One Wild Ride

A very pissed off Giles, Buffy and Angel emerged from the bushes that flanked the right of the roadhouse then stepped back out of sight. They had argued all the way to the Slayerettes selected parking place and weren't about to stop yet.

"I'm not changing my mind", Giles tried hard not to shout this close to their adversaries, "I'm going through the doors with Buffy, it isn't like I haven't fought vampires before you know".

"I'm not saying you aren't brave, that you aren't man enough", Buffy almost sobbed. "You just aren't fast enough".

"Giles for gods sake", Angel grabbed the ex-watcher by the arm. "Why won't you listen to Buffy?"

"Angelus take your hand off me". Giles stared at the vampire hard the shotgun he was carrying coming up a little.

"Are you serious?" the vampire asked startled and letting go stepped back, he made no effort to defend himself his own shotgun staying in his left hand. "We don't have the time for this Ripper shit".

Giles would have replied just as heatedly had not Buffy stepped between them. "Angel go on a little, let me talk to my Watcher".

"I'm not your Watcher anymore Buffy, I lost that job remember", Giles dropped the shotgun to the ground, "Just like I lost Jenny and everything else, don't take my dignity as well I can't let Wesley call me a coward".

"You'll always be my Watcher", Buffy pressed her left hand to the center of her chest. "Here in my heart, I've told you I can't do this alone, I've asked you before not to leave me but here you are about to throw your life away. If I got killed could you picture Angel calmly leading the others?" She looked back to where the vampire lurked. "He'd go for Pike gun blazing and take them with him, please Giles, Wesley's gonna be too dead to tell the Watchers Council anything about you".

Her Watcher eased his glasses a little further up his nose then whispered. "Alright, Buffy I'll do as you say".

"Good man", Buffy hugged him. "It saves me having to knock you out again, now let's go find the others".

They were actually just a little further back in the bushes already more or less in their groups none of the Slayerettes said a word as Giles moved in front of them they all just grinned at his black clad back but Wesley speaking sharply asked him, "What the hell is going on?"

Angel grabbed him by the neck and game faced growled in his ear, "Shut your mouth you idiot, what's going on is we don't give a fuck what you do or think. Buffys leading this now and she says I go with her". Angel gave Wesley a close up view of his fangs. "If you don't like it, I can leave you here, dead on the ground".

"Good god", the terrified Watcher squealed, "Buffy you wouldn't let him..."

"Oh I would", Buffy lied. "Off you go in front like a good Watcher".

Angel prodded Wesley forward at shotgun point, Buffy turned to Faith and Seth, "We ready?"

"Yeah", Seth replied jacking a round into his shotguns breech. "Let's go kill some vampires".

"B I was born ready", Faith smiled. "Just wish I knew where I can get a fuck after this".

For the first time in months Buffy laughed along with her fellow Slayer. "I'm sure you'll manage, you always do".

She looked at Giles and the others, "Ok guys off you go, good luck I expect to see you inside".

"We'll do our best", Picking up one end of the ladder they had brought to help them get on the roof Giles led his troops forward, Xander on the other end quietly asking. "Do you think they'll have any boiling oil?"

"No", Buffy smiled despite the fear that gnawed her, *This is what the other Slayers have lacked down the years, a fighting team to support them and help them do their job, I'm luckier than them all*. She turned to her comrades.

"Lets go".

Chapter 8.1 - Viva Buffy

Quickly catching up with Angel and Wesley, Buffy led her party forward in a low run, shotguns at the ready, she kept glancing across at first seeing how her friends where doing. Giles and Xander got the ladder in place then covered by the girls clambered up onto the roof.

*Well guys, I'll see you soon*, then they reached the shelter of the wall and her friends were lost to view.

As they crouched ready to go Faith suddenly whispered, "Wow icy fingers up and down my spine, how the fuck many of these dudes are there?"

