Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Xena, Gabrielle, Buffy, or her friends.
Frankly, with as much time as I devote to them, they own me. As always,
all of my fiction is archived over at my website:
http://suddenshift.topcities.com. You can contact me directly at
xencall@yahoo.com. Feedback is very much appreciated!
Note: I realize the first part of this series ended kind of abruptly. I received several emails asking where the rest of the story went. So here is a bit more to tide you over. And for the person who wanted to know where Gabrielle was.well, you'll find out now.
Remember, the characters of Xena and Gabrielle were turned into vampires during season two of that show. So you have to remember that Gabby has remained at the personal level she was at that point-she never really grew up, turned into a warrior, etc. Just in case some of you write to tell me I've mischaracterized her. Now, on to the fic!
* * *
The building was set back from the street by an expansive yard that at one time was most likely well-tended and filled with flowers. Now the scorched earth lay like a slowly healing wound under the moonlight. Inside, a faint light flickered yellow-orange through the chapel windows.
She found she rather liked the city this way. Xena's renovations were rather uninspired-she'd been slashing and burning villages as a human back in Greece over two millennia ago-but they were as always quite effective. The humans, those who had stubbornly remained in this town, were running scared. It left a heady perfume in the air.
Gabrielle twisted her head and gazed up at the sky. Without the reflection of a thousand electric lights to mar the scenery, the stars were clearly visible. "This should be home," she whispered.
Xena had promised her absolute power for the two of them. Together they would rule the cattle as they were always meant to. She would overtake the Slayer and thereby gain the perfect tool with which to succeed. She would be the "Destroyer of Nations" once again.and in a world with a multitude of new possibilities.
But Xena had lied to her. Her love, her soulmate, had taken another into her bed and pushed Gabrielle out into the cold with the animals and the scum. This was not permissible. Buffy would pay for this betrayal.
Xena seemed blinded to the fact that the Slayer would never give her exactly what she wanted. Shortly before the fight that left Gabrielle without a home or a lover, Xena had confided to her that Buffy was a rather cold fish. The warrior woman just didn't understand that the blonde slut was taking advantage of her lust. She'd inflame Xena's senses, leave her completely addled, and use this as leverage to control the woman utterly. That wasn't love. When Gabrielle ripped the little bitch's heart out of her chest, then Xena would see what true love was.
As Gabrielle approached the church, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. The place had burned just like the rest of the buildings on this block, but it still smelled of sanctified sin and false modesty. The posturing of falsely religious humans was nauseating. The power their "faith" had to injure and harm her kind was nothing less than barbarism. She did not want to enter the facility, but knew she had but one weapon left to wield against her tiny replacement. Buffy's old friends should sufficiently distract her while Gabrielle committed her very first slaying.
*** ***
"This place is so boring," Buffy pouted. "Why did it always seem so busy when I was human?"
"You weren't on the top of the food chain," Xena reminded her.
"Baby, I've always been on top," Buffy purred. She moved away when Xena reached out to touch her shoulder. "Now don't get distracted. This is important."
Xena scoffed. "This is a game," she said, gesturing toward the crowd below.
Buffy shook her head. "How on earth did you conquer an anthill with that attitude?" she wondered. "This is a show of solidarity to our people. You want to be strong, you keep the little ones happy. Now, where did we get this evening's contestants?"
"Neighboring city," Xena said. "The pickings are getting slim."
"We'll have to move onto bigger and better things pretty soon," Buffy agreed. "How about LA? I have a friend there who will be blissfully happy to see me." she giggled.
Smiling indulgently, Xena stood from her seat and leaned out over the railing of the viewer's box. Below, a crowd of vampires filled the bleachers of the football stadium. They began to scream and howl in approval when they saw their queen overhead.
"Bring out the first group," Xena called.
Buffy squealed in excitement when she saw the first contestants. The five humans stumbled out onto the field. In the dark, they could barely discern the crowd filling the stadium. But every detail of their fearful expressions was as clear as day to Buffy and the other vampires. They each held a stake, which had been pressed into their hands as they crawled out of their cages.
