House of the Fallen Angel's: Lucky Thirteen
by Mooncalf
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer and related characters are owned by Joss Whedon, WB and Mutant Enemy. I can only take credit for the new main characters I have created and various other vampire minions which may wander into my stories. I created them, so they are mine. Don't sue as this is just pure fanfic.

***** Chapter Seven – Lucky Thirteen*****

They returned a while later, everyone helped Xander unpack the food in the kitchen, whilst Esme, Eve and Eli stayed outside the front door to feed on three bags of blood. Buffy, meanwhile, decided that the time was almost up; they’d have to fight Spike soon.

‘It’s Tuesday night. We can’t just sit on our butts until the millennium, I say we attack tomorrow night, whether Angels with us or not.’

‘Okay.’ Everyone agreed.

‘First I’d better get to the library, and check the Codex for any prophecies about this day, we don’t want anything to happen that we aren’t expecting.’

‘Giles, you can’t go by yourself, your not fit enough to run from any vampires.’ Said Buffy.

‘Well, I’ll go. Eve and Eli can come with me to protect me.’ Said Willow.

‘Okay, but be careful, you don’t know what they’re up to now, no-one does.’

**********

Eve, Eli and Willow ran quickly to the library and located the Codex among the various other books in Giles’ collection.

‘It’s right where Giles said it would be.’ Said Willow excitedly. ‘I’ve always wanted to read this.’ She flicked through the pages and eventually said.

‘Nope, nothing in here about the day of reckoning, except that it exists and what it is, but it doesn’t look like Buffy’s gonna die.’

‘Okay, I’ll call Giles.’ Eli dialled Buffy’s number from Giles’s office and told them that there was nothing to worry about. He hung up. ‘Okay, lets go.’

The three of them ran outside the library. As they reached the school gates they noticed that they were surrounded by four vampires. The first one jumped at them, knocking Eve to the ground, the second grabbed Willow. Eli ran back to the school doorway, and grabbed some of the broken door, which had not been repaired. He ran back and staked the vampire that was holding Eve, then he began to fight with the other two. Eve pulled Willow from the vampires grasp, after freeing Willow a punch from the offending vampire sent her crashing to the ground. She looked up at the startled Willow and yelled.

‘Run Willow! Run!’

Willow ran; she looked back once to see that the others had disappeared, she assumed that they had been taken…or worse, they were dead. She turned back to continue her escape and ran straight into Drusilla. She fell onto her back and looked up at the smiling Dru.

‘Willow,’ Dru cooed. ‘It’s time to go now.’ Then she grabbed her arm and dragged her away. Willow kicked and screamed the whole way, but Dru was just too strong for her.

**********

Back at Buffy’s everyone was worried, especially Oz and Esme. ‘They should have been back by now.’ Said Oz, pacing the living room. Then the lights went out, there was a loud thud as Oz’s pacing was ended by a collision with the table. ‘Damn!’ He said.

‘Great, a power cut!’ Said Buffy. ‘Oh no, look, the streetlights are still on, oh, but I don’t know how to change a fuse.’ She whined.

‘Me neither.’ Said Cordelia.

‘Yup, same here.’ Muttered Xander.

‘I do.’ Said Giles, but I’ll need someone to hold the torch. ‘Oz?’

‘I’m there.’ He said.

‘Okay, but be careful. The fusebox is just outside the back door.’

‘Okay.’ They left, carrying a torch.

Outside, Oz held the torch, aiming the beam at the fuse box on the wall, while Giles was fixing the fuse. ‘Hurry up, I don’t want to be here all night.’ Said Oz.

‘This looks like it’s just been pulled out.’ Giles muttered. ‘It’s not blown at all, how odd…’

As he spoke, two voices laughed in the bushes behind them. They turned round to see two vampires staring at them, a third stepped out from behind another bush.

‘Oh dear…’ Said Giles, as the vampires lunged at them, there was a scramble, and then the torch rolled to the ground, casting an eerie glow round the back lawn.

‘Did you hear that?’ Said Buffy inside the house, finding her way to the kitchen, followed by Xander and Cordelia.

