A/N: I've used a racist term in this chapter. It's not my own personal
opinion, more in keeping with the general character of the person who uses
it. Sorry. Oh and Buffy's rehabilitation begins.
Three Slayers 9 - Fallout
Wesley shuffled from foot to foot as he watched the quartet of men climb down from the private plane that had just landed. Ever since he'd made the phone call to England he'd been plagued by self-doubt and second thoughts. Seeing the four square-jawed thugs making their way across the small airfield towards him only increased his trepidation. He'd acted hastily.
Forcing a firm expression on his face, he hurried to meet the men. "Hello, I'm Wesley Wnydham-Pryce."
The group's leader, a tall, broad-shouldered man with cold grey eyes and a craggy face nodded at him, holding out a meaty hand. After a second's hesitation, he took it, wincing at the power of the man's grip. "Mr Travers sends his regards. I'm Smithers," the man spoke in a broad Dorset accent.
Wesley's eyes widened as he noticed some of the equipment being carried by the men. "Guns! We can't use guns! This is no longer the bloody Wild West!"
"We're dealing with a Slayer not a schoolgirl," Smithers grinned at his mates, "shame really. Been a while since we got our hands on a schoolgirl."
Wesley forced aside his distaste at the round of unpleasant laughs that followed Smithers' remark. "B..but, they'll be innocents involved. Mr Giles and Faith for two, and -."
"Yeah we saw that Faith's photo, a real nice piece of skirt," one of the men leered.
Smithers silenced the man with a look. "Pryce," all jocularity left Smithers' voice leaving only coldness, "we're here to retrieve this bird who has broken one of the most sacred rules in Council law. Rupert Giles is not only attempting to hide her crime from the Council he's harbouring her too. Mr. Travers is of the opinion that Mr. Giles' insolence has been tolerated for far too long. An example has to be made of her, if Giles gets hurt in the fallout," Smithers shrugged before pushing past him, "so what?"
"Oh bloody hell," Wesley hurried after the men. He had definitely made a mistake. He just hoped nobody was too hurt by it. Especially himself.
* * *
"Oh dear!"
Buffy hurried into the lounge, alarmed by her mother's shocked cry. "What's up mom?" Joyce wiped at her eyes for a second before replying. "The Deputy Mayor has been murdered," Joyce put her tissue away, "the poor man. I met him once at a fundraiser, he was such a gentleman."
"Oh," Buffy couldn't help but be relieved that her mother was okay. She pouted as a sudden suspicion hit her, "this fundraiser, it wasn't for MOO was it?" She paled at her mother's glare. "Never mind." She was saved from a rebuke by the ringing of the phone. "I'll get that," she said.
Rushing into the kitchen, she grabbed the phone. "Hello Summers residence?" she smiled at the familiar voice at the other end of the phone - it was a long time since he'd rung her at home. Her brow furrowed as she realised how lifeless the caller sounded. "You want to meet me at Angel's, but why?"
* * *
"G-Man, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Xander," Giles forced himself to remain patient. Xander's refusal to leave Kendra's side was understandable, admirable even, but unfortunately impractical. "Buffy has to be told."
"G," this time it was Faith raising objections, "we can't trust her-."
"That's quite enough Faith," he growled, "whether you like it or not Buffy is part of our group," Faith fell into a sulky silence, Giles softened his tone. "Faith, lying to Buffy isn't an option. She's a Slayer, she'll know we're lying about Kendra being injured, that a Slayer would be back patrolling in a few days from a torn knee." After a second the brunette nodded silently.
"Why does Deadboy have to come?"
"Because," Giles replied to Xander's angrily asked question, "as much as we dislike him he is a calming influence on Buffy."
"Fine," Xander took a breath, "after I've been up to see Kendra I'll ring Buffy and ask her to meet me at the vampire's."
Giles reached across and squeezed Xander's shoulder. "Xander, she'll be fine." He smiled at Faith. "We won't let anything happen to her will we Faith?"
"Damn straight G!"
* * *
"Do you know why Xander asked you to come here?" When Buffy shook her head Angel sighed. He found himself in a perplexing situation, Xander and he had never been friends and the gap had only widened since his return from hell. And yet Xander had now specifically requested his presence at his home, the very building that Giles had forcibly refused him entry to.
Not that he blamed the youth, unlike Buffy he had the detachment to understand the pain he'd caused the others and the antipathy his actions inspired. He even had a grudging respect for the way the teen had faced Angelus down. For that if for no other reason he'd sacrifice himself for Xander without a second thought.
