"Finn!" Ham yelled.
The vampires all looked up. Jake saw Finn among the vampires. She yanked the crossbow off her back and aimed. "So who's ready to die, again?" A vampire ran toward her and the arrow found its target. As the dust fell, the vampires attacked. Ham who was holding a sword, pulled away from the group. A vampire ran toward him, "nice toy."
"Ya, really think so?" Ham swung it around and took the vamp's head off. "Cause I do."
Meanwhile Jake flipped over a vampire letting the other three fight and ran to Finn. He was hitting John with a textbook. Jake swooped in and kicked John in the chest. "Finn, run!" She turned back to John. "So you have a problem with teachers?"
"Too controlling."
"What's your point, you're dead?" She said as she kicked him in the gut.
"Jake, sword!" Ham yelled as he tossed her the sword. She caught it as John tackled her. He tried to knock the sword from her hand instead she smacked the hilt into his forehead. John fell backward with his forehead is sizzling.
"Don't ya just love these 17th century swords? (She stands up) Not only is it blessed, but the whole sword is actually a large cross."
John growled as he tried to stand Jake cut his head off. Jake turned around to see Angel stake the last vampire.
"Finn?" Ham called out.
Finn jumped out of a tree to the left of Spike. "Are they all gone?"
Jake looked around. "Yup. Can we go back now? I got a week left and it cold out here."
Angel nodded and Spike handed Jake his coat. Jake put her arm around Ham as they walked Finn to his car.
Later at the house, since it was Friday the Rawley kids decided to stay the night. It was about eleven o'clock and Jake is sitting in the basement crying. Everyone else had gone to bed, thankful for a chance at a good night's sleep. She is curled up in the far corner of the room, hugging her knees to her chest. Angel crept down into the basement to exercise, neither is aware of the other. He started to stretch when he heard her sobbing.
"Jake? (He looked around, but didn't see her.) Are you okay?" She sniffed a reply. He then saw her behind Xander's dummy. "What's wrong?"
She wiped her face, "nothing."
He sat down next to her.
"Stuff. I'm so scared." She leaned her head onto Angel's shoulder and sobbed. Angel hugged her.
"How do you and everyone do this all the time?" She asked.
"Cause we have to."
"Xander, Anya, Willow, and Oz?"
"They are Buffy's friends and as much as she has tried to push them away in the past, they won't let her fight alone. We know the risks."
"Why do you?" She pulled away from him to look him in the eye.
"I have to atone for my sins." He said seriously. He then smiled. "But I also can't just sit around and do nothing. Fight the good fight, or as the Powers That Be put it, I'm a warrior for the good side." He watched her smile for a second. "It will be hard. Buffy ran away, she quit the council, fought Giles & Wesley, and tried to push her friends away."
"But in the end, she became the prefect slayer." Jake retorted.
"Far from it, the perfect slayer would have accepted her duties, played the council's games, and be killed at an early age."
"Mmm." Jake mumbled.
"Jake, you're going fine. You've only been a slayer for a month and you haven't even faced an apocalypse yet. I know it seems hard, but you will get through this."
"And Blake?"
"He's just one more demon to be killed. And after you do, we'll party." He smiled, which made Jake smile. "Now you should get some sleep." Angel stood and helped her up.
"Thanks." Jake said as she left Angel in the basement. Jake found Ham asleep next to the couch. Spike was sitting on the couch reading a Soup Opera Digest. "The bad-ass vampire watches soaps." Jake whispered as she sat down.
"Passions."
"Let me guess, you can identify with Tabatha?"
"I like the bloody doll."
"Timmy? Creepy."
"Besides it's the only soap based on actual truth."
"Tabatha's real?"
"No, Timmy."
Jake looked at Spike with skeptically.
"That guy who plays him, the real Tabatha turned him into a doll to spite him. I met him."
"Huh."
"You should get some sleep." Spike said looking at the clock over the fireplace.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." Jake grabbed a pillow off the floor and curled up against the armrest.
7 days
Ham woke up and looked around, Will and Bella are sleeping next to him. Scout is on the reclining chair; Jake and Spike are on opposite side of the couch. Ham stood and walked into the kitchen, where he found Angel mixing some type of batter.
"Smells good," Ham commented.
"Waffles, I found the iron under the sink. The council must want Wes to stay forever. They stocked this place with more appliances than he will ever need."
"Mmm, except a dishwasher."
"Barbarians, still tired?"
"Worried."
"Jake? She scared, but she's also tough."
"I know, but..."
It clicked. "You don't think Spike and Jake?"
"I don't know, it's just…"
"Hamilton, I've seen you two together, she loves you."
"Yeah, but…"
"But what? Don't you love her?"
"Yes, but out of all of you, she makes a connection with Spike."
"Spike is, well, he won't do anything."
