Did I Just Miss Something?
Did I Just Miss Something?
The Big Bad
by Quirky
Xander awakens from a very frightful dream.
Oh, no!”
He shrieks and then looks around his motel room, he sinks back into bed, very relieved.
“A dreamit was only a dream”
He slinks out of the hard, large and mostly uncomfortable bed. He turns on the lamp beside the bed; he rubs his eyes and looks around the floor. He pulls black Pants from under the bed and puts them on, thinking, Why didn¹t I pack some Pyjamas, I¹m freezing. He then puts on a brown shirt and while buttoning it up
He thinks aloud.
“was it a dream?”
He pulls on a thick woollen green jumper. He also puts on socks and shoes. He looks around the room, adjusting his eyes to the light. Now where did I put my keys? Xander searches the room, flipping the mattress of the bed over, he then spots his keys on the table near the door, he sighs, aggravated that he didn¹t search there first. He snatches the keys off the table and exits the motel room.
Anya opens the door of Xander¹s apartment, after all, it isn¹t her apartment; it was once their¹s, but not anymore, not after what happened at the wedding. As soon as she opens the door she tries to slam it in Xander¹s face, she is unsuccessful, his left foot is blocking the way.
“Owe.”
Xander says in a little pain, Anya pulls the door open and slams it into Xander¹s foot again.
“Xander move!”
She slams it again, but Xander does not move.
“I¹m not leaving until you hear me out, I don¹t care how many times…”
Anya pushes the door against his foot again, but still, he doesn¹t move.
“give me a chance.”
“No!”
Anya screams, her face contorts, she is now Anyanka. Xander pushes his way into the apartment and closes the door behind himself, having trouble believing what he just saw.
“Youyoudidn¹t?”
Anya walks into the living room, her back to Xander.
“Didn¹t what!? Didn¹t become myself again, after everything what else did you expect?!”
Anya looks down at herself and then out the window.
“I wish you were never born.”
Xander gasps, hurt by Anya¹s comment. He then walks up behind Anya. “I never wanted thisI never wanted a life with a demon, but I have it. And I¹m going to fight for it!”
Anya wipes the tears from her face, she sighs loudly and turns around to face Xander.
“Fightpffttyou could have proved them all wrong, by marring me, by marrying the woman you loved. You could have fought your way through your fears and married me. But nooooo! You had to run away, and break my heart.”
Anya grabs a vase nearby and throws it at Xander; luckily, he was able to duck before it came close to hitting him. Xander breathes deeply. “I only left because I loved you so much that I didn¹t want to ruin things~” Anya cuts him off.
“But you did ruin things, Xander. You left, and you never came back, you didn¹t callyou left, and I was worried.”
Anya¹s face return¹s to it¹s normal state. There are tears coming down both their faces, Xander sighs and wipes the tears off his face with the sleeve of his jumper.
“I¹m sorry, alright! I¹m sorry I screwed everything up, it¹s just me, I somehow manage to screw everything upbut I¹m trying to fix my mistake. I¹m trying to say I¹m sorry that I hurt you, and that I¹ll try to be a better manbut most importantly I want you to know, that no matter what, I will always love you.”
Anya weeps, Xander watches her, wanting to stop the pain and remorse. “Really?”
He cautiously walks closer to Anya.
“Yes. I love you.”
Xander tries to hug Anya, but she pushes him away.
“How do I know that this isn¹t one of your tricks?”
She asks angrily, he steps back and smiles slightly.
“Because you¹re my world, and right now, what¹s important is that I get you back.”
Anya smiles happily, she reaches over to Xander and kisses him.
Dawn, Buffy and Willow are sitting in the dining room, finishing their pancakes that Buffy, and with a little help from Dawn, had made.
“Can I ask you guys something?”
Both Willow and Buffy look over to Dawn with curious expressions.
“Ofcourse.”
“What is it, Dawnie?”
Dawn puts her knife and fork onto the white plate, and pushed in further in front of herself on the table.
