Stuck in the feedback loop (1-5/5)

["Jamie" <sombrerogiles@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Stuck in the feedback loop.

Author: Jamie

Rating: PG-13?

Spoilers: None, Alt-Buffyverse :smile:

Notes: In response to my weekly challenge #3 on the BuffySearch boards. Willow is the Slayer and Buffy is in a rock band J Who?d have thought?Okay, I did take a little inspiration in parts from 'Walking After Midnight' byJanine...does anyone know what happened to her?

Archiving: Slayed, otherwise just give me a yell and I?ll say yes. Set during the gentler times of Season 1, just before ?The Pack?.

Feedback: Yes please :smile:

Disclaimer: All hail Joss and the Mutant Enemies. Plus anyone else who?s bought into Buffy. The song ?3rd and Long? is by New Found Glory. I don?t own any characters, or if I do, Joss hasn?t told me yet.

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Buffy?s fingers on her left hand darted around the fretboard like lightning whilst her other hand brought the plectrum up and down rhythmically. Sheglanced around at the other members of the band on stage, Nick on drums, Alyson on bass, and David on support. She quickly looked up as she neared the end of her intro, and moved closer to the microphone.

"Pick up the, pieces that I've, left behind, I woke up to-day feeling older, and never so much better!" She sang as the intro ended, strumming a constant sound on her guitar. She looked out over the dance floor at the people twirling and weaving in the mass, dancing and enjoying themselves. "I know I talk in circles, I never wanted to avoid your, con-ver-sa-tion. You see yourself in my eyes another day has passed us by?" She continued, her mindfocused on Nick?s beat flowing through her veins and guiding her arms. She worked in perfect synchronicity with her friends, at times it was as if they were one. The next two minutes seemed to fly by, until Buffy finally reached the end of the song. "Time grabs me, by the shoul-ders, no one knowshow it feels to move over, I know I'm still far from you-and it feels likeI'm still far from home?" As the sound of her guitar echoed through the amp, and the final beat of Nick?s drum reverberated throughout the Bronze, the entire club erupted in applause. The band lay their instruments to one side and left the stage, smiles etched onto their faces and a skip in their step. Another band took their place, the beginnings of a slow, dark, haunting melody beginning to play in contrast to the group?s previous punky style song. Buffy sat down at the bar and ordered a coke by herself, the others had people to see and things to do, but that was okay with her. She liked being alone anyway ? it gave her time to reflect and think on things more than she could normally. Strangely, this noisy, chattery environment was more tranquil to Buffy than the silence of her room.

After half an hour or so, and three cokes, she decided to leave. She retrieved her guitar from the stage and slipped it into its bag before slinging it over her shoulder and leaving. The cool night air brushed against her bare skin, exposed more than a little by the thin-strap top she was wearing. As she walked down the street she was aware of someone following her. She gradually began to pick up speed ? Sunnydale had a notoriety for missing persons, and horrific murders. Her breath billowed out in front of her, hot and panicked as she could hear growling coming from a few meters behind her.She broke into a run, but almost immediately she was smashed to the floor by something leaping onto her back. Buffy hit her head on the hard pavement, and barely registered herself being flipped over. She fought against the oncoming darkness that threatened to engulf her vision, but almost immediately wished she hadn?t. A man was straddling her hips, but not any man she?d ever seen before. His brow was feral, his golden eyes glowed dangerously, and long sharp fangs protruded from his swollen gum. His breath stank of?copper? Blood? He looked Buffy up and down whilst sniffing the air, hissnarl turning into a grin.

"You?re pretty," A hoarse voice growled. "Maybe I?ll play with you for a bit first." Buffy whimpered as his rough fingertips wrestled with the strap of her top until it snapped off. Buffy closed her eyes and a tear rolledout of the corner of one. Suddenly the weight of the thing was gone. She opened her eyes and saw a flash of red hair at the periphery of her vision. As she blinked away the tears she saw a girl, maybe a bit taller than her punching her would-be-rapist/murderer. He groaned under the force of her unrelenting assault and stumbled back against the wall. The girl reached into an inside pocket of her jacket and stabbed the thing with what looked like a sharp bit of wood. Buffy gasped as the man?s skin crumbled into ash andfell to the floor as his skeleton disintegrated. The redhead stared for a second before whipping round and running towards Buffy. The blonde began tobreathe heavily again and zoomed backwards on her hands and feet.

"Hey! Hey! I?m not gonna hurt you!" The girl cried out after Buffy beforegrabbing her arm and lifting her up. "Are you alright?"

"That man, he?he?" Buffy stuttered, looking at the spot where the thinghad disintegrated.

"It?s dust, forget about it." Red said soothingly, before hooking her finger under Buffy?s chin and tilting the blonde?s head to one side. "Thatlooks nasty," She said, observing Buffy?s cut on her head where she?d hit the pavement. "Come on, I know a place where you can get cleaned up. I?m Willow by the way." Red?Willow said before taking the blonde by the hand and leading her off.

"B-Buffy?" She said unsurely, her body and common sense screamed at her to run away, to leave this strange girl behind and to not stop until she gothome, which is probably why she did the exact opposite. Buffy let herself be lead through the winding streets of Sunnydale, until the reached the High School. Once inside the pair made their way to the library, where the lights were strangely still on.

"GILES!" Willow shouted, eliciting a crashing sound from somewhere in the stacks. Willow smiled as a dishevelled man made his way out, rubbing his head and re-adjusting his glasses.

"I really wish you wouldn?t do that Willow." He said softly with a British accent. He glanced at Buffy worriedly. "Are you alright young lady?" He asked, already going into the book cage to get a first aid kit. "What happened?" The last question seemed to be addressed more to Willow than Buffy, soshe let the redhead answer.

"She was attacked outside the Bronze earlier." Willow said nonchalantly. Giles returned with some gauze and disinfectant. Willow poured the liquid onto some cotton wool and Buffy hissed as she dabbed at the wound with it. Within seconds she?d stopped and was already applying a small plaster ? the cut must have been smaller than the English librarian originally thought.

"That?that thing that attacked me. You killed it." Buffy said, looking atWillow.

