Protected
Chapter Nine
Patrol
A.N. Spoilers for the upcoming Buffy episode. Caleb, a priest who has been possessed by the First, stabbed Xander in the eye, causing him to lose an eye. For my purposes, Xander is blind as opposed to just missing an eye.
Patrol with Spike was becoming more and more enjoyable to Buffy. He kept her company, even if they didn't speak. He kept her company, even if they didn't speak. His presence just seemed to comfort her. She'd been having some serious warm and fuzzies about him. Before, she'd simply needed him to protect Dawn or make her feel like she was still alive. Now-now, he made her feel loved. He made her love him. She couldn't tell him that, but she did love him. She wanted to tell him, but she could never form the words. She suddenly felt his cobalt cold eyes on her.
"What?"
He smiled, something that happened often now.
"Are you thinking about the great Poof, my wonderful, dark and dashing Grandsire?"
Buffy smiled at him, happy to see he hadn't lost all of his usual humor.
"Actually, no. I wasn't thinking about him."
"Who were you thinking about?" Spike prodded, gently.
She swiveled her emerald eyes onto him, to meet his gaze.
"I was thinking about another souled vampire."
She said it so quietly, that if Spike didn't have the ultra-vampire hearing, he would have missed it. Spike stopped walking, grabbing Buffy's arm.
"What were you thinking?"
She started to stammer, "Just how things have...SPIKE!"
She jerked him down and grabbed the stake that was flying at them. She whirled it around and stabbed the Ubervamp with it in the neck. She jerked and the head fell off, exploding into dust.
Spike straightened himself up. "Thanks, Ducks."
"No problem. Come on. I think it's time to head home, find a way to room everybody safely, and organize for the battle. I think it's approaching. Other than that vamp, all the others have gone into hiding. Even Willy's is empty."
Spike didn't press her any farther about the conversation before the attack. They walked in silence back to Revello Drive.
Cordelia sat next to Xander and Willow.
"So, what's happened with you, Xander?"
"Went blind. You?"
"Was impregnanted with a demon that wanted to end the world."
"Ah. So the usual."
"Mm."
The three Sunnydale High Alumni sighed in unison and stared ahead at the wall.
Mercy sat amongst the Potentials discussing the First. Mercy was gathering information in hopes of finding a spell or something that would destory the First. Dawn, Lorne, and Andrew were in the kitchen preparing a midnight snack for the new arrivals and the others. Slowly, each team showed up from patrol.
"There was absolutely no action tonight. No Ubervamps even. You, B?" Faith started.
"One." Buffy replied.
Angel added in his report. "None. Where are the vampires going? Do you know, Spike?"
Spike glowered at him. "Since I got my soul, evil people haven't exactly been chatty with me."
"Soul?" Angel snorted. Spike looked up at him, his eyes piercing the elder vampire.
"Yep."
Angel's mouth dropped open, but decided that was a whole other conversation.
"Buffy?"
"I think they've all joined forces with the First. The Ubervamps and demons have gone into hiding, after almost destroying the town. They're preparing for the battle."
"When do you think the First will attack?"
Buffy looked down.
"Any night now."
'We'll be ready. We managed to fit some extra weapons in the trunk."
"Good. We can use all the extra we can get."
Angel nodded and went out to the trunk. The sun was about to come up. Wood looked at Buffy. "Dawn and I need to get to school."
Buffy raised her eyes. "I don't know why your keeping the school open. Mystical convergence, the seal to Hell. I mean, the town is burning down."
"It's best to keep things normal in appearance."
"In Sunnyhell? Isn't bloody likely." Spike put in. The look Wood gave him chilled Buffy to the bone.
"Besides, if the world ends, at least the kids will be chock full of knowledge."
Buffy let herself snicker. "Okay. Make sure Amanda and Dawnie are safe. Since we found out she's a Potential, Bringers might try to get her, since it's closer to the battle."
Dawn sighed. "I'm 16 and I have to go to school with the principal. That'll do wonders for my freak reputation."
Andrew smiled shyly at Dawn, "You're not a freak, Dawnie."
Andrew and Dawn exchanged a look. Xander added in, "No, that'd be the rest of us."
Buffy smiled at her sister. "What does it matter, anyways? Half of the Sunnydale adolescent population won't be there."
Dawn giggled a little. "Wait for me. I've got to change. You know wearing the same clothes two days in a row will kill me. Come on, Amanda."
Amanda came towards Dawn and they started to the stairs. Cordelia spoke from the couch, "Hey, Dawn! Whenever you feel like a freak, remember, Buffy, Xander, and Willow will always be ten times weirder."
That made Dawn crack up as she walked up the staircase. Willow gave Cordy a look. "Hey! I was helping!"
Willow shrugged, kissed Xander's cheek and headed towards Mercy.
