For Want Of A Sheet
Part Four
Xander, Willow, Angel and Cordelia walked down the street. Their eyes searched every direction, looking for Buffy.
"Are you sure she came this way?" Xander asked, holding his rifle at the ready.
"No," Angel replied, desperately scanning the shadows.
"She'll be okay," Cordelia said.
"Buffy would be okay," Angel snarled. "Whoever she is now, she's helpless. Come on!"
*****
Giles pulled his car up to the curb outside Ethan's Costume Shop.
He got out and looked at the sign for a moment. Then he walked up and kicked
the door in.
As soon as he walked inside, he caught sight of the bust. Its eyes glowed green.
"Janus," Giles said. He looked into the shadows. "Hello, Ethan."
"Hello, Ripper," Ethan said, stepping out into the light. He smiled.
*****
Buffy screamed as the pirate caught her and threw her against
the wall of the alley. He leaned in close to kiss her, then went careening away
as Xander tackled him. Buffy watched fearfully as Xander proceeded to thrash
the pirate.
"Buffy!" Willow cried, running up with Angel and Cordelia. "Are you okay?"
Buffy screamed as she caught sight of Angel.
"What's your deal?" Cordelia asked. "Take a pill!"
"He's a vampire!" Buffy whimpered.
Willow and Angel exchanged a look.
Cordy sighed and turned to Angel. "She's got this thing where... Forget it." To Buffy, she said, "He's a good guy vampire. He'd never hurt you."
"Really?" Buffy breathed, looking up at Angel.
"Really," Angel promised.
Xander ran back to the group. "It's strange," he said, "but beating up that pirate gave me a weird sense of closure."
"Guys," Willow said, looking down the alley. "We have to get out of here. Now."
Spike walked down the alley towards them, a cruel smile on his face. Behind him were over a dozen demons. Some were vampires, the rest magically transformed children. They all looked hungry.
Xander grabbed his rifle from where he'd dropped it. "Ladies," he said, "we're on the move!"
The group turned and ran. Willow and Cordelia took the lead, searching desperately for some means of escape. Angel followed, carrying Buffy. Xander brought up the rear, clutching his rifle tightly and looking back frequently to keep track of the advancing demons.
"In here!" Willow yelled, heading for an open door.
The others followed her. Angel put Buffy down and helped Xander slam the door shut.
They were safe.
For the moment.
*****
Giles glared at Ethan. "Break the spell, Ethan. Then leave
this place and never come back."
Ethan's smile widened. "Why should I? What's in the bargain for me?"
"You get to live."
"Oh, Rupert, you're scaring me..."
Giles took a step forward and drove his knee into Ethan's groin. Ethan gasped in pain and doubled over. Giles punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor.
*****
"Go!" Xander yelled, as the demons broke through the door he was trying
to hold closed. He ran after his friends, darting glances over his shoulder
at the oncoming demons.
Spike smiled as he led the pursuit.
*****
"And you said the Ripper was long gone," Ethan wheezed
from the floor.
"Tell me how to stop the spell," Giles demanded.
"Say 'pretty please.'"
Giles kicked him in the kidney. Ethan screamed and tried to crawl away. Giles kicked him again.
"Tell me how to stop the spell!"
"Janus," Ethan gasped. "Break the statue."
Giles grabbed the statue and sent it crashing to the floor.
*****
Xander stared at the toy his M-16 had become. "What the...?"
The majority of Spike's demonic henchmen suddenly turned human. The younger kids started crying and screaming for their mothers.
Spike glanced over his shoulder at them, then turned to regard the wig he found dangling from his hand.
Buffy smiled at him. "Hi, honey. I'm home!"
She punched him in the stomach, then the face, then kicked him in the chest. He staggered back into a pile of crates, but came up swinging with a pipe he grabbed from the floor.
Buffy caught the end of the pipe and used it to swing him into the wall. She hit him in the jaw and stomach with it. Spike doubled over in pain.
"It's good to be me," Buffy said, then swung the pipe up into Spike's chin. He flew back onto some crates, then slid off onto the floor.
*****
Giles turned back to Ethan. He was gone.
*****
Buffy turned back to her friends after Spike ran off.
"Hey, Buff," Xander said. "Welcome back."
"Yeah!" the Slayer said. "You, too."
"You guys remember what happened?" Cordelia asked.
"It was really weird," Xander said. "Like I was there, but couldn't..."
He stopped talking. All the color drained from his face.
"Willow," he breathed, spinning around to look for her.
His best friend was gone.
***
End
***