Chapter 29: Hush
January 7, 2002 – Monday
U.C. Sunnydale
Buffy walked between Faith and Willow as they headed towards their afternoon Psychology class. Buffy felt another yawn coming on and immediately raised a hand to cover her mouth just before it overtook her.
Faith gave Buffy a look as her wife lowered her hand back to her books. "Are you sure you didn't stay out all night?" she asked concerned.
"No. I actually got back early. Patrol was a little quiet last night." Buffy reminded Faith as they turned into another hall.
Willow raised an eyebrow at the couple, not quite sure that she entirely believed them. "So, there was no romantic interlude last night."
"Nope, there was no interluding last night," Buffy murmured, with a soft little sigh. Wishing that Faith had been awake when she got home.
"Uh-huh." Willow murmured sarcastically as she gave Buffy a disbelieving look.
"We didn't, cuz," Faith insisted as they reached the lecture hall their class was being held in. "I was fast asleep for a change."
"Sadly, sleep for me was kind of elusive," Buffy admitted as they entered the hall. Hers and Faith's hands rising slightly to return the wave that Riley gave them as he glanced over at them.
Willow also gave Riley a small wave of greeting, before turning her attention back to the couple. "Was there any reason for said sleeplessness? A prophetic reason perhaps."
Buffy shook her head. "No, no dreams last night. Just one of those times when sleep likes to play the flirtatious bitch that never closes the deal."
"That mean whore," Faith gasped in mock outrage for her wife.
Buffy smiled as she took her seat, setting her book bag down at her feet, before pulling out her notebook and pen. "Well, I much rather be dealing with a sleepless night than a prophetic dream. Sleeplessness tends to be less dire straits." Faith and Willow nodded, but didn't say anything as Professor Walsh walked briskly into the lecture hall.
"Alright class settle down." Walsh ordered unnecessarily; her student's voices having quieted at her entrance. "Class is now begun," she said briskly as she shrugged out of her jacket, before facing the class as she began her lecture for the day.
Buffy wasn't sure how much time had passed as she tried to focus on the lecture Walsh was giving as she fought the tiredness that was pressing in around her, urging her to catch up on the sleep she had missed out on the night before. And then suddenly her tiredness seemed to melt away making it so much easier to be alert. She smiled in relief as she sat up straighter and pressed the tip of her pen to the paper of her open notebook fully intent on trying to catch up on what she had unintentionally missed.
"So, this is what it is…" Walsh continued her gaze sweeping over her students as she continued to talk. "Talking about communication, talking about language not the same thing." Buffy scribbled hurriedly in her notebook. "It's about the way a child can recognize and produce phonemes that don't occur in its native language."
Buffy glanced over at Faith and Willow who were paying rapt attention, very glad that she would be able to grab what she had missed from either her wife or her best friend after class.
"It's about inspiration…not the idea, but the moment before the idea when its total, when it blossoms in your mind and connects to everything, before the coherent thought that gives it shape, that locks it in and cuts it off from the universal. When you articulate it, it becomes smaller. It's about thoughts and experiences that we don't have a word for," Walsh lectured, her gaze searching among her students, before focusing on Buffy.
"A demonstration. Buffy Halliwell-Summers," Walsh singled out, raising an arm in her direction. Buffy looked around hoping that there would turn out to be another Buffy Halliwell-Summers in the class sitting somewhere behind her. "Come on down to the front here," she urged, beckoning Buffy down with a small movement of her arm.
Reluctantly Buffy stood from her seat and slowly made her way down the steps, her ears filled with the excited whispers of the students that were both teasing and urging her on. She came to a stop beside Walsh in front of her desk, her hands folded awkwardly in front of her; highly aware of all the eyes that were on her. Waiting expectantly for what she would be told to do. "A typical college girl," Walsh addressed the class. "One assumes." She added as she turned her gaze to Buffy a small smile curving up her lips. "Lie down on my desk." She instructed Buffy.
"What?" Buffy exclaimed surprised, not having expected the demonstration to involve lying down on Walsh's desk!
Walsh's smile turned faintly amused. "Go ahead, you're perfectly safe," she assured Buffy as she gestured for Buffy to walk over to the end of her desk that was facing the closed door to the lecture hall.
"Oh," Buffy muttered a little embarrassed as she heard the sound of her classmates' laughter at her hesitation. Walking over to the end of the desk she easily slid up onto the end of the desk, sliding carefully back on the smooth clean surface, before leaning back on her elbows not quite able to bring herself to lie down complete on the desk. Her predatory instincts telling her that it was a vulnerable position that she didn't want to be in a class full of students that for the most part she didn't really know.
"Riley," Walsh called, turning her attention to her TA who was leaning against the wall, his gaze shifting from Buffy to Walsh, his gaze somewhat disgruntled as he focused his attention on Walsh. "If you could oblige."
Riley straightened up and began walking across the room towards the desk. "A demonstration, right?" he grumbled, his tone tinged with anger.
Walsh smiled amusedly once again as she watched Riley cross in front of her. "Be a good boy," she directed, her gaze following him as he made it over to the desk where Buffy was waiting, her eyes slightly wide as she wondered just what was supposed to happen next.
Suddenly Faith appeared between Riley and Buffy. She leaned over her wife in a fashion that seemed very intimate. "I'm so glad you appeared," Buffy whispered lowly. "I was afraid this would turn into a nightmare."
Faith smiled at Buffy softly, her gaze soft. "Don't be so sure," she assured her wife. "When I kiss you, it'll make the sun go down," she stated confidently. She placed her hands on Buffy's knees sliding them up her wife's thighs. Buffy tilted her head up so that she could continue meeting Faith's gaze.
A delicious shiver ran over Buffy as Faith's hands slid up over her hips coming to rest on her sides. Her lips parting expectantly as Faith dipped down toward her, no longer caring about all the pairs of eyes that were watching them as their lips met igniting their passion. Her eyes fell closed as their lips moved against each other, sending sparks of desire through her blood heating it. Their tongues met passionately and Buffy raised a hand to caress over Faith's cheek as she moaned heatedly.
Reluctantly Buffy pulled back as she sensed the lights in the room changing. She looked over at the window that let natural light into the hall during the day to see that the sun quickly disappearing as darkness took over the sky. Turning her gaze from the window to Faith, who was looking around the classroom, a curious look on her wife's face. Buffy followed her gaze to see the now dark hall completely empty of students, their desks sitting empty as if the classroom had always been that way.
"Fortune favors the brave," Buffy murmured as she finished her surveillance of the room, finding it now completely empty aside from herself and Faith.
Faith returned her gaze from the room to Buffy, her hands tightening slightly about her wife's sides, drawing Buffy's gaze from the room to her. "How about we continue where we left off?" she murmured huskily in Buffy's ear. Her head dipping lower to place soft kisses on the slender column of Buffy's neck.