Buffy touched the wall and through the thick wood paneling felt it, the strongest vamp signal she'd ever had, for a couple of seconds she fought a strong urge to spew but managed to hold it back. "Oh my god, I didn't think it would be that strong, Angel tell me what do you think?"

"Too many to tell, but there's a live human in there", Angelus said turning round to look at her his yellow eyes almost glowing with the power of the assembly beyond the wall. "I don't feel any trace of Spike though".

"What?" Buffy felt an overwhelming sense of betrayal and then guilt. *No he hasn't run, if he was in on it he'd still be there, the fact he's not says they found out and staked him, sorry Spike you might have been a good friend*. She worked the slide on the shotgun chambering a round. "Are we ready?"

They all nodded even Wesley seemed to be over his earlier fear.

"Remember two doors, first one leads into a small hallway with a coat check hatch, the main doors are straight ahead past that". She looked around the resolute faces. "Faith you and Seth be ready to grenade that hatch, Angel and Wesley we're first through".

Buffy stood brought her shotgun to the shoulder and alert for any movement stepped out towards the door, she didn't need to look back to make sure her troops were following she knew they were.

"Ok", she whispered then sharply kicked the door open and went through.

Once everyone was on the roof Giles hastily scanned it for lurking Vampires, there were none. "All right there's the duct, lets go".

The Watcher and the teens hastily ran to it Giles dumped the bag of tools they'd brought along and bent down to examine the bolts then held the metal framework too the roof.

"Oh Damn!" he shouted. "Xander run and tell Buffy not to go in".

The teen ran to the roof edge startled by Giles vehemence.

"What's the matter?" Willow asked putting down her crossbow and joining him.

"They've soldered the bolt heads down",Giles turned and looked at her. "We've no bloody way in".

"Xander!", he shouted forgetting about the need for quiet.

Xander was staring over the edge he looked back tough guy face gone. "To late Giles, they're already in".

With Faith and Seth bottled water in hand flanking the hatchway, Buffy took a quick glance through, "Clear", she said, there weren't any vampires lurking in there. Which meant them were all through the double doors just 9 feet further on. Angel and Wesley were on the opposite wall shotguns aimed at those very doors.

"Ok", Buffy watched as Faith and Seth put the 'grenades' back in the haversacks they carried and unslung their shotguns. The doorway emanated evil from the concentrated vampires beyond it. Buffys mouth was dry her hands however were sweating on the shotgun. *Mouth dry, hands wet, good sign or bad I don't know, I just know I don't wanna do this*. "Get ready".

Wesley suddenly moved out from the wall and took position in the center of the hallway facing the doors. Angel looked across at Buffy, surprised the Watcher had taken the place that should be hers but at the Slayers shrugged response he moved to the Watcher's left Seth fell in beside him.

With a wink to her rival turned ally, Faith went and took position by the other wall.

*Well if its not gonna be boy girl boy girl, I guess that leaves me with*, she moved up between Wesley and Faith,*here*.

"Ok vampire killers lets go kill vampires", Seth said as with one deep breath he got ready.

"Follow me", Wesley ordered and led the way.

The door was ajar, the locking mechanism that would seal them in not engaged, Buffy prayed that Spike had at least had the chance to secure them a line of retreat before he died. Then all such thoughts left her as Wesley kicked the doors open and they charged through.

And stopped the room beyond was empty, there was a gutted frame work were the stage had been, and a U shaped circular sofa open ended at the stage end and with an eight foot gap in the middle at theirs but no vampires, then Buffy saw the barricade running across the far side of the room. "Take cover!", she screamed pushing Faith towards the left side sofa even as a line of vampires rose into view.

Angel reacting just as fast pushed Seth over towards the right hand side shouting as he did so, "Wesley come on".

As targets rose as if from a shooting gallery the Englishman's shotgun roared. *This is what its all about, this is what I became a watcher for*. He fired and ejected rounds as fast as he could.

