the boy."
"No," Buffy said. "Why didn't you tell me? Xander can hold his own against an ordinary vamp or two, but..."
"Angel will kill him," Anya said. "Human or not."
"Now hold on," the Host said. "Let's not go getting our knickers into a twist. Xander has his destiny. You ladies have your own. We have a job to do. I suggest we do it."
"He's right," Buffy said, fighting back the nausea she felt rising to her throat. "Xander would want us to end this. He'll save your baby."
"I know he will," Anya said, wiping away her tears with a transparent hand. "That's not what I'm worried about."
"I know," Buffy said. "But a lot of lives are at stake if we can't stop these creeps. Everybody has a part to play. I just wish Xander's didn't have him facing Angel."
"What's wrong boy?" Angel asked with a smile. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
Before Xander could even react, Angel hit him in the face. The blow sent him flying over the back of the sofa. Cordelia screamed and made a run for the baby. Angel pulled a knife from his jacket and threw it her way. The blade lodged itself in her shoulder, causing her to drop to her knees in pain.
"Stay where you are," Angel said with a wink. "You're next."
"How?" Xander asked, picking himself up and gripping the baseball bat tightly. "You were human."
"Exactly. Past tense. See, after Glinda the good witch teleported me away, I realized the big battle was coming sooner than expected. It made sense that Wolfram and Hart would want me out of the picture once the Slayer was dead. Heck, I'd get rid of the loose ends too. But I decided I needed an edge. So, I found a nest on the south side. I convinced them of who I was, and they turned me. Seems I still have quite the rep in the vamp community. Lindsay never figured it out because they pulled my soul before they made me human. The vampire detectors in his building had been told I was okay, so they didn't alert anyone to THIS vamp being on property."
"Pretty slick," Xander said. "You ready to die now?"
"You couldn't take me before. You can't take me now."
"Bring it, then. We'll find out."
Buffy landed quietly on the rooftop. Faith was next, followed by the Host. Anya just appeared next to them. Willow came next with Giles bringing up the rear.
"Is the spell ready, Will?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. Giles and I are good to go." She checked her watch. "Give us a minute to set up. Oz will be in position in 5. We'll be ready."
"Good," Buffy said. "A little luck, and we might survive this thing."
Cordelia had finally managed to dislodge the blade from her shoulder, when Xander fell at her feet. His head was bleeding but it was impossible to tell where the wound was. To Xander's credit, Angel looked like a walking bruise. Unfortunately, vampires heal fast.
"Not bad," Angel said, licking Xander's blood from his fist. "I'm actually enjoying this."
"Leave him alone!" Cordelia shouted.
"That's no fun," Angel said with a smile. "The best part is that look on your face as I kill him."
"Don't," she begged. "Don't kill him."
"Okay, but only for you," he said matter-of-factly. "Xander, you're out of the number one position on my kill list." He grabbed Cordelia roughly by the hair and pulled her to him. "But I just gotta see that look."
Xander willed his body to move, but it refused. His ribs were cracked. He tasted iron in his mouth and knew it was blood. His vision was blurred. The only thing he could do was scream. "No!"
There was a loud crack just before Cordelia's body slumped to the floor in front of him. Her eyes were open, staring at him blankly.
"That's a real shame," Angel chuckled. "I really liked her."
Oz crashed the van through the front of Wolfram and Hart's building just as Willow and Giles were starting their spell on the roof. He jumped out of the van, preparing himself for an onslaught. Security was on him in an instant. He managed to fend them off for a moment, but they soon had him down, They kicked and punched until he thought he would black out. Then suddenly, he smiled. He could feel the change coming.
The guards jumped away from him when they saw what was happening, but there was nowhere to run. The werewolf was on them faster than they could react.
"It's done," Willow said.
"Let's move," Buffy said. "Faith and I'll take point."
"I'll...*cough*... kill you," Xander slurred. "Like... promised I would."
"You're funny," Angel said. "I hate that." He kicked Xander hard enough for another rib to crack.
"Any second now you're in trouble," Xander wheezed.
Angel picked him up by the throat and held him over his head. "Bored now. Time to die."
There was a sound. It was wet and horrid. Angel's smile disappeared just before he erupted in a cloud of dust. Xander hit the ground with a thud, dropping a pencil from his right hand. "Couldn't have said it better myself."
"He's alive," the Host whispered to Buffy.
"Xander?" she asked.
"Took Angelus down, too."
"And he's okay?"
"He's alive, I said. He's still got to get the baby out of there, before the other vamps figure out Angel lost and storm the joint."
"He'll make it," Buffy smiled. "Seems like he always does."
"Maybe. But there's sort of a haze around what happens next. There's really no predicting it."
"You mentioned Xander and the baby, but not..."
"She's dead, hon," the Host said glumly. "It's a shame too. Cordelia was something."
"Yeah," Buffy said, thinking back to her high school days. "She was."
"I think it best not to tell the others," the Host said. "No sense depressing everyone now that we're inside. You ready for me to split and try to lead the guards away?"
"Yeah. Make some noise," Buffy said, removing her sword from its sheath. "Let's get this party started."