Chapter 17 – Slayers

"We got everybody?" Wood hollered out from the front of the bus. Dawn nodded, having just done her head count on the 30-some potentials filling most of the bus. Willow, Westley, Anya, Fred, Spike, & Dawn filled the first couple rows. "By the way, I could swear there wasn't a tree blocking half the street this morning? I could barely get around it in the bus." Wood asked as he shut the front door of the bus.

Willow replied "Oh, we were just trying out a spell and the neighbors oak became collateral damage." He accepted the explanation and started up the school bus.

Dawn had fashioned a tent covering a few seats to block the sunlight for their vampire companions, Spike of course sat there as to not blow his secrete early, and Fred, Dawn, & Anya joined him under the drapery for the ride. "This turned out so cool!" Dawn elated at her handiwork.

"Looks good little bit, should keep your boss from fryin'." Spike directed to Fred.

"Yes, it should suffice for Angel, but I gotta say I agree with Dawn, it's like a little fort, I used to love making forts out of all kinds of stuff when I was little."

"Well I've never made a fort, so I wouldn't know." Anya supplied.

"Tell ya what Anya, we survive this apocalypse, I'll show you how to make a fort and why they're so fun." Dawn responded "For now we just have to enjoy the ride and ask Fred why her and Westley aren't a thing?"

Spike looked over to Dawn, actually impressed she got to the question first. He should have known Dawn noticed their connection like he did. While Spike was swelling with pride for his almost-little sister, Fred's face was turning red, but she managed to mutter out a "How do you mean?"

"Oh come on." Dawn started "You two are so cute together. You're both super smart and eager to learn, especially from each other. And he's gotten a heck of a lot less namby-pamby since his time in Sunnydale. And he's clearly in love with you."

"Westley and I are just friends, work companions, soldiers in the fight against evil." Fred tried to explain "Why are you so sure he's in love with me?"

"Cause when you talk, or he looks at you, or someone's talking about you, he has the same look plastered on his face as Spike does when the topic is Buffy." Dawn surmised. Fred wasn't too confident on the look, not having paid that close of attention to Spike in the short time she knew him.

"He's in awe of you luv." Spike reiterated "Have you two never jawed about this?"

Still a bit embarrassed by the subject matter, but Fred felt she needed to reveal a bit of their history "Well, I met Angel and everyone when they rescued me from another dimension. And once I started to become apart of the world again, I fell in love with another person on the team, Charles Gunn. So we started dating and somewhere amongst all that we kinda had a falling out with Westley, he made some bad calls that really upset Angel, almost got Cordy and me killed. So he kinda left for a while after that. I'm not sure exactly what happened to him, but he seemed to get meaner, so much so that at one point when we needed him to help us on something he stole a pretty aggressive kiss from me while I was still dating Charles."

"So are you and this Charley still together?" Spike asked.

"Oh, no. We broke up last year. Not because of the thing with Westley, but I mean that didn't help. And it honestly scared me a little, I'd never seen that side of him."

"So that's why you haven't let him in?" Dawn prodded "You still feel he and you are partially responsible for how your last relationship ended?"

"I don't think so, Charles and I were drifting apart before that happened. We would have broken up either way. It's just we all still work together and I'm not sure it'd be best to get involved with another person I work with. Especially when the two guys are just recently friends again. I don't wanna make things worse for the two of them."

"So what I'm hearing is you like him, but don't want to be the cause of screwing up friendship again & you're afraid of him getting mean?" Anya reiterated in her blunt fashion.

"I never said I like him." Fred tried to protest.

"You never said you didn't either. And you've given reasoning beyond pondering if you should get involved with him or not." Anya pointed out. Fred wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Are you and Charles still on good terms?" Dawn asked, Fred looked to her and replied with a nod "Then I would try talking to him, settle any issue that may be left on the table, and ask if it'd be okay to move on with Wes. Not that you need his permission, but I'm sure he'd appreciate the heads up if you're all gonna be working together."

Spike nodded in agreement with Dawn's advice "And as far as the mean streak goes, has he done anything to scare you since he came back to the group?"

"No, he's been his usual kind self, just maybe a bit more commanding with decisions. But not mean."