“Have youumbeen having weird dreams lately?”
Dawn asks looking from Willow to Buffy, waiting for a response.
“Umyeah.”
“How? ~”
Dawn frowns; slightly confused in the fact that she wasn¹t the only one. “I don¹t know how I knowwhat were they about? Buffy?”
Dawn watched her sister reminisce, after a moment, she tells her story. “I was walking through the cemetery, you know, nothing out of the ordinary there. Until I found the gravestone”
Buffy looks down at her empty plate, she didn¹t seem to want to continue, Willow urged her on.
“Whose name was on it?”
Buffy looks up at Dawn and sighs.
“Dawn¹s”
She smiles weakly.
“but it¹s ok, Dawn¹s here.”
Buffy leans over to her sister, whom was sitting beside her; and kisses her on the forehead. She thinks, But for how long? And that wasn¹t the only dream you¹ve been having lately, why don¹t you tell them about that. Willow smiles at the show of affection. Buffy sits back in her seat, while her sister enquires.
“What was your dream about?”
Willow furrows her brow, trying to think of what it was that she had dreamt, finally she remembers, and she sighs, not wanting to remember.
“I¹m in a room, o-only I¹ve never been there before, I¹ve never seen it, but I feel
strangely at home. There¹s something outside, so I leave the room and walk out into the halland that¹s when I find her”
Both Dawn and Buffy recoil in sadness, Dawn urges Willow to continue. “Her?”
Willow continues, reluctantly.
“Tara, sheshe¹s crawling on the floor towards me. A-and there¹s bloodthere¹s so much blood.”
Willow looks away from the others, very teary eyed. Dawn tries to comfort Willow.
“It was only a dream.”
“What if it¹s a premonition, I don¹t want to lose her again.”
Buffy leans over the table and puts her hands over Willow¹s.
“You won¹t.”
Willow smiles her thanks, and Buffy sits back down. Dawn says her fears aloud.
“I-I don¹t understand, what if these are premonitions? How can we stop these things, if we don¹t even know what¹s happening?”
Willow and Dawn get up and collect their cups while Buffy starts piling their plates.
“We don¹t even know if they are premonitions, it could be something else entirely.”
They all enter the kitchen and pile the plates and cups into the sink. Dawn grabs her backpack and slings it over her shoulder.
“Maybe, it¹s nothing at all. Maybe it¹s just our fearsexpressing themselves in our dreams.”
Willow finishes her coffee and puts it into the sink.
“What was your dream about?”
“All I remember is being in the magic box.”
Buffy grabs the car keys and locks the back door.
“That doesn¹t sound too traumatic.”
Dawn laughs, and then recalls something else.
“Anya and Xander were therethey looked so sad.”
The women each begin to walk down the hall, Buffy quips.
“Maybe I died again”
Both Dawn and Willow give Buffy a “Give it up” look.
“or not.”
“Now, you know what to do?”
Warren asks a number of large bikie looking vampires.
“We knowand as for our payment.”
Warren dumps a brown sack, filled with money and jewels onto the floor of The bar.
“I think this will satisfy your needs.”
The bulky pale vampire gives Warren a wide grin.
“This will more than satisfy our needs, now leave, before I change my mind.”
Warren hastens his exit from the dark dank bar which smelled of alcohol and urine and worst of all blood, before something dreadful happened to him.
“Willow, we¹ll wait in the car!”
Dawn yells up the stairs. Buffy opens the front door and almost screams of Fright, Tara stands in front of Buffy, she cant help it smile. I scared her. Tara thought with amusement.
“Hi Tara.”
Dawn hugs Tara.
“Bye Tara.”
Dawn walks past Tara and over to the car.
“Bye, Dawnie”
Tara waves goodbye to Dawn and then turns to Buffy.
“is Will~”
Buffy points up the stairs.
“Willow¹s in her room, looking for somethingshould we wait for you?”
Tara shakes her head.
“We¹ll need time.”
