Chapter 3~
".and I just left. I don't know what to do." Buffy was crying Pike's arms. He just hugged her, his nose in her blonde hair, which smelled like Herbal Essences. He kissed her forehead.
"You're too good for them, you know that Buffy." He wiped the tears off her cheek with the sleeve of his t-shirt.
"Maybe, but I don't have anyone else." He pushed her chin up, so that he could look into her eyes.
"You have me. Don't forget that." She broke into a wide smile, although tears still streamed down. Pike leaned down and kissed her. Buffy looked around her empty room.
"You'd better go," Buffy said.
"I don't want to leave you now."
"My mom will be home soon." He nodded.
"Call me," Pike said as he swung one of his legs over the windowsill. He swung the other over as well and disappeared.
Pike walked down the street past Buffy's house. He looked back and could see Mrs. Summers' SUV pull up to the driveway.
"Do you love her?" a voice asked from the shadows.
"Who's there?" he called.
"Me." Angel stepped forward. "Well, do you?"
"I don't know. I like her, but I don't know if I love her. Not yet, anyway."
"Well, tell me this. Do you care enough?"
Pike thought this through for a second. "Yes."
"Alright," Angel said, "There's an army of vampires and demons assembling another army of vampires and demons. They're going to attack the Slayer at her Mid-Year Dance. If she fails, they'll take over L.A."
"But the dance is next Friday." Pike calculated this in his mind. Buffy had a week and two days to get ready.
"Now, if you leave her to die, just to save your own skin, I will rip it off." Angel struggled to keep his face from changing. Pike raised an eyebrow.
"What do you care?" Pike asked.
"The world needs a hero. Warn her."
"Who should I say told me this?" Pike found himself standing all alone.
"Excellent," Miar growled. He looked fondly on his army of about two thousand. Miar laughed to himself. This army versus one little girl. He looked down at a paper in his hand.
ONE NITE ONLY
MID-YEAR DANCE
APRIL 30
COME ONE COME ALL!
A dance. A school-dance. All the little children, gathering for a party. The Slayer would have a hard time saving their lives and her own. She would be distracted. And then he would suck her heart out through her neck.
"The dance?" Buffy screamed. Pike had visited her at school. "And who told you this?" "I don't know." She looked annoyed with him. Pike sighed. "'bout yay tall"- he indicated Angel's height, "dark, leather coat. ring a bell?" Buffy searched her mind. "Nope. Do you think he was telling the truth?" "I don't think you can take that chance. He said double army. You need a plan." "Right. Come over at five?" Buffy needed Pike to give her confidence, and drive. He nodded and walked away.
Buffy grunted. She was pounding the pads on Pike's hands. She found that the harder she hit, the less she thought about Merrick. When she trained, everything fell away. But at the same time, the thing that reminded her of Merrick the most was training. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes. Buffy punched as hard as she could, trying to hide her tears. Pike was launched across the room. "Okay, let's take a break," Pike said, out of breath. He picked himself up and handed Buffy a towel. "Are you okay?" "Fine," she said, wiping her tears and sweat off her cheeks. Pike frowned. "Do you have a plan for Friday?" He was rubbing his hands, which had taken quite a beating. "Fight for my life?" Buffy said. "You need something better." "Obviously." Pike frowned. He felt so old, lecturing her like this. But he only said it because he worried. 'I guess what parents say is true,' Pike thought. He went over and opened the window. "Don't open that." Buffy sounded annoyed. "I'm gonna catch on fire if I don't," Pike complained. It hit her. "Pike, I've got my plan."
".and I just left. I don't know what to do." Buffy was crying Pike's arms. He just hugged her, his nose in her blonde hair, which smelled like Herbal Essences. He kissed her forehead.
"You're too good for them, you know that Buffy." He wiped the tears off her cheek with the sleeve of his t-shirt.
"Maybe, but I don't have anyone else." He pushed her chin up, so that he could look into her eyes.
"You have me. Don't forget that." She broke into a wide smile, although tears still streamed down. Pike leaned down and kissed her. Buffy looked around her empty room.
"You'd better go," Buffy said.
"I don't want to leave you now."
"My mom will be home soon." He nodded.
"Call me," Pike said as he swung one of his legs over the windowsill. He swung the other over as well and disappeared.
Pike walked down the street past Buffy's house. He looked back and could see Mrs. Summers' SUV pull up to the driveway.
"Do you love her?" a voice asked from the shadows.
"Who's there?" he called.
"Me." Angel stepped forward. "Well, do you?"
"I don't know. I like her, but I don't know if I love her. Not yet, anyway."
"Well, tell me this. Do you care enough?"
Pike thought this through for a second. "Yes."
"Alright," Angel said, "There's an army of vampires and demons assembling another army of vampires and demons. They're going to attack the Slayer at her Mid-Year Dance. If she fails, they'll take over L.A."
"But the dance is next Friday." Pike calculated this in his mind. Buffy had a week and two days to get ready.
"Now, if you leave her to die, just to save your own skin, I will rip it off." Angel struggled to keep his face from changing. Pike raised an eyebrow.
"What do you care?" Pike asked.
"The world needs a hero. Warn her."
"Who should I say told me this?" Pike found himself standing all alone.
"Excellent," Miar growled. He looked fondly on his army of about two thousand. Miar laughed to himself. This army versus one little girl. He looked down at a paper in his hand.
ONE NITE ONLY
MID-YEAR DANCE
APRIL 30
COME ONE COME ALL!
A dance. A school-dance. All the little children, gathering for a party. The Slayer would have a hard time saving their lives and her own. She would be distracted. And then he would suck her heart out through her neck.
"The dance?" Buffy screamed. Pike had visited her at school. "And who told you this?" "I don't know." She looked annoyed with him. Pike sighed. "'bout yay tall"- he indicated Angel's height, "dark, leather coat. ring a bell?" Buffy searched her mind. "Nope. Do you think he was telling the truth?" "I don't think you can take that chance. He said double army. You need a plan." "Right. Come over at five?" Buffy needed Pike to give her confidence, and drive. He nodded and walked away.
Buffy grunted. She was pounding the pads on Pike's hands. She found that the harder she hit, the less she thought about Merrick. When she trained, everything fell away. But at the same time, the thing that reminded her of Merrick the most was training. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes. Buffy punched as hard as she could, trying to hide her tears. Pike was launched across the room. "Okay, let's take a break," Pike said, out of breath. He picked himself up and handed Buffy a towel. "Are you okay?" "Fine," she said, wiping her tears and sweat off her cheeks. Pike frowned. "Do you have a plan for Friday?" He was rubbing his hands, which had taken quite a beating. "Fight for my life?" Buffy said. "You need something better." "Obviously." Pike frowned. He felt so old, lecturing her like this. But he only said it because he worried. 'I guess what parents say is true,' Pike thought. He went over and opened the window. "Don't open that." Buffy sounded annoyed. "I'm gonna catch on fire if I don't," Pike complained. It hit her. "Pike, I've got my plan."