I hope I’ll be forgiven for this, but….this fic seems to have gotten away from me again! This was
meant to be the last part, but it seems I love these characters so much, I just can’t stop writing them!
So, Act 5 Part 2 was
not the penultimate part,
this is. Definitely. For sure. Erm….
******************
Title: WtVS: Pilot Episode: Hellmouth High
Author: Mike of the Nancy Tribe
Feedback: Yes please.
Rating: PG-13 throughout (except for the next part.)
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME. I’ve taken liberties with them. So sue me.
Distribution: I don’t mind, but ask first, okay?
Pairings: Willow & Tara. Buffy & Cordelia (sorry about that!)
Spoiler Warning: Not really since it’s AU.
Summary: The REAL penultimate part of the final Act. Getting ready for the Harvest at the Bronze.
WtVS: Pilot Episode: HELLMOUTH HIGH
ACT 5, PART 3“Ooh! I want the big shiny Excalibur!” squealed Buffy, elbowing her way past Giles and diving towards the open weapons cabinet. Her hands closed around the hilt of a huge broadsword that was taller than she was.
“Ah, Buffy….” began the librarian, with a warning tone.
“Oh hush, Big G, didn’t you ever want to play Conan?
For the mighty blade of power is mine! And with it – Whoa!”
She slipped the sword from its mount – and fell backwards with the enormous weapon on top of her. “Oof! Okay. Who the hell makes swords out of lead? This weighs more than Cordy’s make-up kit. And by the way….ow!”
Willow leaned down and plucked the sword off of her, hefting it in one hand with ease. “What, this little toothpick?” she said with a grin. “I’ve seen bigger pins stuck in olives!”
“I see
someone’s been eatin’ their spinach today,” said Buffy as Tara helped her up. “Okay Red Sonja, the pigsticker’s yours. Just give me something more my size.”
With a totally blank expression, Giles handed her a pair of nail scissors.
She stuck her tongue in her cheek and narrowed her eyes at him, trying to decide which part of his long skinny self to impale first.
“Nah, no swords for me,” said Willow, putting the blade back into its mount. “This gal’s strictly a stake ‘em and leave ‘em kind of Slayer. One second of spaz-Willow and poof! Headless friends!”
“I’m uh, I’m sure that’s very wise,” said Giles. “At least until I’ve trained you. And I can promise you if, if we make it through tonight –“
“When,” said Tara, folding her arms and looking at him sternly.
“Uh, y-yes, yes of course,
when we make it through tonight….the next few weeks will be a very strict regime of, of exercise, weapons training and, and developing your fighting skills.”
“Ah,” said Willow. “The long-awaited honing.”
“Indeed. And we shall patrol as often as your schedule – and, and homework of course – allow.”
“Patrol?” Willow cocked an eyebrow at him. “Giles, you’re not gonna make me wear army boots and give you funny salutes, are you?”
“Willow, don’t be frivolous.”
“Sir! No sir!” barked the Slayer, standing rigidly to attention, and stomping her foot on the floor. The effect of which was somewhat ruined when she winked at Tara.
Who grinned back, leaned towards her, and murmured “Chest out, Will.”
“Only if you do too,” whispered Willow, rather loudly.
“Ahem,” said Giles. “Is anyone actually going to choose a weapon or, or shall we face Armageddon with nothing but snappy quips and bad puns? Time is getting short, you know.”
“Well,” said Buffy taking a deep breath, aware of the terrible thing she was about to inflict on them.
“Ahm a-geddin’ my hands on this cute little crossbow.”
There was a chorus of groans, with added eye-rolling from Giles.
“What?” said Buffy. “Oh, tell me you didn’t see that one coming? Hey, who’s got the pointy arrow things?”
“I think you’ll find that’s mine,” said Giles, taking the miniature crossbow from her. “Somehow, I can’t see myself trusting your aim.” Ignoring her enormous pout, he handed her a couple of stakes and a small spray can. “Try these. I’m sure
I’ll feel a lot safer.”
