Chapter Nineteen

Jenny had come in on Ripper’s right, and the first person she saw was a neatly-dressed man she’d never met before. Looked like a Watcher. Maybe it was a Watcher. It screamed, and the sound sent a thrill through her. Well, whatever it was, it was dinner now, she thought, grinning as she felt the demon well up inside her, push to the fore and send a tremble of strength through her. Oh, yeah, this was the life. Well, not exactly.

Watcher-boy looked about ready to piss his pants. Nothing at all like her Ripper, who was currently jumping up onto the library table.

It squealed again as she approached, backing away, and fumbling for something in its coat pocket. Just as she reached it, it pulled out a cross. Damn.

She hissed and fell back, feeling the burn of the cross even across the intervening space, like the heat from a radiator.

“Back, creature of the night!” the Watcher squeaked, like a little mouse. Wasn’t that just cute? She dodged a bit to one side, then to the other side, and he swung the cross around wildly, following her.

She could smell his fear.

Shaking her head, she said, “You really think you’re going to save yourself, little man? You’re optimistic, I’ll give you that much.”

He was edging... towards the stairs up to the stacks. She moved around towards the stairs herself, subtly herding him back towards the table even as he kept the cross trained on her.

And then the doors burst open and the Slayer shouted something, and Xander ran out of the room like a scared rabbit, and her own prey darted for the stacks...

And when she turned around, that *other* Slayer, the one that was supposed to be locked up, was heading right for her. So, hey, Xander and the little Watcher had the right idea. Jenny vaulted over the railing and ran for the stacks. But the formerly-caged Slayer was fast. Before she’d even reached the archway that lead into the stacks, the Slayer had grabbed her from behind, slammed her into a nearby bookcase.

It was only her vampire reflexes that saved her from a stake through the heart. She’d grabbed the Slayer’s wrist, stopped the stake just inches from her chest.

The Slayer didn’t give up. She pushed. Jenny pushed back. The stake moved a centimeter closer. Then a centimeter away. She looked up into the dark eyes of the Slayer, and the Slayer looked right back. And they were at a standstill, their arms shaking with the strain, both of their jaws set with determination.

Clearly, she needed some help, here.

“Giles!”

Over the Slayer’s shoulder, she saw him glance towards her.

“Giles! Little help here?”

He’d seen, he’d heard, surely he’d just bound over that railing and save her...

But he didn’t. He didn’t. He just... turned back to Buffy.

Oh, no. This was not good.

Her arm was shaking harder now, aching all up and down from the strain. And the tip of the stake was digging into her skin.

“Giles,” she gasped again.

The stake pressed forward, a bit more, breaking the skin, pressing hard against bone. She whimpered softly, and wondered why it had never crossed her mind how much it would *hurt* to be stabbed with a relatively blunt peice of wood.

He was toying with Buffy down there. Just playing. Playing, while she was *dying*. She met the Slayer’s eyes again, saw nothing but determination and rage there. She guessed her arm would probably hold out another three seconds or so.

She’d never really thought vampires could be afraid.

She shut her eyes, and then, a second later, heard a bone snap loudly. The stake disappeared.

And... she wasn’t dead.

She opened her eyes.

“Spike?”

Spike was standing in front of her. *Standing* in front of her.

“Yeah, well, figured things were gonna get a little hairy, thought I’d swing by and give you kids a hand.”

“But you... you can’t walk...”

He grimaced.

“Actually, I can, see... Anyway. Gotta go kill a Slayer. Another Slayer, that is...”

And with that, he hopped over the railing to join Ripper and Dru.

Kendra the Slayer was dead at her feet, her neck broken.

And that was when things really went to hell. There was a shout from the stacks. Then, lots of shouts from the stacks. Then, the rumble of many feet on hardwood floors.

She risked a glance over her shoulder, and saw the first of them, a man, dressed in black, like a SWAT team officer, only he was shouting something about the Watcher’s Council and he was armed with a crossbow, and a stake, and holy water.

Jenny decided she’d had enough for one night, jumped over the railing and fled towards the door. Spike was right beside her, dragging Dru with him. Dru was rambling on about pretty ghosts that scare children in the dark.

Just as she shoved through the doors, she heard Ripper roar behind them, “You stupid fools, it’s an illusion!”

But by the time they’d reached the front entrance of the school, he had joined them in flight.

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