‘Yeah, I heard it, it sounded bad.’ Said Xander. They reached the back doors and saw the torch.

‘Oh no.’ Said Buffy. ‘Giles! Giles? Where are you? Oz! Giles!’

‘Oz!’ called Cordelia. ‘Giles!’

Xander picked up the torch and the fuse, he looked at the box for a moment and clicked the fuse back in. The lights from the house came on. ‘Looks like they got em.’ He said quietly.

‘Yeah, and I’m guessing they got the others two.’ Said Esme, stepping out of the door. ‘Lets get inside, it’ll be light soon, then they can’t get us.’

**********

Underground, in Spikes hide out, the others had just been brought down. They were all chained to walls. Angel was next to Eve and Eli; in front of them was a long metal bar, which had three stakes attached to it. Each of the stakes were carefully placed so that the points were only a centimetre away from their hearts. If they tried to move too much or escape they would impale themselves and die. Their hands were tied above their heads but their feet were loose. There was no way for them to escape. Willow was tied up like them, but without the stake. Oz and Giles were dragged in and tied next to them, like the others. Spike was pacing up and down in front of them, Dru was sitting in his chair and Zeph was standing watching with Haydn, Wesley, Samantha, Jane and Warren.

‘The traitor killed Cindy, to protect the slayer.’ Said Zeph bitterly.

‘What can I say, it’s the spoils of war man.’ Angel said, deeply sarcastic. Zeph growled at him and took a step forward. Spike held up a hand to stop Zeph from reaching Angel.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll have your revenge soon enough. Once we get the rest of them.’ He glanced at some of the empty chains. ‘Who’s still to come? Ah yes, the young dark haired girl, the boy, the freak and the slayer. What a nice collection we’ll have at the end of it. Just in time for the day of reckoning. Won’t that be fun for us?’ He asked Dru.

‘Yes, it will be. I’ve been looking forward to the death of the slayer, and the death of the traitors.’ She replied.

‘Good, but you must let me kill the slayer, I need her, for the power.’

‘Of course. We’ll take care of the others. I’ve never killed a werewolf before, it will be a new experience for me.’

Together all the vampires laughed, while the prisoners looked hopelessly around for help.

**********

Buffy, Xander, Esmerelda and Cordelia paced the house waiting for the sun to set. As the dusk grew darker Buffy made the decision to leave.

‘Okay, lets get our stuff and go, Esme, you can smell them out can’t you?’

‘Yeah, I’m guessing they’ll be afraid.’

‘I’m kinda guessing the same thing myself.’ Said Xander.

They gathered several stakes, Buffy’s crossbow (with plenty of ammunition), and some rope. Then they left the house in darkness and headed for the sewers.

**********

They went below ground through an open manhole; then they headed along the sewer pipes cautiously until they came to a fork.

‘By the smell of it, either way will lead to Spike, and the others.’ Said Esme.

‘Well, why don’t we split up, then we can surprise him. Cordelia, you come with me.’ Said Buffy.

‘Okay, we’ll go this way.’ Said Xander. ‘Good luck.’ And so they went there separate ways down the sewer pipes.

It wasn’t long before Buffy and Cordelia came to another fork, Buffy wasn’t sure which direction to take. Cordelia stood at the fork while Buffy took a few steps down one pipe. Suddenly Haydn appeared behind Cordelia and pulled her down the second pipe. She screamed as they slid down a wet slope inside the pipe.

‘Buffy!’ She yelled. Buffy ran out of her pipe and jumped down the chute.

‘Cordelia!’

In another part of the sewer Xander said ‘Did you hear that?’

‘Yeah, it means trouble.’ Esme replied. ‘Come on.’ She pulled on his arm and took him down another pipe.

After sliding down the pipe for some time, Cordelia and Haydn slid down a side chute, Buffy yelled as she carried on straight down past them. She and Cordelia had been separated. ‘Damn it! Cordelia!’ Buffy yelled as she continued down the pipe (she was sliding on various substances that smelt awful, she decided that she didn’t want to know what they were). Cordelia and Haydn came to a stop in Spikes lair with the others. Haydn stood up and pulled Cordelia to her feet. He pushed her over to Samantha who tied her up with the others.

