Disclaimer : BTVS and Angel belong to the Great, Munificent Joss Whedon! I do not them or Stargate, Dukes of Hazzard, or Highlander. Nor do I own M.A.S.H. I'm not doing this for money, fame, or fortune (more's the pity) but I am doing this for the recognition of my peers, peons, and loyal subjects.
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"Something oddly familiar ..." Illyria noted, watching the newly arrived warlock jump back up to the roof to rejoin Willow and Giles. Buffy, Angel, and Spike roared past her, which shook her out of her reverie. She snarled in remembered rage, about to rejoin the fight when an unfamiliar voice from above yelled out, "INCOMING!"

After yelling out his warning Bo Duke and Luke Duke took careful aim, let out half a breath loosing their arrows just as their Uncle moved quietly into the room. Jesse grabbed replacement arrows giving the cylinder attached a little twist.

"Five second fuse boys." he whispered urgently just as the outside lit up with twin explosions from the first two arrows. He hummed, "Hmmm, may have been a little heavy on the shine."

After releasing their second arrows Bo and Luke grinned with savage glee. Bo spoke up receiving a third arrow, "There's never no such thing as 'too much' shine Uncle Jesse!"

Buffy, Angel, Spike, and Illyria skidded to a sudden halt and ducked at the warning. Well, Illyria stopped standing stock-still, brows scrunched in confusion watching her companions. She noted the arrows, watching their trajectories, looking for some reason that would cause the others to cease in their forward charge. She could sense no magic in the projectiles so was quite surprised at the force of the resultant explosion.

For Spike time slowed. Hitting his knees and leaning his torso back almost to the asphalt, eyes growing wide as an imp with a long beak of a nose soared just a few inches above him, its tail whipping behind it.

"EEEEEE! I knew it!" it shouted out, its high pitched squeaky voice grating on the ear, "If I believe I can fly, I can fl-" Unfortunately for the red-skinned, white gloved imp the brick wall disagreed causing the small demon to splat out of existence. Spike slowly rose shaking his head in disbelief.
Angel ended up on his hands and feet with his back to the ground. Watching another pair of arrows streaking towards the gathered demons he skittered away as quickly he could like an upside-down cockroach, just a touch of fear in his undead heart.

Buffy, having crouched down to duck and cover, calmly performed a back-flip away from the army. One, two, and three back-flips found her back at her starting point. She ducked to the right seeing a certain blond Vampire headed her way, yelling his frustration to the uncaring night, "AAAAAAaaaaAAAAAgh!"

Buffy watched mesmerized, as Spike sailed through the air towards her, "It's like a train wreck." she found herself thinking, "I just can't look away."
Spike landed in a boneless heap once again, in the exact same spot as before. Buffy scrunch her face in empathetic pain allowing a, "Yowza! That's gotta hurt!" escaped before she could stop it. Bouncing up in anger he proclaimed, "The Bloody Smurf did it again!" just as the second set of arrows hit their targets. Still as a monolith out of time Illyria faced the twin fireballs her face relaxed in a peaceful smile as the resultant fire wash over her.

"Oh." Spike noticed, "Um, thank-you?" his voice wavering just a little. In an aside to Buffy he stage-whispered, "I hope she didn't hear the smurf remark."

Angel whipped his attention to Buffy as she giggled, yes giggled, at Spike's joke.

"*AHEM*"

Up on the rooftop Giles and Willow had finished with the first step of their plan. A green wire framework, prefab-ed and snapped together, vibrated and thrum with green glowing power. Dawn stepped through with the last of their supplies. She nodded to Giles, smiled at Willow, and noticed the dark cowled figure at the roofs edge peering down studying the fight below.

Leaning towards the others she asks, "Whose dark, not-so-tall, and mysterious."

At that moment the subject of her question withdrew from the sleeves of his cloak two sets of magical orbs. The items looked to be the size of large ball bearings held in each hand. Peering over the edge to the battle below he brings one set of orbs to his lips hidden in the depths of darkness under his hood. They watch him mutter, unheard, and he tosses the first set of orbs to the ground below a few feet in front of Illyria. Repeating his actions with the second set of orbs they land in a straight line from the first two, but further out. Concerned, face scrunched in concentration Willow joined him just as the orbs form a shield protecting hero from beast.

