Getting Ahead of Myself
by sailor80
Sixteen
[reviews]
"Faith, Buffy, and I met with some vampires recently," Giles began. "Between what they told us and what I have been able to glean, I believe we have found the cause of the vampire attacks."
"So spill all ready," Faith demanded.
"The vampires said that men were orchestrating the attacks. Specifically, British men." Giles paused for a moment. "For years, there have been rumors that the Council of Watchers will deal with demons if it suits their needs. In retrospect, it explains a great deal of history that is otherwise nonsensical. It appears that the Council is greatly displeased with both Buffy and Faith, and is attempting to kill them."
The table erupted, and Giles let them vent for a minute before attempting to re-establish order.
"I TOLD you," Buffy said angrily. She stood up, and pulled away from Willow. Buffy left the room. When they heard the front door open, Faith quickly went after her.
Buffy stood on the porch and stared at the vampires who were still across the street. One of them separated from the group and crossed the street as Faith opened the door. She recognized the demon, pulled the door closed, and stepped up beside Buffy.
"They are gathering now," the demon said from the sidewalk.
"Where are your fighters?" Buffy asked.
"Spread around this block. It's difficult to get close because of the spell."
"Good," Buffy snapped. She was still angry with Giles, and more angry at the Watcher's Council.
"Don't get involved until you're sure all of them have come through," Faith instructed, "and don't let any of them past you a second time."
The vampire nodded and backed away.
"B, you gotta come back inside," Faith said in a low voice. "We need to hear all of it, so we know what's going on."
"They're trying to kill us," Buffy growled.
"Why're you surprised? It's what they do," Faith answered. "If you don't fit their mold, it's easy enough to get another Slayer."
"Not that easy."
Faith grinned. "We aren't your basic, everyday Slayers. Now come back inside before Red comes out here."
The table was silent when they rejoined the group.
"May I continue?" Giles asked.
"In a minute," Buffy answered. "They're coming tonight, with everything they have. There are vampire fighters all around the block, and they're supposed to clean up anything that tries to escape." Buffy turned to Faith. "I want you upstairs with a crossbow. You, too, Xander, in the nursery. Giles, you guard the back door. I'll watch the front. Tara, if you know any spells, this is a good time to pull them out." She turned back to Giles. "Talk fast. It'll be full dark soon."
"That's all I know," Giles said. "The dreams are another matter completely."
"We'll worry about them later." Buffy stood up again. "I want you to call Travers and tell him to get his sorry butt here. I have a few things to discuss with him. Then Faith can have her say, and Will and Tara. Then you can tell him whatever you want." Buffy leaned down and kissed Willow's cheek. "Stay away from the windows," she said, and added in a lower tone, "I love you."
Willow looked at her, and after a second, nodded.
"Let's go, people," Buffy ordered.
Faith and Xander, with Anya trailing, headed upstairs. Giles stood up slowly and moved to the kitchen. Joyce started to get up, but Willow stopped her. "It's safer in here," she said simply, and Joyce retook her seat.
"Tara, is there anything else you can do to seal the house?" Willow asked.
"I don't know." Her brows came together as she thought.
"What have you done?" Liz asked.
Tara explained the spells. Liz nodded, and when Tara finished, said, "That's incredible. And it should work."
"It has so far," Willow told her, and grinned at Tara.
"I'm going to help Faith," Tara said, when it was obvious there was nothing else she could do.
Willow stood up and paced around the dining room while Joyce and Liz talked. Willow went into the living room, where Buffy watched the street through the small window in the door. "See anything?"
"Looks like shadows," Buffy answered. She turned from the door to look at Willow. "You shouldn't be here."
"I can't just sit in there and do nothing," Willow said.
"All right," Buffy acquiesced. "You can sit in here and do nothing."
Willow rolled her eyes. "I can shoot a crossbow. I know there's one in the weapons chest in the bedroom."
Buffy thought for a moment. "All right. But take Liz with you."
"Okay."
"And no magic."
"I know." Willow went back to the dining room. Liz was alone at the table. "Wanna have some fun?"
"Sure."
"C'mon." Willow gestured, and Liz got up and followed her. Buffy didn't say anything as they went by.
"What's going on?" Liz asked as they entered the front bedroom.
"Tons of vampires. Can you shoot a crossbow?"
"I don't think so."
"That's all right, I can." Willow went to the closet and rummaged through the weapons chest. She pulled out a small crossbow and put it on the floor. Then she brought out bolts. When she had all of them, Willow gathered them up and carried them and the crossbow to the window. She raised the window just enough fire through, then armed the crossbow.
"I know this is weird," Willow said, and picked off a vampire on the sidewalk.
"Apparently not to you."
"No, I'm used to it by now."
"How long?"
"How long what?" Willow aimed again, and hit another.
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Um, four years, I guess. Since high school. You know this is a hellmouth, right?"
"I do now." Liz paused for a second. "A lot of things make sense now."
Willow chuckled. "Welcome to my world."
"How can I help?"
"Just like this. Keep me company. Buffy gets all weird if I'm alone. Guess she thinks the bogey man is going to cart me off or something."
It took several hours for Willow to use most of the crossbow bolts. When she was down to two, she asked Liz to get Tara.
Tara came into the room and gave Willow a brief update. Then she raised the bolts from the ground and brought them back in through the window. Willow thanked her, and Tara left to check on Xander while Liz stared at her.
"Does she know how powerful she is?" Liz asked.
"Dunno." Willow shrugged. "I never asked. I just know she's good."
"What was all of that Mr. Giles was talking about?"
"Two things," Willow said while she reloaded the weapon. "First off, we've been having vampirepalooza once a week for a month or so. Tons of vampires show up, we kill them, things are quiet until the next attack. Now, it looks like the Watchers Council is behind it. They're like, Slayer overseers, right out of the 12th century." Willow stopped talking, took careful aim, and fired again. She started again while reloading. "Buffy kinda fired them, and since Faith is with us, they don't have a Slayer. Guess they figure they'll get a new one if they can get rid of one or both of them. Of course, Buffy all ready died once, so we don't know whether another Slayer will be called if she dies. And the dream thing, Slayers have prophetic dreams, and Buffy's been having some, so we're trying to decipher them before the big bad comes to make life more difficult." Willow angled down, and dusted a vampire at the base of the tree outside the window.
"Way to go, Will!" came up the stairs.
Willow worked on reloading the crossbow. She turned to Liz. "Did I miss anything?"
"Is your life always this exciting?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
Vampires kept coming from every direction and were picked off by the shooters, sometimes two and three at a time as bolts passed through body after body. Tara came around periodically to recycle the used bolts, and Joyce passed through regularly with coffee and water. Liz traded places with Tara a couple times, but found Faith far less sociable than Willow.
By sunrise, everyone was exhausted. The immediate neighborhood looked like an incinerator had exploded. Ash was on everything, and each puff of wind swirled it around the yards.
Once they were sure the attack was over, the Scoobies reconvened around the dining room table. They traded notes briefly, and agreed to meet again that evening to continue the discussion. Anya and Xander left, with Giles and Liz on their heels. Joyce went upstairs to shower while Faith went to the basement to bathe and change. Tara went down to bed, and Buffy and Willow slowly climbed the stairs to their room.