Willow sighed as she hugged the book to her chest, her breath icing in the
chill air. She moved along the path cautiously, her eyes darting around as
the trees rustled in the wind. At least there was a full moon, so she could
see her way.
At the remembrance of what else a full moon would mean her breath caught. It
still hurt, thinking of him. But, it was getting better. And now she had
help to get over him. She smiled in anticipation of Tara's eagerness to help
her. The other witch was willing to follow where Willow led. Which was a new
experience for the Wicca. Even Oz for all his easygoing made a lot of the
decisions. Willow decided she liked being the strong one for a change.
A rustling to her left broke her reverie. Increasing her pace, she hurried
toward the university campus. She'd been wrong to lie to Buffy about where
she was going, but she wasn't ready to share Tara yet. It was all too new.
And Buffy was so against the idea that the demon might be Giles that she
wouldn't have listened anyway. Not that Willow was sure she believed, but
living on the Hellmouth, you get to not not believe anything.
Turning a bend in the path, she stopped at the site before her. A demon
shuffled across the path, grunting as it moved. The moonlight reflected on
its scaly skin, the tail flicking slowly back and forth. This was obviously
the demon everybody was looking for. Looking around to make sure they were
alone, Willow stepped closer. "Giles?" The demon paused, then continued on.
She called out louder. "Giles?" This time the demon stopped and turned
toward her. It grunted when it saw her. "Giles, it's me Willow. I-I think I
can help you."
The demon slowly moved closer, its lips lifted in a half smile. Willow
smiled back. "I found the book, and I have a friend who can."
The demon roared, increasing its speed until it was running at her. Willow
screamed as she realised she had nowhere to run. Dropping the book, she
lifted her hands to ward it off.
A large mass leapt out from the demon's right, its momentum propelling them
both off the path. Willow watched in shock as a second demon began to attack
the first, their fight vicious. Whimpering, she picked up the book then
started moving backwards. It didn't matter which of them won, she knew
better than to hang around and become demon bait. Waiting only until she was
back around the bend, she turned and ran as the sounds of the battle
continued into the night.
....
She worked silently, packing the duffel bag with extra bolts, a couple of
knives and a sword. Her expressionless face, coupled with her efficient
actions gave the appearance of somebody just doing their job. Anybody who
knew her would tell you otherwise. Buffy Summers was royally pissed, and by
the end of the night there would be one less demon roaming around Sunnydale.
Behind her Willow sobbed quietly, her hands wrapped around a cup of Giles'
Chamomile tea. It had been automatic to run back to the apartment, as if
Giles would be there to save her. Fortunately, Buffy and Xander hadn't left.
Once she'd told her story Buffy had stiffened, going straight into warrior
mode.
"You say the other one saved you?" Xander knew something was wrong with what
happened to Willow. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
Willow nodded, then hesitated. "Well, it attacked the other one. I-I don't
know if it realised I was there. I didn't hang around to find out."
"Well there goes your theory about Giles turning into a demon." Scorn was
evident in Buffy's tone.
Xander tried to defend his idea. "There were two demons.."
"Yeah, and either one of them could have killed Willow!" The harshness in
her voice brooked no argument. "Besides, you said the demon you saw was
blue. The same color of the first one Willow met."
"I-I said I thought it was blue. The moonlight wasn't that strong. It could
have been blue or green, or.."
"Pink with purple polka dots. It was the blue demon that attacked you
Willow. Maggie was right. It's a killer and has to be destroyed. Well
tonight is not gonna be its lucky night."
Xander stood up. "Where do we go?"
"WE don't." Buffy softened her tone at the look on her friends' faces. "I'm
going in with Riley and his squad. I don't want you two in danger, and I don't want you hesitating because you think it might be Giles." This last was
thrown at Xander.
"Well, be careful. Willow and I will wait here, in case we hear from Giles."
He hesitated. "What if you're wrong?"
Buffy lifted her duffel bag and slid a crossbow into the sheath on her back
as a knock came at the door. "I'm not." Crossing over to the door, she
opened let Riley in. "Well?"
"We did a trace where Willow got attacked. There's a lot of demon blood,
mixed. They did some damage to each other. One's pretty bad though. Their
pheromones are strong. We've traced which way they're both headed."