"That's neat!" Willow marvels. "And it's mostly self sustaining too!" She realizes peering closely at the shield. "Hey! How'd you do that?"

"They are of my own devising." The stranger purrs.

"Men and their balls." Willow snorts. "Never thought I'd use those two words in the same sentence again."

As they rejoined Giles and Dawn, the stranger chuckles. Willow picks up on his amusement and chortles. She noticed his profile out of the corner of her eye causing her to suspect who he is.

"Well I think the Calvary has most certainly arrived." Angel looked around exhaling a nonexistent sigh of relief.

"You great big sop. You've been messing with my noggin'." Playfully punching Angel on the arm. "Bought bloody damn time they got here, I say."

"Oh reeeaallly." came a voice, tinged with sarcasm, from behind.

Spinning in place the two en-souled Vampires and the blond Slayer drop quickly into defensive positions. A flash from a camera caused spots to dance in their eyes. They hear, "This is a really nice camera Daniel. I'm thinking we silk-screen this picture onto t-shirts, we'll make... " his eyes clearing Angel could see the man speaking place his right pinkie finger to his mouth as he finishes with, "A Billion Dollars! Muwa-ha-ha!"

Illyria, however; becoming quite impatient with the humans steps closer to Buffy ordering, "Let down the shield you impertinent mortal, I have demons to destroy."

Leaning in close to Angel, Buffy whispers, "Who's the Mystique clone?"

"Oh, her." Angel remarked, pointing at the fallen goddess. "She's on our side. Buffy meet Illyria, Illyria Buffy. And since when do you know who Mystique is?"

"I read." she huffed in mock indignation.

"Polite pleasantries are not in my nature mortal. Damage is what I still wish to do. Release the demons!" Illyria haughtily demanded.

To ease the apparent tension, Spike joked to Buffy, "Don't mind her luv, she's just angry 'cause she never got to snog with Percy, the head boy."
Illyria shot Spike an ice cold stare, then sniffed and turned away.

"Whatever." Preparing to get back to the task at hand, Buffy realized something was amiss. "Angel, where's Wesley?"

Upon hearing the name of her guide in this world, Illyria fully enraged, spun on her heel heading for Buffy. "He is dead mortal!" She screamed, arms extended reaching out to grab the slayer.

Defending herself Buffy ducked beneath the fallen goddess's grasping hands. Swinging the Troll Hammer she knocks Illyria across the alleyway into the far wall. Illyria crashes into the bricks and slowly slides down to the pavement. She stares in amazement at Buffy, and then her eyes roll up in her head as unconsciousness takes her.

Buffy points at Angel who is about to defend Illyria. "Don't even say a word!"

Spike had dodged to his left avoiding Illyria's flight across the alley. Staring in shock his head swiveled from Illyria to Buffy and back again. Smirking he swaggers to Illyria's still form, hands in his pockets he squats over her confirming Illyria is fully unconscious. Springing to his feet he exclaims, "Too right! I knew it would take a slayer to bitch-slap a goddess down."

Buffy's calm eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights as she squeaks, "Goddess?!"

Angel lays a calming hand on her shoulder and reassures her, "Don't worry she's not the goddess she used to be."

"Daniel?" the camera wielding man asked, "Did that tiny little blond girl just knock the 'mystique clone' (he made air quotes with his fingers) across the alley?"

Angel and Spike smacked their hands to their foreheads with Spike adding, "OI!"

"Bo, Luke." Uncle Jesse informed his nephew's while handing them a couple more arrows, " We've got six more... three each left. Take out the Big'uns."

"You got it Uncle Jesse." and "Yessir." were their replies.

Daisy and the young teen, Jesse couldn't remember his name, peeked in the door, "How's it going Uncle Jesse?"

"The boys are almost out of arrows dahlin'." he replied with just a touch of concern. Facing her he inquired, "How's young Gunn doing?"

Daisy blanched, "He's doing better but he had lost a LOT of blood. Father Mulcahy was able to determine his blood type and Conner is a match. They did a blood transfusion and he's doing much better now. He's awake and most of his worst injuries are almost fully healed. It's why we were able to do a patrol to make sure no demons got through the wards."

Jesse narrowed his eyes at Conner noticing the slightly pale pallor, "And how are you young man?"

"I'll be okay sir." he explained, "I'm similar to Slayer's. I heal fast. Just needed to eat some food."

