A Call To Arms – Chapter 7
Andrew (Narrator): So far things are getting pretty dicey in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Charmed Ones are as helpless as sitting ducks and Buffy – The Slayer of Vampires is oblivious to the danger that awaits her and the rest of the slayerettes. Stay tuned gentle viewers for more to come…on Hell of a Time.
Back in Italy…shortly after the phone call from the Charmed Ones
Late Afternoon(Early Evening)
"Buff? Buffy!" Willow called out, knocking on Buffy's bedroom door. No answer. Willow opened the door a crack. The bed was still made and there did not seem to be anyone there. Willow sighed as she reached the small living room. There has definitely been an improvement since a week ago. The room looked a bit tidy with the exception of a box or two in the corner of the room. The room was now filled with books that Giles lent to them for demon, plague, curse, and other supernatural occurrence educational purposes.
"It's always quite nice to have a decent book around about demons and the like. You never know when you're going to need it," Giles said with a smile, as he gave the Scooby Gang not one, but at least 50 books on demons and supernatural related occurrences. Giles came over a week ago to give them home welcoming gifts. He made perfect timing with delivering the books after heading back to England to reestablish a new Watcher's Council.
Little did we know that trouble was popping up like dandelions again, Willow thought while observing Dawn flipping through thick pages of research, concentrating on the information.
"Find anything yet, Dawnie?"
"Nope, can't say I have. No supernatural storms here, only filthy dust covering this book so far," Dawn replied, covering her mouth as she sneezed into the book.
"Hmm…ah, how lovely. It at least makes a good Kleenex," Willow observed.
Dawn giggled.
"Wow, Xander! You look like you are up close and personal with that book. Find anything interesting, Xand?" Willow asked eyeing Xander slumped over the coffee table.
"Xander?" Dawn waved her hand in front of his face and then nudged him.
"Halt! Who goes there? Hmm?" Xander jerked up off of the book.
"How's that reading coming along, Xander?" Willow mused.
"Couldn't be better. All you can read from A to Z," Xander said brightly.
"Emphasis on the Z's," Dawn answered with a chuckle.
"Hey, I was hitting the books!" Dawn and Willow looked at Xander with disbelief. Xander blushed, sighing.
"You would be sleeping too if you heard Captain Peroxide talking in his sleep early ever dawn. It's like living with a crazy person, I tell you! I'd like to throw a pillow at his head at times, vampire or not," Xander muttered.
"What did Spike say?" Dawn asked, curiously sliding her book to the side.
"Well he called out a guy's name, which was kind of strange. I think the guy's name was Cole Turner, but I don't know. Will, maybe dead boy finally gave up on Buffy and is now opening up to his true sexuality," Xander said, chuckling and then his eyes widened as he suddenly became serious.
"Wait if Spike's gay then- "
"I think you're dreaming or making some bizarre things up, Xand. Have you guys seen Buffy anywhere?" Willow asked, shoving the book on his lap to read. Xander groaned as he stared at the thick, long book.
"Nah, but I bet she's around somewhere, Wills. The last time I saw Buffy she was gardening in the front of the house. She loves her exotic flowers and plants that Spike had specially ordered for her. How romantic! He gave her something that she will love during the daytime. I can only wish..." Dawn gushed with a sigh, her hand over her heart.
"Ah, don't worry, Dawnie! You will find your true love someday. You are an intelligent, beautiful, young woman who has all the time in the world to find that special someone unless we are encountered with another apocalypse, which in that case I would say in all fairness to my kind, forget them all and run like hell," Xander put his arm around Dawn's shoulders companionably. Dawn knew that Xander was trying to protect her from getting hurt like he was when he lost Anya at the Hellmouth battle in Sunnydale. Nobody could feel more sensitive towards Xander than Dawn. Dawn and Xander had a strong connection because of their simple uniqueness. They may not have powers, but their special humor and warm guidance has helped the Scooby Group immensely.
"I-I don't mean to break up this warm bonding moment that you guys are having, but I have just received some more news. I just got off the phone with Piper and Paige Halliwell, my cousins and heard another catastrophe has hit California. This time it's in San Francisco. By the chaos over the phone, I don't think it's good news!" Willow exclaimed in a rush, pacing back and forth in the small confined living room.
"Maybe it's just a family reunion. Those events can be as nasty as hell. In fact I remember one time-"
"Xander, it was not a family reunion. Piper told me that they have located a strange ancient plate in their basement and that they saw gray, bulky, horned, very powerful demons called Hoygles stomp out of their basement, attack them and then disappear. They don't know what they're up against and I think we should help them by doing some research and taking a trip back to California," Willow looked from Dawn to Xander and back to Dawn again. None of them said anything for a moment and just sat there startled.
"Ah, California, Sunny state of hellsville. Sounds like a great retreat spot, Will. Destination – dead end. Jeepers! Forgive me if I don't jump up and down with enthusiasm," Xander stated, moving uncomfortably on the coach.
"Are you going to tell Buffy about this? Do you really think she's going to want to head back to the Slayer business?" Dawn asked, rising to stop Willow from pacing.
"I don't know. I want to tell her…"
"But your afraid that she will avoid the issue like Peter Parker did with his power in Spiderman 2, is that it?"
