Day 7
“Well?” Daffyd looked at Alexander expectantly, waiting for a verdict from the younger vampire.
“She’s Willow”, Alex said firmly. “All soul-having. Don’t know how she did it, but it’s there.” The boy smirked cruelly. “She’s not the best actress in the world.”
“Interesting”, Daffyd mused. “A vampire with a soul. Remind me again why you suspected her.”
“Angelus”, Alex returned smoothly, though a bit more slowly. “She restored his soul before. Not sure how she did it this time, but Willow as a vampire...” He shrugged, rolling his shoulders under his leather jacket. “This isn’t it. Willow as a vampire is a bit more...friendly.”
“Friendly?” Daffyd nearly laughed aloud at the mental picture of the fluffy little redhead playing the vixen. “Oh, lovely.” Chuckling quietly, he regarded his youngest Childe with paternal pride.
“You’re a good boy, Alex”, the Welsh vampire affirmed. “And clever. So tell me, ‘son’, how do we expose your little friend? Preferably without putting ourselves on a limb.”
“Actually”, Xander admitted, leaning forward almost excitedly, “I had a little idea. You remember I told you about the Slayer?”
Buffy shivered in her sleep and moaned restlessly, kicking at the covers. She twisted and turned on the couch, sobbing once and calling out for her lost friends. Giles glanced in her direction briefly, guiltily, and then he and Oz turned back to their research...
“It’s a good plan”, Willow granted. “I can see why you’re doing it this way. But there are still a few problems...” The Wiccan moved restlessly through the room, mildly disoriented by being above ground again. The upper levels of the den extended into a castle-like house that stood on the outskirts of the small town of Lancaster. She was so close to being outside...
“There are always problems”, Gaius told her affably. “Things never go smoothly. That’s what makes the game interesting.” Walking slowly to a window, the Master Vampire took in a deep breath of the night air, enjoying the rush of sensation. “The most interesting one in this case being your friend, the Slayer.”
“Buffy”, Willow clarified in a troubled voice. “She’s here now. And she’ll follow us to the Hellmouth.”
“Actually, Uncle”, a low voice interjected as Daffyd stepped into the light, “I believe that I have a plan to clear up that little problem.”
“Oh?” Gaius’ reply was dangerously emotionless as he turned to look at his ‘sister’s’ Childe. “You have something for me? Something worth disturbing my daughter and I?”
Daffyd smiled without concern and nodded sharply, “Yes, Uncle. Alexander and I were discussing the Slayer, looking for weaknesses in his memories of her, and stumbled across one that may have potential.”
A dim shape separated partly from the shadows, and Alex smiled innocently at his former best friend. Willow returned the smile somewhat tightly and focused on Daffyd.
“Alexander recalls several occasions on which the Slayer overcame her enemies though the odds seemed impossible, and having picked his brain, I agree with him that young Miss Summers will be a formidable opponent.” Daffyd’s eyes glowed with an inner light as he held up one hand. “However, Alexander also remembers an incident which we can make use of.”
“Get on with it”, Gaius grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest.
“It’s you, Cousin”, Daffyd revealed brightly. “The Slayer will be at your mercy!”
Willow’s eyes widened, and she switched her gaze between Daffyd and Xander in sudden understanding. Oh Goddess, they know...
Gaius remained oblivious to Willow’s exposure as he glared icily at Daffyd. “You would put my most beloved Childe in danger?”
“Not at all!” Daffyd exclaimed in shock. “You see, Uncle, the entire purpose of our involving Willow is that the Slayer cannot hurt her.”
Xander stepped forward, addressing Willow with his hands locked behind his back and an adoring expression on his face. “You remember when Anyanka brought your double into our world, Will? Buff couldn’t kill that pale imitation...how could she even THINK about killing you?”
Gaius looked to Willow for confirmation, and she nodded once, her thoughts racing to find a way out of the situation.
“That easy...”, her sire wondered aloud. Daffyd jumped right back in, reinforcing the scheme that he and Xander had concocted. “And in any case, the Slayer would be no match against one of your Childer, Uncle. The line IS rather powerful after two millennia.”
Willow listened to them as they refined the plan to kill the Slayer, her heart breaking as her avenues of escape were cut away one by one.
