Love On The Hellmouth

Back at the house the three hours are almost up and the gang are becoming concerned. As Spike and Xander are about to leave, Kennedy comes running in still carrying Buffy. They all look shocked at the still unconscious form of Buffy. Kennedy continues up the stairs calling for some ice. The Potentials stay downstairs while the rest go up to Buffy’s room. They find Kennedy putting Buffy to bed. Noticing that Kennedy is shaking Willow takes over. Willow settles Buffy and puts the ice on her head then ushers everyone down stairs. Once Kennedy has calmed a little Willow asks what everyone wants to know: what happened. “We found Caleb’s hideout and Buffy wanted to check it out. There were a few Bringers but we dealt with them easy enough. But then Caleb showed up. He made big with the speeches, saying we we’re dirty or some shit. Said how the Slayer ‘was the strongest and fastest and most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind: the notion of goodness.’ Said that the Slayer must indeed be strong. Then he hit her and she went flying to the other end of the place. I just grabbed her and ran. I don’t think anyone should go out.” Buffy came down the stairs at that moment, “No one is to go near that vineyard. Tomorrow night however we will all go out and patrol. We will all stick together. We need to learn to fight as a team. However should we see Caleb we run. After I think we’ll all go to the Bronze for some fun time. Potentials to bed, Scoobies to the basement.”
Everyone looked to Buffy a little scared, “Caleb is too dangerous right now and we aren’t ready for him. I don’t want anyone going after him. Spike, Kennedy?” The two looked at Buffy and seeing her resolve agreed. “I am serious about tonight. Hardly any of these girls have seen real battle. They need to. So tonight we stick together. Fight as one. Then we can party. I think we all need that.” The group all nodded their agreement. “Now what have you found about Caleb’s mark?” Dawn spoke up, “Well we hacked into the police files from the whole country,” Buffy looks at her with a don’t you mean Willow hacked look, “Willow hacked. Anyway lots of violent incidents involving religion but only one stood out. It's a mission up north in Gilroy. Place was abandoned. Locals started realizing after a few days no one was going in or out. Six members of the order lived there, when the cops showed up... all gone. Unsolved. There were some photos and we found Caleb’s mark burned in the wood.” “That’s good. Okay Spike I want you to go to this mission. Find what you can and come back. Caleb’s hiding something in the vineyard and I think this mission is the key.” Spike nods and heads to his motorcycle. “The rest of us should get some sleep.”
The next night the group went on a successful patrol. All the girls pulled their weight and found that they even enjoyed themselves. The Scoobies helped when needed but mostly sat back and watched. Between them the group of Potentials killed a dozen vampires and two-dozen Bringers. When Buffy was satisfied she led the group to the Bronze. At the Bronze the Scoobies and the Potentials all relaxed. They were drinking, dancing, playing pool, they were even laughing. They were generally just having a good time. The Bronze was rather empty if not for the gang, a few drunks and a band making up the rest of the crowd. Kennedy found the band rather amusing, “So what kind of band plays during an
apocalypse?” Dawn laughed, “I think this band might actually be
one of the signs.” The only one who seemed to not be having a good time was Buffy. Seeing this Kennedy moved off the dance floor and to her girlfriend, “Hey baby what’s wrong?” “I’m worried about Spike.” “He’ll be fine. Come dance with me.” Buffy danced with Kennedy and tried to relax. After another few hours Buffy called the group together and led them all home.
Spike arrived at the mission just as the sun was starting to rise. He’s looking around when he was suddenly crash tackled to the ground by a hooded figure. Spike jumps up and grabs the hooded figure and pulls the hood off. Spike’s assailant is just a man who is terrified. He is a Priest and he has Caleb’s mark burned into his cheek. Spike and the Priest look each other in the eye. The Priest begs Spike to kill him. Spike looks at the Priest, “I’m not gonna kill ya mate. Not without us two having a good chat first, tell me about the tat.” The Priest touches his cheek, covering the mark but he is too frightened to talk. Spike continues, “Are you part of Caleb's faction…” The Priest shakes his head. Spike shakes him, “Then tell me what happened. We're trying to fight him. Caleb. We need your help.” “You can't fight him. You can't stop him. You can only... run.” “Keep talking.” “I'll do better. I'll show you.”
Spike follows the Priest who continues talking, “One night, some time ago, a man arrived at our doors.” “And you said ‘c'mon in, do some damage.’” “We are... were a benevolent order and, yes, we welcomed him. We offered to feed him.” They reach the end of a corridor but the priest pushes the wall and a secret room is revealed. “But he had come for something else. He made his way here, to the inner sanctum. He was excited, talking the whole time... destiny, that sort of thing. We followed him here.” The Priest removes a small tapestry from the wall revealing an archaic stone panel, which has some words, carved on it. “Behind this tapestry, he revealed something we didn't even know was here. Before our time. He read it. And he didn't like what it said. His temper... he, he was like... He was not a friendly man. He was the purest evil I have ever seen. He heated his ring with a lighter, pressed it against me. And then I...ran. And hid. And listened to the others die.” Spike looks at the stone tablet and reads it aloud, “’It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield.’” Spike spends the day in the room looking at the panel, waiting for the night.