THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 3-PAIN AND PLEASANT SURPRISES
Drip. Drip. Drip. Plop. Those sickly sounds greeted Wesley's slow and awkward return to consciousness. His head felt like it had been put through a rock tumbler. His chest felt like it was on fire. At first his memory was hazy, allowing him to remember only the last few seconds of the fight. He remembered getting slapped back into the air and crashing through what appeared to be an old stained glass window. For a few seconds his worst fears seemed to be true, because the first few times that he tried to move his arms and legs he found that nothing moved. Grunting in pain and determination and trying again he was able to move his right arm enough to discover that he was apparently trapped under something. But even those first few fleeting movements with his arm sent white hot needles of pain through his chest, causing him to cough and choke. Over his rough and chapped lips he tasted a good deal of blood, his blood. Despite the pain he cautiously opened one eye and quickly wished that he hadn't. His first glimpse of the world after the attack was not a good one. He found himself at the top of scaffolding, staring down at a five gallon bucket that once held only rainwater, but it now held a fair amount of his own blood. Each small drop of blood continuing to fall into the bucket until the rainwater could no longer be differentiated from the blood.
Hesitantly he lifted his hand up to his temple and hissed in pain as his hand came into contact with the wound. As he looked up he could see the sun through the skylight, covered just as it had been only weeks earlier, blocking out almost all of the light. Deciding that he couldn't stay where he was much longer, and worried about what had happened to Angel, Wesley slowly and painfully managed to dislodge himself and slowly make his way down the scaffolding. He got down to the ground level only to initially have his legs go out from under him. After catching his breath for a few minutes Wesley tried to stand again, and this time his legs held, albeit a little wobbly. Leaning on boxes and support beams he slowly made his way back out into the main floor area of the old factory. It didn't take long for him to spot what looked like Angel's lifeless body smashed right through a large number of old shipping crates. The two and a half century old vampire looked to have been roughed up quite a bit. Wesley was about to try to stagger over to him when Angel suddenly sat up with a pained grimace on his face, of which half of it looked like one giant bruise.
"Okay.now I'm a little confused here.didn't we kill that guy already," Angel tried to growl angrily, but with the injuries that he had sustained it ended up coming out more as a pathetic whimper.
"Angelus killed him with a knife made from his own body.several weeks ago, I don't have a bloody clue how.or why he's back," Wesley replied sourly before the pain in his chest became to great and he had to slide to the floor.
"I don't care about the how right now.it's the why that scares me, but right now we.have to get back to the Hyperion, tell Gunn and Fred that ole horn-head is back," Angel said calmly before wincing in pain as he used the shattered remains of the crates to pull himself to his feet.
"Or we could just stay here and bleed to death.that's always an option," Wesley interjected with a sarcastic smirk on his face before he caught the unimpressed glower that Angel cast his way.
"Not on my watch.I'm a champion remember.," Angel said back with a half smile on his face as he made his way over to Wesley and helped the ex- watcher to his feet. "You okay.you look like hell," Angel added with a concerned frown on his face as he pushed past the overwhelming appeal of all of the blood and helped Wesley out towards the car.
"Never.better, and you," Wesley lied back with the best grin that he could manage before he passed out.
"Can't complain.exactly," Angel said with a very unhappy frown on his face before he slid Wesley into the passenger's seat and then painfully jumped behind the wheel, wincing at pain that the action caused. Seconds later the engine roared and he raced off towards the Hyperion.
* * *
* * *
Anya was first to make it to the edge of the crater, mostly because Spike had found it extremely difficult to run while wearing a robe and Cordelia had never liked running anyway. The trek out of the crater had taken a bit longer than they had expected, partially because along the way they had stopped to check out anything that looked like it was still intact. Miraculously Spike had found a couple of things that he had never thought would have made it. Both items he had slid into a bag that he slung over his should, refusing to elaborate on why he was bringing them with him. Anya thought that she recognized one of the items but didn't press the matter any further. Cordelia used the time beside the former vampire to try and get out of him what exactly had happened in Sunnydale. She kept asking question after question, seemingly not believing what Spike was telling her. For his part Spike utilized the time to try and glean as much about what Angel had been up to since leaving Sunnydale. It wasn't that he truly cared that much but he knew that when he ran into him again it'd be best to know a little bit more than he did. Cordelia and Anya threw in a few more items, mostly trinkets that Anya swore that she would pawn off and split the money, with the remaining items being a dusty cell phone and a few stray wallets that Anya deftly relieved of their money and credit cards.
