Buffy the Vampire Slayer :
Strong
It had been a hot day in Sunnydale and a hot night followed. Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg and Xander Harris were patrolling the Restfield cemetery. To a normal sixteen year old woman the night would have meant homework or make up or partying down at the Bronze. Not to Buffy Summers and Co. Their nights involved battling vampires, demons and the forces of darkness.
It was the night after Xander's hyena transformation. He and some other kids from Sunnydale High had been possessed by the spirits of the hyenas and wackiness had ensued. They had been reformed back to their usual selves and the zoo keeper had been eaten by the hyenas, whereas the pack minus Xander had enjoyed their lunch which mostly consisted of Principal Flutie.
Buffy and Willow walked ahead of Xander who was walking slowly. He had made out that he had forgotten everything that had happened, however the memories had stuck.
"Have you heard anything from Angel?" Willow asked.
"You mean as of late? The answer, a big, fat no," Buffy turned around to look at Xander. "Hey Xand. You think you could walk a little faster, unless you wanna be the main for some vamp."
Willow stopped walking and waited for her best friends who joined her shortly.
"It's pretty dead around here. How about we do one last..." Buffy was cut off by a scream coming from Willow. "Scream?"
She turned and saw a vampire had grabbed Willow and was trying to make time with her neck.
"Hey you. This is so lame. You try and get some munchies and then poof, you're dust," The slayer said trying to catch the vamp off guard.
"Who the hell are you?" the vampire asked, drooling over Willow's neck.
"Hey a little drool. You mean you don't know the deal? The whole into every generation thing?"
The vampire shook its head.
"Then you'd better close your eyes, 'cause things are gonna get dusty," Buffy ran toward the vampire who threw Willow to the ground. Buffy kick his face. She backhanded him and he blocked the attack. He fell forward, pushing her to the ground, he fell on top of her. She punched his face and punctured his heart with the sharp wood she had. He fell backward and dusted.
A hand reached out and Buffy grabbed it. The hand pulled her to her feet and she looked into the eyes of her helper.
"Angel?"
"That would be me," Angel pushed the hair out of Buffy's eyes, behind her shoulders.
"Thanks. You were a great help," Buffy walked back to Willow and Xander, Angel followed.
"It was only hair," Angel watched Xander pull Willow to her feet.
"I meant with the pushing."
Angel nodded.
"So what's the sitch?" Buffy asked.
"Army of vampires."
"Where? How many?"
"I don't know. That's the only info I got."
"Wow. He's extra useful today," Xander commented. "I guess you'll be going now?"
"What?"
"Buffy tells us you only turn up to..."
"Xander why don't you and Willow head to the Bronze," Buffy interrupted.
Xander and Willow headed off in direction of the Bronze.
"And what does Buffy tell us?" Angel asked.
"That you only turn up when something apocalyptically evil is happening. Which is true. So are you going now?" Buffy turned back around to face Angel.
"Actually. I am." Angel spun around, long coat flew around like wings and he walked off in the other direction. Buffy ran after Willow and Xander.
"Hey! Guys wait up!" Buffy shouted as she rounded the corner of the street that Willow and Xander were walking up. Xander and Willow turned around and waited for their friend.
"Hey Buff. What took you so long?" Xander asked.
"Did you and Angel share smoochies?" Willow asked.
"No we didn't share smoochies. He had to book," Buffy and her friends reached the Bronze.
"That's a good," Xander said walking into the Bronze.
"What?" Willow asked.
"That Angel and Buffy didn't make with the kissing. He's way too old for you."
"Excuse me? He's not that much older. Only in College I think," Buffy said walking through the crowded room, music blared.
Cordelia, Harmony and their hangers on were standing around a table.
"So what do you guys want?" Xander asked as Willow and Buffy sat down.
"I'll pay if you want, Xand," Buffy said standing back up again.
"No. It's cool, I got it."
"Okay, the usual for me," Buffy sat back down.
"And me," Willow smiled at her best friend.
Xander walked away from the round table, to the bar. Cordelia walked over to the table. "That's so sweet, Buffy. Trying to make time with some college guy. Are you playing some kind of stand up, sit down game?"
"Cordelia, me and my friends would like to be alone. And for that to happen you would have to be somewhere that is else," Buffy remarked.
