Apologies for the delay. The festive season was hectic! Thanks for the reviews!
Xander drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Way out in the suburbs near the barrier there wasn't any demon activity, but waiting out in the open was giving him the distinct whiff of sitting duck. Add to that what was in the back of the truck and his stomach felt as if he were going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.
He glanced at his wrist; the amethyst was still pulsating. He wished Buffy and Willow would get here so he could remove the girly jewellery. Not really a good look for him. Judging by his smirk, the soldier who'd handed him the keys to the truck had shared that opinion.
The street where he was parked was lined with bungalows, nothing out of the ordinary, but the utter silence was unnerving, not to mention creepy as hell. No kids playing, no dogs barking, no lawn mowers...mowing. He felt as if he was the only person alive in L.A.
A minute passed and he began to worry that he'd somehow messed up the incantation. Either that or Buffy and Willow... Nope. He refused to believe that they were anything but in the best of health. Xander shook his head; those damn marines and their horror stories.
A tornado of light swirled into existence on the road, the sparkly wind coalescing into Willow. Grinning, Xander hopped out to greet her, but his grin disappeared when he realised his best bud was swaying and staggering. He reached her just as her knees buckled, catching her before she hit the tarmac. Trying not to panic, he lowered her to the ground, cradling her head on his arm.
"Will!"
Her eyes fluttered open. "Xander, hey."
"What happened?" Her eyes began to roll back in her head and he lightly slapped her cheek. "Oh no, you don't."
Willow's eyes popped open. "I'll be okay in a minute." She blinked. "You two Xanders talk amongst yourselves."
He observed her slow, deep breaths, noting the angry scratches on her arms. Guess it hadn't all been fun and games in the city of angels. He waited, keeping his eye on the quiet street. After a few minutes she stirred and levered herself upright. He supported her with a hand on her back.
"What just happened?" Xander said.
"It's been a long day, is all. And I kinda did that teleportation spell on the fly." She brushed a loose strand of hair from her face and gave him a crooked smile. "Guess I should've fought Buffy harder for that last cookie."
"Uh huh." Xander didn't bother trying to hide his scepticism. "Still haven't won that poker tournament, huh?"
Her cheeks grew pink and she looked away, her eyes alighting on the eight-wheeler. "Wow, big truck." Clinging to Xander, she got to her feet and wandered towards it. He let her go; whatever she was holding back, he'd get it out of her sooner or later. With long strides he joined her and patted the camouflaged exterior.
"Got this baby from the army. It's armoured and everything."
"The army gave you a truck? All we got was a gun pointed at us. What's with the sudden philanthropy?"
"Well..." Xander shoved his hands in his baggy olive pants, also a gift from the army. He couldn't explain about the truck without telling her what was in the back of the truck, and he really, really didn't want her to faint again. To his relief she seemed distracted, craning her neck and peeking through the windscreen.
"No Giles?"
"What am I? Chopped Xander?" he grumbled good-naturedly.
She whirled to face him, stricken. "No! I'm glad you're here. Well, not too glad cause things are looking grim and grimmer, but..." Impulsively she hugged him. "You're my favourite one-eyed friend."
Xander felt his balls shrink. "Oh God, the world's gonna end, isn't it?"
Willow pulled back. "No, no...well, maybe. But you know what, now that you're here I'm feeling so much more optimistic. It's like a sign, a sign of hope and," she peered up at him, "the pitter-pattering feet of slayers charging to our rescue?"
"Sorry, Will. Not so much with the pitter-pattering."
She looked crestfallen. "The stomping?"
Xander squeezed her hands. "They're not coming."
A wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. "But you're here." Her eyes narrowed. "Why would the army let you in and not the slayers?"
"My goofy charm?"
Willow slipped her hands from his and set them on her hips. He tried a grin (Work, goofy charm, work!) but she wasn't buying it. Xander puffed out a breath.
"Okay, here's the thing--"
A distant screech echoed across the rooftops. They both started and spun around, but nothing was moving except palm tree fronds.
Willow shivered. "Maybe we should get going."
"Whatever you say, Will," Xander said quickly. Saved by the scary monster. He escorted Willow to the passenger side before jogging round to the driver's side. "Where to?" he said as he hauled himself in.
She nibbled her lip. "Where exactly are we?"
"Burbank. The military are camped out at the airport."