Unless, a worrying thought occurred, the youth had been possessed by some demon that could walk about during the day and was leading them into a trap. He relaxed when the youth in question walked through the front door, he couldn't sense any demonic presence. His eyes narrowed as he noticed puffiness around the boy's eyes as if he had been crying, and the aura of desolation surrounding him. He exchanged a worried look with Buffy. "Xander what's wrong?" he asked gently.
The teen's answering smile lacked its usual warmth. "Got your blanket Angel?" Angel's brow furrowed even as he nodded, he couldn't remember the youth ever referring to him by his chosen name, something was definitely wrong. "Let's go."
* * *
Giles looked worriedly at the rocking Slayer sat curled up on the lounge sofa, the arms of Faith around her, holding her in a hug. When Xander had left to pick up Buffy and Angel, wouldn't that be a fun conversation, he'd decided that Kendra couldn't be left alone so he'd sent Faith upstairs to bring her down. In the half hour since Xander had left she hadn't spoken or taken a bite out of the breakfast he'd made for her or drunk any of the tea he'd brewed.
Faith released her grip on Kendra and stood. "Faith, what's wrong?"
"There's someone outside," Faith replied, a worried expression on her face.
"It's probably Xander."
"Too soo-."
Suddenly the front room window exploded and a gas canister flew through to land on the carpet, Giles' eyes widened in shock. "What the bloody -," his voice exploded into splutters as his vision blurred and, his limbs suddenly weak and his head woozy, he fell on his knees. He looked up to see some gas-masked men wielding rifles stood by the windowsill. "Basta-," he began before oblivion claimed him.
* * * "G!" Letting out a roar of animal fury, Faith started forward, her limbs not moving as easily as they would normally thanks to the gas' effects on even a Slayer's system. She let out an out-raged squawk as a dart hit her in the chest. She growled ferally and tried to continue on her way only for her legs to fail her, sending her crashing to the carpet and into unconsciousness.
* * *
"Well that worked well," Smithers beamed as he climbed through the window, his gas-mask still through. The wog Slayer hadn't moved but one of his men had shot a tranquiliser dart into her too. Smithers shook his head, a knockout canister and an elephant tranquiliser dart to take out a girl weighing around a hundred pounds. Unbloody believable. "Jones, get her, throw her in the back of the van and chain her up."
"What about the other slapper, we could take her for a little in-flight entertainment?"
Smithers looked across at the other two men crouched over the other Slayer - Faye, Freda - what was her name? He opened his mouth to agree, after all she was a real looker, Slayers were nothing but cannon fodder, they had the drugs to keep her pliant, and after they'd had their fun they could throw her out over the ocean, not even a Slayer could survive that. Hell, Travers would be grateful, they'd get a more pliable Slayer in her place. "No you will bloody not!" he turned with a groan at the Watcher's voice, "she's not your concern, the target's been acquired now let's get her to the airfield and go before they recover or are discovered."
Smithers toyed with the idea of killing the nervously watching Watcher then nodded. "Fine, Regis, Johnson. Let's go." Killing a Slayer was one thing, a Watcher something entirely different.
* * *
"Xander, are you going to tell us what's happening?" Buffy stared worriedly at her friend, she'd seen that sort of out-of-it look on the faces of people she'd saved from vampires or demons.
"Giles will explain," Xander replied shortly.
Buffy sat back and sighed in frustration. She glanced over her shoulder to the figure huddled under a blanket. "Are you alright -, Xander!" she screamed as the car swerved violently. She snapped round to glare at Xander. "What was that about?"
"Didn't you see that damn lorry? It was on the wrong side of the road!"
"Maybe it was!" she snapped, "but if you weren't driving so recklessly!"
She heard Angel snort. "You can talk."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
Angel was saved from answering by Xander's frightened shout. "Shit!"
Once again her head snapped forward to see Giles' lounge window was shattered and gas billowing out of it. "What's happening?"
Xander didn't reply choosing instead to screech his car to a halt and leap out without opening the door. "Angel, you're invited!" her friend yelled as he climbed through the front window.
"Buffy, what's happening?" Angel asked from under his blanket.
"I don't know," she replied as she helped the vampire out of the car. "Somebody's attacked Giles' house."
"What!" Angel's fingers smouldered as he lifted up his blanket and stared with concern at the house. "Let's get inside."
