Chapter Thirteen
Buffy stood in the silver moonlight and took a deep breath; she repositioned her stake and leapt back into the fray. It was getting hairy in Sunnydale. Buffy pushed her way through the fallen demons and forged on with the battle. With each tired step she muttered under her breath. Buffy rushed into a pack of vampires and began staking.
Faith flew into the air and back about ten feet. She landed with a hard thud against the base of a large tree. Faith pulled herself up, but it was too late. A pack of blue skinned demons were upon her. She couldn't catch a break, let alone her breath. The demons beat her down. Faith slammed hard into the cold dirt and closed her eyes. She felt it would be over soon.
Oz ran full force into the pack of blue demons. He began swinging the heavy broadsword and attacking as best he could in human form. Faith lay on the ground unconscious and he didn't want to risk hurting her further.
Dawn jabbed Mr. Pointy into another vampire before being knocked to the ground. Three vamps were on her before she could scream. Dawn struggled with all of her might, but it wasn't working.
Amanda caught Dawn's struggle out of the corner of her eye and broke off her attack. She ran as fast as she could and threw herself on top of one of the vampires attacking Dawn.
Gunn pushed Rona out of way as a red skinned demon dropped from the tree above. Gunn began kicking and punching the demon, while working out a plan. Rona grabbed Gunn's fallen sword and pushed it through the red skinned demon. Rona smiled at Gunn.
"What?" Rona asked as Gunn's eyes widen. He didn't answer; he ran past Rona and jumped into the fray of vampires attacking Dawn. Rona turned to follow before noticing Oz's struggle and Faith's body limp on the ground. Rona hefted Gunn's flamethrower and showered the demons in flame, careful to avoid Oz.
Oz turned and grabbed Faith, pulling her body from the ground. He ran past Rona and shouted a thank you. Oz placed Faith in the back of a truck and covered her with leaves, hoping that no one would find the woman there. He rushed back into the battle.
Rondell quickly joined Gunn and began fighting off anything that looked like a demon. Dust and demon parts flew everywhere as the two men fought side by side.
Buffy pushed the attack further and further back, into the waiting arms of Angel and Connor who attacked from behind and bailed Buffy from the group.
The sun finally began to peak over the town, forcing the vampires to retreat. The teams converged on the demons and overpowered them. The surviving demons fled with Angel, Connor, Gunn and Rondell in pursuit. The others quickly began assessing the situation.
"Is everyone accounted for?" Buffy asked breathlessly.
"Where's Faith?" Dawn practically cried.
Oz motioned for the truck and explained.
"We lost them." Gunn said, returning to the group.
Buffy nodded her head. "Let's get home." She said softly.
The group began walking off towards the Summers's home.
Giles walked to the front as he heard the commotion. Xander stood at the front entry, attaching the last hinge to the newly made front door. "Are they back?" Giles asked. Xander nodded and motioned outside. Giles sighed in relief.
"You weren't kidding about all the demons." Rondell said to Gunn. "No wonder L.A.'s so quiet."
"Yea." Gunn said. "This place is crazy."
Buffy pushed past the front door and nodded at Xander. She walked straight up the steps and to her bedroom where she promptly shut the door.
Angel and Connor followed, helping Faith inside. Wesley ran to the side of his fallen slayer and moved her from Angel's grasp. He carried her to the sofa and laid her down gently.
"She hasn't woken up." Connor said flatly.
"Her pulse is weak." Wesley announced. "She needs a doctor."
"I'll get the van." Oz said, leaving the house.
"Xander, get a blanket." Giles said. "Her skin is like ice."
Xander ran up the stairs and pulled open the linen closet. He pulled a large quilt out and ran back down the stairs. Giles took the blanket and wrapped Faith's body tightly.
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked, entering the living room.
"Upstairs." Kennedy nodded. Willow walked past and up the stairs.
"The van's ready." Gunn said, standing by the open door.
Giles stood and addressed the group. "Get the morning patrol unit out on the streets, the night patrol get some rest." He said. "Wesley and I will take Faith to the hospital."