"Huh." Willow sagged against the door. Xander dug into a backpack sitting on the floor of the cab and handed her a bottle of water and a candy bar.
"Here. You look like you should be haunting a creepy mansion." He meant it as a joke, but it wasn't far from the truth.
"Easy on the flattery. It'll go to my head." But she ripped open the candy bar and took several bites at once. "Head to Griffith Park," she said, mouth full. "We need to go to the zoo."
Xander cocked his eyebrow. "Is this really the time for sightseeing?"
Willow gave him a look. "Angel's there. And Buffy's speeding to the rescue as we speak."
"Huh. I always knew he belonged in a cage." Xander turned the ignition and the engine rumbled to life. Willow reached over to smack his arm, but it was half hearted at best. He'd been wondering where Buffy was, but now he found himself relieved she wasn't here. Of his two best friends, Buffy was the most likely to hurt him.
"Oh, here," he said. Reaching inside his jacket, he extracted an envelope. "This is from Giles."
"A letter?" Incredulous, she took it. "What, he had more important things to do?"
Xander shrugged as he pulled away from the kerb. "Turns out his old watcher buddy has about as much influence with the Pentagon as Miss Piggy." He kept his eye on the road as the truck picked up speed. "Giles thought he should stay behind and try to convince the military to take down the barrier and let the slayers do cleanup duty."
Willow perked up. "Giles can be pretty persuasive when he's all riled up."
"Well, I guess he wasn't psychotic enough cause they didn't go for it."
"Poopheads. Why not?"
"The bigwigs at Homeland Security decided to go with their contingency plan."
"They have a contingency plan?" Willow said, eyes widening. "For this?"
Something drifted over the truck, briefly casting them in shadow. Xander exchanged a nervous look with Willow.
"Probably just a big bird," she said, determinedly upbeat. "Nothing to worry about."
"If we were on Sesame Street I'd agree with you, Will, but I don't think this 'big bird' is just a guy dressed up--" Xander broke off as the shape passed over again, this time coming from the rear. Easing his foot off the gas, he leaned over the steering wheel, trying to spot the source. A magnificent winged creature overtook the truck. It banked and came back towards them, almost skimming the road. Xander felt his heart spasm.
It was a dragon.
"Holy Moses!" he said.
As the dragon closed in it opened its jaw. A stream of blue fire shot straight at them. Willow screamed.
Xander jerked the steering wheel but the heavy truck was slow to manoeuvre. Blue flames struck the windscreen for several terrifying seconds and moved across the roof of the cab with a loud crackling noise. He realised the fire was going to engulf his unprotected cargo.
"Oh crap. The nuke!"
Willow whipped her head round. "The what?"
He didn't dare look at her; the wrath of Willow was not a pretty sight.
"Xander--"
"Not now, Will. I'm trying to get us back into the frying pan."
She clammed up, but he could feel her evil eye on him.
Xander flattened the gas pedal. The dragon circled overhead, unleashing bursts of streaming fire. He did his best to dodge them and managed to avoid the worst of the flames, but the road was only so wide. Xander knew he couldn't keep up this game of tag for much longer.
Then the dragon disappeared from sight. Stomach roiling, Xander swivelled his head back and forth so he could scan the entire road. He was pretty damn sure the creature hadn't suddenly found religion and decided to let them go.
A thunderous whoosh was their only warning. Before he could react, fire rained down from above, plunging the entire cab in a waterfall of blue flame. Willow gasped and scooted to the middle of the seat. Stubbornly hanging on to the steering wheel, Xander tried swerving the truck into the other lane, but the fire seemed to encompass the entire width of the road. Surrounded by roaring heat, he felt as if they were driving through hell.
After the longest seconds of Xander's life, the flames ceased and a dark body coasted down the road shrieking its triumph. The truck shuddered and groaned as sweat poured down Xander's face, stinging his eye.
He heard Willow muttering and glanced at her. Her eyes were closed, her face blank with concentration.
"Are you praying?" Xander said. "Put in a good word for me, will ya?"
Willow flicked open an eye. "Glamour spell."
"Wait, five minutes ago you were nearly unconscious."
"We don't much choice. Another hit like that and we're gonna be oven roasted people!"
"But--"
"Xander, it's a simple spell. So simple even you could do it."
"Hey...or thanks. I'm not sure." He was feeling a tad frazzled; maybe his brain was melting.
