Splitting of Souls

DISCLAIMER: Not mine.

PAIRING: Holy moly, it's a B/A fic.  My very first proper one.

SETTINGS: S7/S4.  Post 'Showtime', and whenever Angel is in his little cage.

NOTE: Just for the sake of this making sense, Spike has already been rescued, but Buffy still wants to kill the Turokhan.

SECOND NOTE: Robin Wood is NOT the son of a Slayer in my world.  He's just the principal.

ONWARDS:

CHAPTER ONE: PULLED APART

Buffy kicked the Turokhan backwards, sending it stumbling a little.  It regrouped and threw a right-hook at her face.  She was tired, sore, bruised and bloodied, but she was determined to win this fight.  She and Willow had set it so that the Slayers-in-Training, or Potential Slayers, would be able to see that even monsters who are difficult to defeat can still be defeated.  Of course, that was the theory of it.

She was hit again, sending her crashing to the floor, her ribs aching.  Without warning, she felt something tear at her, except the Turokhan wasn't touching her.  This was more private, more intimate, more painful than anything she had ever felt, including her jump into the portal a year and a half earlier.  This was pure agony and part of her very soul was yanked viciously from her body. 

The Turokhan kicked her, and she rolled onto her back.  It grabbed her and threw her upwards through a plank of wood.  It climbed up to where she lay in a painful heap and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her into the air, choking the life out of her.

And that was when Buffy snapped.  She grabbed the crossbow bolt that was poking out of the Turokhan's chest, broke it from his skin and jabbed it violently into it's eye.  The vampire dropped her and Buffy recovered quickly, punching and kicking, making the creature back up until it fell from the platform.  Buffy jumped down after it, and after a quick fight, the Slayer and Vampire matching each other blow for blow, Buffy grabbed a piece of barbed wire, wrapped it around the Turokhan's neck, and pulled with all her strength.

The vampire's head came off and it crumbled into dust.  Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, brushed off her hands and looked up at the awe-filled Potentials who were all grinning and nodding their heads, feeling far safer about being in Sunnydale now that they'd seen their Protector in action.

"See," Buffy said, "dust.  Just like the rest of them."

She walked forward, still looking up.  She had to make it through these next few moments without collapsing in pain or emotional anguish.  She didn't understand what had happened during the fight, but she was going to find out.

"I don't know what's coming next.  But I know it's going to be just like this.  Hard.  Painful.  But in the end it's gonna be us.  If we all do our parts.  Believe it.  We'll be the ones left standing." Her voice was strong and clear, the voice of a leader.  "Here ends the lesson."

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Buffy was packing clothing into an overnight bag, Giles hovering nervously behind her.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asked.

"Giles, if I don't go, I'm not gonna be able to concentrate.  I don't know what happened, but I know it's bad," she explained.  "And knowing our luck, they could probably use a hand."

"But to go now?  When things are so up in the air?"

Buffy stopped moving and looked at her Watcher.

"Giles, I felt something happen.  I have to find out what it was, and I have to find out today.  Besides, with that Turkey-thing dead, the First is probably gonna back off to lick its wounds.  I'll be two hours away, that's all.  I've got my phone, you can call if you need me, but…I have to do this."

Giles sighed and knew there was to be no arguing with his Slayer, especially when it came down to anything regarding Angel. 

"Alright, fine.  But please check in when you know what's happening," Giles said, finally relenting.

He looked over his Slayer, almost surprised by the strength that she carried so well.  Even bruised, exhausted, bloodied and with stitches on her cheek, she was a warrior through and through, thinking of others before thinking of herself.  And, if Buffy was right and Angelus was loose on the streets of LA, then they could use the help of a Vampire Slayer.

"I will," she assured him.  "Make sure the girls don't go too close to Spike.  He probably hasn't fed in a while, so…just pigs blood.  Nothing human."

"If he becomes a threat…" Giles trailed off.

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes.  She hated that the First was using Spike as it's lapdog.  She hated that things had gone downhill so quickly, and that even though Spike was trying so hard to be a better man, he couldn't whilst the First was holding his strings.

"If he becomes a threat, then…then you'll do what you have to do," Buffy said quietly.

Giles nodded and placed a fatherly hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"I'll try to see that it doesn't come down to that."

"Thank you."