Xander walked back to the table carrying three drinks.
"Hey, watch where you're going bone head," Cordelia said as Xander pushed past her.
"Sorry Cordy, guess I didn't see you there. I guess that would be a bit hard though," Xander put the drinks onto the table.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cordelia asked.
"Well it's your hair. Stick your finger in an electric socket much?" Xander replied.
"My hair? There's something wrong with my hair?"
"No. It just looks like it got a bit crispy fried."
Cordelia grabbed her hair and ran off in direction of the bathroom. Harmony and Co. followed.
"Great way to get rid of her," Willow looked at Xander.
"Thanks. I mean did you see her hair?" Xander asked.
"There was nothing wrong with her hair," Buffy replied.
"My point exactly."
Buffy, Willow and Xander drank their drinks and then danced for a while.
"Hey you guys I'm gonna go," Buffy announced.
"Huh? Is there something wrong?" Xander walked toward Buffy.
"Tired is all."
"You should go. A tired slayer is a sloppy slayer," Willow reminded.
"Fine. See you guys in the morning," Buffy walked back to the table and picked up her bag. From there she walked home. She climbed into her bedroom window. She got ready for bed and then slept till her alarm clock woke her up in the morning.
Buffy got into her mom's jeep and Joyce followed suit. She started up the engine and drove. "When did you get home from the Bronze last night?"
"Around 11.00, why?" Buffy replied.
"I heard a noise last night at 1.00 and I wondered what it was."
"A noise? What did it sound like?"
"A window closing. It must have been the next door's cat."
"That's what it must have been. I was in bed by then," Buffy glanced nervously out of the window.
She pulled up outside Sunnydale High and Buffy got out. Buffy waked up the steps and into the front doors. Willow was just heading to the library.
"Willow, wait up!" Buffy shouted as she picked up speed to walk with her friend. "You're here early today."
"Yeah I had a early computer meeting with Miss Calendar," Willow pushed open the library doors and her and Buffy walked inside to find Giles looking at one of his books.
"Hey Giles what's the sitch?" Buffy asked
"The what?" Giles asked as he put down his book.
"Sitch. Situation."
"I was just looking at this book."
"Demonology?" Willow asked.
"No just a regular book. Did you get any information on a rising apocalypse on your patrol?"
"Well Angel showed up and he said that there was an army of vampires, but who, what, where, when and how was not known by him," Buffy replied.
"So you should get some more training in. We will start with the basics today. Then later we will get onto the others."
"Can't you consult your books?"
"And look up what? Rising armies of vampires? I think the search is a bit too much. We need a name or something first."
Xander walked into the library and sat down in one of Giles' wooden chairs.
"We should get to class. See you at lunch, Xand," Willow said and her and Buffy walked out of the library. "
"What's their deal?" Xander asked picking up the book Giles had had earlier.
"They have classes to attend to. Don't you?"
"Free period," Xander put the book down and left the library.
Buffy and Willow walked into the cafeteria at lunch and sat with Xander at the table he had saved. Xander and Willow traded food like normal and then they ate.
"Buffy you coming to the Bronze?" Xander asked, eating a candy bar.
"Tonight? I can't. I have to patrol once again and I think it would be best if you stayed non-patroly for a while until we know more about this vamp army," Buffy replied.
"But we're the Slayerettes," Willow interrupted.
"Which is why I don't want to put you in any danger."
"But we don't mind the danger. Danger is our lives," Xander said.
"You guys should go to the Bronze. If I finish patrolling I'll drop by and see if you are there," Buffy ended the discussion when the bell rang.
"Xander and I have a class so we'll see you later at the Bronze maybe," Willow stood up from her seat and she and Xander left the cafeteria.
"Fun. I get to do math all on my own," Buffy stood up and left the cafeteria and she walked to the math room.
Giles stood in the library with some targets on his hands, Buffy stood in front of him in a fighting stance. She punched the first target and then the second, keeping up the rhythm, Buffy got into the swing of things and started to punch faster, she turned around and finished the training session with a kick in the stomach sending Giles to land in a heap on the floor.
"Sorry!" Buffy shouted.
Giles stood up and took off the targets, "No, no. It's quite all right."
"Well, I have to go. Lotta homework and stuff."
