A/N: In response to several queries. These are not spoilers. I have no
clue what is going to happen at the end of Buffy: Season Seven or Angel:
Seven Four. As for Buffy meeting Connor/reacting to Connor and Faith's
return, these are based on the Buffy comic series and refer to the last
mini-series entitled Notes from the Underground. The four issues can be
purchased at your local comic book store or at TFAW.COM as either the four
separate issues or as a TPB (which will be on shelves soon). This will
more than likely end up being B/A, if I even take the romance route, as I
am a B/A shipper. Thanks to everyone for the feedback, hopefully you'll
enjoy the end of the story.
Chapter Fifteen
Giles and Wesley helped Faith into the house. Gunn, Oz and Dawn followed, weapons in hand. A slender dark woman trailed the group.
"Hey." Willow offered; her brow furrowed at the visitor.
"Willow, this is Dr. Orchid." Dawn said. "She's going to check everyone out."
"Give a once over of the teams, make sure we're all healthy." Wesley added, placing Faith gently on the sofa.
Faith held her side as she breathed heavily. "Thanks." She offered a forced smile to Wesley and Giles.
"Here." Rondell said, placing a pillow to Faith's side, he helped to swivel her around and moved her to lie on the couch. He tucked a light blanket over her body.
Faith nodded and continued to breath heavily. "Slayer healing." She grunted. "Don't fail me now."
Buffy walked down the stairs quickly, wrapped tightly in a quilt. She shivered as if cold.
"Buffy." Dawn said. "We brought a doctor home."
Buffy nodded and moved off to Faith. She said next to her and the two women began a frenzied whisper.
Angel shook his head, warning Dawn not to ask questions. He walked toward Dawn and placed a protective arm around her.
"Let's get you guys checked out." Dr. Orchid said, opening her medical bag. She began checking all of the fighters in the house.
"Have we heard from day patrol?" Giles asked, lifting his diary from the little table.
"A few of the groups checked in." Rona replied. "Rondell has been logging the calls."
Rondell rose and handed Giles a sheet of paper with all of the incoming calls listed on it. "No one seems busy this morning." He reported. "A few demons here and there, but nothing like the last few days."
"We're making headway." Connor offered.
"Or they've gone into hiding." Vi said.
"Or they're building up their strength by not attacking 'round the clock." Wesley added.
"Or something else is coming." Angel said solemnly.
Wesley nodded and moved off to Faith's side. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Five by five." Faith coughed.
"Can you say that with a little more conviction." Buffy tried to joke.
"I'll be fine B." Faith said.
"Giles, we need to talk." Buffy said, pulling Wes into the kitchen with her. Buffy relayed the dream she and Faith shared to the watchers.
"Fascinating." Wesley said.
"And you're sure they said "Pure Good"?" Giles questioned.
"Yes." Buffy said quietly. "But what does it mean?"
"Well, it would make sense that if there was a first original evil, there would be a counterpoint. Good and Evil have always co-existed. Even in the very beginning of time." Wesley said.
"So, we're looking for something old." Buffy said. "But where do we look?"
"I don't know." Giles said. "We found the First Evil underground. So, maybe this Pure Good thing will be above ground."
"How about ground?" Wesley asked.
"Huh?" Buffy turned to Wesley.
"Well, above ground in the sense as on the ground where we are, or above ground as in above us?" Wesley pondered.
"You've lost me Wes." Buffy said.
"No." Giles said. "I get it. If The First Evil rose from below, from a place of terror and darkness, than maybe the good needs to descend from a place of happiness and light."
"From heaven." Buffy mumbled, looking away from the watchers.
"Makes sense." Wesley said, setting his glasses as the table. "Evil looms below us in hell, filling us with dread, while good sits above us in heaven, giving us hope."
"And we sit between the two." Buffy deduced.
"And we decide what happens next." Giles concluded.
Buffy threw the blanket off of her shoulders and walked into the living room. "Will, get on the phone and call the morning patrol team back. Angel, Gunn, move Faith up to my room and get her situated in the bed. Oz, start gathering the girls. Rondell, Connor, weapons. Xander, get Fred, get the little girl."
"Buffy?" Giles questioned.
"I've got a plan." Buffy said. "As soon as the morning's patrol arrives, get everyone together in the living room." Buffy left the room and headed to the basement. Dawn followed on her big sister's heels.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"Not now Dawnie." Buffy said. "Help upstairs."
Buffy descended the steps and came upon the sleeping Spike. "Rise and shine." She said, pulling the covers off of Spike.