"Why didn't I think of that," she muttered sarcastically as she raced in after her boyfriend. Her heart missed a beat at the sight of Faith curled up on the carpet vomiting and Giles But..
"Where's Kendra?" Xander asked the question in her mind, a terrified look on his face.
"I'm guessing the Council have found about Kendra's involvement in Finch's death and took her, I assume for trial," Giles gasped between wheezes.
Buffy was rocked by Giles' revelation. "She murdered someone?"
"It was," Faith threw up again, "a fucking accident! She thought he was a vampire!"
"Buffy," she looked at her grey-faced Watcher, "go with Xander and get her back. And," Giles' eyes flashed with rage, reminding her of the times Ripper had come out to play, "bring Mr. Wnydham-Pryce back with you."
"B..but if she killed someone," Buffy babbled, her mind still struggling to come to terms with Giles' shocking revelation, "shouldn't be punished?"
"G, I'll go with Xand," Faith said shakily, she struggled to her feet only for her legs to crumple beneath her, sending her crumpling back to the ground.
"Buffy can I speak to you in the hallway?" After a second Buffy glanced at her boyfriend and nodded.
* * * "Buffy," Angel hissed, his face expressionless but his tone angry, "what are you playing at? You have to go, you owe it to Xander!"
"I owe what to Xander?"
"Remember the night Angelus hospitalised you?" Buffy nodded. "The next night Angelus came to the hospital to turn you. The only problem was," a note of respect entered her boyfriend's voice, "Xander was waiting for me. Without a stake and cross but he was willing to give his life to protect you. Angelus was scared that Xander's death would cause you to lose your reservations about killing him so he backed down and left."
"But Kendra killed someone," Buffy muttered as her mind reeled at the thought of what Xander had done for. So loyal and brave, and she'd just discarded him.
"And what do you think Angelus did after you allowed him to live after that confrontation with the Judge? Take up flower-arranging? Twenty-eight people I killed after that day," she shuddered at the number, "twenty-eight people whose lives you could saved by ending mine."
Buffy felt as if she'd punched in the stomach. "B..but," she shook her head, any justification she could make for her actions didn't hold up for inspection. And this discussion could wait, she had more important priorities. Turning, she hurried back into the front room. "Xander," her friend continued to stare into space. "Xander, Kendra needs us." Nothing. Steeling herself, Buffy stepped forward and slapped Xander across the face knocking his head. Instantly life flickered into the youth's eyes, the rage she saw there causing her to step back. "Xander," she forced her voice to steady, "get your keys we need to go after them."
"Xander," Giles wheezed, "it's up to you and Buffy to stop them."
Suddenly Xander moved. "Let's go."
* * *
"How do you know that they'll be going to Avers' Airdrome rather than Sunnydale Airport?" Buffy had her eyes firmly closed as she spoke, or rather screamed over the screeching of the car's wheels and the roar of its engines, she really didn't want to see what her crazed companion crashed them into.
"Two things. First, they need somewhere secluded to put a drugged girl and the arms they used on the raid onto a plane. And second, remember that lorry I nearly hit on the way to Giles'?" she nodded. "It was on the wrong side of the road, the side of the road Brits drive on, and heading away from Sunnydale Airport. And," a triumphant note entered her friend's voice, "there it is. So," now her friend sounded desperate, "what do we do?"
Buffy reluctantly opened her eyes and glanced across at Xander's face. The poor guy looked destroyed. She glanced at the van just ahead of them. Steeling herself she started to talk. This was a really bad idea, but she owed him.
"Are you ready?"
Buffy gritted her teeth and nodded. "Just do your part!" She stood on the car seat, her calves burning with the effort of balancing, and waited for Xander to pull the car parallel with the van. "GO!" Letting out a shriek she launched herself into the air, landing on the van roof on her feet. Her heart missed a beat as she nearly tipped off, nearly plunged to the hard gravel ground below. Taking a breath she somersaulted backwards, flying off the back of the van, grabbing the edge of the roof, and swinging feet-first into the van's doors, sending them crashing inwards.
Landing on the van floor she snapped out a side kick sending one of the rising men to the floor. A second man lunged at her but she simply sidestepped him, causing him to fly out of the van and crash on the road. "Hey, nobody tell you to wear about a seatbelt?"