When Spike and Cordelia finally got to Anya's side the former vengeance demon was kneeling beside two feet that were sticking out from under a pile of rubble. For some unknown reason Anya was busy trying to clear the debris from on top of the person. Cordelia thought about telling Anya that she was crazy and that the person was dead. But she and Spike ended up pitching in to help when they heard a muffled moan from underneath the rubble. The trio dug frantically as Spike moved most of the bigger pieces of debris thanks to his slayer strength. As they continued to dig the identity of the person that they were trying to rescue started to come into focus. With the thought of how could a person have possibly survived the blast in the back of his mind Spike carefully lifted off the last piece of debris.
"Hey wait.I know her.," Anya cried out with a cross between a happy and confused look on her face as she knelt down beside the young woman. Spike and Cordelia exchanged a puzzled glance before they knelt down as well.
"She does seem familiar.," Spike muttered softly with a deep in thought look on his face before the young woman mumbled something. The words that she spoke were garbled at best, incoherent, but the sound of her voice sent Spike spiraling back into his memory to one night in particular. It was the night that he and Buffy had taken a few of the potentials to train. It had been a night shortly after Buffy had rescued him from the First's clutches. That night Spike had seen the first cracks beginning to form in the wall that Buffy had put up around herself where he was concerned. From when she had been overly worried about him after she had tackled him and slid her hand underneath his shirt to see what was wrong, that act had ended with the two holding hands and gazing deeply into each other eyes. Then that moment of tranquility had been interrupted when one of the potentials had asked if they were supposed to like make out with them then. Buffy hadn't said anything in response, only helped him to his feet and continued the exercises. "Now I remember her.Molly," Spike said slowly as he nearly choked on the name. Unbeknownst to the trio a man clad in full military gear sat in a jeep studying them with high powered binoculars.
"This is Finn.I've got a positive visual on four survivors.hostile 17 is among them, better send a full team, we should consider them dangerous," The man said into a radio before grabbing his machine gun and getting out of the jeep.
* * * *
* * *
With Faith's help Giles steered the bus through the narrow streets of Los Angeles towards the Hyperion. Buffy took the time by going back and forth through the bus, taking stock of everyone's situation. Rona was still hurt but looked to be improving while Robin seemed to be worsening, despite his comments to the contrary. Faith kept casting nervous glances back his way but stayed at the front of the bus, even though Willow had offered to be Giles' guide. Kennedy, Xander, and Andrew took to trying to figure out what exactly was happening by listening and watching the people reaction's that they passed by.
"Is it just me.or does it feel like we just stepped out of the frying pan.," Xander started to say with a very worried shrug of his shoulders as he looked back and forth between Kennedy and Andrew.
"And stepped right into the fire.," Kennedy interjected finishing his thought with a grim look on her face before Willow turned around and laid a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"We'll be fine once we get to the Hyperion, Angel will know what to do.or at least have a better idea of what to do," Willow added with a fake look of confidence on her face.
"Sorry Will.but if this is what I think it is then it's only just begun.and Angel's going to need our help every bit as much as we're going to need his," Faith interrupted with a deadly serious frown on her face before she pointed to a street and Giles slowed the bus down before making the turn.
"Any chance you're wrong about this Faith.," Xander said, asking the question that everyone within earshot of the formerly rogue slayer had wanted to ask but didn't have the courage to.
