A prequel to "Until Sunrise", this takes place right after "Graduation:
Part 2". Angel and Wesley are long gone, Anya is still hiding away, and
Cordelia has just left Sunnydale as well.
DISCLAIMER: This story is put on this site with the consent of the writer. DO NOT use this material unless you have her consent. The "Buffy" and "Angel" characters and settings are property of Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy. This story is FAN FICTION; I am not profiting from their use. All new characters and settings have been born from my imagination.
FIFTEEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Two vamps came to the gate.
"You're early." One of them snarled.
"You said to bring what you wanted BY 3am." Bridgette argued. "Generally that means anytime before would be just as suitable. It's also polite. But I guess you wouldn't know about that kind of thing would you?"
The other vampire growled. The one who spoke was silent for a moment.
"One of them is missing." He said.
"What?"
"One of them." The vampire pointed at the others.
Willow, Oz, Giles and Buffy were restrained. Though Buffy more then the others. She was wearing every restraint available and she was gagged. It had made for a difficult walk to the gate! Bridgette had hold of her from the back to be perfectly sure she wouldn't get away.
Xander was nowhere in sight.
"Oh, you mean the clown. The Slayer killed him before I could restrain her. He would have been of no value to you anyway."
"Where is your proof?"
"What, you mean like a body? Well I would have brought it, but she didn't leave much of a body behind. There would've been no way to tell it was him!"
The vampire hissed, but then turned and signaled someone behind him.
After a moment there was a flash of light, the source being the gate.
The vamps opened the gates and one stepped forward and grabbed Oz and Giles.
"You won't get away with this!" Giles snapped bitterly, as part of the show.
"I already have, Old Boy." Bridgette mocked in an English accent.
"Please," Willow pleaded, getting into it herself. "Just let us go."
"Sorry, can't do that. Kristin needs me."
"You'd sacrifice all of us for one?" Willow went on.
"Wake up witchy, I am right now." She pushed Willow over to the other vamp and followed them with Buffy.
On the opposite side of the control building was the access to vamp central.
Waiting there outside, were the two demons with Kristin.
Talkative Vamp took Buffy from Bridgette and the four hostages were moved downstairs.
"What's going on?" Bridgette demanded.
"We're here to finish the trade." Demon One said simply. The other shoved Kristin over to her.
Kristin gasped in relief. "Bridgette!"
Bridgette hugged her in attempts to comfort her.
"This wasn't the deal. I give you the Slayer and friends and you hand over ALL the hostages. THAT was the deal."
"You surprise me," Demon One said, "I didn't even think you knew the others."
"I don't."
"Then why bother fretting over them? You handed over the Slayer and friends with no problem."
"A deal's a deal."
"Yes, well, the deal's been changed. Either you leave now, without incident, or you and your friend die too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here kitty kitty…Ghost? Ghost! Where the hell are you?!" Xander tried to keep his voice down, but the cat was starting to piss him off! "Come on! Knock it off with the vampire kitty stealth. We need to work as a team here! Why couldn't Bridgette have adopted Bunnicula?!"
No sooner had the two gotten over the wall, then had Ghost taken to the heavily shadowed trees. The duffel bag of weapons Xander was carrying was slowing him down. But apparently all the spell stuff that damn cat carried wasn't effecting him at all.
"No good, rat-breath, evil-eyed fre----" Xander stopped as he heard a cat growling at his feet. "Ghost! There you are! Been looking everywhere for ya buddy!"
Ghost yowled angrily at him and Xander leapt back a step. But Ghost just turned around and bounded toward their destination.
They were coming at the Water Tower from a different direction, in attempts to sneak up on the bad guys. But with all the weapons Xander toted clanging together, he was having trouble being stealth guy. As they got closer, he had to walk slower and slower, in case there were vamps on guard.
When the building was in sight, Xander did a wide circle through the bushes checking for guards. No vamps, but what he did see was disconcerting to say the least.
At the back of the control building, Bridgette stood with Kristin, arguing with two demons.
*That may not be the best idea.*
And where were the others?
Things definitely did not look good.
Suddenly, one of the demons moved to attack the girls…
* * * * * * * * * * *
"I won't leave when I don't know your intentions." Bridgette vowed. "Why can't I have those people? And why do you need time at the speed it is?"
"You try our patience, girl." Demon Two seethed.
"Yeah?" Bridgette scoffed. "Well your breath tries my sense of smell!"
Demon Two lashed out for Bridgette's throat, but something attacked him first.
"Ghost!"
Bridgette kept herself between Kristin and the demons and backed off.
Ghost was quickly cast aside and now both demons were looking for a fight.