‘What about the slayer?’ Asked Spike.

‘Right where we want her.’ Said Haydn.

Buffy hit the bottom of the chute, and landed in a pile of mud, splattering herself and her surroundings with dirt and mush.

‘Eeeew!’ She said. ‘Where am I? Cordelia? Cordelia! Oh great, now it’s just me and I have no idea where I am.’ She stood up and clambered across the mud to the nearest exit, then she began to follow the sewer tunnel.

Esme and Xander were following their tunnel when they stopped to listen to voices up ahead. Then they heard a noise behind them, getting louder all the time.

‘I don’t like the sound of that!’ Said Xander.

‘Me neither. RUN!’ She yelled. They both sprinted down the pipe, away from the noise, they almost reached the bottom and hearing the voices grow louder, tried to stop. The bottom of the pipe was thick with mud; they slipped on it and fell; a drop of approximately two metres into Spikes lair.

‘Ah, more visitors. And very punctual I see, timing always was Esmerelda’s strong point…it must be the moon cycle or something.’ He said, smiling. They stood up, and then Warren grabbed hold of Xander.

‘Welcome to my small home.’ Said Spike. ‘Of course, it will soon be much bigger. As the saying goes, “the world is my oyster”.’ He laughed sadistically. Esme pulled a stake from her bag, ready to attack.

‘Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.’ He said, pointing to Wesley, who was holding the handle of the metal bar and stakes in front of Angel and the others. ‘Anything happens to me, and the others die. What will you do.’ He nodded at Dru. She pulled the silver pistol from the wooden box and aimed it at Oz.

‘I seem to remember,’ Spike continued, ‘that you and Angel were by far the strongest and most feared vampires that had ever existed...besides myself I mean.’

‘So what?’ She said bitterly.

‘So, if you come back to the fold, under my command, I’ll perhaps let your friends live.’

‘You won’t, your going to kill them when the Thirteenth Eve comes anyway.’

‘Well now you’ll never know. Drusilla.’

Dru took the safety of the gun and took careful aim at Oz; Oz closed his eyes and held his breath, anticipating death. Esme glanced behind her to see Samantha standing there; she lifted her off the ground and threw her in the air as Dru fired the pistol. Samantha’s body flew past Oz, catching the bullet. Oz opened his eyes, and exhaled deeply. Samantha yelled as she fell to the floor. Dru tried to take another shot, but Esme saw her chance and ran into her, knocking the pistol from her grasp. It fell to the floor and sank into the mud. Spike looked furious as Dru fell backwards, breaking his chair. She crawled to the back wall where Zeph was standing.

‘Oh, now you’ve really gone and done it!’ Said Xander.

**********

Buffy came to a muddy ladder, and climbed it carefully. It led to yet another pipe. ‘Great.’ She said as she climbed into the opening of the pipe. ‘It’s prom night all over again…but now it’s a new master.’ She could hear voices at the end of the pipe, and so crawled down it. Gradually it widened, enabling her to stand and walk along it, the voices grew louder. She heard Spikes voice saying

‘Join me, or you’ll pay for your mistakes.’

‘The only mistake I made was not getting my soul back sooner.’ Esme’s voice, edged with bitterness and hatred, a tone she often used, which Buffy had begun to get used to.

‘Oh really?’ He said, pulling a set of keys from his pocket. ‘So you won’t join us? Well, it looks like I’ll have to keep killing your friends until you change your mind.’

He undid Willows chains then he held onto her shoulders from behind and sunk his teeth into her neck.

‘No! Willow!’ Yelled Oz. Spike pushed the weakened Willow forward and she landed helplessly in Esme’s arms.

‘Come on.’ Said Spike. ‘Feed, be one of us again. It’ll be just like the old days.’

‘No.’ Esme said. She let go of Willow, who sighed and sank to the floor. ‘The old days are gone.’

