**** Chapter 7: What is to Come ****
Dawn watches as a hoard of bringers march towards their makeshift army. They stood in the middle of the street Buffy and Spike on one end, Dawn and Faith on the other, and the Potentials inbetween. Behind the Bringers Dawn could see another hoard of something, she just couldn't make it out, all she could see was that they had red jewels in their heads with green skin. The line they had made was meek in comparison to the real army that approached, and Dawn could feel the fear permiating from the girls, but she could also feel a stong power from behind, she glanced back and saw Willow in full Willow mode, black hair and black eyes staring down the bringers. She looked feverishly for Xander and found him sitting high atop a crane holding a large metal beam, just waiting for his moment. As the Bringers drew closer she saw a familiar face join Spike on the other side of the line, it was Angel. Oddly, Spike and Buffy both turned to him with a grateful smile, Spike went as far as to hug him. Dawn realized that ~this must be it, the world must really be ending if I just saw what I think I saw.~ The Bringers and mysterious demons neared and then the first appeared before the slayers, vampires, and potentials in the form of Glory. "Well kiddo, it didn't work out that well the first time, so how about another round? My boys are going to finish this." With those words the 'First' stepped up to Dawn and looked her in the eye, "I dare you kid, try me, you will lose, and you will die!" The First then reached her hand back and slapped Dawn square across the face. With a jolt Dawn awoke, it was a dream ~Thank God, I'm not ready yet.~ She looked up and realized that Buffy was standing over her, just staring at her. "What..what are you doing in here?"
"Someone has to wake you up, I literally had to smack you to get you to wake up. You were saying things in your sleep, it sounded pretty intense. First you were talking about a line? Then something about Willow and Xander. I even think you mentioned Glory. What in the world was going on in there?" Buffy asked looking into Dawn's eyes with a look of great concern.
"Nothing, just a dream. Nothing at all." Dawn lied as she slowly got up. "Wait, wait, what is it about dreams and slayers? Wasn't there something about prophetic dreams?"
"Yeah," I've had them for a long time Buffy thought, "there is something, why?"
"I saw a battle, I think it was the battle. If so, we're outnumbered big time. We're going to need to train harder, research more, and definitely call for some reinforcements. Oh, and I saw Glory, you know, as the first. She said for me to try her and she would kill me or something, anyways she slapped me. I thought this First thing wasn't able to touch anything? Oh, and what kind of demon is green, wears armor, and has a red jewel in it's head?" Dawn was rambling at this point, but Buffy stopped her when she heard the last words out of her mouth.
"Did you say a red jewel? Oh my God, we have to call Angel, now!"
"Yeah that's just what I said, reinforcements." That night when the girls where sitting in the basement waiting, the three slayers, Spike, Willow, Xander, and Giles sat in the kitchen discussing Dawn's dream. Giles looked perplexed at the whole deal, as plainly seen by the constant cleaning of his glasses. Buffy and Willow looked angry and motivated, 'ready to research', and overall optimistic. Faith and Dawn sat stoic considering the battle that lie before them. Xander was in his usual, laughing about fear type mood. Anya then walked in and broke the commotion that had broken out from the conversation. "So, do we call Angel?" Anya asked knowing full well that she could be yelled at, but was seriously worried so asked anyways.
Spike sat up in his chair, looking around the table and surprised everyone in the room, "Yeah, we do. The more the better, tell him we need him Buffy. "
"Are you sure that's what you want." Buffy started as she looked at Spike.
"I lost you once, I will not lose you again. I love you ALL too much to take any chances. My vamp pride will have to wait for later. After the battle, Angel and I can have our go, but for now my worry is to my slayer's and my friends." Spike finished his statement with tears in his eyes as he looked around the room at each and every one of them, "and that is what you all are, my friends, my family, bloody hell, you all are my life. This is not going to take any of you from me!" Spike finished his emotional outburst with a fist pound to the counter. The room sat with tears in their eyes, they hadn't ever given him respect, friendship, and especially not love in the past, but now they felt for this man, this vamp, whatever he is more than they knew was humanly possible.
"Alright then, we'll do this." Buffy said with a finality in her voice.
"No, we don't do this yet," Dawn broke in, "we call Angel now and see if he knows anything about the demons with the jewels, we train the girls every second, and we research how to kill this thing, the battle I saw had many emotions: fear, love, hate, but most of all readiness. We have to be ready." Dawn finished with a whisper, almost the opposite of Spike's speech, but with the same power.
The room scattered with that, Spike, Faith, Dawn, and Xander all headed downstairs to train the girls. Willow and Giles walk into the living room to research, while Buffy stays at the kitchen counter. She picks up the phone with a tear and prepares to ask her former lover to come help, come to the town where she now had a new love. She dialed the number and as it rang the first time she again thought ~Oh my God, green with a red jewel~ but this time it sank in. When Angel answered the phone the first words he heard were, "Come to Sunnydale now! There is no time to explain, but it's safe to say that you are supposed to be here. Remember the demon with the jewel in its head at your office that day, there's a hoard heading this way."
"My God," Angel whispered, "this it it. This is the day that I was told about."
"Told about when Angel?"
"Oh, uh um, well, I'll explain later. But I know what's to come, and it's not little."