Buffy leaned into Faith enjoying the sensations Faith's mouth on her neck were creating inside of her. She pulled back after a short moment. She swore she heard something beyond the wet sounds of Faith's mouth working on her neck. "Do you…" she trailed off as Faith pulled her back against her, her mouth trailing over Buffy's neck once again.
Shaking herself Buffy pushed Faith away with a great deal of effort. "Faith!" She hissed urgently as Faith attempted to pull her closer once again, causing Faith to groan in disappointment, but she stilled all the same as she pricked her own ears for any strange sounds that would distract Buffy from the pleasure, she had been giving her wife. "Do you hear that?" she asked as she slid off the desk.
Faith stepped back a little as she took note of the sound that sounded very much like a young girl humming a tune. Buffy turned her gaze to the door and began walking toward it, believing that the sound was coming from somewhere beyond the door. She followed closely behind her wife as Buffy walked out the door and started down the hall.
A short moment later Buffy stopped as her eyes landed on a young blond girl that was standing at the end of the hall a small ornate box cupped in her hands, that she was holding up in front of her.
The girls hum became a rhyme as she stared intently at Buffy, her voice rising and echoing back to her. "Can't even shout, can't even cry. The gentlemen are coming by. Looking in windows, knocking on doors, they need to take seven and they might take yours. Can't call to mom, can't say a word. You're going to die screaming, but you won't be heard."
Buffy frowned as the rhyme ended, the words settling a disturbing feeling in the pit of her stomach. She felt Faith touch her arm gently and immediately she turned to look at her wife, wanting to ask Faith if she understood what the rhyme meant, only to have a scream of surprise building in her throat as she was greeted by a horrifying pasty smiling face. It had sharp fang like teeth filling its mouth, revealed entirely by its wide-open mouthed smile, the tall demon wearing a snappy black suit that seemed to give it an air of elegance that its face didn't match.
Buffy jerked away, her heart thundering uncomfortably against her ribcage as she looked around the room, somewhat surprised to see the sun brightly shining in through the window and Riley still leaning against the wall, Faith sitting next to her and the classroom still bustling with students.
"So, I'll see you all Monday for a final review session." Walsh dismissed the class just as Buffy came to the conclusion that she had been dreaming.
Faith glanced over at her wife as they and Willow began putting their books away. "Boy that was an exciting class, huh?" she stated, fighting to keep the amusement out of her voice and not quite fully succeeding.
"Oh, yeah wow," Buffy muttered uncomfortably as she stood, swinging the strap of her bag up onto her shoulder.
"And the last 20 minutes was a revelation," Willow teased. "Just laid out everything we need to know for the final. I'd hate to have missed that."
"Just tell me I didn't drool," Buffy pleaded, realizing that Willow and Fiath most definitely knew that she had fallen asleep during the class.
"You were very discreet," Faith assured her as they exited the lecture hall.
"Minimal drool," Willow added.
"Oh yay," Buffy said in relief as they rounded a corner.
"So, were you dreaming?" Faith asked curiously.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, it was kind of intense…" she began as they passed Riley who was standing in the hall talking to a student, accidentally catching a part of their conversation. Quickly excusing himself he hurried after them. "Intense? Really?" he asked as he caught up with them, falling into step beside Faith. "Because you seemed so peaceful."
Faith chuckled. "She always does," she admitted to Riley, who since he found out that she and Buffy were married had become a friend. "One of my favorite pastimes is watching her sleep."
"Faith!" Buffy exclaimed in embarrassment. "Of course, it was only for a moment," she muttered.
"Right." Riley murmured amusedly, before changing the subject as they reached a turn off point of the hall they were walking down. "Hey, you guys headed over towards Kresge?" he asked hopefully.
"Uh, student center," Faith corrected.
"Well then I will see you guys later," Riley said as he headed off.
"So, the dream…" Faith began curiously.
"You know," Willow said gaining their attention. "You guys go, I've got a thing I need to do for mom. I'll see you both after Wicca group," she excused before moving to head off.
"Okay, cuz," Faith said as Willow hurried off. She then turned her gaze back to Buffy who gave her a smile. "So, tell me about your dream," she urged. "Was I in it?"
"Of course, you were in it," Buffy replied, as Faith put her arm around her. "You are of course my wife. "So of course, you would have a featured role," she told Faith as she rested her head on Faith's shoulder.
"Tell me more," Faith beseeched.
Buffy kept silent until they had exited the lecture halls, then began. "It started out as a dream, but I think it moved into the realm of a premonition. Had this weird monster in that I've never seen before."
"So, are we flaming to the Manor before we have lunch then?" Faith asked.
"Afraid so," Buffy replied. "Have you got your sketch book?"
"Right here." Faith patted her laptop bag.
"Then let's go."
Halliwell Manor
Piper stood before the book as she listened to Buffy who was reciting the most important part of her dream; the part that seemed prophetic. "Can't even shout, can't even cry," she repeated back to Buffy as she recited from what she had written on a notepad. "The gentlemen are coming by." She scratched thoughtfully at her head as she underlined the words for emphasis. "And the girl was holding a box?"
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "You heard it before?"
"Um, it sounds vaguely familiar," Piper admitted, though for the life of her she couldn't remember where he had heard it before. Whether it was in the book or from Grams as a child. "You're sure it's…nothing you heard when you were a child?" she asked.
"Complete with scary demons?" Buffy countered.
"Right. Well, It could definitely be a premonition," Piper allowed. "Or it could just have been a case of an extremely erotic dream…"
"Piper!" Buffy said obviously embarrassed.
Piper chuckled. "I'll check it out and um, I'll let you and Faith know if I find something," she assured her niece.
"Thanks, Piper," Buffy said.
Faith walked into the room, sketch book in hand. She held out the sketch book before her, having finished the sketch of the demon, who seemed to bear a resemblance to a demon that had killed Tara's sister and Buffy's cousin…der Kinderstod. "Is this him?"
Buffy took the pad for a closer inspection. "I think so. Freaked me right out," she handed it back.
Faith carefully tore the page out and then handed it to Piper.
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow sat in a student lounge in a circle with thirteen other women looking around her Wicca group as she listened to Nicole the unofficial leader of the group spoke in a dreamy tone that Willow thought she believed must be what Wiccan's sound like. Her hands intertwined with the two women she was sitting next to in the rough circle they had formed.