Suddenly the van veered to the right and came to an abrupt stop, its brakes screaming in protest as Xander completed his part of the plan by running the van off the road. Surprised by the braking Buffy fell onto her face. "Ow!" Seeing the man she'd kicked starting to rise, she grabbed hold of his ankle, and pulled, knocking him back to the ground, his head cracking against the seat. At the other end of the van its third and final occupant began to draw a gun. Eyes narrowing in concentration, Buffy pulled her knife out of her ankle sheath and threw it into the thug's forearm. The man let out a scream of pain and released his gun, allowing it to drop to the floor. Leaping to her feet she rushed over to the man, shrugged off a left jab that bounced off her head, clutched the man around his throat and lifted him into the air. "You know," she tried for a John Wayne drawl, "this town isn't big enough for the two of us."
"The Council want her," the man gasped, "you're disobeying the Council."
"Guess what? Don't care." She punched him on the chin, wincing at the sound of his jaw breaking before throwing him into the wall. Buffy rushed over to a manacled Kendra, her chains fastened to a bolt in the floor, and crouched down in front of her. "Kendra," the dazed girl didn't seem to register her presence. "Kendra these thugs are out cold, I'm going to check on Xander," there was the barest flicker in Kendra's eyes at Xander's name, "then I'll come back and get you okay?"
She waited for a second for an answer. When she didn't get one, she stood and hurried out of the van. "Xander are you -," her voice trailed off as she turned round the back of the van to find Xander holding a sweating Wesley against the van, the muzzle of an automatic pressed against his throat.
"Miss Summers-," the Watcher stared pleadingly at her.
"Shut up Wesley," she ordered tersely before turning her attention to Xander, "please Xander, put the gun down."
"They were going to hurt Kendra," Xander growled through gritted teeth, "they need to learn a lesson."
"Tried to hurt her," Buffy said as she measured the distance between her and Xander, she'd never make it in time. "Please Xand-," suddenly she had an idea. Turning she hurried back into the van and over to Kendra. "Kendra!" the girl continued to stare dully at her. "Kendra! Xander needs your help."
"Xander, suddenly there was a spark in her counterpart's eyes, "Xander needs me?"
* * *
"I heard how you were going to sell us all out last night," Xander thumbed back his gun's safety as he stared into the Watcher's terrified eyes, "what gives a coward like you the right to judge a girl who's risked her -."
"Mr. Harris -."
"Quiet, I'm talking," Xander growled. The Watcher's mouth clamped shut. "You sit safe in your offices and you think you can judge Ken-."
"Xander don't."
He shook his head at his girlfriend's soft voice. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."
"Xander you'll hurt me more if I have to watch you kill him."
He glared into the Watcher's eyes for a second. "You just got lucky," he growled, "the girl you wanted to kill just saved your life." He slammed the gun's butt into the Englishman's forehead, knocking him to the ground.
"Xander," he glanced towards a nervous-looking Buffy, "what happened to the driver?"
"Hadn't got his seatbelt on, he flew out of the window when he did the emergency stop. We going back to Giles' now?"
* * *
Giles stared at the Watcher sat on his sofa, a very unGileslike rage bubbling up beneath his clam demeanour. "Could you all take Kendra upstairs and check her out please? I would like to have a few words with Mr. Pryce in private," Buffy's mouth began to open only for Angel to motion her to silence and guide her outside. He waited until he heard the creak of the top step before striking. "You bastard!" Lunging forward he grabbed his surprised fellow Englishman by the throat and threw him to the carpet. "You bug my house," he slammed a foot into his compatriot's ribs eliciting a moan, "you attack me and my wards," he stamped hard on the younger man's kidneys, "you make one of my Slayers sick," he pushed the man's face into the vomit he had purposely not cleaned up from earlier and," suddenly he felt strong arms dragging him off the man, "let me at the bugger, I'm going to bloody kill him!"
"Giles!" it was Buffy. "Calm down, this is not the way we deal with things!"
"The bugger was going to imprison Kendra!"
"But he's not anymore. Now where's the bug?" the Watcher stayed silent. "Faith, I think maybe we should take Kendra out shopping to relax her. Xander, could you drop Angel back home? We hate to leave you Wesley, but I'm sure Giles will treat you well while we're gone."
"The radiator it's in the central heating timer" Wesley began to babble. "That's why I took so long to join you, the Council wanted a bug in place to keep track of what was happening here before sending a man in."
"Xander, can you?" he asked.
The teen nodded and crouched by the timer. Seconds later he dropped an electronic device into his hand. "Yeah that's a bug alright, soldier boy remembers them, a little more advanced, more miniaturised but that's the same design."
