Fic: Triune (30b and epilogue) B/W/T NC-17

["TheBear" <thebear@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Triune

Author: The Bear!

Spoilers: up through season 5

Pairing: Buffy/Willow/Tara (Some of the other Scoobies might get a
little some-some as well)

Summary: Ends the Triad Trilogy- Sequel to the Please Trilogy. The new
Triad deals with an angry Hellgod and new relationships are on the
horizon

Warnings: NC17 Ahoy! I Love BDSM. I Love chains and whips. I love
Sex! If any of these gives you the wiggins, then so will this story.
(If Part 30b is NC17, it is only for the fairly graphic violence. No
sex in this bit. Again. Sorry!)

Disclaimer: If I owned ?em, they?d have to show it on the Ecstasy
Network.

========== BtVS ==========

Part 30b

========== BtVS ==========

Xander Harris stood stiffly, shifting back and forth from foot to foot.
His hands were sweating inside his gloves as he tightened and loosened
his fingers around the pistol grip and fore-end of his H&K MP5SD2
assault weapon. ?Ok, seriously nervous now,? he thought as the
countdown to action grew shorter and shorter. ?Don?t think I was this
bad even with the mayor! ?Course, didn?t have to kill a guy after
fighting the mayor?? he thought, heart pounding and stomach churning.

He had taken up position at the end of the hall, where it turned to the
emergency stair landing. He had yanked the wires to the fluorescent
lights at the end of the hall, leaving him in a pool of comforting
darkness some twenty meters from the door to Glory?s penthouse.

Another fifteen meters past Glory?s ornate doorway was the entrance into
the apartment where the rest of the Scoobies and the AI team had set up.

?A sit-rep would be nice, anytime now?? Xander thought impatiently,
waiting for the witches to finish their spell which would let them know
exactly how many minion they were facing, in addition to the primary
target of Glory herself.

?Be cool, Xan,? he tried to reassure himself. ?They?ll call as soon as
they?re done. Don?t want to let the troops know you?re so nervous
you?re about to piss yourself!?

Xander jumped slightly when Gunn?s voice whispered in his ear, ?Alpha
lead, this is two.?

?Go Alpha Two,? Xander whispered back.

?Team Wicca finished their recon- show twelve bad guys plus the big bad
bitch herself.?

?So much for radio discipline,? Xander sighed. ?Roger Two, count twelve
Deltas and one Bravo- thirteen total targets, confirm.?

Xander could hear the smirk in Gunn?s voice as he responded, ?That?s a
big 10-4, Lead.?

?Alright Alpha Team, give me a sit-rep, by the numbers,? Xander said.

?Alpha Two??

?Alpha Two, ready to kick some demon ass,? Gunn replied.

?Alpha Three??

?Ready,? Angel said simply.

?Alpha Four??

?Seriously, Xander, Is all this really necessary?? Cordelia?s complaint
rang in Xander?s ear.

?Sit-rep Alpha Four!? Xander hissed. ?For the love of God, just once
will you please shut up and do what you?re told!? he yelled at her
mentally. ?Of course, I could never actually say that out loud?? he
realized sheepishly.

?Geeze, don?t get all pissy, Xander. I?m laying here pointing my gunat
the door like I?m supposed to be!? Cordelia said defensively.

Xander took a deep breath, ?It?s not worth it?? he thought as he reigned
in his desire to snap back at his ex.

?Alpha Five?? Xander whispered tightly through clenched teeth.

?Alpha Five in place and ready, over.? Wesley said in a very proper
voice.

?Leave it to Wes to be the only one to take radio discipline
seriously?? Xander mused.

?Alpha Six??

?I?m ready, Xander,? Buffy said. ?Tara says it?ll take two minutes to
do the spell,? she added.

?Roger Six. Tell her to go now. Let me know when it?s done.? Xander
whispered.

?Ok, go for it Tara,? Buffy responded. ?I Love you too,? she said a
moment later.

