Buffy stood in fighting stance as Hamilton quickly arose back to his feet. "I wasn't expecting that. You really think you can take me alone, especially after what just happened?"
Buffy still stood her ground, "No I really don't."
One by one everyone started to wake up. Faith opened her eyes and lay there like Buffy had just in case. When she saw what was going on then she too hopped up beside Buffy in fighting stance. Xander was next but knowing he couldn't fight he knelt down to the ground and started examining his best friend and his father. Spike and Angel instantly opened their eyes and slowly got to their feet just as the slayers had. Buffy and Hamilton looked around at her army.
"Now since Angel almost took you alone I don't know if you want an emotionally unstable slayer, a psycho slayer, a broody ensouled vampire and a high tempered ensouled vampire to kick your ass all at once."
"I must admit Angel, good taste in woman. I supposse she's right, a bit out of my odds right now. I'll see you all soon."
Hamilton quickly moved to the window and jumped out. Buffy stood there still in fighting stance slowly un tensing her body. She gave awkward glances to everyone staring at her around the room and stopped at Angel. She shook her head and looked away. Before anyone could comfort her, she spotted Xander holding Giles' head to his shirt to stop the bleeding. Buffy held in her overwhelming emotions and ran to the unconcous Willow and watcher. She looked them over quickly and then stared at Xander.
"Xander, I want you to run downstairs, make sure everyone's okay. I'm sure they are because Hamilton wouldn't risk coming through the front door. When you know that they are I want you to bring 8 slayers back up here." Xander just stopped dead still staring at her. "Go Now!"
"Right." Xander then took off down the stairs to get the help
Buffy took off her jacket she happened to be wearing and tried to stop the bleeding as Xander had been doing. It looked like Giles had put up more of a fight then Willow for she was just lying there still with a slowing pulse. Angel, Spike and Faith just stared as Buffy helped the closest thing she had to a father and the closest thing she had to a sister besides Dawn. Not long after, Xander came running in with a trail of girls behind him. Buffy was again the leader and not just some girl who wanted to be wrapped in a blanket in front of a fire fo the rest of her life.
"Alright girls. Faith I want you to take Giles and Willow to the hospital. Take these 8 slayers in case you get a visit from Hamilton or a few leftovers from the fight. I want an update on how they are as soon as possible."
Xander spoke up, "I'm going with. I'm not needed here and I want to be near them."
Buffy nodded but before she could speak again Dawn came running in, "What the hell happened here?"
Buffy gave her a stern look then explained in a quick version, "I was stuck in my mind, I had to save us again, I got out, Willow and Giles got hurt and now they are being taken to the hospital. Now do you want to go or do you want to stay?"
Dawn was taken back but she had learened to just go with what was happening or you could die, "I wanna go."
"Alright. Xander watch her."
Even as Dawn got older, even now that she knew how to take care of herself, Buffy never stopped watching her. I guess that's what sisters are suppossed to do. As soon as Dawn was done Faith stood up and motioned for the girls. Four of them grabbed Willow and four grabbed Giles. Faith walked to the door and gave Buffy a look. Buffy nodded and everyone moved out. Xander stopped and gave her a look to which she just smiled to and they left. Going down the stairs got a lot of looks from the girls, worried looks. Nobody made a move to see what was happening knowing Willow and Giles would perish if they did not reach the hospital in time. During their exit, Buffy had made her way to the top of the stairs. She was staring down at the stillness left in the room.
"They will be okay." Everyone made to turn their heads toward her. You know how good her speeches were, well here comes another. "That was a great job. I am told we lost a few girls. I'm sorry. They died for a good cause. This is what we train day in and day out for. I want to thank you all for your help. I also want to let you know this is not the end. I know you've been through fights and some of you through the almost end of the world. There's been rumors of last year about the first, that we beet it. They're rumors, they're wrong."
Gasps and scared sighs were spread through the room. Angel and Spike made their way out of the room and stood beside also eager to hear a part of the explanation they were expecting. "The first wasn't just evil, it's what created evil. You can't kill it, you can't beet it, but you can take away most of it's strength. Last year we gave it something to remember us by, and back there in that alley, we hurt it again. We almost demolished one of the biggest puppets the first uses to get to us. It may not have shown it's face yet, but each and every one of us in here can feel it's presence. You guys did good, real good. We'll do a little bit of training and then you should rest tonight. I know Angel has a training room around here somewhere." She couldn't see it but Buffy knew Angel smiled. She knew him like she knew how to fight. It was in her blood, he was in her blood. "Wesley or Gunn, could you show the girls where the training room is?"
"Yes." Wesley and Gunn managed to get themselves off the couch they were sitting on and motioned for all the girls to follow them. Illyria followed without words.
-Training Room-
Eventually they came to a giant room that much resembled the room at the Magic Box that contained few weapons and many instrunments to train with. A punching bag, targets and even a dummy. Illyria walked in right fter Wesley and finally made her voice known, "You follow her orders without question. Why?"
