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Buffy woke up the next morning to someone pounding at her door. She rubbed her eyes, then groaned and got up.
"Who is it?"
"Giles." The voice answered, then the door opened and he walked inside. Buffy flopped back down onto her bed and Willow put a pillow over her head.
"It's too early Giles. The sun's barely up."
"Get up." He said carefully. "Both of you. Get up, get dressed and make your way to my house. Now." Then he turned and left the room, running down the hall.
Buffy sat up and frowned at him, then shrugged and lay down again.
"Maybe we should listen to him." Willow said from her side of the room. "He sounded pretty frantic."
The phone rang beside her and she picked it up. "Hello?" There was a pause. "Oh hi Taylor. Yeah, actually Giles did just barrel into our room and demand that we get up." Another pause. "Yeah, we're going. See you in a bit." Willow hung up the phone and looked at Buffy. "He just did the same thing to Taylor and Riley, Wesley, Xander and Anya. We should get going Buffy, I'm worried."
* * *
Giles paced his living room as he waited for the others to join him. He had burst into all their homes earlier that morning and demanded they come to his house. He had received the book from Angel that morning and it wasn't good, it wasn't good at all.
The door opened and Taylor walked in slowly and stiffly, followed by Wesley. They both looked up at him expectantly and he shook his head, indicating he wanted to wait for the others to come. Taylor shuffled slowly over to the couch and Giles silently thought about how she looked much better than she had the week before. Wesley smiled when he saw Giles watching her and the former watcher returned the smile before going to his door and peering out into the early day.
Finally he saw Xander and Anya walking slowly toward his door and he threw it wide open, waving them toward him. They hurried their pace, although not by much and walked through the door and into the living room.
Buffy and Willow came through only a minute after them and Buffy looked at Giles expectantly.
"Well?" She asked. "What is it? What did you get us all out of bed for on a Saturday morning?"
"This." He held the book out and they crowded around to look at the picture. There were hoards of demons running across the two pages, chasing two people that looked much too small to fight back.
Willow's forehead creased in concern. "Giles, what is this? What does it," she paused to collect her thoughts, then began again, "What's in the picture?"
Giles picked up the book and scanned the passage before clearing his throat and beginning to read. "The End of Days, no where to run and definitely no where to hide. The slayer's will die at the hands of a demon that is too terrible to be explained by words. His hands will break and ruin their bodies and tear their flesh away from their bones. He'll crush their skulls and eat their brains, draining their energy and making him more powerful."
Wesley's hand immediately found its place on Taylor's shoulder and squeezed it gently. She glanced up at him, her blue eyes filled with worry, then went back to listening to Giles.
"Once this demon has had his fill of slayer he'll track down every Watcher that is, that was and that ever shall be and kill them. He'll drain their power also, then move onto the world. It is called the End of Days and it cannot be prevented. Once he comes, all will end."
Giles closed the book and looked up. "Well now, what do you propose that we do?"
Buffy's mouth opened and closed helplessly, then she sighed and sunk down to the couch.
Taylor closed her eyes and leaned back as Wesley's hands tightened on her arms, his own eyes filled with fear and thoughts of his death.
Xander and Willow stared at each other in stricken silence as Anya looked to the ground, feeling suddenly ashamed of what she had once been.
Buffy looked up again. "We fight it. We always do Giles, you know that. We fight it and hopefully we stop it."
"But I can't walk." Taylor said, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. "I won't be able to walk well for two weeks still. We don't have that time."
Giles cleared his throat. "Actually, we do. We have exactly two weeks if this prophecy is correct. We have until December eleventh and this will happen. This mass of demons will pour into Sunnydale and you'll be forced to fight them all until this 'all powerful one' comes. So to speak."
"And if he kills them, we'll be next?" Wesley asked. "They're the last hope of the world? We can't even help?"
"Of course we can." Xander said. "We always help, we have to."
Buffy shook her head. "No, you guys can't fight this. This is our job."
"Buffy's right." Taylor said slowly. "If this is how I'm meant to die, then I'm not having someone else try to fight for me and die in my place. It's not fair."
"So we plan." Willow stated. "We plan and we work our asses off."
"That's the only way." Wesley agreed. "We have to plan."
