Night Falls

Notes: Thanks for the review. Keep them coming. I want to know what you guys think about where I'm going with this. Ganglion – thanks for pointing out my time discrepancy. I fixed it in the prologue. Hailey is supposed to be twenty-three. It's those little mathematical details that tend to trip me up.

Previously:

"You're not safe here, at any rate. The First may not have succeeded in killing you this time, but that does not mean it will cease trying. As soon as possible, I will move you to the Coven's new location. We can care for you there. With the aid of our healers, you should be in tip top shape in no time," Amelia said. "The world needs you now. It's time to wake up."

Chapter Three:

Hailey dreamt about the sea. She could feel the weightlessness of the water as she slept. It buoyed her in its gentle caress, splashing her face with a fine mist of salt water that coated her lips. She was five years old again and bathing in the warm waters of the Mediterranean. She could hear her father's laughter as he picked her up and spun her around, the sun blinding her eyes for a moment until it passed through her vision and she saw her father's face, bright and happy. His eyes were sparkling. Looking over his shoulder, she saw her mother sitting on the beach, a book propped up on her knees as she watched her husband and daughter playing in the sea. A lighthearted smile danced on her lips.

Hailey spread her arms out like wings, reveling in the feel of the air parting before her as her father spun her around and around. Then she was falling. The warm water splashed around her as her father dipped her into the sea. "I think she likes it," he said, smiling over at his wife.

"Do it again!" Hailey cried, giggling. A splash of water hit her face and her eyes stung. Instinctively, she closed them, but when she opened them again the beach was deserted. Her father and mother were gone. She was standing in the water, no longer a little girl, but the woman she had become. The sun was slowly descending over the sea and the waves glowed orange and red, almost the color of blood, as the tides changed.

"Where am I?" Hailey muttered to herself. She knew that she was in a different time – a different world. She remembered going down to the vault to retrieve the artifacts Giles had requested. Then something happened. The earth shook and there was a wall of fire. Hailey moved through the water, walking onto the beach. She sat down in the sun warmed sand and held her head in her hands. A sharp pain rang through her mind and tears stung her eyes.

"I don't understand!" Hailey yelled angrily, her eyes resting on the sky above her. The sun disappeared as the moon rose behind her. Its light cast shadows on the beach. A light breeze kicked up, blowing her hair in front of her face. The water on her skin dried and she was left with a cold feeling that haunted her bones. "I need to wake up," Hailey muttered to herself. The world seemed to fade for a moment and Hailey spoke again, her voice stronger, "I need to wake up!"

Hailey opened her eyes suddenly and jolted up in her bed, only to cry out in pain. "Shit," she said, raising her arm and grabbing her head. Closing her eyes, she leaned back against the headboard of the bed and waited for the pain to pass; it did not. She opened her eyes again and gritted her teeth. She tried to focus on anything but the blistering pain in her mind as her brain adjusted to consciousness. She did not recognize the room in which she lay. Vaguely, she could hear waves crashing through an opened window to her right. A warm breeze blew in through the soft, yellow curtains. The sun played shadows on the rose colored blankets covering her bed. The room was sparsely decorated, but a large, ornamental cross hung on the wall opposite of her.

Two chairs were set beside her bed. The one nearest to her was empty, but a black duffel bag rested on the other. A wave of relief passed through her mind when she saw the bag. At least the artifacts were safe. The sound of feet scuffling over carpet greeted her ears and, moments later, the door to her room opened. "Amelia," Hailey declared, her eyes widened in shock. "What're you doing here?"

"I brought you here," Amelia replied, moving over to the bed. She sat down on the empty chair and smiled warmly. "How're you feeling? I must say, I'm quite relieved to see that you're awake."

"I feel like someone took a sledgehammer to my head," Hailey replied dryly. "What happened?"

"You were in an explosion," Amelia explained.

"What?" Hailey asked, not believing her ears.

"The Watcher's Council headquarters exploded. You were in St. Thomas's Hospital in London for a week and a half. We moved you here five days ago. You've been in a coma," Amelia answered patiently.

"Where is here?" Hailey asked. The pain in her head was growing. The Watcher's Council had been destroyed. The thought suddenly struck her that her father was dead. She wondered at the dull ache that formed in her chest. Even though she had grown to hate Quentin Travers, she felt an intense need to grieve for him. She supposed a small part of the little girl who had loved her father like he was God still lingered somewhere in the dusty corners of her heart.