"What's stopping him?"
As much as Angel hated to say it, he finally realized the truth. "Buffy."
Hamm looked up and saw the pain in Angel's eyes. "Oh, want some help?"
"Sure, you can finish with the waffles, I'm going to make some eggs."
For that day and the rest of the week the group worked with Jake. Oz, Willow, and Anya returned on Thursday. The full moon's cycle started on Friday, so Ryder and Oz are going to miss Jake's fight. On Friday, Jake watched as Oz and Ryder got into their separate cages. To keep the beasts trapped within, Anya, Willow, and Bella spelled the cages. Ryder looked scared. Oz gave him a sad smile.
"It'll be okay. You won't even know that you were the wolf."
When the chanting ended, a blue wall shimmered around the cages and then faded away. Willow pulled out Jack London's Call of the Wild.
"It calms wolf Oz," she explained.
Jake and Bella remained in the room as Anya and Giles left. Oz pulled off his shirt and handed it to Willow. Ryder pulled his shirt off too and tossed it to Jake. The five watched the sun set. Jake and Bella watched as Ryder transformed. The glanced at the wolf once more as they left Willow with her book and the tranquilizer gun at her side.
"So who stays tomorrow?" Jake asked Wesley.
"Anya and Xander volunteered."
Angel put his hand on her shoulder. "So what do you what to do tonight?"
Wesley is about to answer, when Giles puts a hand over his mouth. "Go home, get some rest. Come over tomorrow at noon. I have a different exercise planned for you." Giles said and then removed his hand. "Okay?"
Wes simply nodded.
Jake took the guys and went back to the dorm. She arrived at her room to find Lena, Paige, and Caroline. Jake ignored their looks and gathered her stuff for a shower. A minute later she was out the door. Once in a stall she ran the water until it turned steaming hot and then got in. She let the water pour down onto her head for five minutes before she began washing.
Back at the house, Angel, Spike, Wesley, and Giles are sitting at the dinning room table with a bottle of brandy and a pot of tea. Spike watched in amazement as Giles adds brandy to his tea.
"She's scared." Angel said. "Well, terrified is the better term."
"That's why I asked her to come over early tomorrow." Giles said. "If you'll help me, Angel, I want to have her meditate for a few hours. So she'll be calmer and more focused."
"Sure, I'll help."
"Got something I should tell you guys and I know you're not going to like it, but it was her idea." Spike spoke up.
"What?" Wesley asked.
"IwastheonehelpingJake." Spike spit out the sentence as one word.
It took the three a minute to figure out what he said.
"But you said…figures." Angel said.
"What did you teach her?" Wesley asked.
"Stamina, agility, and defense." Spike answered.
"Defense?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, like how to block punches and such."
They took a couple of minutes to process what Spike had just said.
"Why did you lie earlier?" Wesley asked.
"Cause unlike Giles, you two bloody idiots stake first, ask questions later."
"Wow, Spike, I didn't know you had so much respect for Giles." Angel said sarcastically.
Giles looked at Spike with wonder in his eyes.
"Yeah, well, he's got more bloody dignity and honor than either of you." Spike stormed out.
Angel and Wesley stared at Giles, who just quietly sipped his tea.
The next day at noon, Ryder drove Ham and Jake over to the house. Giles took Jake upstairs to the attic. Angel was up there waiting. They had Jake sit on the floor and meditate. Giles burned incense and calmly told her things to help her relax. "Breathe in, slowly exhale, clear your mind."
After a minute Jake no longer heard Giles. A field appears in her mind's eye. She found herself standing in a pastel pink dress. Jake looked up to see a girl walking toward her. The girl was wearing a flowing black dress, her skin is tan, and her dark brown hair is in a high braided pony tail.
"Jacquelyn." The girl spoke in a think accent, that Jake could quite place.
"Yes?"
"I am Kendra, I was a slayer."
"Was?"
"I died at the hands of a vampire three years ago, but we are not here to talk about me."
"Where is here?"
"Your subconscious. You are preparing for a great battle, yes?"
"Yeah, I have to fight a demon to the death."
"Every slayer has a gift, you need to discover your to survive your battle. But you still have time and more battles to fight. You are powerful, you will win this battle. I shall help you"
"How?"
"By giving you some of my strength." Kendra touched Jake's right shoulder, then looks up. "You must go. Your time grows near."
"But?"
"It's okay, I shall be with you." Kendra started to drift away from Jake. "Say hello to Buffy for me."
Jake opened her eyes. Sitting in front of her was Angel. Jake felt something in her right hand. She lifted it to discover her hand gripping a stake.
"Jake?" Giles asked from behind her.
"I'm okay. I'm ready." Jake said as she got up and headed for the stairs.
Note: Thanks for all you have reviewed. And shame on all of you who haven't.