Buffy didn't need to ask their destination. "The Master's Lair."
chill air. She moved along the path cautiously, her eyes darting around as
the trees rustled in the wind. At least there was a full moon, so she could
see her way.
At the remembrance of what else a full moon would mean her breath caught. It
still hurt, thinking of him. But, it was getting better. And now she had
help to get over him. She smiled in anticipation of Tara's eagerness to help
her. The other witch was willing to follow where Willow led. Which was a new
experience for the Wicca. Even Oz for all his easygoing made a lot of the
decisions. Willow decided she liked being the strong one for a change.
A rustling to her left broke her reverie. Increasing her pace, she hurried
toward the university campus. She'd been wrong to lie to Buffy about where
she was going, but she wasn't ready to share Tara yet. It was all too new.
And Buffy was so against the idea that the demon might be Giles that she
wouldn't have listened anyway. Not that Willow was sure she believed, but
living on the Hellmouth, you get to not not believe anything.
Turning a bend in the path, she stopped at the site before her. A demon
shuffled across the path, grunting as it moved. The moonlight reflected on
its scaly skin, the tail flicking slowly back and forth. This was obviously
the demon everybody was looking for. Looking around to make sure they were
alone, Willow stepped closer. "Giles?" The demon paused, then continued on.
She called out louder. "Giles?" This time the demon stopped and turned
toward her. It grunted when it saw her. "Giles, it's me Willow. I-I think I
can help you."
The demon slowly moved closer, its lips lifted in a half smile. Willow
smiled back. "I found the book, and I have a friend who can."
The demon roared, increasing its speed until it was running at her. Willow
screamed as she realised she had nowhere to run. Dropping the book, she
lifted her hands to ward it off.
A large mass leapt out from the demon's right, its momentum propelling them
both off the path. Willow watched in shock as a second demon began to attack
the first, their fight vicious. Whimpering, she picked up the book then
started moving backwards. It didn't matter which of them won, she knew
better than to hang around and become demon bait. Waiting only until she was
back around the bend, she turned and ran as the sounds of the battle
continued into the night.
....
She worked silently, packing the duffel bag with extra bolts, a couple of
knives and a sword. Her expressionless face, coupled with her efficient
actions gave the appearance of somebody just doing their job. Anybody who
knew her would tell you otherwise. Buffy Summers was royally pissed, and by
the end of the night there would be one less demon roaming around Sunnydale.
Behind her Willow sobbed quietly, her hands wrapped around a cup of Giles'
Chamomile tea. It had been automatic to run back to the apartment, as if
Giles would be there to save her. Fortunately, Buffy and Xander hadn't left.
Once she'd told her story Buffy had stiffened, going straight into warrior
mode.
"You say the other one saved you?" Xander knew something was wrong with what
happened to Willow. He just couldn't put his finger on it.
Willow nodded, then hesitated. "Well, it attacked the other one. I-I don't
know if it realised I was there. I didn't hang around to find out."
"Well there goes your theory about Giles turning into a demon." Scorn was
evident in Buffy's tone.
Xander tried to defend his idea. "There were two demons.."
"Yeah, and either one of them could have killed Willow!" The harshness in
her voice brooked no argument. "Besides, you said the demon you saw was
blue. The same color of the first one Willow met."
"I-I said I thought it was blue. The moonlight wasn't that strong. It could
have been blue or green, or.."
"Pink with purple polka dots. It was the blue demon that attacked you
Willow. Maggie was right. It's a killer and has to be destroyed. Well
tonight is not gonna be its lucky night."
Xander stood up. "Where do we go?"
"WE don't." Buffy softened her tone at the look on her friends' faces. "I'm
going in with Riley and his squad. I don't want you two in danger, and I don't want you hesitating because you think it might be Giles." This last was
thrown at Xander.
"Well, be careful. Willow and I will wait here, in case we hear from Giles."
He hesitated. "What if you're wrong?"
Buffy lifted her duffel bag and slid a crossbow into the sheath on her back
as a knock came at the door. "I'm not." Crossing over to the door, she
opened let Riley in. "Well?"
"We did a trace where Willow got attacked. There's a lot of demon blood,
mixed. They did some damage to each other. One's pretty bad though. Their
pheromones are strong. We've traced which way they're both headed."
Buffy didn't need to ask their destination. "The Master's Lair."