Dutch had been frantically pressing the button on the remote ever since the doors flew open, nothing happened. Angel sat there close by Winchester in hand, he worked the lever action. "Fuck technology lets just kill them", at his signal the vampires had risen and now at a shout of "Fuego", they fired almost as one.

"WESLEY!". Buffy screamed as the volley tore into her Watcher sending him spinning to the floor. If Faith hadn't of grabbed her she would have run out to get him.

"Don't be an idiot, he's gone".

The bandits fired again their bullets shredding the upholstery and in some cases driving into Wesley's dead flesh. Faith readied her shotgun. "Can we make the door?"

"Not a chance", Buffy silently thanked Spike, but to make any use of his generously provided escape route they had to reduce the odds. "We take it in turns, fire and load, fire and load".

Across from them Seth patted the metal back of the Sofa he was hiding behind affectionately. "Metal thank christ, and it's a fucking good thing to that those bastards have such old guns, M16's would have ripped it to hell by now". He put the haversack down relieved he hadn't broken the water bottles or the petrol bombs it contained. "Let's get some payback".

Angel was watching Buffy checking she was ok. When she gave him the thumbs up he turned to the bank robber. "You want to shoot first or shall I?"

"Did we get them?" Pike shouted over the roar of gunfire, a thickening curtain of cordite smoke was forming at their end of the room.

Dutch sniffed the air, "Not enough blood, which means 4 to 71, but then as we know those odds aren't that long".

"I'm not Mapache". Pike snarled back. He looked across at his enemies bolted down cover and caught a flash of blond hair then a gun flash, a few yards to his left a vampire disappeared in a cloud of dust his rifle falling to the ground. "Damn the bitch, she's alive".

Firing slackened as vampires paused to reload. Wood chips began to fly from their cover as cordite driven stakes slammed into it. Dutch lifted his shotgun over the top and unsighted fired off a couple then looked at his companero, Angel, crouching there his Winchester aimed steady through a loophole, he hadn't fired a shot. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Waiting for that bastardo Gecko to show his head". The Mexicans finger was poised on the trigger, "I don't care about the Slayers or Angelus, he's the only one I want to kill".

Another vampire disappeared and a third eyes filled with wood splinters dropped out of the fight. Pike noted the fact that the banditos were looking at him, 'Do something' they're eyes shouted to him.

"Well Mr Bishop?"

Buffy reloaded whilst Faith took her turn, she'd fired five rounds half emptying her magazine before letting Faith take over. The firestorm had eased their enemies less keen now they had taken casualties. "Got one", Faith shouted diving back into cover, she tried to brush some feathers from her long hair, both girls were covered with upholstery fragments. "Think we can reach em with the water bombs from here?"

"Save them, we don't have that many". Buffy nodded, she was ready. Faith began to reload as Buffy resumed firing not even flinching as bullets whistled past her head.

Seth looked up as Angel suddenly cried out in pain, the vampire sat back clutching his left shoulder and upper arm. "Fuck!"

"How bad?" The robber asked simply rapidly firing a shot then ducking as bullets chewed their cover.

"It's just lodged under the skin", the vampire responded through gritted teeth, "Didn't hit the bone, but it sure hurts like hell".

He picked up his gun and reloaded. Seth went up again and fired then ducked back sharply a rifle bullet had slammed into the top of the sofa just an inch from his head. "Fuck that was close".

Ejecting the spent cartridge Angel hissed through gritted teeth, "next time Gringo".

Pike reached a decision, he moved along the side of the barricade to a short little bandit with a Mauser, the guy was bearded and well dressed no minion but a former lieutenant of Villa. "Pedro take five companeros down the left flank, get close then rush the Slayers with your pistols".

"Si el Jefe", whilst Pedro made his choices Pike returned to Dutch. "I don't care how you do it but drive a dozen of those minions over the barricade, empty their guns before our boys get to them".

