Found

They seemed to walk for days, but Giles knew it wasn’t even an hour before the darkness began to fade, and light began to creep in front of them. The light caused by torches, held by sconces on the walls. It wasn’t too long after that sight before chanting could be heard. Magna and Giles huddled together to converse.

“Do you know what they are chanting?” Asked Giles.

Magna looked wretched. “Yes. It has name. That is the chant of the ritual to open the Hellmouth. Once it has opened, Travers will somehow use Deidra to open the dimensions.” He looked gravely at Giles. “Then all will be lost.”

“We should wait for Buffy and the others now.” Said Giles. “If we get too much closer, we might be discovered. We will be of no help then.” Magna had to agree.

* * *

Travers lead his men in the chanting. They all formed a circle around the Hellmouth, and Deidra had been lain in it’s center. She was not bound, but she also could not move due to the paralyzing drug poisoning her veins. Travers held a sword in his hands, and it began to glow as they chanted. The earth began to shake and sway, and Deidra could feel her skin sweating from the heat of the ground beneath her. Soon the Hellmouth’s seal would be broken, and flames would shoot out from it’s depths to engulf her in it’s maw.

* * *

“Kill the Slayer. Kill the Slayer.” He rushed at Buffy. Her Slayer instincts immediately took over as she shoved Willow and Oz out of the way, and leaped and kicked Spike in the face, landing her feet squarely on his jaw. He went down, but didn’t stay down. She circled him, arms up to protect herself. She went into a defensive mode, and not offensive. She didn’t wish to attack Spike. He was in some kind of trance, and she focused on breaking him out of it. “Spike! Spike? What is wrong with you!? Spike, it’s me, Buffy?!” All shouting seemed to fall on deaf ears. He was in complete vamp face, and seemed incoherent. He punched at Buffy, and she blocked his furious blows as quickly as she could. Then Spike swept out with one of his legs, taking Buffy’s legs out from underneath her. She fell onto her side, and Spike stood above her. “Kill the Slayer.”

Willow and Oz jumped him, but he threw them off like they were gnats swarming over his bowl of soup. He kicked the Slayer over and over again in the stomach, and she was not able to get up.

“Spike!”

He stilled at the sound of Allison’s voice. She approached him slowly, never taking her eyes off of his face. Then she began to glow. The glow flowed out of her and over him. His tense body stilled, and the anger seemed to leach out of him. His vamp face morphed back into it’s human form. His eyes never left her’s. “Allison?” he croaked. “Allison? What’s happened?” The glowing stopped, and all was still. He looked down and saw Buffy lying in a heap at his feet. Buffy didn’t move. She just looked up into his face. “Spike?”

“Buffy, what are you doing down there?” He reached a hand down to help her up. “What has happened?”

“You don’t remember?” Buffy asked him, as she straightened herself out. She glanced over at Allison and smiled. “Thanks!”

“Wow.” Said Willow. “That was some glowy magic. What did you just do?”

“I just told Spike how I felt about him, and drained the violence out of him.”

“Can you do that to anyone? Because that could really come in handy later.” Asked Oz.

Allison’s smile faded. “It only works on people that are willing and open to me. So, in answer to your question Oz, no, it won’t work on Travers.”

“Can someone please tell me what in Cor is going on?” fumed Spike.

“You came in her saying ‘Kill the Slayer’ like you were in some trance, and then you tried to do just that.” Shouted Buffy.

Spike paled. “Buffy, no, I would never hurt you. Well, not on purpose anyway. Not anymore.”

“I know. That’s why it is so freaky. Travers must have done something to you.”

Spike thought for a moment. “No, it wasn’t Travers. I’ve not seen him, I don’t think. It was some young poofter earlier. I was locked up in the basement. He shot me with some dart again. That’s all I remember, before just now.”

Allison put her hand softly on Spike’s arm. “It wasn’t you. We know that. Now, we have to find Deidra. Have you seen her?”

He shook his head no.

“Let’s go downstairs and find the others.” Buffy turned and went out the door without a look back. Willow and Oz followed behind her. Spike halted, and put his hand over Allison’s. “Thank you, Allison. I don’t know what else to say….” She smiled at him, held his hand in her’s, and together they followed the rest of the gang downstairs.

They met Xander and Anya at the bottom of the stairs. Xander explained where Giles and Magna had gone, and they all headed after them. Buffy was worried about Giles. She didn’t want him to get hurt, and she hated having him out of her sight even for a moment. She couldn’t protect him if she wasn’t with him. Although, she knew he was more than capable of taking care of himself. He had proven that several times over throughout the years. And Magna must have been very skilled indeed if Sulu had entrusted Deidra’s training to him. But things were different now with her and Giles. They were closer than ever before. And that scared Buffy. It seemed like whenever something started to go well in her life, the dark forces would find someway to hurt her or the one’s she loved. Would the madness ever end?

No, it won’t, she thought. I’m the Slayer. Madness is my destiny. But now I know that Giles will be there with me, always. He must stay safe.

She recalled what Willow had read that morning. Something about the Slayer’s gift being death in the time of Glory, and now the Watcher would do the same? That made her shiver. Her death had saved the world. Did that mean that Giles would have to do the same this time? She wouldn’t allow that. Not ever. There had to be another answer. She shivered again.

“Are you okay, pet?” Asked Spike.

“Fine. Let’s just find them and get this wretched day over with.”

TBC