"Uh huh." Willow replied, just as detached as she had been before.

"What was it?" This time Willow looked at Giles. He glanced back at her, asif the two were communicating silently.

"She has a right to know Giles." Willow said. Giles looked at her for a bitlonger before nodding and sighing. He motioned at a chair next to a large oak table.

"Have a seat please Miss?"

"Summers, Buffy Summers." Buffy provided, sitting down and holding the plaster to her forehead.

"Miss Summers, thank you." Giles replied, before also taking a seat. Willowsat next to him on the desk. "There are things in this world Buffy, thingswhich the world at large has no idea exist. There is an underworld operating here in secret, yet blatantly obvious at the same time." Giles explainedslowly. Buffy shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"You?re drug dealers?" She asked. It seemed to be an obvious progression.

"Most certainly not!" Giles exclaimed. He regained his previous composure quickly however, and continued with his narrative. "The creature that attacked you earlier, for instance, is one of these things. They have inspired legends, myths, and stories throughout history, but have been relegated to just that, legends. What the Human race seems to have forgotten is that everylegend has a basis in fact. Contrary to popular belief, this world did notbegin as a paradise. For untold aeons Demons walked the Earth. They made it their home. Their Hell."

"Demons. Right. You?re all *on* drugs!" Buffy shouted.

"Think about it Buffy," Willow suddenly broke in. Up until now she?d beensilent but she jumped off the table and walked over to the blonde. "The weird occurrences, the murders, disappearances. There?s a reason for it, and that reason is the demons." Buffy didn?t know why, but she didn?t runfrom the library at that moment. She didn?t shout, didn?t cry, didn?t make sarcastic comments. She just believed. After looking into the eyes of this young girl, she saw the truth laid out before her in its purest form. She exhaled slowly, and relaxed a bit.

"Okay, so how are you involved in this?" She asked, looking at Willow and Giles in turn.

"Willow is the Slayer. One girl in the entire world born with the strength and skill to hunt the Vampires. It is her sacred charge, and one which she has embraced. I am her Watcher, a person chosen to guide the Slayer, and totrain her. To be her dependent and confidante in times of need. But most of all, to be her protector." Giles finished. "I understand that this is difficult for you to accept, but please know that we do not wish for you to help us. You would end up dead, or worse." Buffy was silent for a moment, taking this all in.

"You can?t tell me all that you have, and then ask me to just forget about it. I know what goes bump in the night now, I know that the monsters under my bed? They?re probably real! So don?t tell me I can?t help. I have to. Besides, I may have skills which could help." Buffy said heatedly, flustered and slightly irritated.

"Such as?" Giles asked, giving his glasses a cursory polish.

"I?m a witch." Buffy said simply. "I?ve been studying Wicca for about four years now, I?d like to think I could help with that."

"We?ll see." Giles said. "But for now, I believe it?s quite late. I?ll give you two ladies a ride home." Buffy didn?t argue, she felt exhausted, and probably looked it. For the first time since her attack she remembered her guitar, and unzipped its cover. The pegs on the head were broken offand two strings were snapped. She could count at least two chips in the body as well.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. "Now I?m pissed."

The car journey passed in relative silence as Giles stopped off at Willow?s house first, then Buffy?s. She said goodbye to the librarian as she stepped out of the car and closed the door, before walking quietly up the path. She was almost home free when Giles? car suddenly backfired, and a light came on from the second floor.

"Shit," Buffy cursed, and glared at Giles. He shrugged apologetically and sped off, not wanting to see the wrath of Joyce Summers firsthand. The blonde slid her key into the lock and turned it, but the door wasn?t opened byher. She was greeted with the sleepy face of her mom, a sleepy face that looked neither peaceful nor forgiving.

"Buffy Summers!" She said angrily, in her hushed tone that meant she was really pissed. "Just what time do you think it is?"

"Past my bed time?" Buffy half-asked, half-joked. Her mother looked as if she was about to say something, but then her eyes fell to Buffy?s ruined top and torn guitar case.

"Oh my god, what happened?" She asked, bringing the smaller blonde inside. She shut the door and led Buffy into the kitchen.

"It was?nothing," Buffy said, looking at the floor briefly. "I kinda felloff the stage."

"Oh," Joyce said quietly. "Well, I guess it?s better than being thrown off."

"Guess so?"

"Do you want me to fix you anything? Some soup, a snack?" Her mom asked, already plugging in the blender.

"No thanks mom, I just wanna go to bed." Buffy replied. "G?Night."

"Good night, Buffy." Joyce said, then sat back on the kitchen counter. [I]Rock music[/I], she thought as she watched her daughter slump up the stairs exhaustedly.

Buffy stumbled into her room, shut the door behind her and practically collapsed onto her bed. After half a minute or so of lying there she scrounged up the effort to get changed into a T-shirt and do her teeth. Finally, after long minutes, she climbed underneath her sheets and pulled them around her, reaching one arm out to flick the switch on her bedside lamp.


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The next day in the library, Giles and Willow were in their usual poses. Giles was sitting at the desk researching something in a book, whilst the red-haired Slayer swung her legs from her position on the table, bored out of her skull. The room was coated in an eerie silence, which was why everyone looked up in shock when Buffy breezed into the room, donning sunglasses andleaving the doors swinging in her wake. Willow smiled and hopped off of the table.

"Hiya," She said happily. Truthfully, she had expected Buffy never to set foot in the room again, she knew she wouldn?t have in the blonde?s position.

"Hey!" Buffy said, mimicking Willow?s smile with her own. The two sat down on the comfortable-yet-not-too-comfortable chairs. "So whatcha doing?" The shorter of the two asked, placing her bag on the table and removing her shades.

"Oh, the usual. It?s an action-packed life, mine. Never a dull moment." Willow responded, eliciting a smile from Buffy. "Nothing, Giles is researching some evil thing I?m sposed to kill. Which leaves me in a situation resembling the opposite of fun."

"Join the club." Buffy said, leaning back in the chair. She rolled her headto one side lazily when the doors to the library opened again. A tall boy with shortish black hair and chocolate brown eyes walked in, wearing jeans and a tartan-y shirt over a white t-shirt.