As the humans gaped in horrified wonder, a contingent of vampires sauntered onto the field. The weak eyesight of the humans was even a greater hindrance to them tonight, for they didn't see their enemies until they were upon them. The smallest of them fell quickly when a vampire wearing an old football jersey leapt onto his back and sank his fangs into his neck. The rest of them scurried away in terror, vampires close on their heels.
"How did this ever go out of fashion?" Buffy cried. "American Gladiators just wasn't a reasonable substitute."
"Well, you haven't lived if you've never seen this done by professionals," Xena murmured. "Caesar put on quite a show in the good old days."
The crowd gasped when the largest human man managed to throw off a vampire woman who was attacking him. He struck her with his weapon, sending her into a cloud of dust. Delighted, Buffy started clapping.
"Keep him," she said. "We don't want to lose that strength."
Xena leaned toward one of the men standing behind them and murmured a few words. He nodded and quickly left the box to hurry down to the field. She stifled a yawn soon after, her eyes straying from the activity below.
"You're not having any fun, are you?" Buffy clucked sympathetically.
"It's just not the same as the real thing," Xena complained.
"Well, we could steal some lions from a zoo," Buffy offered. "We can even give the humans swords. Wouldn't that be funny?"
Xena shook her head. "Something's just not right," she said. "Something's missing."
Buffy frowned. "You miss her, you mean," she said darkly.
Xena refused to meet her eyes. "I spent two thousand years with her, Slayer," she said. "You can't expect me to forget about her in a few months."
Leaning toward her new partner, Buffy grinned mischievously. "Well, the times, they are a'changing," she sang, reaching out to stroke the warrior woman's arm.
Angrily, Xena jerked away from her. "That's all I get from you," she growled. "Teasing.flirting. Nothing of substance."
"You want substance?" Buffy challenged. "I'm offering you more than that Gabrielle ever could. Sunnydale is only the beginning. We're going to take this world by the throat, you and I. We're going to rule these moronic humans. What was she going to give you? New Juicy jeans, half- price?"
At her earnest expression, Xena couldn't help but chuckle. "I've heard this song and dance before, you know," she said. "There was a god by the name of Ares who thought I was meant to helm the world's future. I was human then.just started out on my simpering quest for redemption. Sometimes I wish I'd taken him up on his offer."
Buffy shook her head. "Don't waste your time on gods, Xena," she said. "I speak from experience. We are far superior creatures. Now, be a good girl and watch the show. The minions will become restless if they think you're unsettled."
***
"There are a couple of beds in the back rooms," Xander said after giving Willow a brief tour. There wasn't much left to show; half the church had fallen to flames a few months before. "It's not much, but it's home."
"You live here?" Willow asked in shock.
"Most of the young ones are still afraid to come into places like this," Spike explained. "And most of the vamps around here were sired within the last year. Keeps things cozy for us."
"This probably doesn't live up to your new standards," Dawn interjected, glaring at Willow's clothing.
"This is fine," Willow responded. "I-" she paused. "Can I see her?"
Xander stared at her blankly. "You want to see Buffy?" he asked. "None of us have seen her in months. They've got a hotel downtown that's about as tight as Fort Knox."
"I just.how did this happen?" she wondered. "The Warrior Princess. Why do I know that name?"
"Because she was here before," Dawn said. "Only Glory was a big enough distraction for her at the time."
"This time she came after Buffy directly," Spike said. "None of us.we're not sure how she managed to take her. But she's changed now. There's no going back from what she's become."
"Finally, someone in this damned town is talking sense." A female voice called out from the doorway. "Sign out front still welcomes anyone seeking respite from the cold, dark world. That's as good an invitation as any."
"Who is this?" Willow whispered to Xander. The petite blonde woman seemed to know them, but she was sure she'd never seen her before in her life.
