Destiny Lost
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 17
The Bronze
The line for the bathroom was long. Buffy suffered through it until it was her turn, and then afterward stopped by the bar to get a soda. She had just handed the bartender some money and was wondering how much profit the Bronze actually made since most of its patrons were high-schoolers who couldn't drink, when she sensed someone standing by her side.
She looked up and saw a tall, handsome man with a sad, serious face. He had reddish-brown hair slicked back with gel, but in an attractive way. His eyes were surrounded by thick lashes, and he wore understated, but becoming, clothes. His skin was also very pale. He was staring at her. Buffy began to feel a little creeped.
"Excuse me," she said moving by, hoping that he was just waiting to get up to the bar. Instead he followed her. Buffy swallowed nervously, and gave herself a mental pep talk. (You're in a public place, and Xander is here, not to mention Sonya and Oz and maybe even Mr. Giles. Everything will be OK. And you are a strong girl. You have a cross around your neck if this guy is a vamp. And if anything happens that you can't handle, all you have to do is scream.) She glanced at him again, this time focusing on his intense eyes. Something in them made her relax a little. Suddenly, she didn't think this guy meant her any harm.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked, stopping a few feet away from the bar.
The guy just stood there for a minute, looking at her. At first it was kind of flattering, but the longer he stared, the more Buffy felt like she was in the bathing suit portion of the Miss America contest.
"Who are you?" she finally exclaimed.
That seemed to get his attention, and he finally spoke. He had a sexy voice, the kind that would melt butter. "My name is Angel. I'm a friend of Xander's."
Buffy's face lit up in a smile at the mention of Xander. "Yeah, I saw him a minute ago." Then she remember that she wasn't supposed to act like she liked him, so she stifled the smile. "You know, if I cared." She bit her lip and wondered why she was failing so miserably with her charade with this guy.
Then the name sunk in. This was Angel -- the vampire with a soul. The idea was kind of interesting, but it seemed a bit tragic to Buffy -- being immortal and having to live with the guilt of killing humans. She wondered if he ever got to date, then dismissed the idea. She didn't know what would be worse -- being an immortal and having to watch one's lover grow old and die, or being mortal with an immortal lover one couldn't grow old with. The whole thing sounded kind of sucky now that she thought about it. Buffy decided the only way one could really fall in love with a vampire would be not to know he was a vampire at first, because once love hits, that's it. The thought of love brought Xander back to mind, and she glanced over her shoulder to see where he had gone to. He was standing by the wall, looking over toward Sonya. Then Buffy wondered how much he was liking the makeover. That made her frown.
Angel's voice brought her back to the conversation at hand. He was actually smiling. "Don't worry. Xander told me. Your secret's safe with me."
"He told you?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I guess he really trusts you."
"We watch each other's backs," Angel said. He paused and then said, "You've healed really well."
"What?" Buffy looked at him sharply. How did he know about her accident?
He seemed to sense her change in demeanor. "Look, I've got to go, but keep an eye out tonight, OK? I wouldn't want you hurt, and I know Xander wouldn't either."
Buffy nodded, her eyes still suspicious of him. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself now that I know what kind of creeps I'm dealing with."
He winced at her vampire reference, and then turned and melted into the crowd. Buffy watched him go with a puzzled expression. She still wanted to know how he knew about her accident, and why the vampire would care. Then she turned and looked at Xander again. Setting her cup down, she headed toward him with a sense of purpose. Sonya's back was turned -- it was the perfect time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Buffy and Xander, who would have thought it) Angel wondered as he got away from the blonde as fast as possible. She made him feel weird inside -- those types of feelings he used to have back in his adolescence. But she liked Xander, and Xander -- Angel's pseudo-little brother -- liked her. Angel couldn't think the word 'love' for some reason. Angel shoved the inexplicable feelings down deep inside. The reason Buffy was important was the spell -- there was no other reason Angel should be thinking about her. Speaking of the spell ... Angel scanned the room, hoping to see Giles. He had to find the Watcher and finish explaining the plan. Giles might want to make sure Buffy got to a place of safety...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Xander couldn't believe Sonya's new 'do. It was amazing what a little makeup, a haircut and some new duds could do. She actually looked almost happy as she sat chatting with Oz and scanning for vampires. Oz's face was unreadable, but Xander figured the guy must be having a good time, too, or he would have been long gone looking for Buffy right now.
