Things Change
Chapter Seventeen

The sun had set and everyone was loaded down with weapons. They stood behind Buffy and Spike and waited for Buffy to do the door kicking.

She gripped her sword and swung suddenly with a viciousness that stunned most of the gang and this time the door didn't cave, it split in two and ripped from its hinges. They stood quietly for a second before surging forward with a loud yell.

The demons descended almost immediately.

The plan had been drummed into them. Either Spike or Buffy would constantly ask the others if they knew what to do. By now, they did.

Cordy, Willow and Buffy joined hands and Willow set up a shield. Buffy and Willow had practised tuning their minds several times and Cordy was adept at it so within moments, their minds unified and focused. A picture grew in their joined minds of Ed and Glory. Ed was standing over a large altar surrounded by candles and Glory was watching with a wide grin. Buffy realised with a jolt that Chrissy and Todd were tied to the altar. Gags were tied around their mouths and Chrissy's face was tear streaked and a large bruise was blooming on Todd's cheekbone.

Their minds focused on Glory and Ed. As one, they sent out a bolt of energy. The energy split into two and wrapped around Glory and Ed. There were outraged yells and the three women could feel them struggling. The sounds of the fight was dulled slightly by the barrier around them, but Buffy, Cordy and Willow could feel the fight going their way.

"Buffy!"

As one, the women's eyes snapped open and surveyed the carnage before them. Their friends and lovers were blood splattered and stood over the fallen bodies of demons. To the women, it felt like only a moment had past, but in truth, the rest of the gang had been fighting for a lot longer.

The energy was retracted from Glory and Ed and Willow brought the protective barrier down. Spike grabbed Buffy's hand and dragged her toward the stairs. Giles stumbled forward and was caught by Xander as he fell forward.

"Oh, man," Xander gasped, looking up at Buffy who had paused on the stairs. She saw him press his hand to Giles' stomach and pull it away, stained in blood.

"Get him out," she shouted. "Get him to a hospital!"

Xander hesitated and Anya helped him hold Giles up as he groaned and slumped forward even more.

"Go!" Buffy cried, voice growing shrill.

Xander and Anya gripped him tightly and stumbled out to Xander's car to take him to the hospital.

"Wesley!" Spike yelled. "C'mon!"

Wesley limped after him, his hand clasped over his thigh, but his teeth gritted together in determination. Spike grabbed his shoulder and practically carried him up the stairs. Buffy hacked the locked door at the top of the stairs down.

They stood in the doorway, waiting for Wesley to give the signal. With a shout of outrage, Glory ran at them, but she stopped, her body folding as though she was punched in the gut. She fell to her knees and Buffy briefly tuned into Cordy and Willow. She heard the steady chant they kept up to drain Glory and Ed. She heard Angel and Connor run up behind them and stop.

Ed hadn't noticed them and he obviously wasn't feeling the drain of power. Buffy had a stab of fear. If Glory's feeling it and Ed isn't, how strong is he? She asked herself. She pushed the thought aside and waited, her muscles tensed.

"Dist farmeno. Tri aughaum, lie ghif," Ed chanted monotonously, his hands held out over the twins. "As I command thee, release! Release! Release!"

"Now!" Wesley shouted and Buffy and Spike darted forward.

Angel and Connor turned their attentions to Glory. She was on the floor, twitching, her strength ebbing away. Her eyes fluttered open in time to register Angel and Connor approaching her.

"Edward!" she screamed.

He turned, saw Buffy and Spike approaching him and Angel and Connor going toward Glory.

He had to make a split decision: save his Goddess or prevent the parents reaching the children. He jumped up onto the altar and leapt. His arms were outstretched and caught Buffy and Spike across the throats, knocking them to the ground, Buffy choking.

Ed reached Glory before Angel and Connor. He aimed a kick at Angel's face who stumbled backward and a punch to Connor's stomach. Neither crumbled to the ground in agony as he expected them to. He paused for a second and that was enough to note the marked drop in his power.

He spun around and kicked Angel onto his side, caught Connor's fist as it flew toward him and pushed him back into the wall. Josh and Dawn ran into the room and straight toward the altar. Spike and Buffy were on their feet again and Ed turned to them.

