A Night on the Town
Author's disclaimer: Buffy, Angel & Co are Trademarks and Property of Fox Television. No copyright
infringement is intended.
Author's notes: Time Frame: Post - "The Zeppo" and in an alternate timeline established in my earlier story
"The Manchurian Slayer."
Epilogue
Eight months later
Spike, with great effort, ignored Harmony's whining as he looked over the report that his assistant had
handed him. The Gem had to be here, somewhere close. . .and when he had it. . .the Slayer and her friends
would be history. He had heard that the second Slayer had set up camp here too, but the Gem would make
that rather dangerous situation not much of a problem at all. He was frowning at the report when he heard a
loud commotion in the larger cave just outside the small one he was in. He moved to the opening and looked
out. . .and was shocked at what he saw.
There were about twenty-five vampires helping Spike in his expedition-the thought of an invulnerable boss
appeals to an amazing number of vamps, considering how often minions get staked by annoyed master
vampires-and all of them were currently in the large cave. . .and they were getting utterly trashed by the
dozen intruders who had come in through the main entrance.
They were dressed in dark camouflage outfits, and from the way claws and teeth seemed to be skimming off
of them, they were probably made of Kevlar, mused Spike as he watched the carnage. Seven of the raiding
party were carrying guns, and while Spike watched, flame shot from one of them, reducing a vampire to a
torch, and then to dust. A vampire got into close quarters with one of the gun-toting intruders, only to have
the would-be victim flip a switch on the gun and douse the unfortunate vamp with holy water, leaving him
easy prey for the stake that soon followed. Spike looked over all of the intruders. . .most were men, but two
of them. . .one was a dark-eyed brunette who was gleefully staking any vamp who came near her, and the
other. . .those eyes that had taunted him in his dreams for years now. . .Buffy.
He saw the two Slayers look up at him, and as the look of surprise on Buffy's face quickly turned predatory,
Spike felt a sudden chill. He grabbed the uncomprehending Harmony and muttered, "Time to take off,
Harm," as he quickly led her out of the back entrance and dashed for the hidden place where his car was
parked. * Damn, I knew that bitch would be trouble if she ever got some funding * As he drove the still
complaining Harmony out of Sunnydale, he decided that vendetta or not, he was damned. . .again. . .if he was
ever coming back to this stinking town again.
Back in the cave, the last of the vamps was reduced to dust, and Buffy called out, "Everyone all right?"
Xander pulled off his mask and replied, "All present and accounted for, ma'am." Riley looked over at
Forrest and the others, who all nodded, and replied, "We're all OK, Buffy. Those new weapons worked like
a charm. . .but I think Professor Walsh would have wanted a prisoner."
Buffy sighed and commented, "Look, vamps aren't great conversationalists, and we already know how to
kill them. . .you guys don't need to reinvent the wheel. Besides, part of the deal is that we call the shots on
how to deal with the vamps and other demon types we help you kill. . .right, Faith?"
Faith, who had been contemplating the paper she needed to finish for the English class she was taking at
Sunnydale Junior College, replied, "Damn straight, Buffy. They provide the extra firepower, we provide
know-how. . .and I chip in some extra dough to makeup for what government cutbacks have done to your
funding. . .sounds like a pretty fair deal to me. Don't you agree, Riley?"
Riley held his hands up in a motion of surrender and replied, "All right, I give, I give." He turned to Xander
and grinned, asking, "How do you manage to keep up with her, Xander? I'm kind of new with the whole
dating-a-Slayer thing." He turned and smiled at Buffy, who had the good grace to blush slightly and turn
away.
Xander turned and looked at Faith as he contemplated the contents of a small velvet box in his front pocket,
then replied, "Actually, I don't. . .but the effort is sure worth while." As he moved over to Faith and kissed
her, thinking of the dinner he had planned for the next evening and wondering at his good fortune, he
realized that he didn't have a clue about what the future would bring for him, for Faith, or for any of his
friends, but that for the first time that he could remember, he was positive that everything would turn out
for the best. Comforted by the thought, he departed the cave with the others without so much as a look
back.
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