The girls and Gunn were wondering around the room. Gunn remembering all the times he tried to knock the bag off the hook like Angel had done so easily. Either Angel was really pissed all those times or he was just super strong because Gunn had yet to do it once. Wesley thought this a good time to talk to Illyria, "In your world, you must of had leaders? People who worked for you but controlled those who were even lower then you."
"Of course I know what a leader is. I was a leader. I want to know why she has this power over everyone."
"Oh why she is the leader." Wesley drew in a deep breath figuring he should just explain everything about this girl in the shortest possible way. "She is named Buffy. She is the most respected, strongest, powerful and burdened slayer in the world."
"Ah, a slayer. I've heard stories. So she is stronger then the vampires with souls?"
Wesley smiled a wierd smile which only got a odd and straight forwrad look from the blue one in front of him, "When you put Buffy and then Angel and Spike into the same sentence, you're asking for a day long explanation."
"What does this mean?"
"The slayers life with these vampires is complicated. They're forbidden yet connected. It was never explained."
-Lobby-
"Why is it complicated?" Andrew asked the short blonde slayer in front of him
Buffy had come down the stairs with a sigh followed by the ensouled ones to deal with the last person she wanted to deal with. Andrew stood there alone just pressing stop on his camera. He had made the mistake of asking her for an interview with Spike and Angel to talk about their long lost realationships.
"Because I don't need the whole world to know that Buffy, the slayer of the vampires, had two vampire boyfriends who both ditched her." Buffy made an attempt at mocking his voice.
The instant those words came out of her mouth though she regretted them. She felt the hurt surge through her like a thousand knives jabbed into her torso. "Oh crap I forgot, you want your painkillers?"
Andrew asked her obviously noticing her squint her eyes, "Yea they're in one of the everybody bags somewhere."
"No they're not, while you guys were fighting, I took it upon myself to organize our food and the kitchen. It's like we lived here our whole lives."
Andrew tossed the painkillers and a bottled water to Buffy who opened the bottle and took two of the pills. "What's the painkillers for?" Spike suddenly tuned in to the conversation
"What you didn't tell them? I'm Andrew, king of being left out and the two most important people don't even..."
Buffy cut him off quickly, "Andrew the only reason why you know is because you snuck your way into the car when we drove to the airport. We needed to get to Ireland and we didn't have tme to turn back. Now I want you to go help the girls train."
Spike laughed a little, "You're gonna let little Nancy Andrew help the girls train?"
Andrew and Buffy somewhat laughed, "Spike, I want you to hit him."
There was hesitance on both sides of Andrew and Spike but Spike eventually walked over to Andrew. He lifted his right hand for a quick but soft punch in the face when the most unexpected thing happened. Andrew blocked his punch by puching his arm out of the way and punching him in the chest. This caused Spike to couple over and then Andrew took both hands together and nailed Spike over the back dropping him to the floor. Andrew and Buffy high fived and hugged before joining Angel in hysterical laughter.
Spike got up like nothing had happened, "What the hell was that?"
"Spike you should know better. You train with me and you fight like me. Andrew doesn't have the strength but he can still handle himself and he's not as annoying as he used to be." Buffy explained after the humor had passed
"Yea, I could totally take you now Spike." Andrew said
Buffy just laughed now, "Andrew if you can't take a new slayer then you can't take Spike since you know he has almost been able to kill me and you defenitely can't take me."
Andrew just nodded avoiding Spike's stare, "Well I am going to go enjoy a nice evening with the punching bag and a bunch of girls." He nodded his head at everyone and then left the room following in the direction the girls had went.
Everyone stared after him until he was out of sight and even longer to make sure he was out of hearing range. Sneaky bugger was the group gossip. Buffy turned back to the vampires to see them both staring at her. "What?"
Buffy moved to get comfortable on the couch and was followed by Angel and Spike. One sat on either side of her and Spike asked again, "You're taking painkillers?"
Buffy acting stupid, "Hey, I'm a slayer. I've always taken painkillers."
"So that's it? You're just in pain from all the mind walking you did?" Spike said sarcastically.
Buffy put her arms to her side still sitting on the couch though, "Look guys just ask me what you really want to know."
Angel spoke up this time, "How did you know to come here? and Why the hell do you need painkillers when one of us hurt?"
"Wow, bunch a questions, I thought I was only going to have to answer one at a time. Hey you guys want it, here's the longest explanation of my life."
Buffy took a deep breath and began to talk. Flashback
A/N - I apologize for the way I wrote Illyria and Wesley. And Andrew Will be annoying no matter what I said. Now the explanation you've all been waiting for. Why are these three forbidden lovers so well connected. There's two parts to the explanation, I hope you read them. Read the next two chapters and it will all make sense finally!