"Xander! We don't have time for this. It's coming back around."
And sure enough, through the cracked windscreen, he saw the dragon circling for another pass. Xander made the only decision he could. "Okay, do it." He listened to Willow resume her chanting, hoping the spell wouldn't take too much out of her. He could imagine Buffy's reaction if he showed up with both a nuclear bomb and a comatose Willow.
The dragon grew larger as it swooped closer, filling the windscreen. Xander clamped his mouth shut, not wanting to break Willow's concentration. The dragon opened its jaw...
A tingle zapped through him. Assuming that Willow had performed the spell, Xander swerved into the left lane. The dragon pulled out of its attack, hovering in mid-air with steady flaps of its wings. Xander held his breath as they drove under its right wing, close enough to make out the greeny black scales on its body. He wondered if the dragon would hear the truck's engine over its own wing beats.
His hands trembled, but he held the wheel steady as he observed the dragon in the off-side mirror. It let off a few bursts of blue dragon's breath in random directions but the truck had already travelled beyond its range. With a screech of fury the dragon took off.
Xander crumpled in relief and took his foot off the gas. He glanced over at Willow. She looked white, but she was still conscious. In fact, judging by her frowny face, she was probably doing better than he was right now.
"Xander Harris, you've got some explaining to do."
She sounded remarkably like his mother.
They cruised north along the Golden State Freeway. Abandoned cars littered the road, but they'd all been pushed to the sides, which made for a mostly clear run down the middle lanes. Warm air flowed past Buffy's open window. Revelling in the speed and open horizon, she nearly didn't spot the battered pink convertible jutting out into the lane. At the last second she zigzagged to avoid it. Tyres squealed.
Connor clutched the dashboard. "Buffy, maybe you oughta slow down some. I mean, what's the rush?"
Buffy grinned at him and he pointed frantically at the road. Laughing, she faced forward just in time to avoid sideswiping a banked car. "You fight demons and you're afraid of a little speed."
"A little speed? I'm surprised we're not halfway to the moon by now."
But Buffy's mood was too good to be spoiled by the nervous nelly cringing in the passenger seat. Willow's spell wouldn't have worked if Angel were a pile of ash. Ergo, he was alive. And with any luck he wasn't alone.
Against the backdrop of the mountains, Buffy spotted a creature flapping in the distance. It could almost be mistaken for a bird, but something about it gave her the wiggins. Maybe it was the predatory way it hovered over one particular area. With a speed that startled her, it swooped down and she lost sight of it.
Buffy shivered, and pressed harder on the gas. Connor made an odd choking noise which she ignored. As entertaining as it was, frightening him wasn't the sole reason she was driving so fast. She felt more exposed on the freeway, despite the fact that it was demon free. Unlike the streets they'd zipped through on the way to the 110.
There was something surreal about seeing demons out in broad daylight. Their natural milieu was the night, hidden from human eyes. It'd made Buffy's blood boil to see them foraging out in the open as if they had nothing to fear. Had it not been for her mission and the fact that she and Connor were way outnumbered, she would've stopped to remind the demons what fear was. In fact, maybe she'd do it on the way back...
A sign indicating the exit to the zoo flashed by. Buffy slowed the car. A cluster of derelict cars turned the off ramp into something of an obstacle course, but they made it through with only a dented side mirror, which she hoped would escape Willow's notice.
Stomach tingling, Buffy coasted along Zoo Drive. Connor sat up straight, scanning the lawn like the Terminator. The park was quiet, with only the overgrown grass and absence of people indicating anything out of the ordinary. It reminded Buffy of Sunnydale after the evacuation but before the big showdown with the First. She entered the parking lot, vacant except for three wrecked cars, and braked to a halt near the entry plaza.
The front gates stood wide open, but beyond the gates she could see steps on the path, which probably wouldn't do wonders for the car's suspension. Buffy tapped a finger on the steering wheel, conscious of Connor's curious gaze. From repressed memories of a junior high visit, she vaguely recalled a service road looping the zoo. All they had to do was find a way in. She eased the car onto the grass and drove around the perimeter.
"Er, maybe we should leave the car here," Connor said, sounding oddly hopeful. "You could take a break from driving."
"Too conspicuous. We don't need any demons stopping by for a looksee."
He mumbled something she didn't catch.