"We come together, daughters of Gaia, sisters to the moon," Nicole chanted in that dreamy tone that was really beginning to grate on Willow's nerves the more she heard it. Maybe it wouldn't bother her so much if what Nicole was saying wasn't complete and utter garbage! "We walk with the darkness, the wolf at our side through the waterfall of power to the blackest heart of eternity." Nicole opened her eyes a smile curling up her lips as she looked around at the members of her group as she released the hands of her neighbors the chant finished. "I think we should have a bake sale," Nicole suggested excitedly, her voice now completely normal.
Cheryl bit her lower lip reluctantly. "I don't know," she disagreed.
Nicole cut across whatever Cheryl was about to say not wanting to hear anything negative about her idea. "You guys like a bake sale, right?" she asked, addressing the whole group who began nodding their agreement almost immediately, except for Willow and Tara who sat on the floor in between a couch and a chair, her gaze settling on Willow who was sitting as quietly as she was. "I mean we need money for the dance recital and you know, I do an empowering lemon bundt," she enticed with a winning smile.
"The most important thing is the Gaia newsletter," Cheryl spoke up, abandoning her disagreement with the bake sale after seeing that she was outnumbered. "We need to get the message of blessing out to the sisters," she spoke earning approving nods from the other sisters. "Also, who left their scented candles dripping all over my woman-power shrine?" she asked looking around at her fellow sisters, looking for someone to own up.
"Well, this is good," Willow spoke up a little hesitantly, noticing how Cheryl's eyes had landed on her triumphantly for a moment, before she looked away from her obviously realizing that she wasn't about to own up to putting wax all over her shrine. "This is all fun…a bake sale, some baked goods there…" she babbled slightly as she looked nervously around the group as all eyes were on her. "But there's also other stuff…that we might show interest in…as a Wicca group."
"Like what?" Nicole asked dubiously, wondering what a newbie who didn't even attend all their meetings could possibly have to add.
Willow glanced toward Tara the only one she knew was a true witch like herself. She wondered how to broach the subject without revealing she like Tara actually had powers. "Well, there's the wacky notion of spells…" she suggested, trailing off at the looks she got from the others except Tara.
"Well, you missed last week, we did a healing chant for Chloe's ankle," Cheryl said with a slight shrug. "She said the swelling went right down."
Nicole shook her head derisively. "What is she doing on a mountain bike anyway?"
Cheryl shrugged again. "She was trying to impress Justin," she muttered as if the answer should be obvious.
Willow glanced toward Tara who nodded. "I…uh…you know, I don't think this group is for me." She stood up as Tara did the same and they walked away from the group. "It was surprising to see you in a group of wannabes."
"I could say the same about you," Tara admitted. "So, Buffy told me that Faith's aunt Piper adopted you as her daughter."
"She did," Willow said as she smiled.
Streets of Sunnydale
Faith walked beside Buffy as they headed toward Joyce's house after only a short uneventful patrol. "Sorry we didn't get to see any action tonight," Buffy apologized.
"Buffy," Faith said smiling at her wife. "I don't care if it's uneventful. As long as I am with you. That said, maybe our reputation is starting to scare them all away. After all, not only are we Slayers. But I'm a descendant of the Warren line and you are a descendant of the Spellman line."
Buffy pretended to think about it for a moment, before she shook her head. "Nah, the demon populous in general will never get that smart. Besides, they get all gaga for the Hellmouth."
"True," Faith agreed. "The only other thing that seems to attract them is my family."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed.
Faith sighed. "You know that rhyme has been going through my head. I would to know what seven their taking."
Buffy nodded in agreement. "I know. But what I heard…what I saw. Wasn't pretty. I mean I've seen ugly demons but what I saw went beyond that. And the snappy suit just added a whole other creepy factor."
"Well even if it was a premonition," Faith said she released one of Buffy's shoulders so that she could touch Buffy's cheek. "It's not the end of the world," she assured her wife.
Buffy bit her lower lip as she looked at Faith uncertainly and she stepped. "It ended mine last time," she admitted softly, her voice almost a whisper.
"What are you talking about?" Faith asked confused.
"Well there was the vision before the Master drowned me," Buffy explained with a sigh. "Then there was the vision when I killed Angel. Both times it felt like my world had ended."
Faith took a step closer to Buffy, grasping her wife's shoulders again this time pulling her up against her, her arms folding around Buffy in a hug as she held her wife against her; relief filling her as she felt Buffy's arms slip around her back in return. "Don't worry, Buffy," Faith murmured soothingly, her hands stroking soothing aimless patterns up and down her wife's back. "You have me and I am not leaving you, ever." se promised and she felt Buffy's arms tighten about her in response.
Faith leaned in toward her wife and pressed her lips to Buffy's, moving them against her wife's in a slow affectionate movement a smirk of satisfaction attempting to curl them up as she felt Buffy's hands in her jacket. "You sure you don't want to go back to the Manor tonight?"
"No," Buffy answered. "Till we figure out this premonition, if that is what it truly was. I think it would be better to stay in Sunnydale. We'll call Piper when we get to mom's house and see if she found anything."
Halliwell Manor
Piper sat at the breakfast table in the kitchen, a frown of concentration on her face as she looked down at the words that she had written down on the notepad, the ink making up the words thick now from all the times she had traced over them. "They need to take seven…take seven what?" she mused, her mind still frustratingly pulling up blanks in recalling where she had read or heard something like it before.
Her musing was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing. "Paige?" she called out.
"Yeah," Paige called back as she came into the kitchen a small moment later. "Anything?"
"No," Piper answered with a sigh. "I have the drawing and the rhyme. But the neither are doing me any good. Not all demons have pictures in the book and I can't find the rhyme."
"Have you asked Leo?" Paige wondered as she sat down next to her sister.
"Yeah," Piper answered. "He's with the Elders checking."
January 8, 2002 – Tuesday
Sunnydale
Inside the very top of an old clock tower a small ornate box that was just big enough to be held easily in any of the seven demons that stood around the table with impeccable posture, in the palm of their long-fingered hands. One of the demons stepped forward, seemingly gliding toward the table. He reached out, his long fingers grabbing the lid of the box and slowly pulled it open just as the clock tower began pealing out the fact that it had just struck one o'clock.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Immediately after the lid of the box had been opened, a house that was closest to the clock tower where the occupants were sleeping peacefully. Inside his bedroom a little boy lay in his bed, his mouth opened with a will of its own and a white mist streamed out of his mouth, when the last left, the boy's mouth closed again as he continued sleeping completely unaware that anything had happened as the white mist that had left him shot out the window, followed by two others. The three mists that were the voices of the small family that lived in the house floated through the air heading toward the box that was calling to them; joining the many other streams of mist that belonged to the occupants of the surrounding houses.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In their bedroom in the Summers home, Buffy and Faith slept in their bed, their mouths opening in unison as the mist that was their voices spilled from between their lips and floated out of their bedroom window to join the many others in their journey to the ornate box.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In Willow's dorm room, she lay asleep in her bed. The spell the box cast when opened causing her mouth to open just like the rest of the town's citizens. The mist rising up from her parted lips, before it disappeared. Joining the rest of the mists that was coming from the other dorm occupants including Tara. The separate small clouds of mist moving swiftly through the town, heading for the top of the clock tower and the open box.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Once the last small cloud of mist made it into the box, the hand that had opened the box closed it. The demon turned to face his six other companions, their grey white faces with their horrid perpetual smiles that displayed their pointy looking teeth. Their grey white skin was drawn tightly across their face making their white eyes look wider than they were. The other demons clapped in congratulations, the demon who closed the box bowed stiffly, his hands fluttering gentlemanly through the air as if bashful about the applause he was receiving from his peers.