“Mace? You’re giving me a can of mace? These are vampires, Giles, not muggers. I don’t think they’ll be going for my purse.”
“Holy water with essence of garlic. Very effective at close quarters.” He pursed his lips in a prim smile. “Just a little squirt. Seems appropriate, don’t you think?” he said smugly, looking down at her scowling expression.
She bunched up her face at him, determined to get in a last shot. “Hm. You sure it isn’t weak English tea with essence of old woman? Seems more
your style, huh, Jeeves?”
He cleared his throat and turned to Tara, leaving Buffy smirking at his back. “How about you, Tara? Care to um, try the axe again? It seemed to work well for you last night.”
Tara shook her head. “Oh, no thanks, Mr. Giles. Just the stakes for me, I think. I, I want to keep my hands free as much as I can.”
Giles just nodded, and started to load weapons of various types into an old leather bag. While Buffy wandered out of the book cage, Willow slid closer to Tara, and hooked her arm through the witch’s.
“Ooh, is that so you can work the wild mojo, baby?” said Willow. “Has that beautiful brain of yours cooked up some wicked hell spell that, that’ll make their fangs fall out so they’re all, y’know, gummy? Or, or, or – I know! You’re gonna go
swoosh! and turn ‘em all into roaches so we can stomp ‘em or, or let ‘em get fumed with all the rest!”
“Well,” said Tara, “I, I
have been looking through my mom’s old books again and, and I
do have a couple of ideas that might help. But….mostly I want my hands free so I can grab a hold of my girlfriend.” So saying, she slid her other arm around the redhead’s waist, and pulled her close.
“I like the way your mind works,” said Willow, hugging her just as tightly.
“Just my mind?” said Tara, taking the tip of Willow’s left earlobe between her lips and sucking on it ever so softly.
“Unnnh,” shivered Willow. “I, I um, well I don’t really know how the rest of you works yet. But, but if you let me, I’m
gonna.”
She gently extricated her ear from Tara’s mouth, and looked deeply into those stunning blue eyes. “And, and I want you to know how
I work too,” she whispered. “Every little bit of me. All the, the nooks and crannies. ‘Cos they’re all yours, forever.” Then she lowered her eyes and added, “Even if forever only means the next couple of hours.”
“Hey,” murmured Tara. “Don’t m-make me spank you right here. ‘Cos I will if I have to.” Willow looked up again with a smile. “Forever means just that. I’m telling you, we can do this. You, me, Mr. Giles, Buffy. But especially you, my beautiful brave slayer girl.” She touched her lips lightly to Willow’s. “W-We’re going to kick some vampire ass tonight. Then….it’s just you and me. Alone. Learning everything there is to know about each other. Okay?”
“Okay.
Muchly okay with the learning.”
“A-And you know every part of me is
yours forever, right?”
“Nooks?”
“Oh, a-all the nooks.”
“And crannies?”
“Definitely the crannies.”
At that point, lips came together, and the talking stopped.
Giles closed his weapons bag and left the book cage, pretending he hadn’t heard the whole exchange. He looked back over his shoulder, saw the two of them kissing, and smiled. Dammit, but even
he was starting to believe that they could pull it off. Tara’s utter faith in Willow was contagious. The sex talk, he tried hard not to think about.
His heart was a little lighter as he put his bag on the table, but the darkness outside the windows sent a chill through him.
The lights in the library couldn’t erase the eclipse that had been going on for more than two hours. It was totally impossible, of course. Natural eclipses
couldn’t last that long. But this was far from natural. On the Hellmouth, hardly anything
was. At least the rain of stones had stopped after a few minutes. And when he popped his head out of the side door soon afterwards, most of the worms, eels and snakes had disappeared.
But it was all a reminder of the dark and deadly forces arrayed against them. Could such powerful evil really be stopped by a teenage girl, her friends, and a middle-aged librarian? He breathed heavily, and wished there was time to make another pot of tea.
But the Harvest wouldn’t wait for such niceties.
--------------------------------------
“My blood is your blood,” intoned the Master. “My soul is your soul. But Luke? If you take any more,
my thumbs will be in
your eye sockets.”
