Wow! 100 reviews! You people rock, so keep the support and encouragement coming. And so, after many days of writer's block, I give you the eighteenth chapter...
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Chapter 18
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"Are you sure you got the right place, Will?" Xander asked skeptically, watching the quiet house from the safety of the shrubs across the road.
"Positive," she replied with a small nod. "That's the place. Although, it wasn't as colorful in my spell." She screwed her nose up as she took in the rose pink roof and white weatherboards.
"Well, let's do it then," Faith said grimly, gripping her crossbow tightly in her fingers. "Willow, you stay here. No," she stated firmly when Willow tried to protest. "You're already tired from the spell, so you're the look out. Oz, since Anya can't get rid of all the guards we need a distraction. See those vamps over there? From what I've seen so far, they circle the house every fifteen minutes, in groups of three. I need you to get them around the back. Xander, I'm clearing your way with this baby, so it's up to you to get in there, down to the basement and get Buffy and Spike out. Ready?"
There was frightened nods all round, but brave faces were put in place for the sake of their friend.
"Right, now-"
"Now you will explain what the hell you think you are doing here."
They slowly turned as a group, simultaneously wincing as Angel's murderous eyes glared down at them. Behind him, Wesley, Fred and the hunters they had seen before wore similar enraged expressions. Faith remembered the crossbow she held tightly in her hands and hastily hid it behind her back, planting a sickly sweet smile on her face. It faltered though, when she saw the yellow sparks dancing in his eyes. She realized that she had never seen him so furious before, and she become incredibly frightened at the thought of his new 'identity'. She bit her lip, smart enough to see that witty quips would not cut it this time.
"Well?" His voice was low and deadly, challenging anyone to answer him.
"W-we were just trying to save B," she muttered, lowering her eyes to the soil beneath her feet.
"And you thought that qualified hunters weren't enough to save her? Thought you might play hero and save her yourself, forgetting in the process that you are mere students who could be killed in seconds, never to be heard of again? Where would that leave Buffy, knowing that her friends were killed in a idiotic attempt to save her?"
His questions were met with silence, which was only broken when Connor stepped forward.
"I'll take them back," he said.
Faith's head shot back up, her eyes pleading. "But we can help-"
"Don't, Faith," Angel snapped. "Don't. I've given you chance after chance and not once have you listened to me. Now you've not only put yourself in danger, but you've dragged your friends along with you. Just go."
Faith felt her heart sink at the disappointment in his eyes that shined through his anger. He had scolded her more times than she could remember, but not once had she actually thought that she had disappointed him. She knew that he held a soft spot for her, and had always forgiven her for her countless mistakes and fights, but now she saw no warmth in his eyes. They were cold.
She simply nodded and went to follow Connor, feeling depleted by the numb shock of finally screwing up worse than she had ever before. But as the others went to follow her she heard Willow cry out.
"Wait!"
They stopped and turned to look at the nervous and ashamed redhead. She played with the edge of her jacket as a red blush crept up her neck.
"Yes, Miss Rosenburg?" Wesley asked, slightly raising his eyebrows.
"Well, uh..." she trailed off, not quite certain what to say.
"If it does not involve any life-threatening situations that will occur in the next two seconds I do not particularly want to hear it," Giles fumed, glaring at the cowering redhead over the rim of his glasses.
"It does!" Willow cried, and Angel shot forward and gripped her arm firmly. His fingers held her still, not causing her pain but tight enough that she could not move away. She began to tremble and stuttered her next words, pointing at the white house across the streets. "B-Buffy's in there."
It seemed that it was within the confines of a second that Angel reached the door, and only a few later the other adults joined him. The door was kicked open and Faith and the others jumped back when three figures came flying through the window. From their frozen stances across the street, they could hear the sounds of a fierce battle raging on inside. Suddenly glad that Angel had found them when he had, Faith listened to the battle with a growing fascination. To be able to slay demons and vampires and save lives while doing it was something she knew she would always want to do.
But then the sounds of the attack receded, and the students' anxieties began to mount.
Inside the rather ugly 'doll house', Angel sent three vampires flying through the window with one sweeping fist. They were being flooded by too many fledglings, and didn't seem to be making much headway further into the house. He stepped back from the fight, scooping the area inside the house. A complete contrast to its outward appearance, the interior was gloomy and empty. There was no furniture and the walls were lined with chestnut bricks. The front window was the only real window in the house, and the only source of light was a faint, swinging, solitary lamp suspended from the roof.