Summers Home
Faith stretched languidly as she slowly drifted towards consciousness. She lay there for a few moments longer enjoying just lying there next to her wife, knowing that neither she or Buffy had to be anywhere this morning. After a few more moments though she sat up and threw the covers off herself. A bout of morning sickness forcing her to abandon the comfort of the bed before she was completely ready to. Getting to her feet, Faith hurried out of the room her hand to her mouth.
When Faith returned to the room, she smiled at Buffy who was just getting up, her mouth immediately opening to greet her wife. "Good morning," she tried to say, only to end up mouthing the words as no sound came out. She stopped dead in her tracks her hand coming up to her throat feeling it for anything unusual.
"Morning," Buffy tried, only for no sound to come out of her mouth either. She looked at Faith wide-eyed, fear clutching at her as she tried to understand why she couldn't hear herself speak.
Faith pressed the hand she had touching her throat firmly against her throat as she tried to speak again. "Good morn…" she trailed off as no sound once again came out of her mouth. She gave Buffy a concerned look as she tried yet again. "Good." When she once again couldn't hear anything coming out of her mouth, she trailed off once again. "Buffy, can you hear me?" she asked still not hearing her voice, but hoping that Willow could.
Buffy shook her head adamantly. "No, I've gone deaf!" she tried to say.
Faith shook her head slowly. "No, I don't think so," she mouthed. "We can't speak," she said, trying to mouth it as clearly as possible so that her wife could understand her.
Buffy walked out of the room and to Joyce's bedroom and knocked on her mother's door. Within a second Joyce opened it and mouthed, "Yes?" And then Joyce's eyes went wide when no words came out of her mouth.
Buffy glanced over her shoulder at Faith, who stood in the doorway to their room. "It's not just us," she mouthed. She glanced at Joyce. "Stay home. We're flaming to San Francisco."
Joyce nodded as she watched her daughter walk back to Faith and then they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow looked from where she sat on her bed, her arm draped around Tara's shoulder comfortingly as the phone rang. Immediately out of instinct she got up and answered pressing the receiver to her ear as she tried to say 'hello' into the phone. She glanced hopeless over at Tara, who shrugged a little not sure what they could do about it. She tried again to speak into the phone, only for once again no sound to come out and none coming through the phone.
Halliwell Manor
Buffy and Faith flamed into the living room where they saw Piper, Phoebe and Paige watching the TV.
"Big news item from Sunnydale California," the anchorman said. "Apparently the entire town has been quarantined due to an epidemic of, as strange at this may sound, Laryngitis. It seems the town has been rendered unable to speak. There's no word yet what might have caused this, or what other effects might be seen from this epidemic. Local authorities have issued a statement, a written statement, I should say, blaming recent flu vaccinations. A few sceptics call it a city-wide hoax. In the meanwhile, Sunnydale has effectively shut down, all schools and businesses will be closed for the time being, and residents are advised to stay home and rest up. The Center for Disease Control has ordered the entire town quarantined. No one can go in or out until the syndrome is identified or the symptoms disappear. We'll bring you more on this as it develops."
"Faith," Piper said as she stood up immediately and hugged Faith. "Buffy," she said as she hugged Buffy. "Are you two…?"
Faith and Buffy nodded. Buffy mimed writing and Paige understood. "Pen and paper," Paige called out as a notebook and pen was orbed into her hand. She handed it to the blonde Slayer.
'Did you find anything, Piper?' Buffy wrote.
"No," Piper answered. "Leo!" she called out for her husband.
Leo appeared in bright lights. "Piper?" he asked.
"First can you see if you can heal Buffy and Faith?" Piper asked. "They can't speak."
Leo hurried over and held one hand over Faith and the other over Buffy in an attempt to heal them, but nothing happened. He glanced back at Piper. "I can't," he informed her. "It's like they don't have the ability to speak."
Buffy picked up the notepad that Piper had written part of her rhyme down on. 'Can't even shout, can't even cry…' she raised a hand to her throat as she read it. 'So much for it just being an erotic dream, Piper.' she thought, before her gaze focused on the last line that Piper had written of the rhyme. 'The gentlemen are coming…" Buffy held up the notepad directing it in Piper and Leo's direction as she pointed her finger to where Piper had written 'The Gentlemen' with a line underlining the word, a questioning look on her face.
Piper looked toward her husband. "Leo?"
"I didn't find anything about the rhyme and they didn't recognize the demon from Faith's drawing," Leo answered. "I will go back up there and see if they can find anything out about a demon that can steal voices." And then he orbed back out.
'Faith and I should be in Sunnydale, tonight,' Buffy wrote.
"Might be a good idea," Paige admitted. "I can see demons and vampires taking advantage."
"Agreed," Piper and Phoebe said.
"That said you two be careful," Piper instructed her nieces. "There will be chaos. And without your voices, you're not going to be able to cast a spell."
Faith took the notepad from Buffy. 'We know,' she wrote.
Streets of Sunnydale
Buffy and Faith walked slowly along the town streets that were teaming with silent people who were just wandering aimlessly in the early night, the only sound they made where the sound of their steps. Each and every one of them walking with their shoulders slumped in misery.
The couple's eyes scanned the growing dark, the street lights only just starting to light up the night, looking for anyone that looked as if they were about to start trouble. But so far, the night had been quiet, they'd stopped only once so far…and that had been to comfort a lost little girl and walk her the few blocks back to her house; back to her very relieved parents.
Aside from that though, so far, the night had been uneventful thankfully. They turned a corner down into another street, where they jumped as a car accidentally crashed loudly into a fire hydrant, that immediately sprang a leak through the dent the car had created, changing the pressure of the water inside. Buffy and Faith watched as the driver quickly got out of the car, slightly wobbly at first as he looked at the accident he had created, before he quickly turned and ran away; obviously feeling that on top of everything else that crashing his car was the last straw.