Thinking of Buffy... (Where did she get to) he wondered. Suddenly he felt a fingernail running along the back of his neck. He shivered and turned to see Buffy standing there.
"What are you doing?" he mouthed, glancing back to see if Sonya had noticed. She hadn't even turned around.
Buffy was backing up, and then she ducked into a little, enclosed alcove and pulled the curtain shut. Xander grinned. Then responsibility set in. He couldn't fool around now. Willow and Spike would be there soon. But the temptation was almost unbearable. (Angel, Sonya and Giles are here watching) he rationalized. (I can take five minutes. What's five minutes compared to a year of slaying...)
Double checking Sonya again, Xander moved casually over to the alcove and ducked inside.
"You're insane!" he whispered, pulling her close for a kiss.
"I know, I'm sorry," Buffy mumbled against his mouth. "I just had to." She pulled back and looked at him. "I met your friend Angel. He gives me the wiggins."
"You met Angel?" Xander repeated. "Weird. He's not usually one for socializing." Xander shrugged. "Don't worry about him. He's not real good at human interaction. I guess it comes from killing all those people a long time ago." When Buffy shuddered, he hastened to add, "Don't worry, he's a completely different person now."
"I hope so," Buffy replied. Xander couldn't help it. He leaned in for another kiss. Xander couldn't help a lot of things when it came to Buffy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sonya sighed. The Bronze was active for a school night, but no vamps as of yet. And no Xander. She looked around. And now no Buffy. She'd caught a glimpse of Angel earlier, but the broody vampire had vanished. That was where she liked Angel best -- there for backup but nowhere in sight.
"So," she said, glancing at the quiet boy across from her, "how did you meet Buffy?"
"Over a book," Oz replied. "She's not what you expect."
Sonya looked down. "No one ever is."
"True enough." He leveled his gaze on her. "Not even you."
She looked around at everything but Oz. Sonya was still amazed that he had just figured everything about vampires out. Then she muttered, "I've got to go check in with Xander and Giles. I'm supposed to help Giles get people out the back when the bad guys get here. I guess that's all I'm good for nowadays..." She turned to go.
"You're good for more than that," Oz said to her retreating form.
Sonya heard him, but couldn't think of anything to say, so she said nothing. She moved along in her chair as best she could. Most people moved out of the way to give her room when she came by, but some gave her dirty looks or pretended not to notice. She kept close to the wall and tried to hurry. Then two guys were standing right in her way. Sonya gave them a pointed glare, and they started to move, but not very fast. Then she heard a man's voice. The voice was familiar, even if she couldn't make out exactly what it was saying.
A female laugh tinkled out of a curtained alcove right next to her. Sonya felt her heart drop. She knew those voices. (Just go on, Sonya) she told herself. (You don't want to know.) But it was too late. She already knew. Her hand trembled as she reached out and pulled back the curtain. There they were, Xander and Buffy, locked with their arms around each other, but staring at her like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming 18-wheeler.
"Sonya..." Xander managed, reaching out his hand. Buffy let go of him, and stepped back guiltily.
"You liar!" Sonya tried to yell, but it came out in a tiny, gasping voice she hardly recognized. "You're both liars!"
Buffy blushed and looked at her shoes. "Yeah, we are."
Sonya's chin started to tremble, and she felt the tears build up in the corners of her eyes and spill over.
"Sonya," Xander said, "let me explain."
