And What Alice Found There: Chapter 2



 

“There it is, home sweet home.”

 

“If by home you mean the home of my worst nightmares, rejections, and humiliations.” Xander added to Buffy’s statement.

 

They were just down the street from the high school, which seemed virtually untouched by the destruction that had swallowed Sunnydale. There were broken windows and a large crack ran across the parking lot and partway up one wall, but it was only a little more damage than the school had suffered from the earthquake that had hit Sunnydale right before the Master was freed.

 

“We could just walk in the front door.” Faith suggested.

 

“We have a plan. Stick to it.” Giles reminded them. “If all goes well, we’ll meet up at the Hellmouth and dispose of this Knave.”

 

“Don’t jinx us!” Xander held his hands up, forming a cross with his fingers as if to ward off bad luck.

 

“I said ‘if’, Xander.” Giles told him sternly. He didn’t believe in such foolishness, but at the same time, it was best not to take chances.


They’d settled on a final battle plan over a breakfast of granola bars and beef jerky. Angel and Spike had let them sleep for six hours instead of four, waking them after sunset. If something happened to expose Sunnydale to the outside world again, they didn’t want to risk being caught out in the sunlight.

 

They split into four groups. Three would approach the Hellmouth through the sewer entrances, while the fourth would go in through the school itself. Giles wasn’t in favor of cutting their numbers down, but in the end, he agreed they couldn’t risk an attack from above.

 

Willow, Xander, Giles, and Tiffany would enter through the main school entrance. This would take care of the possibility of attack from that angle as well as easing Willow’s anxiety about being so near the Hellmouth.

 

Angel, Buffy, Dawn, and Lijuan would come in through one sewer entrance, and Faith, Robin, and Caitlin would enter through another, while Spike, Brigette, and Rowena would enter through the third entrance. The last entrance was the one which led through the room Spike had hidden in when he’d first returned to Sunnydale with his soul. Hopefully the familiarity would work in their favor.

 

“Good luck.” Buffy said as they split up into their groups and headed off in different directions.

 

“Five by five, B.” Faith’s voice drifted back to her.

 

“So? What are we waiting on?” Dawn clutched the short sword she’d brought along. To her it was a short sword, but in reality, it was little more than an oversized dagger.

 

“You know, we can still take you back to the house and leave you there.” Buffy threatened. She hadn’t wanted to bring Dawn along to begin with, but Angel had pointed out that Dawn would only wait until they left and then follow them. She’d end up in more danger than if they’d brought her along in the first place.

 

Buffy understood and she agreed, but not only was Dawn a liability, she kept Buffy from being alone with Angel. The only reason Lijuan was with them was to help keep an eye on Dawn, and they’d gone from couple to crowded at warp speed.

 

“Don’t sulk.” Angel chided her.


“I’m a big girl, and I’ll sulk if I want to.” Buffy stepped away from him.

 

Women. If he lived to be five hundred, he’d never understand them. Reaching down, Angel lifted the manhole cover that led down into the sewers. “Give me a minute to be sure it’s clear.”

 

There was nothing in the sewer but water, and they quickly followed Angel down the ladder. Buffy put the manhole cover back in place more out of habit than any real worry that someone would notice. He had an uneasy feeling that their presence here wasn’t a secret, despite their precautions.

 

“What happened down here?” Angel eyed the chunks of rock and brick scattered along the floor and the deep cracks in the walls. “Besides the obvious.”

 

“Faith was down here with some of the girls – Caleb set up a trap.” Buffy bit her tongue to keep from adding that it had been when the girls had thrown her out, deciding that Faith would make a better leader.

 

“We should’ve listened to Faith. She tried to warn us to take it slow.” Lijuan said. “We were lucky we didn’t lose everybody that night.”

 

“Faith was against rushing in?” A smile tugged at the corner of Angel’s mouth.

 

“She really didn’t like being in charge.” Lijuan admitted. “She kept saying we’d made a big mistake.”

 

The subject was still painful for Buffy, and she changed it by warning Dawn to stay close.

 

“I know already!” Dawn snarled. “Quit treating me like a child!”

 

“I think it’d be best if we kept the conversation to a minimum.” Angel told them. One way to handle women, in his opinion, was to muzzle them. It might not be chivalrous, but it worked.

 

The debris increased as they made their way steadily toward the school, in a way that made Angel suspicious. It looked more like sections of the walls and ceiling had been deliberately brought down rather than being the result of an earthquake or natural cave-in.

 

The closer they got to the school, the rougher the going got. Helping Buffy over a large pile of wood and rock, Angel quietly confided his suspicions to her.

 

“You think someone’s trying to keep us from getting to the Hellmouth?” She asked. The thought had occurred to her as well.

 

He shook his head. “The way isn’t blocked. I think someone is just trying to slow us down.”

 

“And wear us out.” Buffy wiped at the sweat on her forehead.

 

“And wear us out.”  Angel agreed. It was a common tactic. He’d used it himself in the past.  He raised his voice, including Dawn and Lijuan in the conversation. “We need to watch for traps. Trip wires, rigged collapses – that type of thing.”

