The Great War

'That was the night I nearly lost you. I really thought I lost you'

CHAPTER NINE

Buffy's face was tear stained. Spike noticed it straight away, his heart sank. He hated to see her upset. He cursed Daniel in his head and remembered the promise he made not two hours ago. 'Yep, that boy was gunna get it' he thought to himself

Buffy put on a brave face as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "So what's the plan?" she asked

"We think we've found a way to open the portal and send all these beasties back to hell" said Willow "We'll need to get back to the Wolfram and Hart offices"

"The office is destroyed right Dad?" asked Connor

"There's not a lot left standing" said Angel

"How would we get close? There's demons all over the city. I'm pretty sure they'd have demons protecting the offices right?" asked Faith

"We'd need help getting us in there" explained Giles "And we'd need help to protect us whilst we're in"

"Two groups then" said Spike

"Faith and I will get you in there" said Angel

"Take Emma, Lisa and Kate" said Buffy "The rest of you will be with me and Spike"

"What about me and Xander?" asked Dawn

Buffy looked at her skeptically

"Oh no, not this 'you guys can't fight' crap" Dawn rolled her eyes

"I think we proved ourselves last time" Xander said

"Fine… you guys stay close to Willow and Giles" said Buffy

"Right in the action Dawnie" Xander high fived her

Buffy shook her head.

"And what about Daniel?" asked Dawn

"He's… leaving" said Buffy

"Oh" said Dawn

"Yeah… so, when do we leave?" asked Buffy

XXXXX

"Are you ready?" asked Angel

Willow nodded. They rounded the corner and found a horde of demons lurking around the Wolfram and Hart premises.

Faith sprung into action running at the demons. The first punch came from a huge demon that Faith had never come across before, not that it mattered. She was in the mood for a good slay. The second punch from the demon doubled her over now she was pissed

"You little…" she yelled as she lunged forward

"Faith!" shouted Angel drawing his arm back, he drove his fist into a demon's nose.

The girls Buffy had picked to go with Faith and Angel were holding their own, slicing and dicing demons as they came at them with their swords.

Buffy and Spike's group hung back with Willow and Giles. Buffy was impressed that the girls had actually been listening to her in their hand to hand combat lessons.

"When do we make our move?" asked Rose with a tinge of panic

"Give them a minute" said Spike

The first group had managed to distract the demons from the ruins of the entrance to Wolfram and Hart.

"Now" said Buffy

The second group made their move and ran towards the building. Once inside Buffy yelled "Girls hold the line here"

The remaining four girls protected the entrance, whilst the rest of the group headed further into the building.

It was eerily quiet, they walked briskly through the building. "Where do you need to be?" asked Buffy

"Just up ahead" said Willow "That should be close enough"

As they got closer they could see a bright ball of fiery red energy hovering in the middle of the building.

Suddenly they were under attack. Buffy and Spike held them off long enough for Giles and Willow to get close enough to begin the ritual.

"lupus arietem cervum" Willow and Giles chanted in unison

Buffy grabbed a demon's arm, she twisted it until the heel of his hand pointed toward the ceiling. A loud crack was heard as the demon screamed in pain. Buffy spun around to face him, she punched him in the face. While he was off balance, she kicked his kneecap, shattering it. The demon crumpled to the ground, she took her dagger and stabbed him causing another scream.

"porta clausa, infernus reditus" they chanted again

Dawn and Xander were managing to cause a bit of damage to a demon by double teaming him. Xander kicked the demon in the gut causing him to double over in pain. Dawn took her shot and stabbed the demon in the head with her sword.

"Great work Dawnie" Xander praised

"Thanks!" She smiled

"daemones redire, infernum redire" Willow and Giles said in unison.

Spike swung his sword and chopped the head off of yet another demon. The building began to shake, the portal was beginning to pull the demons in the close vicinity in to it.

Spike felt the unexpected pull towards the portal "Buffy!" He yelled

Buffy spun round to see Spike sliding towards the portal "No!" She yelled

The building began to come down around them.

"Willow!" Xander yelled

"Guys we need to get out of here!" shouted Dawn.

Buffy grabbed hold of Spike and they both began to slide toward the portal.

Willow and Giles stopped chanting. The walls came down, the sound of steel bending and plaster falling filled their ears.

Willow noticed that Buffy and Spike were barely handing on to a steel bar. She thought on her feet and held her hand out towards them. "manyetik olmayan" she shouted.

Buffy and Spike held on to each other as the force of the portal slowly started release them.

"We gotta get out of here" said Buffy

Spike nodded as they got to their feet and took off running. As they ran the portal grew, sucking demons into it at every turn.

Dawn, Xander and Giles were the first out out of the building along with the four baby slayers. The bright red light of the portal illuminated the sky as it broke down the walls and glass windows of the Wolfram and Hart offices.

The glass breaking caused Faith and Angel pause their fight for a second.

Willow, Buffy and Spike managed to get out of the building just before its final collapse. They hit the ground just as the portal began to drag in demons, kicking and screaming.

Angel too felt the pull until Willow again reached her hand out and yelled "manyetik olmayan"

Angel was released from the portal's grip.

"Get down!" Angel yelled as more and more demons came flying through the air and into the portal.

For what seemed like hours demons that came in their droves onto the streets of Los Angeles were pulled back into hell.

The dragon was the last of them, it roared and blew fire as it was lured back to where it came from.

"sigillum" Willow and Giles yelled.

The portal slowly faded out into nothing.

"We did it!" one of the baby slayers yelled with glee.

The hero's gathered together, hugging and congratulating each other on a job well done. Buffy rolled over and began to get to her feet and when she noticed Spike still laying on the ground with a huge wound across his torso.

"Spike, are you okay?" She asked

He coughed and looked up at her "I'm fine" he lied, he stumbled to get to his feet.

Buffy watched him as he struggled "Spike?"

Spike got to his feet, the floor swayed beneath him. Buffy rushed to his side before he hit the floor again.

"Spike!"