"Sorry to burst your bubble guys.but all I know about this is what Wesley told me after he helped spring me.he didn't sound to confident about our chances then.and even with Angel and.Co.uh me.we barely made it," Faith started to say with a look on her face that one would wear when they were trying to gently break bad news to someone. At the end of her response a brief flash of memory screamed into her mind but was gone as quickly as it had come. Shrugging it off she turned back towards the front of the bus and pointed towards and old building up ahead. "There it is," Faith shouted in triumph as she smiled and pointed towards the building. Beside her Willow nodded her head with a sigh of relief before Giles pulled the bus to a stop in front of an old iron gate.
"Okay we're here, everybody out of the bus," Buffy announced with her most authoritative voice as Giles shut the engine off and opened the side door.
"Get the wounded out first.Vi help Andrew get Rona," Faith added with a serious look on her face before she exited the bus and ran around to the back. Faith started to open the back door but stopped by the honking of a car horn. Faith started to turn around angrily, with a very scathing remark on the tip of her tongue, but ended up nearly choking on the words when she saw Angel pull up in front of her.
"Angel.," Buffy said with a nervous sigh of relief and smile on her face before he shut the engine off and climbed over the door.
"Wes.Angel what happened," Faith nearly shouted in fear and alarm as she rushed to her former watcher's side and began to take note of his condition.
"We ran into an old friend.the Beast," Angel replied with a very sour frown on his face before he deftly avoided Buffy's attempts to lightly touch the large bruise on his face. Buffy started to softly ask a question but Faith hurried and worried voice broke in and interrupted her.
"The Beast.but I saw you.I mean Angelus kill him.how.," Faith stuttered out abruptly before Wesley's eyes shot open and he took in a pained breath.
"I don't know.but we should get inside before the real fireworks begin," Angel answered with a confused and worried look on his face as he walked around the front of the car and helped Faith get a groggy Wesley to his feet.
"Real fireworks.Angel what's going on here.," Buffy asked with her usual stubborn look on her face, the look that first Angel and then Spike had grown to know extremely well. It was the look that she always wore when she wanted answers and wasn't about to let up even the slightest bit until she got them. Angel started to answer her but was interrupted by Gunn and Fred as the two came rushing out of the Hyperion and tore around the corner.
"Angel.the sun it's.Wesley," Fred started to babble out nervously before she nearly fainted at the sight of a bloody Wesley and Angel.
"I know.I don't know exactly how but the Beast is back and the sun going black is only the beginning, now we need to get everyone inside before the rain of fire starts," Angel replied with a very stern look on his face and tone to his face before Gunn nodded his head and turned to help Giles assist Robin towards the hotel.
"The Beast.but.how much time do you think we have," Fred started to ask with a confused look on her face before she steeled herself and let her scientific side take over. All the while Fred kept a worried eye on Wesley as Faith and Angel carried him away from the car, with Buffy trailing behind, a million questions on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be asked.
"I don't know.I'm kind of playing this by ear.," Angel answered with a slightly overwhelmed frown on his face as he passed a startled Willow and Kennedy.
"So what else is new," Buffy exclaimed sadly from behind that made Angel stop for a second before continuing.
By the time Angel and Faith carried the now half alert Wesley into the lobby Fred, along with Dawn, were already tending to many of the wounded and an overwhelmed looking Lorne stood behind the counter on the phone. Giles and Gunn had set Robin down on the bottom step of the staircase that led up to the second level. When she and Angel carried Wesley up the stairs Faith all but ignored the confused look on Robin's face. Willow opened the first door that they came to and Faith and Angel sidestepped into the room before Willow rushed into the bathroom and started to gather up the towels, dampening one before returning. Kennedy soon burst into the room, her arms laden with what medical supplies Fred could spare. Angel tiredly ran a hand through his hair before Kennedy added her two cents.
"That's your former watcher.he doesn't look so good," Kennedy said with an unimpressed frown on her face before dropping the supplies onto the bed and taking a quick step back to get away from Faith's angry glare.
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious Kennedy.what about next time you just keep your opinions to yourself," Faith said angrily before Giles walked into the room and stood with a confused frown on his face, gazing down on a still groggy Wesley.