Xander smiled, feeling a moment of warmth and humor in the midst of his
extreme nervousness, and he couldn?t help saying, ?I appreciate that,
Six, but let?s cut the chatter- remember your mic is voice activated.?

At that moment, the doors to Glory?s apartment burst open, causing
Xander to immediately flinch back around the corner and out of sight.
He looked up at the small mirror he had affixed to the wall across from
him in his little vestibule, allowing him to see the hallway without
being seen by those in the hallway.

?Thank you soldier memories!? he thought as he took in the scene.
?Team, this is lead,? he whispered very quietly. ?We have activity,
four Deltas have just exited the target apartment. Standby??

?Damn!? he thought when the four minions split into teams of two and
began opening apartment doors, rushing in, and then back out, obviously
searching for someone or something. ?Ok soldier boy, what now?? he
worried, furiously trying to think of a plan.

Taking care to be very quiet, Xander whispered, ?Ok, we?ve got two
Deltas headed your way, Team. Four and Five, hold your fire, we need to
do this quietly, do you copy?

?Ok,? Cordelia said, sounding a little nervous, rather than bitchy, for
the first time today.

?Alpha Five copies; will hold fire until otherwise instructed, Lead.?
Wesley said, obviously taking his role to heart.

?Two and Three, take them fast and quiet!? Xander instructed, feeling
the adrenaline pumping strongly through his body now.

?Three. Copy.? Angel said curtly, apparently still not altogether
pleased to once again be following Xander?s lead, but complying.

?Two copies, what about you lead?? Gunn asked, his voice sounding
concerned.

?I got it, Two, just get yours,? Xander said. ?Hope I sound confident
at least,? he thought, feeling the thrill/terror that precedes combat.
Somehow it felt different this time than normal patrols ever did.

?I can?t believe they don?t hear me!? Xander thought as the two demons
got closer and closer. The sound of his breathing and heartbeat was
incredibly loud to him. ?Man, everything sounds loud!? he realized.
The sound of the demons breaking down the doors, their footsteps on the
marble tile of the hall, their movements in each apartment as they
rushed from room to room looking for something, ?Glory must have
detected the spell, just like Tara and Will thought she would?? he
thought.

He was alternately wishing that they would never reach him, and at the
same time, that they would hurry up so he could get this over with. In
the mirror he saw the two at the far end of the hall enter the team?s
location, coincidentally at the same time his two entered the apartment
two doors down from him. ?Perfect!? he thought excitedly.  

Xander flipped the safety from ?off? to ?burst?, setting the weaponto
fire three rounds with each pull of the trigger. ?Gotta make sure it?s
a kill shot!? he thought. He knelt down on one knee and braced himself
against the wall and waited for the two demons to exit.

?Gotcha sucker!? Gunn?s voice came loudly across the earphone of his
radio. ?That?s two Deltas done whacked, nice and quiet, Lead!? he added
happily.

Xander felt his focus narrow to the scene in front of him, one eye
looking through the peep sight on his weapon, the other open to keep
from falling into tunnel vision. As happened on occasion, his body fell
into habits that only his soldier persona could ever have learned. His
respiration evened out into slow, deep breaths, and he acknowledged the
radio without conscious thought. ?Standby team,? he whispered, waiting
for his targets to enter his line of sight.

Between one heartbeat and the next, Xander watched his first target
break the plane of his line of sight. As if on autopilot, the sight of
his weapon locked onto the demon minion?s oversized head and followed it
out into the hallway. Time seemed to stretch as Xander began to slowly
squeeze the trigger, delaying long enough to see the other demon exit
the apartment in his peripheral vision.

The minion in his sights turned toward Xander?s position and had just
glanced down, it?s eyes only just beginning to widen in surprise when
the trigger broke. Three 9mm hollow-points launched across the
intervening distance, stitching a rough line from the creature?s nose to
its forehead.  