Further down the street Buffy and Faith heard a commotion their gaze landing on Riley as he got between a white man dressed casually and a black business man as they got into a fight. Over what they weren't sure, but Riley was busy trying to keep the peace. Seeing that he had it under control they went to continue on their way only to see the white guy pick up a pipe, his stance completely aggressive as he began moving to attack Riley from behind.
As Buffy and Faith approached from behind; Buffy grabbed the man's wrist, effortlessly drawing him up short. They gave him a look as he turned his head to look at them, their eyebrows raising in silent question.
The man only took in their looks for a moment, before he moved to attack them for getting in his way. Buffy and Faith glanced at each other and rolled their eyes. Buffy twisted her wrist with a strong flick that had the bones snapping as they broke beneath her strength.
The man opened his mouth wide in a silent scream of pain, his face screwing up in reflection of that pain. Faith nodded to Buffy, sure that the man was now successfully subdued and Buffy released him. He crumpled into a heap of pain on the road.
Riley turned away from the business man his eyes immediately landing on Buffy and Faith and he smiled brightly relieved to see that they were okay.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Buffy and Faith paused in their stride as they looked about the now quiet streets of Sunnydale, all the people that had been wandering around aimless in their misery had finally returned to their homes to try and sleep; no doubt hoping that come morning everything will have gone back to normal.
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow looked up from her laptop as the door to her room opened, relief filling her as she saw Buffy and Faith standing in the door. "Anything?" she mimed hopefully. Buffy and Faith shook their heads in response as they stepped completely into the dorm room.
'Have you seen Tara?' Buffy wrote.
Willow nodded as closed her laptop as she picked up a whiteboard. 'Yes,' she wrote. 'We spent the day together; she went back to her room a little bit ago.' She got up off the bed as she moved to pack away her laptop completely. 'Are you guys staying, going back to Mrs. Summers house or back to the Manor?' she wrote on her board.
"We'll stay here, cuz," Faith mouthed.
Willow glanced at Faith and nodded in relief.
January 9, 2002 – Wednesday
Streets of Sunnydale
As the hands on the clock on the top of the clock tower struck 1:50am, two of the Gentlemen glided out of the door of the clock tower accompanied by two lackeys that shuffled awkwardly along the ground, bandages wrapped around their arms flapping free of the untied strait jackets that they wore. They followed after the four other Gentlemen that had exited the building just moments before them. As the six glided along the streets, they split apart in groups of two, their hands waving goodbye to each other in small polite hand movements. They turned away from each other as they glided down the street they had chosen, looking to start the collection of seven they needed. Their servants lumbering along behind them ready and willing to help their masters with anything that they needed.
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One of the three pairs of Gentlemen glided elegantly toward one of the many houses on the street they were on. Something about the house drawing them toward it. As they floated closer to the house, coming up on its front yard, one of the Gentleman nodded his agreement to the choice. They floated toward the gate, opening it they floated up the path toward the door. Two of their servants lumbering behind them up the path as one of the Gentlemen knocked on the door.
U.C. Sunnydale
Two Gentlemen glided around a corner going down a little way as they passed by doors. One of them continued to reject each door they passed with a small wave of its fingers that was just big enough to get his message across. They reached a door labelled with the number 118, the one that had been rejecting doors floated over to the door, his arms spreading as if to present the door. Letting his partner know that he had made his choice. Knocking on the door, the two waited only a moment before the student inside who had been woken by the sudden sound opened the door to see who it is.
His eyes widened at the sight of the two tall ugly creatures standing in his doorway and quickly he moved to shut the door only for the two minions he hadn't noticed rush him. Grasping his arms, they forced him back into the room and onto his bed, holding his arms out wide as the boy struggled helplessly on the bed. He stared up at the two demons that were standing over his bed looking down at him as he struggled to get free. His heart pounding wildly in his chest.
The one that had been making all the decisions this night nodded slightly, informing his partner that this was the one. The other Gentlemen reaching inside his jacket and removed a scalpel from the inside pocket and handed it to the one that had chosen this heart. The Gentlemen took the scalpel gratefully from his partner, before looking down at his chosen victim and slowly leaning down the scalpel held carefully in front of him, the sharp blade aimed towards the boy's chest, who was watching everything happening with wide eyes. His throat wrenching screams going unheard in the dorm as his neighbors remained sleeping peacefully completely unaware that the boy in 118 was in any danger whatsoever.
Streets of San Francisco
Back in the top of the clock tower; one of the Gentlemen, who had just finished putting the last heart they had collected that night into a canning jar, stepped back his hands flourishing as he presented the three collected hearts to his comrades. The five other that were standing around the table that was displaying the hearts and the box with the town's stolen voices clapped at their first night's success. The one that had placed the hearts in the jars waved his hands bashfully, his hands saying what he could not. That he felt his comrades were being too kind.
U.C. Sunnydale
Buffy felt bile rise up in her throat as she looked down at the body of the boy that had lived in dorm 118. She had been glad she had told Faith to remain with Willow, she was sure Faith's morning sickness would have come back full force at the sight of this. Her eyes took in the gaping hole in his chest, that was covered in drying blood that was spilled over his chest as well. The terror on his face was fixed as he stared blankly up at a monster that was no longer there.
Buffy turned away from the boy, no longer needing to look at him, having gotten what she needed. She then quietly disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames. She reappeared in Willow's room.
"Well?" Faith mimed when Buffy stood in front of her.
"Whatever it is, it's taking hearts." Buffy mimed in response, her hand coming up to rest over her own beating heart, her mind's-eye still seeing the gaping hole in the boy's chest where his heart was supposed to be.
Halliwell Manor
Phoebe sat at the breakfast table, Piper's notepad resting in front of her as she moved a pencil over the page. She looked up grateful as Piper set a steaming mug of coffee beside her. Piper then flicked on the TV.
"Piper! Phoebe!" Paige called as she came through the house carrying a newspaper. She set it down in front of her sister showing them the gruesome headline.
'BRUTAL SLAYING SHOCKS SILENT COMMUNITY' their gaze moved down to the subheading just beneath it. '15-Year-Old Girl Stabbed, Heart Was Missing.'
"Leo!" Piper called out for her husband seconds before he orbed in behind her. She spun on him and motioned toward the headline on the paper. "Please tell me they…"
"They did," Leo answered. "Their known as the Viri. The reason they are not in your book is because they have always been believed to be fairy tales."
"Of course," Phoebe said in surprise as she looked at her sister. "That's where you heard it, in a fairy tale."
"Go get Willow, Buffy and Faith," Piper instructed her husband who orbed out.
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Buffy, Faith and Willow sat on the couch across from Piper, Phoebe and Paige all of them looking at Leo.
