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Who Watches the Watchers

Time here all but means nothing just shadows that move 'cross the wall They keep me company but they don't ask of me they don't say nothing at all

I need just a little more silence, I need just a little more time

You send your thieves to me silently stalking me dragging me into your war Would you give me no choice in this I know you can't resist trying to reopen a sore

So leave me be, I don't want to argue I just get confused and I come all undone If I agree well it's just to appease you 'cause I don't' remember what we're fighting for.

-Time by Sarah McLachlan

Chapter One

The girl ran for her life. Cursing herself for her stupidity, she stumbled down the quiet city streets. Thinking once again for the millionth time that she should not have snuck out of the house to go make out with her boyfriend at one in the morning. Her parents were going to kill her, if this thing with horns and spines behind her didn't do it first! She stumbled and fell, as her foot hit a hole in the pavement, effectively twisting her ankle. Struggling to her feet, she turned and felt her blood go cold. The thing, whatever it was, was right in front of her! She closed her eyes, and waited for the end to come.

"Hey! Didn't your momma tell you not to pick on little girls?" came a voice to her left.

She cracked open one eye, to see that the speaker was boy only a few years older than herself. She opened her mouth to tell him to run, but saw the very long sword in his hand.

"You should listen to him you know," came a voice on her other side. Swiveling her head she saw a tall, black man holding a homemade, if lethal looking, axe. 'Two of them?' she thought to herself. She started backing up, and looked around. She saw three others besides the two that spoke. There was a platinum blond man leaning his back on the street light, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, a woman in tight red outfit with blue hair, and another woman with long brown hair standing a bit further back but close enough that she could step in if needed.

"Layla, get the bird outta here would you. Girl doesn't need to see this," the blond man said. The brown haired woman looked at him for a moment, but nodded and walked over to her.

"We should go," Layla whispered taking hold of the girl's hand, but stopped and looked at her closely. 'No,' she thought to herself, 'looking through me. It's kinda creepy...but kinda nice too.'

"What's your name?" Layla asked.

"Courtney," she whispered. The woman nodded. "Courtney," she repeated, adjusting her hold on the girl to help take the weight off her ankle. She was stronger than she looked. "Courtney, you need to listen to me very closely. I need you to hold on to me. I'm going to take you home."

Courtney nodded mutely. She could see the others closing in around the creature that had attacked her. A feeling of peace came over her, and she knew she was going to be ok. Then the world swirled and twisted. She closed her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them she was back in her room at home. "How?" she whispered.

Layla gently sat her down on her bed. She smiled, and tapped her nose in response. She reached down, and held the girl's ankle in her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated, and Courtney noticed her pain was gone. She opened her mouth to ask how, but the woman had risen, placed to fingers to her lips, and on her forehead. She heard a faint "Shh," as sleep overwhelmed her.

Layla gently tucked the girl into her bed, before vanishing into the darkness.

Layla returned to find the others waiting at the truck. "What took you so long?" Spike asked a bit peeved. Layla raised an eyebrow. "I take it you were successful," she said with a smile.

Connor snorted. "He was a piece of cake," he said nodding to the body. "But his friends took a bit longer," waving his hand to the five dust piles on the pavement. Layla looked at Connor with a smile. "I see you took care of them though."

Connor blushed. "Well I had help," he said. Gunn sniggered, and Connor punched him on the arm. "Ow!" Gunn said smiling, it hadn't been very hard. Spike rolled his eyes. Those two had gotten rather chummy during the two weeks on the road here to Seattle. Now they acted like long lost brothers, than people who had only known each other a couple off weeks. He had also noticed Connor had gotten a rather swift case of the crush on Layla, and for some reason that really bugged him. Not that he'd ever let it show.

Illyria's head jerked around, and she looked over at a dark car not parked too far away. She sensed something, feelings of familiarity perhaps, and walked swiftly toward it. She was halfway there when the car peeled away speedily from the scene. She stopped and memorized the details. Feeling Spike at her side, she stated, "That vehicle is familiar to my eyes." Spike nodded, and turned toward the others. The look on Connor's face made him freeze. It was one of pure rage.

"Those freaking bastards!" the boy whispered. "Those fucking nut job watchers followed me!"

Spike's eyes narrowed, and Gunn sighed. "This is gonna be a long night," he said.
The people in the car had not been the only ones watching the scene on the street. Above them on the roof of a nearby building was a teenage girl, her short blond hair blowing in the wind. Her eyes narrowed as she listened to their words. She gripped the wooden stake so tightly her knuckles paled. 'That was my kill!' she thought angrily. She felt her cell phone buzz against her leg. Frowning she opened it up, and placed it to her ear. Moving stealthily away from the edge, she whispered a curt, "What?" Hearing the voice on the other end, she rolled her eyes. 'Oh god it's the dork!' she thought, but outwardly just nodded. "Yeah, I'm coming. By the way," she said quickly peaking over the edge again, "there are some new players in town....Yeah, I got a good look at them. I'll be there in ten." She hung up the phone, and took one last look. She could have sworn the brown haired woman was looking right at her, but it was so quick it was almost unperceivable. Sighing she took off to report her findings.