Thanks to James Birdsong for your review. I'm glad to know you still like the story.

Chapter 26

Beyond

Buffy rushed out of the house and quickly saw the enormous, dazed-looking monster. He was about six feet tall and trying to uproot the tree in her garden. Judging by the state of her street, the demon had decided to wreak havoc on the entire neighborhood by hurling trees, trash cans and her neighbors' patio furniture. The young woman glanced at the surrounding houses and noticed that several residents were hiding behind their curtains, terrified.

Spike, Willow and Giles appeared behind her at this moment. "It's a Rütchok demon," the watcher said.

"And?" The blond Slayer asked impatiently when the creature glared at them menacingly.

"They… They're very strong and surprisingly fast."

"They usually travel in groups," Spike added, looking around.

"That's right," Giles agreed.

"I don't see any others," Willow said after carefully observing her surroundings.

"We're not gonna wait for its friends to join," Buffy decided, walking towards the garden.

"Take this." The vampire handed her a bow he had grabbed from the chest before leaving the house.

The young woman nodded as she grabbed the weapon and aimed at her enemy before he decided to attack first. She wanted to hit it in the head but instead, she hit its neck. Buffy grimaced when the demon screamed in rage and ripped the arrow from its body. In a few seconds, it rushed at her and she rolled into the grass. Spike took the opportunity to jump into the fight and he knocked the demon down with a kick to the legs. Even on the ground, it didn't take long for the demon to push the vampire back and send him crashing though. Meanwhile, Buffy had regained her senses and fired another arrow into the demon's heart, but it didn't seem to mind and quickly got back up.

The Slayer's eyes widened. Her arrow had hit the right place and her opponent should have been injured at least.

"Giles?!" She exclaimed while Spike also got up and came to stand beside the Slayer in a defensive stance.

"That type of demon has extremely tough skin," he replied from the doorway where he and Willow were standing. "I'll get a more suitable weapon!" He then disappeared inside the house as Spike pounced on their enemy again.

He was quickly pushed back and Buffy rushed after the vampire. She punched the demon hard in the face, making it recoil with a grunt. Yet after a few seconds, it regained its senses and hit her hard in the shoulder, leaving her on the ground and gasping for breath.

Pretty groggy, the young woman looked around for her opponent, who took advantage of her state to hit her again. Buffy was saved by her Slayer reflexes and she rolled to the side despite the pain, narrowly dodging the attack.

Amidst this flood of emotions, between the pain in her right shoulder radiating down her arm and the fear she felt because of the undeniable advantage the demon now held over her, Buffy felt her breathing quicken more than necessary. Panic was threatening to overwhelm her at this crucial moment and she closed her eyes for a second to take a deep breath.

When she opened them again, she was surprised to see the demon miraculously fall back with a scream. The Slayer focused on the battle again and saw that Spike was perched on its back, hitting it with the shovel Willow had given him. His strategy seemed to be paying off, as their enemy seemed stunned by the avalanche of blows the vampire delivered.

Yet Spike's fatigue gradually diminished the strength of his attack, and the demon finally took advantage of the situation to free itself from his grasp.

"Buffy!"

The young woman turned and caught the axe her watcher threw in her direction. Despite her aching shoulder, she firmly walked toward the demon, who seemed intent on finishing off the blond vampire.

"Over here!" She shouted to divert its attention.

It worked and the demon turned toward her, ready to confront her with an angry growl. The Slayer threw the axe with all her strength, which hit her enemy where the arrow had struck earlier. Stunned, the demon stared at the weapon embedded in its chest before staggering and finally collapsing on the lawn.

The young woman approached cautiously and picked up her axe before checking that their opponent was definitely out of action. She then turned to Spike, who was clearly exhausted. "You okay?" She asked, helping him up. The vampire nodded as Willow and Giles ran over to them.

"Buffy, how's your shoulder?" The witch immediately asked worriedly.

"Pretty painful," the young woman admitted, "But I'll be fine."

"Let's go back inside, we need to make sure it's not dislocated," Giles said.

Buffy sat up slowly in bed the next morning. The sun was already filling the room, but she struggled to open her eyes. She hadn't slept much. Her fight the day before had taken its toll on her physically and psychologically. Her injury was still a little sore, and she winced when she remembered Giles pressing down hard on her shoulder because it was indeed dislocated. The pain had been excruciating and despite the stamina and accelerated healing she possessed thanks to her Slayer status, her stiff, clumsy movements from the fight had strained her body a little more than usual.

The Slayer finally got up after several minutes and decided to relax under a hot shower. Yet the water that flowed over her didn't erase all her worry. Physical pain aside, she was more upset by the moral blow she felt. At the time, she had held firm despite the fierce fight and her obvious destabilization after the demon had gained the upper hand. The urgency of the situation had allowed her not to think too deeply at that moment, and the adrenaline had straightened her body and focused her mind on her goal. And her friends had been a precious help.