"I would trust he's past that dark point. I can't see him hurting you for a moment." Spike encouraged "We've all done things we wish we could take back, sometimes to the ones we love most…" he glanced over to Dawn, recollecting in their mind his lowest point with Buffy, where he got meaner than he thought he ever would… "If you love each other you'll be able to move past it and be happy pet."

"That was super sappy to hear from you Spike?" Fred questioned.

"Not really," Dawn interjected "He was a poet when he was a human, the first time anyway."

"Dawn!?" a little angry she just blurted that fact out.

"That does make sense," Anya agreed "You're not nearly as bluntly evil and dumb as other vampires. Plus when you're sad or serious you talk differently, poetically I guess."

"Oh, well I guess I haven't known you as long as these two." Fred peeled back the curtain of their fort just enough to look over at Westley who was in a serious discussion with Willow. She let the curtain fall and turned back to the group. "Okay, so say I do think I like him, and I think we'd make each other better, and happy and whatnot. How do I even have that conversation with him?"

"I'm gonna have to encourage Buffy's method on that." Spike proposed "Kiss first, talk later." Dawn let her head fall to her hands while Anya rolled her eyes at the statement that was blunt even for her. "Not in a nasty way." Spike explained "Look Buffy doesn't like to talk about things much, especially more serious stuff, so when she came out to say she loves me she led with a kiss and slipped it in." Anya's eyes got wide "Shit…"

"She admitted it with words from her mouth?" Anya asked aghast. "When did this happen and why was I not informed?" She continued questioning as she looked to Dawn for an agreed upset, but saw she was fairly calm "Why aren't you bugging out Dawn? I would think this is a topic you care a great deal about."

"I already knew, Spike told me last night. Believe me I'm still giddy about it, but yeah I already knew."

"And the little bit was the only one I was allowed to tell, Buffy was gonna wait to tell everyone else after the apocalypse… So please pretend it's new news when she brings it up."

"I can try, but I'm really bad at lying."

"Thanks luv."

"So do we get to hear the full story now or…" before Fred could finish the school bus popped over a speed bump, Dawn peeked through the curtain out the window to confirm what she thought, they had arrived at school. Then Fred finished "I guess it'll have to wait till later."

"Am I sending Buffy out or are you sneaking in?" Dawn asked clearly getting giddy at the thought of seeing her sister's reaction. "You wanted to surprise her before everything right?"

"Well I don't think it'd be good to have her notice in the middle of battle. That'd just be distracting and possibly get her killed." Anya supplied. "Then again before may be just as distracting…"

"What ya think I should wait till after?" Anya replied with an unknowing shrug "Then again we're not sure what after is gonna be like, may not be best to reveal it then either." Spike was confusing himself as they popped over the second set of speed bumps. "Ughh, I'll make an entrance at some point. Let her get her pre-battle speech outta the way first." 2 of the girls giggled at the trueness of his comment. Granted some were shorter than others, but Buffy always gave a speech before a big battle, apocalyptic or not.

The bus slowed to a stop in front of the buildings main entrance, everybody (except Angel) was out front sitting on the stairs up to the main doors, After Willow and Westley stood first the potentials started to stream out of the bus. Anya, Fred, and Wood followed the girls off next. Leaving only Dawn and Spike left on the bus under the draping. "I'll let her know to get started. And that you'll make your 'mad dash' after she and I explain everything."

"Thanks little bit." With that she stood up and exited the bus. Spike watched through a pulled open gap in the sheeting, as Dawn walked over and hugged her sister. Spike's hearing wasn't quite as good as it was, but he could still hear a bit better than a normal human. He sat patiently, listening and watching for his moment.

"Well there's really not much that hasn't been said." Buffy started addressing her army "I do wanna thank everyone, especially our new/old buddies at Wolfram & Hart." She nodded to Wes and Fred standing by Dawn to her right. "I've never had so much trained help in an apocalypse." Xander and Willow chuckled from the crowed on her right. "This won't be a battle where we eliminate evil from this world, good and evil will always exist. But the FIRST wanted to pick this fight with us, with the slayers; and we will not go quietly, cause there is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil, and that's us! So today we bring the fight to them, we're done playing their game, and waiting for the end to come so we can fight on their terms. They want an apocalypse so bad… well let's give um one!"

The crowd started to cheer to her words then fell silent. That was a weird cheer… Buffy thought then saw mouths began to gape open. Buffy leaned to Dawn confused "What's with the looks, I thought it was a good speech."