"Gabrielle," he whispered back. "Xena's 'very special friend.' Well, until recently, if you listen to the word on the street."
A memory lifted up from the deep recesses of her mind. "The Scourge of Potedeia," Willow murmured.
The blonde turned toward her at her comment. "My reputation precedes me," she said. "You have a new friend, little Dawn.Xander. Spike," she finished, staring at him with amusement.
"That's enough of this crap," Dawn said.
Gabrielle laughed when Dawn rushed at her. With a dizzying speed, she twisted away and ran toward the corner of the room. Leaping grandly, she vaulted up onto a narrow ledge running across the wall. Standing nearly fifteen feet above their heads, she smirked down at them smugly.
"Do you think I have survived these centuries only to fall to a baby who pretends to be the Slayer?" she mocked.
Snarling, Dawn lifted her stake to throw it. Spike quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Don't let the beastie rattle you, bird," he said. "She's not here to kill us. Not just yet, anyway. Isn't that right?"
Gabrielle smiled at him. "You stink of humanity," she responded. "The stench is overwhelming. Why do you ally yourself with these cows when your true love is one of us?"
Spike flushed scarlet at her words. Gabrielle laughed, pleased that she'd managed to sting him. "You think Buffy has kept your deepest, darkest secrets from us?" she asked. "She holds them out before her like badges of honor. It's a testament to her own willpower that she managed to live as long as she did with you at her side."
She aimed her last statement to the group as a whole. "Spike, the de- fanged vampire who devotes his love to his mortal enemy. Xander, who had but one saving grace in this world, only to leave her at the altar. Dawn, the perpetual child who was never meant to exist. And finally, we come to the witch, who inflated her own pain to apocalyptic proportions. Actually, Buffy rather liked you that way. But you seem to be back to normal. Pity," Gabrielle finished.
"Buffy didn't talk about us like that," Dawn whispered. Her fierce demeanor had crumbled a bit under the vampire's bitter attack.
"Oh, Buffy regrets the years she wasted on such sorry friends, she truly does," Gabrielle argued. "Even under the shackles of humanity, she had powers that could have propelled her to the highest realms of success and prosperity. Yet she merely suffered and stumbled through life in this small town--never to gain, eternally unfulfilled."
"What do you want?" Willow asked coldly. The vampire's motivations were painfully clear, and she refused to rise to the bait. If they lost control over their emotions, she'd have them right where she wanted them.
"A business woman," Gabrielle marveled, taking in Willow's suit jacket and skirt. "A bit worse for wear this evening, but I'll bet that you're a real go-getter back at the office. Marketing? Law, perhaps?"
Willow blinked, feeling herself blush. "Real estate, actually," she admitted, then said, "That's beside the point. Why don't you stop wasting our time and get to the point?"
Xander stepped forward to add, "Yeah, go ahead and lay your cards out on the table. What's the deal?"
Gabrielle scowled. She wanted to play. "Very well," she muttered. "The deal is, you want Buffy. I'm sure you've all realized by this point that the only way to help her now is to finish her. But none of you are powerful enough to get close to her with Xena in the picture. I can help you."
"And what do you get?" Dawn challenged.
Gabrielle raised her brows. "I get Xena," she said. "We leave this city and never set eyes on any of you ever again. Now, that's a deal we all can agree on, don't you think?"
"Seems to me your deal is more like a reward," Spike commented. "Why should we help you?"
Eyes flashing angrily, Gabrielle started pacing back and forth along the ledge. "Help!" she sneered. "I don't require your assistance. I am offering this to you as a gift of goodwill."
Willow couldn't help but laugh at this. "Let's just cut through the bullshit, shall we?" she asked. Xander glanced at her in surprise. He wasn't used to her making decisions, calling the shots. He hadn't seen how much she'd changed in the past few years. "You wouldn't be here if you could get rid of Buffy on your own. So what are we, bait? Hook the little fish first and hope the big fish comes swimming along after her?"
