Panic surged through Buffy as she ran. Her lungs felt as though they were
closing on her as she finally reached the street she now lived on. 'Not
again' swam around the dark swirls of her brain. She could remember the
horrible day the year before like it was yesterday, she had been at
Cheerleading practice when she felt a sharp pain in her throat. She knew
something was wrong with her twin sister Faith. They had always shared a
bond, felt each other pain and happiness. She knew something was very
wrong. She had ran all the way home. The door had been open to her large
house. Buffy had opened the door slowly, the hall was empty. "Faith? Mom?"
she had called, closing the door behind her. Her footstep echoed on the
wooden floor. There was a small red stain on the carpet, she had bent down
to touch it. It stained her fingers. Something made her turn to look in the
front room. Her scream was heard four houses away.
The front door was closed, it wasn't happening again, it wasn't. She pulled
her key out with trembling fingers and shoved it in the lock.
"Ryan? Laura?" she screamed. Tears were pouring down her cheeks.
"Buffy?" Laura called coming out of the kitchen, rubbing a plate with a
dishcloth.
Laura took in Buffy's appearance, flushed cheeks, tear stained face and her
chest heaving with sobs.
"What happened?" Laura asked, putting the plate on the telephone table.
Angel came bursting through the door behind her. "Buffy." he said,
relieved.
"What's going on?" Laura said again.
Angel pulled Buffy to him and slipped his arms around her.
"Gunn, Buffy and I found her." Angel said, pausing for breath.
"Who?" Laura said.
"Mrs Walsh! She knew, didn't she." Buffy cried. "Where's Ryan?"
"He left for work." Laura told her.
Something caught her eye and she looked up. There was a small white box,
affixed to the top of the wall, a little white light was flashing in time
to a quiet beep. She watched it a couple if times. "Was that there before?"
she asked.
"What?" Laura asked, looking up.
Something suddenly cleared over in her mind.
"Move." Buffy yelled, grabbing Angel and yanking him towards the door,
"Laura, get out!"
They ran out the front door and down the path. Just as they got onto the
pavement, a loud beep was heard, then a huge explosion as the house blew up
in a mass of flames.
The glass blew outwards and the door was flung off it's hinges. Laura,
Buffy and Angel were thrown to the floor.
Buffy heard Angel scream her name before everything went black.
The door opened and Ryan came out of the room.
"How is she?" Willow asked.
"She's going to be fine. She hit her head when she fell. She's just
sleeping now." Ryan said.
They all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Tara was sitting next to Willow and Angel was pacing the room. Laura was
sitting ringing her hands on her coral coloured top. Gunn had gone to get
drinks.
"When can she leave?" Angel asked.
Ryan glanced at Laura, "Soon."
"But your sure she's alright?" Angel said.
"She is." Ryan confirmed.
"Do you have anywhere to go?" Tara asked Laura kindly.
"Yes. Rupert has two spare bedrooms." She answered, but her eyes kept
flicking to Ryan. They knew something they weren't sharing.
"Rupert?" Willow queried.
"Mr Giles, the librarian. He's Buffy's godfather." Laura told them.
"Oh, Giles!"
Laura laughed, "Buffy's habits rubbing off on you? She already got Ryan
calling him that."
Ryan grinned sheepishly.
Gunn came back in to the waiting room with a tray full of drinks. Willow
filled him in.
He gave the drinks out. "I can't get over seeing Mrs Walsh like that. I
wonder who did it."
"I know what you mean." Angel said.
"You want to see Buffy?" Ryan asked Laura. Just then the door burst open
and Giles came in.
"Sorry I couldn't get away from the police. How is she?" Giles asked.
"Come though." Ryan said. The three went into her room, leaving the others
behind.
Angel leant forward, "Listen," he whispered getting everyone's attention,
"In the room where we found her, written in blood was 'Found you.' When I
told Giles, he picked up the phone and called someone, he said, 'They know
where she is' and hung up. They all know something we don't."
Ryan cleared his throat from his unnoticed position at the door. They all
snapped their attention away from Angel and onto a she, floor or another
inanimate object.
"You're right. We aren't telling you everything." Ryan confirmed. "But by
me telling you, you will be putting your lives at risk. I can tell the
whole story if you like, but you have been warned."
Nobody moved.
