Chapter 14.

Xander hissed. "Yeah, it's bruised, thanks for noticing."

"Yes. Yes, it is. But there doesn't seem to be any internal bleeding, at least." Giles nodded as he finished the examination as gently as he could.

"I could have told you that. Technically, I'm a doctor." Xander frowned as he lowered his shirt back down.

"Ah, yes. I guess I forgot that." Giles shrugged.

"Ri-ight." Xander frowned. It had been bad enough having 5,000 years of memories in Methos' rather young looking body. He was constantly underestimated; good in the game, annoying in life. In Xander's body people were downright patronizing.

"Yes, well. Thank you, Angel, for bringing him back safely." Giles said.

"I just escorted him. He's the one that saved me." Angel insisted as he looked out the window at the brightening sky. "I should go. It's been a long night. I'll check the busiest tunnels on my way home and call if I find her."

Xander hopped down from the checkout counter/exam table and headed for the front doors of the library while Angel headed for the back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Giles asked.

"Attendance." Xander said. "I'll be back later for a good long nap, don't worry. I already miss a constitution that could go several days without sleep when needed."

Giles frowned but nodded. "Be careful." he ordered. He knew he was being a bit overprotective, but when one of your charges takes on a supernaturally strong assassin and not only survives, but wins, well... he was nearly ready to wrap the boy in bubble wrap for a week. But for now, a little sleep of his own was in order.

Angel cautiously entered his apartment upon finding the door broken.

"Buffy! Where have you been all night? We've been looking all over town for you." Angel said as he entered his apartment and noticed the girl sleeping there. He wasn't sure if he was more annoyed that he hadn't thought to look here, that she hadn't told anyone she was here, or that she had spent the night behind a door with a broken lock when assassins were out to get her.

Buffy blinked to clear her mind and get her bearings. Oh, yeah. Angel's apartment. She'd only laid down for a minute... "We?"

"Xander and I were out all night looking for you. Giles was up all night calling and waiting for you to show up there or for Xander to call that he'd found you. I think Willow was up researching the Order of Taraka, but I'm not sure." she had kind of hid when he and Xander had walked into the library. No one bothered to explain why.

Buffy at least had the decency to look abashed at the trouble she'd unknowingly put her friends through. "Sorry. I just needed a place to think and I didn't want to go home. I only closed my eyes for like, a second."

"It's probably good that you didn't go home." Angel said then explained how Xander had felt like he was being watched when he'd broken into their house.

"Well good. Serves him right. He was probably going through my diary or something. The feeling of being watched was just an extension of his guilt." Buffy asserted.

"Buffy. He helped Giles take down an assassin yesterday afternoon and took down another one all by himself that had already almost taken me." Angel informed her.

"Xander." it was halfway between a question and a statement. Like Buffy just couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Xander." Angel agreed. "Listen. No one told me anything, but I realize that something happened either between you and Xander or Willow and Xander; and I gotta tell you, now is the time to-"

Angel never got to finish that sentence as his door exploded open and vampires started pouring through.

The ringing phone rousted him from his sleep. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs and get his brain in gear. He answered on the third ring. "Rupert Giles."

"..."

"Buffy! Where have you been?"

"..."

"I know I told you that, but we were supposed to agree on a place together, so that we wouldn't worry about you and could contact you if we found any assassins. By the way, tell me you aren't at your house."

"..."

"Oh, good. Ah, Angel told you. Where are you then?"

"..."

"Buffy. Buffy, slow down. You're at Angel's because you were attacked?"

"..."

"I see. But you are both alright after the attack?"

"..."

"Good to hear. And yes, the school should be safe. We've already taken care of the assassin that was here."

"..."

"So kind of you to think so. But I assure you, you're not in this fight alone. Xander helped with that one too."

"..."

"They... nodded to one another and are both currently asleep on opposite sides of the area with the bean-bag chairs. I suppose it's a start. But do come back, won't you?"

"..."

"Very well. I'll see you soon." Giles hung up.

"On her way?" Xander asked from the doorway.

"Indeed. It seems she was sleeping at Angel's flat the whole time. Some of Spike's men attacked them early this morning but no Tarakans were with them." Giles said.

"Well, we already killed three of them." Xander pointed out. "I don't know about in your world, but in Methos' world, if a target survived three assassins then the price went up. Because that meant that the target was no ordinary target and they were misled about his or her abilities."

"So, it's possible the threat is over?" Giles asked hopefully.

"Maybe. I'd feel better if the last one had been wearing a ring. As it stands, she could have been an independent bounty hunter and there could be another Tarakan still waiting at Buffy's house."