Luke slipped his fangs out of the Master’s wrist and looked up from where he was kneeling in front of the ancient vampire. “Sorry Master,” he said contritely. “Got a little carried away there. That’s good
stuff! I-I-I mean, my body is your instrument,” he added, remembering the spiel.
“Damn straight,” said the Master, dipping his thumb in the dark blood still flowing from his wrist. “We must observe the niceties of ritual, you know. Now hold still.”
With the blood, he began to draw a three-pointed star on Luke’s forehead. “On this….most hallowed night….we are as one. Luke is the Vessel!”
Amongst the assembled vampires, Darla’s smile broadened the most. Behind her, sitting gingerly on the edge of a rock with his knees wide apart, Xander Harris glared daggers at her back. He shifted painfully as she turned, grinned at him, and hissed, “Need a rubber ring, ballboy?”
“Quiet at the back!” snapped the Master. “You kids aren’t going to ruin my little speech, now are you? Now where did I put my notes….ah, yes.” He pulled a scrap of parchment from the pocket of his black leather coat, cleared his throat, and began to read.
“Every soul he takes will feed me. And their souls will grant me the strength to free myself. Tonight I shall walk the earth, and the stars themselves will
hide!” He cried out the last word, and flung his arms to the heavens.
He held the pose for a moment, then: “Was that too OTT?” he asked. “Not too camp? I had more, but I thought, you know, keep it short and sweet, for effect.” He looked at their blank faces. “Jeez, everyone’s a critic.”
The Master sighed, rose from his throne, and flexed his claws. “Okay, move it out, minions,” he said. “The blood’s not getting any fresher. And I need lots of it, Luke. Remember, at least twenty or the party’s over. I don’t want to spend another night in this damned cave – that blood pool’s getting icky.”
He pushed at the unseen barrier around him, which still held, and shimmered at his touch.
“Set me free, my children,” he called as the vamps began to shuffle out of the cavern. “Set me free, and we shall feast on this world for eternity!”
Then he settled back into his huge carved chair, to wait for the blood to start flowing.
“Hey!” he said to the empty cave. “Who took my Soap Opera Digest?”
---------------------------------------------
Giles hadn’t noticed Buffy was missing until she came back through the main doors with an armful of candy bars.
“You um, you had enough small change for all those, did you?” he asked, with a hint of suspicion.
“Me and vending machines have an understanding,” said Buffy. “They play nice with me, and I don’t beat the crap out of them.”
“Buffy, that’s stealing, a-a-and as an appointed officer of this school, I-I cannot condone such, such wilful behaviour.”
“What can I say? My need for the sugar rush in the face of impending doom outweighed my sense of giving a crap.” She dumped the candy on the table, and nudged his leather bag, making it rattle.
“And of course, keeping lethal weapons on school grounds is just slap-worthy compared to candy rustling. My bad. I must be punished. Oh wait – I’m about to risk my biteable ass against a horde of blood-suckin’ Evil Dead rejects who want to end the world. Are we seein’ the irony here, Giles?” She looked him square in the face.
“Um….I-I’ll be having one of those Payday bars then.”
“Peanutty caramel for Mr. Prim. Anyone else for a blast of nutrition-free yet tasty fun?”
This she said to Willow and Tara, who had just emerged from the book cage, still with their arms around each other. In the absence of scrunchies, both girls had used rubber bands to put their hair out of the way. Willow’s long red tresses now hung in bunches on either side of her head, while Tara’s dark-blonde mane fell behind her in a ponytail.
“Woo hoo! Chocolatey goodness!” piped Willow, latching on to a 5th Avenue. Tara took an Almond Joy, and grinned at the redhead around a mouthful of coconut.
As Giles chewed, he took a moment to look around him. He breathed in the smell of books old and new, knowing in his heart that this was where he belonged. The finest collection of occult knowledge on the west coast. In a high school on a Hellmouth. Perhaps
the Hellmouth.
Weirdness Central, Willow had called it. It was where he was born to be.