"Spain," Amelia said, watching Hailey intently. She saw a storm of emotions pass over the girl's face. Anticipating her thoughts, she elaborated, "You are the only survivor. I'm sorry."

"It's what he would have wanted," Hailey said after a long stretch of silence, "to have died for the cause."

Amelia smiled reassuringly. "The Coven has been watching over you since your arrival. The First sent some of its minions after you, but I took care of them. It tried again just before we moved you, but was unsuccessful. No one knows that you're here. You should be safe," she said.

"But for how long?" Hailey countered. "The First is trying to destroy the line of Slayers. It's only a matter of time before I'm next. I have to do something."

"Yes, you do," Amelia replied seriously. "We've located three potential Slayers living in Spain. Once you've recovered, the Coven wants you to locate these girls and transport them to Sunnydale, California, where you will join the Slayer in the battle against the First. It will be a dangerous journey – not all of you will make it there," Amelia said, sighing sadly. "I fear that you will see the face of death many times before the end. Already, you've seen it once."

"I don't really remember that much about the explosion," Hailey admitted softly. "Just some images that keep coming to me. Fire and smoke."

"What were you doing there? You were not at the meeting, otherwise you would be dead right now," Amelia asked curiously.

"I was in the vault," Hailey replied. "They always said it could withstand any attack," she said sardonically. "Do you know if any of the artifacts survived?"

"You tell me," Amelia said pointedly. Hailey blushed and looked down at the blanket covering her bed, picking at it with her fingers. "It's not like the Council can punish you now, Hailey."

"Giles called me a few days ago," Hailey began. "He asked me to retrieve the Watcher's diaries from the vault and anything else that I could smuggle out. He suspected that the First would try to attack the Council directly."

"Apparently he was right," Amelia replied bitterly.

"Yeah," Hailey agreed. "Whatever is in that bag is all that's left," she said, motioning to the bag sitting on the chair beside Amelia. "Perhaps you should contact him."

"No," Amelia said quickly, shaking her head. "I don't believe it would be wise to inform anyone of your whereabouts. It's better for now if everyone thinks that you're dead. It will allow you greater freedom once you leave here."

"These potentials you want me to find…are their Watchers dead?" Hailey asked slowly. Amelia nodded.

"Most of the Watchers are, to the best of my knowledge. Not much remains of the Council. Such a mighty institution," Amelia whispered to herself. "Shall nothing stand the test of time?"

"Are they safe, for now?" Hailey asked, ignoring Amelia's reflections.

"Two are in hiding. The third is unaware of her calling," Amelia explained.

"One doesn't know that she's a potential Slayer?" Hailey asked, surprised.

"No," Amelia replied. "We only just found out ourselves. The Council did not have time to send anyone after her."

"She'll be in the greatest danger then," Hailey said, mostly to herself. "I'll have to find her first. The others know to be careful. I'll need a car and some supplies," Hailey said, moving into a sitting position.

"Hailey, you need to stay here and rest. You're not well yet," Amelia said, watching as a shadow of pain passed over the girl's face.

"I don't have that luxury. The longer those girls are out there on their own, the greater the chance I'll get to them too late. I need to leave right away," Hailey responded. Sliding over to the side of the bed, she dropped her feet on the ground and shakily stood. The room spun around her and she braced herself on the night table next to her.

"I must insist" – Amelia started.

"I know you're concerned," Hailey cut her off. "But the First isn't going to wait around for me to heal. I have to go." Amelia nodded after several long moments.

"I took your things from the hotel you were staying at in London. I'll get them for you. You said you needed a car?" Amelia asked.

Hailey smiled. "And a lot of weapons."

…………………………

Though Hailey had envisioned herself driving across the coast of Spain in flashy sports car; the reality of the situation was much different. With such short notice, Amelia had done the best that she could, but Hailey found herself growing more and more antagonistic towards the metal deathtrap in which she was caged. When something banged out of synch with the rest of the car's generally chaotic inner workings, she found herself holding her breath, waiting for a tire to pop off or the engine to fall out of the bottom. She rolled down the driver's window, immensely relieved by the feel of the wind caressing her cheek. The warmth of summer had yet to fade and the dismal, stale air pumping through the car's air conditioning system did little to provide Hailey any comfort.

