Running up that Hill

"If only I could I'd be running up that hill. It doesn't hurt me. Do want to know how it feels? Do you want to know it doesn't hurt me? Do you want to hear about the deal I'm making?" –Kate Bush

*TL* *TL* *TL*

As Rosalie, Connor and Cordelia made their way up the back steps of The Hyperion they noticed how quite it seemed for the area especially for that time of the day. And saw how many dead birds were in the courtyard as well.

"Oh my God – that is TOTALLY gross! Gunn must be barfing somewhere inside!", the aspiring actress exclaimed. Rosalie just had a sneer on her usually neutral face at the various birds scattered on the grounds.

Connor then moved from Cordy's left to the right side of the courtyard quickly with an angry scowl upon his face, "We aren't out here alone"

"What the hell are you talking about Connor? Angel and them probably heard us so they've come out here to see us…?"

Rosalie shook her head, "That's not it, three humans are coming our way. Your friends are inside and from the smell of it aren't in too of good shape"

They looked at her confused, 'smell'? They didn't have to wonder long because as soon as they looked back that direction Cordy saw Fred, Lindsey and some blonde guy who was the tannest man she had ever seen! The three of them all blood on them but accessing them up and down it seemed it was not their own.

"Um Fred, why aren't you in there with the others? Also what the crap are doing with Lindsey there? I know you've mesmerized the files we have for Wolfram & Hart!", the seer barked at her.

"Jesus, can we NOT git into this bullshit all over again! Look, my man Linds doesn't work for those dick-wads anymore ok? You can call that no good Liliah to confirm it even!"

"Look I don't give two craps about who you are but I WILL beat the crap out of you blondie!"

"You wanna go, big tits!", they were already in each other's face practically breathing heavily. It remind her slightly of when she'd fight with Xander back in Sunnydale .

"Ok Cordy, CALM down! And Sawyer- that's the kind of behavior that made you need Lindsey as your lawyer in the first place isn't it? And we are all kind of in the middle of a freaking END-OF-THE-WORLD-CRISIS right now so if you start fighting each other again I will beat the both of you, got it?", Fred glared at the pair till they backed away from one another.

"Rosalie, what's this about our people being hurt in there?", Connor asked slightly concerned, he may not like that his birth father is a vampire but the guy went of his way to look out for him time after time. Sure it had been drilled into his head by Holt not to trust him but for some reason Cordelia trusted him, so he was starting to slowly.

"Can't you smell it kid? I know you inherited some your folks' super-stuff but seriously the smells coming from inside it intense", she stated looking at him a bit shocked.

"She's right, I could smell it about a block away", the whole group turned around to see a guy who could very well be Rosalie's brother hoping off the top of the fence. Right behind him was Wesley and…

"FAITH! Don't tell me you busted her out of jail Wes!"

"We had no choice; it seems our Sunnydale friends have forgotten to tell us about something's going on there. These men who are called 'The Bringers', or as they call themselves 'Harbingers' have been trying to kill off the entire Slayer line – for forever it seems"; that explanation didn't stop the glares being exchanged between Lindsey, Faith, Cordelia and Fred.

"I missed you too Core", Faith stated with utter sarcasm and a smile. She only held a stake but that didn't mean the others weren't regarding her with caution.

"What you couldn't let them get her?", Lindsey stated harshly.

"If that were to happen it would mean Buffy is the very last, and it also could potentially trigger the next slayer as well. With Buffy dying and coming back, this all got rather complex", he stated with a stern glare.

"Oh got the lock of the door here, watch the dead birds as you come through!", Winnifred stated perkily. The others just gapped at her, she can pick locks? What had Angel been teaching her during her off time!

Rose and Jasper ran in immediately when they saw Emmett laying there and his arm torn off, over on the stairwell. The others stared on in horror when they saw it reattach itself.

"Did anybody get that license plate number of that truck", Lorne stated groggily as he sat up from behind desk bloody and half of one of horns torn off.

"Oh Lorne – what happened here?", Gunn was laid out in the middle of the lobby and Angel wasn't to far from Emmett.

"Well sweet-cakes, after your fight with coco-bear we got swarmed with suicidal birds. Which I see you've run into from your usually adorable shoes. We also got swamped with calls all over the area about all sorts of crazy paranormal activity; poltergeists', vampire attacks, fiery rain to name a few. Angel insisted we hold fort but keep ear open for 'The Beast', ya know? It'd been something like four hours after you left when Gunn snapped and was about to leave when this girl came in, saying she was related to…well Lindsey right there actually. She was in a right mess state, her Dad's dead and Mom has seemed too of dumped her now that she's a legal adult. We were about to help her find him when 'The Beast' arrived."