Dawn had a huge smile on her face, and laughed a little as she said "Um, I think someone just stole your thunder." She nodded her head to cue Buffy to turn around. She slowly did to see Spike standing no more than 2 feet from her. What is he…? In full daylight, no blanket, and not on fire…?

"Bloody right Slayer." He smirked and reached down to grab her hand and placed it on his chest. Her eyes grew wide realizing what she was feeling. "You think this fight could use another slayer?"

Still feeling his heartbeat, Buffy only managed to mutter "How?"

Spike placed a hand softly on her cheek, "Magic." She leaned into the hand, It's warm… he's really human? But he said Slayer? Does that mean what I think… is he still strong? Buffy didn't have a clue what to say, so Spike simply pulled her against him, holding her tight. Attempting to reassure her that it was okay. "Wes & Fred found a way to make it work, then Wes & Red worked the mojo."

Buffy pulled away from the hug and looked behind her where the culprits were standing. Fred was smiling wildly, where as Westley was being a bit more stoic, and Willow approached her friend, and asked cautiously. "This is what you wanted isn't it?"

Buffy looked to her friend and back to Spike, then back to Willow. "This is real?" Willow just smiled "Well real, I guess, heartbeat, permanent?" She searched for answers from the red-head who knew exactly what the half statements meant.

"Made him human, than used the rituals the Shadow Men used to make the first slayer." Willow supplied, "Which may have, unintentionally, made him stronger than you…" She was about to explain further until Spike interrupted.

"Buffy," She turned to her now human boyfriend, and Willow backed away. "You alright Slayer?" Buffy slowly smiled, feeling it all start to sink in. "Once he starts something he won't stop till it's done." She remembered Angel telling her about Spike after he first crossed her path. Well he wasn't wrong, Spike did exactly what he said he'd do… for me… for us… so… my turn. Buffy raised a hand to the back of his neck and pulled herself up to his lips.

What is she doing? Spike thought to himself. She remember her mates are looking on? Should I care?

Xander started toward them, but was stopped by Dawn, who was shaking her head at him. He quietly asked her "What the hell is going on? Why are those two locking lips?!" Dawn simply stared at him in response, giving him the same look Spike was famous for. "Really?! Since when?"

"L.A." Dawn smiled. "Didn't think she was gonna say anything till after the apocalypse though."

Finally Buffy pulled away from the kiss, smiled to Spike and grabbed his hand as she turned around to face her friends. Not really sure how to explain, but she knew one thing she had to say. "Thank you."

Willow, Westley, and Fred smiled and nodded in response. Dawn was done restraining herself and ran up to hug the pair, squealing as she did. Buffy laughed at her sisters' response, whereas Spike simply embraced the hug.

"Um," Xander interrupted, the hug pulled apart and faced him. "Not that I hate interrupting something that is making my head spin and my stomach uneasy, but we do have a slight apocalypse scheduled."

"Right." Buffy responded, then looked to Dawn "You wanna assign the groups?" she nodded in response and went to address the chattering girls on the steps. Then Buffy looked to Willow "And why don't you guys start setting up."

"Can do." Willow replied and gestured for Fred and Wes to follow her into the office. After they started to unpack their bags Willow saw Angel standing in the shaded doorway.

"He's a slayer now?"

"Um, yeah." Willow replied walking over to him "Wes and Fred did all the research, I just helped with the spell part after you all left for the school."

"That's why you two needed to come here?" Angel asked directing his question to his friends.

"Initially yes, but they can clearly use our help in this fight." Wes replied, then he and Willow started to unload their bag to set up for the spell.

"And the whole thing with the Mora demon the other day, was a test for Spike?" Wes nodded "How did you make him a slayer? You found the ritual Buffy saw?" He stared down Fred, who he knew would give him the full story.