‘No?’ Asked Spike. ‘Did you say no? I think I can get you to change your mind.’ He opened the long wooden box and pulled the silver stake out, and then he advanced on her. She stepped backwards as he came forwards; just as he stepped over Willow Esme came to a stop against the wall. He placed the stake at chest height, resting the point close to her heart and said ‘Well, now will you join us?’

‘Never.’ She said.

‘Why bother, just kill her, she’ll never come back.’ Said Dru.

‘Don’t you understand? We need her strength!’

**********

Buffy came carefully out of the pipe and found herself on a slippery ledge. She peered over the edge and saw the whole scene. Everyone was tied up except Xander, Willow and Esme. She noticed Willow lying on the floor, and then she saw her move slightly.

‘She’s still alive!’ She whispered to herself happily.

Down below Spike was still speaking, attempting to change Esme’s mind.

‘Well then, I’ll see if the death of a loved one can change your mind.’

He turned to Xander and threw the silver stake. As he did so Willow grabbed his leg, causing him to lose his aim. Esme yelled out and threw herself in front of Xander; she took the force of the blow in the chest and fell to the floor. Spike turned and kicked Willow across the floor, punishing her for breaking his concentration; she rolled into a puddle of mud. Xander pulled out of Warren’s grasp, he fell to his knee’s beside the lifeless Esme. The he looked up at Spike with hatred in his eyes. Spike just shrugged his shoulders. Enraged, Xander ran at him, he aimed a powerful kick at his neck and knocked him to the floor. Spike looked up in surprise at Xander’s strength. Warren ran forward and grabbed Xander again, pulling him away from Spike. Xander was still crying out in rage, Angel couldn’t bring himself to watch the scene before him…all his friends, old and new, would soon be gone.

From her ledge Buffy saw the scene and took in every detail of it, almost in slow motion. Enraged, as Xander was, she shot Warren in the back with her crossbow. He exploded into a cloud of black ash. Then she reloaded and shot Samantha. It was then that Spike noticed her, so she jumped from the ledge. To break her fall she swung on the metal bar holding the stakes, it snapped, removing the threat of death for Eve, Eli and Angel. They struggled free as Buffy hit the ground. Xander ran to help the rest of them down. Buffy took aim at Jane, and wiped her out with one shot. Angel pulled a stake off of the metal bar and used it to kill Wesley.

Cordelia ran to Willow’s side, pulling her out of the mud puddle while a full-scale war raged around them. Buffy began fighting with Spike. She kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into Hayden. The two vampires stood up, Hayden made a run for it, but Eve caught hold of him by the arm. She pulled his arm roughly and heard the bone snap, and then she kicked him in the back. He was sent flying through the air; and landing on the broken stake rack, he exploded into a cloud of ash. Then Eve and Eli ran over to Esme’s body.

Buffy knocked Spikes legs out from under him, dropping him to the floor again. Xander, Oz and Giles ran over to Willow, to check if she was all right. Buffy ordered them to take her outside. Oz, Giles, Cordelia and Angel carried her out. Xander stayed behind and began to fight with Zeph.

Buffy slammed Spike against the wall, he retaliated and threw her across the floor, she landed next to Esme’s body. Seeing only one chance to defeat him Buffy pulled the stake from Esme’s chest and stabbed it through Spikes stomach. He fell backwards in pain; this gave her a chance to reload her crossbow. Zeph threw Xander to the floor, and then he ran from the lair, closely followed by Dru. Buffy looked down at Spike, who was in great pain. But still shouting…

‘Bitch! Bloody walk out on me again then!’ He shouted after Dru. ‘It wasn’t supposed to go like this, down here in the mud and shit! We were supposed to win! I did it for you baby, all for you!!’ His shouts faded as he splashed helplessly forwards in the mud, staring hopefully after her. Buffy blocked his efforst to crawl away, and scowled at him.

‘You tried to kill my friends.’ She said. ‘You deserve to die.’

He looked up at her and Xander, who was now standing behind her. Wasting no time for emotion she shot him in the chest. He exploded into a cloud of black ash.

