Check me out! The writer's block from the summer seems to have disappeared, and there's chapter 6 on the way.

Again, huge, huge, really gigantic thanks to Darklight for pushing me to finish this.



Willow opened the door to two familiar faces, and three unfamiliar. She welcomed them into the living room, where everyone had gathered. Buffy even let Dawn stay. After all, they were just fighting one little super demon. How serious could it get?

The introductions went easily enough. Mostly.

Phoebe could tell that there was a power struggle between her older sister and the slayer, Buffy, on the way. She seemed to click with the other two witches, Willow and Tara, almost immediately. The most interesting interaction by far was between Cole and Anya.

"Anyanka?"

"Balthazar?"

They started talking quickly, about things neither group could understand. Phoebe asked about Anya, and they explained her ex-vengeance demon status. In return, Phoebe told them how they had turned Cole good. Finally, the two former demons explained how they had been old acquaintances. The group got back to business. Phoebe and Willow silently resolved to keep Prue and Buffy apart, for the greater good of all of them.

Then the research began, full force.

They stayed that way for a while, trading off books and computer time as needed. Before they knew it, it was 1 am, and Buffy was dying to patrol. And, much to her dismay, everyone wanted to come.

"Buff, we're going stir crazy. All's we learned was that the demon's started killing more and more people. Let us out, please?" Xander begged.

Buffy finally agreed to it, and split them off into groups:

She, Piper, and Willow would go north,

Prue, Giles, Spike, and Tara would head south,

Cole, Anya, Phoebe, and Xander would start out east,

And they would all meet back at the house around 2:30am and finish west in one large group. Amanda would stay back and watch Dawn until they met back up later, and then go out.



Piper smiled grimly. "The faster we get this done, the faster we save my husband."

Prue gave her sister's shoulder a squeeze as they headed out the door.

Everything went easy. The north group only encountered two vampires, and the rest didn't even see one. They met back as scheduled, and headed out again, this time with Amanda.



3:30 am

It was cold. Not uncomfortably frigid, just enough so that you noticed. Phoebe glanced around her. She was at the front of the group, talking quietly with Buffy and Amanda. Prue and Giles took up the rear; discussing some old book that she had seen at Bucklands the year before. Piper was somewhere in between, listening to Willow. Cole and Anya were unquestionably friendly, and she could tell Xander had a problem with that.

A sound up ahead interrupted Phoebe's thoughts on group dynamics. Then it came at them, before most of their crowd had even realized what was happening. Two from each side, one from the front, and one from the back.

Buffy shot a glance behind her. "I thought there was only one!"

"Well, guess we were wrong." Xander answered for everyone.

Then the fight began, full force.