The resulting explosion of red and gray barely registered on Xander?s
consciousness other than the one word, ?Kill,? that popped into his head
as he moved his weapon?s sights to the right, focusing on the second
demon?s wide eyed and open mouthed face. It wasn?t battle cry, or a
celebration, but rather a cold tally-mark in his mind; ?Kill? one down,
one to go.

Before the remaining minion could do more than gape soundlessly, Xander
had again pressed the trigger on his finely engineered instrument of
war. This time the muted clack and suppressed ?pop? sound that his
weapon made registered in his ears. Another line of three red holes,
this time beginning below the creature?s right eye and ending by
bisecting its left eyebrow appeared as if by magic. The accompanying
explosion of flesh was both impressive, and repulsive.

Xander?s senses snapped back to normal and he couldn?t suppress a soft
?Whoa!? at the sight before him. Fortunately he regained control of his
vocal cords before voicing the ?Eww!? that was his next thought.  

?Team, this is Lead, two Deltas terminated. All clear,? Xander
whispered.  

?Damn, what am I gonna do with the bodies?? he wondered for a second,
then the adrenaline kicked in again. ?Oh man! That was awesome! I
kick ass! Way to go soldier boy!?  

He had to restrain himself from jumping up and down and pumping his fist
in the air. ?Yes! Zeppo no more, I am a kick-ass, demon-killing
machine!? he thought, ecstatic with the easy victory.

?Of course, now I?ve got to do something about the mess?? he realized,
watching the twin pools of blood merging as they grew together. ?Eww!
At least vamps have the courtesy to dust when you kill ?em?? With a
resigned sigh, Xander let his MP5 hang from it?s sling while he walked
over and grabbed the feet of one of the minions and began to drag it
into the open apartment.

?Six, what?s your status?? Xander asked in a grunting whisper as he
manhandled the dead demon out of the hallway.  

?No superslayer yet, still just regular Buffy. Tara and Willow are
still doin? the chanting thing,? Buffy answered.

?Hey Lead, if there?s only eight of these things left, why don?t we just
go in there and rock and roll on these suckers? We take ?em out and
stick around to help out with Hellbitch?? Gunn proposed suddenly.

Xander was tugging on the second minion?s feet, trying to avoid stepping
in the smear of blood and gore left behind when he dragged the first one
away. 

?Dammit Gunn, this is not the time to be cocky!? Xander fumed.
?Negative, Two! Stick to plan, we need to get the Deltas out of the way
so SuperSix can have room to wail on the Bravo. Plus, you need to be in
place to make sure Six stays super- we don?t know if there are more
deltas that might return to the scene!? he said, trying to keep his
voice down. ?We don?t need any cowboy crap screwing thing?s up now!?

?I copy that lead,? Gunn?s voice came back, sounding flat.

?Be pissed, I don?t care; just do your fricken job!? Xander thought
angrily, his emotions magnified by the stress of the situation. He
deliberately chose not to think about the fact that he would probably
feel the same way, were the positions reversed.

?Now, what about all that blood? Hmm? Ah, that?ll do!?  

Xander had nearly finished rolling up a large area rug in the abandoned
apartment?s foyer when Buffy?s voice, sounding strangely hollow and
boomy- even over the radio- suddenly resonated in his ear, ?It is time!?

Xander paused in his actions for a moment and said, ?Then go! Two and
Three, you stay on her, and remember- fire on Bravo, don?t kill any
Deltas where they might get in Six?s way!?

?Yeah, yeah, we know the drill, Lead,? Gunn nattered.

Xander grinned and proceeded to drag the rug out into the hallway.
?Gotta cover that up before the fit hits the shan!? he thought, running
through a mental checklist of what was supposed to be happening next.
In the back of his mind was a quiet mantra, ?Do a good job! Do a good
job! Oh, God, please do a good job!?