Dawn leaned toward Spike. "Who's the little fish?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Buffy, I think," he said. "Just let Red do her bit, she's got something here."
Gabrielle watched Willow carefully. "And what is your proposal?" she asked.
"We don't promise each other anything," Willow said. "If we get the chance to dust any one of you, we're going to take it. Because I sure as hell know you aren't going to vouch for our safety in this little venture. Now, how's that for an understanding?"
Gabrielle smiled, impressed. "Agreed," she nodded. "We are enemies more than allies."
"We just happen to be on the same side for the moment," Willow concurred.
"Then I shall visit you again soon," Gabrielle purred. "Once I've attended a few of my personal affairs."
"Sale at Burlington's Department Store," Dawn muttered to no one in particular.
When Gabrielle finally left them, Spike turned to the others and announced, "Time for a new headquarters, I think."
"I don't think I can do this," Dawn said. The others went silent at the emotional weight of her comment.
Hesitant, Xander offered, "We've been up against harder baddies than this. You'll do fine."
"That's not what she means," Willow countered. "You said yourself that Buffy is dead, Dawn. We'll just be setting her free."
"Who are you to make decisions here, anyway?" Dawn shouted. "You've already abandoned her once, I guess it won't be that hard to kill her this time."
"Hey," Spike said sharply. "No one's killing Buffy. Seems to be we've overlooked a right easy answer to our little problem here. Especially now that the big bad witch is back in town."
Realizing what he meant, Willow immediately began to shake her head. "No," she whispered. "I can't."
"You can stomach the thought of killing her, but you won't even try a spell to save her?" Dawn accused. "You gave Angelus his soul back. You can do that same for her."
"You don't understand," Willow cried. "It took years to recover from-you have no idea how messed up I was when I left."
"Well, since you were about to raise a demonic goddess to burn the world, I'd say we got the picture," Xander said. When he caught Willow's wounded expression, he defended himself. "Hey, I'm with Dawn on this. Why go for the kill before exhausting all other possibilities? Don't you think she'd do the same for any one of us?"
Willow shook her head. "Not anymore, she wouldn't."
To be continued.
Note: I realize the first part of this series ended kind of abruptly. I received several emails asking where the rest of the story went. So here is a bit more to tide you over. And for the person who wanted to know where Gabrielle was.well, you'll find out now.
Remember, the characters of Xena and Gabrielle were turned into vampires during season two of that show. So you have to remember that Gabby has remained at the personal level she was at that point-she never really grew up, turned into a warrior, etc. Just in case some of you write to tell me I've mischaracterized her. Now, on to the fic!
* * *
The building was set back from the street by an expansive yard that at one time was most likely well-tended and filled with flowers. Now the scorched earth lay like a slowly healing wound under the moonlight. Inside, a faint light flickered yellow-orange through the chapel windows.
She found she rather liked the city this way. Xena's renovations were rather uninspired-she'd been slashing and burning villages as a human back in Greece over two millennia ago-but they were as always quite effective. The humans, those who had stubbornly remained in this town, were running scared. It left a heady perfume in the air.
Gabrielle twisted her head and gazed up at the sky. Without the reflection of a thousand electric lights to mar the scenery, the stars were clearly visible. "This should be home," she whispered.
Xena had promised her absolute power for the two of them. Together they would rule the cattle as they were always meant to. She would overtake the Slayer and thereby gain the perfect tool with which to succeed. She would be the "Destroyer of Nations" once again.and in a world with a multitude of new possibilities.
But Xena had lied to her. Her love, her soulmate, had taken another into her bed and pushed Gabrielle out into the cold with the animals and the scum. This was not permissible. Buffy would pay for this betrayal.
Xena seemed blinded to the fact that the Slayer would never give her exactly what she wanted. Shortly before the fight that left Gabrielle without a home or a lover, Xena had confided to her that Buffy was a rather cold fish. The warrior woman just didn't understand that the blonde slut was taking advantage of her lust. She'd inflame Xena's senses, leave her completely addled, and use this as leverage to control the woman utterly. That wasn't love. When Gabrielle ripped the little bitch's heart out of her chest, then Xena would see what true love was.