"I'll go with." Gunn nodded and hefted his battle adze.
"Me too." Dawn said, gathering a couple of small weapons.
Giles nodded and the group carried Faith gingerly to Oz and the waiting van.
"Buffy?" Willow called softly as she entered her best friends room. Sleeping bags lined the floor where potentials had set up camp. Buffy was face down on her bed, silently sobbing. "Hey." Willow said gently, sitting next to Buffy. She began rubbing Buffy's back.
"Is Faith okay?" Buffy asked quietly.
"She will be." Willow said, not really sure if she was lying or not. "Giles and Wes are taking her to the hospital now."
"Alone?" Buffy asked, bouncing off of the bed and nearly falling over. "They need back up, they need to take a team with them."
"Relax." Willow said, holding Buffy upright.
"Oz, Gunn and Dawn went with." Angel said as he entered the conversation. "I can go ask a few more to go if you'll feel safer."
"Please." Buffy nearly begged. Angel nodded and left the room.
"Buffy, she'll be okay." Willow said again, helping Buffy back into the bed. "You have to get some rest."
"I can't." Buffy said, pushing herself back up. "With both Giles and Wes out, I should be training the night team."
"Let them get some sleep too." Willow said. "And you or someone else can train them later."
"There is no one else." Buffy sighed.
"There is." Willow conjectured. "Angel can train them. Or even Gunn."
Buffy nodded slowly and sobbed into her best friend's arms. "I'm so tired." She said.
"I know." Willow comforted her friend. "Sleep now and we'll deal with the rest later." Willow helped Buffy back into the bed and covered her with a blanket before quietly leaving the room.
"How is she?" Angel whispered as Willow entered the hallway.
"Exhausted." Willow replied. "When was the last time she slept?"
"The night before Chloe died." Angel frowned. "She hasn't been sleeping since."
"Well, she's resting now." Willow said. "The entire night patrol unit should be resting as well."
Angel nodded and moved off to tell everyone to get some sleep.
Buffy stood in the silver moonlight and took a deep breath; she repositioned her stake and leapt back into the fray. It was getting hairy in Sunnydale. Buffy pushed her way through the fallen demons and forged on with the battle. With each tired step she muttered under her breath. Buffy rushed into a pack of vampires and began staking.
Faith flew into the air and back about ten feet. She landed with a hard thud against the base of a large tree. Faith pulled herself up, but it was too late. A pack of blue skinned demons were upon her. She couldn't catch a break, let alone her breath. The demons beat her down. Faith slammed hard into the cold dirt and closed her eyes. She felt it would be over soon.
Oz ran full force into the pack of blue demons. He began swinging the heavy broadsword and attacking as best he could in human form. Faith lay on the ground unconscious and he didn't want to risk hurting her further.
Dawn jabbed Mr. Pointy into another vampire before being knocked to the ground. Three vamps were on her before she could scream. Dawn struggled with all of her might, but it wasn't working.
Amanda caught Dawn's struggle out of the corner of her eye and broke off her attack. She ran as fast as she could and threw herself on top of one of the vampires attacking Dawn.
Gunn pushed Rona out of way as a red skinned demon dropped from the tree above. Gunn began kicking and punching the demon, while working out a plan. Rona grabbed Gunn's fallen sword and pushed it through the red skinned demon. Rona smiled at Gunn.
"What?" Rona asked as Gunn's eyes widen. He didn't answer; he ran past Rona and jumped into the fray of vampires attacking Dawn. Rona turned to follow before noticing Oz's struggle and Faith's body limp on the ground. Rona hefted Gunn's flamethrower and showered the demons in flame, careful to avoid Oz.
Oz turned and grabbed Faith, pulling her body from the ground. He ran past Rona and shouted a thank you. Oz placed Faith in the back of a truck and covered her with leaves, hoping that no one would find the woman there. He rushed back into the battle.
Rondell quickly joined Gunn and began fighting off anything that looked like a demon. Dust and demon parts flew everywhere as the two men fought side by side.