Anya cleared her throat. "It's not actually the only way." She took the book and pointed at something. "I didn't think you saw this part. It says the date that this was to happen was December eleventh, 1987. That means at one point someone did defeat this monster."
"What are you trying to say?" Buffy asked. "Do you know how they killed him?"
Anya nodded. "I do."
Xander looked at her. "How would you know?"
Anya pointed to something in the picture and they turned to see a picture of her demon form grasping at a slayer's head.
"I was there." She said.
"So?" Taylor looked at her. "How did they kill it?"
"They didn't." Anya pointed at the picture again to one of the girls whose face you couldn't see. "Her Watcher did. And since Buffy doesn't have a Watcher, I'm guessing this is your job Wesley. This is all up to you."
His breath caught in his throat. "What are you talking about? What could I do?"
Anya sighed. "For some reason, I don't know why, there were two slayers at this point. One of them refused to work for the Council and the other had a young Watcher that was very much in love with her. When she died, he went beserk and blew up the room the demon was in, killing himself in the process."
Wesley's mouth hung open and he stared at Anya in shock.
"It stopped the demon for a while." She continued. "But apparently it didn't stop him forever. I don't know if this prophecy is fated to repeat itself again and again, but that's what you'll have to do. Someone will have to blow this thing up. That's the only way that I know of."
"But at least there is a way." Willow said. "We have that much."
Buffy nodded. "You're right. We can pull this off, we did it with the Mayor. We can do it again."
Giles nodded. "I hope you're right Buffy."
She turned the book over and looked at the cover. "I've never seen this book before, where did you get it?"
Giles cleared his throat. "Uh, Angel sent it actually."
"Oh." She said slowly. "You've been talking with Angel."
"He's a huge help Buffy." He said, trying to save himself from her stoney glare. "If he didn't find this . . ." he trailed off, letting her know what could have happened.
She nodded. "I know, I'm sorry." She stood up. "Maybe we should begin preparing, we only have two weeks."
Taylor struggled to stand beside her and Wesley grabbed her elbow helpfully. "You're right. I need to keep walking, I need to walk by the time this happens."
Wesley nodded. "I can walk you home then come pick up my car later. That would give you some practice."
"Thanks." Taylor waved. "Bye guys. Call me when you want to start planning for this."
Buffy nodded. "We will."
Taylor and Wesley walked out the door, then closed it behind them as Buffy turned to look at the others. "I didn't want to make her stay now because of everything else she has going on but I think that we should start now. We need to get going."
"But shouldn't Taylor know about the plan?" Xander asked.
Buffy shook her head slowly. "I don't think so, not yet at least."
"Why not?" He cocked his head, looking confused.
"Because I'm not sure yet if we'll need Wesley to do what that Watcher did twelve years ago."
* * *
Wesley paced his small apartment as he thought about what was going on. They had spent the last week and a half planning what they were going to do and training with Taylor. She was nearly as good as new and Wesley was sure she would be able to hold her own when they had to fight this demon that was almost sure to kill them all.
Despite all that was going on around him, Wesley was having his own battle raging inside his head. He was having such a hard time deciding if he should tell Taylor what he really felt about her. He wanted to tell her so badly, he wanted to see if she felt the same way, if her heart swelled up so much it hurt every time she saw him. He wanted to tell her before they all died and he would never have the chance.
On the other hand, what if she said she didn't feel like that? What if it was just a casual relationship to her? He'd be heartbroken and then what use would he be when this demon tried to eat his girlfriend's brains?
Wesley honestly had no idea what to do. He was so confused and on top of his own, personal dilemma, he had to worry about the demon that was coming to end the world.
He sighed and walked to the door, prepared to make his way to Giles' house. It was really the only place they had to make their plans. They used Buffy and Willow's dorm on occasion and they had been at Taylor's once or twice but she had refused to let them use her apartment anymore. She didn't want Riley to know what was going on. She was afraid he would try to protect her and die in the process.
Wesley looked around his apartment once more, before closing the door and walking down the hall. He saw Taylor waiting there for him, smiling happily, which she hadn't done in a long time and in that instant Wesley made his decision. He didn't care if it was the right one, he had made it and he would tell her.