Unless...
Buffy woke with a gasp as the sun set. Her blood was singing in her veins, whispering that the hunting was good. The dark was calling loudly, and it could only mean one thing. Slowly, Buffy sat up and crawled out of the warm cocoon of the covers. Oz and Giles were asleep in their books. Not really wanting to talk, Buffy decided not to wake them. Needs that had sublimated themselves for several days tickled at the base of her spine, and the Slayer found herself in the kitchen, munching happily on cold leftover chicken.
Polishing it off quickly, she showered quickly and changed into fresh clothes. A little voice chanted, ‘tonight tonight tonight ’, and Buffy felt like giggling.
Giving in to fate, Buffy poked Oz in the shoulder, letting the werewolf’s first direction-less movements stir Giles. Both men glared up at her blearily, and she smiled brightly as she apologized.
“You’re up”, Giles grouched, levering himself up from the floor and into an easy chair with a groan.
“It’s dark out”, Buffy explained, shrugging. “I’m going to patrol.”
Giles stared at her as if she had grown a second head and gasped, “you must be joking!”
Buffy gave him her best resolve face and repeated, “I’m going to patrol. I have to. Tonight’s the night.”
“Just let me get my coat”, Oz sighed, slumping off in the direction of the front hall. Buffy smiled at his retreating back and sent Giles a meaningful look.
The Watcher moaned as he gave in, secretly gleeful at Buffy’s apparent recovery. Perhaps there was some hope...
Willow stalked through the cemetery quietly, clutching her salvation close. The minions were about, but had been ordered out of her way. The area that Willow thought Buffy would patrol was deserted, and the redhead was alone.
But not for long, she knew.
Buffy moved silently through the darkness, wincing internally at the amount of noise that Oz and Giles made as they followed her. To the human ear, they might be super-stealthy, but to the ears of a vampire or a Slayer...
She felt it then, at the same moment that it felt her. Just at the edges of her awareness, a faint tingle. Without waiting for her companions, Buffy launched herself headlong in pursuit and felt a slight thrill as her prey ran. She was led through the graveyard, over the fence, and into the dark streets, running down and between rows of dark houses, always following the dim presence.
Oz and Giles were far behind when it stopped, and Buffy wasn’t willing to wait for them. Plunging ahead, she found herself in a short alley that led onto Main Street. She saw nothing, but she felt it...
Cautious at the last, Buffy made her way into the alley. She could no longer hear Oz and Giles. Halfway through the way, she heard it moving and spun around. There was no time to wonder how it had gotten behind her. A stake slipped into the Slayer’s hand and dropped to the ground as nerveless fingers lost their grip.
Buffy stared at the pale redhead, feeling disturbingly faint. The gun that was leveled at her stomach...
“Oh, Willow”, Buffy whispered sadly, “I’m so sorry...”
Willow smiled briefly and then the gun barked and barked and barked, and Buffy was thrown against the shattering wall, crying out in pain. Willow rushed to her side, catching the blond even before she fell to the ground.
The Slayer was dimly aware of choking, and then Willow’s arms faded away completely, leaving only the chanting...
Giles ran as fast as possible for a man of his age, feeling as if his chest would burst. Oz loped alongside him determinedly, keeping pace.
The gunshots had shattered the still of the night only minutes after Buffy had disappeared from sight, spurring both men on...
Oz stopped suddenly as he rounded a corner, his nostrils flaring as he grabbed Giles by the sleeve. “Hold on...”
“What is it?” Giles demanded somewhat breathlessly, laying a hand on the wall of the alley to support himself. “Is it...?”
The werewolf tilted is head and scented the air carefully, hoping that he was wrong, but knowing that nothing matched the aroma that hung heavy in the air. “It’s blood.” Giles cursed and started forward, but Oz held him back forcefully. “Let me look.” The older man barely paused before he gave a nod of consent.
Oz walked further up the alley, stopping when he saw the blood that painted one wall. Fragments of brick littered the ground, proving that at least one bullet had missed...or passed through...it’s target. There were no bodies, and no trail to follow.
Oz returned to Giles’ side slowly, his eyes cast down. At Giles’ expectant silence, Oz looked up and gently announced, “She’s gone.”