Giles nodded before glaring at the man still lying on the carpet. "This is what's going to happen."
Three Slayers 9 - Fallout
Wesley shuffled from foot to foot as he watched the quartet of men climb down from the private plane that had just landed. Ever since he'd made the phone call to England he'd been plagued by self-doubt and second thoughts. Seeing the four square-jawed thugs making their way across the small airfield towards him only increased his trepidation. He'd acted hastily.
Forcing a firm expression on his face, he hurried to meet the men. "Hello, I'm Wesley Wnydham-Pryce."
The group's leader, a tall, broad-shouldered man with cold grey eyes and a craggy face nodded at him, holding out a meaty hand. After a second's hesitation, he took it, wincing at the power of the man's grip. "Mr Travers sends his regards. I'm Smithers," the man spoke in a broad Dorset accent.
Wesley's eyes widened as he noticed some of the equipment being carried by the men. "Guns! We can't use guns! This is no longer the bloody Wild West!"
"We're dealing with a Slayer not a schoolgirl," Smithers grinned at his mates, "shame really. Been a while since we got our hands on a schoolgirl."
Wesley forced aside his distaste at the round of unpleasant laughs that followed Smithers' remark. "B..but, they'll be innocents involved. Mr Giles and Faith for two, and -."
"Yeah we saw that Faith's photo, a real nice piece of skirt," one of the men leered.
Smithers silenced the man with a look. "Pryce," all jocularity left Smithers' voice leaving only coldness, "we're here to retrieve this bird who has broken one of the most sacred rules in Council law. Rupert Giles is not only attempting to hide her crime from the Council he's harbouring her too. Mr. Travers is of the opinion that Mr. Giles' insolence has been tolerated for far too long. An example has to be made of her, if Giles gets hurt in the fallout," Smithers shrugged before pushing past him, "so what?"
"Oh bloody hell," Wesley hurried after the men. He had definitely made a mistake. He just hoped nobody was too hurt by it. Especially himself.
* * *
"Oh dear!"
Buffy hurried into the lounge, alarmed by her mother's shocked cry. "What's up mom?" Joyce wiped at her eyes for a second before replying. "The Deputy Mayor has been murdered," Joyce put her tissue away, "the poor man. I met him once at a fundraiser, he was such a gentleman."
"Oh," Buffy couldn't help but be relieved that her mother was okay. She pouted as a sudden suspicion hit her, "this fundraiser, it wasn't for MOO was it?" She paled at her mother's glare. "Never mind." She was saved from a rebuke by the ringing of the phone. "I'll get that," she said.
Rushing into the kitchen, she grabbed the phone. "Hello Summers residence?" she smiled at the familiar voice at the other end of the phone - it was a long time since he'd rung her at home. Her brow furrowed as she realised how lifeless the caller sounded. "You want to meet me at Angel's, but why?"
* * *
"G-Man, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Xander," Giles forced himself to remain patient. Xander's refusal to leave Kendra's side was understandable, admirable even, but unfortunately impractical. "Buffy has to be told."
"G," this time it was Faith raising objections, "we can't trust her-."
"That's quite enough Faith," he growled, "whether you like it or not Buffy is part of our group," Faith fell into a sulky silence, Giles softened his tone. "Faith, lying to Buffy isn't an option. She's a Slayer, she'll know we're lying about Kendra being injured, that a Slayer would be back patrolling in a few days from a torn knee." After a second the brunette nodded silently.
"Why does Deadboy have to come?"
"Because," Giles replied to Xander's angrily asked question, "as much as we dislike him he is a calming influence on Buffy."
"Fine," Xander took a breath, "after I've been up to see Kendra I'll ring Buffy and ask her to meet me at the vampire's."
Giles reached across and squeezed Xander's shoulder. "Xander, she'll be fine." He smiled at Faith. "We won't let anything happen to her will we Faith?"
"Damn straight G!"
* * *
"Do you know why Xander asked you to come here?" When Buffy shook her head Angel sighed. He found himself in a perplexing situation, Xander and he had never been friends and the gap had only widened since his return from hell. And yet Xander had now specifically requested his presence at his home, the very building that Giles had forcibly refused him entry to.
Not that he blamed the youth, unlike Buffy he had the detachment to understand the pain he'd caused the others and the antipathy his actions inspired. He even had a grudging respect for the way the teen had faced Angelus down. For that if for no other reason he'd sacrifice himself for Xander without a second thought.