* * *
"So now what?" Taylor asked. "We have three days and we're done planning, right?"
Giles nodded. "I don't think there is anything else we can do. We have our plan set out and that's all there is left."
Xander sighed. "I still feel kind of useless. Isn't there anything else Willow and I can do?"
"No." Buffy looked at them. "I'm not risking your lives for this."
"But either way Buffy, we might die." Willow pointed out. "You're not going to risk our lives and then what if you die? No one else will be able to stop it, other than Wesley and what if he dies? We're going to die anyway."
"Don't talk like that." Taylor said. "No one's going to die." She tried to look hopeful but she knew the confidence she was trying to shine wasn't making its way very far.
Buffy nodded. "Whatever happens, happens."
Anya sighed. "I sure hope you guys know what you're doing. I mean, 'cause last time this Watcher guy was absolutely crazy, I saw him. He was all screaming about the demons from hell and people thought he was nuts." She glanced at Wesley. "I just don't see you running around town in your underwear shrieking at the top of your lungs."
Taylor choked on the drink she was sipping from and had to put it down.
Buffy chuckled. "God help us if Wesley does go mad. Hopefully, I'll be dead by that point and won't be seeing more of the Watcher than I have to."
"Very funny." Wesley muttered.
"Go home, all of you." Giles said. "Just relax and have some fun before this happens. We're prepared for this, so give yourself two days to not think about anything at all."
*Too late.* Wesley thought, gazing at Taylor.
Buffy stood up and nodded. "You know, he's right. We should go home and spend some time with the family before the world ends."
"Buffy, don't talk like that." Willow scolded as she shrugged her jacket over her shoulder. "The way things look we'll be able to save the world and have a great Christmas."
"Christmas is almost a month away Will." Xander pointed out. "And besides that, you're Jewish."
She shrugged. "Okay, so some of us will go home and have a great Chanukah."
"Or some of us will come over to my humble abode and watch the Charlie Brown Christmas on t.v." Xander said with a grin.
"Do I get to come?" Anya asked. "Willow said you do a Snoopy dance. I want to see the Snoopy dance."
"You told her about the Snoopy dance?" Xander asked, his voice rising in accusation.
Willow shrugged. "It seemed right for the moment. Besides, it was all I could do to shut her up. She kept telling us she was imagining having sex with you. After fourteen times, it's really enough to make me gag. Ask Buffy."
The slayer nodded. "Sometimes she gets a little out of hand."
They walked out the door leaving Giles, Wesley and Taylor behind.
Giles sighed. "At least some of us will have some relaxation before this. On the other hand,"
"You have different fingers." Taylor interrupted him.
Giles looked confused. "What?"
"On the other hand you have different fingers." She repeated. "It's a saying for people who take life too seriously. Not that I think you're taking this too seriously but you're telling us to go home and relax yet you're not going to do the same yourself. There's no point in worrying anymore, worrying won't help anything. Watch t.v., read a book, call an old friend. Just do something other than worry." She stood up. "Think about it."
Giles sunk onto his couch as he watched Wesley and Taylor leave and he sighed. "She's right." He murmured. "I shouldn't be worrying anymore. What's done is done and we can only hope we're ready."
He glanced around his home, then picked up the remote control off the coffee table and switched on the television set.
"Oh, a sitcom." He turned up the volume. "She's right, this is much better than worrying."
* * *
Wesley stood with Taylor in the slowly darkening park and he sighed. He wanted to tell her so badly, but he was so afraid.
*It's now or never Wes.* He coached himself silently. *In two days you could both be dead.* He paused. *Or you could be running around Sunnydale half naked.*
"Taylor?" He turned to her and she looked at him and smiled.
"What is it?" She asked, then waited for him to continue.
He took her hand in his and led her toward a bench in the park. The sun was nearly gone now, casting them into complete darkness before the street lights hummed to life.
Wesley glanced at their long shadows in the orange pool of light and he sighed again. As strange as the thought seemed, he wondered if after the next night if he would ever see a street lamp come on again.
"Taylor, I have something to tell you."
She nodded. "Go ahead."
He opened his mouth to speak and even before he got the words out, a terrified look crossed Taylor's face and she got to her feet.
"I didn't even say anything." He said.