"Hey Xand," Buffy said happily.

"Buff, hey. You?re so very much the person I wanna see!" The boy said cheerfully, before setting his bag down next to Willow and pulling up a chair.

"Really, why?s that? And this is Willow. Willow, this is Xander." Buffy introduced the too. Willow waved and smiled.

"Hey, you?re the new kid aren?t you?" Xander asked, Buffy rolled her eyes. [I]Way to say hi Xand?[/I] she thought.

"Yeah, I just transferred here from Boston." Willow replied.

"Cool, anyway, Buffy. I need to ask you something." Xander said, diverting the conversation back to its original topic.

"Shoot."

"You?re playing at the Bronze tonight right?" He asked, full well knowingthe answer.

"No. Why?"

"Are you going?"

"It?s Friday night, what else am I going to do?" Buffy asked rhetorically.

"Sit at home and fantasise about me?" Xander teased. Buffy glared at him until he looked away.

"Willow, you wanna go?" Buffy asked the redhead, whom until now had just been looking around and studying her fingernails.

"Huh? Oh, sure. What time?"

"Well, if you come round my place around, say, seven?"

"Okay, cool." Willow replied happily. Suddenly, the bell rang. Its shrill sound sliced through the Friday break good moods as students all over the campus resigned themselves to the fact that there were still two more lessonsleft. The trio left the library and walked down the hall together, Willow studying her timetable.

"What?ve you guys got now?" She asked, scrunching her nose up at the lesson on the paper.

"Biology," Xander and Buffy groaned simultaneously.

"What? Biology isn?t that bad, I like it." Willow said, slightly too enthusiastically. Buffy and Xander stared at her until she blushed and looked away.

"Okay, so I?m a science nerd!" She admitted.

"Don?t say that." Buffy chastised her. The trio reached the lab door and looked at it as they would the gates of hell. Slowly, Willow took the initiative and opened it.


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You could literally see the steam pour out of the room when the end of school bell rang through the halls, and the lab door opened. Xander and Buffy were the first out, murmuring something that sounded like ?Gotta get out!"With Willow following them a few seconds later. The three didn?t stop until they were out of the school and down the long flight of stairs that ledoff campus, to freedom. Buffy collapsed against a wall and let her head roll backwards, catching her breath.

"Ohhhh my Goddess that was bad!" She half-said, half-exhaled. All around them, people were flooding out of the school, going home, to friends houses?whatever. All that mattered to Buffy was that it was Friday, and that meant no Biology for two days.

"So I?ll see you at seven?" Willow asked, falling into stride with the blonde.

"Yup. 1630 Revello Drive." Buffy replied.

"Okay, cool. I?ll see you later." The redhead said, before hurrying off to a car waiting on the other side of the street.

"Bye," Buffy called after her. Xander waved. A rumble in the sky caused them both to look up, and the first drops of rain splashed into their eyes.

"Great," Xander grumbled, already breaking into a jog. "Perfect start to the weekend!"

"Xander, you?ve got the Internet at home haven?t you?" Buffy asked, running alongside him and pulling her coat over her head as a makeshift umbrella.

"Um, yeah. Why?" The boy asked.

"I wanna look something up, can I come back to yours?"

"Sure."

"And Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"I know what you?re thinking. Stop it."
"Oh."


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Thunder crashed outside and the rain battered the windows of Xander?s room relentlessly. He lay on his bed, throwing a tennis ball up to the ceilingthen catching it, whilst Buffy slowly typed out something. Ever so slowly.Eventually she slammed her hand down on the desk, which caused Xander to look over, and the tennis ball to fall on his head.

"First, ow, second, what?" He asked, sitting up and walking over to the frustrated blonde.

"It doesn?t work!" She shouted.

"Calm down, what do you wanna do?" Xander asked, trying to appease the fuming girl.

"I want to search for something, but it won?t let me!"

"Um, Buffy?"

"What?"

"It would help if you opened the browser."

"Oh." After a few clicks, a garishly coloured website with big bold lettersthat proclaimed it to be "The Best Search Engine In The World!" popped up.Buffy took over the mouse and entered some names into the search box. Watcher, Vampire, Slayer?ooh! Vampire Slayer!

"What?s the sitch?" Xander asked, looking over her shoulder at the screen. Buffy quickly hit return.

"Um, French project." The blonde said quickly, feeling her cheeks turn red.

"French project." Xander stated, obviously not buying it. Buffy had no ideawhy.

"Uh huh!"

"Oh?kay." The results flashed up on the screen with a beep and Buffy scrunched up her nose at the results. The first ten were links to porn sites ofvarious?sexual persuasions. "You need to sift through this, click on thethird or fourth page of results." Xander said quickly, before Buffy noticed the visited link colour on all ten. He commandeered the mouse and clickedon the number. Once again, it flashed up with a beep.

"Oooh, this one." Buffy said excitedly, jabbing at the screen with a fingernail. Xander clicked on the link and a new window popped up. The page took ages to load, seeing as the owner decided to stick a massive picture of a cross in the middle. The site?s massive, bold, white writing declared it to be ?The Authoritative Database on the Vampire.? Buffy slapped Xander?s hand off of the mouse and took control.

An hour or so later, the blonde was walking home with an armful of computer printouts, most of them with that massive cross on them. Much to Xander?s dismay and cries of anguish, she?d used up three ink cartridges printing these pages, but she thought it was worth it. Besides, ink cartridgesdidn?t cost that much anyway, did they? Buffy didn?t use a fountain pen but she was pretty sure they?d only be a few dollars for a pack of ten?

Buffy set the stack of paper down on the porch as she fumbled for her key in her bag. After a few seconds she hooked a finger through the keychain andpulled them out, opening the door and going in. She mumbled a ?Hey? toher mom, then hurried up the stairs to her room, where she put the printouts on her desk and began to rummage through her wardrobe. Eventually, she picked out an outfit and hurried into the bathroom. By her guess, she had about three minutes before Wil-

"BUFFY! WILLOW?S HERE!" Joyce shouted up the stairs. Maths is not your strong point, Summers, Buffy thought to herself, then tugged her shirt down abit to flatten out a crease, before swinging around the door and grabbing her jacket off of the hook. She put it on as she was descending the stairs,and cleared the last two with a satisfying hop. Willow was sitting on a chair in the living room, and stood up when she saw Buffy.

