A/N: :'( My Buffy season 4 DVD with Hush on it got all messed up (though I think it's really my computer's fault). But at least I got to watch the part I needed to watch for the story Only two reviews for the last chapter? I'm ashamed of you all ::narrows eyes menacingly::

Allen Pitt: Good point...

Also: For some reason the brackets now won't show up in my stories. Oi vey.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. What a shame...

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Chapter Seven

Hush: Part II

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It was a few hours later when Giles dragged us into a classroom of the school to view a little presentation he had set up about the Gentlemen. He had taken the time to project images of what he had learned about the Gentleman. First he explained what I had explained- that they're fairytale creatures that steal voices and cut out 7 peoples' hearts. The next picture said, "How do you kill them?" on it. Buffy started making odd gestures with her hand toward... err, another part of her body... Everyone made a confused face at her (except for Anya- but she's weird in that way) and she looked fed up. She pulled a stake out of her bag and repeated the motions she had been making before. Still weird.

"The story says that no sword can kill them," read an image projected on the screen. There was a drawing of one of the Gentleman, still smiling whilst he had several swords sticking out of his body. "But once the princess screamed and they all died." Was the next image- this time it had a stick figure girl with lines coming out of her mouth and a pile of dead Gentleman on the floor.

"How do I get my voice back?" read Buffy's whiteboard.

Giles shrugged before projecting another image. This time it said, "Buffy will patrol". He then pointed to everyone else and held up a book. Oh, what fun! (That was sarcastic.)

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Later that evening, Willow and I were back in her and Buffy's room after we researched our hearts out (not literally, then the Gentleman would probably be ruling the world by now). I was flipping through the channels of the TV as Willow studied. Suddenly there was a loud banging noise from outside. Willow looked at the door, then at me. She started to edge toward it. I leapt of the bed and stood in her path, shaking my head frantically. No way in bloody hell was I going to let her open that door and have the Gentleman pop in and pop our hearts out. No freaking way.

She made in irritated face at me and shoved me aside. I grabbed her wrist but it was too late. She opened the door, stepped outside and got knocked over. I rushed outside and saw the two pale figures in immaculate black suits, with bug eyes and glinting, silver teeth. The Gentleman. I whimpered, but no noise came out. So these were the creatures that had haunted my dreams forever. I couldn't believe that they existed, that they were here, standing- hovering before me, looking as pleased as a little kid who had just found some candy on the ground. They were; my still-beating heart was as good as fifteen boxes of chocolate frogs- all with rare cards inside them.

Someone from behind me pulled on my wrist and started dragging me out a door. It was Willow and a worried looking girl with blond hair and a long skirt. Willow was limping as we hastily ascended the stairs of the building. She tripped and a look of extreme pain covered her face. I glanced down the stairs. The Gentleman had floated into the stairwell. Without really thinking, I picked her up, swung her over my shoulder, and ran up the stairs, the blond girl at my heels. Willow was fairly light and I had grown much taller and stronger over the summer. The blond girl led us into a room with big boxes that had clear holes in them and a large box I had seen people get food out of. She shut the door behind us as I placed Willow on the ground. The blond girl tried to push the food box up against the door, but she wasn't strong enough to move it. Then Willow started squinting and it started to rattle and shake. The blond girl sat down next to Willow and grabbed her hand. They both squinted at the food box and it flew against the door.

"Whoa," I mouthed. I knew they were using their witch powers, and I suddenly wished that I could do that also. I started pointing at myself and miming using a wand. I don't quite think they got it.

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(A/N: I don't know if I'm doing this right, but this was the part where my stupid DVD stopped working. Someone said I messed up and that Willow and Tara hand't spoken to each other so this might be a little weird...) We spent a while longer in there until the banging on the door suddenly stopped. I got up and pushed the food box out of the way with all the strength I could muster. I decided it was time to face my stupid childhood fears and swung open the door. Thankfully there was nothing there for me to face.

I smiled as I revealed to Willow and the blond girl my discovery.

"Finally," Willow said quietly.

She said? She was talking? I could hear it? What?

"You can talk!" I cried. Wait- I could talk! "I CAN TALK! THANK YOU JESUS!"

Willow tried to jump up in happiness, but her ankle gave way and she fell again.

"We should bring her back to her room," the blond girl said.

I nodded and started to pick Willow up again but she stopped me.

"Don't throw me over your shoulder again," she said sternly.

"Sorry," I responded.

She leaned on the blond girl and my shoulders to get back to her dorm where she lay down on her bed. Willow told me to phone Giles' house.

"I have to go," the blond girl said before I dialed Giles' number. "I'll see you... Around."

"Bye," Willow said, smiling as the blond girl exited the room.

"Giles," I said when the old guy picked up the phone. "It's Draco."

"Hello, is everything alright?" he questioned.

"Yeah, Willow hurt her ankle," I explained. "But other than that everything is okay. We have our voices back!"

"I noticed," Giles responded.

"Should we come over?" I asked.

"Sure, but if Willow can't make it then don't force her," Giles said.

"Okay, see you in a bit." I hung up the phone and turned to Willow and the blond girl. "Giles said to go to his house unless Willow can't make it."

"I can make it," Willow said, starting to get up.

"You sure?" I asked Willow incredulously.

"I'm sure." She hobbled a bit before standing upright and smiling proudly as though she were a toddler showing off her bike riding skills to her mother.

We then headed to Giles' house, me trying to support Willow's weight on my shoulder. When we arrived there, Buffy was there as well and she had much to tell us.

"Riley," she said. "He's one of those military guys."

"What? Riley?" Xander inquired.

Buffy nodded.

"I guess it sort of makes sense..." Willow responded. "You should talk to him tomorrow."

Buffy nodded again.

"So that guy with the bad hair is one of the people who put the chip in Spike's brain?" I clarified.

"Yup," Spike said grumpily from his chainless spot in the corner.

And I thought things would get more normal now that the Gentleman were gone...

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A/N: Yay! The end of Hush! But I forgot a lot of stuff because my stupid DVD got all fucked up when I tried to watch it Please review!