"Stuff?"
"You know patrolling."
"Of course."
"I'll see if I can find out anymore about the vampire army and then tell you in the morning. See you tomorrow," Buffy picked up her backpack and left the library.
Buffy sat at the desk in her bedroom. She stared at the math problems on the page in front of her. The numbers looked all blurred and she was having problems concentrating. She wanted to find out more about the army of vampires that were going to come. She started to tap her pencil on her desk and then she stood up.
She opened her closet door and pulled out a trunk. She opened it and took out the top part. Inside were some stakes, holy water, garlic, crosses and communion wafers. She picked up her sharpest stake and a few bottles of holy water. She put the trunk back into her closet and pulled on her coat, she closed the door and started toward the window. She put the stakes and holy water in her pockets.
"Are you going out?" Joyce asked.
"Yeah. I was gonna meet Xander and Willow at the Bronze," Buffy turned around to see Joyce standing in the doorway.
"Through the window?"
"No I was just getting my bag."
"Make sure you're back by eleven."
"Sure mom. Whatever," Buffy replied thinking to herself that the slayage would make sure she wasn't home till later.
Buffy picked up her bag and walked back toward Joyce. She walked down the stairs and left the house. She walked to the nearest cemetery. Inside a vampire was climbing out of it's grave.
"Great. Another undead thing for me to kill," Buffy muttered as she walked toward the vampire. "Do you want some help with that?"
"No, I got it," the vampire said as it got to it's feet.
"Can we fight now?"
"Whatever," Buffy punched the vampire in the stomach, causing it to double up, giving Buffy an advantage. She kicked it's face and then pulled out a stake. "Do you know about the vamp army?"
"The huh?" Buffy asked.
"The rising vampire army."
"Yeah. But if this is a spare my life deal then can we please skip it?"
"What do you know?"
"Rising vampire army."
"I'll tell you the name if you spare me and where they are holding up."
"Fine, but I will end up killing you," Buffy lowered her stake.
"They are called the Order of Tornormus. And they are holding up in one of the warehouses, downtown."
Buffy plunged her stake into the vampires back, "Said I'd end up killing you."
Buffy picked up her bag and left the cemetery. She walked to the Bronze and found Willow and Xander dancing. She sat down at the table and waited for them to notice her arrival. She looked around the room, Cordelia and Co. were standing around as usual, some kids were talking at another table, there was a giant queue at the bar and Angel was standing on the balcony.
Buffy stood up and walked up the stairs. He turned around. "I knew you were coming."
"Really?"
"I was watching you."
"What do you want?"
"I found out the name of the vampire army."
"So did I."
"Where from?"
"Some vampire that rose today."
"So the army is called?"
"The Order of Tornormus."
"That's the one," Angel turned to look back down at the people downstairs.
"You should come and tell my watcher all the information you know."
"Okay. When?"
"Tomorrow. At about 3:30."
"I can't make it at 3:30."
"Well, the day after then," Buffy said.
"How about now?" Angel asked.
"I don't know whether Giles will still be at the library."
"Hey Buff, whatcha doing?" came the call of Xander. He and Willow walked up the stairs, toward Buffy and Angel.
"Talking to Angel."
"Well why don't me and you go and see if Giles is still at the library, and if he's not I'll walk you home?" Angel asked.
"Fine. Let's do that," Buffy started for the stairs.
"Are we going somewhere?" Willow asked.
"No, just me and Angel. We're going to tell Giles some information if he is still at the library," Buffy replied to Willow. "You guys should just stay here."
Buffy and Angel walked down the stairs, Buffy got her bag and then they headed to the school.
"What are we going to do now?" Willow looked at Xander.
"We could dance or I could walk you home," Xander replied.
"Can we go home?"
"Let me walk you home."
"Sure."
Willow and Xander left the Bronze and walked down the road to Willow's house.
"Do you wanna play a game?" Xander asked.
"Like what?"
"That game where we say quotes from movies and the other has to guess what the movie is."
"Okay. You go first."
"Or we could just run from that vampire over there."
"Xander, I don't know what movie that comes from."
"No I mean literally why don't we run from that vampire standing right there," Xander pointed behind Willow who looked behind her. She and Xander ran out of the street and started for the high school.