"Hey," She greeted, with a small wave.

"Hi, let?s go." Buffy said, taking Willow?s hand and leading her out ofthe door before Joyce could come in with some lemonade.


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Buffy and Willow chatted as they walked leisurely down the street. Buffy was amazed at how she connected with this girl, this?Slayer. It seemed as if she could just talk and talk with her for hours, and never run out of things to say. She also envied her in a way she?d never envied anyone before. Her speech was so confident, no stutters, no pause for thought. She said what she meant, and Buffy was jealous at her ability to do just that. Her confidence was reflected in the way she moved, too. She walked with a security, like she could take anyone. She probably can, Buffy thought, and suddenly felt much safer.

"So the way I see it is if that they don?t wanna believe, it?s their problem." Willow said with a shrug as they walked.

"It?s not their fault really Wil, I mean, I almost had a heart attack when I saw you stake that Vampire last night." Buffy replied, sticking up for the Rosenbergs for some reason.

"Yeah, but at least you have the courage to face it. I mean, you?re just a normal girl, you don?t have Slayer powers or a big book or anything, but you?re fighting the good fight, and you?re not calling me a freak andstuff. You have no idea how much it means to me." Willow replied, Buffy had the feeling that this one gonna be one of those deep, friendship buildingtype conversations. She really hated those type of conversations, they made her stutter.

"I?I?m the one who should have the meaningful feelings." Buffy started,Willow was about to interrupt but she carried on. "I don?t really have any friends," She admitted, looking at the pavement. "I mean, sure I have people who?ll be around me if it suits them, or if they need something fromme, but the only friend I have is Xander. And now, out of the blue you decide you?ll hang around with me. Ha, picture that, someone as beautiful asyou, who could so easily be in Cordelia?s group of sheep, wants to hang around with me. This means?it means a lot too. Thank you." The two were in silence for a few seconds, before Willow stopped them and wrapped Buffy in a hug. Startled, it took the blonde a few moments to register what was happening, but she hugged back. After a few seconds the pair separated and carried on walking, their previous buzz of chatter resuming. In the shadows however, a grinning, demonic face melted back into the darkness. He?d justfound a new weakness of the Slayer. One which could be grasped?and choked.

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The blaring music and blinding spotlights of the Bronze greeted Buffy and Willow as they stepped through the door and past a burly looking bouncer. There was no cover charge tonight luckily, but that also meant no band, unluckily. The two girls looked around the thriving club, their eyes finally coming to rest on one of the pool tables near the back, where Xander was chalking up a cue. They walked towards the table, threading their way through the crowds like a snake through tall-grass. Buffy moved with the manner of someone who?d done this many times before, but Willow looked slightly uncomfortable in this scene, she?d lost some of that earlier confidence she had when it was just her and Buffy walking the streets. Xander looked up as the pair approached the table.

"Hey," He said, bending down to line up a shot. He struck the cue ball withthe cue, and the little white orb went flying into the triangle, scattering red balls everywhere. Buffy picked up a cue from beside the table.

"C?mon Willow, you and me against Xand." She said happily, handing Willowthe cue. Willow looked at it with trepidation, and accepted it reluctantly. "Oh come on," Buffy said, noticing her look. "You can?t be that bad." After that evening, Buffy vowed to never, ever say anyone ?can?t be thatbad?, ever again.

The trio sat in a booth, on one of what Buffy liked to call ?the curvy sofa things?. Willow and Buffy were cradling Cokes, whilst Xander was knocking back a Sprite.

"All I?m saying is, Garfield was a lot funnier when?" Xander said, but was cut off by Buffy.

"Xander, stop talking about cartoons." Buffy interjected, lifting her drinkto her lips and taking a sip.

"So what?re you guys doing tomorrow?" Willow asked, bringing both hands up to the table to clasp her drink.

"I dunno, the weather?s pretty bad." Xander replied.

"Well my parents are out?again?so, anyone up for a moviefest?" The redhead asked tentatively. Buffy smiled.

"Count us in,"

"Okay, cool. I?m gonna go dance for a while. This is what we came for, right?"

"Sure, I?ll join you in a minute." Buffy said, and watched Willow walk off onto the dance floor.

"So tomorrow?" Xander asked, getting Buffy?s attention.

"Tomorrow?"

"Movies, popcorn?wakey wakey Buffster!" Xander said, making exaggerated hand movements in front of her face. She batted his hand away playfully.

"I dunno, just bring whatever you wanna watch." Buffy said, before getting up to go to the dance floor. She got a few paces before she stopped and turned around.

"And Xander?"

"Yeah?"

"No porn."

"I know not this word you speak of!" Xander said, falling back in his seat with mock surprise and a big grin on his face. Buffy smiled at her best friend, and set off into the mass. There, in the centre, surrounded by a dancing group of guys and girls, was Willow. The little red head was dancing up a storm, swinging this way one-second and that way the next. Buffy began tolet the rhythm of the song course through her, and her arms, hips, and legs responded automatically. She manoeuvred into the centre of the circle andswung around so she was back to back with Willow.

"You look good," she said, just loud enough for Willow to hear.

"You?re not so bad yourself. Okay, not really as good as me, but?" Willow replied, smiling. Buffy opened her mouth in mock indignation, but her face creased into a grin. She slipped her hand into Willow?s and held it above them, dancing all the while. They continued like that through two, three, four songs, until finally they stumbled off the dance floor and collapsed back onto the curvy sofa thing, panting and exhausted. Xander sat there whilst the two caught their breath, draining all three glasses.

"What?re you bringing tomorrow, Xander?" Willow asked after a while, reaching for her glass, then noticing it was empty. She glared at the boy, who kinda shrank into himself.

"I have a choice movie, one you?re all gonna love, trust me." Xander replied, his dark eyes flashing with anticipation.

"I?d rather not," Buffy joked, which earned her a playful punch on the arm. She smiled, and lifted her right arm to see her watch.