"Yeah," Fred started "I mean it all made sense that it should work for Spike being that he won is soul and wasn't gonna turn into some kind of sociopath if he became human. So first we made him mortal with the Mora blood mixing with his, so then when we did that his demon spirit escaped his body so we caught it in a box then perform some rituals with Spike's blood and hellebore petals. Then when that was all prepared Wes & Willow recited the Slayers creed and let Spike's demon out, it was all black-ish and creepy looking. Then woosh it dove into Spike and after fighting it for a minute it settled in him, and just to be safe Willow did this cool net spell with her hand to make sure the demon was staying put. Then we went outside to see how strong Spike was and he kicked over a tree, and it almost hit us cause of a weird wind gust, but Spike became so strong he was able to bench the tree away from us all. And I would have guessed that would have been around a ton or two, and it was falling at maybe 6.7 meters per second…"

"Fred." Angel interrupted, assuming the bulk of the information was conveyed in Fred's over eccentric manor. "Thanks for the, I'm sure summed up, play by play, but why help him?"

"He asked." Fred replied sheepishly. "And you've said so many times before that you accepted your lot in life as a champion and all, and as a vampire you are immortal, a bit more durable then a slayer…"

Angel put up a hand to cease another long explanation, and leaned against the desk beside him in the corner of the room. Wes had stood up and gestured for Fred to come over to help Willow. "You did catch the part about why it wouldn't work so well for you right?" he asked Angel softly.

"Yeah, I can't help being a monster without my soul, but the remarkable Spike can." Wes shrugged in response, it was the harsh way to think about it, but the truth more or less. Wes simply sat next to the vampire, knowing there were more questions come. "Why'd it have to be Spike…?"

"I would think you appreciate it being him instead of happening to some random vampire." Angel gave him an almost disgusted look. "Or not… Angel you do realize with our new resources we could look into a similar arrangement for you, just not the exact arrangement." The comment didn't seem to help, then Westley tried another approach. "How is it that you knew what the Mora was and what it's blood would do?"

Angel finally looked up and explained "Back when it was just Cordelia, Doyle and me, I had a run in with a Mora demon, when Buffy was visiting nonetheless. It's blood ended up mixing with mine, and I became human."

"And you chose to undo this? How?"

"Buffy & I were together, but I was weak, I couldn't fight with her, she almost got killed trying to protect me. So I visited the oracles and asked them to let me go back and change the past, so I could remain a champion. Killed the Mora before our blood could mix again, and Buffy never knew it happened."

"You were really together weren't you?" Angel just nodded "You still regret going to the oracles?"

"Usually not, but after today… I've never regretted it more."

"It's not easy to see someone you love with another. Even if you think you've moved on." Wes advised, looking across the room to Fred and Willow. Angel clearly saw his glanced and asked quietly.

"Knox?" Wes averted his attention back to Angel, and nodded. Angel leaned in a little and noted "I don't think that's gonna work, plus he may be evil anyway."

Wes grinned at the notion, then saw Willow walking over to them. "Well I think we're all set."

All the potentials were gathered in a circle around the seal of Danzalthar, a knife was being passed around for all to make a small cut along their arms to bleed onto the seal. After a few minutes it began to glow and sectioned itself open. Everyone pulled out a strip of gauze wrapped it around their cut and followed Buffy and Spike down the hole. The cavern was just as Buffy had seen in her vision, she was almost afraid to walk to the edge to confirm there were Turok-Han. Once she saw the magic crew had made their way down Buffy crept quietly to the edge and glanced down. Yup… Army o nasty vamps, check.

She backed out of view and nodded to Willow. The witch took a deep breath and started the spell, raising a hand holding the Lapedium Solis amulet, soon it started to float in her hand, but just as the spell seemed to start, the Turok-Han must have noticed their visitors and came charging up the cavern walls. Those with flame throwers stood at the ready and fired as the first uber-vamp crawled over the edge. The flames kept most of them at bay, but the few that leapt over them were ambushed by fighters. With their strength in numbers the humans were holding their own, by either pinning one down and staking it, or throwing it to the flames. One that was thown back toward the fire regained its footing just before the flames then turned to see Buffy fighting off another, and charged up to her from behind. But just as it was about to claw her down, Spike intercepted the beast by grabbing it's head and twisting it clean off and into dust. Buffy had just dusted the vamp that was in front of her and noticed the poof of dust behind her, and gave Spike a quick 'thank you' smile, before going after another that broke the fire line. Then one of the flamethrowers started to putter out, making a hole in the wall that was quickly taken advantage of by first killing the potential that was wielding the broken device. Buffy and Spike rushed over to cover the gap in their lines, fighting side by side, practically in sync as they whaled on their own opponents.

