By PassionFish
Thank you for all the reviews – I really enjoyed getting them!
Brutal2003 – I'm glad you're enjoying it; sorry for the bitch, sometimes it's hard to gauge people's 'tone' when they're writing!
Part Fifteen:
Inside the Crawford Street mansion a lone Vampire hung from the walls by banded chains. The blood that flowed from his numerous wounds was now red, a dark evil red. It dripped slowly on to the stone floors. Withered leaves fell from the plant on the table, gliding softly through the air to land with a splash in the dead blood that lay across the floor.
A light passed through Angelus' eyes and he screamed in pain, shaking in the restraints that held him. Sobbing out Buffy's name as his soulless memories began to return to him, his psyche cracked under the pressure.
*FLASH*
Cordelia
*FLASH*
Wesley
*FLASH*
Rebecca
*FLASH*
Buffy
*FLASH*
Buffy. Buffy.
*FLASH*
BUFFY!!!
As the last of his sanity was ripped from him, his final thought was: Spike was right...this does hurt more.
---
The bricks crumbled, fell and the room shook with the mystical force of the Witches' spell. The three Vampires' burst into the medical room in which Buffy was being held prisoner.
With a vicious growl, Spike broke free of the protective bubble, reaching forward to rip the head off the lone doctor that still hovered over his prone Mate.
Hands more careful than expected, gently removed the bonds, needles and wires attached to his Slayer, growling the whole time at the pain his lover was in.
Buffys' eyes fluttered open, giving him a single tumultuous smile before her eyes closed on their own under the strain.
Spike gently lifted her up in his arms, a rumbling purr echoing unconsciously from his chest in an attempt to soothe her.
Maggie jumped at the sudden, overwhelming intrusion and quickly grabbed the first implement at hand: a wicked looking knife. Letting loose a snarl Willow knocked the knife away with one hand, and with the other caught the older woman by the throat.
"You know, I just need you to know that I totally deserved an A on that last paper and if I had more time, I'd make you suffer...but-" With a careless shrug the red-head cut off both her speech and the Professors' wind supply as she snapped her neck.
An evil grin spread across Willows' face, and she turned to share her euphoria with her lover...only to find her still by the huge hole in the wall, which was itself protected from entry by the discarded protection spell - as were the other entrances to the room.
"Baby...?" Willow frowned, crossing over to Tara, gasping in shock when the blonde Vampiress' eyes flashed black. "Tara?"
"There's something in the air...something's not right..."
"Never mind that, Glenda, we're not punching a fucking clock!" Spike growled angrily, glancing down at his Childe in his arms.
"S-Spike..." Buffy spluttered, barely able to speak through her crushed windpipe.
"What is it, love? It's okay, we're getting out of here...everything's just fine..." He cooed softly, his whole demeanour changing as he spoke to his Mate.
"L-let h-her-" The ex-Slayer spluttered and Spike cuddled her closer, imploring with his eyes for Tara to say something, or do something.
"There are other magics at work..." Tara frowned, trying to pin-point exactly what it was she was sensing.
---
Giles sat at his desk, Xander and Anya shared the couch, while Joyce sat alone on the chair by the window. Mounds of books covered every surface and unbound manuscripts littered across their laps.
They sat in silence, the only sound in the room being that of the pages being turned.
Xander sighed and closed what felt like the millionth book. He began to filter through the huge pile in front of him, looking for something he hadn't yet read; not that any of it made any sense.
A lone book fell to the floor and with another sigh he reached down to pick it back up, in the process knocking something else over. Again he reached for it, but it wasn't a book or a manuscript as he had expected, but a leather bound black folder.
"Uh, Giles...what's this?" He held it up for the Watcher to see.
"Uh - pardon?" Giles tuned into his living room, turning his frowning eyes on to the discovery. "I, uh, I don't know. It's not mine." He reached over for the folder, flipping it open when he received it and began skimming over the contents; his interest peaked.
"It seems, " Giles began carefully a few minutes later, his eyes still roaming the documents barely able to believe his eyes. "That the council sent Lilith to remove the, uh, threat, r-r-regardless of human life."
"Sunnydale?" Joyce queried.
"It would appear so. There are plans, but for what I'm unsure...more Willow's department, I'm afraid." Giles shrugged ruefully.
Anya leaned over his shoulder, taking in the papers laid out on the table top for a moment. "You know it looks a lot like the plans for a magical ---"
---
Tara's eyes flashed again. "We have to get out of here."
The three Vampires' took barely a second to take in the Witch's tone before all four rushed out of the Initiative, Buffy still weak in Spike arms. Tara and Willow continued to uphold the incantation, granting them safe passage out of the ground.
They reached Spikes' car only seconds later, the elder Vampire carefully placing Buffy in the seat next to his while the other two tumbled into the back. He slid into the front seat, carefully drawing the Slayer to his side.
Glancing in the mirror to where Tara would have reflected had she been alive he gunned the motor. "Where to Witches?"
"Just drive. As fast as you can! I can feel it! We have to get out of Sunnydale....IT'S COMING!"
Willow tried to calm her frantic Witch, but to no avail.
"DRIVE!!!"
---
Giles looked up into the concerned faces around him; all looking to him for guidance.
"We're all going to die."
TBC
A/N: Wantin' more? You know what you have to do….REVIEW!!!
Also…In The Harsh Light Of Day is up for 'Reader's Pick' at Eternal Devotion Awards…..please do vote for me! I'll reward you with updates – I promise; I'm almost done!
http:// shippy.karma-hotel.net /awards/ main.html
Unfortunately, FF.net doesn't let anyone put in links like this so I've had to space it out! Please paste it into your browser and remove the spaces!
Thank you!!!