"Um, whoah!" She said, after looking at the two hands. Xander frowned, at looks at his watch. His eyes widened. Willow did the same, and blinked a fewtimes.

"I?m thinking we?d better call it a night." The red head said. Buffy and Xander nodded and gathered their stuff. Within a minute they were out of the noisy environment of the Bronze and into the near silent environment ofthe Sunnydale night, the only noise coming from the muffled music still pumping out of the speakers from inside the club. The trio walked and laughedwith each other to the end of the street, but came to a stop at the end. There in front of them, framed by shadow and darkness, were at least ten pairs of glittering yellow eyes.

"Guys?get behind me," Willow said quietly, in a voice that commanded authority. A deep voice chuckled, and a massive looking Vampire walked leisurely out of the shadow, playing with a nail on his left hand. He walked for a few paces, then stopped and looked up.

"Slayer," He growled, then laughed. "Howdy."

"Jeez, who dressed you? Mortisha?" Willow retorted, making a big show of looking him up and down. The vampire just laughed again.

"Spunky, aren?t ya? Let?s see how lippy ya are when I rip yer still beating heart from yer chest."

"Wow," Willow replied. "Scary. I mean, it?s just so terrifying every single time I hear it. I?m shaking on the inside, really."

"What?s going on?" Xander asked, looking around. If Willow wasn?t careful he?d panic.

"Buffy, Xander, go." Willow said again in her Slayer voice.

"No way, I?m not leaving you." Buffy said, taking a step forward.

"Go!" Willow shouted.

"Please," The vampire smiled coldly. "Stay." With that he lunged forward with a vicious punch aimed for Willow?s face. She blocked it easily, then let loose with a ¾ of her own. The vampire didn?t even flinch, but swiped at her again. Willow ducked and swept his legs out from underneath him. She was about to plunge her stake through his heart, when she heard Buffy screaming. She raised herself and whipped around in the blink of an eye, justin time to see Xander sprawled out on the floor, with blood trickling froma head cut, and Buffy being carried off around the corner.

"Willow!" She screamed. The red head began to run, but a hand shot out fromthe floor and clamped on her ankle with an iron grip. Willow fell forward,and her head slammed into the pavement. She cried out involuntarily, and could taste blood in her mouth. She rolled over and kicked herself up, but she already knew that the vampire would be gone. Sure enough, she could see him retreating, along with the rest of his gang. She stared after him for asecond, then ran to Xander. She brought his head up onto her lap and brushed a lock of his hair out of the cut. It wasn?t going to require stitches, but she?d need to get him to Giles.

"Unnngh," he groaned, and Willow made a shushing sound.

"Buffy?" He asked, opening his eyes and looking around for her, disorientated. Willow looked away.

"They have her." She said quietly. She saw his face literally crumble at the news, and he closed his eyes.

"We?re getting her back." He said quietly, using the same tone as Willow had earlier.

"Yes we are, but we need supplies. Can you walk?" The red head replied, helping the boy to his feet and letting him lean on her for support.

"I think so." Xander replied, testing out his theory with a few steps.

"Good, lets go." The two walked off into the night, to the library. Willow cursed herself over and over again for not paying attention, for not?for not protecting them properly. [I]God[/I], she thought, [I]one day in my world, and I?ve already lost her[/I].



Giles stared at the text in front of him, periodically lifting a cup of lukewarm tea to his lips and taking a sip. His eyes began to drift shut, but he suddenly snapped them open when he heard a crashing sound coming from thedarkened hallway. Setting down the cup on its saucer, he retrieved a shortsword from its hiding place on the side of his desk. The librarian quietly and cautiously moved out of his office and into the main library.

*Clunk*

There! There it was again! Giles moved slowly towards the door, raising thesword up to ribcage height.

*Clunk*

*Crash!* He started at the second sound, then stopped dead still as he heard voices from the other side of the large wooden door. Looking through the small circular windows, he could only see the wall faintly illuminated by the light from the library. All of a sudden, the door flew open and Giles stumbled back. He raised the sword high, ready to strike, but stopped when helooked up and saw Willow, supporting Xander on her shoulders, shuffling in.

"Are you alright?" He asked, immediately setting down the sword on the nearest flat surface and hurrying over to the pair.

"I?m fine, Xander hit his head...or got scratched?" Willow said, looking around desperately.

"Weren?t you with Miss Summers?" Giles asked, opening the same first aid box that was on the table last night. He hadn?t bothered to move it yet, so luckily it was within arms reach. Willow began to move frantically around, Giles handed Xander the box and strode over to her. He grabbed her by the arm and stared into her eyes.

"Willow. Calm. Down." He said calmly, punctuating every word. She stopped moving, but was still shaking.

"We were attacked outside the Bronze. I tried to fight?but there were so many of them?" Willow broke down and leaned forward into Giles, burying her face in his shoulder and crying. "So many?" The Watcher stroked the back of Willow?s head soothingly.

"There wasn?t anything you could?ve done Willow," Xander spoke up. Giles turned his head to the boy, who was holding a small roll of gauze to the cut on his head.

"No," Willow said, sniffing back the tears and taking a step back from her Watcher. "But there is something I can do now."

"Willow, if you?re going to rescue Buffy, I need you to tell me a few things first." Giles ordered quietly. Inside, he was mourning for Willow. If Buffy had indeed been kidnapped by vampires, she was probably already dead. Damnit, it?s not fair, he thought and cursed whatever cruel and uncaring God happened to be listening. She was only a girl! He hurried into his office and pricked up the book carefully from his desk, making sure not to tearthe page. Walking back into the main section of the library, he showed it to Willow. The red haired Slayer looked at the picture, and immediately said, 

"That?s him," Giles sighed and knotted his brow, the way he always did when he found out some new piece of information that worked against them.

"His name is Kharkov. He is, of course, a vampire of around 250 years of age. Back in his native homeland of Germany he was known as Metzger von Unschuld ? Butcher of Innocence. He is an old, and extremely powerful vampire,Willow. Not all of his strength lies in his formidable physical prowess - he possesses a remarkable, almost psychic ability to make people see what he wants to see. Every Slayer who has come up against him so far has failed." Giles finished dramatically.