Then all of a sudden a beam of light shot out between the pair, dusting the next uber-vamp that had scaled the cliff. Buffy and Spike looked back to Willow seeing the spell was working, however the light beams that hit the humans seemed to hurt them, Buffy wasn't sure how but wasn't anxious to find out. "Get down and fall back!" She yelled as she and Spike helped block the flamethrowers retreat.

Most of the potentials made their way out of the hell mouth, being led by Anya and Andrew. The rest of the scoobies, including Wood and Kennedy, stood in the stairwell behind the witches spell and watched every Turok-Han that crossed a beam turn to dust. The sodding spell is actually working. Spike thought to himself and smiled. Then beams of light started to hit some of the pillars in the cave, causing them to glow the same brilliant light then burst apart.

"I don't think this cave is gonna hold much longer." Westley hollered over the noise of the collapsing pillars. "I think everyone best load up incase we have to clear the area." Buffy nodded and ushered everyone up, telling Dawn to get everyone loaded. Buffy, Spike, Wes and Willow were all that was left in the cave, and with the spell illuminating pillars at all ends of the cave Buffy was sure they had taken care of most of the Turok-Han.

Then the once bold burst of light started to flicker, Buffy looked to her friend, drenched in sweat and starting to shake. "Willow!" she yelled, "That's enough, let's go!"

Willow didn't seem to hear her and remained focused. Another pillar close to them broke apart bringing down a chunk of cave to their left, yet another signal it was time to leave. Unsure of what else to do Buffy looked to Wes and Spike, Wes pulled out a sack from his bag and handed it to Buffy, motioning to use it on the rock. "If we disrupt the catalyst it should end the spell."

Buffy nodded then looked to Spike, "You got her?" He nedded in return, ready to catch the witch. Then Buffy used the sack to grab the amulet out of the air then a moment later Willow collapsed into Spikes arms. The three raced up the stairs and out of the cavern, then ascended up the ladders to the surface, first Spike & Willow, then Wes, then Buffy. After Spike cleared the top ladder and handed Willow off to Xander and Kennedy the ground began to shake, the ladders shook and fell to the side, causing Wes to grab hold of the edge and Buffy to fall. Fred and Dawn ran to help Westley up while Spike ran to the edge to see what had become of Buffy. She had landed beside the still open seal, Spike was ready to jump down, but Dawn yelled to stop him.

"Spike!" he looked to her, still anxious to make the jump "Grab a rope or something!"

"Right." He looked around and saw a pile of rope hanging about from the pre-spell de-construction. He ran over to the bus parked 20 feet away and secured the rope to its bumper then ran back and quickly eased his way down the hole. "Buffy, you alright luv?"

"Yeah," she said a little groggy from the 2 story fall "But earthquake on the hellmouth is never a good, we gotta get outta here."

"Right, climb on my back." Spike hoped she wouldn't waste time arguing her abilities, and luckily she nodded, not too sure herself if she'd be up for the climb at the moment. Spike started to scale the rope when it started to ascend, the bus had started to move pulling them up and out of the hole. He released the rope after they were on solid ground, not seeing anyone else Spike ran, with Buffy still clung to his back, to catch the bus that was leaving the school yard. As the pair approached it the back door swung open, Spike leapt in and the potentials grabbed hold of him and Buffy so they wouldn't fall out.

After standing up Buffy asked "Why such a speedy exit?" The potentials merely pointed behind them, Buffy and Spike looked to see the school and the area they were speeding away from collapsing on itself. "Oh." Guess we made that a bit too close of a call… Buffy turned around and started to head toward the front of the bus, hoping all her friends made it out. A few potentials were missing, having been slain by the Turok-Han, but everyone else seemed to be accounted for. As Buffy reached the front Dawn popped up and hugged her sister.

"We did it!" she quietly exclaimed.

"Apparently…" Buffy broke the hug and looked to the seat to her right, "How's Wil?"

"Still out, but vitals are good, she should be just fine." The bus started to slow down pulling to a stop by one of the graveyards on the outskirts of town. Everyone stared out the windows to see the large crater that seemed to engulf over half the town. "Hey maybe the house survived." Dawn said hopeful that there house may still be standing on the far side of the crater.

Buffy stepped down out the front of the bus to take a closer look, she was followed by her sister, Fred, Xander, Anya, and Andrew. Spike was about to join the group after hopping out the back end, but something caught his eye on the opposite side of the road.