"Yeah…sort of. What if this is more than our average type demons? We need to be careful! Buffy is the only advanced, experienced and focused slayer in the world. I don't want to be edgy, but we need to concentrate and to find out all we can about the Hoygles as well as the weird supernatural storm in Angel's office. We may be facing another apocalypse!" Willow exclaimed, shaking and turning pale.
"Woo-oh! Calm down Mary Jane. I think you need to breathe calmly for a bit," Xander carefully settled Willow down on the purple flowered coach between him and Dawn. "Breathe with us, my friend. Breathe slowly in and out. Follow our rhythm, Will. That is it." Willow's hard breathing began to calm down and her heart started to settle to its normal beat.
"Welcome back, partner. We thought you were leaving us, Will," Dawn rubbed Willow's shoulders. Willow still felt tense, but she seemed better than she did a couple of minutes ago.
"I'm sorry, guys. I-I just feel like something is not right. I'm going to find Buffy," Willow said with a sigh.
"I'll go with you just in case you faint," Xander replied, rising to help her up.
"Oh, sure! Leave all the research to Dawn. I get it! Excellent excuse, Xander," Dawn chimed in with a laugh.
"I think I heard Kennedy come back from her training. You should check," Xander glanced behind him as if he heard someone coming down the hall. Dawn looked intensely behind Xander.
"I didn't hear anything-" Dawn trotted down the hall to check.
"Made ya look. Works every time!" Xander raced down the hallway, catching up close to Willow.
"Buff? Buffy! Where are you?" Willow shouted, cupping her hands over her mouth.
"I think me might have checked this place a number of times, Wills. Either we're lost in our own home or the Buffster is just not here."
"Well I don't see a note and I am still going to check. You could go help Dawn do some research."
"What? And miss this lovely hunt for Buffy? I wouldn't dream of it!" Xander followed Willow down to the basement.
"I really don't see why she would be here. I mean this is me and Spike's sleeping area. It's cold, dusty, and the…" Xander muttered, searching for a light when he heard a bang coming from the corner of the basement.
Willow and Xander froze.
"Did you hear that?" Xander whispered, grabbing onto Willow's sleeve.
"Could be an animal or a rat," Willow shrugged, squinting in the darkness to find what the source of the noise could have been.
"I don't like rats," Xander whimpered. Willow sighed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at Xander.
"Spike? Buffy? Anyone here?" There was a scratching and a scraping sound and then all was silent. Willow followed the noise around the corner and opened the cellar door.
Inside she found a switch light and turned it on to find Spike and Buffy in a warm, close embrace, kissing.
Willow sighed with relief and Xander looked like he was going to blow chunks as they both found Spike and Buffy.
"Now I definitely regret not researching with Dawn. I'm gonna say…eww…gross! You guys are not back together again, are you?" Xander's face scrunched up with disgust. Spike was the first to pull apart from Buffy.
"Bloody hell! The lights, do you guys mind?" Spike tilted his head, standing over Xander frowning.
"Yes we do mind, Evil Dead. We NEED to talk to Buffy and you're not included, so scram or better yet we will leave you," Xander shouted, hysterically.
"Sod off!" Spike muttered, grabbing his leather coat and shoving Xander out of his way so he could leave.
"Wow! That was way too easy," Xander murmured with a smile while watching Spike head up the stairs with a cup for his blood.
"What is the problem, Xander?" Buffy had her arms folded.
"Are you back together with Spike or not?"
"No…I mean yes…I don't know," Buffy's face was a mixture of anger and confusion.
"Which is it, yes or no?" Xander asked frustratingly.
"Just leave the question be for awhile, Xander. We have more important issues to discuss with Buffy that are far more important than a love affair," Willow interrupted hastily.
"I'm not having a love affair with Spike!" Willow looked at her friend's eyes and just smiled. There was no lying as much as Willow was concerned, especially when it had to do with the L-word. She could see right through Buffy. Something was definitely going on in the Love Department.
They started to leave the cellar and walk around the perimeter of the basement.
"Buffy, my cousins, the Halliwell sisters in San Francisco called about a major massacre that has happened in their Victorian home. They are not sure at what the so called Hoygle demons are, but they need our help to research and to…" Willow trailed off, too scared to ask her friend for the major favor.
"And? And what Will? Spit it out! You're beginning to scare me," Buffy stammered, grabbing Will's shoulders and looking into her eyes.
"Well they want the whole gang to come up to San Francisco to defeat these demons. They said they have never met such powerful demons and don't think they could handle the battle alone," Willow said quickly with a loud breath at the end, looking at her friend with pleading eyes.
"If you are expecting me to use my Slayer powers, I'm going to have to say no. I'm through with being the Slayer. Let someone else take care of it. I can research, but as far as slaying goes, I'm sorry, my answer is still no," Buffy replied firmly. When were her friends ever going to understand that she was through with being the Slayer? Xander and Willow looked at each other with saddened eyes. It seemed like nothing would convince Buffy to take up arms against evil again. It was useless to even bother to argue, so they started to head back around to where they were when they heard a loud thud. A tall, dark shadow fell over Xander.
Andrew: Poor, silly Xander! Oooo! What is to become of him and who's behind the shadow? Stay tuned gentle viewers for chapter 8- Hell of a Time and remember to review!