"They all died?" Xander asked, moving up next to Willow.

"Some did. Most went insane, trapped in their own personal worst nightmare for the rest of their life." Giles replied simply. He looked back at Willow, and saw no fear in her eyes. She looked cold, determined.

"Okay, so he?s big with the mojo. How can I kill him?"

"I..um?standard methods should be adequate, but?" Giles trailed off as his Slayer turned and hurried over to the weapons cabinet. She practically threw it open and retrieved a crossbow, as well as a couple of stakes whichshe slipped into her jacket.

"Hey, weapon for me?" Xander asked weakly, offering a smile.

"You?re not going, Xander." Willow replied bluntly. The boy looked taken aback.

"Hey, my best friend is in there with that?that vampire? Doing God knows what to her! So don?t you tell me I can?t go!" Xander quietly told her.Willow looked at him for a moment before turning back to the weapons cabinet and retrieving an extra stake. She turned back around and gave it to him.

"Giles, does it say anything about his nesting preferences?"

"No, but I?d suppose he?d be in the choice location. Even if someone was there before, he?d have kicked them out or killed them." Giles replied,picking up his short sword and catching a stake Willow tossed to him.

"Xander, you?ve lived here the longest. Where would he go?" Willow asked,already leading them out of the library.

"If I was a murderer, where would I be?" Xander asked himself. He thought about it for a moment, then his eyes flashed with the eureka moment. Willow could almost see the light bulb switch on above his head. "The old Cineplex!" He said, a little too enthusiastically.

"Okay, I have no idea where that is, you?ll have to direct Giles."

"Hey, we got a ride? Cool!" Xander said, again a little too enthusiastically. Willow didn?t want to quash his good mood, but it had to be done.

"You haven?t seen Giles? car."

"Oi!"

----------------

Buffy sat uncomfortably on the chair, her wrists hurting from the rough rope binding them behind the back of the wooden seat and her skin beginning toache from where it was being pulled back by the gag. She glared balefully at the massive vampire standing in front of her. He smiled and walked forward. Suddenly he brought his hand back and then round her face in a vicious slap. He grabbed her hair roughly and spun her head around so that she was staring right into his eyes.

"Look at me again like that, and I?ll decide yer not worth holdin? hostage." He said. His breath stank of rotting flesh and blood. Buffy must haveflinched or something, because the next thing she knew, she was looking upat the ceiling whilst the vampire scraped her throat slightly with his fangs. She whimpered slightly and the thing laughed. "What?s the matter girlie? Lost yer cojones now yer Slayer?s gone?" He sniffed her throat hungrily, and licked at the drop of blood that seeped through the graze made by his fangs. "Oooh, ye?re tasty. I?m sure the Slayer wouldn?t mind if I had a little taste, do ye?" Buffy screamed as the Kharkov growled and sank his fangs into the soft flesh of her neck.

--------------------

"C?mon Giles! Gun it!" Xander called from the backseat. He was pretty certain those old ladies who?d passed them a minute ago had sworn at them.

"I am ?Gunning It? Xander." Giles said irritably.

"Okay, turn left here," the boy instructed. Giles followed his directions.

"How far is it now?" Willow asked.

"About two blocks." Xander replied.

"Giles, stop the car." A few seconds later the Watcher had pulled over to the sidewalk and was disembarking from the car.

"Um, excuse me, why?" Xander asked, climbing out.

"They?ll hear us coming." Willow replied, before opening the boot and retrieving her crossbow. Giles picked up his sword and took a practice swing, before closing the lid. He hurried around to the driver?s side, and locked the door. Rejoining Xander and Willow on the sidewalk, he fell into pace and the trio stalked through the street towards the derelict and abandoned Cineplex. Suddenly, Willow motioned for them to back up against the wall. She turned to them and put her finger on her lips, before pointing out the sentry to Giles by the entrance, a vampire. She knelt down, and handed her Watcher the crossbow. He ratcheted a bolt, and leant the stock on Willow?sshoulder. After a few seconds of careful aiming, Giles pulled the trigger and the recoiling string sent the arrow forward with a satisfying ?Thwappp?. The bolt whistled through the air and the vampire just had time to look in its direction, lets his eyes go wide, and begin to bring his hands upbefore the point pierced his heart, the shaft following it in. His skin crumbled to ash before their eyes, then his bones disintegrated too. Giles handed the crossbow back to Giles, and glanced at Xander, who was looking at him with a sense of awe.

"That was awesome!" He breathed, and Giles grinned in response.

"Boys," Willow interrupted. The three stood up and ran over to the shadow-shrouded entrance. Giles counted down with his fingers on one hand. Three, two, one. Willow kicked the door open?

---------------------------

Kharkov looked up, and release his hold on Buffy. The girl was crying freely now, not really surprising considering he?d practically torn her throatopen. He reached out with his Gift, and saw through the eyes of one of hisminions the Slayer, the boy he?d encountered earlier, and an older man who he could only assume was her Watcher breaching the building. Hmmmm, he thought. Perhaps it?s time for a little game.

---------------------------

Giles, Xander, and Willow stalked through the darkened theatre, with only Giles? torch as a lightsource. Occasionally a vampire jumped out at them, but Willow gave it nothing more than a cursory glance and a staking. Giles had never seen her so focused, so calm in her attack. It was almost as if her heritage had taken complete control of her, the essence of the Slayer working through Willow?s body, so efficient was she. Suddenly they head a sweet voice singing in the shadows ahead. Giles focused his beam on the source of the noise, and revealed a small blonde girl, no older than sixteen.

"Buffy," Willow breathed.

---------------------------

"Hey girlfriend, how you holdin up?" Buffy asked coyly. Her face was still Buffy?s, the voice Buffy?s. But the movement was totally off. She swungfrom left to right in a confident swagger, whilst humming bars to the tuneshe?d been singing earlier.

"Buffy?" Willow choked out. "I?m so sorry."

"Of course you are, you failed me after all," Vamp-Buffy replied. She took a small pebble off of what had once been a fast food counter and rolled it in her palm. "You know, I believed in you so much. I though ?Nothing?s gonna happen to me if Willow?s here.? Ha, shows what a fool I was." 