"That cut on his temple looks pretty bad, maybe you should get him to a hospital," Buffy exclaimed worriedly before Angel shook his head and turned to Willow, who handed Faith the wet towel just as Giles sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Faith.
"We don't have time.pretty soon it's going to get pretty hairy out there.and we're going to need Wesley up and around if we're going to get out this alive.Willow, is there anything that you can do for him.magically I mean.a healing spell of some sort," Angel asked quickly, seeming more like a military commander than a two hundred and fifty year old vampire with a soul that was worried about his friend.
"I.I think so.but it could be dangerous.," Willow stuttered out nervously as she handed the rest of the towels. With a worried grimace on her face Faith began to carefully dab at the blood on Wesley's forehead.
"Just do it," Angel nearly shouted back angrily before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, an equally shocked and angry Buffy on his heels. After the two had left Giles placed his hand on Faith's, stopping her from her work.
"Willow, Kennedy, and I will take care of Wesley.don't you think that you should go and check on Robin," Giles asked softly before Faith nervously nodded her head and handed Giles the wet towel before jumping off of the bed and running out of the room.
"I don't know if I can do this Giles, I'll have to recite the spells from memory and even then I can't guarantee anything.sorry but it's the best that I can do," Willow said slowly and nervously as she shrugged her shoulders before Kennedy wrapped her arms around her shoulders and squeezed supportively.
"Then that'll have to be enough," Giles answered softly with a nervous frown on his face as he looked up from the bedside. Downstairs Robin was watching Dawn help Fred put a gauze patch on Rona's shoulder when Faith descended the stairs, wiping Wesley's blood on her jeans, an act that caused her stomach to tie itself in knots.
"Sorry about that.," Faith said nervously as she sat down beside Robin and he turned his head back towards her.
"Don't worry about it.I know what the bond between a slayer and her watcher is like.so how is he," Robin asked softly with a kind smile on his face as he leaned his shoulder into Faith's.
"Other than being half dead he's doing okay," Faith answered with a well disguised look of fear in her eyes as she looked back over her shoulder up the stairs.
"So why didn't you tell me about him earlier.," Robin started to ask before wincing in pain, an act that caught Faith's attention. She motioned to Fred and Dawn before answering.
"Not much to tell really.Wes and I were never really that close," Faith said softly in her usual voice that seemed to act like she didn't have a care in the world.
"But yet you seemed pretty scared when you first saw him outside," Robin said with an unimpressed frown on his face before leaning back so that Fred could start to examine his wound. Faith hesitated nervously for a few seconds before answering, and when she did she made sure that she didn't look Robin in the eye, an act that only furthered his confusion.
"I owe him.big time, and I didn't want him to die without me having a chance to pay him back.that's all," Faith lied with a joking smile on her face before Angel walked out of the hotel with Buffy hot on his heels.
"What the hell is going on here Angel.who is the Beast.and who gave you the right to yell order Willow around like that," Buffy asked angrily as she grabbed Angel's arm and forced him to turn around and face her.
"Would you believe that you stopped one apocalypse in Sunnydale only to step right into another.by the way.where's Spike," Angel asked weakly as he avoided Buffy's angry gaze. Buffy started to yell something angrily before her shoulders slumped noticeably and she turned and started to slowly walk away, a torrent of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Buffy.what is it, what's wrong," Angel asked, more softly now as he followed her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised to see that when she turned around her cheeks were wet with tears. "What did he do this time.," Angel started to ask angrily before Buffy interrupted him by shaking her head.
"He.he's gone Angel.he's gone, he wore the amulet that you gave me and destroyed the hellmouth.and now I have to take care of all of these girls and I don't know what to do next.," Buff said through her tears before burying her face into Angel's chest. Angel wracked his brain for something, anything, to say that would calm her down, but the best that he could come up with, even if he didn't entirely believe it, was, "I'm sorry.but just remember, you're not alone.we'll get through this.one way or another."