Wesley held Fred tightly, while each separately read a book. Wesley had some of the books that Giles didn't. It was times like this that he missed the Council. He hated the wankers, but they had always been a font of endless knowledge. And he'd never wished them any harm. He looked down and noticed that Fred had fallen asleep. She appeared so peaceful, so beautiful. It was the middle of the day and most of them had hardly slept. He watched her breath steadily, her eyes closed, her eyelashes fanned out on her milky white cheeks. Wesley pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before removing the book from her hand, shutting it. Wesley looked over and saw some of the other researchers had dozed off. Mercy was working steadfastly, though, and she looked like she was making some progess. His little sister's tongue portruded from her lips, studying the text intently. Her eyes had lit up, and he knew she must have found something that would be helpful on the mystical end of the fight. He glanced out the window. Faith and Buffy were in the backyard, sunlight glittering around them. Connor and Gunn were helping them train the Potentials that were not currently attending the new Sunnydale High School. Tonight would be the night. Whether they were ready or not, they would be fighting tonight. He had a feeling. From the grim looks on Giles, Buffy, and Faith's faces, they were aware of it, also. Angel and Spike were in the basement, either sleeping or sparring. He wasn't sure. He took out a notebook and a pen. He scribbled stay and go on it and underlined it decisively.
Stay Go
Mercy Buffy
Willow Angel
Fred Connor
Lorne Spike
Xander Faith
Slayers-in-Training
Wood
Anya
Andrew
Giles
Cordelia
Gunn
Wesley
Dawn
Wesley looked at the iimpossibly long go list. He wished he could leave more home. Xander, being blind, couldn't really battle. Lorne had always been on the spells end of the fight. Mercy and Willow would be doing the magick and Fred. His precious Fred would stay here, stay safe. That wasn't the only reason he left her at home, although, knowing his sister and his...Fred would be together and protected made him feel better. He would be able to concentrate on the fight instead of them. Willow had asked to keep her there, anyways. Fred had performed several magick spells. She seemed to think that Fred would be able to put up barriers after they set up a spell that would allow them to watch the battle. That way, Mercy and Willow would be able to focus on the bigger spells, like banishing the First, closing the portal to the Hell demensions, etc. He wanted to leave Dawn behind, but she was a Potential. Buffy would try to dispute her coming, but in the end, she'd have to go. Wesley sighed, taking his glasses off, setting them on the table. This was going to be a huge massacre. Not many of them would survive.
Chapter Nine
Patrol
A.N. Spoilers for the upcoming Buffy episode. Caleb, a priest who has been possessed by the First, stabbed Xander in the eye, causing him to lose an eye. For my purposes, Xander is blind as opposed to just missing an eye.
Patrol with Spike was becoming more and more enjoyable to Buffy. He kept her company, even if they didn't speak. He kept her company, even if they didn't speak. His presence just seemed to comfort her. She'd been having some serious warm and fuzzies about him. Before, she'd simply needed him to protect Dawn or make her feel like she was still alive. Now-now, he made her feel loved. He made her love him. She couldn't tell him that, but she did love him. She wanted to tell him, but she could never form the words. She suddenly felt his cobalt cold eyes on her.
"What?"
He smiled, something that happened often now.
"Are you thinking about the great Poof, my wonderful, dark and dashing Grandsire?"
Buffy smiled at him, happy to see he hadn't lost all of his usual humor.
"Actually, no. I wasn't thinking about him."
"Who were you thinking about?" Spike prodded, gently.
She swiveled her emerald eyes onto him, to meet his gaze.
"I was thinking about another souled vampire."
She said it so quietly, that if Spike didn't have the ultra-vampire hearing, he would have missed it. Spike stopped walking, grabbing Buffy's arm.
"What were you thinking?"
She started to stammer, "Just how things have...SPIKE!"
She jerked him down and grabbed the stake that was flying at them. She whirled it around and stabbed the Ubervamp with it in the neck. She jerked and the head fell off, exploding into dust.
Spike straightened himself up. "Thanks, Ducks."
"No problem. Come on. I think it's time to head home, find a way to room everybody safely, and organize for the battle. I think it's approaching. Other than that vamp, all the others have gone into hiding. Even Willy's is empty."
Spike didn't press her any farther about the conversation before the attack. They walked in silence back to Revello Drive.
Cordelia sat next to Xander and Willow.
"So, what's happened with you, Xander?"
"Went blind. You?"
"Was impregnanted with a demon that wanted to end the world."
"Ah. So the usual."
"Mm."
The three Sunnydale High Alumni sighed in unison and stared ahead at the wall.
Mercy sat amongst the Potentials discussing the First. Mercy was gathering information in hopes of finding a spell or something that would destory the First. Dawn, Lorne, and Andrew were in the kitchen preparing a midnight snack for the new arrivals and the others. Slowly, each team showed up from patrol.