"Some food?" Daisy asked surprise evident in her expression, "Dahlin', you eat more than Bo and Luke combined and that's saying something!"
Conner blushed causing Jesse to hide his smirk by turning away. It was obvious a certain young man was smitten by his niece. Bo caught his attention, saying, "Hey Uncle Jesse? I notice that most of these demons burn really well. Didn't we bring extra shine?"

"We shore did Bo!" Jesse exclaimed, "And I can have Francis Bless it as well." turning to Daisy, "Help me carry 'em Daisy?"

"You bet'cha Uncle Jesse!" she excitedly returned with her mega-watt smile, "And Conner ken help. He's almost as strong as me!"

"Good, then let's get ta goin'" Jesse ordered as he sauntered out the door and down the hall, calling out behind him, "Bo, Luke. You two be careful in there, ya hear?"

"You got it Uncle Jesse." and "Yessir." were their replies. They were good ol' boys.

Daniel quickly snatched his camera back nervously eying Buffy and the Troll Hammer advising, "Um, Jack?" he moved slowly away from the fire in the girls eyes, "I think you should apologize to the, uh, young woman that can swing a really big hammer like that."

"Hmmm," the camera man named Jack observed, "You may have a point there Daniel."

Buffy started to growl as she prowled closer to him causing Jack to gulp quickly, "Sorry bout what I said back there. Howzabout we start over?" Stepping closer he introduce himself like he was at a twelve-step program, "Hi, I'm Jack and I suffer from foot-in-the-mouth disease."

Buffy stopped, stared at him, cocked her head to the side, staring at him just a little bit longer causing Daniel to quip, "That's it, we're all gonna die."
Buffy laughed.

Again, everyone that knew her looked very, very concerned. Spike sidled over to Angel whispering, "That doesn't sound like her 'I'm-about-to-eviscerate' you laugh."

"I know," Angel responded just as puzzled, "It's not even a 'I'm-gonna-start-ripping-limbs-off' laugh."

Buffy's laughter slowed into a chuckle. She twisted and stuck her tongue out at them. Facing Jack once again she announced, "I like you. You make me laugh."

"Um... You're welcome?" he returned confusion evident in his demeanor.

"So, who's who?" Buffy asked.

"Would you believe we're just a bunch of friends that randomly bumped into each other? Fully loaded for war?" he asked with a 'butter-won't-melt-in-my-mouth-nosiree' look that didn't fool Buffy for a second. He continued, not waiting for an answer, "No? Okay then! We have our own Slayer, I know what goes bump in the night, so here we are!"

"Jack? Wait, what?" Daniel asked incredulous, "You knew about Vampires and the Supernatural? Why didn't you tell me?"

The big guy in the back with the gold tattoo on his forehead rumbled out, "I, too, knew of what goes 'bump-in-the-night' DanelJackson."
"I also happen to know about Deadboy over there, read his file." Jack commented noticing a sadness cross the Slayers face almost too fast to see. Soldiering on he added, "Blondie and the Lady Blue? Them I don't know."

The tall guy in the trench-coat on the other side of Jack holding a sword suddenly looked up whispering, "Do you hear that?" at everyones confused look he added, "It's quiet."

They all focused on the demon army. Strangely enough the force-field muted the demons roaring, gnashing of teeth, and chomping of bones coming from the other side. But what they could hear clearly was the droning of Latin coming from a third floor window of the hotel. There were no more explosive arrows shooting from building anymore. The group examined the enemy horde realizing the demon army had been halved by their mysterious benefactors.

"Is someone blessing..." Buffy began. She stopped as... something that resembled a Mason Jar flew out the window followed by another, then another, and more. It was a veritable rain of mason jar's falling on the demons heads in a seemingly random pattern.

Jack seemed to wilt, "Oh no! Not the 'shine! Oh the humanity!" he moaned. Daniel just shook his head while Teal'c stoically popped an eyebrow.

A bolt of fire shot out another window. Focusing on it those gathered below could see it was a flaming arrow. Impacting in one of the deeper puddles of the liquid that had formed on the asphalt below drew confused and concerned glances from everyone. They could hear the screams of pain and see the smoke rising from different demons causing them to realize the liquid was blessed by a holy man. So why shoot a flaming arrow at Holy Water?