Buffy and Tara smile to one and other, Tara walks up the stairs, Buffy watches Her for a minute and then leaves.
Willow searches through her bedroom, after a few minutes, she gives up her search, and sits on her bed.
“Everything¹s falling apart.”
She lays back on the bed and stares at the ceiling. A knock comes from the Door, it opens with a creaking sound. Tara enters the room and looks at Willow with a smile.
“I¹m not sure if I¹m going to school today, Dawn”
Willow looks up, and sees that Tara is at the door.
“Oh, hey”
Willow sits up on the edge of the bed and looks inquiringly over to Tara. “I¹m a little curious as to know, why are you here? I mean, don¹t get me wrong, I¹m happy to see you~”
Tara sits beside Willow on the bed and puts her index and middle finger over Willow¹s mouth, Willow stops talking and thinks, does it matter, Why she¹s here? “Things fall apartand they sometimes cannot be rebuilt. It¹s a long process and it takes work, can we just skip all that and can you just be kissing me now?”
Jonathon tiptoes past a knocked out Andrew, he utters.
“Sorry.”
He exits the house as fast as he can, he doesn¹t look back, nor does he want to.
“Why are you putting on clothes?”
Anya demands a response from Xander, as he puts on his green woollen jumper.
“Ahn, I told you. But, I¹ll be backsoon. And we¹ll talk some more, ok?”
Anya nods and watches Xander get dressed; he looks around the floor. “Have you seen my underwear?”
He looks over to Anya, she hold them over to him with a coy smile.
Spike lays awake in his crypt, he stares at the cobweb filled ceiling, and then Gets up and dawdles his way over to his mini-bar, he opens it, and takes out A bottle of Jim Beam¹. He sits on his favourite chair and drinks deeply from the Bottle, almost as if he were drinking from the neck of his prey.
“Oh, he didn¹t!”
Warren angrily says, while standing in an alleyway. Far from, be close enough to watch Xander walk hurriedly along the footpath a few blocks from Warren¹s home. Warren furrows his brow; an ocean blue crystal is in his right hand.
He puts his hands to his chest and clasps them tightly around the crystal. He closes his eyes and takes a moment to find his chi.
“Come to them when they least expect it, come to them at a place no one intended”
Blood drips from Warren¹s hands, he breathes deeply, trying not to break his Concentration, and continues.
“confuse their minds and destroy their souls, because no one can help them, especially when you¹re here.”
Warren opens his eyes and pulls his hands out in front of himself; he opens them painfully, and grins evilly, the once ocean blue crystal is now the colour of his blood that surrounds it; crimson.
“Xander, you really don¹t have to knock, this is your home.”
Xander stands in the doorway of his apartment, and blushes.
“Come outside, I want to show you something”
Anya stands in front of the doorway and looks questioningly at Xander. “you¹ll like it.”
Anya takes her keys off the kitchen bench, and locks the door on her way out.
“Xander”
Anya says while trying to keep her balance.
“where are you taking me?”
Xander walks behind Anya and holds her by the waist; Anya is blindfolded with a pink bandage and Xander is her eyes.
“We¹ll if I told you, it wouldn¹t be a surprise.”
They both laugh happily, Xander stops and shortly so does Anya.
“We¹re here.”
He steps in front of Anya and puts his hands across her shoulder¹s, he unties The knot of the bandage; which was obstructing Anya¹s view. They looked into Each other¹s eyes for a moment, Xander then turns around to show Anya her Surprise. She looks down to the grass area, a few feet away from them. “Oh, Xander, you didn¹t.”
She happily asked, on the ground was a large picnic spread, a white and green chequered blanket underlaid the picnic basket. Beside it was a bottle of sparkling wine, and instead of strawberries was an array of cheese.
“Anything for you.”
He replied and then led her to the delicious food. They both sat on the blanket.
“Isn¹t the view amazing.”
“Not as good as the one I have right here.”
Xander replied, they sat together side-by-side, and watched the sunset.
“Knock. Knock.”
A familiar voice says as she knocks on his door.