"Their called the Viri, its Latin for Gentlemen," Leo informed everyone as they all nodded. "Till now they had been believed to be fairy tale monsters. Based on the newspaper article and what you saw, Buffy, they want hearts. The reason you three and all of Sunnydale don't have your voices is because they steal them, so that no one can scream. They need seven and according to the news article they have at least two."
Faith held up her notepad that she had written 'How do we kill them?' on.
Immediately Buffy made a fist pumping motion with her arm, believing that her meaning should be obvious, but as she was greeted with a disturbed look from and Willow, smirks from Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Faith an uncomfortable look from Leo.
Buffy rolled her eyes stopping the motion long enough to reach over into her bag and pull out her stake that she kept on her at all times and repeated the motion again, this time receiving looks of understanding. She rolled her eyes again as she placed her stake away.
"No," Leo answered. "In the tales about the Viri, no sword can kill them. But the princess screamed and they died."
"So, then we can go to Sunnydale…" Phoebe started.
"No," Leo repeated. "It has to be someone who's voice was stolen from Sunnydale. The Elders believe that is why only the people in Sunnydale's voices were stolen and instead of say the whole world."
Willow's expression brightened as an idea came to her and she reached into her bag and pulled out a CD, tapping it with her fingers to draw everyone's attention. She mimed putting the CD in a player, before holding her hands over her ears, before putting her hands to her throat to pantomime dying to the sound of a recorded voice.
"I'm sorry, Willow," Leo said looking at his adopted daughter. "It has to be a human voice; it can't be recorded."
Buffy quickly used her pen to write something down on her notepad and held it up for Leo, Piper, Phoebe and Paige to read. 'How do Faith and I get our voices back?'
"The Elders don't know," Leo answered reluctantly. "That said you all should return to Sunnydale. If anyone can do it, it will be you three."
Buffy glanced at Faith and Willow as they stood up and moved beside her, then the three of them disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
"Can they do it?" Paige asked with obvious concern that was mirrored on her sisters and brother-in-law's faces.
"Maybe," Piper answered with a sigh.
Streets of Sunnydale
Buffy and Faith walked down a street side by side. They had dropped Willow off at the dorm with instructions to find Tara and make sure she was safe. The street was lined with houses only the occasional putting any great deal of distance between the houses. Unlike last night the streets were devoid of people, all of them having chosen to remain in the relative safety of their homes after the killings that had occurred the night before.
The silence was eerie, Buffy doubted that she had ever gone so long without hearing another's voice before… she found that she was missing the sound of Faith's more than anyone else's. It was then that she remembered the dream and smiled.
Faith peered at Buffy and an eyebrow raised. "What?" she mimed.
'Just thinking about the dream,' Buffy wrote on her notepad. 'And you in particular, baby. You being here beside me, pregnant with our daughter, is everything I could have ever hoped. A life I never thought possible before I fell head of heels for you.'
Faith smiled as she leaned over and kissed her wife.
As they walked, they glanced covertly into the windows of the houses they were passing by, relieved to see that they appeared to be peaceful, not wanting anyone else to die so horribly on their watch.
U.C. Sunnydale
Tara was heading for Willow's dorm hurriedly. Taking a deep fortifying breath a small sweet smile curled up her lips at the thought of the redhead. She knew from Buffy that Willow was or at least had been straight. But the more she had looked at Willow, the more she had gotten to know the redhead in the last few months, the more she found she wanted to spend time with Willow.
She felt a chill crawl up her spine making the fine hairs covering her body stand on end. Turning around her eyes widened in fear as she took in the two slowly gliding figures moved toward her, their hands held in front of them elegantly. Behind them their two lackeys loped toward her, moving ahead of their masters to catch her for them. Tara let out a silent scream of terror before she turned and ran as her flight or fight response took over. She wished she had her cousin's powers right this instance as she could toward Stevenson hall that was now closer than any other building. The lackeys and Gentlemen giving chase, their Masters gliding along behind them their hands moving minimally, but more than enough to express their excitement to each other.
Streets of Sunnydale
Buffy and Faith paused in their stride as their gaze fell on one of the Gentlemen as it glided along on the other side of the street from them. They braced themselves to follow after the demon, a small part of them wondering why it hadn't stopped and attacked them as it had obviously seen them standing there.
A movement beside Buffy caught her attention and her eyes widened minutely at seeing Faith go down an ugly minion demon on top of her pregnant wife. The Gentleman forgotten for the moment she moved to help Faith, barely missing the silent attack of the second minion. She flung out her hand, telekinetically sending the demon off Faith.
The second demon grabbed Buffy from behind, trying to squeeze the life out of her with its strong burly arms as Faith flipped back up to her feet. Her gaze flicked to Buffy to see her struggling in the grip of the second minion.
U.C. Sunnydale
Tara ran desperately down one of the halls that made up the Stevenson dorm. She had only been in the dorm a handful of times and that had been to visit Willow. She banged loudly on the door she was closest to and inside the dorm room a girl sat up fearful in her bed, her sheet clutched to her chest as she sat unmoving silently praying that whoever it was would go away and leave her unharmed.
Tara too fearful to stay in one place long raced on down the hall, her heart pounding painfully in her chest and her legs wobbled underneath her weight with her terror. She pounded on another door, she couldn't stay there long either though as looking back the way she had come she saw the two tall creatures gliding after her, their ugly lackeys trailing behind them.
She did her best to hurry away the doors she had knocked on remaining firmly closed as the occupants inside cowered in fear as they wondered if they were about to suffer the same fate as those mentioned in the paper. She looked behind her to see the Gentlemen much closer than before and she hurried her steps. Making it to a stairway she hurried up them. Her heart pounding so harshly in her chest that she feared it might beat right out of her chest!
'Buffy, where are you,' she thought of her cousin.
Streets of Sunnydale
Faith turned away from Buffy as she saw her wife break free of the minion's hold, turning her gaze to the one that had attacked her from behind.
Buffy spun on her heel to face her minion, her arms swinging out to backhand the demon sharply, who was evidentially surprised by her strength. The minion swung out at her clumsily, its blow she was very easily able to dodge. Kicking its leg harshly, forcing the demon to its knees. Reaching out Buffy quickly grasped its head and twisted hearing and feeling the bones in its neck break, releasing it the demons body fell to the ground and satisfied that it was dead and would be giving her no more trouble.
Buffy turned to see how Faith faired, stepping lightly toward her wife as Faith sent a fireball at her demon. The fireball hit the minion in the chest and sent it flying to the ground blood spilling from its mouth as it looked up at them from its back. She gently placed a hand gently on Faith's arm, drawing her wife's gaze to her.
Faith stilled as she paused in her next attack on the sneaky sniveling coward. The minion's gaze went to its companion, before looking back up at them. It scrambled up to its feet giving them a last look, before it ran…fearing for its life.