She fixed him with her coldest glare. "Leave me alone." Then she wheeled herself away from there as fast as possible, not caring whose feet she ran over. She pushed her way into the handicapped stall in the bathroom and locked the door. The heard of girls checking their makeup at the mirror were silent for a moment, and then they left, muttering about some people's rudeness. It was only then, when she was alone, that the sobs came. Painful, gut-wrenching sobs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy felt like a traitor, guilty for what she had done and angry at Sonya for making her feel guilty. It was Xander's white face that scared her the most. And it was all her fault.
"Xander... I'm sorry..."
"I am, too." He looked at her with a wealth of pain and hurt in his eyes. Then he walked away.
The girl band began to scream lyrics at the top of their lungs. The sound served to mask Buffy's crying. After a moment or two, she mastered herself enough to go wash her face. She didn't know what was going to happen, but now wasn't the time to fall apart.
When she walked into the bathroom, she heard the sobs coming from the stall. Immediately, Buffy knew who it was. She knocked on the stall door quietly. "Sonya?"
"Go away! Leave me alone."
"I want to say I'm sorry."
There was a click, and the door to the stall swung back. Buffy looked into Sonya's tearstained face. "Yeah, right," the girl spat. "You wanted to flaunt it in my face."
"I didn't!" Buffy protested.
"What I don't understand is why you did all this for me." Sonya gestured to the sweater and the skirt and her newly cut hair.
"Because you deserved to look pretty," Buffy said. "You're a good person underneath all that anger. I wanted you to have a chance to show that."
"So you could gloat all the more when you took it away from me?"
Buffy sighed. It was time for the truth. "Xander and I never stopped seeing each other. Yes, we lied -- because you and Mr. Giles gave us no choice."
Some kind of understanding sparked in Sonya's eyes. "You love him, too, don't you?"
Buffy nodded.
"And here I thought it was just some fling. I didn't think it was real."
"Well, it's real -- at least for me."
Sonya managed a tiny smile amidst her tears. "I think it is for him, too. I've never seen him like he is when he's with you."
"I hope so..." Buffy got two paper towels from the dispenser, wet them, handed one to Sonya and used the other to wipe her face. "I'm going to go back out there. I want to try and talk to him again, but maybe I should wait. Those vamps should show up soon."
"If they're really coming," Sonya muttered darkly.
"You think they aren't?"
"It's been so long... maybe they were just distracting us while they went after what they really wanted."
Buffy shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Finally, she said simply, "You coming?"
"In a minute," Sonya answered. "I've got to finish getting myself together."
Buffy nodded, and then went outside. The door swung shut behind her as she stepped into the unusually empty hallway. She looked around and saw a window open. Did they leave windows open in places like this? Then Buffy felt a shooting pain as something crashed into her skull. And everything went black.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Giles hovered in the back of the Bronze. He calculated the shortest distance from the main part of the club to the back doors and made sure the door was unlocked. Then he loitered by the inside bouncer, on the look out for familiar, pale faces.
Just when he thought Xander had been wrong or that Willow had been misleading him, the front doors burst open with a loud crash and Spike and Willow walked in, followed by a good number of vampires, a normal-looking brunette and a dark-haired girl with an arsenal strapped to her back. Giles moved back into the shadows before they could spot him, and readied himself for the rescue mission. Then he noticed something that made his heart race. Rings on the fingers of the two, non-vampiric girls -- rings bearing the symbol of the Order of Taraka. But where was the third? Giles knew these assassins always moved in threes.
"Oh, no," Giles moaned. The trap had been sprung. He had to find a way to warn the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey, man. Wanna dance?"
Xander pushed the unknown girl off of him with a brusque refusal, and continued pushing his way through the dance floor. He didn't know where he was going. Weird emotions were seething through him. Anger, fear, guilt, love... Everything was all messed up, and he didn't know how to fix it.
Suddenly, the music stopped. Xander looked up and saw the lead singer of the girl band held by her throat. He followed the hand back until he met Willow's yellow eyes. She had her vamp face on.
She threw the girl down, and took the microphone. "Hello, everyone, I just wanted to take a minute to welcome you to our little party..."