Amidst a stand of eucalypts bordering the zoo she saw what she was looking for -- a gap in the fence -- and steered the car towards it. The sedan began to bounce on the lawn as she accelerated...and accelerated. They ploughed through the fence, metal scraping the flanks of the car. Buffy slammed on the brakes as an island of greenery loomed up before them. Connor screamed and threw his arms up in front of his face, but the car skidded to a halt just short of a huge spreading tree trunk.
Connor shot her a dirty look and clambered out of the car. Suppressing a grin, Buffy got out to take a gander. The green patch where they'd almost come to a messy end was encircled by the main path. To their left the path wound deeper into the zoo grounds, to their right was the entry plaza and a bunch of administrative buildings. Although her intuition told her Angel would be hiding in a less obvious place, she didn't want to leave anything to chance.
As efficiently as a S.W.A.T. team, Buffy and Connor searched a conference room and several offices. The rooms were messy, furniture upended and smashed. A faint odour of stale blood lingered throughout and several rooms had blood smeared on the walls and carpet. In one office they found a pair of severed feet, both lefties, and scattered human bones. Buffy was glad to emerge back into the warm sunshine and fresh air.
A greenish tinge circled Connor's mouth. "The blood...you don't think--"
"No, I don't," Buffy said, cutting him off before he could articulate his concern.
"Even if they were really hungry?" His voice betrayed his uncertainty, and she felt an unexpected (and unwanted) surge of maternal emotion.
"Even then," she said, softening her voice. "Anyway, vampires don't eat fle...I mean, the bodies wouldn't have been in pieces." She hesitated. "Probably."
"Okay," he said, not looking a whole lot better. Wiping his mouth, he took a deep breath. "Now what?"
"Now," she squared her shoulders, "we go on safari."
On the way back to the car they stopped to filch candy, potato chips and sodas from the kiosk. As they neared the sedan Connor skipped ahead of her and got behind the wheel. Rolling her eyes, Buffy slid into the passenger seat and tossed the snacks in the back seat. He looked at her, a hint of challenge in his gaze.
"All you had to do was ask," she said with a grin. Connor's mouth fell open. Looking dazed, he turned the ignition.
They took the left path, passing between two stagnant ponds, and turned right onto the loop road. As the car crawled along Buffy noticed a metal frame encased with wire poking above the trees; but with an SPF of zero it wasn't worth stopping to check it out.
They were rolling down an avenue of trees when, without warning, Connor hit the brakes, throwing Buffy forward. Since they were travelling at a pace even a ninety year old with a walker could have outstripped, she'd neglected to put her seat belt on.
"Okay, that's it, grandma," she said. "We're swapping."
"Sssh, I heard something." He cut the engine and stuck his head out the window.
"Like what?"
"Sssh."
Exhaling an explosive breath, Buffy got out of the car. She scanned the area but saw nothing among the trees or on the path. Further ahead a covered terrace sat at the top of a small hill and she left the car to get a better view. Twin spires extended from its roof, which was supported by wooden poles. The sides were open, allowing both easy access and escape. Connor's footsteps approached.
"Did you see something?" he said.
"Sssh." Buffy stilled, listening, but heard only her own heartbeat and Connor's fidgeting. The zoo seemed vacant of life, animal or otherwise, although her spidey sense told her they weren't alone. But she was starting to realise that finding Angel could take hours, even with limiting the search to covered buildings. Chewing her lip, she pondered whether or not they should split up.
"Dad!" shouted Connor.
Buffy's stomach somersaulted. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Dad!"
She slapped a hand over his mouth. "Will you cut that out. You're going to--"
A wet, sticky sound came from behind. Buffy's neck prickled. She wheeled round, snatching at the sword across her back, but her wrist was caught by a snapping tentacle. Two more tentacles latched onto her ankles and she was hoisted into the air. Connor let out a muffled cry. Her stomach dropped as she saw their captor, a creature eight feet tall, its face hidden behind a writhing mass of at least a dozen tentacles.
Buffy swung her free arm but it was like punching jello. The creature responded by smashing its captives together. Pain rocketed through Buffy's head as it smacked into Connor's. The edges of her vision blurred and she had to bite her lip to keep from passing out.
The creature brought Connor up close and personal, inspected him with baleful red eyes, and tossed him aside. He sailed through the air like a sack of potatoes, and she heard an ominous thud as he disappeared among the foliage. Then Buffy was drawn up against the demon's slimy body. It stank as if it had crawled out the depths of hell.