 

“Great, one more thing to worry about.” Buffy shifted her scythe to a more comfortable position.  She loved it, but she seriously needed a holster. “Demons, rats, icky water, slime, and now traps.”

 

“Nothing we can’t handle.” Angel assured her.

 

She made a face but didn’t contradict him.

 

They made their way at a careful pace until Angel judged they were under the school gym, or at least where the gym had been in the old high school. A scent tickled his nose. “Did the janitors keep their supplies in the basement?” He asked Buffy.

 

“Umm… I don’t know, I guess. Why?”

 

“I smell bleach.”

 

Buffy searched her memories of the times she’d been in the school basement. Unfortunately, at the time, she’d focused more on demon slayage than what was stored down there. “I don’t know, Angel. There were lots of cabinets and closets, so the cleaning stuff was probably down there.”

 

“Some of it probably spilt during that last battle.” Angelus reminded him that it’d been over a year ago. By now the liquid should have evaporated. Angel was thinking the same thing, but kept it to himself – Buffy had enough to worry about. “Let’s keep moving.”

 

As they worked their way closer to the entrance into the basement, the smell became stronger and stronger, until Angel was convinced it was a deliberate attempt to sabotage his sense of smell. The Knave was obviously trying to stack the odds in his favor.

 

“Okay, ick.” Buffy wrinkled her nose. “It smells like a hospital down here.”

 

“Or a Chinese laundry.” Lijuan added, rubbing her eyes.

 

“Really?” Buffy wasn’t sure if Lijuan was making a joke or if she had first hand knowledge of what a Chinese laundry smelled like.

 

“Please, I’m from Wisconsin. All I know about is the smell of cheese and brats.” The other girl grinned.

 

Angel stopped pretending to breathe since pulling in air was burning the inside of his nose and screwing up what little sense of smell he had left. It wasn’t as if he needed to breathe; it was a blending tactic and he didn’t need to blend here.

 

Dawn had noticed the smell, but it wasn’t affecting her like it was the others. “It’s just a little bleach. Nothing to get excited about.”

 

“Oh yeah? Look at your boots.” Buffy pointed at her sister’s feet.

 

Dawn looked down and shrieked. The black leather was mottled with faded patches. “They’re ruined!”

 

“It’s just a little bleach.” Buffy mocked as she rubbed her nose.

 

“Shh!” Angel hissed at them. “I’ll buy you new shoes, just shut up!” He ignored Buffy’s startled expression. The bleach was burning his eyes, and the scent seemed to be crawling up his nose despite his best efforts.

 

“Sorry.” Dawn tried to sound sorry, even though she didn’t feel sorry. Her new boots were ruined, and they looked like a spotted cat.

 

Within a few more feet, the bleach water they were walking in began to get deeper. When it reached their ankles, Dawn decided she’d had enough. Who knew what was in it ready to bite her leg? There was a large chunk of concrete in front of them and she stepped up onto it.

 

“Dawn, get off that.” Buffy ordered her sister. “We don’t know that those aren’t set up to trigger a trap.”

 

Dawn was dirty, sweaty, and cranky – and tired of Buffy telling her what to do. She jumped to another chunk of concrete a little farther along the path. “Okay, now you’re just being paranoid. We’re not even close to the Hellmouth yet.”

 

“Paranoid from experience. Now stop it!” Buffy snapped at her.

 

“It’s dry up here and perfectly safe.” To prove her point, Dawn jumped to the next chunk. “Besides, who knows what might be in that water? Leeches or something slimy and icky.”

 

Buffy was torn between going after her sister and yanking her down by her hair and staying with Angel. His eyes were watering so badly that he could barely see, and she’d been forced to lead him by the hand. Not that holding hands with Angel was ever a bad thing, but this wasn’t an ideal circumstance.

 

“I’ll get her.” Lijuan sloshed toward Dawn.

 

“I’m almost to the other side, it’s okay.” The floor of the sewer angled upward and out of the water just a few feet ahead of her.  Dawn stepped back and took a quick running jump forward.

 

As her sister leaped off the rock, Buffy’s spidey sense kicked into overdrive. “Dawn, no!”

 

Dawn’s leap carried her just short of the dry floor. Bleach water splashed up on her legs and she made a sound of frustration. “My jeans!” She stepped out of the water and onto dry floor just as Lijuan caught up with her.

 

“Dawn, wait, something’s not right.” She put her hand on Dawn’s arm. Lijuan’s skin was crawling, her senses warning her of danger.

 

“Nothing’s wrong.” Dawn jerked her arm loose and took a few more steps. “It’s fine – “

 

Her words were cut off in a frightened shriek as she tripped over something. A net – camouflaged until now – wrapped around her and jerked her up off the floor.

 

“What’s happened?” Angel held tight to Buffy’s hand, not able to see and trusting her to lead him safely.

 

“Dawn found a trap for us. Thanks, Dawn.” Buffy said brightly.

 

Standing under the net, Lijuan watched Dawn swing back and forth. “Can we leave her here? Pick her up on the way back?”

