Buffy had taken the map and an extra set of clothes for Methos and his cross and got the car. She drove to Notre Dame and walked inside with the cross, and went to sit in the first pew. Closing her eyes, she prayed. When she looked up, a priest was standing in front of her. He smiled and spoke a flurry of rapid French.
Shaking her head she smiled, "My French is really bad."
"How wonderful that my English is good then." The man replied with a smile. "How can I help you my daughter?"
Her hand trembling she stood and held out Methos' cross, "Father, will you bless this cross?" Father Darius looked down at the cross seriously, noting the blood that was in the design. He covered her hand, closed his eyes and was flooded by the feelings of love and loss. Both of them were frozen as power flooded their joined hands as he prayed in Latin. When they opened their eyes he took his hand back and the cross was clean. "God Bless you." He said and watched as she nodded and left. "God Bless, Methos." He whispered.
She carefully drove to the last bloody mark on the map and had parked when her cell phone rang.
"Yeah."
"Buffy, it's Angel. How are you holding up?" His gentle voice asked.
Buffy sobbed for a moment, then got a hold of herself. "I'm ok. I'm going to find him Angel. They sent me a map with ten places to look for so I can find his, b..b..him." She couldn't even say body.
"Ok Buffy, listen. Check the last place first and be careful. I doubt they'll leave anybody as guard, it's broad daylight. Hang in there. McLeod and Faith are on their way."
"Thanks Angel." Buffy sighed and hung up.
Giles looked at Angel who shook his head, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's fraying about the edges. I'll call her in a bit." Giles nodded grimly, "She was like that when you were gone." Angel gave Giles a long look and the two men settled down to wait.
Buffy had carefully searched the first 3 buildings, but when she entered the fourth she knew. The stink of old and new blood flooded her nose. Gathering her courage she walked inside carefully, not sensing anyone. She was almost done searching the first floor when she stopped and listened. Drip. Drip. Drip. Looking up she saw droplets winging their way down to the floor and realized he must be on the upper level.
Caution gone she raced up the steps and stopped in shock, closing her eyes to gather herself before she passed out.
The vamps had pinned Methos to the floor naked. There were swords through his shoulders, and through his thighs. Then there were daggers in his palms, his feet and lastly into his heart. He had bled out and it was coagulating around him. Not even caring she dropped to her knees with a moan, brushing the hair off his face with a shaking hand. "Oh Methos, love really sucks sometimes."
She stood, braced herself and started pulling out the swords. She flinched as they pulled out, the flesh had partially healed around them and the sound was hideous. She then pulled all of the daggers out, then the one in his heart last. By this time she was crying, silent tears running down her cheek.
She put her hands under his shoulders and pulled him out of the bloody mess he was lying in to a relatively clean part of the floor. Then she sat, dragging him across her lap and rocked, his head to her chest. The tears dropped onto his pale face as she prayed. She had sat that way for she didn't know how long when she felt a light shudder, then he took a great gasp of air and his heart started beating.
"Methos? Methos I'm here." She rested him on the floor and cupped his face in her hands so that she would be the first thing that he saw.
Methos groaned and felt like he pounded like laundry on washday. Suddenly memories flooded him and he opened his eyes to see Buffy's tear stained face above him.
"Hey." He croaked and was rewarded with a huge smile. She leaned down and gently pressed a kiss to his lips and cried. Methos was weakly trying to comfort her when she stopped and looked at him.
"Can you stand?" She asked and he nodded. Carefully she pulled him up; as he stood there swaying he grimaced at the mess on the floor. It looked like he had bled out a couple of times. He looked down at himself and sighed, "They had to take my bloody clothes?" Buffy walked him over to a bench and helped him sit down. "The blood and yuck I can't fix, but the clothes I can." She watched him for a moment making sure he wasn't going to fall down then dashed to the car and got his clothes.
Methos sat there and thought about what had happened, and winced a little at what Buffy had gone through. He looked up as she came back in, noticing the shadows in her eyes. "Buffy, I am so sorry." She set the clothes down and looked into his eyes, "You should be. You leave without your sword again I'll take your head after kicking your ass." He laughed quietly.
She carefully helped him into the shirt and buttoned it, then slid the pants over his narrow hip. He slipped his feet into his loafers with a sigh, "You'll have to burn this stuff."
"I intend to." She muttered as she helped him to the Mercedes. The passenger seat was already reclined and he slid in and lay down with a sigh.
She got into the driver's seat and looked at him, "Methos, I love you." She said quietly, emotions burning in her eyes. His lips curved into a small smile, "You're my heart Buffy."
She carefully drove back to the hotel, noting on the car clock that it was about noon. It seemed like it had taken days.
"Drive around back Buffy, there is a service elevator so I won't scare the natives."
Buffy pulled in back, looking around quickly before seeing the bellboy she recognized, taking a smoke break. Waving him over she opened the car door and the boy gaped at the mess that was Methos.
"He was attacked but I already took him to the doctor and he'll be fine. He just needs to be cleaned up. We need to get to our room without being seen." The bellboy nodded and checked around and waved them into the elevator. Before the door closed Buffy reached out and tossed him the keys, "10,000 euros if you get the blood out of the seats by 6 tonight." The young man smiled delightedly and waved.
"God, I hope he doesn't put 6,000 miles on it." Buffy sighed and Methos chuckled, "If he gets the blood out, let him."
