Warren paced angrily back and forth in the Geek Trio's lair an hour after
he had pulled the revolver trigger on Giles. Andrew and Jonathan watched
helplessly. It had never crossed their minds that Buffy would have left
Giles. They had all been sure Buffy would have stayed by his side until the
end, which with Gugsrak coming back, wouldn't have been very far off.
"Well you can't blame yourself," Jonathan said slowly. "If it wasn't for that Spike then Buffy would have been here. Warren spun around to face Jonathan. "Don't you think I know that idiot? That still doesn't solve our problem. Gugsrak isn't going to like this."
Andrew seemed to brighten. "Well he can just follow that train route to the stops and then find her." Warren reached over to the desk and threw a folded piece of paper to Andrew. Andrew opened it to see a map. A thick red line was drawn up the coast of California with many routes branching off it.
"That route goes straight to Canada. It has 300 forks and crossings on the main line. Who knows how many go off the lesser tracks? It would take forever." Andrew set down the map, looking abashed.
"We need a new plan, a fool-proof way to find Buffy," Warren said outloud. "How about a location spell?" Jonathan asked. "Tried it," Warren said. "Those witches have secured her quite nicely. She might as well be invisible."
All of a sudden Warren stopped and smiled. "Brilliant," he snickered.
****
"He keeps calling Buffy's name in his sleep," Willow said as she quietly closed the door to Giles' hospital room. Four sets of eyes stared back at her. They were all mystified at what had happened.
****
Just as Willow had been getting ready to go to bed the phone rang. She had answered it to hear Spike's urgent voice. "Willow? Come quick. Someone's shot Giles!" Willow's heart had stopped. "What? Where are you?"
"At the train station, hurry up!" Then the line had gone dead. Willow had quickly dialed 911, given the details and run from the house. She was at the train station five minutes later. No one could be seen except for Giles.
H was laying down on the ground, crimson blood pooled around him. For all appearances he was dead. Buffy or Spike were no where to be seen, but this wasn't her concern for the moment. She rushed over to him. He was blinking. He was still alive! Minutes later the ambulance arrived.
They pushed her away and quickly loaded Giles onto the ambulance. "Are you family?" They asked her. In a panic she had said yes and she was driving down the bare streets of Sunnydale at breakneck speed.
****
"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, saying what was on everyone's mind. They had come to the hospital after Willow had called. The adults looked away from her.
"She's safe isn't she? She has to be. Spike saved her." Willow looked at the young girl. Everyone there wanted to believe Spike had safely gotten Buffy onto that train, but no one could be sure. "I'm sure she's safe," Tara said softly to Dawn. What was the use in assuming the worst?
Dawn tried to stifle a yawn. "We should get you home Dawn," Xander said. "No, I'm fine, I want to stay with Giles. He's going to be ok isn't he?" Willow nodded. "The doctors said that the bullet missed his important organs. He just lost a lot of blood. He's sleeping soundly now."
"When can he come back?' Dawn asked. "I don' know yet Dawnie," Willow said gently. Dawn looked disappointed. "Come on Dawn, we'll take you home." Dawn resisted, saying she was fine but Xander won in the end. He and Anya hugged Willow and Tara then left the hospital to the Summers' house, where they would spend the night.
"You don't have to stay with me," Willow said to Tara as they sat down in the waiting room chairs. "I want to," Tara said quietly as she reached for Willow's hand. "He's going to be alright Willow, don't worry," Tara said as she leaned over and softly kissed Willow's cheek.
Willow tried to put on a smile. "I know, it's just..." her voice trailed off, she was thinking of the events that had taken place so close together. "I'm worried about everything Tara. Buffy probably thinks Giles is dead and there's no way for me to reassure her he's safe. I feel so helpless."
Tara hugged Willow tighter. "It's going to be alright Willow, Spike will take care of Buffy." Willow shook her head, unconvinced. "What if he doesn't have her? What if she's someone's captive or worse---dead." Tara shushed Willow gently. "Don't think that way, when we're sure Gugsrak is gone we can get Buffy home on the next flight. For now we have to be confident she's taking care of herself."