‘Today was your day of reckoning Spike, there won’t be another one.’ She said.

‘I’m afraid there will be.’ Said Giles, wandering slowly back in. ‘But no-one will be powerful enough to rule when it finally comes, so, we are safe for now.’

‘So, like I said, there won’t be a day of reckoning.’ Buffy said quietly, not looking at him.

‘No, I suppose not.’ He said.

Buffy turned to face Xander, who looked overcome with sadness.

‘You okay?’ She asked.

‘No.’ He said bluntly. ‘He killed Esme. Now he’s dead, but that won’t bring her back.’ He turned to look at her body, but it was gone, so were Eve and Eli. He ran to where it should have been and looked round desperately.

‘Where is she?’ He yelled. ‘Where’ve they taken her?’ He slumped to the floor. ‘I didn’t get to say goodbye.’ He whispered quietly. Then, seeming desperate, he stood up and ran out of the lair. Giles and Buffy followed him.

‘Xander wait!’ She called.

‘Xander, they’ve probably gone to bury her; it’s too late to save her. There’s nothing more you can do!’ Yelled Giles as they came out of the sewer. They stopped and so did Xander. He turned to them (now they were standing with everyone else, even Willow was almost conscious) and everyone stared at him.

‘Just grieve.’ Giles said quietly.

‘No!’ He yelled. ‘I don’t want to grieve, I don’t want to forget! Maybe she wasn’t important to you, but she was to me!’

‘I know how you feel…’ Angel began to say, standing up and walking towards him.

‘You know how I feel? YOU! It was you who made her the way she is. If it wasn’t for you she wouldn’t be here, Spike wouldn’t have wanted her dead and she wouldn’t have been killed saving me!’ He pushed Angel away, and then sprinted off down the road.

‘We should go after him.’ Said Buffy.

‘No, he needs some time alone. He’ll talk when he’s ready.’ Said Giles.

‘Giles is right. Now we need to get Willow to a hospital.’ Said Cordelia, who had Willow leaning against her. Oz was holding Willow’s hand.

‘Okay.’ Said Buffy. ‘Lets go.’ Cordelia and Oz helped Willow to her feet and walked with her. Angel, Giles and Buffy followed behind them.

**********

Friday morning at Sunnydale High. The students are blissfully unaware of the events of the past week, none of them know that Buffy saved all their lives again. Willow wandered slowly down the corridor towards the library, wearing a plaster on her neck. She pushed open the library doors quietly. Inside Buffy, Cordelia and Giles were waiting.

‘Xander wasn’t in on Thursday, and he’s not in today.’ She said.

‘I haven’t seen him since Wednesday night.’ Said Cordelia.

‘He’s not taking any calls either, but I know he’s not sick.’ Said Buffy.

‘Maybe we could try and cheer him up?’ Suggested Willow.

‘Yeah!’ Said Cordelia enthusiastically. ‘There’s always the Bronze, that’s fun, we could go there tomorrow night, so then Oz might be able to come too..’

‘Well, we can call him and ask.’ Said Willow. ‘We can have non-alcoholic drinks and dance like losers; it’ll be great. Just like old times.’

Buffy thought. She shrugged and agreed with the others.

**********

Xander was in his room when the phone rang. He was lying motionless on his bed, staring blankly at the wall, thinking about Esme. He tried to ignore the phone, but the caller was persistent. Eventually he gave in and answered it. He listened for a moment, and then said ‘I’m not really up to going to the Bronze tonight, okay.’ He hung up.

It rang again, but this time he completely ignored it. He rolled onto his side and stared at the wall. A few minutes later his mum called up the stairs and said ‘Xander, there’s a girl here to see you, I’m sending her up.’

Then he heard his mother voice saying to the visitor ‘Maybe you can bring him out of his mood, God knows, I’ve tried.’

He heard the sound of footsteps on the stairs, and then his bedroom door opened with a creaking sound. Projected onto the wall from behind him he saw the silhouette of a girl in the rectangle of bright light from the door.

‘Buffy,’ he said, ‘leave me alone, okay. I told you I don’t want to go to the Bronze tonight.’