"Do you do this kind of thing a lot?" Buffy looked at Angel.
"What go to a high school library to tell the vampire slayer's watcher about what information I have?"
"No tell the slayer about demons and arising apocalypses and the stuff."
"This would be the first time."
"So do you go to college?"
"No I didn't go to college. I've been out of school for ages."
"Really? 'Cause you don't look that old."
"I mean it feels like I haven't been in school for ages."
"You don't have any friends, huh?"
"What?"
"I asked you if you knew what it was like to have a friend and you didn't answer, so I took it that you had no friends."
"I did. i just haven't seen them for a while."
"Listen. Can you hear a noise?" Buffy turned to look behind her.
"It's someone screaming," Angel said without looking back.
"What? How can you hear?"
"I'm a really good listener."
"It sounds like," Buffy began.
"Willow," Angel turned around to see Willow and Xander running toward them.
"What's going on!" Buffy asked.
"There's a vampire!" Xander shouted as he and Willow reached the slayer and her friend.
"You guys stay here and I'll go to work. I'll be back soon," Buffy opened her bag and took out a stake, she closed her bag and handed it to Angel. Buffy ran off and the others watched her working. She kicked the vampire's leg and punched it's face a couple of hundred times, then she twisted it's neck around and threw it at the nearest garden fence. The fence was wooden and the vampire dusted on one of the spikes. Buffy ran back to the gang. "What were you guys doing?"
"I was walking Willow home," Xander replied to the slayer.
"How very gentlemanly of you," Buffy said. "Well now you're here you can come with me and Angel to tell Giles the info."
"Check. One tag along party," Willow walked along the road after Angel and Buffy.
Buffy, Angel, Willow and Xander managed to reach the high school without being attacked. Buffy pushed open the door and walked stealthily down the corridor. Angel and the others followed. Buffy pushed open the library doors and walked inside. Giles was sitting at the table in the centre of the room, over the Hellmouth.
He was reading a book called Demons : What you always wanted to know. Xander and Willow took seats, waking Giles from his reading trance.
"Buffy. I thought you were going to come in the morning," Giles closed the book.
"But Giles, it is morning. It's 8:30," Buffy looked at Willow and Xander.
"Sorry. I guess I was looking for vampire armies all night."
"Only kidding with you. It's 12:59."
"I should be getting home," Giles put the book on the table and stood up.
"But I have some information. Well I don't, he does," Buffy gestured toward Angel. Giles looked in direction of Buffy's arm and saw Angel.
"Hello," Giles looked at the person standing in front of him. "You have some information I believe?"
"Yes. The vampires are called The Order of Tornormus and they are held up at a warehouse, downtown," Angel revealed what he knew.
"I thought you knew more?" Buffy asked.
"I never said that."
"The Order of Tornormus. I read about them in a volume of the watcher diaries. An army of about forty vampires. How do you know about slayers and watchers?"
"My family was killed by vampires," Angel revealed.
"How many?"
"One or two."
"Do you know who they were?"
"No. I've just been killing vampires randomly in hope of finding their killers."
Angel walked across the room to Buffy. "Shall I walk you home?"
"Sure, unless Giles needs me for anything," Buffy replied.
"No. I'll go home and research there," Giles picked up his briefcase and waited for Buffy, Angel, Willow and Xander to leave.
"Well we'll be going now," Willow announced and she grabbed Xander's arm. She pulled him out of the room and they started there walk home.
Buffy and Angel walked slowly with Giles who locked up the school. They parted ways and Angel walked with Buffy.
"Where do you live?" Angel asked as he noticed Buffy was shivering.
"1630 Revello," Buffy replied as she hugged herself.
Angel took off his coat and wrapped it around Buffy's shoulders.
"You should have this. You're cold."
"Angel, I couldn't possibly. You already gave me your other one," Buffy started to take the coat off until Angel put his hand on her shoulder preventing her.
"Yes you can. I have a lot of coats."
"You must get cold a lot. Where do you live?"
"In one of the apartments downtown."
Buffy nodded and Angel took his hand off of her shoulder. They reached the house and Buffy walked up the doorway.
"I'll see you around then," Buffy unlocked the door and opened it.
"See you around."
Buffy walked inside and closed the door on Angel. She walked upstairs, silently.