Willow sighed. "You're right Tara, there's no use in fretting over something I can't change. She's always taken care of herself before. I know she can do it this time."
"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Plus, she most-likely has Spike there too."
"Well you can't blame yourself," Jonathan said slowly. "If it wasn't for that Spike then Buffy would have been here. Warren spun around to face Jonathan. "Don't you think I know that idiot? That still doesn't solve our problem. Gugsrak isn't going to like this."
Andrew seemed to brighten. "Well he can just follow that train route to the stops and then find her." Warren reached over to the desk and threw a folded piece of paper to Andrew. Andrew opened it to see a map. A thick red line was drawn up the coast of California with many routes branching off it.
"That route goes straight to Canada. It has 300 forks and crossings on the main line. Who knows how many go off the lesser tracks? It would take forever." Andrew set down the map, looking abashed.
"We need a new plan, a fool-proof way to find Buffy," Warren said outloud. "How about a location spell?" Jonathan asked. "Tried it," Warren said. "Those witches have secured her quite nicely. She might as well be invisible."
All of a sudden Warren stopped and smiled. "Brilliant," he snickered.
****
"He keeps calling Buffy's name in his sleep," Willow said as she quietly closed the door to Giles' hospital room. Four sets of eyes stared back at her. They were all mystified at what had happened.
****
Just as Willow had been getting ready to go to bed the phone rang. She had answered it to hear Spike's urgent voice. "Willow? Come quick. Someone's shot Giles!" Willow's heart had stopped. "What? Where are you?"
"At the train station, hurry up!" Then the line had gone dead. Willow had quickly dialed 911, given the details and run from the house. She was at the train station five minutes later. No one could be seen except for Giles.
H was laying down on the ground, crimson blood pooled around him. For all appearances he was dead. Buffy or Spike were no where to be seen, but this wasn't her concern for the moment. She rushed over to him. He was blinking. He was still alive! Minutes later the ambulance arrived.
They pushed her away and quickly loaded Giles onto the ambulance. "Are you family?" They asked her. In a panic she had said yes and she was driving down the bare streets of Sunnydale at breakneck speed.
****
"Where's Buffy?" Dawn asked, saying what was on everyone's mind. They had come to the hospital after Willow had called. The adults looked away from her.
"She's safe isn't she? She has to be. Spike saved her." Willow looked at the young girl. Everyone there wanted to believe Spike had safely gotten Buffy onto that train, but no one could be sure. "I'm sure she's safe," Tara said softly to Dawn. What was the use in assuming the worst?
Dawn tried to stifle a yawn. "We should get you home Dawn," Xander said. "No, I'm fine, I want to stay with Giles. He's going to be ok isn't he?" Willow nodded. "The doctors said that the bullet missed his important organs. He just lost a lot of blood. He's sleeping soundly now."
"When can he come back?' Dawn asked. "I don' know yet Dawnie," Willow said gently. Dawn looked disappointed. "Come on Dawn, we'll take you home." Dawn resisted, saying she was fine but Xander won in the end. He and Anya hugged Willow and Tara then left the hospital to the Summers' house, where they would spend the night.
"You don't have to stay with me," Willow said to Tara as they sat down in the waiting room chairs. "I want to," Tara said quietly as she reached for Willow's hand. "He's going to be alright Willow, don't worry," Tara said as she leaned over and softly kissed Willow's cheek.
Willow tried to put on a smile. "I know, it's just..." her voice trailed off, she was thinking of the events that had taken place so close together. "I'm worried about everything Tara. Buffy probably thinks Giles is dead and there's no way for me to reassure her he's safe. I feel so helpless."
Tara hugged Willow tighter. "It's going to be alright Willow, Spike will take care of Buffy." Willow shook her head, unconvinced. "What if he doesn't have her? What if she's someone's captive or worse---dead." Tara shushed Willow gently. "Don't think that way, when we're sure Gugsrak is gone we can get Buffy home on the next flight. For now we have to be confident she's taking care of herself."
Willow sighed. "You're right Tara, there's no use in fretting over something I can't change. She's always taken care of herself before. I know she can do it this time."
"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Plus, she most-likely has Spike there too."