He could hear the door open down the hall, and forced himself to
concentrate on getting the rug positioned right before rolling it out.
Afterwards, he stood up to see Gunn, Angel and Buffy all looking down at
the rapidly soaking rug. Gunn was the only one with a smirk on his
face. When the bald warrior?s eyes lifted to meet his own, Xander just
shrugged and gave the three a thumbs up before hustling back to his
position.

His eyes fixed on the mirror, Xander watched tensely as Buffy raised her
hands and a visible shock wave sprang forth, imploding the massive doors
into the hell god?s penthouse apartment. ?Dammit! Save it for Glory!?
Xander thought, annoyed with the overly dramatic entry. ?I think
Willow?s trying to show off??

Following the clattering sound of the doors- now reduced to little
wooden chunks- raining down to the floor, a loud, petulant female voice
rang out, ?Hey! That was rude! How am I supposed to have any privacy
now with??

The voice was interrupted by the clatter of small arms fire as Gunn and
Angel followed their part of the plan.  

?Guns? That?s your big plan, Slayer?? Glory?s voice mocked. ?Minions,
kill them! But, save the little blonde for me?? her voice ended in a
purr.  

?Damn, and I was worried that she?d be too smart to fall for that!?
Xander thought, feeling a measure of relief as he watched Gunn and Angel
come tearing out of the apartment, demon minions hot on their tail.
?Deadboy even remembered to let Gunn go first!? he thought, pleased that
the plan was proceeding fairly well after the initial snafu. ?Four and
Five, heads up- they?re right on Three?s tail!? he spoke tersely into
the mic.

The mental image of Angel taking a stray burst entered his mind briefly.
?Nah,? he thought after a second?s hesitation. ?Not worth it if itputs
the girls at risk??

?Well, it?s just you and me, Blondie,? Glory?s voice started once again,
only to be cut off once more by the sound of sustained gunfire as Wesley
and Cordelia opened up on the minion blitz.

?What the hell was that?!? Glory demanded when the shooting stopped.

?*That* was the sound of your little minions being turned in to
demon-flavored cat-food!? Buffy?s voice boomed.

?Ooo, surround-sound Buffy!? was the absurd thought Xander had as her
voice came through the radio and from the doorway into the penthouse.
He looked back down the hall just in time to see one minion stagger back
out of the fire-sack they had created.  

Xander immediately leapt from his position to deal with the threat. He
made it two steps when he heard Angel?s voice growl, ?Oh, I don?t think
so!? followed immediately by the rapid chatter of a sub-machinegun.  

The minion briefly danced like a marionette in the hands of a
three-year-old on a sugar high before collapsing to the ground in a
bloody heap.

?I am going to? beat my Key out of? of?? Glory?s voice came from the
open doorway, suddenly not quite so loud or confident.

?Alpha Four, give me a sitrep!? Xander snapped, his attention diverted
by the weak voice of the hell god.

?I count seven heads here, plus the body in the hall. Add the two from
earlier and your two and they?re all accounted for, Lead? Angel?s voice
reported.  

?Copy. Sit tight and keep sharp people,? Xander said, as he slowly
moved down the hall, hugging the wall across from the penthouse.  

?What are you doing Xander?? he asked himself rhetorically. ?You?re not
holding your position?? he told himself.

?Screw it! There?s no way I?m missing this!?

========== BtVS ==========

?What? What?s happening to me?? Glory mumbled, holding her hand to her
head.

?What?samatter Glory? Feeling a little down?? Buffy taunted.

?Geeze, she sounds like she?s got Barry White doin backup vocals??
Xander thought, his mind finally supplying an image that described the
sound of SuperBuffy?s voice.  

?Maybe you?re all broken hearted over the loss of your precious
minions?? Buffy continued to taunt.

?I wonder if the whole ?taunt the baddie? thing is a Slayer thing, ora
Buffy thing?? Xander wondered as he took in the altogether familiar
scene; Buffy standing defiantly, one hand on her hip, palming the Dagon
Sphere, the other holding the Troll Hammer cocked over her shoulder, and
the quips flying fast and furious.