"Good lord. I'm getting too old for this." Giles place his head in his hands.

Xander smirked. "Speak for yourself."

That at least earned a chuckle from the librarian.

"Joyce is coming back Friday." At a look, Xander went on. "I saw it on their calendar when I checked for Buffy. We need to get Buffy in there Thursday so we can see if there is still an assassin watching there or if our girl was the last. I need you to come up with a vest that can take a direct hit from a high-powered rifle."

"You're sure that's the method the assassin will use? Why?" Giles clarified.

Xander looked away. "No. But that's how I would do it." After an eternity, he spoke again. "I'll see you here after school Thursday."

Giles was left to his own musings. Finally, he went back to his research.

Spike was not a happy camper. The rest, well last, assassin from the Order of Taraka had packed up and left. He hadn't said anything (creepy, that) but had handed Spike a letter that said the contract on the Slayer had been fulfilled. A new Slayer had been called, their seers said.

Dalton his brainy vamp had found the cure to Drusilla's sickness and he'd sent out his minions after Angel. Only one had come back from Angel's apartment, the rest having turned to dust by Angel and "THE GOD-DAMNED SLAYER!" he roared as he sent the bearer of bad tidings to join his mates.

The Slayer still lived (he was going to have a talk with the Tarakans about that) and now he was too low on minions to make another play on Angel before the new moon.

A knock sounded on the door and a vampire in human-face walked in. He'd been turned young, and certainly wasn't ancient, but he did have a certain swagger. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear. You're having problems with the Slayer."

Before Spike could answer, Drusilla appeared. "Yes. She's being an awful pest, she is. I believe we need an exterminator."

A grin spread over Ford's face. "Then I'm your man- demon- thing- whatever."

Spike just shook his head. They were doomed.

After school was the first time the whole Scooby gang had been willingly together since the break up. Giles had just finished explaining to Willow Xander's part in defeating two assassins. He looked at the clock on the wall.

"Angel's late." Xander observed.

"No matter." Giles replied. "We'll fill him in later. This is too important to wait. I've discovered the remaining keys to Drusilla's cure. The, uh, the ritual requires the presence of her sire, and it must take place in a church on the night of the new moon."

"And Angel's late." Buffy sighed. "Don't tell me, the new moon is tonight?"

Giles nodded.

"Angel. Angel is Drusilla's sire." she admitted. "Will this ritual kill him?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it will." Giles said gravely.

"We need to find this church. We need to find where this ritual is gonna take place!" Buffy announced.

Giles checked his watch. "Agreed, and we must work quickly. We have five hours before sundown."

"Don't worry, Buffy, we'll save Angel." Willow declared as she opened her laptop.

After an hour, Xander realized they weren't going to find the church in time through research. He stood up. "I'm going to go hit up Willie, Angel's snitch."

"You're injured." Buffy remembered. "I'm coming with you."

Xander wanted to object, but the mere act of standing up had reminded him of the truth. "Fine. Swing by Angel's place and make sure he didn't just oversleep and meet me there."

"I'm staying with you." Buffy insisted.

"I'm injured, remember? I'll just slow you down. Meet me there." Xander insisted.

Buffy was surprised to see Xander actually waiting for her outside Willie's Bar. She had suspected that sending her to Angel's was just a ploy so he could 'question' Willie alone. Instead, he had waited for her, just like he'd said.

"Ready?" he asked and she led the way into the dimly lit bar.

Willie was busy mopping the floor where the last assassin had died. His eyes went wide when he realized who had just walked into his bar. "Hi, kids! Can I interest you in a beer? On the house!"

Buffy pinned the slimy man to the wall. "Where's this ritual happening?"

"I- I- I don't know anything! I-it's all hush-hush!" Willie pleaded.

Xander kept his face perfectly blank. "Tie him to a chair, then leave."

Buffy gave him a questioning glance.

"You don't want to see what I'm about to do to him." Xander said, his face and voice both perfectly calm and free of emotion.

"Xander killed more Tarakans than me. And he knows how to make people talk." Buffy said as he let Willie fall to his feet and started to drag him to a chair.

Willy looked around nervously but didn't make a break for it. Xander was between him and the door, arms crossed lightly in front of himself. He started talking when Buffy came out of the back room with a length of rope. "You know, m-maybe I did hear something about this ritual. Yeah, i-i... i-it's coming back to me. But, uh, I'd have to take you there." he said as she started tying him up.

Buffy stopped tying. "Let's go." She lifted him to his feet with the rope still holding his arms to his sides.

"Aren't you going to untie me?"

"No."