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
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Chapter 17
The Bronze
The line for the bathroom was long. Buffy suffered through it until it was her turn, and then afterward stopped by the bar to get a soda. She had just handed the bartender some money and was wondering how much profit the Bronze actually made since most of its patrons were high-schoolers who couldn't drink, when she sensed someone standing by her side.
She looked up and saw a tall, handsome man with a sad, serious face. He had reddish-brown hair slicked back with gel, but in an attractive way. His eyes were surrounded by thick lashes, and he wore understated, but becoming, clothes. His skin was also very pale. He was staring at her. Buffy began to feel a little creeped.
"Excuse me," she said moving by, hoping that he was just waiting to get up to the bar. Instead he followed her. Buffy swallowed nervously, and gave herself a mental pep talk. (You're in a public place, and Xander is here, not to mention Sonya and Oz and maybe even Mr. Giles. Everything will be OK. And you are a strong girl. You have a cross around your neck if this guy is a vamp. And if anything happens that you can't handle, all you have to do is scream.) She glanced at him again, this time focusing on his intense eyes. Something in them made her relax a little. Suddenly, she didn't think this guy meant her any harm.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked, stopping a few feet away from the bar.
The guy just stood there for a minute, looking at her. At first it was kind of flattering, but the longer he stared, the more Buffy felt like she was in the bathing suit portion of the Miss America contest.
"Who are you?" she finally exclaimed.
That seemed to get his attention, and he finally spoke. He had a sexy voice, the kind that would melt butter. "My name is Angel. I'm a friend of Xander's."
Buffy's face lit up in a smile at the mention of Xander. "Yeah, I saw him a minute ago." Then she remember that she wasn't supposed to act like she liked him, so she stifled the smile. "You know, if I cared." She bit her lip and wondered why she was failing so miserably with her charade with this guy.
Then the name sunk in. This was Angel -- the vampire with a soul. The idea was kind of interesting, but it seemed a bit tragic to Buffy -- being immortal and having to live with the guilt of killing humans. She wondered if he ever got to date, then dismissed the idea. She didn't know what would be worse -- being an immortal and having to watch one's lover grow old and die, or being mortal with an immortal lover one couldn't grow old with. The whole thing sounded kind of sucky now that she thought about it. Buffy decided the only way one could really fall in love with a vampire would be not to know he was a vampire at first, because once love hits, that's it. The thought of love brought Xander back to mind, and she glanced over her shoulder to see where he had gone to. He was standing by the wall, looking over toward Sonya. Then Buffy wondered how much he was liking the makeover. That made her frown.
Angel's voice brought her back to the conversation at hand. He was actually smiling. "Don't worry. Xander told me. Your secret's safe with me."
"He told you?" Buffy asked, surprised. "I guess he really trusts you."
"We watch each other's backs," Angel said. He paused and then said, "You've healed really well."
"What?" Buffy looked at him sharply. How did he know about her accident?
He seemed to sense her change in demeanor. "Look, I've got to go, but keep an eye out tonight, OK? I wouldn't want you hurt, and I know Xander wouldn't either."
Buffy nodded, her eyes still suspicious of him. "Don't worry. I can take care of myself now that I know what kind of creeps I'm dealing with."
He winced at her vampire reference, and then turned and melted into the crowd. Buffy watched him go with a puzzled expression. She still wanted to know how he knew about her accident, and why the vampire would care. Then she turned and looked at Xander again. Setting her cup down, she headed toward him with a sense of purpose. Sonya's back was turned -- it was the perfect time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Buffy and Xander, who would have thought it) Angel wondered as he got away from the blonde as fast as possible. She made him feel weird inside -- those types of feelings he used to have back in his adolescence. But she liked Xander, and Xander -- Angel's pseudo-little brother -- liked her. Angel couldn't think the word 'love' for some reason. Angel shoved the inexplicable feelings down deep inside. The reason Buffy was important was the spell -- there was no other reason Angel should be thinking about her. Speaking of the spell ... Angel scanned the room, hoping to see Giles. He had to find the Watcher and finish explaining the plan. Giles might want to make sure Buffy got to a place of safety...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Xander couldn't believe Sonya's new 'do. It was amazing what a little makeup, a haircut and some new duds could do. She actually looked almost happy as she sat chatting with Oz and scanning for vampires. Oz's face was unreadable, but Xander figured the guy must be having a good time, too, or he would have been long gone looking for Buffy right now.