If he had to die here too, tonight….then so be it. But he
really wanted to come back here again. To be the Watcher his Slayer deserved. To help her grow in strength and skill. To guide her, to prepare her for what might lie ahead. To protect her.
But he knew that if the price for stopping the Harvest were to be his life, there would always be
another here to watch over her, in ways that he never could.
He looked over at Willow and Tara, at the way they were standing, so close, so lost in each other’s eyes, even while they ate. He chuckled to himself as he imagined taking a stethoscope to them, right now. Would he hear two hearts, or just the one they seemed to share?
He knew that Tara would give her life to save Willow, and vice-versa. What had Buffy called it? A once-in-a-lifetime thing. He was beginning to believe it. He’d never before thought of
forever as being a concept you could apply to people. But looking at
them, he knew it was possible.
The biggest battle was still to come - but somehow, with those two together, already he felt the world was a safer place. Now, it seemed, he had
two Slayers.
And an annoying yet brave blonde who had just started on her third candy bar, and who was now poking him in the ribs.
Mouth otherwise engaged, Buffy pointed at her watchless wrist, then at the wall clock.
“Uh yes, yes of course,” he said, gathering himself. “Ladies? I, I think it’s time to be going. We um, we have less than an hour.”
Giles hefted his weapons bag and headed towards the corridor. Buffy tucked her skateboard under her arm, and followed him. Tara and Willow hung back, just for a minute.
“Is the ankle okay now? No more um, achy bruises or, or anything?”
“You kissed them all away,” said Tara with a smile that gave the redhead aches of her own. Good aches, in good places.
“You have chocolate on you,” said Willow, wiping it away from the corner of Tara’s mouth with her thumb. Then she took both of Tara’s hands in her own, and looked into that beautiful face.
“Are you ready for this, baby?” she asked softly.
“A-Are
you?”“No.”
“Me neither. But w-w-we’re going to do it anyway, right? Are you, are you scared?”
Willow took Tara’s left hand, and placed it on her chest. “Feel that? My, my head’s having a
major wiggins….but my heart….it’s so calm and happy. A-And that’s because of you.”
Tara nodded, her eyes glistening. She could feel the slow, warm beating of Willow’s heart beneath her breast. Then she put Willow’s hand above her own heart. “This, this is
yours,” she said.
Through her fingers, Willow could feel a pulsing almost as steady and strong as her own.
“E-Every time it beats,” said Tara, “it says
I love you. Everything I am, a-and everything I have is yours, Will. To watch over you and, and protect you, and love you. Now and always. I’m your guardian angel, remember?”
“I remember,” Willow whispered.
“Feel like kicking some demon butt?”
“I-In a minute,” said Willow, drawing her into a deep kiss, their hands still on each other’s heart.
Then Buffy ran back into the library, still clutching her skateboard.
“Hey you guys, come on!” she yelled. “This is no time to cop a feel!” Then she paused and slapped the side of her own face. “Holy crap, I can’t believe I just
said that! Don’t tell Cordy! Come on!”
As she disappeared again, Willow and Tara ended their kiss with a final, barely-grazing touch on the lips, and a murmured
Love you. Stakes were slipped into pockets, and they entered the long corridor hand in hand.
“O-Okay then,” said Tara, with a smile and a deep breath. “I-I guess, destiny awaits.”
“Screw destiny,” said Willow, grinning. “I just want this over with so I can get started on the learning!”
“Oh,” said Tara. “N-Nooks and crannies?”
“Every darn one!” said Willow.
*
“Bloody hell!” said Giles.
After picking their way through fallen stones and the occasional sleepy snake, Willow and Tara rounded the corner next to the library and caught up to Giles and Buffy, who were just standing there, looking at Giles’ car. It was the only one in the lot that evening.
The eclipse had turned the air cold and weirdly dark, but all the nearby lamps had snapped on in response. They could see what the stony rain had done, and Giles just stood there with his mouth open.