"Buffy," Xander began, then trailed off as the demon that inhabited his best friend?s corpse looked at him.

"What, Xander? What do you wanna say? You?re sorry, you wish it didn?t have to end this way?" Buffy lashed out viciously. Xander took a step forward.

"You?re sick Buffy, we can get you some help. It doesn?t have to end this way." Buffy grinned.

"Oh no, I think it does." She vamped out, and Xander shrank back. Suddenly Willow was there, She grabbed Buffy and plunged the stake into her ribcage.Xander cried out, but stopped when Buffy vanished.

"What. The. Hell?" Willow said breathlessly, and a more than a little confused.

"Mind games," Giles breathed. "This was what I was telling you about. Willow?" The librarian trailed off as he saw Willow begin to move slowly ahead. "Willow!" He shouted. "This is getting us nowhere! Get a grip!" Willow stopped and turned around.

"Get a grip?" She said slowly, staring at Giles murderously. "I have a friend who is right now either dead, dying, or in some kind of pain. I just went through that, and you?re telling me to GET A GRIP?" The read head shouted, her voice becoming slightly shrill. "YOU GET A GRIP! I?M FINDING BUFFY!" She stalked off into the hallway. Xander clapped Giles on the back and followed, holding the stake up protectively. Giles sighed in defeat, and followed his Slayer.

---------------------------

Willow kicked open the double doors that led into Theatre 2. Immediately she was greeted by four grinning demonic faces. She landed a solid kick to the stomach on one of them whilst she spun around and smashed her elbow into the face of another, breaking its nose. The vampire howled in pain for a few seconds before Xander came up and stabbed at it repeatedly with his stake. Eventually he found the heart and the thing exploded. He coughed and squinted briefly before he was bowled to the ground by a vamp. Giles swiped at the thing?s head with his sword and it come off, blowing away into dust before it hit the ground. Willow shoved a stake into the heart of the vamp with the broken nose, and quickly brought her crossbow to bear on the last remaining one, ending its vampiric unlife with one simple action.

"That was?interesting?" Xander said, after Willow had run a hand through her shoulder length hair, brushing the vamp dust out of it. She was just about to reply when all of a sudden clapping came from the front row.

"Very good," The voice said. "Really, I?m impressed." A spotlight flickedon all of a sudden and Willow could see Buffy sitting on a chair in the centre of the theatre, head lolled to one side and blood running down her top. Standing next to her was the vampire she'd fought earlier, and come so close to killing. The red head wasted no time now however, and fired the crossbow. It connected with the vampire?s heart and he disintegrated. "Nice shot." A disembodied voice came from around the theatre.

"Okay, I am so getting SICK of THIS!" Willow shouted at the voice. A flash to her far left caught her attention, and when she spun around Giles and Xander were on the floor. Suddenly her throat was seized from behind in a strong grip. She gasped as her airway was closed off. Acting on instinct, Willow brought her elbow backwards and into Kharkov?s gut. He wheezed and stumbled backwards, releasing his hold on the red head. She spun around and caught him on the jaw with a roundhouse kick. The vampire sprawled backwards onto the floor, but kicked himself back onto his feet.

"You?re fast, and strong." He observed, wiping blood away from the cornerof his mouth with the back on one hand, whilst adopting a fighting stance.He moved quickly forward, with almost blinding speed. His fist came forward with a punch to the face but Willow grabbed it and squeezed with all her might. Kharkov howled as she broke nearly every bone in his hand, then lashed out with a kick to Willow?s stomach. She stumbled backwards, temporarily stunned by the ferocity of the blow. That was all the time Kharkov needed to land a roundhouse on her face, flooring the red head. He loomed over her and bent down, kneeling on her thighs and holding her hands to the side.Willow shouted at Giles and Xander to help but they lay unconscious, deaf to her cries. Kharkov grinned?again?and leant down to her exposed neck.Suddenly he sat bolt upright, his eyes bulging and a squelching sound coming from his back. He fell forward towards Willow, who was showered with dust as he disintegrated. She blinked the dust out of her eyes and looked up at her mysterious saviour. There, stood in front of her, was no one! A wavering object caught her eye though, and she looked further up to see a stake hanging in mid air.

Flash

"I?ve been studying Wicca for about four years now, I?d like to think Icould help with that"

Flash

Willow looked back over at Buffy, who was obviously straining to keep the stake up. Her head drooped, and it clattered to Willow?s stomach. The red head jumped up and onto the chair, using their backs as a platform to run from. She hopped over all the rows until she practically leapt onto the areabetween the front row and the screen. For the first time she saw the ghastly wound in Buffy?s neck?a vampire bite. It narrowed and increased in width sickeningly as the blonde breathed. Willow ripped the ropes that boundBuffy?s hands together off, and her friend fell forward into the red head, bringing her arms up to Willow?s neck and wrapping them around for support. Willow brought one arm underneath Buffy?s knees, and another aroundher back for support, and carried her up the stairs. Giles and Xander werejust starting to stir.

"Giles! Wake up! Buffy needs help!"

-----------------------------

The doctor walked along the corridor leisurely, taking her time. Today was a pretty quiet evening actually, only four or five people in the IC ward, and no fatalities. She set her clipboard down on the reception desk, and lifted a cup of coffee to her lips.

"Hey Karen," She greeted the receptionist. The plump woman looked up and smiled.

"Hey, slow evening tonight huh?" She said. The doctor hummed her agreement,and lifted the cup again, which promptly went flying as the double doors of the reception area were kicked open. A small red head ran in, carrying aneven smaller blonde in her arms.

"Help!" Red shouted. "Someone please!" The doctor dropped the cup and ran straight over. Behind her, two more nurses were arriving with a stretcher.

"What happened?" She asked no one in particular. Two more people came to stand beside her, a man in his late-forties, and a boy of about sixteen or seventeen.

"A wild animal attacked her as she was walking home." The man said in a crisp British accent.

"Did you see what animal?"

"No." He replied simply.