"Wesley get out of the way." She yelled and pushed him off the bench.
Wesley hit the ground hard and rolled a few times before he stopped and looked up at where Taylor stood. She was facing off with a strange looking demon, who had arms coming out of nearly every part of his body. He even had arms coming off his head. Wesley shuddered involuntarily before he got up and ran to her help.
"Stay back." She warned, not looking to see how close he was.
The demon hissed in Wesley's direction and Taylor took that opportunity to punch it in the stomach. The demon hissed again and spun out of the way before she could hit him again.
"Let me guess." Taylor said, fishing around aimlessly in her jacket pocket. "You're here to tell me that the End of Days is near now and there is no chance of stopping it."
The demon looked at her in surprise. "Well guess what? We already know." She still had her hand in her pocket, searching for the knife she had placed there.
"Other pocket." Wesley said quietly, trying to let her know without the demon hearing.
"Don't do this now." She warned him quickly, still staring at the demon.
"You're right. You can't stop it." The demon said in a low, hissing voice.
Wesley took a few steps around her so that he was on her other side.
"The Mighty One will come and he will,"
"Eat my brains?" Taylor smiled sarcastically. "I already know. Geez, you think he'd send his messengers on time."
Wesley reached out quickly and grabbed the knife out of her other pocket just as the demon pounced on her. He threw it, hoping wildly for a miracle that would help the knife reach its mark. He watched in nervous anticipation as the knife whirled through the air and as the demon turned to look at him. Finally, after it seemed too much time had gone by, the knife stuck itself in the demon with a wet, slapping noise. The demon staggered backward and looked at the knife embedded in his heart. He fell to the ground and stared at Wesley with a fiery hatred until the light in his eyes died and his head hit the ground.
Taylor's shoulders slumped as she relaxed and she made her way over to the bench they had been sitting on.
"Nice aim." She said, smiling at him. "Thanks."
He nodded. "Any time."
The smile slid off her face. "Now what was it that you had to tell me?"
Wesley swallowed and shrugged. "I don't remember. I guess it couldn't have been too important then."
Taylor frowned as he got up off the bench and began to walk away. "Guess not." She murmured, before getting up and following him.
* * *
Xander sat on his bed in the basement and stared listlessly at the small television set that had found a home down there with him. There was some sort of game show on, although he had no idea who was winning or even how someone could win. Giles had told them to go home and not worry but Xander had absolutely no idea how any of them could take that advice. He knew that everyone was probably in the same boat he was in other than Taylor and Buffy. They were probably taking their anxiety out on the local demons and vampires. Xander chuckled, he almost felt sorry for those guys, he was sure the slayers were both in a pretty bad mood.
The next night could very well be their last on the earth and Giles didn't want them to worry? He didn't understand how he could even suggest that. Of course they were going to worry.
What they were going to try to pull the day after tomorrow was suicide. They might as well blow up the world themselves.
He propped himself up on one elbow as he thought about calling Anya, then decided against it. All she would want to do wasn't exactly what he had planned for himself tonight. Maybe tomorrow night since they were all probably going to die the next day. That would be an okay way to go. He grinned, then picked up the phone and dialled Willow's number.
"You've reached Xander Harris' house of parties." He said when she picked up the phone. "Please call back at another time, I'm busy at the moment with the ladies."
Willow laughed. "Gimme a break Xander."
He heard Buffy in the background asking why Xander was calling and his face fell. As much as he loved Buffy, he was craving a little best friend time with Willow.
"Why are you calling?" Willow asked, echoing her friend's question.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to come over for a little ice cream and man bashing tonight." He shrugged to himself. "I kinda thought Buffy would be out kicking some demon ass with Taylor. You don't have to come if you don't want."
"No way, I want to come. She'll understand. Maybe she'll even go spend some time with Riley."
"I don't want you walking around Sunnydale alone at night Will."
"I'll get Buffy to walk me." She answered. "I'll be there in a bit. I'll bring the spoons." Then she hung up and Xander listened to the dial for a few moments before he also hung up. He felt guilty not inviting Buffy along but he really missed what he used to have with Willow. Everything that had happened with them the year before and now that she was going to college and he wasn't, they hadn't been as close as they used to. He really wanted that back. He especially wanted it back before they all died.