The hood and roof of the ancient Citroen looked like the face of the moon. Fist-sized dents had erupted all over it like a disease, with little flecks of grey paint heaped up in dusty piles all around them. The windshield and rear window were crazed with cracks, spider-webbing out from a dozen impact points.
“Bloody hell!” he said again. “I-I-I just had that detailed!”
“Shoulda used a tougher wax, huh?” said Buffy.
“Still, i-i-it should be driveable. Providing the um, the rust is still holding it together.”
Giles moved to the driver’s door, where a small garter snake hung from the handle. He picked it off and absently handed it behind him to Willow, who went
‘Gaah!’ at the touch and flipped it to Tara. She just smiled, stroked its scaly body once, and set it on the ground. Willow tried hard not to look embarrassed.
“Uh, Giles?” she said. “Do you think the Watcher’s Council will spring you for a new car? ‘Cos um, ‘cos I think this one was headin’ for the twilight home even
before it went all pockmarky.”
“What? Oh, she, she won’t let me down - will you old girl?” he said, patting the hood, and trying to sound convincing. He grimaced as he plucked a sliver of glass from his thumb.
Giles looked triumphant when it started at the fourth attempt, and he shouted at them to pile in. Willow and Tara got into the back, with the bag of weapons on the seat between them. Neither of them thought there’d be time for smoochies….but the bag sure as hell wouldn’t stop them. Buffy took the passenger seat, wedging her skateboard into the well next to the gear stick.
“Giles?” she said. “If this thing doesn’t do more than forty, I’m takin’ the board. You’ll have to pay the med bills, but I’ll wedge the door open with my broken buns till you get there.”
The Watcher raised an eyebrow at her, put his foot down, and watched her slam back into her seat as the car barrelled out of the parking lot, tires smoking.
--------------------------------------
Apart from those streaming to the Bronze, the streets were almost empty, even though it was early.
The sudden eclipse, the chill, the falling stones, the carpet of crawling invertebrates – the residents of Sunnydale had learned over the years that these were the kind of things you just didn’t want to be out in. They didn’t talk about it, but they knew their town was….different.
The kids knew too, but they didn’t care. They just wanted to party.
As did the vampires who started emerging from sewers and tunnels within a two block radius of the Bronze.
In twos and threes they lurked in the darkness on street corners, while the main pack headed straight for the club. With their game faces hidden for now, Darla skipped happily before them, Luke prowling right behind her….and Xander Harris walking like a cowboy with haemorrhoids, slowly bringing up the rear.
--------------------------------------
“Right, here’s the plan,” said Giles.
“There’s a plan?” said Buffy, as the cold air rushed through the empty windshield and streamed her golden mane out behind her, straight into the face of Willow, who was leaning forward to listen.
“What plan?” asked the Slayer, spitting out hair. “You have a plan in the car, but not in the library where it’s warm and we can sit around going ‘Uh-huh Giles, great plan’ instead of freezing in this bucket going ‘What plan?’ So….what plan?”
“Well, I-I-I um, I thought….while, while you and Tara fight the uh, the vampires, Buffy can rescue Miss Chase a-a-and lead the others to safety and, and I will um, guard the door. T-T-To prevent others from uh, getting in. With, with my crossbow. You see?”
The girls looked at each other in silence.
“That’s a plan?” said Buffy.
“I guess it’s the only plan we’ve got,” said Willow, looking worried.
“I-I-I have a plan,” said Tara, to the redhead’s obvious delight and pride. “We, we get to the Bronze first, a-a-and I put a Felosian Sphere round the whole building.”
“Um….” said Willow, puzzled.
“You can do that?” asked Giles. “A-A Felosian Sphere? It, it’s remarkably advanced for a witch of your youth a-a-and inexperience. Are you sure….?”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” said Buffy. “What’s a Fallopian Sphere?”
“Uh,
Felosian,” explained Tara. “I-It’s a spell I got from my mom’s books. It’s like um, it’s like you put a, a bubble of power around something and, and it stops people getting in. I-I tried it out at home last night, just, just a little one. My uh, my brother Donny couldn’t get into the bathroom for nearly an hour.” She smiled in a coy, secretly-pleased way. “He uh, he nearly wet his pants.”