?Are you stupid or something?? Glory asked rhetorically. ?Like I care
that you killed my minions. Do you think I?m scared?? the hell god
asked, the bitter and hateful look on her face twisting her otherwise
beautiful features into an ugly mask of rage.

?No, I think you?re weak,? Buffy quipped, bringing her hand up to show
Glory the glowing sphere.

Glory actually flinched slightly at the sight. She hissed, ?Where did
you get that!?? 

Buffy began tossing the sphere up and down slightly in her hand, with
Glory?s eyes tracking it?s every move. ?Oh, you know. The monks left
it for me. I hear it?s supposed to repel you? It must be working; I
certainly find you repellant!? Buffy taunted.

Then she suddenly threw the sphere right at the hell god, saying, ?I
wonder what happens if you actually hold it??

Glory jumped sideways to avoid the sphere, her eyes still following it
as if flew by. ?Ha! Did you actually think?? she started to crow when
she was suddenly cut off.

Buffy had used Glory?s distraction to swing her hammer in a vicious
uppercut, catching the hell bitch right in the chin as she turned back.


Glory?s body lifted from the floor and flew five meters across the room
as though propelled by a rocket. She struck the junction of the wall
and ceiling some four meters above the floor with enough force to punch
through the plaster crown-molding, leaving a Glory-head sized hole
behind as she fell to the floor.

?Ow! I bith my thoung, you bith!? Glory yelled, clearly enraged. ?And,
you completely messed up my hair! Do you have any idea how hard it is
to get plaster out of your hair!?

?She?s just standing there!? Xander thought, incredulous that the hell
god wasn?t fighting back.

Buffy moved almost faster than Xander could see, executing a beautiful
spinning kick that struck Glory square in the face.

?Holy Crap!? Xander whispered, the words startled out of him as he saw
Glory?s body shatter the stone wall she was leaning against, punching
completely through it and into the next room.

?What was that, Lead?? Gunn?s voice came over the radio.

?Uh, nothing Two,? Xander answered after a moment?s hesitation. 

?Right?? Gunn replied back, amusement in his voice. ?Buffy doin?
alright??

Xander couldn?t help smile a little himself. ?Busted!? He answered,
?Holding her own, Two.?

Glory reappeared at that moment, punching a new hole through the wall,
rather than coming through the first one. Her face was bloody, and her
nose appeared to be broken.  

?That actually hurt!? she bellowed. ?You are going to pay for that
Slayer!? The hell god launched a flurry of punches, none of which
landed solidly as Buffy twisted and blocked.

Xander actually winced at the flat smacking sound made when one of
Glory?s punches landed solidly on the Troll hammer Buffy raised to block
it. The hell god pulled back, shaking her hand.

Buffy took that opportunity to swing the hammer for another blow to
Glory?s head, but this time the hell god was ready. She caught the
hammer in her uninjured hand and used the momentum to pull the Slayer
off of her feet and send her flying across the room.

?Ha, you?re done Slayer!? she crowed. ?I?ve got your little hammer!?

Buffy calmly stood up and reached out towards Glory with her right hand.
?Not for long,? she said evenly.  

Glory was jerked off her feet when the hammer suddenly leapt toward
Buffy, landing in her outstretched grasp. The hell god was in the midst
of pushing herself up when Buffy reached out with her left hand.  

?Ha, be like Spike!? Xander thought with a snicker as Glory found
herself suddenly hanging in the air, upside down.

?Batter up!? Buffy shouted as she cocked the hammer back like it was a
baseball bat. With a loud grunt, Buffy swung the hammer, pivoting her
body through her hips like she was about to knock one out of the park.
She struck the dangling hell god in the head with an enormous, resonant
?thunk?, sending her flying through the marble wall and adding a third
Glory-sized hole to the structure.