END OF CHAPTER 3
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 3-PAIN AND PLEASANT SURPRISES
Drip. Drip. Drip. Plop. Those sickly sounds greeted Wesley's slow and awkward return to consciousness. His head felt like it had been put through a rock tumbler. His chest felt like it was on fire. At first his memory was hazy, allowing him to remember only the last few seconds of the fight. He remembered getting slapped back into the air and crashing through what appeared to be an old stained glass window. For a few seconds his worst fears seemed to be true, because the first few times that he tried to move his arms and legs he found that nothing moved. Grunting in pain and determination and trying again he was able to move his right arm enough to discover that he was apparently trapped under something. But even those first few fleeting movements with his arm sent white hot needles of pain through his chest, causing him to cough and choke. Over his rough and chapped lips he tasted a good deal of blood, his blood. Despite the pain he cautiously opened one eye and quickly wished that he hadn't. His first glimpse of the world after the attack was not a good one. He found himself at the top of scaffolding, staring down at a five gallon bucket that once held only rainwater, but it now held a fair amount of his own blood. Each small drop of blood continuing to fall into the bucket until the rainwater could no longer be differentiated from the blood.
Hesitantly he lifted his hand up to his temple and hissed in pain as his hand came into contact with the wound. As he looked up he could see the sun through the skylight, covered just as it had been only weeks earlier, blocking out almost all of the light. Deciding that he couldn't stay where he was much longer, and worried about what had happened to Angel, Wesley slowly and painfully managed to dislodge himself and slowly make his way down the scaffolding. He got down to the ground level only to initially have his legs go out from under him. After catching his breath for a few minutes Wesley tried to stand again, and this time his legs held, albeit a little wobbly. Leaning on boxes and support beams he slowly made his way back out into the main floor area of the old factory. It didn't take long for him to spot what looked like Angel's lifeless body smashed right through a large number of old shipping crates. The two and a half century old vampire looked to have been roughed up quite a bit. Wesley was about to try to stagger over to him when Angel suddenly sat up with a pained grimace on his face, of which half of it looked like one giant bruise.
"Okay.now I'm a little confused here.didn't we kill that guy already," Angel tried to growl angrily, but with the injuries that he had sustained it ended up coming out more as a pathetic whimper.
"Angelus killed him with a knife made from his own body.several weeks ago, I don't have a bloody clue how.or why he's back," Wesley replied sourly before the pain in his chest became to great and he had to slide to the floor.
"I don't care about the how right now.it's the why that scares me, but right now we.have to get back to the Hyperion, tell Gunn and Fred that ole horn-head is back," Angel said calmly before wincing in pain as he used the shattered remains of the crates to pull himself to his feet.
"Or we could just stay here and bleed to death.that's always an option," Wesley interjected with a sarcastic smirk on his face before he caught the unimpressed glower that Angel cast his way.
"Not on my watch.I'm a champion remember.," Angel said back with a half smile on his face as he made his way over to Wesley and helped the ex- watcher to his feet. "You okay.you look like hell," Angel added with a concerned frown on his face as he pushed past the overwhelming appeal of all of the blood and helped Wesley out towards the car.
"Never.better, and you," Wesley lied back with the best grin that he could manage before he passed out.
"Can't complain.exactly," Angel said with a very unhappy frown on his face before he slid Wesley into the passenger's seat and then painfully jumped behind the wheel, wincing at pain that the action caused. Seconds later the engine roared and he raced off towards the Hyperion.
* * *
* * *
Anya was first to make it to the edge of the crater, mostly because Spike had found it extremely difficult to run while wearing a robe and Cordelia had never liked running anyway. The trek out of the crater had taken a bit longer than they had expected, partially because along the way they had stopped to check out anything that looked like it was still intact. Miraculously Spike had found a couple of things that he had never thought would have made it. Both items he had slid into a bag that he slung over his should, refusing to elaborate on why he was bringing them with him. Anya thought that she recognized one of the items but didn't press the matter any further. Cordelia used the time beside the former vampire to try and get out of him what exactly had happened in Sunnydale. She kept asking question after question, seemingly not believing what Spike was telling her. For his part Spike utilized the time to try and glean as much about what Angel had been up to since leaving Sunnydale. It wasn't that he truly cared that much but he knew that when he ran into him again it'd be best to know a little bit more than he did. Cordelia and Anya threw in a few more items, mostly trinkets that Anya swore that she would pawn off and split the money, with the remaining items being a dusty cell phone and a few stray wallets that Anya deftly relieved of their money and credit cards.