Buffy turned her gaze to Faith, a look on her face that had Faith smiling at her. With an over-exaggerated movement Faith motioned after the fleeing demon. She couldn't help the smile that curled up her lips as they gave chase to the minion that they were sure would lead them to its home and the other demons that they were hunting that night.
U.C. Sunnydale
Tara raced up the stairs turning into a hall full of doors once again and immediately began banging on them urgently, her breaths escaping her in terrified gasps as she continued to look behind her, just waiting for the creatures that were chasing her to appear once again in the hall.
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Willow, who was just about to leave to find Tara looked up as she heard the banging and the sound of quickly moving feet. She moved toward the door wondering what was happening out in the hall and not entirely sure that she wished to see it.
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Tara pounded firmly at a door, determined to get the person inside to open up and let her in before the demons that were chasing her caught up to her once again. To her relief the door began to swing open and for a bright moment she thought that she was saved, only to see a third tall impeccably dressed demon standing in the door grinning at her horribly as it stood staring at her a bloody heart clutched in one of its long-fingered hands.
She stumbled back her eyes and mouth wide with horror. Seeing movement out of the corner of her eye, she looked back the way she came to see to her horror that the two that were chasing her with their loping lackeys coming up behind them. Upon seeing her however the two lackeys sped up, overtaking their masters to do the grunt work of catching her for one of their scalpels.
Turning swiftly Tara bolted down the hall making as much noise as she could manage. She looked back over her shoulder to see how far or close behind her they were, just as Willow opened her door and step out into the hall to see what was going on. Tara who was still looking behind her slammed into Willow sending the both of them tumbling to the ground, their bodies brushing against the door to Willow's room forcing it to shut on them.
Both girls scrambled up to their feet; Willow catching sight of just what Tara was running from hurried down the hall with her, the demons far too close for either of them to want to pause and try to open the door to Willow's room.
They hurried down the hall as fast their legs could carry them; Willow limping slightly, having hurt her leg in the collision with her friend's cousin. They made it to a staircase, this one leading back down the building. Quickly they mounted the stairs and hurried down, both of them wanting to put more distance between them and their pursuers. The lackeys hard on their heels as they moved after them as quickly as they could.
Clock Tower
Riley pushed away the demon that was holding him up against a row of barrels; pushing the demon away far enough to be able to affect a backhanded punch to the demon's face. He was about to continue his assault on the demon when another demon ran at him, slamming him up against a platform with one of its meaty arms. They fell to the floor.
He looked around him, desperate for a weapon as the demon tried its best to pin him firmly to the ground. He caught sight of his rifle that looked to be within his reach. Riley managed to pull his arm free and reached for the weapon, his fingers grasping at air as the tips of them brushed the weapon but not quite able to close around it.
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Buffy and Faith ran after the demon that was heading straight for the clock tower. They saw the minion race through the door and they sped up their pace.
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Riley glanced away from the weapon as he heard the sound of feet entering the clock tower and his eyes widened at seeing a third demon entering the clock tower as he wondered just how on earth he was supposed to deal with three when he was having enough trouble with the two that had been here to begin with. He didn't have to wonder long though as a loud crash sounded. Buffy, followed by Faith, broke through a boarded up part of the wall, landing on their feet, their eyes quickly taking in the demons in the room.
The minion that they had been chasing turned to face them and rushed at them seeing no other recourse now that they had found its masters' hideout. Buffy blocked a blow it sent at her as Riley managed to get a grip on his weapon and rolled up to his feet as the demon that had been pinning him to the ground had jumped off of him at the crashing sound.
A fireball formed in Faith's hand and she flung it at the minion she and Buffy had bene chasing. It went flying back as the couple turned their attention to another one that was rushing toward them. Buffy flung out her hand telekinetically sending the demon barreling backward. It hit the wall, breaking an old shelf that had been mounted there, the old wood easily snapping at being treated so roughly.
Buffy, Faith and Riley sensing movement behind them spun around on their heels to face a movement that they considered a possible threat. Buffy swiftly unslung the crossbow that had been slung over her back by the strap that was attached to it, raising it up to eyelevel. Next to her a fireball formed in Faith's hand.
Buffy and Faith paused as their eyes went wide in shock and surprise as they stared at the end of an oddly shaped rifle, their gaze widening further as they looked swiftly beyond the weapon to see the man wielding the weapon.
'Riley?' Buffy and Faith thought shocked. 'What was Riley doing here… carrying a gun?'.
Riley's hands wobbled on the weapon as his thoughts stemmed in the same fashion as Buffy and Faith's as he took in the wooden crossbow that Buffy held and the fireball in Faith's hand. He began lowering his weapon, his senses becoming overwhelmed at seeing two people he considered friends here.
U.C. Sunnydale
Tara and Willow made it off the flight of stairs; Tara now trying to help the still limping Willow along as they looked around for a place to go. Their ears picked up the loud steps of the lackeys as they continued to chase them. Seeing a door up ahead of them they hurried toward that, moving as fast as they could. They made it through the door and quickly locked it behind them just as one of the lackeys slammed up against the door trying to get at them. The door shuddered against the impact, clearly not going to hold long against the lackey's brute strength.
Willow looked around the laundry room that they had locked themselves into, looking for anything that they could use to barricade the door. Seeing a soda machine in the middle of the room by a pillar, she hurried toward it. Throwing her weight against it she tried to manually push it toward the door, Tara falling in beside her to try and help move the machine/. But it was too heavy for even the both of them to move even an inch. Willow gave up her chest heaving from the exertion, taking a step back only to put her weight on her injured leg, causing her to lose her balance and fall in a heap with a wince of pain. Tara went to her friend's side, kneeling beside her hoping that Willow was ok.
Focusing her gaze on the soda machine Willow frowned in concentration as she stared at it intently. A short moment later the machine began to shake as Willow tried to telekinetically get it to move, only succeeding moving it a mere inch. She then stop exhausted from the mere effort of doing that much.
Tara slowly reached out her hand and intertwined it with Willow's. Their gazes met and Willow understood instantly that Tara's Aura reading power wasn't the only one Tara had. For Tara had an ability called Augmentation, which was the ability to augment another witch's powers. As one they turned to look at the machine together, frowns of concentration on both of their faces and the machine flew across the room. It crashed against the doorway and they looked at it in relief for a moment, believing that they would be safe now with the soda machine barricading the door for them.
They turned their gazes back to each other their hands remaining intertwined as they looked at each other, neither of them wanting to lose the connect that they were sharing in that moment.