"Bridgette!" Came Xander's voice. He dashed out of the bushes, an axe in hand. "Catch!" He called and tossed the axe at Bridgette.
She caught it and took a swing at Demon Two who was coming at her.
Its head came clean off.
"Xander! Ghost! Get down there!" Bridgette ordered. "The others probably have their hands full!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
They did indeed.
As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Giles, Oz and Willow broke free of their very loose restraints and now they were fighting for their lives, weaponless.
Buffy was doing all right for herself, but still being moderately restrained, all of that could change. Being enraged wasn't going to do her much good either. It wasn't good for the others. She was likely to attack them as well if given the chance.
So it was nice to have luck on their side.
A vamp was struck in the back and he dusted.
Crossbow.
"Hey guys!" Xander called at the top of the stairs. "Cavalry's here!" He loaded another bolt and dusted another vamp.
Ghost made a beeline for Willow. Along with the spell stuff, Xander'd given Ghost a stake to give to her.
"Weapons for all." Xander announced as Giles and Oz met him at the bottom of the stairs.
Buffy let out a yell as she crushed a vamp's skull under foot.
"Except for her." Xander amended.
"Willow!" Giles called. "My suggestion would be hurry! It's midnight!"
Willow staked a vamp. "Trying too!" She called back.
Strapped to Ghost's back were a piece of paper Willow'd written the spell on and a gourd.
She headed for higher ground and the others did their best to guard her as she read the incantation.
In Latin she shouted:
"By the light of the midnight moon,
By the will of the Holy,
I command thee be calm.
I call on Dionysus to clear their minds,
And to cool their blood.
End the Rage.
Stop the Darkness.
Remove the spell cast upon their hearts."
Willow shattered the gourd on the floor. A wave of energy erupted from where she stood and spread out through the room.
The vampires and Buffy stood frozen for a moment.
"Buffy?" Willow called.
Buffy blinked and looked around, assessing everything. The vamps did the same.
A roar of anger emanated from outside where Bridgette still was.
The fight broke out again.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Demon One was decidedly more formidable then Demon Two had been. Bridgette had lost the axe and was fighting him hand to hand.
"You should've just handed over the other hostages." Bridgette informed him as she got the upper hand. "But now I have to beat the crap out of you before I kill you."
Bridgette was going in for another swing, when the ripple of Willow's spell blew past them.
"No!" The demon cried. "You can't! There's no possible way!"
"Why do bad guys always think that? Of course we can! You're evil, we're good. Do the math."
"You shall pay!" The demon growled.
"Again, you always say that, but in reality you'll never get the----" Bridgette quieted as she saw what was happening to the demon.
It's head split open, and from it a much much larger, much scarier, much more demon looking demon sprang out.
"Well…that was left out of the research."
The demon roared.
* * * * * * * * *
The gang could hear the fight heating up upstairs now that the vamps were dealt with.
Buffy was untied and back to her old self.
Any remaining hostages were being herded to the sewer tunnels, away from the action.
"Giles," Buffy began. "That doesn't sound like the ONE demon you described."
"No, it certainly does not."
Ghost was the first one up the stairs, followed by Buffy and Xander, then Willow, Oz and Giles.
What they saw outside attacking Bridgette and Kristin was definitely new territory.
"What do we do?" Xander demanded.
"Fight!" Buffy urged. She spotted the axe lying nearby and dove for it.
Xander shot the demon with the crossbow. The demon turned and reared its head back. Upon release it blasted a ball of fire from its mouth. Everyone dove out of the way.
"It breathes fire now?!" Buffy asked stuptified.
"Looks like." Xander offered bitterly.
"Well don't look at me." Giles protested. "The books didn't mention this!"
"Worry about proving that later," Bridgette called. "Fight now!"
The demon swung at Giles who kept it at bay with the broad sword he'd exchanged for a stake.
Buffy came at it from the side with the axe and both she and Giles started hacking at it.
But it wasn't really slowing it down.
Ghost leapt up and sank his fangs into an arm, but he was violently slammed into the ground and didn't get up.
"Ghost!" Bridgette dashed towards her feline companion.
"Bridgette wait!" Kristin dashed after her!
The demon took quick advantage of the situation and aimed a fireball at them.
"Look out!" Buffy yelled.
"Bridgette!" Xander cried.
"Scutatus Nunc Repercutio!" Willow shouted reaching an arm out to the fallen three.
The fireball bounced off a shield suddenly surrounding the trio and rebounded directly back to its sender.
One crispy demon, coming up.
In no time, nothing of the demon was left.
Everyone was still and silent for a moment.
Buffy and Giles threw down their weapons.
Bridgette cradled Ghost in her arms and she and Kristin stood.
Oz hugged Willow.