"I'll make you a deal," she said, eyes watering from the rotten egg smell. "You let me go and I won't call you stinky."
Next thing she knew she was flying through the air. Instinctively she went limp, clawing at the branches brushing her body but unable to find purchase. She collided with a tree trunk and dropped to the ground, losing her breath and all sensation in her limbs. For a minute all she could do was lie in the grass, immersed in a cool earthy scent.
She listened as the demon slithered away, the sound growing distant, and considered lying there until it went away. The image of Faith's smirk floated across her mind. Buffy groaned and rolled to her knees; she'd never live it down if she let the snot monster from hell get the better of her.
Drawing her sword, she lurched to her feet. Her wrist was burning. Glancing down, she discovered a raw weeping bracelet where she used to have skin. She sighed. At least her wrist wasn't broken.
"Stupid stinky demon." Tightening her grip on her weapon, she stalked back to the main trail. Back where she'd started, she found no sign of Connor, only a glistening trail of slime. She hesitated, but the decision was made for her when Connor emerged from the other side of the path clutching his lower back.
"That went well," he said, straightening with a wince.
"You okay?"
"Fine. Pissed, but okay. You?"
"Ditto. I say we teach Stinky what happens when he messes with a slayer and a...well, whatever you are."
Connor smiled and hefted his axe. "I'm in."
With mutual resolve they set off after the demon, following the mucus trail glistening in the late afternoon sun. It led off the main path up the hill towards the east side of terrace. They were half way up the slope when they heard a yell. Buffy's heartbeat skipped; the male voice sounded familiar. Abandoning all caution, she raced towards the voice, Connor right beside her.
She reached the threshold of the covered terrace and paused. At first all she could make out was thrashing tentacles, but after a few seconds her eyes adjusted to the murky interior. She spotted a body skidding towards them across the polished floor and jumped aside, watching as a woman clad in leather and blue paint slid past and tumbled down the slope.
A roar resonated through the terrace. Buffy spun round in time to see the demon sweep Spike aside and go after Angel, who dodged behind a concrete pillar. Without hesitation Connor rushed the demon from behind.
"Wait!" Buffy yelled, but he didn't stop.
Leaping high, he slammed his axe into the creature's body but the blade slid down the demon's slippery hide without penetrating. Connor landed amidst writhing tentacles and backflipped, but a tentacle caught him in mid-air and sent him crashing into a cluster of round tables. That thing made Speedy Gonzales look decrepit, thought Buffy.
The demon went back to flogging the pillar, attempting to get at Angel. Its blows shook the roof and filled the air with concrete dust. So intent was it on Angel, it took no notice of her. Buffy studied the creature, hunting for the weakness every demon possessed, no matter how many arms they had. A memory of small red eyes flashed through her mind. When in doubt go for the eyes.
Buffy flipped her short sword and raised it as if it were a spear. "Hey, Stinky!" As the demon twisted to look at her she hurled the sword. For a moment she thought she'd hit a home run, but at the last second a tentacle swatted her sword away, sending it thunking through a wooden pole. Buffy sighed; it'd been worth a try, though she should have known better than to expect the easy way to work.
With a grunt she yanked her sword from the pole and launched herself at the beast. She didn't bother trying to slice into its teflon-like skin. Instead she ducked, weaved, and batted tentacles aside with her sword, manoevring herself into the right position. The demon divided its attention between her and Angel, treating her like a pesky fly that needed to be squashed.
Twice she came within sword's length and made a stab at its red eyes, but each time she was thwarted by a tentacle. She was in constant motion, but even her enhanced reflexes weren't enough to completely protect her. Mucus and bruises decorated her body, souvenirs of her near misses. Several times she was forced to throw herself bodily out of the way when multiple tentacles closed in on her.
As she flipped over a lashing tentacle she wondered if she'd boobed and underestimated the demon. Sooner or later either it was going to get lucky, or she was going to run out. Then she glimpsed Spike, Connor and the woman converging on the demon. Forced to fend off more opponents, the beast allowed Buffy the opening she'd been waiting for. Taking advantage, she stepped off a tentacle, springboarding several feet to thrust her sword through the demon's right eye with a wet squish.