Clock Tower
Buffy ducked as one of the minions went to smash a barrel over her head. The barrel instead crashing over one of its comrade's head. Quickly straightening up she grabbed the demon that was struggling to get the barrel off its head and threw him into the one that had wielded the barrel, before springing away to stand in the middle of the room. She glanced behind her when she felt movement only to relax as it was Faith coming to join her in the middle of the room. Her gaze landed on Riley who clubbed a demon over the head sending it to the ground, he gave it another wack to be sure that it would stay down a bit longer.
Buffy looked away from Riley when Faith touched her arm. Looking at her questioningly, she saw Faith gesture toward something. Following Faith's arm her gaze landed on a staircase where one of the minions was quietly trying to slip away to the upper level. Buffy turned her gaze back to her wife. "Will you be right here?" she mouthed.
Faith nodded as he elbowed one of the demons in the face, before turning to look at her wife again. "I'll be up as soon as I can," she mimed.
Buffy nodded and quickly moved across the room heading for the staircase. Pausing just before she mounted the stairs, she looked about the room again, her gaze focusing on Riley making sure that he was alright. Seeing that he was holding his own against his demon, she quickly moved up the stairs.
Buffy moved past the pendulum that was slowly swinging back and forth to the ticking of the clock. Making it up to the top of the tower she slowed as she made it into the room, her gaze focusing on the table where seven jars were arranged in a circle around an ornate box. She took note of the fact that only two were left empty now.
Buffy let out a silent startled cry as she was kicked from behind by one of the minions that had been waiting up on this level of the clock tower. Before she could fully regain herself three of the ugly minions surround her and took hold of her so that she couldn't move. She smirked as three of the six Gentlemen surrounded her; the tallest at the front of the three his hand delicately holding a scalpel. She disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
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Faith looked from the demon she was wailing on as she heard a thump from above them. Glancing about the room once again, she hoisted the demon she was fighting off its feet before she threw it into two others that were advancing toward her. She flung a fireball at them and then made a quick run for the staircase.
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The Gentleman with the scalpel paused, a look that could almost resemble surprise on its face at Buffy's disappearance. As Buffy reappeared, she flung out her hand sending him flying.
Faith came up the stairs to stop beside Buffy. She winked at her wife before looking to the remaining Gentlemen as a fireball form in her hand.
The Gentlemen were looking at them, not at all sure what to do.
Buffy and Faith didn't get a chance to do anything though as a blast of electricity hit the Gentlemen and sending him flying back away from them. They turned their gaze to the entrance by the stairs to see Riley standing there his gun still primed and aimed.
Immediately the couple attacked the two, before ducking as a fourth threw a punch at Faith. Kicking out at it, Faith caught it in the stomach.
Buffy backed both of the two that were in front of her.
Riley attempted to fire another shot at the demons attacking Buffy and Faith only for his rifle to malfunction on him. The demon that he had brought down before with a blast from his rifle came charging at him, forcing him to deal with it instead of attempting to help the couple like he wanted to do.
Faith punched one of the demons away, and Buffy punched another of the demons forcing it away from her. Together they kicked away the last demon. The Gentlemen stood to the side their ever-present grins still on their faces, but there was a worried look about them now as they watched the intruders fighting rather successfully against their minions. Faith grabbed the one he had punched away from and sent it vaulting over the railing, it fell silently till there was a thud as it hit against the swinging pendulum.
Buffy ducked down avoiding a punch that was aimed for her head. Swinging her leg out she swept it's legs out from under it, before she swung herself around and brought down her other leg down heavily on its gut.
Faith turned toward the table that was almost like mini shrine with the canning jars placed around the table in a circle. Her eyes landed on the box in the center as she realized what she had to do to get her voice and her wife's voice back! She made to reach for the box, only for one of the Gentlemen to slice at her from behind the knife suddenly deflected off her by Prudence's power. She was then tackled by one of the minions and thrown up against some ropes, before it grabbed her around the neck and shoulders from behind.
Two of the minions lunged at Buffy and they struggled to keep her at bay. Buffy smirked as she disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames just as Faith disappeared in flaming red orbs.
Another of the lackeys came at Riley and using the butt of his gun he clubbed at the demon, sending it to the ground.
The couple reappeared their eyes focused on the box that was on the table right in front of them. Buffy glanced at Faith. "Fireball," she mouthed.
With a smooth quick motion Faith flung a fireball at the box, shattering the ornate wood box into small little pieces. Immediately hundreds of small misty clouds shot up into the air and began spinning about the clock tower, before most shot off out into the deepening night to find their owners. Buffy and Faith gasped as their slipped back into their mouths, the feeling kind of strange as the mist slid down their throats and settled there. As all their voices returned the minions backed away in fear as their masters looked on with horror as well.
Buffy and Faith looked around the clock tower for a moment taking in the room, everyone's gaze on them as Riley got to his feet a hand at his throat as his voice settled back into his vocal cords. A mere moment later the couple took a deep breath and let out a calm, but long-winded scream. They along with Riley watched as the demons writhed on the floor in silent agony at the noise and the Gentlemen raised their long-fingered hands to their ears trying to block out the deadly noise, but after a moment their arms fell back to their sides shaking uncontrollably as they lost complete control of their bodies. A moment later all three Gentlemen that were present stilled a fraction of a moment before their heads exploded.
Buffy grimaced as she raised a hand and wiped some exploded Gentlemen brain off her cheek, and picked another bit out of her hair, shaking her fingers gingerly to get the clingy bits off her fingers.
Faith extended her hand toward Buffy, who took it. "Where's Riley?" Buffy asked, as she looked behind Faith to where Riley had been when she had last saw him.
Faith shrugged at this moment unconcerned about Riley's whereabouts. "Don't know, must have slipped off. How about we go get cleaned up?"
Buffy nodded. "Sounds good," she agreed as they disappeared in a swirl of fiery flames.
January 10, 2002 – Thursday
U.C. Sunnydale
Willow sat next to Tara in a University lounge area. "You were looking for me?" Willow murmured surprised and touched that she'd braved the night just to come see her.
Tara nodded as she bit her lower lip for a short moment. "I thought maybe you and I…"
"I know exactly what you mean." Willow murmured softly. They met each other's gaze again, their expressions friendly and open as they felt the beginnings of a bond that might grow beyond the friendship they already had.
Summers Home
Buffy and Faith were preparing to flame back to the Manor when there was a knock on the front door. Buffy moved to open it and found Riley standing there. "Hi," he greeted nervously and stepped in, taking their silence as an 'ok' to come in.
"Hi," Buffy and Faith replied crossing their arms as they looked at Riley apprehensively, not sure what to expect from him, now that they had a good idea what he was. Buffy glanced at Faith who nodded and the led him into the living room where they all sat down; Buffy and Faith on the couch, Riley on a chair opposite them.
"Well, Uh, I was kind of hoping that we could talk," he informed them.
"I guess that we probably should," Faith agreed.