But this morning, she had plenty of time to replay the fight in her head. A sudden surge of unease washed over her and the Slayer closed her eyes, letting the water drown out the unpleasant sensation.

She knew her anxieties would return sooner or later and she had prepared herself not to let them overwhelm her. After several deep breaths, the feeling subsided and Buffy opened her eyes to banish what remained of it for good. She finished washing, then wrapped a towel around her body before getting dressed.

When she went downstairs to the living room, Xander, Willow, Giles, Dawn, Andrew, Faith and Robin were talking about the almost daily attacks they were now suffering. The only persons missing were the two vampires held back by the daylight. Giles was describing the Rütchok demon the Slayer had killed the day before, warning their friends that his fellow creatures would certainly appear very soon.

As soon as they noticed the blonde woman's presence, Willow inquired about her condition and Buffy quickly reassured her. She settled down among the others and listened to Faith describe her encounter with a particularly aggressive group of vampires that had given her a hard time.

"Any news on the new vessels the First is targeting?" Xander then inquired.

"Willow's spell located several potentially interesting figures, including one in the United States," Giles explained.

"Great!" The dark-haired Slayer exclaimed, "Finally something concrete!"

"Yes, but one of us will need to check and I think it should be me. I located him in Ohio," the witch clarified.

"Why you?" Dawn asked her.

"It'll probably be necessary to do some checking using precise rituals to confirm our suspicions," the redhead replied.

"But you're a powerful ally here," Robin pointed out, "It may not be wise to leave at this time."

"True," the watcher agreed, "but it's essential to get a clear answer regarding the vessel and Willow remains the most qualified."

"I won't take more than two days," the witch affirmed. "If I leave now, I'll be back the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"That seems like the best course of action," Buffy said. "There's no way you're going alone though, Willow. Someone needs to come with you."

"I'll go with her," Xander immediately offered. "Buffy's right, Will, it'll be too dangerous to go alone," he continued, turning to his best friend.

"What's this vessel like?" Andrew suddenly asked the witch.

She shrugged, "I think it's a mafia boss."

"Drug? Trafficking?" The young man asked enthusiastically.

"And why is that important?" Xander pointed out in annoyance.

"Well, it makes a change from fighting supernatural creatures, even if he's a killer. For once, he's human!" Andrew insisted.

"Unless the First has already given him its demonic power," Faith chimed in.

"Well, it's settled," Giles interrupted them, "Willow and Xander, you'll leave as soon as possible today."

The two young people nodded and the discussion ended with a meeting planned that evening to patrol in search of the rest of the Rütchok demon group. Indeed, given their strength, it was imperative to eliminate them quickly.

After making her two best friends promise to be careful for the hundredth time, Buffy watched them drive off in Xander's car toward the airport. The Slayer had also asked Willow to run new tests on Spike as soon as she returned. The vampire's fatigue and heightened visions deserved to be taken very seriously.

The young woman went back up to her room to be ready for the patrol in a few hours. While she mentally prepared not to let herself be overwhelmed by her emotions again, she couldn't stop her mind from drifting towards the blond vampire. In the end, she thought back to the strange evening they had experienced the night before and couldn't help but frown at the mirror where she was examining herself.

What had possessed her to lean towards him in this way? As if she wanted to… kiss him? Buffy shook her head. She had enjoyed their relaxed conversation about Dawn and Andrew, but with a joke about their own past loves, the atmosphere had shifted and they had landed in uncharted territory. Did she feel so fragile and pathetic that she needed to feel that she was still irresistible to him?

The Slayer grimaced at the thought. Their relationship had made positive progress since last year and she didn't want to risk it tipping over the edge again. Fortunately, Spike had reacted and put her in her place. This proved not only that he no longer felt anything for her, but also that he was mature enough not to take advantage of her.

The young woman took a deep breath, still staring at herself in the mirror. She needed to pull herself together. Being anxious and feeling vulnerable was no excuse for making others pay the price.

Buffy, Giles, Angel, Faith and Robin wandered silently through the dark streets of Los Angeles. The Slayer had insisted that Dawn and Andrew not come with them, and her sister had rebelled for several minutes before finally giving in. Buffy considered this expedition more dangerous than the previous ones because she knew how powerful the demons they were hunting were and she wasn't sure Andrew was fully recovered. She didn't want to risk seeing her sister put herself in danger to save her boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Spike had turned up paler than ever just before they left and Giles had sent him away, arguing that he would be of no use if he couldn't stay on his legs. Although she agreed with his choice, the Slayer hadn't missed the way her watcher had glanced at her. The vampire had protested a little but he had finally left, probably aware of his condition. Giles had then approached her and, knowing what he was about to say, Buffy had informed him that Willow was to examine the vampire as soon as she returned. Giles had nodded in approval, and they had set off.