Thinking of Buffy... (Where did she get to) he wondered. Suddenly he felt a fingernail running along the back of his neck. He shivered and turned to see Buffy standing there.
"What are you doing?" he mouthed, glancing back to see if Sonya had noticed. She hadn't even turned around.
Buffy was backing up, and then she ducked into a little, enclosed alcove and pulled the curtain shut. Xander grinned. Then responsibility set in. He couldn't fool around now. Willow and Spike would be there soon. But the temptation was almost unbearable. (Angel, Sonya and Giles are here watching) he rationalized. (I can take five minutes. What's five minutes compared to a year of slaying...)
Double checking Sonya again, Xander moved casually over to the alcove and ducked inside.
"You're insane!" he whispered, pulling her close for a kiss.
"I know, I'm sorry," Buffy mumbled against his mouth. "I just had to." She pulled back and looked at him. "I met your friend Angel. He gives me the wiggins."
"You met Angel?" Xander repeated. "Weird. He's not usually one for socializing." Xander shrugged. "Don't worry about him. He's not real good at human interaction. I guess it comes from killing all those people a long time ago." When Buffy shuddered, he hastened to add, "Don't worry, he's a completely different person now."
"I hope so," Buffy replied. Xander couldn't help it. He leaned in for another kiss. Xander couldn't help a lot of things when it came to Buffy.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sonya sighed. The Bronze was active for a school night, but no vamps as of yet. And no Xander. She looked around. And now no Buffy. She'd caught a glimpse of Angel earlier, but the broody vampire had vanished. That was where she liked Angel best -- there for backup but nowhere in sight.
"So," she said, glancing at the quiet boy across from her, "how did you meet Buffy?"
"Over a book," Oz replied. "She's not what you expect."
Sonya looked down. "No one ever is."
"True enough." He leveled his gaze on her. "Not even you."
She looked around at everything but Oz. Sonya was still amazed that he had just figured everything about vampires out. Then she muttered, "I've got to go check in with Xander and Giles. I'm supposed to help Giles get people out the back when the bad guys get here. I guess that's all I'm good for nowadays..." She turned to go.
"You're good for more than that," Oz said to her retreating form.
Sonya heard him, but couldn't think of anything to say, so she said nothing. She moved along in her chair as best she could. Most people moved out of the way to give her room when she came by, but some gave her dirty looks or pretended not to notice. She kept close to the wall and tried to hurry. Then two guys were standing right in her way. Sonya gave them a pointed glare, and they started to move, but not very fast. Then she heard a man's voice. The voice was familiar, even if she couldn't make out exactly what it was saying.
A female laugh tinkled out of a curtained alcove right next to her. Sonya felt her heart drop. She knew those voices. (Just go on, Sonya) she told herself. (You don't want to know.) But it was too late. She already knew. Her hand trembled as she reached out and pulled back the curtain. There they were, Xander and Buffy, locked with their arms around each other, but staring at her like deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming 18-wheeler.
"Sonya..." Xander managed, reaching out his hand. Buffy let go of him, and stepped back guiltily.
"You liar!" Sonya tried to yell, but it came out in a tiny, gasping voice she hardly recognized. "You're both liars!"
Buffy blushed and looked at her shoes. "Yeah, we are."
Sonya's chin started to tremble, and she felt the tears build up in the corners of her eyes and spill over.
"Sonya," Xander said, "let me explain."