"Massive trauma to the throat, mild abrasions to the cranium. Probably massive blood loss." She said loudly to one of the male orderlies, who noted itdown. "Get her down to the ER now." As the other nurses lifted the blonde onto the stretcher, she turned to the red haired girl who?d brought her in.

"What?s her name?" She asked.

"Buffy." Red replied through tear streaked eyes.

"Okay, You can come with us to the ER but you?ll have to wait there." Thedoctor turned back to Buffy. "Buffy?Buffy can you hear me?" Buffy rolledher head to the side and opened her eyes slightly.

"W?Where am I?" She asked dazedly.

"You?re in the hospital honey, my name?s Jennifer, Jenny Calendar. We?re gonna give you something to take the pain away, okay?" Jennifer said soothingly, placing her hand on Buffy?s as the stretcher moved.

"Okay?no pain is good?" Buffy said, wincing. Around the stretcher, two light bulbs suddenly sparked and exploded.

"What the?" One of the nurses said, and stopped. Jennifer glared at him.

"Keep moving!" The nurse complied with her order, and they burst through the doors of the ER. The older man stopped then and stared after the stretcher, but the red head and the boy followed them through into the ward.

"Hey, I told you to wait here." Jennifer shouted at them. "Are you family?"

"Yes," the boy replied huskily. Somehow, the older woman doubted that but didn?t say anything. The stretcher wheeled into a room, and after three counts Buffy was lifted on to the bed. Almost immediately, orderlies began attaching various needles and drips to her. The hear rate monitor was switched on, and a series of fast blips began to stream out from it.

"We need blood!" Jennifer shouted out. She heard a muffled acknowledgement and a second later one of the nurses was running out. The beeps suddenly began to steadily increase in speed, the gap between them shortening at a rapid pace. Jennifer heard a gasp from Red. "She?s going into arrest! Panels!" She ordered. The machine was wheeled up next to her and the woman grabbed both of the shock apparatus.

"Okay, 3?2?1" She counted down, placing the panels on Buffy?s chest. The staccato beeping of the machine had now turned into a steady stream, a continuous hum. "CLEAR!" The voltage ran through Buffy like fire on a run of gasoline. Her body arched and she cried out. Next to Jennifer, the windowsuddenly smashed into thousands of tiny shards. A strong wind began to blow throughout the room, papers went flying and overcoats billowed. "No effect!" Jennifer shouted. "Someone hold her down!" Two orderlies grabbed an armeach, but they were flung away by some invisible force. Blood trickled outof Buffy?s clenched fist, and her eyes opened abruptly. Jennifer gasped and stumbled back. Her eyes?they were?completely black!" Another secondpassed, with Buffy arching more and more off the bed, until it looked likeshe was floating. The heart rate monitor exploded in a shower of sparks, then as suddenly as all the chaos begun, it ended. Buffy flopped down onto the bed and her head lolled to one side.

"No!" Red shouted from behind her, and buried her face in the boy?s chest. "Oh god?Buffy?" She wept. Jennifer took a cautious step to Buffy, andlooked at her eyes again. The black mist cleared from them, and the doctorclosed her eyelids.

----------------------------









































Willow awoke with a start. The gentle beep of the HRM filled the room, and a gentle breeze floated in through a partially open window. The red head jumped up and ran over to Buffy?s bedside. The blonde lay with various drips attached to her hands, and blood pumping in from a machine next to her, which whirred every minute or so. Willow knelt down and buried her face in Buffy?s pale hand.

"I?m so sorry," She said in a hushed breath, in between quiet sobs. "You just wanted to help, to be my friend, and I failed you. I?m so sorry." She kissed Buffy?s palm, and got up to walk back to her seat.

"You didn?t fail me, Wil." A voice came from behind her. Willow spun around quickly and was about to strike out when she saw who it was. Buffy was standing there, in an ethereal sort of light. Willow could swear she saw little spots of light dancing around her.

"Buffy?" Willow said quietly, and trailed off. The apparition in front ofher shrugged.

"Yeah, it?s me. Sort of." Buffyghost said, looking at herself. Her translucent body shimmered and immediately Willow went to her. She seemed so fragile, as if the smallest breeze would scatter her.

"How??" Willow asked. She was still stuck on monosyllabic words at the moment.

"I dunno, astral projection?" Buffyghost said quietly, and smiled faintly. "I don?t think I have long." As if to prove her point, she seemed to become more see-through.

"I?m sorry Buffy," Willow said, forcing the words through her choked throat.

"Don?t be, you did all you could. Besides, I might pull out of this sooner or later. Weird things happen all the time here."

"I?m beginning to notice that." The two girls smiled. Buffyghost walked up to Willow and stroked the side of her face. The red haired Slayer had imagined Buffy?s touch to be cold, but instead she felt a warmth spread through her like never before, kind of like when you come in from the snow and take a gulp of hot chocolate. Willow closed her eyes under the touch, and she felt Buffy?s lips brush her own. This time instead of warmth, she felta strange sense of euphoria. She opened her eyes after a second, and foundherself looking into the eyes of a woman she hadn?t known existed up until a few days ago, and who she now thought she?loved? Was it possible to fall in love in a matter of days? Willow didn?t know, all she knew?all she felt, for this remarkable girl was unlike anything she?d felt for anyone before, even her parents.

"I love you," Willow breathed. For a moment, Buffyghost seemed to become more solid, more real. But the translucency returned as quickly as it had left.

"I know," Buffy said, and let her head move forward. Willow did the same, and their foreheads touched. That simple action said more than words ever could, and Willow brought her arms up so that she was embracing Buffy.

"Stay with me?" She said quietly.

"Always," Buffy replied, although her voice had taken on a more echoey, more spirit-like tone. Willow closed her eyes and tightened her hold. They stayed like that for long seconds, until when Willow opened her eyes, there was no one there.

"I love you too," A voice on the wind seemed to breathe. Willow closed her eyes and let tears escape from her eyes. She went back to her seat then, and pulled it to the bed. She grasped Buffy?s hand in her own, and leant her head on her arm, even as the HRM flatlined, and the doctors rushed in.

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Estremità... per ora.



Cheers,

Jamie