As Gabrielle approached the church, she wrinkled her nose in disgust. The place had burned just like the rest of the buildings on this block, but it still smelled of sanctified sin and false modesty. The posturing of falsely religious humans was nauseating. The power their "faith" had to injure and harm her kind was nothing less than barbarism. She did not want to enter the facility, but knew she had but one weapon left to wield against her tiny replacement. Buffy's old friends should sufficiently distract her while Gabrielle committed her very first slaying.
*** ***
"This place is so boring," Buffy pouted. "Why did it always seem so busy when I was human?"
"You weren't on the top of the food chain," Xena reminded her.
"Baby, I've always been on top," Buffy purred. She moved away when Xena reached out to touch her shoulder. "Now don't get distracted. This is important."
Xena scoffed. "This is a game," she said, gesturing toward the crowd below.
Buffy shook her head. "How on earth did you conquer an anthill with that attitude?" she wondered. "This is a show of solidarity to our people. You want to be strong, you keep the little ones happy. Now, where did we get this evening's contestants?"
"Neighboring city," Xena said. "The pickings are getting slim."
"We'll have to move onto bigger and better things pretty soon," Buffy agreed. "How about LA? I have a friend there who will be blissfully happy to see me." she giggled.
Smiling indulgently, Xena stood from her seat and leaned out over the railing of the viewer's box. Below, a crowd of vampires filled the bleachers of the football stadium. They began to scream and howl in approval when they saw their queen overhead.
"Bring out the first group," Xena called.
Buffy squealed in excitement when she saw the first contestants. The five humans stumbled out onto the field. In the dark, they could barely discern the crowd filling the stadium. But every detail of their fearful expressions was as clear as day to Buffy and the other vampires. They each held a stake, which had been pressed into their hands as they crawled out of their cages.
As the humans gaped in horrified wonder, a contingent of vampires sauntered onto the field. The weak eyesight of the humans was even a greater hindrance to them tonight, for they didn't see their enemies until they were upon them. The smallest of them fell quickly when a vampire wearing an old football jersey leapt onto his back and sank his fangs into his neck. The rest of them scurried away in terror, vampires close on their heels.
"How did this ever go out of fashion?" Buffy cried. "American Gladiators just wasn't a reasonable substitute."
"Well, you haven't lived if you've never seen this done by professionals," Xena murmured. "Caesar put on quite a show in the good old days."
The crowd gasped when the largest human man managed to throw off a vampire woman who was attacking him. He struck her with his weapon, sending her into a cloud of dust. Delighted, Buffy started clapping.
"Keep him," she said. "We don't want to lose that strength."
Xena leaned toward one of the men standing behind them and murmured a few words. He nodded and quickly left the box to hurry down to the field. She stifled a yawn soon after, her eyes straying from the activity below.
"You're not having any fun, are you?" Buffy clucked sympathetically.
"It's just not the same as the real thing," Xena complained.
"Well, we could steal some lions from a zoo," Buffy offered. "We can even give the humans swords. Wouldn't that be funny?"
Xena shook her head. "Something's just not right," she said. "Something's missing."
Buffy frowned. "You miss her, you mean," she said darkly.
Xena refused to meet her eyes. "I spent two thousand years with her, Slayer," she said. "You can't expect me to forget about her in a few months."
Leaning toward her new partner, Buffy grinned mischievously. "Well, the times, they are a'changing," she sang, reaching out to stroke the warrior woman's arm.
Angrily, Xena jerked away from her. "That's all I get from you," she growled. "Teasing.flirting. Nothing of substance."
"You want substance?" Buffy challenged. "I'm offering you more than that Gabrielle ever could. Sunnydale is only the beginning. We're going to take this world by the throat, you and I. We're going to rule these moronic humans. What was she going to give you? New Juicy jeans, half- price?"