When Spike and Cordelia finally got to Anya's side the former vengeance demon was kneeling beside two feet that were sticking out from under a pile of rubble. For some unknown reason Anya was busy trying to clear the debris from on top of the person. Cordelia thought about telling Anya that she was crazy and that the person was dead. But she and Spike ended up pitching in to help when they heard a muffled moan from underneath the rubble. The trio dug frantically as Spike moved most of the bigger pieces of debris thanks to his slayer strength. As they continued to dig the identity of the person that they were trying to rescue started to come into focus. With the thought of how could a person have possibly survived the blast in the back of his mind Spike carefully lifted off the last piece of debris.
"Hey wait.I know her.," Anya cried out with a cross between a happy and confused look on her face as she knelt down beside the young woman. Spike and Cordelia exchanged a puzzled glance before they knelt down as well.
"She does seem familiar.," Spike muttered softly with a deep in thought look on his face before the young woman mumbled something. The words that she spoke were garbled at best, incoherent, but the sound of her voice sent Spike spiraling back into his memory to one night in particular. It was the night that he and Buffy had taken a few of the potentials to train. It had been a night shortly after Buffy had rescued him from the First's clutches. That night Spike had seen the first cracks beginning to form in the wall that Buffy had put up around herself where he was concerned. From when she had been overly worried about him after she had tackled him and slid her hand underneath his shirt to see what was wrong, that act had ended with the two holding hands and gazing deeply into each other eyes. Then that moment of tranquility had been interrupted when one of the potentials had asked if they were supposed to like make out with them then. Buffy hadn't said anything in response, only helped him to his feet and continued the exercises. "Now I remember her.Molly," Spike said slowly as he nearly choked on the name. Unbeknownst to the trio a man clad in full military gear sat in a jeep studying them with high powered binoculars.
"This is Finn.I've got a positive visual on four survivors.hostile 17 is among them, better send a full team, we should consider them dangerous," The man said into a radio before grabbing his machine gun and getting out of the jeep.
* * * *
* * *
With Faith's help Giles steered the bus through the narrow streets of Los Angeles towards the Hyperion. Buffy took the time by going back and forth through the bus, taking stock of everyone's situation. Rona was still hurt but looked to be improving while Robin seemed to be worsening, despite his comments to the contrary. Faith kept casting nervous glances back his way but stayed at the front of the bus, even though Willow had offered to be Giles' guide. Kennedy, Xander, and Andrew took to trying to figure out what exactly was happening by listening and watching the people reaction's that they passed by.
"Is it just me.or does it feel like we just stepped out of the frying pan.," Xander started to say with a very worried shrug of his shoulders as he looked back and forth between Kennedy and Andrew.
"And stepped right into the fire.," Kennedy interjected finishing his thought with a grim look on her face before Willow turned around and laid a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"We'll be fine once we get to the Hyperion, Angel will know what to do.or at least have a better idea of what to do," Willow added with a fake look of confidence on her face.
"Sorry Will.but if this is what I think it is then it's only just begun.and Angel's going to need our help every bit as much as we're going to need his," Faith interrupted with a deadly serious frown on her face before she pointed to a street and Giles slowed the bus down before making the turn.
"Any chance you're wrong about this Faith.," Xander said, asking the question that everyone within earshot of the formerly rogue slayer had wanted to ask but didn't have the courage to.
