The next day was a Saturday, to the relief of many. The Scooby's had stayed at the hospital for the night, hours of fitful sleep had left them drained and it was not long before dusk before they had freshened up, changed and managed to reach Giles'. Giles was fully into research mode, the main coffee table was already piled with books, the Watcher was hidden away behind a stack of books when they arrived. Buffy went to find him and smiled at the sight before her eyes. He was tipped back on his chair, hair ruffled, glasses still clutched in his hand and a cup of now stone cold tea at his side, he was snoring soundlessly.
"Seems like we weren't the only ones not to get a good kip last night" she sighed, taking in the sight of her now Ex -Watcher, when things went array he was there, trying to find the answer, fired or not. She wondered if Wesley was doing research, he and Giles were not so unsimilar in their cross refrencing ways.
"Has he found anything?" Xander asked desperately as Buffy returned to the others.
"I don't know" Buffy cried, "He's zonked, I'm guessing not, otherwise he would have rang and said"
"Why does he get to sleep, its not like I could just do that when I feel like it." Anya shot a comment.
"He's been researching all night by the looks of things" Buffy angrily answered, she hated it when someone criticized Giles, he did more than people knew, even after the Cruciamentum, she had more respect for him now than ever. But she didn't blame Anya, she was still having trouble adjusting the 21st century as and ex-vengeance demon.
"Well we can't just sit here doing nothing" Xander replied, his tired desperate expression said it all.
"No. We research" Buffy grabbed a nearby book from one of the large stacks and sat down on the sofa. "There has to be an answer in one of these books somewhere."
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There was a sudden loud crash and Giles jolted himself awake. He blinked and strained to look at the clock on the wall suddenly realising his glasses were absent. After returning them to the bridge of his nose he glanced at the time, 7.15pm. Damn, had he really fallen asleep for 3 hours, after being on the verge of finding the answer to all this, the Codex was still open on his lap.
There was another crash and a pile of books toppled over.
"What the?" Giles stood quickly, shaking the last ruminants of sleep from his eyes he froze at the sight before him. The books where strewn across the floor, the table turned over and Buffy was before him, ready in a fighting stance.
"Buffy wha...?" He stepped towards her, and turned to face the doorway. He was met with seven glowing eyes, fangs bared.
"Seven Vampires" Giles mumbled to himself, "The same ones that?"
"Shot Willow" Buffy was seething with anger, "Oh yeah" she smirked a little, "and there about to get nice and friendly with Mr pointy here" the slayer pulled her bronzed lucky stake from her pocket and handed Giles another.
"It doesn't look like they need an invitation either" Xander stood up next to the Watcher keeping Anya behind him out of the way. The door was nearenough of its hinges as the vampires had forced entry.
"Weapons" Giles concluded pointing to his weapons chest and all four dived for it as the demons entered. Each vampire was baring a sword, they were wearing the typical outdated leather garb. But their faces seemed unnaturally old and twisted, their brows more disfiguring than usual. It unnerved them. Carnage rained down in the room suddenly, crossbow bolts flew and swords were swung. Buffy struggled to hold her ground as the seven vampires turned on her.
"Giles?" Buffy gave her Watcher a desperate glare. He shot the crossbow, piercing the heart of the demon closest to the slayer, but to the sudden despair of the friends, it didn't turn to dust.
"Oh great" Xander cried, swinging a sword around to protect his girlfriend from another blow, "first they don't need invitation, now they can't be dusted?"
"Giles, who are these guys?" Buffy tried to stake another and he didn't dust, "what the hell is going on?"
"We need to get out" The Watcher cried, sending another couple of bolts towards the vamps. "We're outnumbered, we don't stand a chance"
"Ok" Anya answered, "On the count of three to the front door right?"
"One...two...three"
The four jumped forward but the vampires countered, Buffy took a couple of sword swings, she stumbled back a few paces, dazed. Giles received a violent punch sending him sprawling on the floor, knocking him out cold.
"We are so gunna die" Xander nervously stepped forward. A vampire swung a sword and Xander failed to block, the blade glanced his arm and he pulled back, clutching his now bloody shirtsleeve.
"Anya?" Xander tried to pull her back but it was too late. He was forced backward, colliding with the sofa he tumbled to the floor and watched in desperation as Anya tried to fend the vampires off. She stepped backward trying to dodge a swing but failed, stifling a cry as a blade sunk into her side. "No" There was a sudden blinding flash filled the room and Xander fell backward, the air seemed to hum with electricity and he managed to pull himself upright. The vampires pulled back and rushed out the door. Just as before, as quick as they had arrived, they had gone.
"Anya?" He crawled forward, he eyes met by her unconscious form. "Oh God not again" The scene was all too familiar to the night before. The crimson liquid from her fresh wound was soaking quickly into the carpet, Xander felt the warm rivulets of blood from his own fresh wound trailing down his arm.
"Oh no" Buffy stumbled forward from where she had somehow fallen. "Giles wake up" she pulled her Watcher up and lent him on the nearby chair, and shook him by the shoulders. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Wincing he placed a hand on his head.
"We need to get to a hospital" Buffy glanced over to Anya, "now"
"My car," Giles pointed out, struggling to stand up. "I'll drive us there" he quickly searched for his car keys as Xander picked Anya up in his arms.
"Are you sure your ok to drive?" Xander looked dubiously at the Watcher, who seemed anything but steady on his feet.
"I'm fine, lets go" he concluded finding his keys and ushring everyone out of the door, this was turning out to be one hell of a day.
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"What are you saying?" Xander sat down as the doctor tried to re explain what he had just said.
"I'm saying that she's blind" the doctor said again, "Completely in fact. Are you certain that she wasn't before this incident?"
"No, we're sure" Buffy said, her arms folded in front of her, Giles was at her side trying to fathom the theory. Anya was blind; she had not suffered any head trauma, only the gash from the sword.
"None of this is making sense" The Watcher stuttered, "How is this possible?"
"We're unsure Sir" the doctor turned to him, "there is nothing wrong with her eyes at all, we can only conclude that she had suffered some sort of neurological trauma, we're sending her for scans later, I'm afraid we wont know the answer until then" And with that the doctor was gone again.
"I don't understand" Giles pulled his glasses of and began to clean them in frustration.
"I do" Xander said without looking up, "Just after the vampires injured her there was a flash, I knew there was something about it"
"Magicks" Giles cut in, "But that still doesn't explain it, normal vampires don't possess the ability to perform magic"
"But these aren't normal vamps" Buffy cried.
"I was on the verge of finding the answer" the Watcher said, "I think I'd found the right passage in the codex, but if I hadn't been disturbed" he sighed, replacing his glasses on his nose. "I'd best consult my books again"
"I need to get home, I don't think mum's safe while these vamps are running riot around my friends" Buffy continued, "If you find any answers, I'll be there." Giles nodded and watched her depart then turned to Xander.
"Do you need anything" he looked down at him, somehow Xander seemed to have come of worst in all of this, well discounting Willow and Anya anyway. His best friend had been shot and now his girlfriend. Giles figured it was going to be another long night for him.
"I'm fine, thanks G man" Giles ignored the title, he patted the boy on the shoulder and headed off. It was going to be a long night for all of them.