“Whose there?”
Spike asks loudly, thinking, The BuffyBot did a lot of knock-knock jokes, they Were entertainin¹ Hmm. Harmony quickly enters the crypt, she stops and stands right In front of Spike, and tries for a serious face.
“Spike.”
He looks up to her, with the same dreary expression on his face, as when she Entered.
“What¹s that?”
Harmony leans over to Spike and smells him; she then leans back. “Are you drunk?”
Spike squints his eyes and leans his head back, he angrily replies.
“Are you my mother!? Tell me what you¹re doing here, or get out!!”
Harmony steps back, annoyed and sad at Spike¹s lack of respect for her. “Well if you don¹t want to know.”
She slowly pretends to exit, Spike sighs; he knows her game.
“Ok, ok, bloody well tell me.”
She walks over and leans her arm onto Spike¹s tell E¹.
“It¹s simple, there¹s a job, and all you have to do is show up and kill some demons. So are you in?”
Harmony deliberately left out the fact that Spike knew these “Demon¹s” and that they weren¹t demons at all. She wanted to see what he would do when The time came. She wanted to see the look on his face. And most of all, she Wanted to know, whether he would help them. She ofcourse would sit on the Sidelines and watch from a safe distance, after all, she isn¹t as stupid as people Say she is. Spike ponders his answer for a minute.
“I¹ll think about it.”
“I¹m mean, come on, it was Harmony~”
“Admit it, you were scared.”
Buffy and Dawn reminisce as they stroll into the cemetery with their take out cups from the Espresso Pump, Buffy¹s was filled with coffee, while Dawn¹s was filled with hot chocolate.
Spike lay back in his chair; he then rouses, thinking, Slayer. He jumps Immediately from his seat and exits the crypt.
Anya holds Xander¹s arm, she¹s wearing his green woollen jumper, she smiles and rests her head on his shoulder as they walk along the path.
“I knew you loved me.”
He looked down at Anya and kissed he on the forehead.
“And I¹ll never stop.”
Anya looks around, thinking, We¹re not far from Spike¹s.
“Should we tell the others?”
Xander shrugs off the cold, but it doesn¹t seem to bother him so much.
“Sure, should we try the cemetery for Buffy?”
“Which one? There¹s like a million.”
Xander smiles and nods in agreement.
“Let¹s try that oneumwhere Spike lives, it isn¹t far from here.”
“Ok, what made you think she¹d be there?”
Xander¹s eyes widen.
“Idon¹t know. Just a feeling.”
They both walk into the cemetery.
“Nice night out.”
Willow looks up the sky, while still walking in arms with Tara.
“Agreed.”
They walk along the footpath, with not a care in the world.
“Let¹s go this way.”
Willow points to her right, Tara raises her eyebrow.
“Why that way?”
“Idon¹t know.”
Willow says puzzled, but they still walk along the path towards the direction That Willow had pointed out.
“Lookie¹ what I found.”
Harmony says sarcastically to herself, she spies Anya and Xander strolling Around the cemetery, obviously looking for Buffy. She keeps her distance, And follows them, trying to be ominous.
Spike follows his nose, looking through the brush; he observes Dawn and Buffy Casually walking through the cemetery.
“Hey, Buffy.”
Xander pulls his free arm above his head and waves to Buffy and Dawn. He And Anya walk over to them, while Buffy and Dawn wait patiently. Dawn smiles.
“Look at you two, arm in armwearing each other¹s clothes. Xander, I hope you¹re not wearing Anya¹s underwear.”
Both Xander and Anya stop on the path, close to Buffy and Dawn. Xander Blushes and looks down to Anya, he then looks back to Dawn.
“I don¹t think that¹s any of your business.”
He smiles, Buffy raises her eyebrow, and Dawn makes an “I-was-only-kidding” face.
“So this is good news, you two~”
Willow bumps right into Buffy; she looks to Buffy and laughs softly.
“Wow, what are the odds?”
Buffy smirks, Tara hugs Dawn and Xander replies.
