ct17

Chapter Seventeen

"Dawn you need to remember to stay out of the reach of the Klovorack's
tongue. The creature's poison could be lethal, and I couldn't bare it if
something happened to you." Giles's gave the last bit of instruction as he
and Dawn were prepared to leave their modest three bedroom house. Giles
double checking all of Dawn's weapons.

"Giles I'll be fine. You worry too much.� Dawn smiled at the older man that
had in several ways became an adopted father. �I'm almost eighteen, by this
age Buffy and the rest were veterans."

�Yes, well...� Giles sighed, he had learned through the years that there was
no talking the Summers girls out of something they put their mind to.

�I just wish that Buffy would change her mind. I mean she is the slayer after
all.� Dawn grumbled.

�Yes, well she has made it painfully clear that she is finished fighting. I
think that she blames herself for the losses during the last battle against
Glory.� Giles turned his back to Dawn, not wanting the young girl to see his
true feelings of Buffy�s refusal to fulfill her duty. Giles had to finally
admit to himself something he had know for quiet some time. Buffy was a
spoiled rotten Brat.

Grabbing her jacket, Dawn took another look around the house they had been
living in for the last four months, hoping for the first time that she see it
again soon. "Ready?"

Giles looked at the brave young woman in front of him and wished for the
hundredth time that day that he hadn't involved Dawn in this. Sighing he gave
a short nod and followed the young girl into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So what are we looking for? Because I don't know about the rest of you but
I'm getting sick and tired of slugging through these nasty alleys.� Gunn
followed the group, stepping around the trash that was littered around the
dark and smelly alleyway.

�This isn't working.� Angel stopped. �We've been wandering the streets for
over three hours now, and every alley looks like the last. We have to be
missing something. Cordelia is there anything else about your vision that you
remember. Perhaps a sign we can look for?�

Cordelia looked around in disgust, Angel was right. Every alley looked just
like the last. At this rate they'd never find Giles and Dawn. �I've told you
everything was blurry. But I remember seeing a trash dumpster.�

"Shh.� Willow stepped away from the group, her ears straining. The sounds of
a struggle in the distance floated to her ears again. �There it is again, did
you all hear it.�

Angel heard the sound too, turning back to the direction they had just come
from he could see shadows about three blocks down. "Follow me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dawn move away." Giles commanded, moving his position to be able to block
Dawn from the threatening advances the demon was making on her. Dawn ignored
his warnings and swung again at the Klovorack's head. She could do this, had
to do this. To prove to herself once and for all that she didn't need Buffy.
That when it came push to shove that Dawn Summers could take care of herself.

Giles had know terror before in his lifetime, had known the pain of loss. But
seeing how close the demon's tongue was getting to Dawn almost made his heart
stop. Perhaps he was being selfish, knowing that if he lost Dawn he would
truly be alone. The only person left from his former life would be lost.

Taking another step closer to Dawn, Giles got the Klovorack's attention.
Swinging his ax in the beast direction, he willed Dawn to run and take cover.
He was prepared to yell to her to flee, when he saw her over the demons
shoulder. What was the girl thinking?

Dawn raised her sword above her head, ready to plunged it into the demons
back when it wiped around, lashing out with his tongue. Dawn felt it's razor
sharp sting as its tongue flicked across her abdomen. Giles froze in horror
as the young woman he considered as his own slumped to the ground, her eyes
dazed and confused.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to stick your tongue out?" A deep voice
came from the shadows. Giles looked up as Angel took a step in the demons
direction. Soon a group of familiar faces followed.

Giles stood frozen for a moment, feeling as though he finally had snapped.
That perhaps he had an aneurysm. But after a few tense moments he saw the
gentle smile Willow gave him, and he knew at that moment everything was going
to be all right. That after nights of praying for his friends safety had paid
off, because here they were standing in front of him.

�And don't even get me started on just how wrong it is to pick on little
girls." Giles inched closer to Dawn as Angel taunted the demon. The rest of
the group circled around, forming a barrier to protect Dawn. Willow made her
way to Dawn's unconscious form, and checked for a pulse. Relieved to feel a
faint recognition that Dawn was still alive, Willow concentrated on a
protection spell for her friends.

Angel attacked first, barely registering Giles warning to stay out of the
reach of the Demon's tongue. Gunn attacked from behind, with the assistance
of Wes and Lindsey. Cordelia went to Giles's side, making sure that her
former friend was okay.

Everything happened so quickly. Angel swung his heavy ax continuously at the
Klovorack's direction. Hitting the beast several times. With one ferrous blow
Angel sent the demon backwards knocking Gunn, Wes and Lindsey down. With one
last downward swing of his ax, Angel decapitated the demons head.

"Now that's what I call fun." Gunn grinned at the others as he picked himself
off the ground and helped Wes up.

Looking from Angel to Wes and Gunn, then to Cordelia and Lindsey Giles's felt
his eyes water. This was more than he could've ever wished for. Hearing a
moan from his right, Giles was brought out of his haze, remembering that Dawn
was laying unconscious feet away.

�She's still breathing." Willow looked up at the others her gaze resting on
Giles. "But we need to get her somewhere fast and see what's wrong with her."

Giles nodded and tried to scoop Dawn up in his arms, but after the battle his
body wouldn't cooperate. Angel put his hand on Giles's shoulder, letting the
older man know that he could get Dawn. Everyone followed Giles out of the
alley and to the house.