At her earnest expression, Xena couldn't help but chuckle. "I've heard this song and dance before, you know," she said. "There was a god by the name of Ares who thought I was meant to helm the world's future. I was human then.just started out on my simpering quest for redemption. Sometimes I wish I'd taken him up on his offer."
Buffy shook her head. "Don't waste your time on gods, Xena," she said. "I speak from experience. We are far superior creatures. Now, be a good girl and watch the show. The minions will become restless if they think you're unsettled."
***
"There are a couple of beds in the back rooms," Xander said after giving Willow a brief tour. There wasn't much left to show; half the church had fallen to flames a few months before. "It's not much, but it's home."
"You live here?" Willow asked in shock.
"Most of the young ones are still afraid to come into places like this," Spike explained. "And most of the vamps around here were sired within the last year. Keeps things cozy for us."
"This probably doesn't live up to your new standards," Dawn interjected, glaring at Willow's clothing.
"This is fine," Willow responded. "I-" she paused. "Can I see her?"
Xander stared at her blankly. "You want to see Buffy?" he asked. "None of us have seen her in months. They've got a hotel downtown that's about as tight as Fort Knox."
"I just.how did this happen?" she wondered. "The Warrior Princess. Why do I know that name?"
"Because she was here before," Dawn said. "Only Glory was a big enough distraction for her at the time."
"This time she came after Buffy directly," Spike said. "None of us.we're not sure how she managed to take her. But she's changed now. There's no going back from what she's become."
"Finally, someone in this damned town is talking sense." A female voice called out from the doorway. "Sign out front still welcomes anyone seeking respite from the cold, dark world. That's as good an invitation as any."
"Who is this?" Willow whispered to Xander. The petite blonde woman seemed to know them, but she was sure she'd never seen her before in her life.
"Gabrielle," he whispered back. "Xena's 'very special friend.' Well, until recently, if you listen to the word on the street."
A memory lifted up from the deep recesses of her mind. "The Scourge of Potedeia," Willow murmured.
The blonde turned toward her at her comment. "My reputation precedes me," she said. "You have a new friend, little Dawn.Xander. Spike," she finished, staring at him with amusement.
"That's enough of this crap," Dawn said.
Gabrielle laughed when Dawn rushed at her. With a dizzying speed, she twisted away and ran toward the corner of the room. Leaping grandly, she vaulted up onto a narrow ledge running across the wall. Standing nearly fifteen feet above their heads, she smirked down at them smugly.
"Do you think I have survived these centuries only to fall to a baby who pretends to be the Slayer?" she mocked.
Snarling, Dawn lifted her stake to throw it. Spike quickly grabbed her arm and shook his head. "Don't let the beastie rattle you, bird," he said. "She's not here to kill us. Not just yet, anyway. Isn't that right?"
Gabrielle smiled at him. "You stink of humanity," she responded. "The stench is overwhelming. Why do you ally yourself with these cows when your true love is one of us?"
Spike flushed scarlet at her words. Gabrielle laughed, pleased that she'd managed to sting him. "You think Buffy has kept your deepest, darkest secrets from us?" she asked. "She holds them out before her like badges of honor. It's a testament to her own willpower that she managed to live as long as she did with you at her side."
She aimed her last statement to the group as a whole. "Spike, the de- fanged vampire who devotes his love to his mortal enemy. Xander, who had but one saving grace in this world, only to leave her at the altar. Dawn, the perpetual child who was never meant to exist. And finally, we come to the witch, who inflated her own pain to apocalyptic proportions. Actually, Buffy rather liked you that way. But you seem to be back to normal. Pity," Gabrielle finished.
"Buffy didn't talk about us like that," Dawn whispered. Her fierce demeanor had crumbled a bit under the vampire's bitter attack.
"Oh, Buffy regrets the years she wasted on such sorry friends, she truly does," Gabrielle argued. "Even under the shackles of humanity, she had powers that could have propelled her to the highest realms of success and prosperity. Yet she merely suffered and stumbled through life in this small town--never to gain, eternally unfulfilled."
