Chapter 21

Buffy awoke the next morning sick to her stomach. She rushed for the toilet and retched over the bowl. She had nothing to bring up though and her small body was wracked with dry heaves.

Angel didn’t go with her. Even he knew girls didn’t want to be watched doing things like that. He waited patiently in the bed for her to return.

She came back looking pail and climbed onto the bed. Angel drew her into an embrace.

“I’m scared.” She confessed.

Angel gently stroked her hair. “I know. But you’ll be fine.”

Buffy didn’t believe him. She wasn’t sure she could make it to that night feeling the way she did.

“You’ll be fine.” Angel repeated.

Buffy agreed to go to college that day. It would take her mind off her worries. At least in theory it would. In reality, she spent all her lessons zoned out until Willow prodded her.

At lunchtime, she decided she had had enough, she returned home to work out.

Angle was against her working out in case she hurt herself before that night but she insisted. Angel agreed to work on precision with her, rather than power.

At 5pm Willow, Xander and Giles arrived for Buffy. They escorted her to the university. Angel waited for conformation that Buffy’s tail had followed them. He then called everyone else letting them know it was clear to meet at the summers home.

Wes, Cordelia, Tara, Anya and Angel were soon assembled, weapons were handed out and mobile phones were set to vibrate. Next they waited for sun down before leaving.


Buffy arrived at the college to find it virtually empty as she expected. They went straight to the cafeteria, back through the kitchen and found the entrance to the sewer tunnels. They climbed in, one by one and replaced the cover.

Their hope was that who ever was following then would not find them and assume he had missed them. If he followed them into he sewers it could be a problem.

They proceeded to follow the map Willow had drawn for them and when they got to the junction marked with a blue cross they called Angel on his cell phone.

“We’re in position.” Said Giles.

“We’re about 5 minutes away from you. Call Wes, get an update from him.”

Giles hung up and called Wes.

“We’re outside now.” Wes paused while he checked his watch. “How are you coming?”

“We’ll be ready in a few minutes.”

Wes looked at his watch again “”OK, give us 10 minutes.”

“Right, will do but don’t go in before you get the signal.”

“Understood.”

Giles, Cordie and Tara crept from the van and made their way to the wall surrounding the property, the rope ladder was already in place and they scaled the wall, dropping to the ground the other side. They all knew their places and Wes separated from Cordie and Tara as they made their way there.


Angel, and Anya met with Giles, Xander, Willow and Buffy at the sewer junction.

“Are we ready?” Angel asked.

“We’ll get into position, Wes and Cordelia should be in place by then.”

Angel nodded and took Buffy hand, they took the left tunnel. Willow and Xander took the tunnel straight ahead and Giles and Anya went a few paced down the tunnel to the right.

Each stood below a man hole cover which came up into Leonard’s house. Angel and Buffy would arrive in a store room at the side of the house, Xander and Willow in the basement along with Giles who would end up in a different room of the basement. As they stood there each mentally checked their route through the house.

Giles checked his watch, 10 minutes had passed. He sent a pre coded call to everyone’s cell phone causing them to vibrate.


Cordie looked over to Tara as she felt her phone ring. “Ready?”

Tara nodded and both women stood up and headed for the front door, Cordie had the flame thrower over her shoulder.

Wes also made his way to the back door, flame thrower at the ready.

In the sewers everyone waited for another minute after the signal. The count down took an eternity.


Leonard was taken totally by surprise as both the front door and back door were smashed in. He was safely in the dining room though.


As expected there were more vampires inside the house that hadn’t left to be picked up by the surveillance. Wes dusted three with his flame thrower, Cordie caught 2 more.

“STOP THEM!” they heard Leonard roar and prepared to be assaulted by more vampires.


Angel gave one final look towards Buffy before lifting the man hole cover. It was no longer guarded as hoped. He climbed out and reached his hand back into the hole to help Buffy out.

They silently made their way to the stairs that lead to the main house.


Xander, Will and Giles entrances also no longer had a guard, they met at the doorway between both rooms and silently headed for the back stairs.


Cordie soon despatched the other three vampires that came at her, she hoped that was all because she was low on fuel. She dumped her flame unit and pulled out a steak.


Wes cautiously continued through the house, his flame unit at the ready, no more vampires had come his way so he was on his guard.


Leonard paced in front of Don. “What’s happening?” he asked.

“Shall I find out my lord?” asked Don.

“Yes, see what’s going on.”

Karl was absent, still waiting on campus for any sign of Buffy and her friends.


Don crept as quietly as he could in the direction of the main hallway. He was stopped before he got there by Angel. Angel had been coming up the stairs from the basement and floored him as Don passed the entrance.

He took out a plastic tie and bound his hands behind his back.

He looked to Buffy who was standing at the top of the stairs. He tried what he hoped was a reassuring simile. Buffy didn’t smile back. She took a deep breath and prepared to carry on.


Leonard couldn’t hear anything now. Not even with his vampire hearing.

Deciding caution was the best move her headed for one of the door’s to turn the lock. Before he could reach it though Giles, Wes, Willow and Xander came through. Leonard saw Wes’s flamethrower and headed for the other exit only to see Cordie, Tara, Anya, Angel and Buffy coming in that way. He was trapped.

“What’s the meaning of this.” He roared.

Buffy took a deep breath. ShowTime.

Angel handed her a stake and she stepped forward.

“It’s payback time.” Buffy said.

“You! You’ll pay you bitch. You think you can defeat me?”

Buffy tossed her stake in her hand. “Yes, I do.”

“You’re weak, feeble. You’ll never defeat me little girl.”

Buffy smiled but it was false bravado. “Lets see shall we.”

Buffy launched the attack. Leonard was surprised by her strength. She managed to land three blows and knocked him to the floor before he recovered from his shock.

As Buffy went to stake him he recovered though and caught her hands, pulling her to the ground with him.

Both quickly got up from the floor.


Angel watched, concerned. He knew nothing would happen to Buffy, his crossbow would se to that, still, he worried. He hoped this was the right thing to do.


Giles watched from the opposite doorway. He was also concerned. Buffy was fighting well but this was unquestionable the hardest fight she had ever undertaken.


Once upright again Leonard and Buffy circled each other, waiting for a chance to strike.

“I know you’d come back for more.” Leonard said.

Buffy’s eyes momentarily clouded as the imaged flooded back to her brain. Leonard took advantage and struck her.

Buffy realised her mistake and was ready for his next blow. She wouldn’t get distracted again.

Her rage returned to her, like a drug running through her veins, it empowered her, made her stronger, more alive.

Buffy floored Leonard with an uppercut as he came back at her.

“What’s the matter, having second thoughts?” asked Leonard from the floor. “Admit it, you liked it.”

Buffy landed on Leonard, pinning him to the floor. She began hitting him. “That doesn’t work any more.” She said reigning blows down on him. “And it’s time you said good night.” she aimed her stake and plunged it into his heart.

Leonard looked up at her in shock before exploding in a pile of ash.

Buffy just sat there, on the floor, in the same position. Angel approached her.

“It’s over Buffy.” He said putting one hand on her shoulder. “You did it.”

Buffy turned to look up at him. Her expression was one of pain and happiness. Tears shone in her eyes while a tight smile adorned her lips.

She stood up and hugged angel, letting her tears fall.

The others milled about, unsure what they should do, now knowing if they should watch this private moment or leave. They settled for staying but looking away.

Eventually Buffy broke away from Angel. Her expression strong and somewhat happier.

“So, anyone up for a blow out at Maria’s?” asked Willow. “I say we celebrate.”

Buffy looked over to her friend. “Yeah, I think that would be nice.”