* * *
After Buffy dropped Willow off at Xander's house, she found herself making her way to Giles' apartment. As hard as they tried to pretend this wasn't scaring them, they all knew it was. And they all knew that maybe this night would be one of the last they would have to spend with each other. Which was the reason Willow was over at Xander's and the reason Taylor was sitting in her apartment with Riley and Wesley. Joyce Summers was still out of town or Buffy would have gone to see her, so she was now standing on Giles' front step, wondering what she was really doing there.
She raised her hand and knocked lightly, then waited for him to answer the door. He came to the door still dressed in his clothes from that day but now with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his hair slightly rumpled.
"Were you sleeping?" She asked, immediately feeling guilty.
He shook his head. "No, not sleeping. Just watching t.v." He moved out of the way so she could step inside. "Come in and sit down. You can watch this show with me, it's hilarious."
Buffy took off her shoes and coat and followed him into the living room.
They sat in silence for a few moments, both of them staring at this 'hilarious' show, both of them not laughing when something funny happened.
"Is this how you imagined you'd be spending one of your last nights?" Giles asked. "Assuming that our plan totally fails, I mean."
Buffy smiled slowly. "Yeah, actually it is. I always assumed I'd be spending my last nights with people I loved." She laughed. "I also kind of imagined the others being here, but this is nice too. Everyone's in their own little world of trying to be completely and totally happy and that makes me happy."
Giles nodded. "I can see that."
"And I'm happy I'm here." She smiled at him. "I'm happy I get to spend this night with you."
Giles sat up on his couch and looked at her. "I'm ecstatic you're here Buffy. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a daughter and I'm so proud of you."
Buffy got up from the chair and sat beside him on the couch. "You know you're the closest thing I've ever had to a father and you know how proud I am of you. You've been there for me when I really needed someone Giles, you always have and I know you always will."
He placed an arm around her shoulders and she hugged him tightly and for one moment Giles actually felt like he had a real family. Then he realized that this was his family. These kids had become closer to him than any family could ever be and that was really all he had wanted all his life.
* * *
The next day was beautiful and Taylor sighed pathetically as she stared out the window. "Two weeks until Christmas and not a single snow flake."
Riley laughed from behind her. "Don't plan on seeing one either."
"But it's just not Christmas without snow." She complained, then turned to where Wesley was standing. He had spent that night on their couch. "Am I right?" She asked him.
He nodded. "Christmas without snow is just not as festive. You need snow, especially on Christmas eve."
Riley just laughed and shook his head before he left the room.
"Tell you what." Wesley said. "If we survive tomorrow, I'll take you and Riley somewhere cold and snowy for Christmas. He'll be able to get the full Christmas experience."
Taylor laughed. "We grew up in Iowa. He knows what snow looks like but after spending so much time here, I just don't think he appreciates it anymore."
Wesley nodded. "We'll go there. If we survive, Iowa it is."
She smiled. "You can meet the family." Her eyes widened and she laughed uncomfortably, realizing how that probably sounded to him.
"The family." He said slowly. "Taylor."
She looked up at him, blushing slightly.
"I love you." He took her hand and waited for her to say it back. When there was a long pause of silence he looked up to see her staring at him uncertainly.
"Did you hear me?" He asked, "I said,"
"I heard you." She interrupted him. "You don't have to repeat it."
"Why not?" Confusion and fright were filling his stomach. "What did I say wrong?"
Taylor stood up and backed away from him. "I don't know Wesley. I just don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything."
"When someone tells you they love you, usually you're supposed to say it back."
"So say it."
She shook her head. "I can't."
Wesley's mouth hung open.
"Think you can fix that hinge on your jaw?" Taylor asked.
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I just can't. You understand, don't you?"
He stood up and started toward the door. "No, I don't understand. How am I supposed to understand?"
"Wesley, I'm only twenty."
"I know that. I know I'm a lot older than you. Is that what this is about?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't even know why I said that. It has nothing to do with what I'm feeling."
"And what are you feeling?"
She let out a shuddering sigh. "I don't know Wesley. I honestly don't know."
"Fine." He opened the door. "Let me know when you figure it out." Then he walked into the hall and slammed the door shut behind him.
* * *