Unless, a worrying thought occurred, the youth had been possessed by some demon that could walk about during the day and was leading them into a trap. He relaxed when the youth in question walked through the front door, he couldn't sense any demonic presence. His eyes narrowed as he noticed puffiness around the boy's eyes as if he had been crying, and the aura of desolation surrounding him. He exchanged a worried look with Buffy. "Xander what's wrong?" he asked gently.
The teen's answering smile lacked its usual warmth. "Got your blanket Angel?" Angel's brow furrowed even as he nodded, he couldn't remember the youth ever referring to him by his chosen name, something was definitely wrong. "Let's go."
* * *
Giles looked worriedly at the rocking Slayer sat curled up on the lounge sofa, the arms of Faith around her, holding her in a hug. When Xander had left to pick up Buffy and Angel, wouldn't that be a fun conversation, he'd decided that Kendra couldn't be left alone so he'd sent Faith upstairs to bring her down. In the half hour since Xander had left she hadn't spoken or taken a bite out of the breakfast he'd made for her or drunk any of the tea he'd brewed.
Faith released her grip on Kendra and stood. "Faith, what's wrong?"
"There's someone outside," Faith replied, a worried expression on her face.
"It's probably Xander."
"Too soo-."
Suddenly the front room window exploded and a gas canister flew through to land on the carpet, Giles' eyes widened in shock. "What the bloody -," his voice exploded into splutters as his vision blurred and, his limbs suddenly weak and his head woozy, he fell on his knees. He looked up to see some gas-masked men wielding rifles stood by the windowsill. "Basta-," he began before oblivion claimed him.
* * * "G!" Letting out a roar of animal fury, Faith started forward, her limbs not moving as easily as they would normally thanks to the gas' effects on even a Slayer's system. She let out an out-raged squawk as a dart hit her in the chest. She growled ferally and tried to continue on her way only for her legs to fail her, sending her crashing to the carpet and into unconsciousness.
* * *
"Well that worked well," Smithers beamed as he climbed through the window, his gas-mask still through. The wog Slayer hadn't moved but one of his men had shot a tranquiliser dart into her too. Smithers shook his head, a knockout canister and an elephant tranquiliser dart to take out a girl weighing around a hundred pounds. Unbloody believable. "Jones, get her, throw her in the back of the van and chain her up."
"What about the other slapper, we could take her for a little in-flight entertainment?"
Smithers looked across at the other two men crouched over the other Slayer - Faye, Freda - what was her name? He opened his mouth to agree, after all she was a real looker, Slayers were nothing but cannon fodder, they had the drugs to keep her pliant, and after they'd had their fun they could throw her out over the ocean, not even a Slayer could survive that. Hell, Travers would be grateful, they'd get a more pliable Slayer in her place. "No you will bloody not!" he turned with a groan at the Watcher's voice, "she's not your concern, the target's been acquired now let's get her to the airfield and go before they recover or are discovered."
Smithers toyed with the idea of killing the nervously watching Watcher then nodded. "Fine, Regis, Johnson. Let's go." Killing a Slayer was one thing, a Watcher something entirely different.
* * *
"Xander, are you going to tell us what's happening?" Buffy stared worriedly at her friend, she'd seen that sort of out-of-it look on the faces of people she'd saved from vampires or demons.
"Giles will explain," Xander replied shortly.
Buffy sat back and sighed in frustration. She glanced over her shoulder to the figure huddled under a blanket. "Are you alright -, Xander!" she screamed as the car swerved violently. She snapped round to glare at Xander. "What was that about?"
"Didn't you see that damn lorry? It was on the wrong side of the road!"
"Maybe it was!" she snapped, "but if you weren't driving so recklessly!"
She heard Angel snort. "You can talk."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.
Angel was saved from answering by Xander's frightened shout. "Shit!"
Once again her head snapped forward to see Giles' lounge window was shattered and gas billowing out of it. "What's happening?"
Xander didn't reply choosing instead to screech his car to a halt and leap out without opening the door. "Angel, you're invited!" her friend yelled as he climbed through the front window.
"Buffy, what's happening?" Angel asked from under his blanket.
"I don't know," she replied as she helped the vampire out of the car. "Somebody's attacked Giles' house."
"What!" Angel's fingers smouldered as he lifted up his blanket and stared with concern at the house. "Let's get inside."
"Why didn't I think of that," she muttered sarcastically as she raced in after her boyfriend. Her heart missed a beat at the sight of Faith curled up on the carpet vomiting and Giles But..