When Xander managed to snap his attention away from the hole in the
wall, he noticed that the head of the hammer was laying at Buffy?s feet,
while she stared at the handle with surprise.

?Wow!? SuperBuffy intoned, apparently as impressed as Xander was.

A very bloody Glory took advantage of the Slayer?s distraction, this
time utilizing one of the already-existing holes. She charged out
through the wall and struck Buffy with a ferocious punch, sending the
petite blond flying.

?Jesus Christ!? Xander shouted, recoiling in fright when the Slayer
struck the wall immediately next to him.

?Hi Xander!? Buffy quipped, appearing not at all bothered by the fact
that she?d just been knocked a good eight meters through the air.

?Uh? h- hey there, SuperBuff?? Xander said softly. ?You ok??

?You know, I really really am,? Buffy answered, not so much with
surprise, as with unexpected pleasure.

?Carrie much?? Xander thought upon seeing the blood-soaked hell god as
she stomped out of the apartment. ?Holy Moly! That last hit tore her
up!?

Sadly, Glory was still trying to intimidate the Slayer verbally. ?No
more hammer, Blondie! What?cha gonna do now, bitch?? she mocked.

Xander looked back to Buffy as she stood up away from the wall, leaving
a three inch deep indention behind her. ?Great googly moogly,? Xander
thought, feeling a chill run through his body at the sight of the
Slayer?s eyes- totally opaque with little blue arcs of electricity
playing across them- and her truly feral smile.

He dragged his gaze back to the beaten and bloody figure across the hall
as Buffy raised her hands to chest height and answered Glory?s
contemptuous question with one word. ?This!?

The stink of ozone filled Xander?s nose as tendrils of blue energy
reached out and wrapped around Glory?s body. ?Like an octopus on some
old horror flick!? his mind supplied the simile at the picture before
him.

He had to cover his ears when the hell god let out an agonized shriek,
the sound piercing his brain like ice-picks thrust through his eardrums.
?Oh God!? he exclaimed in a horrified whisper as one tendril of energy
climbed up to Glory?s face like a questing serpent, slithering into her
mouth and cutting off her shriek with a gurgling, choking sound. ?Oh,
God? I? oh please, don?t throw up?? his prayed silently as he tried to
swallow down his gorge.

Glory?s skin began to blacken, and the smell of ozone was replaced with
the scent of burning flesh and hair as the hell god was virtually
cooked. When one eyeball exploded outward, spraying the hallway with
blood and fluid, Xander lost control and turned away, retching noisily
on the marble tiled floor. ?Crap! Where?s soldier boy when you need
him!? Xander growled at himself, as mortified by his loss of control as
he was horrified by the sight he?d just taken in.  

As he spat the bile from his mouth, Xander heard two thumps, one right
after the other, behind him. He spun around to see both the hell god
and the slayer laid out on the floor. As he quickly knelt down to check
on Buffy, his radio crackled to life.

?Lead, the girls are down, they all just collapsed!? Gunn?s voice
shouted in his ear.

Xander quickly checked for a pulse as he answered, ?Six is down?? He
felt Buffy?s pulse beating strongly under his fingers, and he saw her
chest moving up and down slightly as she breathed. ?Thank God!? he
whispered fervently, feeling relief pour through him. ?Six is alive,
just unconscious. Check their vitals Two. Make sure they?re ok!? he
instructed.

Xander?s attention turned from the unconscious Slayer toward her fallen
foe. ?Oh God, let her be dead already?? he hoped fervently as he walked
across the hall toward the body on the floor.

The horrifying damage that had been done to the hell god by SuperBuffy?s
spell was barely in evidence. ?She must have absorbed most of the
damage when she went wherever the hell she goes? Heck, I?ve looked worse
after patrol some nights!? Xander thought, seeing Ben?s body laying
amidst the charred remains of Glory?s dress. A few ugly bruises, some
cuts here and there? the worst of it was the ruined eye and the
blood-matted hair that came from a large cut on his forehead which was
still bleeding a little.