The demon convulsed. Its thrashing tentacles caught Buffy off guard and catapulted her through the air for the second time that day. Cursing, she twisted and managed to right herself, but she landed awkwardly and her left ankle gave way. She fell, and lay panting until a cool hand grasped her elbow and hauled her to her feet. She looked up into intense blue eyes.
"Spike."
Buffy had known he was alive, but she hadn't really believed it. Hadn't let herself believe it. She'd watched him go up in flames. But here he was standing before her, staring at her as if he was trying to read her mind.
"You're alive," she said. A familiar quirk of his lips made her relax. Same old Spike. "You know what I mean."
Spike's eyes glinted with amusement. "Always do." One eye was blackened and he was leaner than usual, but at least he was in one piece.
Over his shoulder she saw Angel, his face filled with mingled love and despair. It was a look familiar from moments when her life had been in danger and his fear of losing her had spilled over. But Angel wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Connor. She watched them, feeling hollow but unable to turn away.
"What're you doing here?" Angel said, grabbing Connor's shoulders. "I told you to get out of L.A."
"I couldn't just leave."
"Of course you could. Damn it, I wanted you safe."
"I am safe. Safe as a rat in a maze."
"Connor..." Frustration laced his voice.
"Angel, chill." Buffy limped over to them. "We wouldn't have found you without him."
Angel stared at her as if noticing her presence for the first time. "Buffy."
"Hey."
"Hey," he said, releasing Connor.
They gazed at each other. Like Spike, he was gaunt and dishevelled, his shirt ripped in places. Buffy wanted to touch him, reassure herself that he was real, but she was acutely aware of Spike and Connor watching so she settled for simply looking at him. For now, it was enough.
"Right then, that's enough of the mushy stuff," Spike said. The floorboards creaked under his boots as he strolled over. "What're you doing here?"
Buffy raised her eyebrows at his brusque tone. "We were looking for you...both of you...all of you." She eyed the dark haired woman standing apart looking out over the lawn. "Who's the scary smurf?"
"That's Illyria," Spike said. He nudged the dead demon with his foot. Satisfied, he leant against the concrete pillar. "She's a god...former. She talks rubbish sometimes...well, all the time really, but she's good in a fight."
Buffy frowned. "Wesley?"
"Gunn?" said Connor.
Angel shook his head, and the lines on his face deepened. "They didn't make it."
Buffy's throat swelled. She hadn't known Wesley that well and Gunn not at all, but they'd been fellow warriors battling evil and she felt their loss. A twinge of anger blazed through her; if Angel had asked for help maybe their deaths could've been prevented.
Spike's voice jolted her from her musings. "So are we just gonna stand here like Stonehenge or have you got a way out of this godforsaken city?"
"No...to the second one. But Willow's working on it. She'll figure it out."
Angel's gaze bounced between her and Connor as if he couldn't quite make the connection. "How'd the two of you hook up?"
She glanced at Connor. "Junior, you wanna field this one?"
He scowled at her, but nevertheless began recounting how he'd joined forces with other survivors to establish a base of operations at the school. Buffy spotted some folded chairs in the corner and hobbled over. She set up a couple so she could sit and prop up her foot. Lifting the leg of her jeans, she prodded her puffy ankle. It was tender but not sprained. With her healing ability she'd be fine in a few hours. Stretching her back, she listened to Connor end his tale with Buffy and Willow's arrival in L.A. and their subsequent attempts to locate Angel and his gang.
Angel was nodding. "We'd heard rumours of a human enclave in the city."
"You did?" Connor said, dumbfounded. "Why didn't you try to find us?"
"That," Angel said, pointing his chin at the demon's carcass, the hilt of Buffy's sword still jutting from its eye. "It's been tracking us all over L.A."
"Lemme guess. Spike owed it kittens," Buffy said, trying to scrape mucus out of her hair.
"Oy, it's not my fault we've been skulking round the city like rejects from a leper colony. It's his." Spike jerked his thumb at Angel. Buffy and Connor stared at him.
Angel shrugged. "Wolfram & Hart kept a fail-safe in the basement in case I...got out of control. Killing their representatives was pretty much a dead giveaway."
"So...that's what started all this," Buffy said, thinking out loud.
An awkward silence ensued. The two vampires looked at each other as if urging the other to speak.
Angel cleared his throat. "Yeah. After we took out the Circle of the Black Thorn, the senior partners sent an army of demons after us and...it just kinda snowballed from there..."