Lindsey had looked bored at first but at the mention of his niece he looked paler and scared for her, 'Brunette, skinny and oddly pale? Goes by 'Bella'?"

"Yep that be the darling, she also went off about being wrong about some Edward at some point before The Beast, and that Emmett dude got here"

"HEY – leave my brother out of this! Also we are her friends, we had no clue she was gonna wind up here of all places!", Emmett barked at the green demon.

"Oh some friends, she cried into your chest and punched you! Well until The Beast grabbed her"

Jasper and Rosalie's eyes went wide with this startling new knowledge, "What do you mean he took her?"

"I mean he through the rest of us like rag-dolls, well except sparkles there, when he tried to get Bella out of his iron grip Beast ripped off his arm and threw her over his shoulders and ran out of here laughing his ass off. I would have gone after but was busy with that passing out, as were we all", the three Cullen's gapped with this.

They looked around the room some more; Angel was awake just giving Connor his space and Gunn was looking at Fred with a very hurt look but she didn't notice as she was too busy looking over some of the notes Lorne had received with Wes now trying to decipher if there was a code of some kind.

"Sounds like my ass got busted out of jail just in time for some kick-ass fighting- sweet!"

"Which reminds me, we also did a quick run-by over to Wolfram & Hart to see if they had anything to do with this fellow or the rain of fire; it seems he does not care for them. Jasper was able to get us in and out swiftly but it's safe to say they are not in cahoots with him."

"What'd you find there Wesley", Angel finally spoke up curious about this development.

"He not only killed the entire board of trustees and everyone who worked there but also went after everyone that was 'on vacation'. Including Liliah. So that's how we know Lindsey is a, oh how did Giles put it once, 'white-hat' now"

Lindsey was smiling smug-like with this news being out, but it kinda saddened him hearing this monster had gotten his former partner. He didn't want to imagine how she died.

"Clear some space around the front door, I smell some visitors coming", Angel announced suddenly with a sort of odd look on his face that Cordy knew immeadiatly.

The Cullen's looked at him, "Uh, nobody's walking up…"

They had their answer when suddenly quite a group of people popped in out of nowhere swirling with magic. Some of them merely teenagers holding weapons galore, a few adults in the group and one the Cullens recognized: Esme!

"Oh my Willow, you were right that *did* tickle!", she chuckled out. Even Buffy was laughing at Esme's reaction, she acting as if she was only their age and not decades older. It made Buffy happy to see her so relaxed and calmed after everything she'd been through in her human life.

"So that's who Alice sent you to get Esme?"

It was then Esme realized her secret was very much out of the bag, with everyone gapping at her – especially her own family. It hurt her the way they looked at her with eyes like they did. Almost like they felt she had betrayed them some how.

"If you must know, yes. And for the record I've known Buffy for a very long time, since she had just completed her junior year of high school actually. We've kept in touch via email and telephone calls over the years. That, Jasper dear, is why you would feel me get anxious about a phone call every once in a while. She had a secret of her own that I would not share at the risk of The Volturi coming after her.", she smiled sadly at Buffy.

"Wait, you were here with her when she ran off?", Cordy asked. It was then Angel made the connection and Spike wanted to laugh at his Grand-sires piteful look on his face.

"She's the one that made me take the bus ride back to all of you in Sunnydale with that warm and loving reception", Buffy gave the former Homecoming Queen an icey look.

"Buffy why didn't you tell me about any of this?", the dark-haired souled vampire pouted.

"Like Esme said, she had a secret that wasn't mine to share. Which we'll go over later"

They all knew that was far from the end of that particular conversation from the look Angel was giving her, hell all of Angel Investigations, Sawyer & Lindsey wanted to know what the deal was with the Cullen's!

"Well with that rather fun 'soap-opera' worthy moment, what happened to your hotel Poofter?"

It was then Angel and the others noticed the peroxide vampire smirking, and already lighting up a cigarette. Angel just sent a glare in his direction then looked to Buffy for an explanation.

"He helps out, plus what could I do –leave him in Sunnydale with a big honking fight building up here? You know he can't fight humans anymore; it's the only way he can get his kicks now. Plus Giles paid me $300 to take him away from the Hellmouth, the First was kinda screwing around with him", she emphased with her hand making the 'crazy' gesture. Which made Cordy, Connor, Fred, Gunn, Sawyer and Lindsey step back- no way they were gonna be near a unstable vampire!