"Where's Kendra?" Xander asked the question in her mind, a terrified look on his face.
"I'm guessing the Council have found about Kendra's involvement in Finch's death and took her, I assume for trial," Giles gasped between wheezes.
Buffy was rocked by Giles' revelation. "She murdered someone?"
"It was," Faith threw up again, "a fucking accident! She thought he was a vampire!"
"Buffy," she looked at her grey-faced Watcher, "go with Xander and get her back. And," Giles' eyes flashed with rage, reminding her of the times Ripper had come out to play, "bring Mr. Wnydham-Pryce back with you."
"B..but if she killed someone," Buffy babbled, her mind still struggling to come to terms with Giles' shocking revelation, "shouldn't be punished?"
"G, I'll go with Xand," Faith said shakily, she struggled to her feet only for her legs to crumple beneath her, sending her crumpling back to the ground.
"Buffy can I speak to you in the hallway?" After a second Buffy glanced at her boyfriend and nodded.
* * * "Buffy," Angel hissed, his face expressionless but his tone angry, "what are you playing at? You have to go, you owe it to Xander!"
"I owe what to Xander?"
"Remember the night Angelus hospitalised you?" Buffy nodded. "The next night Angelus came to the hospital to turn you. The only problem was," a note of respect entered her boyfriend's voice, "Xander was waiting for me. Without a stake and cross but he was willing to give his life to protect you. Angelus was scared that Xander's death would cause you to lose your reservations about killing him so he backed down and left."
"But Kendra killed someone," Buffy muttered as her mind reeled at the thought of what Xander had done for. So loyal and brave, and she'd just discarded him.
"And what do you think Angelus did after you allowed him to live after that confrontation with the Judge? Take up flower-arranging? Twenty-eight people I killed after that day," she shuddered at the number, "twenty-eight people whose lives you could saved by ending mine."
Buffy felt as if she'd punched in the stomach. "B..but," she shook her head, any justification she could make for her actions didn't hold up for inspection. And this discussion could wait, she had more important priorities. Turning, she hurried back into the front room. "Xander," her friend continued to stare into space. "Xander, Kendra needs us." Nothing. Steeling herself, Buffy stepped forward and slapped Xander across the face knocking his head. Instantly life flickered into the youth's eyes, the rage she saw there causing her to step back. "Xander," she forced her voice to steady, "get your keys we need to go after them."
"Xander," Giles wheezed, "it's up to you and Buffy to stop them."
Suddenly Xander moved. "Let's go."
* * *
"How do you know that they'll be going to Avers' Airdrome rather than Sunnydale Airport?" Buffy had her eyes firmly closed as she spoke, or rather screamed over the screeching of the car's wheels and the roar of its engines, she really didn't want to see what her crazed companion crashed them into.
"Two things. First, they need somewhere secluded to put a drugged girl and the arms they used on the raid onto a plane. And second, remember that lorry I nearly hit on the way to Giles'?" she nodded. "It was on the wrong side of the road, the side of the road Brits drive on, and heading away from Sunnydale Airport. And," a triumphant note entered her friend's voice, "there it is. So," now her friend sounded desperate, "what do we do?"
Buffy reluctantly opened her eyes and glanced across at Xander's face. The poor guy looked destroyed. She glanced at the van just ahead of them. Steeling herself she started to talk. This was a really bad idea, but she owed him.
"Are you ready?"
Buffy gritted her teeth and nodded. "Just do your part!" She stood on the car seat, her calves burning with the effort of balancing, and waited for Xander to pull the car parallel with the van. "GO!" Letting out a shriek she launched herself into the air, landing on the van roof on her feet. Her heart missed a beat as she nearly tipped off, nearly plunged to the hard gravel ground below. Taking a breath she somersaulted backwards, flying off the back of the van, grabbing the edge of the roof, and swinging feet-first into the van's doors, sending them crashing inwards.
Landing on the van floor she snapped out a side kick sending one of the rising men to the floor. A second man lunged at her but she simply sidestepped him, causing him to fly out of the van and crash on the road. "Hey, nobody tell you to wear about a seatbelt?"