Dutch smiled and pulled a whip from his belt, he ran at a half crouch to where the minions cowered, all that is apart from Joy who gave him a haughty look, for a second Dutch considered throwing her to the Slayers but didn't not wanting to break Pike's heart.

"Any volunteers", he shouted above the din.

Despite frantic hammering to try and break the solder Giles and the Slayerettes had got nowhere, "Fuck it". The solidly Ripperised Watcher roared as he listened to the noise of the gun battle roaring below them.

The teens watched him fearfully as he dived into the tool bag and pulled out an axe, handing it to Xander he tore off his jacket then grabbing the axe back began to hack away at the roof with it. shouting between strokes, "We're going to get in there if it bloody kills us".

Vampires hearing is sharp and even though his cars engine was roaring along at top speed Spike heard the firing before he was even within sight of the roadhouse.

*Shit it's too late*, his foot eased on the gas then pressed down again. *They're still fighting, there's still a chance*.

"Hold on Pet", he shouted to himself. "Cavalry's on its way".

Even as Pedro and his amigos crept down the side of the long and now smouldering sofa, Dutch drove his first batch of minions over the top of the barricade. They were ragged and poorly armed except with what their demons had equipped them with and they charged with a very half hearted roar.

Angel and Buffy picked then off with rapid fire, 8 of the 11 who came over died in the first few yards of ground, the survivors threw themselves behind what cover there was.

Faith pulled out a water bottle, "There's two of em within easy throwing range", she really wanted to see what the improvised grenade would do.

Buffy reloaded glad she had brought so much ammo. "Ok pitch it in while I keep their heads down".

Buffy fired and Faith rose to pitch then changed her aim as two pistol armed Mexicans came up over the top of the sofa the bottle flew even as they began to fire wildly it struck the nearest one in the head and glass and water sprayed both vampires, they both screamed as white smoke blossomed then dusted as Buffy cut them down.

Another rose and fired Buffy felt a something like a hot knife scrape along the side of her left thigh, "Fuck you", she shouted bringing her gun up but Faith fired first the vampire flew back and exploded.

Faith began to move forward ready to roll round the corner and blast anything that stood there but a bandito slid out in front of her, they stared at each other for a second then the Mexican fired. Faith felt like she'd been kicked in the stomach she fell back from her knees on to her ass. The vampire cocked his pistol to shoot Buffy, Faith brought her shotgun up one handed and pulled the trigger, the vampire died, then her head fell back to the floor and staring at the ceiling Faith let her shotgun go.

"Faith", Buffy screamed even as she turned to help her fellow Slayer two more vampires rose pistols carefully aimed.

This wasn't how Pedro had expected things to go, four of his companeros where dead in what seemed like as many seconds well now the Puta would pay. Then Sanchez exploded and Pedro's head snapped up, he saw Angel drawing a bead on him and Buffy forgotten fired at him even as the dark haired vampires own gun flashed. A stake slammed into his shoulder and he reeled back against the wall.

Looking over her shoulder Buffy saw Angel thrown back by a bullet and a red mist covered her vision she aimed her shotgun from the hip at the wounded bandito. "HEY ASSHOLE!", she screamed to get his attention, he looked at her trying to bring his Colt up and she shot him in the heart.

"Angel" she shouted, he held up a blooded hand, he was as alive as vampires can be. Seth fired a couple of quick shots then went to help his comrade.

"B", Faith whispered over the sudden silence, "B, I can't feel my legs".

"You'll be ok", Buffy tried to reassure her looking at the blood oozing through the girls fingers as they pressed against her wound, "You're a Slayer, you'll heal".

"No fucking way B", blood began to run from the side of Faiths mouth and she passed out.

"How the fuck are you?" Seth asked Angel roughly. As the only vampire killer still committed to the fight he didn't have much time to waste on reasonably bullet proof guys.

"Just a couple of broken ribs, I guess", Angel replied then his nostrils flared. "Buffy and Faith are both hit".

