The Hart of L.A.

Buffy didn't really know what to say. " Oh, Sweetie, I'm so sorry." She pulled Dawn's head down, so that rested on her shoulder. " Did he give any reason at all? I mean surely he had a reason." Dawn lifted her head. She was so heartbroken. " He said that it wasn't working out. He told me that I wasn't trying hard enough at our relationship. What kind of lame reason is that? Buffy, we've only been in a relationship for a week! It's just not fair! What does he want from me? I hate guys, they're all stupid buttheads!" Buffy agreed with her. It was her job to keep getting dumped, not Dawn's. She'd have to have a talk with Andrew, because this was stupid. Anyone with a brain could see how much Andrew and Dawn liked each other. Buffy missed that it was that simple. For her, though, it was ' you never pay attention to me!'. Dating really wasn't fair. If guys weren't such dorks' things would be a lot easier for everyone.

Buffy got up to start cooking breakfast when Spike burst through the front door holding a blanket over him. " Buffy, there you are, I've really got to talk to you." Buffy couldn't speak. She'd been so mad at him, but now that he was right in front of her, she couldn't be angry. " Spike, you should leave." Spike looked at her with a confused look on his face. " What you mean? What kind of attitude is that?" Buffy walked over to him. She didn't yell, because she didn't want to distress Dawn. The anger she'd felt, came back with a firery vengence. " I just think that it would be a good idea if you went home." He sighed. " Well, see that's the thing. Your commando ex is there with my ex, who is tied up." Spike was really confused by her attitude. They'd been getting along great, and they'd even made with the snuggles. She was so hot and cold where he was concerned, and it really was getting old. He was going to straighten her out once and for all.

Could he really play dumb like that? It would appear so. The nerve of him, it made her so mad! She just walked right into these messes. " I know, I was there. I went over there to talk to you, but all I found was Riley and Dru." The confused look just stayed plastered on his face. This woman was baffleing him. " So you just left them there? You of all people know how dangerous Drusilla is, so you have to explain to me why you left your friends in danger. You're confusing the hell outta me, you know that?" Buffy just crossed her arms. It was better to keep it calm, then to let him know that he had hurt her. " I knew that Riley would have the situation under control. There really was no need for me to stay there, so I left." Spike just glared at her. What the hell? He really hoped that she wasn't going to continue her thing with that git. Buffy continued what she was saying. " Besides, it would seem that she was there for you anyway. ' My spikie has sent for me'. Do you care to explain that to me?" She knew that he would deny it, because that's just what Spike did. She wasn't going to take this from him anymore. She'd had quite enough of it.

Willow woke up, and noticed one thing right off. Kennedy hadn't shown up the night before. Surely, she wasn't just gonna disappear. Maybe they'd pushed her too far. It wasn't fair that Kennedy got to talk bad about her friends, but talk about her and it was over. Lately that was all Kennedy had been doing. It was like she had a special schedule. 1. complain about Buffy to Willow. 2. Yell at Buffy. It was really getting rediculous. It was starting to get confusing. Before Willow could finish her train of thought, the phone rang. She quickly picked it up, hoping that it was Kennedy. As it was, it was Giles. " Willow, you all have to meet us at Wolfram and Hart. This is very important. We're going hunting."

Buffy was about to light into Spike, but Willow came running down the steps. " Buffy, we have to go now!" Buffy was already getting her axe and her jacket while she spoke. " What's up, wils?" Willow was very out of breath, but she managed to get it out. " It's been spotted at the designated spot! Giles said that we have to get there as soon as possible. He's been going over his texts, and it's today!! Angel has the sword, but we have to go!" Buffy nodded. She suddenly got this paralizing fear. Could she do this again? The last time that she had to face something this big, she'd died. She really didn't want to let any of them down either, so she had to go. She hadn't been able to prepare at all. " Okay, lets move out. Dawn go upstairs, and wait for us to get back." Dawn jumped up out of her chair. They always tried to do this! It so wasn't going to work this time! " Hey, I'm going too! You are not leaving me here again!"

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Gunn had been on his way out the door with Talia, when he'd got the message. No one knew how scared he was. Truth be told, he was terrified. He'd told Talia that he'd be back that night. When he got to the lobby of Wolfram and Hart, just about everyone was there. They were just waiting on Buffy, Willow, and Spike. Apparently Kennedy had gone missing. There was a person standing next Giles and Xander that he had no clue who it was. " Um, hi, I'm Charles Gunn." The guy held out his hand for him to shake. " Riley Finn. I'm a close friend of Buffy's." Gunn nodded,and noticed how Angel tensed up when Riley stated that. So this was the boyfriend Wesley and Cordelia had told him about. Wow, he hadn't thought about Cordy in awhile. That was kind of sad, too. He missed her, really. She'd bugged the hell out of him, but it was a routine. She'd been his friend.

Buffy, Spike, and Willow came running up to where everyone was standing. Willow was the one who spoke. " Sorry we're late, I had to put a restraining spell on Dawn. She kept insisting that she come along, so I had to stop her. Giles nodded. " A very good idea that you stop her, too. This is some nasty business, and she really should witness it. Alright people, this is it. I'm truly sorry that we don't have more time to prepare. I do believe with all of my heart that this will be a victory, but it will be my last battle, I'm sure." Buffy's head jerked around to glare at Giles. " Giles! Don't talk like that, or I'll make you stay here!" Giles ducked his head. " Some of us aren't going to make it, Buffy." Riley spoke up then. " Hey, I always knew that I'd go down fighting." Buffy opened her mouth, but then closed it again. Angel looked at everyone, and gave a small speech. " I'm very optimistic. I can see all of us getting injured in some way, but not dying. After all there are twelve of us. Surely, we can keep from dying."

" Actually, there are thirteen of us." They all turned around to see Fred with a smaller version of Buffy's axe. Wesley walked over to her. " Fred, Sweetie, I thought that we discussed this. You're not going." She grinned at him. " Oh, yes I am. If you're going, then I'm going. So, what are we waiting for? Where is it?" Giles spoke up then. " Harden Elementary School. So far, it's killed three children."