"Alright," Xander finally said. "Enough of this crap! I'm going on vacation!"
DISCLAIMER: This story is put on this site with the consent of the writer. DO NOT use this material unless you have her consent. The "Buffy" and "Angel" characters and settings are property of Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy. This story is FAN FICTION; I am not profiting from their use. All new characters and settings have been born from my imagination.
FIFTEEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
Two vamps came to the gate.
"You're early." One of them snarled.
"You said to bring what you wanted BY 3am." Bridgette argued. "Generally that means anytime before would be just as suitable. It's also polite. But I guess you wouldn't know about that kind of thing would you?"
The other vampire growled. The one who spoke was silent for a moment.
"One of them is missing." He said.
"What?"
"One of them." The vampire pointed at the others.
Willow, Oz, Giles and Buffy were restrained. Though Buffy more then the others. She was wearing every restraint available and she was gagged. It had made for a difficult walk to the gate! Bridgette had hold of her from the back to be perfectly sure she wouldn't get away.
Xander was nowhere in sight.
"Oh, you mean the clown. The Slayer killed him before I could restrain her. He would have been of no value to you anyway."
"Where is your proof?"
"What, you mean like a body? Well I would have brought it, but she didn't leave much of a body behind. There would've been no way to tell it was him!"
The vampire hissed, but then turned and signaled someone behind him.
After a moment there was a flash of light, the source being the gate.
The vamps opened the gates and one stepped forward and grabbed Oz and Giles.
"You won't get away with this!" Giles snapped bitterly, as part of the show.
"I already have, Old Boy." Bridgette mocked in an English accent.
"Please," Willow pleaded, getting into it herself. "Just let us go."
"Sorry, can't do that. Kristin needs me."
"You'd sacrifice all of us for one?" Willow went on.
"Wake up witchy, I am right now." She pushed Willow over to the other vamp and followed them with Buffy.
On the opposite side of the control building was the access to vamp central.
Waiting there outside, were the two demons with Kristin.
Talkative Vamp took Buffy from Bridgette and the four hostages were moved downstairs.
"What's going on?" Bridgette demanded.
"We're here to finish the trade." Demon One said simply. The other shoved Kristin over to her.
Kristin gasped in relief. "Bridgette!"
Bridgette hugged her in attempts to comfort her.
"This wasn't the deal. I give you the Slayer and friends and you hand over ALL the hostages. THAT was the deal."
"You surprise me," Demon One said, "I didn't even think you knew the others."
"I don't."
"Then why bother fretting over them? You handed over the Slayer and friends with no problem."
"A deal's a deal."
"Yes, well, the deal's been changed. Either you leave now, without incident, or you and your friend die too."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Here kitty kitty…Ghost? Ghost! Where the hell are you?!" Xander tried to keep his voice down, but the cat was starting to piss him off! "Come on! Knock it off with the vampire kitty stealth. We need to work as a team here! Why couldn't Bridgette have adopted Bunnicula?!"
No sooner had the two gotten over the wall, then had Ghost taken to the heavily shadowed trees. The duffel bag of weapons Xander was carrying was slowing him down. But apparently all the spell stuff that damn cat carried wasn't effecting him at all.
"No good, rat-breath, evil-eyed fre----" Xander stopped as he heard a cat growling at his feet. "Ghost! There you are! Been looking everywhere for ya buddy!"
Ghost yowled angrily at him and Xander leapt back a step. But Ghost just turned around and bounded toward their destination.
They were coming at the Water Tower from a different direction, in attempts to sneak up on the bad guys. But with all the weapons Xander toted clanging together, he was having trouble being stealth guy. As they got closer, he had to walk slower and slower, in case there were vamps on guard.
When the building was in sight, Xander did a wide circle through the bushes checking for guards. No vamps, but what he did see was disconcerting to say the least.
At the back of the control building, Bridgette stood with Kristin, arguing with two demons.
*That may not be the best idea.*
And where were the others?
Things definitely did not look good.
Suddenly, one of the demons moved to attack the girls…
* * * * * * * * * * *
"I won't leave when I don't know your intentions." Bridgette vowed. "Why can't I have those people? And why do you need time at the speed it is?"
"You try our patience, girl." Demon Two seethed.
"Yeah?" Bridgette scoffed. "Well your breath tries my sense of smell!"
Demon Two lashed out for Bridgette's throat, but something attacked him first.
"Ghost!"
Bridgette kept herself between Kristin and the demons and backed off.
Ghost was quickly cast aside and now both demons were looking for a fight.
"Bridgette!" Came Xander's voice. He dashed out of the bushes, an axe in hand. "Catch!" He called and tossed the axe at Bridgette.