"Buffy looks ok", Seth said shaking his head, "But I think the motherfuckers killed Faith".

Hearing a rush of feet Seth turned sharply the surviving three minions taking their opportunity were charging forward again. He smiled as he dusted the first two with fast accurate shots then felt something slam into the left side of his head and the world went black.

"Yes", Angel, the Mexican, cried as he levered another shot into his Winchester, he'd seen the flash of red fly from the gringos head even as he fell. "You see Santanico how I have avenged you".

"Fuck me no", the ensouled Angel shouted as Seth fell back, he heard running footsteps, his shotgun was behind him and Seth lay atop his. Angel, despite the pain from his ribs, drew his Kukris even as a screaming vampiress machete held aloft jumped over the sofa and slashed for his neck.

The knife blades met, as he had been taught the vampire let the blade slide down his and locked its edge in the notches cut just above the blades hilt, her right arm and weapon locked the vampiress brought her left arm back ready to slash out her opponents eyes with her claws. Angel grabbed hold of her left leg with his clawed left hand and pulled with all his strength sweeping her off her feet, she hit the ground hard and before she could recover the vampire slashed off her head with one blow.

"Buffy", he shouted as he gathered his shotgun and his wits. "Answer me, are you ok?"

"Yes", she muttered, Buffy was watching Faith's face go steadily paler. "I'm ok".

The stricken girl coughed and brought up more blood, then her eyes opened and looked pleadingly at the blond slayer. "B", she faintly whispered.

"I'm here Faith, I'm with you", Buffy brought her ear down to the dark haired Slayers mouth seeing that girl was trying to tell her something.

"Tell Xander I...", and then eyes wide open she stopped talking and the ragged rise and fall of her chest ended abruptly.

"Oh god Faith", Buffy gently stroked the girls cheek tears beginning to run down her face.

"Have we got em all?" Pike shouted to his companeros.

"I dunno", Dutch replied, "I don't think they've got much fight left in them though".

"I will go see el Jefe", a bandit shouted leaping the barricade pistol in hand.

"Roberto, come back", Angel shouted then with the others began to send out what covering fire he could.

The ensouled vampire saw this, smiled and took aim. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened, "A fucking misfire". he turned frantically towards the Slayer. "Buffy!".

Hearing through the mists that filled her mind Angel's urgent shout Buffy picked up her shotgun and snapped out of it, she would mourn her dead later. She looked over the rim of her cover and despite the flying bullets took a careful aim.

Roberto saw the danger and charged fanning his pistol as he ran, the wild shots failed to scare the girl so he began to scream, "VIVA PI...", and in a second was gone too dust.

Getting back behind her increasingly battered cover Buffy filled her lungs and shouted for all the room to hear. "VIVA BUFFY!".

"I think they got a great deal of fight left in them", the Mexican Angel whispered softly, looking at a grimacing Dutch.

"That's a quarter of our boys gone", the Dutchman addressed himself to their boss. "Well Mr. Bishop what now?"

On the roof Giles wasn't making a great deal of progress despite Xander helping him break planks with a crowbar the hole they had made still wasn't big enough for even the girls too slip through.

"At least there's still shooting", Amy said, the blond was crying convinced Buffy would die thinking she'd been let down.

Giles had the same feeling, Ripper was gone now despair driving him away but still the sweating Watcher slashed away with the axe determined to get in.

"Look guys a car", Willow suddenly shouted. The Slayerettes dropped out of sight as a speeding De Soto suddenly burst through the fortunately unlocked gates and skidded to a halt before the Roadhouse doors. "Wonder who that could be?"

Spike looked at the pistol in his hand. "Five fucking shots son, that'll be bugger all use". He put his foot back on the accelerator. Unmindful of lost hubcaps he crossed a verge and headed out across the Roadhouse's large parking lot.