He saw that the vamps were gathering in front of the far wall and seemed to be protecting something behind them. Squinting against the darkness, he saw the outline of a door in the bricks. He straightened in triumph, certain that Buffy and Spike were behind it. He searched the throng of fighters and found Wesley decapitating a vamp, and catching his eye, nodded in the direction of the hidden opening. He gave a short nod in reply and Angel began to cut through the mob of bloodsuckers and hunters. Wesley backed him up, ensuring that Angel had enough time to find a way to open it. The fledglings realized what they were doing and flocked towards them, but Connor, Giles and Fred formed a circle around the two, blocking them from the oncoming attack.
Angel punched the wall in frustration when he could not find a lever. Wesley shrugged helplessly and kicked the wall, jumping back in fright when the door suddenly jumped open to reveal a long winding staircase.
"Or we could just do that," Connor grinned, watching them roll their eyes. Without waiting any longer, Angel raced down the steps, Wesley on his heels and Giles not far behind. They reached the base of the staircase and Angel fought the urge to groan as he saw the number of doors lining the dismal corridor. He immediately headed for the left, leaving Giles and Wesley to take the right. Angel kicked down door after door, growing more impatient and dubious with every empty cell.
Suddenly, he heard Wesley yell. He bolted from the empty room, searching the dim corridor until he found them standing in front of a steel door, very much like the others.
"What's wrong?"
"This door won't budge," Giles informed him. "We have been able to break into the others easily enough, but this door is holding tight."
Angel nodded grimly, striding towards them. With a swift kick, the door shuddered, but it did not open. Angel frowned in surprise; it certainly was thicker than the others were. He had a thought and dropped to his knees, placing his ear on the cold floor.
"Spike."
Giles and Wesley startled, exchanging a glance above Angel's head.
"Sorry?"
"Spike," he repeated, "is in that room. And he is talking to someone. At a wild guess I would say Buffy."
Giles sighed in deep relief, feeling the worry and dread that had been welling inside him disappear. They had found her, and she was safe. At least, he hoped so, since he had not laid eyes on her yet. Dear God, what if she is hurt, he thought, biting his lip in worry. He fidgeted in frustration as Angel attempted to open the door. He gave the door an annoyed thump and jumped in fright when there was a sudden bang in reply.
"Bloody wankers. Just open the door and stop buggerin' us already!"
"Spike?" Angel called through the thick door. There was a stunned silence on the other side.
"Angel? Bloody hell, mate, I never thought I'd be glad to hear your voice!"
Giles pushed past Wesley and Angel and placed his palms on the door.
"Spike," he said. "Is Buffy alright?"
There was another short silence, and Giles felt his relief at finding them fly out the window.
"She's alive, Rupes, but she ain't good."
Giles turned to Angel; his jaw set in angry determination. "Get her out now."
He nodded, immediately sweeping his eyes over the entire vicinity of the door. He tapped and prodded different areas, searching for weak sections. Wesley suddenly came forward, kneeling before the bricks beside the door. He brushed his knuckle over the bricks, and dust fell to the ground. Angel understood him instantly and nodded in agreement.
Wesley pulled a dagger from its sheath around his calf and thrust it into the lowest brick on the wall. It slid in easily, incising a neat slit in the slab. He tried it again on the brick above it, but this time the dagger only went in a centimeter, and Wesley's hand was cut when the knife jolted. He spouted a colorful range of curses and gripped his hand, trying to apprehend the flow of blood. He swallowed loudly.
"It's only the one brick. Think you can work from that?"
"It should be enough," Angel replied, while Giles frowned in confusion.
"Exactly what for?" he asked, but got his answer when Angel gave a sudden kick, and a cloud of dust streamed into the corridor.
"Soddin' idiot!" Spike shouted from behind the wall. "You didn't think to tell me you were going to kick the bleedin' wall down?"
"It was one brick, Spike," Angel replied dryly, bending over to inspect his handiwork.
"Still hurt when it came flying into my shin, you wanker."
"And I should care why, exactly?" he said, and with a powerful tug a dozen more bricks came away. The gap was large enough for Spike to duck through, and he did so with Buffy's inert and bloody body cradled in his arms. Giles gave a cry of horror at her injuries and was about to take her from Spike's arms when Angel held him back.
"Don't. Let Spike carry her out of this place, then you can take her."
Giles instantly moved beside Spike and acquired a murderous glare that wold have sent the vampires upstairs running. The two men and the two vampires flanked the broken Slayer as they ascended the stairs, hoping that they weren't too late.