He launched an attack on them. He replaced his strength with frenzied speed. Spike and Buffy absorbed his attack and hit back with concentrated rage. Over Buffy's shoulder, Spike saw Josh scoop Chrissy up and run out of the room, followed closely by Dawn who half-dragged, half-helped Todd out of the room.

"Mom," Chrissy murmured, struggling, Josh tightened his grip, ran out into the night, and eased her into the car, followed by Dawn.

Inside, Willow and Cordy kept up their chant as they followed the image in their heads.

"Angel," Cordy whimpered when she saw Ed turn and attack him.

But Angel's elbow flew back and hit him in the stomach. He twisted and his sword sliced through the air, cutting through the flesh of Ed's stomach.

"Damn," Ed cursed, as Angel helped Connor to his feet. "That hurt."

"That'll hurt more," Angel answered.

"What - " but Spike axe had already swung and cut neatly though his neck. The head rolled to the floor, followed by the slumped body, the mouth still working slowly. A red glow left the body and faded into the wooden floor.

"NO!" Glory screamed, lifting her head from the floor slightly. "NO!"

Buffy walked over to her, lifted her foot and kicked her hard under the chin, snapping her jaw.

Then her sword swung and another head rolled across the floor.

Cordy looked up from the floor where she cradled Willow's head in her lap. Angel and Connor were supporting Wesley down the stairs, followed by Buffy and Spike, each clutching a head by the hair.

"Willow," Buffy breathed, dropping Glory's head and running toward her. She eased Willow against her and looked to Cordy for an explanation.

"When you killed him, the last of the energy drained out of him," Cordy began. "Because of my demon-ness, I could stop it getting into me, but I think it got into her. I think I banished it, but I'm not sure. You'll have to do that icky head ritual soon."

"Right," Buffy nodded.

Spike picked up Glory's head and Buffy lifted Willow.

"Wes, are you ok?" Cordy asked, frowning at the bedraggled ex-Watcher.

"Fine," he rasped, "Though, painkillers would be nice right now."

"Wuss," she muttered and kissed Angel deeply.

"Bitch!"

Buffy stared down at Willow whose eyes were blackened and her mouth twisted in fury.

"You think you can stop me, you're wrong. I'm the Jackal, you can't -"

But Willow's tirade was cut off by Cordy's fist. Buffy looked up at Cordy in shock. Cordy shrugged.

"She was getting on my nerves. See what I mean about doing the ritual?"

Spike stood in the doorway and looked at Buffy. She was slumped in a chair between the twins' beds, one hand resting on each bed. His gaze travelled to his children, slumbering in the beds. They had been let out of hospital after their cuts and bruises were wrapped up. Buffy hadn't left them since they'd been home.

The phone rang and he rushed to answer it. Everyone was asleep, Dawn and Josh in Dawn's old room, Buffy and his children in their room and the LA gang downstairs. He ran down the stairs and into the living room, grabbing the phone.

"Hello?" he waited for a reply, his eyes drifting over the people crowded in the room.

Wesley was asleep on the couch, Connor was curled in the chair and Angel and Cordy were spooned together on a blanket on the floor.

"Hello, Spike," it was Xander' voice. Great. The Whelp.

"What do you want, Xander?"

"Giles did the ritual. Don't ask me how, I think he had the stuff on him and locked himself in my bathroom with the heads. Willow's here and she's fine. No more Evil Ed possession. It's all good."

"Thanks."

"I'm calling to tell Buffy."

"She's asleep. I'll tell her."

"Good…. What, Anya?…No! I'm not saying… Fine… Spike, thanks."

"What?"

"You heard me."

The phone was slammed down and Spike lowered it into the cradle.

He went back up stairs as silently as possible. He kneeled before Buffy and took her hand.

"Buffy, love," he whispered. "Wake up, pet."

"Mmmm, what?" she shifted and looked at him. "What? What's happened?"

"Nothing. Xander called. Willow's ok now. Giles did the ritual with the heads in Xander's bathroom apparently."

"She's good?" Buffy mumbled sleepily, trying to focus on him.

"Yeah, no more possession. Just our Willow."

"Good. So, it's over now?"

"Yeah, love, it's over now. Don't have to worry anymore."

"Ok. Can we go to bed now?"

"Sure," he smiled, lifted her up and carried her silently down the hall to what was now their room.