The Ties That Bind
Chapter 2: Dark Things
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy characters and am no way conneced to UPN, Joss Whedon or the cast.
--
The girl had passed out in Buffy's arms, most likely from the extent of her injuries. Buffy gently took the girl into her arms and carried her down the block. The girl's brown hair was covered in dry blood, dirt and plantlife. Buffy felt a mixture of anger and sadness as she studied her battered body. Who could do such a thing?
Buffy carefully walked up the front steps of her home, using her booted foot to knock. Buffy could hear some shuffling inside and some muddled voices, and then saw a pair of brown eye staring out through the glass of the door. The eyes studied Buffy's face, and then the body in her arms. Buffy heard the lock shift, and the door was flung open, revealing Xander Harris looking quite concerned.
"What the hell happenned?" Xander said, nearly gaping as Buffy pushed in, using her foot to close the door. Buffy immediately moved to the couch and laid the girl down.
"I don't know. I found her on the way home from my patrol. She was speaking all funny." Buffy spoke quietly, not wanting to bring up the fact she made comments about a potential threat against them. "I don't know who did this to her."
A set of foot-steps was heard on the staircase. Both Xander and Buffy looked up to see Dawn. She had a smile on her face that slowly faded into shock as she saw the unconcious girl.
"Dawn, get me a blanket and the First Aid kit. Where's Willow and Tara?" Buffy said quickly, instictivly trying to usher her little sister away. Dawn stumbled for words as she took in the battered woman.
"Uh..Willow and Tara went to the Magic Shop to help Giles and Anya with inventory or something." Dawn said in a slightly detached tone, "What happenned, Buffy?"
"I don't know." Buffy said, sounding a little more aggravated. "Just get me what I asked for."
Dawn nodded quickly and turned back up the stairs. Buffy and Xander both kneeled down beside the couch. Buffy began pulling hair from the girl's gaunt face and Xander studied her wounds.
"Vampire?" Xander asked simply. Buffy shook her head.
"No. Vampires don't do this. Atleast none that I know. She's been beaten.and.possibly raped..I can't tell." Buffy said quietly.
"Human, maybe? Some messed up gang activity." Xander questioned, trying to be helpful. Buffy shrugged, but she looked skeptical.
"Something here just doesn't seem right." Buffy pointed at the ligature marks across the girl's thighs, "Whip marks, methodical, patterned. And here, Branding marks." Buffy pointed at small symbols burned into the girl's breasts which she hadn't seen in the darkness of the streets. "If this was done by people, there as much a threat as any demon."
Xander nodded slowly as Dawn came down the stairs with a bed sheet and a small first aid kit. Buffy laid the sheet down across the girl to retain some of her dignity, and handed the First Aid kit to Xander.
"Get Giles here.I want him to look at those symbols." Her face was hard, the look in her eyes unmistakable. She walked over to the large trunk against the back of the couch and pulled out two small daggers. She slid them both in the back of her jeans, and checked her stake.
"I'm going to scope the area.see if anything was left behind from where I found her. Don't let her leave. And don't go outside. I won't go far." Buffy said, voice direct, cold, pointed. Xander opened his mouth to protest, but shut it as Buffy's green eyes glared for the briefestof seconds. Dawn looked edgy, but nodded.
"Lock the door behind me." Buffy stated simply, walking out. Dawn locked it quickly, sharing a glance with Xander that showed their uneasyness.
Chapter 2: Dark Things
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own the Buffy characters and am no way conneced to UPN, Joss Whedon or the cast.
--
The girl had passed out in Buffy's arms, most likely from the extent of her injuries. Buffy gently took the girl into her arms and carried her down the block. The girl's brown hair was covered in dry blood, dirt and plantlife. Buffy felt a mixture of anger and sadness as she studied her battered body. Who could do such a thing?
Buffy carefully walked up the front steps of her home, using her booted foot to knock. Buffy could hear some shuffling inside and some muddled voices, and then saw a pair of brown eye staring out through the glass of the door. The eyes studied Buffy's face, and then the body in her arms. Buffy heard the lock shift, and the door was flung open, revealing Xander Harris looking quite concerned.
"What the hell happenned?" Xander said, nearly gaping as Buffy pushed in, using her foot to close the door. Buffy immediately moved to the couch and laid the girl down.
"I don't know. I found her on the way home from my patrol. She was speaking all funny." Buffy spoke quietly, not wanting to bring up the fact she made comments about a potential threat against them. "I don't know who did this to her."
A set of foot-steps was heard on the staircase. Both Xander and Buffy looked up to see Dawn. She had a smile on her face that slowly faded into shock as she saw the unconcious girl.
"Dawn, get me a blanket and the First Aid kit. Where's Willow and Tara?" Buffy said quickly, instictivly trying to usher her little sister away. Dawn stumbled for words as she took in the battered woman.
"Uh..Willow and Tara went to the Magic Shop to help Giles and Anya with inventory or something." Dawn said in a slightly detached tone, "What happenned, Buffy?"
"I don't know." Buffy said, sounding a little more aggravated. "Just get me what I asked for."
Dawn nodded quickly and turned back up the stairs. Buffy and Xander both kneeled down beside the couch. Buffy began pulling hair from the girl's gaunt face and Xander studied her wounds.
"Vampire?" Xander asked simply. Buffy shook her head.
"No. Vampires don't do this. Atleast none that I know. She's been beaten.and.possibly raped..I can't tell." Buffy said quietly.
"Human, maybe? Some messed up gang activity." Xander questioned, trying to be helpful. Buffy shrugged, but she looked skeptical.
"Something here just doesn't seem right." Buffy pointed at the ligature marks across the girl's thighs, "Whip marks, methodical, patterned. And here, Branding marks." Buffy pointed at small symbols burned into the girl's breasts which she hadn't seen in the darkness of the streets. "If this was done by people, there as much a threat as any demon."
Xander nodded slowly as Dawn came down the stairs with a bed sheet and a small first aid kit. Buffy laid the sheet down across the girl to retain some of her dignity, and handed the First Aid kit to Xander.
"Get Giles here.I want him to look at those symbols." Her face was hard, the look in her eyes unmistakable. She walked over to the large trunk against the back of the couch and pulled out two small daggers. She slid them both in the back of her jeans, and checked her stake.
"I'm going to scope the area.see if anything was left behind from where I found her. Don't let her leave. And don't go outside. I won't go far." Buffy said, voice direct, cold, pointed. Xander opened his mouth to protest, but shut it as Buffy's green eyes glared for the briefestof seconds. Dawn looked edgy, but nodded.
"Lock the door behind me." Buffy stated simply, walking out. Dawn locked it quickly, sharing a glance with Xander that showed their uneasyness.