Suddenly the van veered to the right and came to an abrupt stop, its brakes screaming in protest as Xander completed his part of the plan by running the van off the road. Surprised by the braking Buffy fell onto her face. "Ow!" Seeing the man she'd kicked starting to rise, she grabbed hold of his ankle, and pulled, knocking him back to the ground, his head cracking against the seat. At the other end of the van its third and final occupant began to draw a gun. Eyes narrowing in concentration, Buffy pulled her knife out of her ankle sheath and threw it into the thug's forearm. The man let out a scream of pain and released his gun, allowing it to drop to the floor. Leaping to her feet she rushed over to the man, shrugged off a left jab that bounced off her head, clutched the man around his throat and lifted him into the air. "You know," she tried for a John Wayne drawl, "this town isn't big enough for the two of us."
"The Council want her," the man gasped, "you're disobeying the Council."
"Guess what? Don't care." She punched him on the chin, wincing at the sound of his jaw breaking before throwing him into the wall. Buffy rushed over to a manacled Kendra, her chains fastened to a bolt in the floor, and crouched down in front of her. "Kendra," the dazed girl didn't seem to register her presence. "Kendra these thugs are out cold, I'm going to check on Xander," there was the barest flicker in Kendra's eyes at Xander's name, "then I'll come back and get you okay?"
She waited for a second for an answer. When she didn't get one, she stood and hurried out of the van. "Xander are you -," her voice trailed off as she turned round the back of the van to find Xander holding a sweating Wesley against the van, the muzzle of an automatic pressed against his throat.
"Miss Summers-," the Watcher stared pleadingly at her.
"Shut up Wesley," she ordered tersely before turning her attention to Xander, "please Xander, put the gun down."
"They were going to hurt Kendra," Xander growled through gritted teeth, "they need to learn a lesson."
"Tried to hurt her," Buffy said as she measured the distance between her and Xander, she'd never make it in time. "Please Xand-," suddenly she had an idea. Turning she hurried back into the van and over to Kendra. "Kendra!" the girl continued to stare dully at her. "Kendra! Xander needs your help."
"Xander, suddenly there was a spark in her counterpart's eyes, "Xander needs me?"
* * *
"I heard how you were going to sell us all out last night," Xander thumbed back his gun's safety as he stared into the Watcher's terrified eyes, "what gives a coward like you the right to judge a girl who's risked her -."
"Mr. Harris -."
"Quiet, I'm talking," Xander growled. The Watcher's mouth clamped shut. "You sit safe in your offices and you think you can judge Ken-."
"Xander don't."
He shook his head at his girlfriend's soft voice. "I'm not going to let him hurt you."
"Xander you'll hurt me more if I have to watch you kill him."
He glared into the Watcher's eyes for a second. "You just got lucky," he growled, "the girl you wanted to kill just saved your life." He slammed the gun's butt into the Englishman's forehead, knocking him to the ground.
"Xander," he glanced towards a nervous-looking Buffy, "what happened to the driver?"
"Hadn't got his seatbelt on, he flew out of the window when he did the emergency stop. We going back to Giles' now?"
* * *
Giles stared at the Watcher sat on his sofa, a very unGileslike rage bubbling up beneath his clam demeanour. "Could you all take Kendra upstairs and check her out please? I would like to have a few words with Mr. Pryce in private," Buffy's mouth began to open only for Angel to motion her to silence and guide her outside. He waited until he heard the creak of the top step before striking. "You bastard!" Lunging forward he grabbed his surprised fellow Englishman by the throat and threw him to the carpet. "You bug my house," he slammed a foot into his compatriot's ribs eliciting a moan, "you attack me and my wards," he stamped hard on the younger man's kidneys, "you make one of my Slayers sick," he pushed the man's face into the vomit he had purposely not cleaned up from earlier and," suddenly he felt strong arms dragging him off the man, "let me at the bugger, I'm going to bloody kill him!"
"Giles!" it was Buffy. "Calm down, this is not the way we deal with things!"
"The bugger was going to imprison Kendra!"
"But he's not anymore. Now where's the bug?" the Watcher stayed silent. "Faith, I think maybe we should take Kendra out shopping to relax her. Xander, could you drop Angel back home? We hate to leave you Wesley, but I'm sure Giles will treat you well while we're gone."
"The radiator it's in the central heating timer" Wesley began to babble. "That's why I took so long to join you, the Council wanted a bug in place to keep track of what was happening here before sending a man in."
"Xander, can you?" he asked.
The teen nodded and crouched by the timer. Seconds later he dropped an electronic device into his hand. "Yeah that's a bug alright, soldier boy remembers them, a little more advanced, more miniaturised but that's the same design."
Giles nodded before glaring at the man still lying on the carpet. "This is what's going to happen."