"What do you want?" Willow asked coldly. The vampire's motivations were painfully clear, and she refused to rise to the bait. If they lost control over their emotions, she'd have them right where she wanted them.
"A business woman," Gabrielle marveled, taking in Willow's suit jacket and skirt. "A bit worse for wear this evening, but I'll bet that you're a real go-getter back at the office. Marketing? Law, perhaps?"
Willow blinked, feeling herself blush. "Real estate, actually," she admitted, then said, "That's beside the point. Why don't you stop wasting our time and get to the point?"
Xander stepped forward to add, "Yeah, go ahead and lay your cards out on the table. What's the deal?"
Gabrielle scowled. She wanted to play. "Very well," she muttered. "The deal is, you want Buffy. I'm sure you've all realized by this point that the only way to help her now is to finish her. But none of you are powerful enough to get close to her with Xena in the picture. I can help you."
"And what do you get?" Dawn challenged.
Gabrielle raised her brows. "I get Xena," she said. "We leave this city and never set eyes on any of you ever again. Now, that's a deal we all can agree on, don't you think?"
"Seems to me your deal is more like a reward," Spike commented. "Why should we help you?"
Eyes flashing angrily, Gabrielle started pacing back and forth along the ledge. "Help!" she sneered. "I don't require your assistance. I am offering this to you as a gift of goodwill."
Willow couldn't help but laugh at this. "Let's just cut through the bullshit, shall we?" she asked. Xander glanced at her in surprise. He wasn't used to her making decisions, calling the shots. He hadn't seen how much she'd changed in the past few years. "You wouldn't be here if you could get rid of Buffy on your own. So what are we, bait? Hook the little fish first and hope the big fish comes swimming along after her?"
Dawn leaned toward Spike. "Who's the little fish?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Buffy, I think," he said. "Just let Red do her bit, she's got something here."
Gabrielle watched Willow carefully. "And what is your proposal?" she asked.
"We don't promise each other anything," Willow said. "If we get the chance to dust any one of you, we're going to take it. Because I sure as hell know you aren't going to vouch for our safety in this little venture. Now, how's that for an understanding?"
Gabrielle smiled, impressed. "Agreed," she nodded. "We are enemies more than allies."
"We just happen to be on the same side for the moment," Willow concurred.
"Then I shall visit you again soon," Gabrielle purred. "Once I've attended a few of my personal affairs."
"Sale at Burlington's Department Store," Dawn muttered to no one in particular.
When Gabrielle finally left them, Spike turned to the others and announced, "Time for a new headquarters, I think."
"I don't think I can do this," Dawn said. The others went silent at the emotional weight of her comment.
Hesitant, Xander offered, "We've been up against harder baddies than this. You'll do fine."
"That's not what she means," Willow countered. "You said yourself that Buffy is dead, Dawn. We'll just be setting her free."
"Who are you to make decisions here, anyway?" Dawn shouted. "You've already abandoned her once, I guess it won't be that hard to kill her this time."
"Hey," Spike said sharply. "No one's killing Buffy. Seems to be we've overlooked a right easy answer to our little problem here. Especially now that the big bad witch is back in town."
Realizing what he meant, Willow immediately began to shake her head. "No," she whispered. "I can't."
"You can stomach the thought of killing her, but you won't even try a spell to save her?" Dawn accused. "You gave Angelus his soul back. You can do that same for her."
"You don't understand," Willow cried. "It took years to recover from-you have no idea how messed up I was when I left."
"Well, since you were about to raise a demonic goddess to burn the world, I'd say we got the picture," Xander said. When he caught Willow's wounded expression, he defended himself. "Hey, I'm with Dawn on this. Why go for the kill before exhausting all other possibilities? Don't you think she'd do the same for any one of us?"
Willow shook her head. "Not anymore, she wouldn't."
To be continued.