“About a zillion to one.”
Dawn smirks, God, look at them.
The group then stand in a huddle for a moment; Buffy furrows her brow. Xander Holds Anya close to him, for warmth. While Tara and Wilow talk giddily, Dawn Looks to her sister a little confused.
“What¹s on your mind?”
Buffy looks around the trees, sensing something. She then turns her attention Back to her friends, they look to her, confused.
“I don¹t think it¹s coincidence that we¹re all here.”
Everyone nods; Willow also frowns.
“I have to agree with you there.”
Anya looks from Willow and Buffy, she has no idea of what they mean.
“What do you mean?”
Buffy looks around, still feeling that something is eyeing them.
“Something brought us here, something wants us here.”
Anya rests her head onto Xander¹s chest; she shakes it back and forth.
“I¹m still confused.”
Xander looks over to Buffy, and feels a sudden rush of cold.
“I second that.”
Tara hold Willow¹s arm, while Willow frowns and asks.
“Have you guys had”
She shudders.
“weird dreams lately?”
Anya, Xander and Tara nod, confused even more.
“I think it might bea demon of some kinddoing this to us.”
Xander points his hand to Willow.
“I think she¹s on to something~”
Suddenly a band of vampires crowd around the group, there was fifteen in all.
Warren watches this from a distance, and mutters to himself.
“Talk about getting the word around.”
Tara pushes Dawn behind her, a vampire approaches rapidly, Tara looks to the ground and focuses her thoughts on the tree branch that is nearby, it is forced into the skeletal shape, he turns into dust. Xander picks up a log that sat on a log close by, he waves it in front of himself, which forces some vampires back, he then pushes Anya behind him, not wanting her to get hurt. Buffy and Willow fight side by side, only without magic; Willow can only use a tree branch to subdue the vampires long enough, until Buffy can help her.
Anya uses a baseball bat, that she had found in the shrubs to hit some Vampire¹s back, only one catches her off guard, and hits her hard in the face, She is propelled back into a large oak tree; Xander looks over to the vampire That hit her, and in frustration, he stakes it quick and fast, he then runs over To Anya.
Spike watches the fight with an amused smile, he doesn¹t bother to help, he Stays on the outers, sensing something else. Tara is hit in the gut, she falls Forward, a vampire then kicks her in the head, she falls back and doesn¹t get Up. The vampire then rushes after Dawn, she cartwheel¹s out of the way and Stakes the muscular female vampire in the back. Buffy is being beaten down By three vampires, Willow rushes from behind and stakes one of them, she tries To do the same to the second vampire that is holding Buffy down, but it catches Her, and pushes her away. He then tramples after Willow.
Xander sits on the ground, with Anya¹s head in his lap. He pleads for her to Wake up, for her to be ok, she wakes up.
“I¹m alright.”
Buffy pushes the vampire that was attacking her, out of the way, she then kicks Him in the back, and stakes him in the chest, while he rests on a large rock.
Anya gets up and shakes herself off, she then rushes over to Willow, with Xander at her side, and they help her out. Willow holds the vampire down, while Anya stakes him. Willow praises Anya breathlessly.
“Good job.”
There are still nine vampires to go, Willow is being held back, while another Vampire punches her in the face, she¹s helpless, with a bloodied lip and a Bruised face. Dawn stakes the vampire that is holding Willow back, While Xander spins the one that is hitting Willow, around, and stakes him quickly and painlessly. Willow sighed, This is hard.
“Thanks.”
Buffy spin heel kicks a tall female vampire into a tree, she then rushes the Vampire and punches her in the face and then in the gut, the vampire leans Forward in agony, Buffy stakes her in the back, piercing the heart, the vampire Turns into dust.
Two female vampires are beating down Xander, as well as holding off Willow and Anya, while Dawn tries to outrun a vampire. Buffy looks around at the chaos, Unsure of what to do, she grabs a beer bottle from the ground and smashes it, Revealing a very sharp edge. Dawn runs around a tree, a few metres in front of Buffy.