"So, if only like a quarter of the town's standing… is it still a town?" Xander inquired, "I mean technically could we fill in the hole and have a nice lake, that'd make property values go up for once?" he smiled hopefully overlooking the crater.

"But wouldn't any water just drain into hell?" Anya asked "We didn't exactly close the seal."

"What over half a town of rubble isn't enough?" Dawn questioned.

"I couldn't tell ya." Buffy answered to all the questions "That's a problem for another day, today the only thing I wanna figure out is how Spike managed to become a slayer right under my nose." She went to look to glare at her boyfriend but saw he wasn't standing with them like she thought. "Spike?" After a minute he strode out from around the bus, he walked up to her and grabbed her hand and stepped back the direction he came from. "You feel like explaining?"

"Just come on." She walked beside him as he led the way, the rest of the gang followed curiously. He had led them into the graveyard to a tomb in the shape of a pyramid. "Look familiar?"

Buffy cocked her head to the side a little then looked back to her sister and Fred "This the tomb from the papers?"

"Could be, it's in the right part of town, but I don't exactly have a GPS on me." Dawn pointed out.

Buffy nodded in response then motioned for the group to hang back, while she stepped to the door, still holding Spike's hand, motioning him to join her. She released his hand to open the door then entered the tomb. The door opened to a steep staircase going down, but there was light coming from the bottom. Buffy made her way down, Spike close behind. At the bottom there was a large room supported by Egyptian-esk stone pillars and the space was lit with small basins of oil lit on fire.

"Someone expectin' us?"

"That's usually not good…" but before Buffy could finish a third voice filled the space.

"Not usually, but there's always exceptions to rules." A pale old woman with white hair came into view, hands behind her back as she slowly walked toward the pair. "Of course you already know that, you've created many exceptions to the rules of this world. Today alone you've made a second slayer, used the Lapedium Solis in an unusual way, and sealed the hellmouth before the FIRST could finish its plan."

"Well my mom always said I had a knack for making trouble." Buffy surmised.

The woman was now standing a few feet in front of them "Yes, you both have made quite an impact on this world… And you're far from done."

"I'm sorry, but who might you be puppet?"

"She's a guardian." Buffy answered, not taking her eyes off the woman.

"One of the first, I'm the last of those who watched the shadow men make the first Slayer."

"You look good for your age Mum." Spike half joked.

"I do." She replied almost cocky.

"You just said that the hellmouth is closed, yet we're far from done?" Buffy asked confused.

"You two will go on to fight evil wherever it lies, it simply doesn't lie here anymore." Buffy and Spiked nodded in agreement and understanding. "And as you will be moving on I would like to pass this on to you." From behind her back she unveiled a large ax with a curved red blade at one end, the base was made of wood and came to a point like a stake. "This is a powerful weapon, it has been given to slayers throughout the centuries when they were deemed worthy."

Buffy accepted the weapon, amazed by its beauty and design. Spike looked to it and muttered "Guess I gotta save the world a few more times before I get one." He chuckled.

"It is for the both of you now," the guardian explained "You sir have done something that has never been done, and for that we reward you as well. The gaurdians had never dared to intentionally make a second slayer. But in how and why you have done it, we find commendable and will honor the change."

"So Kendra then Faith?"

"Kendra was accidentally the start of a second line, we did not think you would come back. Then when you died a second time, we did not call another, thinking one was best."

"So with the mojo Wes & Willow did today, that changed things?" Spike asked.

"Yes, they altered the nature of the magic, so from now on there will be one man and one woman slayer."

"So the slayer will never have to be alone again…" Buffy surmised and smiled, handing the scythe for Spike to hold.

"Now, I know of your deeds, but what are your names, to be remembered for all time for what you have done."

"Oh, I'm Buffy and this is Spike." Buffy said pointing to herself and Spike accordingly.

"No, Really?" The pair shrugged to the truth of it, the guardian almost looked embarrassed she asked. "Well then, Buffy and Spike, you have done the world a great service in stopping the FIRST, and this sorry world needs your continued help to beat back the rising dark. Continue to help each other, and perhaps you can live longer than the slayers before you." After a moment the crypt's lights extinguished, the only light present came from the stairs behind them, not seeing the guardian anymore they turned and started up the stairs.