Almost immediately there came a 'fwoosh' and the liquid caught fire. The force-field held the demons on the other side as they burned into ash or melted into a liquid goo. A breeze gusted from behind the demons. Before anyone could react the odor reached them but it smelled... good. The air smelled clean as if there had been a cleansing rain.

Dawn, Willow, and Giles peered over the edge of the roof. Giles was able to see directly into the hotel window watching as the priest gave a quick blessing to the mason jars before they were tossed out the window. He muttered, "Is that.. moonshine?"

"Why I do believe it is." The dark stranger confirmed.

Willow and Dawn looked at Giles, at the flaming forms running hither and yon below them, and back to Giles.

Dawn queried, "How do you know what moonshine is?"

Ignoring her Giles adjusted his glasses as he examined the group of strangers conversing with Buffy. The four people in trench- and long-coats seemed very familiar. He couldn't quite place... wait. It clicked when he noticed the two men with long hair pulled back in pony tails.

"Could it be?" he asked himself. Before he could peruse that thought the hooded man next to him let out a gasp and jumped over the side of the building.

Dawn asked, "He do that a lot?"

"Oh, about once or twice and hour." Willow quipped.

This time, however; the stranger landed light as a feather. Striding between the two groups he faced Duncan stating, "It is you."

Duncan, slightly perplexed, responded, "Yes, no matter where I go, there I am."

Conner grunted, "That woman is a bad influence on you Duncan."

Said woman, Amanda, just grinned like the cat that ate the canary purring, "You know you love me."

Ignoring the by-play the stranger turned slowly towards Buffy the cowled man let his gaze slide over the other Immortals and the men dressed in military fatigues. Facing Buffy he informed her, "Slayer, these four are Immortals. They have centuries of fighting experience between them. They can be trusted."

Jack nodded and said, "It's true." when Buffy looked at him for confirmation.

At that he simply floated up towards his previous perch on the roof rejoining the other three mages. His voice wafted down as he rose, "We could use you're, Angel's, and Spikes help in keeping the Dragon at bay Slayer. If you would be so kind." As an after-thought he informed the rest, "Oh, the force-field will be effective for just little bit more. I strongly advise you get into a more defensible position."

Buffy looked at Angel and Spike. The two vampires-with-a-soul were having a small conversation. Eyes widening, suspicious looks, and nods of confirmation Spike ran for the fire escape scampering up to the roof. Angel gave Buffy a look of 'I-promise-to-tell-you-later' and 'trust-me' mixed in together. She nodded and he stepped forward onto her cupped hands as Buffy to give him a boost half-way up the building opposite the hotel.

"So. You're the Slayer." Jacks accusation stopped Buffy before she could run up the fire-escape.

"Yep." she answered, popping her 'p'.

Spike yelled down from the roof's edge, "Buffy! The force-field is about to drop! Get you're lovely arse up here." As she ran for the fire-escape he yelled at Jack, "Oi! Rippah says hello and get ready to repel the horde. He says to hold 'em off for 'bout 5 minutes so we can finish the spell!"

"Right, sure, uh-huh, you-betcha!" Jack snark-ed back. Turning to his team-mates and the Immortals he ordered, "All right people! You heard the Billy Idol wanna-be-"

"I heard that!" Spike's voice came faintly from above.

"let's get into position everyone!" he finished as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"That's the last one Father." Jesse Duke stated holding up the last mason jar of 'shine.

"Then let's make this one special." Father Mulcahy announced. He took the jar, blessed it three times, claimed it is truly the blood of the lamb then took a take a sip.

"Whoo! Strong stuff Jesse." he exclaimed as the 'shine burned its way down. Stepping to the window he wound up and pitched the jar like a baseball. It detonated against a giant horned Demon standing about 10 feet tall rocking its head back. The jar had been followed by the last of the fire-arrows causing the blessed 'shine to explode into Holy Fire on the demon's skin. It roared in pain until it's head exploded in demon ichor and gore.

"Whoo-hoo!" Bo cheered, "and another one bites the dust! Way to go padre! That jar must've been going about 80 miles per hour!"

Blushing, Father Mulcahy muttered, "Used to hit about a hundred with my fast ball."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves Bo." Jesse lightly admonished his nephew, "Remember. Pride goeth before a Fall."

"Okay Uncle Jesse." Bo responded, only slightly repentant.

"Let's get our supplies together and lend our troops the support they deserve!" Jesse ordered grabbing up his duffel and heading to the stairs.