"Hey pet, no need to bring that up! It's not my fault I'm all soul having, went and got it for you remember, the First decides to try and make me all like Dru by bring about uber-vamps in the process"

Wes jumped over to them, "Wait you had uber-vamps over in Sunnydale and didn't call us? You know that the first sent assassins after Faith?"

Buffy then actually saw Faith and smiled, "Hey Faith, you ok? Those bastards aren't easy to take on alone."

"I'm just 5 by 5, but antsy for our sweet dancing skills we do. And don't forget how we get afterwards", she replied with her smirk.

"Hold on a minute, Buffy last time you were here in LA you were Miss Bitch about Angel getting her help. And now you're totally cool with her?" Cordy barked at her. Buffy Summers would never make sense to her it would seem!

"Funny thing about death a la` electrocuting portal and then being in heaven, it makes you reevaluate some of the stupid things you've said and done. After talking with Angel when I came back; I went and had a long talk with Faith here, we've been cool since. Before this whole 'First/Firey LA' crap began I'd go visit about once a month. Hell one of the guards even accused me of being her girlfriend!

But enough about that, Esme says we need to help y'all with some big horny dude going by the name of 'The Beast'?"

The teenage girls laughed at her description but stopped once Willow sent them a look to shut it.

"Buffy, this guy ripped off his arm, whatever your friend Esme's kind of vampire with ease while taking a hostage. Who are the teens with you here?" Wes inquired in his 'Watcher' role since Giles seemed to be sitting this one out.

"My three potentials, there were more but uber-vamp got them, as did the First. Giles is also trying to teach English to one from like China but is doing terribly, which is rather funny when we aren't fighting for our lives. The tall brunette with the crossbow and wicked dagger is Amanda, found her while working at the High School! The other brunette with green eyes and big sword is Annabelle. And finally the tan shorty with the belt of stakes is Kennedy. And I can say they do quite well for not actually being Slayers yet"

The three girls beamed at this compliment but knew with the other Slayer here now it meant more training. As they glanced around at the new faces they could sense so many different things their minds were saying to them with all the supernatural in the room. They knew the Cullen's were safe to be around but it didn't mean it stilled their senses any to want to attack, which from the look on the blonde guy whom Esme said was Jasper, could tell they were resisting that urge. However when they looked over the green demon they could tell he was perfectly safe. This was certainly going to be an interesting stay here.

"Um Esme? Carlisle is on the phone and wants to talk to you", Emmett spoke up suddenly. Everyone looked at her as she dashed over to the phone held out to her while wondering when the phone rang.

"Hey, yes I'm here with Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett…", she glared over at Rosalie for a moment while he spoke to her.

"Yes I've kept things from you but you've kept things from me as well dear. We'll discuss this later when you've brought Edward back from that place he's calling a room in South America so he can save Bella….of course she's in trouble. It seems the monster from Alice's vision has her now..…So he heard me and running to the airport now? Good see you both soon", and with that hung up the phone nearly breaking the screen but didn't care for she was too upset with her 'children' for 'telling on her' to her husband before she could explain to him face to face.

She looked over to Angel, Buffy and everyone else, "It seems my husband and Edward should be arriving by tomorrow night, and Alice with her back up as well. We should start a plan of attack and rescue of some kind, don't you all think?"

*TL* *TL* *TL*

There was pain all over. That was the first thing she was aware of when she came too. It was also very dark in this place she was at now, where ever it may be. For as far as she knew she could no longer be in LA anymore, far away from any form of help really. And laying on very hard ground was not helping her pain one bit.

As Bella made an attempt to stand up it was then she noticed she was now wearing different clothing then before. It was a long black dress with red lacing along the ribs on each side. It also had a sash with red, black and caramel entwined in it that went all the way around her and way past the dress it seemed. Also her head felt kind of heavy, she touched it and noticed an odd crown with a stone of some kind.

"What the…where am I?", she asked more to herself while getting a better look at her surroundings.

"I thought that would be obvious my dear, you're here in my home preparing to be sacrificed for a most holy ritual to bring hell upon this Earth. So enjoy your last 24 hours on this planet", the large red demon she recalled now from earlier stated.

"What if I don't want to be your sacrifice?", she began to back away from him as he stomped towards her.

"You don't have a choice in this matter, virgin"

Damn Edward and his old fashioned ways!

-My my, thing's HAVE gotten crazy! Now if you want more review. And none of this "liked it, update soon". Tell me what you liked, or didn't like. Also what do you guys think is going to happen? Will Bella live to see Edward? Will Angel discover Buffy and Spike's romance? And will Esme be in trouble with Carlisle? Review to find out! See ya next time!

~Vixen519 (still don't own any character above and dress link is on profile btw)