She was an hour into her trip with two remaining until she would arrive at the town where the first potential lived. Her name was Maria, she was sixteen years old, and she had no idea that the fate of the world might rest in her hands one day. Hailey was not looking forward to breaking the news. Lighting up a cigarette, she glanced down at the bottle of prescription painkillers rattling around on the passenger's seat. The doctor who prescribed them had meant well; he was unaware of her previous troubles with narcotics. Though she could barely breathe from the pain in her head and ribs, Hailey was determined to stay clean. She knew that if she took just one pill, all of her work would be for nothing.

She took a long drag off her cigarette, breathing the smoke down into her lungs. The bitter taste filled her mouth and she grinned. She had been at the university for nearly a month when she first met Tanya at a club in London. She had been dancing when she felt someone glide up behind her. Turning, she saw a woman with golden blonde hair dancing so close to her that their lips were only inches apart. There was a fire in the stranger's eyes that took Hailey's breath away. Tanya seemed to be more alive than anyone she knew and Hailey was desperate the same.

Tanya had been into coke, but Hailey loved heroin. It made all of her nerve endings tingle with a barely suppressed excitement while lulling her into a peaceful state of calm and security. Six months later, she had flunked out of the university, Tanya had died from an overdose, and she could not survive a day without a fix. She knew that she was spiraling out of control. She was eighteen years old and the world had closed itself to her. London reminded her of too many things that she wanted to forget. She tried to immerse herself in the Council, but her father blocked all of her efforts for reform. Finally, she gave up. She checked herself into a rehabilitation clinic for three months and disappeared from London without a word.

Hailey flicked the cigarette out of the window and sighed. She could still taste Tanya's cherry lip-gloss and smell the lingering scent of cinnamon from the perfume she wore. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she stood in the middle of that club and watched Tanya seduce her with a simple glance, a flick of her tongue over her lips. She had fallen hard that day and had been struggling to stand ever since. Her eyes shifted to the bottom of the windshield, where she could see the reflection of her badge lying on the dashboard. Five years ago, she never would have believed that she would be working on the right side of the law instead of the wrong. Things had changed.

The miles rolled by. Hailey saw the white washed walls of Seville glowing in the afternoon sun from a distance. The road curved, hugging the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea. In a moment of morbid contemplation, Hailey wondered what it would feel like to plunge off the cliff and bash into the rocks below, allowing the tide to rip her broken body into the sea. It would be so easy. A simple turn of the wheel and she would never have to face the struggles that lie ahead of her. "Maybe I do need those painkillers," she muttered to herself, allowing the car a sizable distance from the edge of the road.

Finally, she reached a small town by the sea, where Maria lived. She parked some distance away from the girl's house. The walk would allow her enough time to think of what to say. Hailey knew that the entire situation was ridiculous. She was about to approach a total stranger, explain to her that every bad thing her parents had ever told her to scare her into being good actually existed, and that they were all coming after her. Hailey shoved her cowboy hat on her head, which Amelia had been so kind as to retrieve from her hotel in London, and began walking.

"Hello, my name is Hailey Travers. You need to come with me, you're in serious danger," Hailey said quietly to herself as she walked. "No, that's no good." Pondering for a moment, she tried again. "Maria – I understand that this may come as a shock to you, but you're not just a normal, teenage girl. You have a sacred destiny," Hailey attempted. "Sacred destiny?" She asked herself, chuckling. "What the hell is that?" She stopped walking once she reached the front door of Maria's house. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand, curled her fingers into a fist, and knocked on the door.

A moment later, a young woman answered it. "Maria?" Hailey asked. The girl nodded. "There's something I need to tell you," Hailey began, only to stop when she saw the soft smile on the girl's face. "What?" She asked in confusion.

"Lo siento," Maria said. "Pero, no hablo ingles."

Hailey groaned. "You don't speak English," she said. "And I don't speak Spanish. What the hell am I supposed to do now?" She muttered to herself, realizing that it was impossible to convey the gravity of the situation to the girl through an impenetrable language barrier. She momentarily considered flashcards before dismissing the idea. She did not have time. "Look, kid, I'm sorry to have to do this, but I don't see any other way," Hailey apologized as she lashed her fist out, connecting solidly with the side of the young woman's head. Maria dropped to the floor unconscious.

Hailey sighed and glanced around, hoping that no one had seen her. Hoisting the girl over her shoulder, Hailey began the long walk back to the car. Groaning to herself, she murmured, "This is gonna end badly."