“Dawn duck!”
Dawn falls to the ground, and Buffy throws the jagged edge of the bottle at the Vampire, that was pursuing Dawn, it¹s cuts across his neck, separating his head From his body. Dawn gets up and brushes herself off. Buffy runs over to the Two female vampires, and stakes one of them in the back, freeing Xander of It¹s grasp. A brawny female vampire is holding Willow and Anya against a crypt, Holding them high, chocking them as their feet dangle a few feet above the Ground, they are both gasping for air, having trouble breathing.
Buffy taps on the vampire¹s shoulder, the vampire drops Anya and Willow, and turns snarling at Buffy.
“No, no. Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.”
The bleached blonde vampire frowns in confusion, Buffy sighs and stakes her.
Anya, Dawn, Willow and Xander surround Buffy in a semi-circle, they all moan In pain, they look at Buffy puzzled.
“Ok, so I couldn¹t think of a good pun.”
They each smiles as Buffy looks at the tracks on the ground, she looks up and Searches the wooded area.
“There¹s one more.”
The scoobies look around nervous. Xander walks a few paces towards a large Oak tree, he touches the trunk, and turns back to Buffy.
“You¹re sure?”
Xander is punched in the cheek from his right, he is sent flying into the shrub. Anya quickly rushes over to him; she kneels by his side and slaps him into consciousness. Willow and Dawn take a few steps back as Buffy takes a few punches to the face, she soon falls to the ground. The overweight bronzed vampire laughs.
“Just so you know, that¹s a terrible haircut!”
Buffy kick flips herself up and attacks the vampire, hitting him repeatedly in the face.
“This coming from a vampire with a mullet!”
After a moment of venting her frustration, she stakes the vampire. Anya helps Xander to his feet, while Dawn and Willow smile at Buffy. In the distance, Warren sighs disappointed, he cocks the barrel of his gun and points it in the direction of the group. Willow looks around the cemetery, confused and afraid.
“Where¹s Tara?”
Spike becomes aware of Warren, as he begins to aim the gun at a smiling Buffy.
Spike runs as fast as he could to get to Warren, but the distance between them Is too far. Spike knows he won¹t be able to get to Warren in time, he yells. “Buffy! Look out!”
Warren pulls the trigger, a fraction of a second later he is tackled to the ground.
The gun falls to the ground a few metres away.
Buffy looks over to where the scream had come from, and then everything Slowed down, her thoughts however, where very active, as if she was in fast forward. Buffy looked over to her sister, to see if she was ok, and she was. Willow stood beside Dawn, looking around very fearfully. A few feat behind Them near a crypt, was Xander and Anya, they were both using each other For support. Buffy thought in that instant that she was going to die, but she Couldn¹t move, did she want to?
The bullet now sped towards Buffy¹s chest; she was still stoned still, and in that Split second, out of nowhere, Tara appeared in front of Buffy. Tara raised her Hand toward the bullet, an aqua and red swirling sphere surrounded the group, As in tar, the bullet stuck in the air for a moment and then fell to the ground.
Tara smirks, her eyes roll back and she falls to the ground. Willow and Dawn Rush over to Tara and wake her up.
Buffy pushes the thickets out of her way she passes through the most of it, And sees Spike, she looks down at Warren. Spike stands from his kneeling Position and smiles, he then shakes his head and looks back down at the Corpse on the soil.
“Our man is still out there, this is a bloody decoy.”
Buffy frowns, not believing Spike. Spike then pulls off Warren¹s head, revealing The copper wires protruding from the robot¹s neck.
“My guess, he would have skipped town, by now.”
Spike throw¹s the head to the ground; Buffy looks at Spike and shakes her head.
“No, evil likes to stay and gloat, when there¹s something to gloat about, or have you forgot?”
Spike keeps his eyes away from Buffy and smirks.
“No, but where is he?”
The question lingers for a moment as Buffy and Spike keep trying not to make eye contact.