“Wow,” said Willow, taking her hand. “My girl’s really got the magic.”
In every way, she thought.
“But, but I don’t know how I’ll do with a whole
building,” said Tara. “I-I-It might not last too long or, or be very strong.”
“Nevertheless,” said Giles, “i-it’s an advantage we didn’t have before. And, and if it collapses, well, at least we can attack them while they’re coming
in. Good, Tara, very good!”
Willow lifted the blushing girl’s hand, and kissed it. “Then let’s speed it up, Giles. Put that foot down!”
“Jesus!” yelled the Watcher, as the brakes squealed and smoked.
“Wrong foot!” shouted Willow, then shrank back in her seat as a body hit the hood of the car and came almost through the open windshield.
They came to a screeching halt in the middle of an intersection, where Buffy screamed as the body turned itself around and snarled at her through a mouthful of fangs.
As she beat its clawing hands back with her skateboard, the driver’s door was wrenched open, and Giles was dragged out into the street. Willow and Tara leapt from the car, to see the Watcher struggling with a vampire against the hood, and another coming at them from the other side.
“Tara! Help Giles!” cried Willow, taking up a stance against the third vamp.
Tara kicked the demon hard in the back, giving Giles a chance to floor him with a two-handed punch to the jaw. Buffy’s attacker caught the edge of the skateboard full in the face, and rolled backwards off the hood. She leapt out after him with a stake, but he sprang to his feet, knocked her aside, and went after Willow.
With a vamp coming at her from both sides, Willow did the only thing she could think of at that moment. She fell flat on her back, and as the second vamp leapt at her, pumped her legs up and propelled him straight into the first one.
And for my next trick…. she thought.
Then Tara was there, helping her up, and once more they stood back to back as vampires circled them.
Buffy and Giles seemed to be tag-teaming against the third one. But that ended when he snap-kicked Giles in the chest, sending him back against the car, where he crumpled, and smacked his head against the doorframe. “Uhhhh….not again,” he mumbled as he passed out.
The vamps came for Willow and Tara at the same time.
“Arms!” said the Slayer, thinking fast.
Tara thrust her arms back to meet Willow’s, where they linked and locked together. Willow leaned forward, pulling Tara up onto her back. The witch bent her legs, then shot them forward like pistons at the face of the attacking vamp. But as he fell poleaxed to the ground, the other one kicked at Willow, sending them both crashing.
Meanwhile, Buffy was whipping out her can of demon-mace and giving her opponent an eyeful. As he thrashed about, screaming, she knelt beside Giles and slapped him – not
very gently – about the face.
“Giles!” she yelled at him. “This is fun, but you gotta wake up! Believe me, you don’t want
me driving your car! Giles!
Tea-time!”Willow found herself on top of Tara and thought – if only for a nanosecond – how so
very nice that was. But then claws fastened round her throat, and she started getting cranky.
“Mister,” she rasped. “I’ve…already…been choked…
once…this week…let’s see…how…
you…like it!” She managed to pry the vampire’s fingers from around her neck, hearing little bones snap as she did so. He howled, but that stopped when her own hand clamped onto his throat.
“Heh! But
I don’t need to
breathe!” grinned the vampire, wriggling in her grasp.
“Then why does your breath smell like a dog’s?” said Willow.
“Eww! What the heck have you been
licking?”
He didn’t get a chance to answer as Tara’s stake suddenly appeared in his chest, and Willow was left with a handful of dust.
On the other side of the car, a vamp with a ruined and smoking face was running from Buffy. She went after him with a stake in each hand, but paused when she heard a groan from Giles. The vamp headed straight for Tara.
“Sweetie, are you okay?” Tara was saying, stroking the red finger marks on Willow’s neck.
“I’m fine. Thanks baby,” she said with a kiss. “You?
Tara nodded, but said in a hurt voice, “Bruised butt.”