"Come for a bit of cold comfort?" Spike asked with a grin on his face.
"Upstairs, now." Buffy said. "Everyone together." She grabbed Spike and dragged him up the stairs.
Buffy stood in by the front door as the gang filled the room.
"What's your plan Buffy?" Giles asked once everyone was accounted for.
Chapter Fifteen
Giles and Wesley helped Faith into the house. Gunn, Oz and Dawn followed, weapons in hand. A slender dark woman trailed the group.
"Hey." Willow offered; her brow furrowed at the visitor.
"Willow, this is Dr. Orchid." Dawn said. "She's going to check everyone out."
"Give a once over of the teams, make sure we're all healthy." Wesley added, placing Faith gently on the sofa.
Faith held her side as she breathed heavily. "Thanks." She offered a forced smile to Wesley and Giles.
"Here." Rondell said, placing a pillow to Faith's side, he helped to swivel her around and moved her to lie on the couch. He tucked a light blanket over her body.
Faith nodded and continued to breath heavily. "Slayer healing." She grunted. "Don't fail me now."
Buffy walked down the stairs quickly, wrapped tightly in a quilt. She shivered as if cold.
"Buffy." Dawn said. "We brought a doctor home."
Buffy nodded and moved off to Faith. She said next to her and the two women began a frenzied whisper.
Angel shook his head, warning Dawn not to ask questions. He walked toward Dawn and placed a protective arm around her.
"Let's get you guys checked out." Dr. Orchid said, opening her medical bag. She began checking all of the fighters in the house.
"Have we heard from day patrol?" Giles asked, lifting his diary from the little table.
"A few of the groups checked in." Rona replied. "Rondell has been logging the calls."
Rondell rose and handed Giles a sheet of paper with all of the incoming calls listed on it. "No one seems busy this morning." He reported. "A few demons here and there, but nothing like the last few days."
"We're making headway." Connor offered.
"Or they've gone into hiding." Vi said.
"Or they're building up their strength by not attacking 'round the clock." Wesley added.
"Or something else is coming." Angel said solemnly.
Wesley nodded and moved off to Faith's side. "How are you feeling?" He asked.
"Five by five." Faith coughed.
"Can you say that with a little more conviction." Buffy tried to joke.
"I'll be fine B." Faith said.
"Giles, we need to talk." Buffy said, pulling Wes into the kitchen with her. Buffy relayed the dream she and Faith shared to the watchers.
"Fascinating." Wesley said.
"And you're sure they said "Pure Good"?" Giles questioned.
"Yes." Buffy said quietly. "But what does it mean?"
"Well, it would make sense that if there was a first original evil, there would be a counterpoint. Good and Evil have always co-existed. Even in the very beginning of time." Wesley said.
"So, we're looking for something old." Buffy said. "But where do we look?"
"I don't know." Giles said. "We found the First Evil underground. So, maybe this Pure Good thing will be above ground."
"How about ground?" Wesley asked.
"Huh?" Buffy turned to Wesley.
"Well, above ground in the sense as on the ground where we are, or above ground as in above us?" Wesley pondered.
"You've lost me Wes." Buffy said.
"No." Giles said. "I get it. If The First Evil rose from below, from a place of terror and darkness, than maybe the good needs to descend from a place of happiness and light."
"From heaven." Buffy mumbled, looking away from the watchers.
"Makes sense." Wesley said, setting his glasses as the table. "Evil looms below us in hell, filling us with dread, while good sits above us in heaven, giving us hope."
"And we sit between the two." Buffy deduced.
"And we decide what happens next." Giles concluded.
Buffy threw the blanket off of her shoulders and walked into the living room. "Will, get on the phone and call the morning patrol team back. Angel, Gunn, move Faith up to my room and get her situated in the bed. Oz, start gathering the girls. Rondell, Connor, weapons. Xander, get Fred, get the little girl."
"Buffy?" Giles questioned.
"I've got a plan." Buffy said. "As soon as the morning's patrol arrives, get everyone together in the living room." Buffy left the room and headed to the basement. Dawn followed on her big sister's heels.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"Not now Dawnie." Buffy said. "Help upstairs."
Buffy descended the steps and came upon the sleeping Spike. "Rise and shine." She said, pulling the covers off of Spike.
"Come for a bit of cold comfort?" Spike asked with a grin on his face.
"Upstairs, now." Buffy said. "Everyone together." She grabbed Spike and dragged him up the stairs.
Buffy stood in by the front door as the gang filled the room.
"What's your plan Buffy?" Giles asked once everyone was accounted for.