Buffy struggled to keep her temper under control. It was hard to fault Angel for taking on the big evil, but she wondered if he'd even considered the consequences of his actions.
Connor stared at Angel in awe. "You killed an army of demons?"
Angel squirmed. "Uh, not exactly--"
"We ran like cowards and hid like frightened children," Illyria said, whirling around.
Startled, Buffy twisted to face her; she'd forgotten the woman was in the room. Tilting her head, Illyria regarded Buffy with eerie pale eyes.
Spike smirked. "Yep, that about sums it up."
Connor's face fell. "Oh."
"But we killed a bunch of demons before we had to, to...make a strategic retreat," Angel said. "And I got a dragon!"
Illyria turned baleful eyes on Angel. "We should have died gloriously in battle. Instead we scrounge through human detritus for scraps to sustain us."
"She's quite the party pooper, isn't she?" said Buffy.
"You are a slayer," Illyria said, swivelling her head to face Buffy again. "You will free me from this cage."
Buffy stood, clinging to the back of the chair. "Well, since you asked so politely -- no. I'm a slayer, I don't do magic."
"So we nip back to this school?" Spike said, raising an eyebrow. "Bunk down till Red gets her mojo on?"
Buffy shook her head. "Not yet. For one thing, it's still sunny out, and for another, if I know Willow there's a good chance she's gonna swing by. Actually I'm kinda hoping she does cause I'm not sure you guys can even enter the school. It's protected by some major magic."
"It'll be okay," Connor said. "The spell repels evil, not demons."
"And you know this how?"
He flushed. "I just do."
His certainty sparked her curiosity. "How?" Her tone demanded an answer. If she was going to risk Angel and Spike's unlives she wanted details.
Connor swallowed. "We, er, had a few demons show up," he said, "asking for sanctuary."
"And?" Buffy had a sinking feeling this story didn't end with the demons being invited in for milk and cookies.
"Faith told them there wasn't any room, but some of them tried to come in anyway. People started panicking...a couple of the demons got shot and the rest ran away." Connor saw the disgust on her face. "Look, it wasn't Faith's fault. She told everyone the demons were harmless, but they didn't believe her." Angel rested a hand on Connor's shoulder.
"Well, that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy," Spike said.
Buffy shuddered. She'd wondered why armed men were always outside the auditorium when a protection spell was in place and now she knew. She rubbed her eyes, feeling not angry but incredibly weary. Needing some alone time, she ignored her aching ankle and trudged across the terrace without meeting anyone's eye.
"I'm gonna go get the car," she muttered as she left. Buffy made her way down the grassy slope to the loop road. When she reached the car she got inside, thumped her head back and closed her eyes. Her head was a whirligig of emotion. She felt relieved and happy to have found Angel and Spike, saddened by the loss of Wesley and Gunn, and worried because their biggest hurdle -- the barrier around the city -- still remained.
Not to mention she desperately needed a hot shower. The demon's mucus and her sweat had combined to form some kind of mutant b.o. Ick.
She sighed and gulped down half a bottle of warm soda before starting the car and driving it up to the terrace. As the car passed from sunlight into shadow, she saw a tall figure waiting for her.
Angel.
Buffy parked the car a few feet from him and hopped out.
"Can we talk?" he said.
Nodding, she led him a short distance away to a sheltered bench and plopped down. Angel looked down at her. He seemed lost for words.
"So, you had an apocalypse and didn't invite me," Buffy said, aiming for casual but coming up short.
"Wasn't your apocalypse to fight."
"Hello, I'm the slayer. Fighting apocalypses is my raisin debt."
For a second Angel looked confused, then he smiled. "You mean raison d'etre."
"Yeah, that's what I said." Buffy folded her arms across her chest. "Look, you can make with the hoity toity accent all you like. Doesn't change what I am."
His gaze didn't waver. "A slayer."
"Exactly."
Angel shook his head. "I mean you're a slayer, not the slayer."
"So?"
"Saving the world isn't just your responsibility any more. Maybe it never was..."
Her throat closed up. She wished he'd punched her; it would've hurt less.
Angel dropped to the bench beside her. "Buffy, I don't mean to sound harsh..."
She didn't look at him.
"...seeing you here...it caught me off guard."
That got her attention. "You didn't think I'd come after you?"