“Aww, now
that I can – duck!” Tara moved her head just as a clawed fist came in. It was aimed straight at Willow’s face, and she caught it square on the chin. It rocked her head back a little, but she countered with a backhand punch that sent the creature reeling.
“Oh, we
so don’t have time for this!” exclaimed Willow, watching both remaining vamps climb to their feet and close in. “They’re just trying to delay us!”
“Y’know, I
really think they might be trying to
kill us!” chimed in Buffy, joining them and panting hard.
“Well, that too,” said Willow. “Tara? You’ve got to get to the Bronze
now! Do your, your whosis with the heynow! Buy us all some time!”
“Willow! No!” said Tara. “Y-You need me here with, with
you!”
“Oh, I know, baby, but me and Buffy can handle these two chuckleheads.”
“You betcha!” added Buffy, taking a firm grip on both her stakes.
“Baby, you gotta go
now!” pleaded Willow. “Or
all our gooses are cooked! Please? We’ll be right behind you!”
Tara sighed. “O-O-Okay. But, but if you get k-k-killed I’ll, I’ll never forgive you! I-I can’t run real fast, so….Buffy? Do you mind?”
The two vamps rushed in at that moment, fists and feet flying.
“Huh? What? Mind what?” said Buffy, putting her head where the fists weren’t, as Tara backed away towards the car.
She reached in and pulled out Buffy’s skateboard, then gave a last look over to where Willow and Buffy were holding their own against the two vampires.
“I love you, Will!” she called out, then flung the board down ahead of her, leapt onto it as it rolled, and pumped herself forward. She picked up speed really fast, then crouched low and shifted her weight like an expert to slide effortlessly round the corner and out of sight.
Blocking and ducking, Buffy and Willow watched her go in amazement.
“Holy halfpipe!” said Buffy. “That girl’s gotta give me lessons!”
With a high punch and a side kick, Willow felled her attacker and dusted him. “Oh, she’s got things to teach
me first!” she said with a proud smile. “Now, let’s finish off Krusty the Klown here, and go after my girl!”
*
Tara was less than two blocks from the Bronze, rolling smooth and fast.
Long time since I’ve done this! she thought. Then,
Oh god I hope I make it! Willow needs me to do this. I don’t wanna do this! Be safe Willow! A vampire stepped out the shadows ahead of her as she came to the next intersection.
Oh god, be safe me!She jammed her foot on the tail of the board, leaned, and jinked around the creature’s outstretched hands. Then another appeared, carrying something that looked like a broom handle or a metal pole. He swung it at her legs, but she leapt over it, landing goofy-foot on the board as it carried on rolling.
Too close! she thought, switching feet and kicking hard to gather speed. She could hear music ahead, then the lights of the Bronze came into view. The guy on the door was checking two more people in. Not fifty yards away, she saw a pack of vampires emerge from the darkness into the street. The short, unmistakable figure of the creature called Darla danced in front of them
No time for the elegant dismount! thought Tara, steering towards a heap of cardboard boxes stacked badly against the wall. She ground the board’s tail down hard, slowing enough not to be winded when she hit.
Thank the goddess there’s always cardboard boxes! she thought, as she struggled up.
To the puzzled gaze of the doorman, Tara stood panting with both hands at shoulder height, palms outward, and began to chant. “S-S-Spirit of Felosia, lady of, of ice and stillness, be with me here in this place. E-Enfold thy wings about us, I pray thee. Earth and breath, sky and silence, enfold!
Enfold!”
Something passed through her, through her hands and into the air. Across the face of the Bronze, stretching over the roof and around the sides, a quivering envelope zipped into being, rippling and shimmering like a soap bubble. Through it, she saw the doorman frown and say “Hey!”, but she couldn’t hear him. Or the music.
Uh….shouldn’t I be on that side of it? she thought suddenly.
The growl of approaching vampires made her back away into the street. They were wearing their game faces now, and
really didn’t look pleased. Darla touched the bubble, her hand sliding off it with a squeaky, soapy sound. She snarled at Tara, moving aside for Luke, who looked at her with contempt.