"Sorry to burst your bubble guys.but all I know about this is what Wesley told me after he helped spring me.he didn't sound to confident about our chances then.and even with Angel and.Co.uh me.we barely made it," Faith started to say with a look on her face that one would wear when they were trying to gently break bad news to someone. At the end of her response a brief flash of memory screamed into her mind but was gone as quickly as it had come. Shrugging it off she turned back towards the front of the bus and pointed towards and old building up ahead. "There it is," Faith shouted in triumph as she smiled and pointed towards the building. Beside her Willow nodded her head with a sigh of relief before Giles pulled the bus to a stop in front of an old iron gate.
"Okay we're here, everybody out of the bus," Buffy announced with her most authoritative voice as Giles shut the engine off and opened the side door.
"Get the wounded out first.Vi help Andrew get Rona," Faith added with a serious look on her face before she exited the bus and ran around to the back. Faith started to open the back door but stopped by the honking of a car horn. Faith started to turn around angrily, with a very scathing remark on the tip of her tongue, but ended up nearly choking on the words when she saw Angel pull up in front of her.
"Angel.," Buffy said with a nervous sigh of relief and smile on her face before he shut the engine off and climbed over the door.
"Wes.Angel what happened," Faith nearly shouted in fear and alarm as she rushed to her former watcher's side and began to take note of his condition.
"We ran into an old friend.the Beast," Angel replied with a very sour frown on his face before he deftly avoided Buffy's attempts to lightly touch the large bruise on his face. Buffy started to softly ask a question but Faith hurried and worried voice broke in and interrupted her.
"The Beast.but I saw you.I mean Angelus kill him.how.," Faith stuttered out abruptly before Wesley's eyes shot open and he took in a pained breath.
"I don't know.but we should get inside before the real fireworks begin," Angel answered with a confused and worried look on his face as he walked around the front of the car and helped Faith get a groggy Wesley to his feet.
"Real fireworks.Angel what's going on here.," Buffy asked with her usual stubborn look on her face, the look that first Angel and then Spike had grown to know extremely well. It was the look that she always wore when she wanted answers and wasn't about to let up even the slightest bit until she got them. Angel started to answer her but was interrupted by Gunn and Fred as the two came rushing out of the Hyperion and tore around the corner.
"Angel.the sun it's.Wesley," Fred started to babble out nervously before she nearly fainted at the sight of a bloody Wesley and Angel.
"I know.I don't know exactly how but the Beast is back and the sun going black is only the beginning, now we need to get everyone inside before the rain of fire starts," Angel replied with a very stern look on his face and tone to his face before Gunn nodded his head and turned to help Giles assist Robin towards the hotel.
"The Beast.but.how much time do you think we have," Fred started to ask with a confused look on her face before she steeled herself and let her scientific side take over. All the while Fred kept a worried eye on Wesley as Faith and Angel carried him away from the car, with Buffy trailing behind, a million questions on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be asked.
"I don't know.I'm kind of playing this by ear.," Angel answered with a slightly overwhelmed frown on his face as he passed a startled Willow and Kennedy.
"So what else is new," Buffy exclaimed sadly from behind that made Angel stop for a second before continuing.
By the time Angel and Faith carried the now half alert Wesley into the lobby Fred, along with Dawn, were already tending to many of the wounded and an overwhelmed looking Lorne stood behind the counter on the phone. Giles and Gunn had set Robin down on the bottom step of the staircase that led up to the second level. When she and Angel carried Wesley up the stairs Faith all but ignored the confused look on Robin's face. Willow opened the first door that they came to and Faith and Angel sidestepped into the room before Willow rushed into the bathroom and started to gather up the towels, dampening one before returning. Kennedy soon burst into the room, her arms laden with what medical supplies Fred could spare. Angel tiredly ran a hand through his hair before Kennedy added her two cents.
"That's your former watcher.he doesn't look so good," Kennedy said with an unimpressed frown on her face before dropping the supplies onto the bed and taking a quick step back to get away from Faith's angry glare.
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious Kennedy.what about next time you just keep your opinions to yourself," Faith said angrily before Giles walked into the room and stood with a confused frown on his face, gazing down on a still groggy Wesley.