He didn't answer and for a moment she could only stare at him. It was true she'd had reservations about his alliance with Wolfram & Hart -- although Willow had assured her that he was "managing", Buffy couldn't help worrying -- but if he'd sent out a 911 she would've been there. Just as she was here now.
"I...wasn't sure." Angel's eyes held a vulnerability that cooled her temper more than anything he could have said, and she got a glimpse of how alone he must have felt. Buffy laid a hand on his. His cool flesh felt solid and real.
"I'm sorry. I never wanted you to feel that way. I just...I didn't know what to think, and then I heard about Spike..."
"You could've trusted me."
"I wanted to. I mean, I do. If you'd called me, I would've come."
Angel shook his head, his shoulders slumping. "It doesn't matter. I lost Cordelia, I lost Fred, I wasn't going to lose you too."
She understood his fear, but her frustration remained. "So you didn't call for backup. How'd you expect to survive?"
He diverted his gaze, but not fast enough.
"Oh my God," she said, her scalp prickling. "You didn't." Angel looked at her, half guilty, half defiant. "Why?"
"They were winning. And I was in too deep."
"And you thought doing a Butch and Sundance was the way to go?"
"Seemed like a good idea at the time. Go out in a blaze of glory, take our enemies with us. You know the drill. Maybe it didn't all go according to plan, but we destroyed the demons controlling L.A."
"Great. Congratulations." Buffy spread her arms to encompass the entire city. "But I'm betting this didn't figure into your grand plan."
Angel shifted his shoulders. "We knew the senior partners would retaliate. We didn't think they'd attack the city."
"Yeah, good call."
He glared at her. "You don't think I feel guilty enough. You weren't there. You don't know what it was like. We thought we were doing the right thing." Beneath his anger, she recognised his pain and her chest tightened in response.
"I'm sorry. You're right, I wasn't there." She took a deep breath. "I just wish...you know."
He softened. "I know."
They lapsed into a not quite companionable silence which grew heavier as the shadows lengthened. The sun had dipped behind the terrace, casting gloom over the grounds. Buffy had more questions, but she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answers. Instead, attempting to break the building tension, she chirped, "Well, at least I can cross finding you off my to-do list. All we need now is a way out of L.A."
He slanted a sceptical glance her way. "Well, sure. That and a gigantic plug for the dark magic leak."
"The what?"
Angel furrowed his brow. "You know, the dark magic pouring into this dimension...that you know nothing about," he said, finally catching on.
"Why the hell didn't you mention this before?"
"Because I only just found out." Looking defensive, Angel crossed his arms.
"Huh?" Now she was really getting confused.
"Connor just told us. Seems Willow was the one who clued him in."
"Willow told Connor." Buffy clenched her fists, quivering with fury. She couldn't believe Willow had confided in Connor of all people. That was it, the final straw. It was slayer wedgie time for Willow.
"I thought you knew."
She glared at Angel and he inched back along the bench.
"Obviously I was wrong," he said. She continued to glare and he tilted his head, presenting his left jaw. "Look, why don't you just clock me and we'll call it even."
Buffy let out a sound like a deflating balloon. "It's not you, it's Willow. She hasn't been sharing the need-to-know and it's really starting to annoy."
Angel frowned. "Willow's a smart woman. She probably has her reasons." At her scowl he added, "Not that I'm defending her."
"Willow is smart, smart enough to know you can't make battle plans without knowing all the facts. She should've shared."
All thoughts of Willow vanished as a frisson ran down Buffy's spine; something was coming. She felt it in the ground first, a trembling which grew to a rumble. It almost sounded like an engine but she didn't see any vehicles.
"What is that?" she said.
"I don't know." Angel stood and surveyed the grounds. "But it's getting closer."
Next to the car, the air began to ripple. Buffy shot to her feet as a massive truck materialised out of thin air, but her anxiety subsided when she spotted her friends in the cab. Her heart lifted and she ran to the truck, heedless of her sore ankle.
The door creaked open and Xander slid to the ground, then turned to help Willow down. As always, Buffy felt a twinge of guilt on seeing his eyepatch, but she set it aside when he gave her a huge grin.
"Hey, Buff."
"Xander!" She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. He groaned. Pulling back, she faced Willow, who seemed about ready to burst.
"We need to talk," they said in unison.
If all goes according to plan, there'll be two more chapters and an epilogue, so we're on the home stretch. Hang in there!