“I haven’t forgotten you, witch,” he said. “The Vessel shall be filled with your blood before this night is over.” Grinning, he punched his fist at the bubble which gave like elastic, and closed his hand around the throat of the terrified doorman. The bubble stretched, wavered….and ripped apart, disappearing with a quiet
pop! “His power is in me,” said Luke. “Bring her.” He dragged the doorman inside, with Darla and the other vampires behind. Xander Harris winked and cocked an imaginary gun at her as he followed. Then the door closed, and two vamps who had been left outside came for her.
At which point the throaty rattle of Giles’ car surged into the street, hit the kerb, bounced back, spun in a full circle with the brakes locked and screaming, and smashed into the vampires head-on. When it shuddered to a halt, Willow leapt from the car, sprinted thirty yards, dusted them both, then ran back to Tara, hugged her, and covered her face in kisses.
“Baby! Baby! You’re okay! Are you okay? You gotta be okay! Say you’re okay!”
“Uh, I’m okay Will!” said Tara, reeling under the barrage, but infinitely glad that Willow seemed okay too. “Th-The spell was a bust, though. I’m sorry.”
They hurried back to the car, arms around each other. “You mean it didn’t work?” asked Willow.
“Oh it worked,” said Tara. “But I-I-I stretched it too far. I’m sorry, Will. I, I wasn’t strong enough to stop them.”
“You did your best, baby,” said Willow, stroking her arm. “You
knew it might not work, but you tried. We can still do it.”
“But they’re
inside, Will. I-I bet they’ve locked the doors by now.”
“Then we’ll get inside too. Somehow. C’mon.”
At the car, Tara raised her eyebrows at the sight of Giles stepping groggily from the back seat, while Buffy sat in shock behind the wheel, clutching it in a death grip and muttering, “I told him. Didn’t I tell him? Sure I told him. Buffy and cars don’t mix. No sir. They just don’t mix. Cars and Buffy, nuh-uh. I told him that. Sure did.”
Willow explained. “Giles was still feeling too zonked, so he told Buffy to drive. She’s only taken the written. I don’t think he knew what he was saying. He does now! I think he’s gonna up his life insurance.”
The Watcher, having shaken himself back to reality, prised Buffy’s fingers off the steering wheel, and helped her out of the car. “So….” he exhaled. “I, I take it we’re too late and they’re already inside?”
“Hi Giles!” chirped Buffy, snapping out of it – and into something else.
“W-W-With the Vessel,” said Tara. “It’s, it’s that big one, Luke. He’s got the star, here.” She pointed to her forehead. “I-I’m sorry Mr. Giles, I couldn’t stop them.”
“What a ride, huh?” said Buffy. “Is Cordelia here yet?”
“Presumably the, the door is locked against us?” said Giles.
Willow tried it. “Uh huh,” she said. “And there’s no way I can bust it down, not that thing.”
“I looove Cordelia,” said Buffy. “She’s a hottie. We get naked!”
“Then, then we’ll try round the back,” said Giles, “while you try to find….Oh dear lord!” Buffy’s words finally registered in his brain. “You, you mean you and, and M-M-Miss Chase? You mean you’re…? They’re…? Bloody hell!”
“Forget you heard that, Giles,” said Willow. “I think she’s looped.”
“Are we going dancing?” said Buffy. “Sometimes we do naked dancing!”
“W-W-With pleasure and great speed!” said Giles, who seemed to be blinking a lot.
“Okay baby, this is it,” said Willow, taking Tara’s hand and looking scared. “I, I guess we find our own way in. You and me, together. This time, I’m not letting you out of my sight. It, it hurts when you’re not here.”
Tara once more put her hand on Willow’s heart, and said “I-I’m always here, Will. You know that. Ready?”
“As, as I’ll ever be.”
-----------------------------------------
END OF ACT 5, PART 3
--------------------------------
Always.........
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- but i'm lookin 4ward to that kinda talent later tho, so r ya givin me yer word that that talent will reveal itself? 
at: 10/9/02 2:16:32 pm
Giles findin out bout her and Cordy like that also gave me a chuckle 
' 