"That cut on his temple looks pretty bad, maybe you should get him to a hospital," Buffy exclaimed worriedly before Angel shook his head and turned to Willow, who handed Faith the wet towel just as Giles sat down on the opposite side of the bed from Faith.
"We don't have time.pretty soon it's going to get pretty hairy out there.and we're going to need Wesley up and around if we're going to get out this alive.Willow, is there anything that you can do for him.magically I mean.a healing spell of some sort," Angel asked quickly, seeming more like a military commander than a two hundred and fifty year old vampire with a soul that was worried about his friend.
"I.I think so.but it could be dangerous.," Willow stuttered out nervously as she handed the rest of the towels. With a worried grimace on her face Faith began to carefully dab at the blood on Wesley's forehead.
"Just do it," Angel nearly shouted back angrily before he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room, an equally shocked and angry Buffy on his heels. After the two had left Giles placed his hand on Faith's, stopping her from her work.
"Willow, Kennedy, and I will take care of Wesley.don't you think that you should go and check on Robin," Giles asked softly before Faith nervously nodded her head and handed Giles the wet towel before jumping off of the bed and running out of the room.
"I don't know if I can do this Giles, I'll have to recite the spells from memory and even then I can't guarantee anything.sorry but it's the best that I can do," Willow said slowly and nervously as she shrugged her shoulders before Kennedy wrapped her arms around her shoulders and squeezed supportively.
"Then that'll have to be enough," Giles answered softly with a nervous frown on his face as he looked up from the bedside. Downstairs Robin was watching Dawn help Fred put a gauze patch on Rona's shoulder when Faith descended the stairs, wiping Wesley's blood on her jeans, an act that caused her stomach to tie itself in knots.
"Sorry about that.," Faith said nervously as she sat down beside Robin and he turned his head back towards her.
"Don't worry about it.I know what the bond between a slayer and her watcher is like.so how is he," Robin asked softly with a kind smile on his face as he leaned his shoulder into Faith's.
"Other than being half dead he's doing okay," Faith answered with a well disguised look of fear in her eyes as she looked back over her shoulder up the stairs.
"So why didn't you tell me about him earlier.," Robin started to ask before wincing in pain, an act that caught Faith's attention. She motioned to Fred and Dawn before answering.
"Not much to tell really.Wes and I were never really that close," Faith said softly in her usual voice that seemed to act like she didn't have a care in the world.
"But yet you seemed pretty scared when you first saw him outside," Robin said with an unimpressed frown on his face before leaning back so that Fred could start to examine his wound. Faith hesitated nervously for a few seconds before answering, and when she did she made sure that she didn't look Robin in the eye, an act that only furthered his confusion.
"I owe him.big time, and I didn't want him to die without me having a chance to pay him back.that's all," Faith lied with a joking smile on her face before Angel walked out of the hotel with Buffy hot on his heels.
"What the hell is going on here Angel.who is the Beast.and who gave you the right to yell order Willow around like that," Buffy asked angrily as she grabbed Angel's arm and forced him to turn around and face her.
"Would you believe that you stopped one apocalypse in Sunnydale only to step right into another.by the way.where's Spike," Angel asked weakly as he avoided Buffy's angry gaze. Buffy started to yell something angrily before her shoulders slumped noticeably and she turned and started to slowly walk away, a torrent of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Buffy.what is it, what's wrong," Angel asked, more softly now as he followed her and laid a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised to see that when she turned around her cheeks were wet with tears. "What did he do this time.," Angel started to ask angrily before Buffy interrupted him by shaking her head.
"He.he's gone Angel.he's gone, he wore the amulet that you gave me and destroyed the hellmouth.and now I have to take care of all of these girls and I don't know what to do next.," Buff said through her tears before burying her face into Angel's chest. Angel wracked his brain for something, anything, to say that would calm her down, but the best that he could come up with, even if he didn't entirely believe it, was, "I'm sorry.but just remember, you're not alone.we'll get through this.one way or another."
END OF CHAPTER 3