"What do you think they do together?" Xander asked Willow as they walked down a street.
"Talk. They have a lot in common. I mean she fights demons and he tells her about vampires and stuff," Willow replied.
They walked down the road some more and stopped at Willow's house.
"Mom's gonna go crazy!" Willow exclaimed.
"Climb in through the window," Xander suggested.
"I can't," Willow looked at her friend.
"You can do anything," Xander replied. "See you tomorrow."
Willow climbed up the tree that grew outside her bedroom, she opened the door and walked inside. Xander walked home from Willow's.
Angel got to his apartment and sat in a chair, reading. He stayed awake until morning.
Buffy arrived at school the next day and walked directly into the library. Giles had a new pile of books on the table and was reading thoroughly.
"Check it out. Research guy," Buffy put her bag on the table.
"I have found some information about the army and what they want," Giles put down the book and took off his glasses.
"What do they want?"
"They want to eliminate the line of the slayer," Giles took out a handkerchief and started to clean his glasses.
"Well why haven't they attacked yet?"
"They need to be certain who the slayer is before they come after a girl."
"But why don't they come after any girl? I mean lunchables," Buffy sat down in the chair and Willow walked into the library.
"Who with the what and the huh?" Willow asked, curiously.
"The Order of Tornormus, want to kill all of the slayers," Buffy informed her friend.
"Oh. I thought you were talking about lunch for a minute," Willow sat down opposite Buffy.
"That was mentioned. So who do they work for?"
"The Master. They are more advanced than the Order of Aurelius," Giles put his glasses back on.
"So I'll go downtown and try and find the warehouse and then I'll check in tomorrow and we can go deal. If I find it," Buffy stood up and went to class, Willow ran after he leaving Giles standing in the library.
"You do that," Giles stood up and walked into the stacks.
Buffy walked downtown past the magic shop and the Sun cinema. she passed Willy's place and the bank. She reached the warehouse district and started to get stealthy with it. She got to the first warehouse and looked in through one of the translucent windows. Dust clouded it and she could hardly see, but she could sense nothing.
She walked past various warehouses, until her spider sense kicked in. There was a big warehouse at the end of the row. Buffy ran up to it and found a box to stand on. She looked in through a window and saw a whole load of vampires looking into the centre of the room, listening to a little kid.
Weird. Why would some vampires listen to a kid? I mean wouldn't they just kill him? Buffy wondered.
"They would, but they don't want to," Angel stood up to stand beside her.
"Huh?" Buffy asked. "Are you telepathic or something?"
"Yeah. I'm telepathic. No it turns out you said the thing about the kid aloud," Angel turned Buffy around. "I told my coat would look good on you."
"Which one?" Buffy asked.
"They both look good on you," Angel rubbed Buffy's arm. She had decided to wear the second one, seeing as it was pretty damn cold and it was warmer.
"Thank you," Buffy started to walk away from the warehouse. "I see you got another coat."
Angel ran to catch up, "I told you I had a few. Where are you going?"
"To tell Giles where the warehouse is."
"Why don't you tell him in the morning?"
"I suppose I could. Why?"
"We should patrol," Angel took a stake out of his coat pocket.
"We should?" Buffy asked pulling a stake out of a pocket.
"I'm leaning in the direction of yes," Angel headed back downtown. "Oh look it's Xander and Willow."
"They should party on down. We will patrol," Buffy ordered and pushed Angel in direction of the nearest cemetery.
"Hey, I know where it is," Angel fell forward unexpectedly.
Buffy pulled Angel up and then headed in the direction of the push.
They patrolled the rest of that night and then Angel walked Buffy home.
Willow walked into the library to find Xander was at school early. Buffy was late however.
"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked Xander.
"She's not here yet. Look here she is," Xander pointed behind Willow who looked behind to see Buffy walk inside.
"What happened?" Willow asked. "You're usually more chipper than this."
"I over slept," Buffy looked around the room for Giles who appeared out of the stacks.
"Hello Buffy. Did you find the warehouse?" Giles asked eating a Twinkie.
"Yeah. But there were way more vamps than 40. More like 70. And they were listening to some little kid talk, but warehouses being all metal I couldn't hear what he was saying. Maybe he works for The Master," Buffy revealed.
