Title: Gift of a Future 23/?
Author: Gileswench
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome.
Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy,
etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss
won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you
really don't want. Please don't sue.
Buffy couldn't bring herself to watch Worf break the spear. Instead, she turned her attention to Spike.
"We need to get everybody to shelter," she told him. "There's an abandoned gas station almost straight ahead, just a couple dozen yards down the road. Find some cover and run for it."
"Just a couple dozen yards, she says," Spike wondered. "Do you want me to burn to a bloody crisp?"
"Most of the time," she said frankly. "Right now, I need you alive, so no. Not this time. Get yourself a blanket or something."
"One little blanket?"
"Whatever it takes," Buffy clarified. "I need you to help protect Dawn. You gonna let her down? If you are, I can leave you for the Medieval John Wayne convention. If you're gonna prove yourself, like you keep saying you want, you find a way to get across that road. Got it?"
She winced at the sound of breaking wood and a low groan from Giles. She hurried to the front of the vehicle.
"Giles?" she said in a small voice.
"He's passed out again," Deanna told her gently. "I think it might be best this way."
Buffy gave a tight nod and turned to Riker and Worf.
"Can you guys carry him? Or do you need me to help?" she asked.
"We can handle him," Riker assured her. "He'll make it to shelter."
"It will be an honor to bear him to safety," Worf added. "He is a great warrior."
Buffy blinked back threatening tears and touched Giles' face lightly.
"You better make it," she whispered to him, "or I am so gonna kill you, Giles. You can't leave me alone. Speaking of which, I gotta go make sure Dawn is okay. You just get to me in one piece, you hear me?"
She turned to Deanna.
"I'll see you guys as soon as you can make it. Try to keep Spike from frying, will you?" she asked. "Vamps don't do so good in direct sunlight. Oh, and in case you were wondering, your captain's okay. I sent him on ahead."
"Was he hurt at all?"
"A little cut. Maybe a couple bruises. He'll be fine."
She took one last, long look at Giles and pulled herself out of the camper.
*****
Tara sat in the circle she had drawn in the dirt and concentrated on the crystal in her hands.
"Goddess, we pray you make the way clear to us," she intoned. "We who are lost but would not be found beseech you show us a path to freedom and safety. In thy name - "
"Blasphemer," came a gravelly voice behind her. The voice was quickly followed by the sound of a dozen swords being unsheathed simultaneously. "Hand over the key, that we may destroy it, or die."
*****
"Dawn?'" Buffy called as she hurried through the door of the gas station. "Dawn, are you okay?"
"Yeah," the girl answered shakily. "We're fine. How's Giles?"
Buffy dropped her gaze to the floor for a moment. She took a deep breath and tried to believe what she had to say next.
"He's gonna be just fine, Munchkin. He'll be here in a minute."
"Um...you have another plan, right?" Anya asked nervously. "One that doesn't involve pointy knives and a Winnebago?"
"We'll rest here, for a bit," Buffy said. "But then we have to keep moving. I don't know why they haven't caught up to us yet."
She began to pace distractedly, unsure which 'they' she'd been referring to. From their proximity when the Winnebago overturned, the Knights of Byzantium ought to have caught up with them and slaughtered everybody by now. She peered cautiously out the window to check on how soon Giles would be there.
Suddenly, she wrenched the door open so Spike could race through. His blanket had begun to smoke in the last few yards, and he ran to cover as quickly as he could. While the door was open, Buffy scanned the horizon for knights. She was confused but grateful that they were nowhere in sight.
Her heart leapt when she saw Riker, Worf, Willow, and Deanna bearing Giles on a makeshift stretcher. She wanted to run to them, but didn't dare leave Dawn unprotected. It would take them a minute to reach the relative safety of the gas station. She had to assess the situation before they got to her.
"Anybody hurt?" she asked distractedly.
"Spike got a little toasted, I think," Dawn said.
Buffy moved to the vampire.
"Any damage?"
She inspected him roughly.
"I'll live," he said, pulling back.
Buffy nodded and moved back to the door.
"Thank you, Florence bloody Nightingale," Spike muttered after her.
*****
The little band huddled together nervously as knights emerged from every direction, swords drawn, murder in their eyes.
"You thought you could decieve us," their leader sneered at the Buffybot. "You thought we would be fooled by your diversionary tactics, but we were not. We have found you and now the key shall be destroyed."
He held a sword to the bot's throat so she dared not move as another wrenched Wesley roughly from his mother's arms.
"No!" Beverly cried.
The knight smiled cruelly.
"Give thanks to God that we do not kill you all," he said. He laughed softly at the struggling girl he held fast. "Do not fight, unclean one," he said. "I will make your death quick."
He grabbed the mane of long brown hair to expose the key's throat.
Then stared in furious uncomprehension at the wig that came off in his hand.
Time stood still for an endless second.
The knight howled in fury and knocked Wesley to the ground.
"A trick!" he bellowed.
*****
When the others got there, Buffy opened the door for them. She looked around for a clean place to lay Giles down, but there wasn't one. At last she moved to the dusty counter and wiped as much grime off of it as she could with her sleeve.
"Put him here," she ordered. "It's the best I can do."
Giles groaned as they laid him down.
"I think we got the bleeding slowed down some," Willow told her, "but, Buffy...."
"Okay," Buffy said brusquely. "Okay, just give me a minute, will you?"
She began to pace, brows knitted in concentration. Everybody kept looking to her for answers she wasn't sure she could supply. And with Giles wounded...
Her thought were interrupted by a whizzing sound. A flaming arrow shot past her head and embedded itself in the opposite wall. Riker pulled it out and stomped on it to put out the fire. Buffy whirled around to face her sister.
"Dawn!" she yelled. "Get down!"
She raced to the fear paralyzed girl and shoved her down behind the counter. Dawn was now protected on three sides, leaving Buffy free to lead the battle.
Everyone ducked. Anya screamed as an arrow shot toward her. Then suddenly, it stopped in midair. She realized slowly that a large hand had grabbed it. Worf's lips spread into a maniacal grin as he turned and sent it on a return flight out the broken window.
Riker peeked cautiously out a window.
"We've got company," he announced belatedly. "And they brought a crusade with them."
"Willow?" Buffy prompted.
"I'm working on it!" the redhead shouted back as she flipped desperately through her spellbook. Deanna crouched next to her and kept applying pressure to Giles' wound.
Outside the little band could hear the shouts of the knights as they encouraged one another. More arrows flew into the room. Then an even more disturbing sound was added to the mix: axes. Buffy cringed when she heard wood begin to splinter around her.
"God, if you're out there, could you just try being on my side for once?" she muttered desperately.
Dawn screamed as an axe broke through the wall inches from her head. Picard and Buffy dived to her at the same time. The captain pulled the girl to safety as Buffy struck out at the knight. He kept coming. Buffy's feet and fists flew at the armored figure until he fell unconscious to the floor.
A window shattered next to Spike. Worf thrust his fist through the broken glass and punched a knight in the face.
As hard as they all fought, there were too many knights to ward off. A triumphant cry went up from a thousand throats as the wall was breeched and General Gregor strode into the room, sword raised.
He approached Dawn slowly. His blade pointed at her throat. He smiled cruelly.
"The key," he intoned.