She caught it and took a swing at Demon Two who was coming at her.
Its head came clean off.
"Xander! Ghost! Get down there!" Bridgette ordered. "The others probably have their hands full!"
* * * * * * * * * * *
They did indeed.
As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, Giles, Oz and Willow broke free of their very loose restraints and now they were fighting for their lives, weaponless.
Buffy was doing all right for herself, but still being moderately restrained, all of that could change. Being enraged wasn't going to do her much good either. It wasn't good for the others. She was likely to attack them as well if given the chance.
So it was nice to have luck on their side.
A vamp was struck in the back and he dusted.
Crossbow.
"Hey guys!" Xander called at the top of the stairs. "Cavalry's here!" He loaded another bolt and dusted another vamp.
Ghost made a beeline for Willow. Along with the spell stuff, Xander'd given Ghost a stake to give to her.
"Weapons for all." Xander announced as Giles and Oz met him at the bottom of the stairs.
Buffy let out a yell as she crushed a vamp's skull under foot.
"Except for her." Xander amended.
"Willow!" Giles called. "My suggestion would be hurry! It's midnight!"
Willow staked a vamp. "Trying too!" She called back.
Strapped to Ghost's back were a piece of paper Willow'd written the spell on and a gourd.
She headed for higher ground and the others did their best to guard her as she read the incantation.
In Latin she shouted:
"By the light of the midnight moon,
By the will of the Holy,
I command thee be calm.
I call on Dionysus to clear their minds,
And to cool their blood.
End the Rage.
Stop the Darkness.
Remove the spell cast upon their hearts."
Willow shattered the gourd on the floor. A wave of energy erupted from where she stood and spread out through the room.
The vampires and Buffy stood frozen for a moment.
"Buffy?" Willow called.
Buffy blinked and looked around, assessing everything. The vamps did the same.
A roar of anger emanated from outside where Bridgette still was.
The fight broke out again.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Demon One was decidedly more formidable then Demon Two had been. Bridgette had lost the axe and was fighting him hand to hand.
"You should've just handed over the other hostages." Bridgette informed him as she got the upper hand. "But now I have to beat the crap out of you before I kill you."
Bridgette was going in for another swing, when the ripple of Willow's spell blew past them.
"No!" The demon cried. "You can't! There's no possible way!"
"Why do bad guys always think that? Of course we can! You're evil, we're good. Do the math."
"You shall pay!" The demon growled.
"Again, you always say that, but in reality you'll never get the----" Bridgette quieted as she saw what was happening to the demon.
It's head split open, and from it a much much larger, much scarier, much more demon looking demon sprang out.
"Well…that was left out of the research."
The demon roared.
* * * * * * * * *
The gang could hear the fight heating up upstairs now that the vamps were dealt with.
Buffy was untied and back to her old self.
Any remaining hostages were being herded to the sewer tunnels, away from the action.
"Giles," Buffy began. "That doesn't sound like the ONE demon you described."
"No, it certainly does not."
Ghost was the first one up the stairs, followed by Buffy and Xander, then Willow, Oz and Giles.
What they saw outside attacking Bridgette and Kristin was definitely new territory.
"What do we do?" Xander demanded.
"Fight!" Buffy urged. She spotted the axe lying nearby and dove for it.
Xander shot the demon with the crossbow. The demon turned and reared its head back. Upon release it blasted a ball of fire from its mouth. Everyone dove out of the way.
"It breathes fire now?!" Buffy asked stuptified.
"Looks like." Xander offered bitterly.
"Well don't look at me." Giles protested. "The books didn't mention this!"
"Worry about proving that later," Bridgette called. "Fight now!"
The demon swung at Giles who kept it at bay with the broad sword he'd exchanged for a stake.
Buffy came at it from the side with the axe and both she and Giles started hacking at it.
But it wasn't really slowing it down.
Ghost leapt up and sank his fangs into an arm, but he was violently slammed into the ground and didn't get up.
"Ghost!" Bridgette dashed towards her feline companion.
"Bridgette wait!" Kristin dashed after her!
The demon took quick advantage of the situation and aimed a fireball at them.
"Look out!" Buffy yelled.
"Bridgette!" Xander cried.
"Scutatus Nunc Repercutio!" Willow shouted reaching an arm out to the fallen three.
The fireball bounced off a shield suddenly surrounding the trio and rebounded directly back to its sender.
One crispy demon, coming up.
In no time, nothing of the demon was left.
Everyone was still and silent for a moment.
Buffy and Giles threw down their weapons.
Bridgette cradled Ghost in her arms and she and Kristin stood.
Oz hugged Willow.
"Alright," Xander finally said. "Enough of this crap! I'm going on vacation!"