"Now he's heading for that truck", Willow gasped as the door flew open even at this distance the blond hair and black leather coat were plain."Isn't that Spike, what's he doing over there?"

"Sure is", Xander replied. "And in answer to your second question - now's a good time to get the fuck off this roof".

Looking across the eight feet of space that separated them Buffy reached a decision, *I don't want to die alone*.

"Angel". she shouted. "Get ready to do some catching".

"What?" he shouted puzzled, then caught a flying shotgun. "What are you doing?"

"Coming over", the Slayer responded throwing Faiths weapon after her own. "If you don't mind".

"Sure", Angel realized that if he had to die it would be better to do it beside Buffy, maybe giving her the chance to live. "Come on".

Ripping open the haversack Faith had carried in Buffy pitched the second Holy water bomb at the barricade. It struck near the top of the somewhat battered woodwork, cries of agony emerged from behind it as some of the water splashed over. Tossing the retied bag of petrol bombs to Angel, Buffy got ready to speed roll.

With a fully loaded shotgun at his shoulder Angel stood up and let fly, Buffy cleared the gap bullets ripping around her and the vampire dropped back down.

"Their aims getting worse", he pointed out to her.

"They expected it to be all there own way", Buffy began to load Faiths gun from the supply of cartridges Seth had put in his own haversack. "They're bound to be getting demoralized".

"How's Seth?" she looked with concern at the tattooed bank robber, his face was covered in blood.

"I think he's gone", was all Angelus replied as he made sur his two shotguns were ready.

"You think, you don't know", Buffy was shocked the vampire should be able to hear a heartbeat.

"My wounds are starting to weaken me", he looked at her. "How are yours?"

Though her leg hurt, Buffy didn't think there was much damage, "Just a scratch and another pair of pants sacrificed to the Hellmouth".

Setting her loaded shotgun down Buffy got the petrol bombs from Faith's haversack and readied the fuses. "We don't have much time".

"For what?" was all Angel could say in reply.

The other side the barricade several pissed looking banditos were trying to wipe residual holy water from their faces and hands. Dutch flinched as he touched a large weeping blister on his right cheek. "Mr. Bishop, this has gone on long enough".

Pike looked to left and right very few of his men were firing back anymore, they were waiting for him to make up his mind. "Dutch, Angel come here".

His lieutenants approached this was more like it, now they'd hear the plan. "Here's what we do, Angel send six of the boys up each flank", the Mexican nodded, improve on what had almost worked last time. "Dutch send every Minion except my girl over just before Angel's attack goes in".

Smiling Dutch reached once more for his whip, this would be fun. Up and down the line vampires began to reload their guns, it was going to be ok el Jefe had a plan.

"Buffy what's going on?" Angel asked startled as she handed him a petrol bomb.

"We're gonna set that barricade on fire", she replied pulling out the Zippo Seth had stashed with the bombs.

"And self immolate", the vampire asked shocked, "Buffy your not serious".

"Oh yes I am", Buffy smiled despite a tear-streaked cordite blackened face. "Don't worry, we wont have time to burn we stand between the vamps and the only way out, we'll die in the rush".

She looked down at the shotguns, "With forty shots we should get a lot of them first though and our friends will slaughter the rest".

Looking at Faiths body as it lay in peace she added. "Giles will be able to train the new Slayer on a quiet Hellmouth".

"Run for the door while I cover you Buffy", Angel pleaded, "I'll burn the place for you when your out of here".

"Sorry Angel I wouldn't make it". Setting her bomb down Buffy grabbed the vampire round the back of the neck and kissed him her tongue grazing his fangs. "I don't know where I'll be when this is over but I'll come look for you".

Then she flicked the Zippo alight.

Arms locked tight against the wheel holding his rig steady as it hurtled forward towards the end of the building where the barricade had been built Spike screamed as the truck neared impact.

"HERE I COME YOU BASTARDS! READY OR NOT!"

Continued