"We should probably clean out the nest before they kill people," Xander said.
"Not you, me and they already made with the killing. There was a pile of bodies. And not nest, army," Buffy replied.
"How will we kill them?" Xander asked.
"Not we, me!" Buffy exclaimed. "I don't know how I will kill them. I could throw holy water in there and then some bottles of hell fire, which I don't actually have and then if there are any vampire sho run out. I could stake them. It would be like a dustathon."
"I knew you'd throw that back in my face," Xander sighed and sat down.
"I have a bomb," Giles interrupted.
"Excuse me?" Willow asked.
"I say you blow up the warehouse," Xander said.
"Not the best plan. But I'll go with it. And then any vampires left inside will be dust. We can go after school and then Angel can help. He only seems to appear at night," Buffy finished.
"We! You said we. Can we come?" Xander asked.
"Yeah. We'd best mount up after class," Buffy said and she and the Scoobies left the library.
Buffy, Xander and Willow walked into the library at the end of the day. Buffy walked into the book cage and opened the cupboard. She pulled out some stakes, holy water and hell fire.
"Giles where's the bomb?" Xander asked looking around the room.
"At my apartment. Who do you think I am?" Giles asked walking out from behind the counter.
"Someone that wants to blow up the school," Xander replied. Buffy walked out of the cage and handed Willow, Xander and Giles a stake and cross each.
"So we swing by Giles place and get the bomb then go to the warehouse," Willow put the stake into her pocket. "How do you plan on finding Angel?"
"I don't know exactly. He's usually hanging around, but he never told me his apartment address," Buffy said.
"Well where do you usually see him?" Giles asked.
"At the Bronze. New plan you, Willow and Xander go to your apartment and get the bomb and I'll go to the Bronze and get Angel. We'll you at the warehouses downtown," Buffy replied. She walked out of the library and headed to the Bronze.
"Let's head out," Giles picked up his briefcase and left the library with Willow and Xander following.
They entered Giles apartment and waited at the bottom of his staircase for him to return with the bomb they would be using.
"Do you think this'll work? I mean we're not going to get all blown up and kablooey are we?" Willow asked when Giles walked back down the stairs carrying a small package.
"Giles, that's not a bomb," Xander announced. "That would be a grenade."
"I know. I just thought a bomb would sound better. And no we will not get all blown up and kablooey as you so bluntly put it," Giles put the grenade on his dining room table and opened up the chest with weapons that was in the corner of the room.
"I thought we had enough weapons?" Xander asked.
"You can never be too prepared," Giles said pulling out an axe.
He stood back up and picked up the grenade. He put it inside his pocket and carried the axe in his hand. He left the briefcase on the floor and he, Willow and Xander headed out.
Buffy walked into the Bronze and looked instantly around the room.
"Oh look, it's Buffy and all her friends," Cordelia walked toward Buffy, Harmony followed.
"Hey Cordy, look it's your pet sheep," Buffy pointed at Harmony.
"So where are bone head and loser?" Cordelia asked indicating Willow and Xander.
"They have somewhere to be that doesn't include you. I should join them after I finish up here," Buffy looked around the room and found Angel standing up on the balcony again. "And I have to book."
"What's her deal?" Harmony asked as Buffy shoved her out of the way. She, Cordelia and Co. walked onto the dance floor to find some college boys to talk to. Dingoes Ate My Baby were playing a song of there's on stage.
Buffy reached the top of the stairs and Angel turned around. "Angel are you coming to fight the Tornormus?"
"I think the answer is yes. But how? There were like 70," Angel asked as he and Buffy walked down the stairs.
"Giles has some kind of blowing up device," Buffy replied. They reached the bottom of the stairs, Cordelia was staring. "You got a problem Cordy?"
Cordelia turned away to talk to Harm. "Giles has a bomb?"
"He says so. We're meeting at the warehouses."
They left the Bronze and ran to the warehouse. They met Giles, Willow and Xander who followed them to the warehouse.
"Show me the bomb," Angel demanded as Giles held out the grenade. "It's a grenade?"
"That's a yes," Xander replied. "So what's the plan?"
"I open the door and throw in the grenade. It will hopefully kill all of the vampires and any left over will get dusted by us," Buffy revealed.