Lost in thought, the Slayer didn't notice the huge demon that knocked her down with a punch and she crashed against a wall before even recognizing her attacker.

When she came to her senses again, Faith was beheading her second opponent before attacking the third. The demons they were looking for had found them more quickly than she had expected and the battle raged between her friends and the seven Rütchok demons.

Suddenly, a hand appeared before Buffy's troubled eyes. She recognized Angel's and grabbed it gratefully. The dark-haired vampire eyed her worriedly as she got back to her feet.

"I'm okay," she murmured to reassure him.

"You sure?"

In response, the Slayer grabbed the dagger she had hidden in her sleeve and threw it at the demon who was threatening to hit Robin a little further away. He thanked her with a glance and resumed fighting. Quickly, the young woman and the vampire were pulled into the battle as well. The troop of demons was large and despite Faith's efficiency, there always seemed to be more of them.

A few minutes later, Giles was trapped against the wall as two demons approached him, growling furiously. The Slayer immediately tried to get closer but the one she'd been fighting off as best she could since she'd gotten up caught up with her.

"Giles!" She yelled when the first demon hit him hard in the head.

Her scream alerted Faith, who pushed back the monster she was fighting and rushed toward the watcher. Meanwhile, Robin and Angel were back-to-back and trying to defeat their opponents. They couldn't break free for now.

Buffy felt tears well up in her eyes when her enemy hit her again in the face, making her recoil. Was she really so weak that she was going to watch the one she considered her father die before her eyes? With a surge of energy, the Slayer got rid of the demon by beheading it and rushed to join Faith.

Between them, the young women finally defeated the last two demons and Buffy hurriedly leaned over to assess the wounds of the man on the ground. "Giles, you hear me?" The Slayer felt her heart sink as she got no response from her watcher. "Giles?!"

Panic was definitely threatening to take over when she saw him moving painfully.

"We're gonna take him back to your place," Angel said while leaning over in turn. "It doesn't look too serious, but he's out cold."

Buffy felt the anxiety constricting her chest ease slightly at these words. She propped herself up on shaky legs and slowly stood up. She then noticed that Robin had a large, bloody scratch on his arm that Faith was trying to compress.

The young woman felt the ground sway beneath her feet. This wasn't the time to lose control and she forced herself to follow her friends as they headed back.

Buffy didn't sleep that night. Giles had slowly regained consciousness and she had let him rest while regularly checking to make sure everything was okay. After dropping Giles off and treating Robin's wound, everyone had gone home. The now silent house seemed to accentuate the Slayer's loneliness since that moment.

At first light, just as she had checked Giles was still asleep, the tears she had held back all night poured out endlessly, streaming down her cheeks and swelling her reddened eyes. The fear of losing her watcher equaled the shame and disgust she felt. If she couldn't protect those she loved, she didn't deserve to possess the Slayer's powers, she thought bitterly.

When her sadness finally subsided, she thought of Spike. She wanted to go find him to be reassured and for him to promise that she would overcome this ordeal. But he wasn't there, and she had to be strong.

A few hours later, the young woman slipped quietly back into the room where the man who had guided her for the past eight years lay. She sat down gently on the edge of the bed. She knew she owed him her knowledge and most of her skills. Indeed, despite her innate talents, it was thanks to his relentless training that she had overcome most of the obstacles that had stood in her way.

"What time is it?" He asked in a weak voice.

"Almost ten o'clock…"

"I feel like I've been run over by a steamroller…"

"That's pretty much what happened."

The young woman smiled weakly and Giles focused his attention on the Slayer, observing her tired face. "You haven't slept?" He asked.

Buffy shook her head, her throat tightening again.

"What's wrong, Buffy?" Her watcher asked, noticing her unease.

"Nothing… I… I was just scared, that's all." A tear escaped her eye and she felt Giles's hand squeeze hers. "I'm fine, Buffy."

The Slayer shook her head, "It was a close call, Giles. I tried, but… We're lucky Faith was there…"

"You can't always be there. I know you're doing everything you can."

"You have no idea how useless I feel." The young woman murmured, "I can't even protect the people I love because I feel paralyzed all the time…"

"You're putting too much pressure on yourself, Buffy." The man gently chided her, "You're going through a difficult time and you need to learn to know yourself again. Striving for perfection won't help you. You need to trust yourself."

"I'm really trying," she assured him, her voice trembling.

"Then don't lose hope. I know you can do it."

The Slayer squeezed her watcher's hand in turn before slowly standing up. She would have liked to stay longer and enjoy his confidence in her, but he needed to rest and she quietly slipped out of the room.