?If he?s bleeding, it means he isn?t dead yet?? Xander thought, feeling
his stomach sink in dread. ?Under normal circumstances that?d be a good
thing.?

?Lead, they?re all alive, just unconscious,? Gunn?s relieved voice came
over the radio as Xander was contemplating Glorificus? mortal host.

?Roger. Get everything packed up and figure out who?s carrying who.
I?ll be there in two minutes,? Xander instructed. His voice maintained
and even, commanding tone despite his feelings.

Ben?s eye suddenly snapped open to meet Xander?s considering gaze. He
tried to speak- his mouth moving- but only a harsh, rattling cough came
out.

?Oh no? God, I didn?t want it to be like this!? Xander thought witha
terrible sense of despair, as though begging for clemency from the deity
that he only barely acknowledged.  

?I can?t? I can?t do this!? he thought, dismayed by the task Giles had
sought of him, the task he agreed to do. ?I can?t just murder someone!?

Ben made an effort to look around, apparently trying to figure out what
was going on, as he wasn?t able to verbalize any questions.

Xander had almost made up his mind not to carry out his mission when an
image crossed his mind?s eye. ?Dawn? Oh God,? He saw a scene wherein a
recovered Glory held Dawn captive and struggling. ?No! No, not
Dawnie!? he imagined the hell god driving a knife into Dawn?s heart,
purely out of spite for being denied the ritual she had sought.

In his mind, Dawn?s eyes bulged with terror as her life?s blood poured
forth onto the ground before her. The last thing he saw on her face was
her horror at his betrayal.

Glory?s mortal vessel must have seen something in Xander?s eyes as he
met the Scooby?s gaze. He began weakly shaking his head and mouthing
?No! Please no!? over and over. 

?For you. I?ll do it for you,? Xander thought, steeling his resolve and
drawing a long dagger from a sheath on his left leg.

Ben was too injured to manage more than a snail-like crawl in his effort
to get away. Xander opened his mouth to say something, anything? ?What
the hell could I possibly say?? he realized. He dropped to his knees
and thrust the knife into Ben?s chest. Using both hands and putting his
body weight into it, he drove it through till he could feel it hit the
stone tile on the other side. He watched as the man?s eyes fluttered
shut and his last breath came rattling out.

After checking for any pulse and coming up short, Xander rose to his
feet. He grabbed the corpse by it?s feet and dragged it to where the
two minions were laying in the entrance hall of the apartment down and
across from Glory?s own. He left the third body draped over the other
two and then reached into his small utility pack and pulled out one of
the roughly spherical objects he was carrying.

He remembered Gunn?s reaction the previous day?

?Hey Xan, what are those for?? Gunn asked.

?What are what for?? Xander asked flatly as he tucked the items in
question into his pack.

?The grenades,? Gunn had explained, obviously missing Xander?s point.
?The ones that have WP stenciled on the side??

Xander stopped what he was doing and stared directly into the taller
man?s eyes as he slowly and deliberately said, ?What grenades??

Gunn quickly blinked several times before it sunk in. His eyes opened
widely for a moment, the he nodded slowly a couple times and simply
said, ?Ah,? before walking away.

Returning his focus to the three bodies in front of him, Xander stuffed
the metallic egg underneath Ben, between the two demons, and pulled the
pin.

Xander slammed the door shut behind him as he double timed it out of the
apartment and down the hall toward the unconscious form of one of his
two best friends in the whole world. He knelt down and pulled her limp
body over his shoulders in a fireman?s carry and stood up, musing, ?So
much power? and you weigh, like, nothing!?

He heard a loud ?Whump? behind him as he carried his friend down the
hall. ?Alpha Team, this is lead. I?m about to enter the apartment, so
let?s safety those weapons!?

He heard a chorus of acknowledgements just as he approached the now
heavily-ventilated apartment door. ?Coming in!? he shouted as he toed
the door open and entered.