Buffy pushed the attack further and further back, into the waiting arms of Angel and Connor who attacked from behind and bailed Buffy from the group.
The sun finally began to peak over the town, forcing the vampires to retreat. The teams converged on the demons and overpowered them. The surviving demons fled with Angel, Connor, Gunn and Rondell in pursuit. The others quickly began assessing the situation.
"Is everyone accounted for?" Buffy asked breathlessly.
"Where's Faith?" Dawn practically cried.
Oz motioned for the truck and explained.
"We lost them." Gunn said, returning to the group.
Buffy nodded her head. "Let's get home." She said softly.
The group began walking off towards the Summers's home.
Giles walked to the front as he heard the commotion. Xander stood at the front entry, attaching the last hinge to the newly made front door. "Are they back?" Giles asked. Xander nodded and motioned outside. Giles sighed in relief.
"You weren't kidding about all the demons." Rondell said to Gunn. "No wonder L.A.'s so quiet."
"Yea." Gunn said. "This place is crazy."
Buffy pushed past the front door and nodded at Xander. She walked straight up the steps and to her bedroom where she promptly shut the door.
Angel and Connor followed, helping Faith inside. Wesley ran to the side of his fallen slayer and moved her from Angel's grasp. He carried her to the sofa and laid her down gently.
"She hasn't woken up." Connor said flatly.
"Her pulse is weak." Wesley announced. "She needs a doctor."
"I'll get the van." Oz said, leaving the house.
"Xander, get a blanket." Giles said. "Her skin is like ice."
Xander ran up the stairs and pulled open the linen closet. He pulled a large quilt out and ran back down the stairs. Giles took the blanket and wrapped Faith's body tightly.
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked, entering the living room.
"Upstairs." Kennedy nodded. Willow walked past and up the stairs.
"The van's ready." Gunn said, standing by the open door.
Giles stood and addressed the group. "Get the morning patrol unit out on the streets, the night patrol get some rest." He said. "Wesley and I will take Faith to the hospital."
"I'll go with." Gunn nodded and hefted his battle adze.
"Me too." Dawn said, gathering a couple of small weapons.
Giles nodded and the group carried Faith gingerly to Oz and the waiting van.
"Buffy?" Willow called softly as she entered her best friends room. Sleeping bags lined the floor where potentials had set up camp. Buffy was face down on her bed, silently sobbing. "Hey." Willow said gently, sitting next to Buffy. She began rubbing Buffy's back.
"Is Faith okay?" Buffy asked quietly.
"She will be." Willow said, not really sure if she was lying or not. "Giles and Wes are taking her to the hospital now."
"Alone?" Buffy asked, bouncing off of the bed and nearly falling over. "They need back up, they need to take a team with them."
"Relax." Willow said, holding Buffy upright.
"Oz, Gunn and Dawn went with." Angel said as he entered the conversation. "I can go ask a few more to go if you'll feel safer."
"Please." Buffy nearly begged. Angel nodded and left the room.
"Buffy, she'll be okay." Willow said again, helping Buffy back into the bed. "You have to get some rest."
"I can't." Buffy said, pushing herself back up. "With both Giles and Wes out, I should be training the night team."
"Let them get some sleep too." Willow said. "And you or someone else can train them later."
"There is no one else." Buffy sighed.
"There is." Willow conjectured. "Angel can train them. Or even Gunn."
Buffy nodded slowly and sobbed into her best friend's arms. "I'm so tired." She said.
"I know." Willow comforted her friend. "Sleep now and we'll deal with the rest later." Willow helped Buffy back into the bed and covered her with a blanket before quietly leaving the room.
"How is she?" Angel whispered as Willow entered the hallway.
"Exhausted." Willow replied. "When was the last time she slept?"
"The night before Chloe died." Angel frowned. "She hasn't been sleeping since."
"Well, she's resting now." Willow said. "The entire night patrol unit should be resting as well."
Angel nodded and moved off to tell everyone to get some sleep.