‘Not even with me?’ Said Esme’s voice. He turned over quickly and as he saw her, his face lit up.

‘I thought you were dead!’ He yelled, as he jumped off of his bed and ran over to her to hug her.

‘I thought I was too.’ She said. ‘But the stake missed my heart…by about an inch. I passed out from the pain tho, what a whimp huh?’

‘Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’

‘I was healing up. I wasn’t even sure if you’d made it out alive, if you hadn’t, I don’t know what I would have done.’ She said quietly.

‘Probably the same as me. Got really depressed, ignored everyone and generally just stopped living.’

‘I’m glad we’re both alive, now what’s all this about the Bronze?’ She asked.

He smiled and kissed her.

‘It’s a cheer up Xander party. Come on, let’s go!’ He said.

**********

Inside the Bronze, Buffy, Angel, Willow, Oz and Cordelia were sitting down, worrying about Xander.

‘I just feel so helpless, he needs us, but we can’t…’

‘There he is!’ Yelled Willow, interrupting Buffy. ‘And he’s with Esme, Eve and Eli!’

‘You mean she’s alive?’ Buffy looked round. ‘Oh my God! She’s alive!’

Xander, Esme, Eve and Eli came over to the table just as Giles arrived with a tray of drinks.

‘Oh my, you’re alive? Well…that’s wonderful.’ He stuttered.

‘Yeah, she’s alive and kicking. No stakes, no Spikes, no full moons…’ Said Xander.

‘Yup, and after all that I still look good.’ She smiled, everyone laughed.

‘So,’ said Eli, ‘what’s here that’s so good, huh?’

‘Music, atmosphere…and good friends. I love you guys!’ Said Cordelia.

‘Wow, now that is deep Cordy…have you had access to a peace pipe recently?’ Xander smiled.

‘I’m glad you’re alive.’ Said Buffy. ‘We get the old Xander back. Well…I think that’s a good thing.’

‘So, what now.’ Said Eve.

‘Well, we saved the world…’ Said Willow.

‘Yeah, you got a bite…’ Added Oz.

‘I got knocked out…again…’ Said Giles.

‘I got staked…’ Said Esme.

‘But you saved me…’ Said Xander.

‘Buffy killed Spike…’ Said Eve.

‘I broke a nail…’ Said Cordelia.

‘Yeah, all in all, it was a pretty adventurous night.’ Said Eli.

‘After that I think we deserve a break, don’t you guys.’ Said Buffy.

‘Yes!’ Came the unanimous reply.

‘So, I say, we party!’ She said.

**********

Inside the cemetery Druscilla and Zeph were walking and engrossed in deep conversation, they came to a stop in the cemetery.

‘What now?’ Asked Zeph. ‘Spikes gone.’

‘We’re going to finish what he started, gather for the day of reckoning and kill the slayer. We’ll kill them all. He will be avenged.’ She stared into the sky and smiled. She held out her arms and began spinning round yelling. ‘Did you hear that Spike, I’m going to avenge you my love; I’m going to kill them. To kill them all! The slayer, and the witch too!’

**********

Back at the Bronze. Everybody was celebrating and dancing. Buffy and Esme left the dancefloor and walked over to the bar.

‘So, how do you rate my slaying technique?’ Asked Buffy.

‘Buff, on a scale of one to ten…it’s a twelve.’ They laughed and hugged each other. ‘Only next time, if you need a stake desperately, don’t tear it from my chest!’

‘Okay.’ They laughed again and returned to the group.

Everyone paired off on the dance floor. Xander and Esme, Willow and Oz, Cordelia and Eli and Giles and Eve, while Buffy found a random guy to dance with That night they drank, laughed, danced and completely cut loose. They were glad to be alive and to have saved the world. Despite her initial doubts, Buffy was glad that Esme, Eve and Eli were now part of the gang…now they were her friends, and she would treat them like friends.


This story archived at: The Slayer\'s Fanfic Archive
The Slayer\\\\\\\\'s FanFic Archive - http://www.slayerfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=6064