 

“I would, but something might eat her.” Buffy guided Angel up the slight incline and out of the water.

 

“That’s not funny!” Dawn yelled down at her.

 

“Sure it is, you just have no sense of humor.” Pulling off her backpack, Buffy dug out a bottle of water and handed it to Angel. “Here, let’s rinse your eyes out and see if that helps.”

 

Lijuan grabbed the bottom of the net and examined it. “It’s metal of some kind.”

 

“Great. It’s probably Slayer proof, too.” Buffy tore off a piece of her shirt and helped Angel wash his face. “Hopefully, not vamp proof.”

 

“I don’t feel very well.” Angel told her. There was an unfamiliar feeling of queasiness in the pit of his stomach.

 

“I’m not surprised, my head is killing me from the fumes.“ Looking over her shoulder, Buffy grinned up at Dawn. “Guess you’ll have to stay there after all. Angel’s too weak to get you out.”

 

“Buffy!” Dawn grabbed at the net, shaking it in anger. “That’s not funny! Use that fancy weapon of yours!”

 

“And nick the blade? Not a chance.” She was kidding, of course; the blade was magical and anything it couldn’t cut through it bounced off of with no damage. So far there’d been very little the scythe hadn’t been able to cut through. But Dawn deserved to suffer for a few minutes.

 

“Get me down!” Dawn screamed.

 

“Don’t worry, Dawn, you’re too tough for anyone to choke down. They’d spit you out.” Lijuan joked.

 

“Buffy – “ Angel staggered as a wave of nausea and dizziness hit him. “I feel…”

 

He was carrying the joke a little too far. Buffy grunted as he leaned heavily on her. “Angel?”

 

“I feel…” The answer finally cut through the fog in his head. “Garlic…”

 

“What?” Buffy looked around them, not spotting any cloves of garlic. She couldn’t smell any either, but her nose burned from the bleach water they’d slogged through, and she couldn’t smell anything. “Are you sure?”

 

“Yes…” His strength seemed to be pouring out of him, and Angel clutched Buffy for support.

 

“Lijuan, here – “ Buffy handed the scythe to her. “Cut Dawn down. I’m going to move Angel a little farther down the tunnel and see if he gets any better.”

 

“Gotcha.” Lijuan savored the feel of the scythe in her hands. The weapon was Buffy’s – no one argued that point and even the scythe itself was giving off vibes that it wanted her to give it back – but it was still a thrill to feel the power vibrating through her.

 

“Don’t move.” Lijuan warned Dawn. Carefully, she aimed the scythe at one of the metal strands of the net.

 

“Just a little farther.” Buffy urged Angel. He was barely staying on his feet as she walked him along. They were easing around a large pile of wood and rock, only just visible without Dawn’s flashlight to help guide them, when an ugly crimson color exploded from behind them. The scream of competing magics echoed off the walls, bringing trickles of dust down on them even as the flash blinded them.

 

“What’s going on?” Angel blinked at the afterimages dancing before his eyes. He tried to focus on what was happening, but the nausea and dizziness was dragging him down.

 

“I don’t know.” Buffy turned and shouted over her shoulder at Lijuan and Dawn. “What happened?”

 

There was no answer and she couldn’t see anything other than bright spots. “Fantastic.”

 

“Leave me here, I feel a little better.” Angel told her.

 

“Liar. I’ll check and be right back.” She turned, intending to ease him back against the debris pile.

 

Angel’s physical senses were dulled, but Angelus was still alert within him, and the demon warned him that something was coming in – fast.

 

Shoving Buffy down, Angel twisted to avoid the rain of arrows. He grunted as two buried themselves in his back, the momentum spinning him around.

 

“Angel!” Buffy jumped to her feet, but an arrow caught her in the thigh, bringing her back down.

 

Normally Angel could have swatted the arrows away or dodged them. With his senses blinded by light and bleach and his reflexes slowed by garlic poisoning, he was virtually unable to defend himself. An arrow lodged itself at the base of his throat, while another burrowed into his chest in search of his heart.

 

Buffy was aware of Angel’s grunts of pain, and she felt, rather than saw, his body fall backwards onto the pile of wood, rock, and debris. There was a loud crash and dust wafted down over her.

 

“Angel!” Gritting her teeth, Buffy pushed herself up on her knees and to her feet. “Angel!”

 

There was no answer and she couldn’t see him. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force them to readjust. Blinking, she peered into the darkness. “Angel – can you hear me?”

 

Feeling along the pile of debris, Buffy found nothing but rock and wood. She wiped dust off her face as it drifted down from her hair.

 

Where did all this dust come from? A cold fear gripped her heart. “No, oh no – no! Angel!”

 

Frantically, Buffy scrabbled blindly over the pile of debris, ignoring the pain as the arrow protruding from her thigh caught on something and jerked her back. “Angel – Angel, no – “

 

He was gone. Pain and sorrow ripped into her, bringing sobs from deep within. Then something struck her hard on the back of the head and Buffy’s world went black.

 

 



Chapter 3