Dawn watches as a hoard of bringers march towards their makeshift army. They stood in the middle of the street Buffy and Spike on one end, Dawn and Faith on the other, and the Potentials inbetween. Behind the Bringers Dawn could see another hoard of something, she just couldn't make it out, all she could see was that they had red jewels in their heads with green skin. The line they had made was meek in comparison to the real army that approached, and Dawn could feel the fear permiating from the girls, but she could also feel a stong power from behind, she glanced back and saw Willow in full Willow mode, black hair and black eyes staring down the bringers. She looked feverishly for Xander and found him sitting high atop a crane holding a large metal beam, just waiting for his moment. As the Bringers drew closer she saw a familiar face join Spike on the other side of the line, it was Angel. Oddly, Spike and Buffy both turned to him with a grateful smile, Spike went as far as to hug him. Dawn realized that ~this must be it, the world must really be ending if I just saw what I think I saw.~ The Bringers and mysterious demons neared and then the first appeared before the slayers, vampires, and potentials in the form of Glory. "Well kiddo, it didn't work out that well the first time, so how about another round? My boys are going to finish this." With those words the 'First' stepped up to Dawn and looked her in the eye, "I dare you kid, try me, you will lose, and you will die!" The First then reached her hand back and slapped Dawn square across the face. With a jolt Dawn awoke, it was a dream ~Thank God, I'm not ready yet.~ She looked up and realized that Buffy was standing over her, just staring at her. "What..what are you doing in here?"
"Someone has to wake you up, I literally had to smack you to get you to wake up. You were saying things in your sleep, it sounded pretty intense. First you were talking about a line? Then something about Willow and Xander. I even think you mentioned Glory. What in the world was going on in there?" Buffy asked looking into Dawn's eyes with a look of great concern.
"Nothing, just a dream. Nothing at all." Dawn lied as she slowly got up. "Wait, wait, what is it about dreams and slayers? Wasn't there something about prophetic dreams?"
"Yeah," I've had them for a long time Buffy thought, "there is something, why?"
"I saw a battle, I think it was the battle. If so, we're outnumbered big time. We're going to need to train harder, research more, and definitely call for some reinforcements. Oh, and I saw Glory, you know, as the first. She said for me to try her and she would kill me or something, anyways she slapped me. I thought this First thing wasn't able to touch anything? Oh, and what kind of demon is green, wears armor, and has a red jewel in it's head?" Dawn was rambling at this point, but Buffy stopped her when she heard the last words out of her mouth.
"Did you say a red jewel? Oh my God, we have to call Angel, now!"
"Yeah that's just what I said, reinforcements." That night when the girls where sitting in the basement waiting, the three slayers, Spike, Willow, Xander, and Giles sat in the kitchen discussing Dawn's dream. Giles looked perplexed at the whole deal, as plainly seen by the constant cleaning of his glasses. Buffy and Willow looked angry and motivated, 'ready to research', and overall optimistic. Faith and Dawn sat stoic considering the battle that lie before them. Xander was in his usual, laughing about fear type mood. Anya then walked in and broke the commotion that had broken out from the conversation. "So, do we call Angel?" Anya asked knowing full well that she could be yelled at, but was seriously worried so asked anyways.
Spike sat up in his chair, looking around the table and surprised everyone in the room, "Yeah, we do. The more the better, tell him we need him Buffy. "
"Are you sure that's what you want." Buffy started as she looked at Spike.
"I lost you once, I will not lose you again. I love you ALL too much to take any chances. My vamp pride will have to wait for later. After the battle, Angel and I can have our go, but for now my worry is to my slayer's and my friends." Spike finished his statement with tears in his eyes as he looked around the room at each and every one of them, "and that is what you all are, my friends, my family, bloody hell, you all are my life. This is not going to take any of you from me!" Spike finished his emotional outburst with a fist pound to the counter. The room sat with tears in their eyes, they hadn't ever given him respect, friendship, and especially not love in the past, but now they felt for this man, this vamp, whatever he is more than they knew was humanly possible.
"Alright then, we'll do this." Buffy said with a finality in her voice.
"No, we don't do this yet," Dawn broke in, "we call Angel now and see if he knows anything about the demons with the jewels, we train the girls every second, and we research how to kill this thing, the battle I saw had many emotions: fear, love, hate, but most of all readiness. We have to be ready." Dawn finished with a whisper, almost the opposite of Spike's speech, but with the same power.
The room scattered with that, Spike, Faith, Dawn, and Xander all headed downstairs to train the girls. Willow and Giles walk into the living room to research, while Buffy stays at the kitchen counter. She picks up the phone with a tear and prepares to ask her former lover to come help, come to the town where she now had a new love. She dialed the number and as it rang the first time she again thought ~Oh my God, green with a red jewel~ but this time it sank in. When Angel answered the phone the first words he heard were, "Come to Sunnydale now! There is no time to explain, but it's safe to say that you are supposed to be here. Remember the demon with the jewel in its head at your office that day, there's a hoard heading this way."
"My God," Angel whispered, "this it it. This is the day that I was told about."
"Told about when Angel?"
"Oh, uh um, well, I'll explain later. But I know what's to come, and it's not little."