The sight that greeted him made him forget his unpleasant feelings for a
moment and smile with pride.  

Wesley, Gunn and Angel each stood several feet apart with an unconscious
form draped across their shoulders. Angel had the blond Wiccan, Gunn
the dark haired Slayer and Wesley the red headed witch.

Cordelia was standing in front of the group, her M16 pointed right at
him as she looked at him over the iron sights. ?And, she remembered to
keep her finger off the trigger!? Xander thought happily. Tilting his
head so he could make out the other side of the receiver, he noted her
thumb was resting on the fire selector, ready to flip it off safe and
onto the tri-burst setting if necessary.

?Good job Cordy!? he said earnestly. ?Now, lets point that elsewhere,
?k??

Cordelia blushed as she pointed the barrel at the floor, but appeared to
take his compliment as he had meant it.

?Alright everyone. Damn fine job! We saved the world,? Xander said
with a teeth baring grin. ?Again.?

Even Angel smiled at that.

?Cordy, take point. Then me, Wes, and Gunn. Angel, you?re the rear.
Let?s get the hell out of here!?

========== BtVS ==========

Epilogue

========== BtVS ==========

The two slayers were awake, if not quite lucid as their rental van
turned the corner onto Revello Drive.

?We kicked her friggen *ass*!? Faith muttered, for the fifth time since
coming to a few minutes earlier.  

Xander had swiveled the captain?s chair around to face the van?s
occupants as Wesley drove them back to Buffy?s home. He rolled his eyes
at Faith?s repeated boast, as well as Buffy?s recurring answer of, ?Yup,
we did.?

The two witches were still sleeping in the back seat, next to Cordy and
Gunn. Angel had the middle seat, next to the two incoherent slayers.
He ignored their ramblings, while Gunn chuckled each time and the former
cheerleader seemed content to simply glare at Faith.

Xander was distracted when Wesley suddenly whispered, ?Oh my!? and
slowed the van to a stop in the middle of the street.

?What?? Xander asked, looking toward the driver?s seat.

?Xander!?? Buffy asked, sounding bewildered. ?Where?s my house??

Xander spun his seat around and looked out his window. ?Ye God!? he
exhaled softly, taking in the sight. ?Oh man, Buff! It looks like
either Glory or those Knights weren?t too happy to find you not at
home!?

All that remained of 1630 Revello Drive was a low pile of rubble,
surrounded by some yellow police tape.

?I don?t remember your house bein? this run-down, B!? Faith slurred, and
then chuckled at her own joke.

After another moment, they all suddenly jumped a little when Angel broke
the silence.

?They say you can?t go home again? I guess they were right,? the broody
vampire intoned, quoting the old cliché.

?What the hell?!? Xander thought, surprised by the vampire?s quip.
?Would somebody please stake deadboy?? he sighed rhetorically.

?Well, um, back to the mansion then?? Wesley asked nervously.

Xander just nodded wearily.

As the van pulled forward again, Xander turned back toward the rear. He
saw Buffy?s head swivel to keep the remains of her home in sight.  

When they finally turned another corner, losing the view, the blonde
Slayer turned back around and looked right at Xander. Her voice sounded
more like a scared eight-year-old than a battle-hardened warrior as she
whined, ?Mom?s gonna kill me!? 

========== BtVS ==========

End of Triune

 

Well, that?s it Folks! I started that story in October 2002, so it took
over seven months to finish. Thanks for everyone who stayed tuned for
that time. (Let?s see, that?s 30 chapters over 32 weeks, almost one
chapter a week- actually one chapter every 7.5 days?)

 

Don?t worry about the triadverse, I?m not done with it, as can be
clearly evidenced by the number of threads I left dangling. Sequels
will come.

 

So, everyone, How about a little feedback to let me know what you
thought of this monster story. (it ended up being over 135K words long!
Pretty long for me.)

 

 

ByTheWay...

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