A vampire ran into the old church. He had been spying on Buffy and her friends. The Master was sitting in a chair in the centre of the room. The little kid was sitting on the floor in front of him and Darla was standing on the sidelines.
"They have gone. They are going to kill the Order," the vampire revealed.
"And they will fail," The Anointed one replied.
"Who's they?" Darla asked.
"The slayer and her friends and Angel," the vampire replied.
"Angel?" The Master asked.
"He's helping them," the vampire replied.
"If he dies, it will be no loss," The Master said.
"He could be of use. He could help take out the slayer," Darla excused.
"I can take out the slayer on my own," The Master changed his position in the chair.
"How? You're stuck in this prison," the Anointed One asked.
"You will help with that," The Master finished.
Buffy kicked open the door and broke open the grenade after Giles had taught her how. She threw it inside and the bomb exploded after a few seconds. Buffy, Willow, Xander, Giles and Angel got thrown back.
They lay unconscious on the floor. The vampires had dusted and the warehouse had gone. As had the gang.
Suddenly Angel's eyes snapped open. He crawled along the floor and looked at the wreck. He looked at the dust, at the bodies lying on the floor. He crawled out of the place to the nearest phone. He picked up the reciever and dialled 911. He asked for an ambulance and stood up. He walked back to the warehouse and sat near Buffy. Tears flowed down his face, he held her hand until the ambulances arrived. He gave them the excuse that there had been a bomb planted in the warehouse and that they didn't know about it.
Angel got into the ambulance and waited in the waiting room for them to be checked over. They were in comas. Angel wandered in and out of the rooms. He stayed with Buffy the longest. He held her hand and sat down with her. He cried some more and his tears flowed onto Buffy's arm.
"M-mom?" Buffy asked, her eyes opened and closed, she was awake.
"It's Angel," Angel let go of Buffy's arm.
"Is my mom here?"
"Do want me to ring her?"
"Please?"
Buffy gave Angel her number and Angel went to the nearest phone. He dialled the number and Joyce arrived shortly. She questioned Buffy and Angel stayed out of the way. Joyce went to go do her job and Angel revisited Buffy.
Xander was sitting next to her, Angel walked into the room and stood by Buffy.
"You're awake then," Angel said, obviously.
"Yeah. Waking up in a coma's not all it seems on TV," Xander joked.
"Is there any news on Willow and Giles?"
"The doctors said that the longer they're in the coma's the least likely it is that they will wake up," Xander answered. "Willow's parents came in earlier and my folks did too. But Giles has no one."
"So they think they won't wake up?" Angel asked, holding Buffy's hand.
"That's basically what they said," Xander stood up and walked to the doorway.
"Where are you going?" Angel asked.
"To see Willow," Xander left the room.
Xander sat down on the bed next to Willow, holding her hand, "Willow. You have to wake up. You can't go. I love you, and you can't go."
"Xander?" Willow asked, gripping Xander's arm, eyes closed. "Is it you?"
"It's me, Will," Xander replied.
Willow opened her eyes to see Xander looking at her.
"What happened to Buffy? And Angel? And Giles?" Willow asked.
"Buffy and Angel are awake. Giles is comatose. Angel rang the ambulance," Xander replied.
"Giles is in a coma?"
"Much."
"Where are you going?" Xander stood up.
"To see Giles," Xander replied, he kissed her forehead and headed for the exit. "I'll be back soon."
He walked down the corridor and entered Giles' room. Angel and Buffy were standing around the bed, Angel still holding Buffy's hand, keeping her stable.
"No change?" Xander asked, looking at the body.
"He's dead, Xand," Buffy looked at Xander, her eyes were red and puffy.
"Dead?" Xander asked. "He can't be dead."
"Who's dead?" Willow walked into the room. And looked at the body. "No. He can't be." Tears flowed down her cheeks.
"He is, Will," Xander replied. Tears were falling slowly down his cheeks.
Buffy was hurting. It was her fault. She had taken them to the warehouse to get her watcher killed.
Buffy and the rest of the gang buried Giles. His friends came from England. Angel hadn't turned up. Buffy and Willow had cried into Xander's shoulders. Buffy had continued her training in the library until her new watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce arrived in town and then she worked with him.
FADE TO BLACK