"There was absolutely no action tonight. No Ubervamps even. You, B?" Faith started.
"One." Buffy replied.
Angel added in his report. "None. Where are the vampires going? Do you know, Spike?"
Spike glowered at him. "Since I got my soul, evil people haven't exactly been chatty with me."
"Soul?" Angel snorted. Spike looked up at him, his eyes piercing the elder vampire.
"Yep."
Angel's mouth dropped open, but decided that was a whole other conversation.
"Buffy?"
"I think they've all joined forces with the First. The Ubervamps and demons have gone into hiding, after almost destroying the town. They're preparing for the battle."
"When do you think the First will attack?"
Buffy looked down.
"Any night now."
'We'll be ready. We managed to fit some extra weapons in the trunk."
"Good. We can use all the extra we can get."
Angel nodded and went out to the trunk. The sun was about to come up. Wood looked at Buffy. "Dawn and I need to get to school."
Buffy raised her eyes. "I don't know why your keeping the school open. Mystical convergence, the seal to Hell. I mean, the town is burning down."
"It's best to keep things normal in appearance."
"In Sunnyhell? Isn't bloody likely." Spike put in. The look Wood gave him chilled Buffy to the bone.
"Besides, if the world ends, at least the kids will be chock full of knowledge."
Buffy let herself snicker. "Okay. Make sure Amanda and Dawnie are safe. Since we found out she's a Potential, Bringers might try to get her, since it's closer to the battle."
Dawn sighed. "I'm 16 and I have to go to school with the principal. That'll do wonders for my freak reputation."
Andrew smiled shyly at Dawn, "You're not a freak, Dawnie."
Andrew and Dawn exchanged a look. Xander added in, "No, that'd be the rest of us."
Buffy smiled at her sister. "What does it matter, anyways? Half of the Sunnydale adolescent population won't be there."
Dawn giggled a little. "Wait for me. I've got to change. You know wearing the same clothes two days in a row will kill me. Come on, Amanda."
Amanda came towards Dawn and they started to the stairs. Cordelia spoke from the couch, "Hey, Dawn! Whenever you feel like a freak, remember, Buffy, Xander, and Willow will always be ten times weirder."
That made Dawn crack up as she walked up the staircase. Willow gave Cordy a look. "Hey! I was helping!"
Willow shrugged, kissed Xander's cheek and headed towards Mercy.
Wesley held Fred tightly, while each separately read a book. Wesley had some of the books that Giles didn't. It was times like this that he missed the Council. He hated the wankers, but they had always been a font of endless knowledge. And he'd never wished them any harm. He looked down and noticed that Fred had fallen asleep. She appeared so peaceful, so beautiful. It was the middle of the day and most of them had hardly slept. He watched her breath steadily, her eyes closed, her eyelashes fanned out on her milky white cheeks. Wesley pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before removing the book from her hand, shutting it. Wesley looked over and saw some of the other researchers had dozed off. Mercy was working steadfastly, though, and she looked like she was making some progess. His little sister's tongue portruded from her lips, studying the text intently. Her eyes had lit up, and he knew she must have found something that would be helpful on the mystical end of the fight. He glanced out the window. Faith and Buffy were in the backyard, sunlight glittering around them. Connor and Gunn were helping them train the Potentials that were not currently attending the new Sunnydale High School. Tonight would be the night. Whether they were ready or not, they would be fighting tonight. He had a feeling. From the grim looks on Giles, Buffy, and Faith's faces, they were aware of it, also. Angel and Spike were in the basement, either sleeping or sparring. He wasn't sure. He took out a notebook and a pen. He scribbled stay and go on it and underlined it decisively.
Stay Go
Mercy Buffy
Willow Angel
Fred Connor
Lorne Spike
Xander Faith
Slayers-in-Training
Wood
Anya
Andrew
Giles
Cordelia
Gunn
Wesley
Dawn
Wesley looked at the iimpossibly long go list. He wished he could leave more home. Xander, being blind, couldn't really battle. Lorne had always been on the spells end of the fight. Mercy and Willow would be doing the magick and Fred. His precious Fred would stay here, stay safe. That wasn't the only reason he left her at home, although, knowing his sister and his...Fred would be together and protected made him feel better. He would be able to concentrate on the fight instead of them. Willow had asked to keep her there, anyways. Fred had performed several magick spells. She seemed to think that Fred would be able to put up barriers after they set up a spell that would allow them to watch the battle. That way, Mercy and Willow would be able to focus on the bigger spells, like banishing the First, closing the portal to the Hell demensions, etc. He wanted to leave Dawn behind, but she was a Potential. Buffy would try to dispute her coming, but in the end, she'd have to go. Wesley sighed, taking his glasses off, setting them on the table. This was going to be a huge massacre. Not many of them would survive.