She fixed him with her coldest glare. "Leave me alone." Then she wheeled herself away from there as fast as possible, not caring whose feet she ran over. She pushed her way into the handicapped stall in the bathroom and locked the door. The heard of girls checking their makeup at the mirror were silent for a moment, and then they left, muttering about some people's rudeness. It was only then, when she was alone, that the sobs came. Painful, gut-wrenching sobs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy felt like a traitor, guilty for what she had done and angry at Sonya for making her feel guilty. It was Xander's white face that scared her the most. And it was all her fault.
"Xander... I'm sorry..."
"I am, too." He looked at her with a wealth of pain and hurt in his eyes. Then he walked away.
The girl band began to scream lyrics at the top of their lungs. The sound served to mask Buffy's crying. After a moment or two, she mastered herself enough to go wash her face. She didn't know what was going to happen, but now wasn't the time to fall apart.
When she walked into the bathroom, she heard the sobs coming from the stall. Immediately, Buffy knew who it was. She knocked on the stall door quietly. "Sonya?"
"Go away! Leave me alone."
"I want to say I'm sorry."
There was a click, and the door to the stall swung back. Buffy looked into Sonya's tearstained face. "Yeah, right," the girl spat. "You wanted to flaunt it in my face."
"I didn't!" Buffy protested.
"What I don't understand is why you did all this for me." Sonya gestured to the sweater and the skirt and her newly cut hair.
"Because you deserved to look pretty," Buffy said. "You're a good person underneath all that anger. I wanted you to have a chance to show that."
"So you could gloat all the more when you took it away from me?"
Buffy sighed. It was time for the truth. "Xander and I never stopped seeing each other. Yes, we lied -- because you and Mr. Giles gave us no choice."
Some kind of understanding sparked in Sonya's eyes. "You love him, too, don't you?"
Buffy nodded.
"And here I thought it was just some fling. I didn't think it was real."
"Well, it's real -- at least for me."
Sonya managed a tiny smile amidst her tears. "I think it is for him, too. I've never seen him like he is when he's with you."
"I hope so..." Buffy got two paper towels from the dispenser, wet them, handed one to Sonya and used the other to wipe her face. "I'm going to go back out there. I want to try and talk to him again, but maybe I should wait. Those vamps should show up soon."
"If they're really coming," Sonya muttered darkly.
"You think they aren't?"
"It's been so long... maybe they were just distracting us while they went after what they really wanted."
Buffy shrugged, not knowing how to respond. Finally, she said simply, "You coming?"
"In a minute," Sonya answered. "I've got to finish getting myself together."
Buffy nodded, and then went outside. The door swung shut behind her as she stepped into the unusually empty hallway. She looked around and saw a window open. Did they leave windows open in places like this? Then Buffy felt a shooting pain as something crashed into her skull. And everything went black.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Giles hovered in the back of the Bronze. He calculated the shortest distance from the main part of the club to the back doors and made sure the door was unlocked. Then he loitered by the inside bouncer, on the look out for familiar, pale faces.
Just when he thought Xander had been wrong or that Willow had been misleading him, the front doors burst open with a loud crash and Spike and Willow walked in, followed by a good number of vampires, a normal-looking brunette and a dark-haired girl with an arsenal strapped to her back. Giles moved back into the shadows before they could spot him, and readied himself for the rescue mission. Then he noticed something that made his heart race. Rings on the fingers of the two, non-vampiric girls -- rings bearing the symbol of the Order of Taraka. But where was the third? Giles knew these assassins always moved in threes.
"Oh, no," Giles moaned. The trap had been sprung. He had to find a way to warn the others.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Hey, man. Wanna dance?"
Xander pushed the unknown girl off of him with a brusque refusal, and continued pushing his way through the dance floor. He didn't know where he was going. Weird emotions were seething through him. Anger, fear, guilt, love... Everything was all messed up, and he didn't know how to fix it.
Suddenly, the music stopped. Xander looked up and saw the lead singer of the girl band held by her throat. He followed the hand back until he met Willow's yellow eyes. She had her vamp face on.
She threw the girl down, and took the microphone. "Hello, everyone, I just wanted to take a minute to welcome you to our little party..."