Chapter 18 Home

Oh Lord live inside me
Lead me on my way
Oh Lord live inside me
Lead me on my way Lead me home
Lead me home Oh Lord in the darkness
Lead me on my way
Oh Lord in the darkness
Lead me on my way Lead me home
Lead me home hummm...
hummm... Oh Lord heaven's waiting
Open up your door
Oh Lord heaven's waiting
Open up your door Lead me home

Lead me home

Lead me home

Lead me home

Lead me home

Lead me home

Lead me Home sung by Jamie N. Commons

The meeting ended and it was a somber one too. Everyone sat around the table; the place was so gloomy, empty, cold, dank. Angel was not here, Brian was gone and Dawn was stolen. There was emptiness all around and now everyone was pale after the horrible news was delivered. Buffy sat there with no expression, no movement, she looked lost completely lost. Isabella was standing up and while she processed the information it didn't mean she accepted any of it.

"No there has to be something else." Isabella insisted there was always another way right?

"Izzy, we've read these things backwards there's nothing else." Giles stated but he knew accepting this wasn't going to be easy to say the least.

"Go through it again." Buffy order and Giles sighed. The dining room was quiet and intense everyone was on edge. Buffy wanted to hear everything over again to make sure the Watchers didn't miss anything. Giles took his glasses off laying them on the table.

"The Key was once raw energy and can displace dimensions. Glory took over the dimension and is cast out. She searches for the Key; the monks put the Key in human form. The energy now is that of Dawn's blood. Glory needs Dawn's blood to open the dimensions up for her to get back to her own." Giles explained it of course there was more text but that is what it was in a nutshell.

"Now in order to open the portal and pull the dimensions apart the blood is poured into a specific place and time." Wes took over the conversion. "The blood flows into that spot opening hell all its creatures come through and Glory leaves. If the blood stops flowing then it'll stop." Wes finished but Buffy wasn't happy.

"But you're saying is if the blood stops flowing then hell goes away right?" Anya asked.

"Yes that's if it's stopped but with Dawn," Willow tried to explain but it was too painful to finish knowing what it meant.

"Blood flows the gates will open, the gates will close when the blood flows no more." Giles said in a monotone and paused. "When Dawn is dead." Everyone sighed, it's not what they wanted to hear but it was the only way.

"Why blood?" Xander asked. "Why blood I mean why can't it be lymph ritual or something?"

"Cause it's always got to be blood." Spike answered lighting up a cigarette.

"We're not actually discussing dinner right now." Xander threw back looking at the vampire who stood in the corner.

"Blood is life you wanktard." Spike shot back and Xander looked back up at him. " It's what keeps you going, makes you warm, makes you hard, makes you other than dead." He took a long drag and blew out the smoke. "Of course it's her blood."

"Well it's pretty simple math here we stop Glory before the ritual begins." Buffy said plain and simple. "We have time right?"

"If my calculations are right," Giles began. "But Buffy," Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up.

"I don't want to hear it." She said.

"Well I can see that." Giles's voice got a little louder and more stern something no one here was use to it at all.

"No! No you don't understand!" Buffy turned back to her Watcher sharply fighting back the tears. "We are not talking about this." Buffy said firmly as if that was the end of the discussion but Giles slammed his fist against the table and stood up.

"Yes we bloody well are!" He yelled at his slayer and everyone jumped. Buffy took in deep breath trying to hold back everything. Isabella stood there in tears; they were really talking about killing her little sister. Giles took a cleansing breath and started again. "If Glory begins the ritual, if we can't stop her," He was stretching out the answer no one wanted to hear but it was the truth. Buffy walked over trying to look bigger than she was.

"Come on say it," She challenged her Watcher. "We're bloody well talking about this. Tell me to kill my own daughter, her little sister. Say it god damnit!" She yelled in tears and quickly tried to wipe them away. Giles was quiet looking at her and seeing all the rage and anger in her eyes which lead to her soul a soul that was being torn apart slowly.

"To a degree she's not your daughter, she's not Izzy's sister." Giles said trying to go back to the basics to defend what the answer was. Buffy once again fought back the tears. But now Isabella step in.

"No, you're wrong, she's my sister, she's a little bit of my mom, she's a little bit of my dad which makes her my sister." Isabella added.

"I gave birth to her Giles, Angel and I made her, she's my daughter. I hold both my daughters and I can feel it. I can feel me, I can feel Angel. Dawn and Isabella are the only connections I have to Angel now, they're home to me, they make the most sense in the world, they're all that will ever keep me." Buffy choked out the last few words and wiped a tear away. Isabella started to cry too. "I lost my husband and I'll be damned if I lose my baby girl."

"We'll solve this," Willow reassured her and Buffy nodded. But that wasn't enough what can they do to stop all this.

"If the ritual starts then everyone will die." Giles stated and Buffy nodded but he knew her mind was made up she would not do it. "Dawn as well,"

"I'm sorry," Buffy said. "I love you all but I'm sorry I can't, I won't." She wasn't going to sacrifice another family member again for the world.

"Ok," Gunn spoke up. "All in favor for stopping Glory before the ritual?" He raised his hand. "Suggestions, ideas times wasting. Willow," He said walking forward to the witch. "You got a spell going right?"

"Wait we don't have to kill her." Doyle added and Cordelia looked to him.

"Yeah we just keep her busy it did say that it can only be open once, she misses her time then it can't open." Fred added and that seemed to raise some spirits.

"She's got what five minutes, we can keep a god busy for five minutes right? I mean let her knock us around," Doyle said and everyone began to talk a little more.

"Yeah then no more ritual she might be a little mad but we'll live." Gunn added but Glory being a little mad was understatement though.

"Ok, ok but I'm not hearing enough ideas." Anya jumped in. "She's a god let's think outside the box." Anya said while his hands formed a box.

"Why don't you go think outside the bleeding box?" Spike shot back.

"The Dagon's sphere," Anya blurted. "It was meant to repel Glory." Then she

"Yes it might drive her away." Doyle said.

"Actually it'll weaken her." Wes added.

"We got something then, the stews a stewin' I can smell it." Lorne smiled a little.

"She's becoming unstable right?" Isabella asked. "Like unstable in?"

"She needs…brains so to speak without them she'll completely shut down." Giles answered.

"Good so what will that do?" Isabella needed to know everything possible. "Can I defeat her?"

"Possibly," Giles answered that question as well meaning there was a chance.

"Awesome, great, got a plan now where is this taking place?" Xander asked and that was a good question.

"I've got places to be!" Levy yelled and they looked to her and they knew to follow her. She's been getting antsy all day wanting to leave.

"So now what?" Gunn asked.

"We go to war." Isabella asked.

The mansion was in full swing preparing. Every weapon was getting loaded into the cars and in a few hours all the slayers would be here. Having the slayer army can help but once the dimension is opened then there's only so much that can be done.

Isabella sat on the roof of the mansion and Buffy climbed up to the roof and found her. Buffy took a seat next to her and mother and daughter quiet looking out. It was a beautiful day, the sky was blue, birds were chirping and there was a soft breeze. This whole situation escalated quickly. This trip to Sunnydale was supposed to be a week in and out and they've lost two of their own and the world might end.

"How many apocalypses is this for us?" Isabella asked and Buffy gave a chuckle.

"Oh, too many, more than anyone should have to fight." Buffy answered and looked to Isabella. "Some how we've always stopped them, the world spun one more day." Isabella nodded and looked to Buffy.

"I don't know about this one. It's one thing to fight monsters but when your sister is the one to end it I…I don't know." Isabella kept the tears back. She still hasn't had time to cope with her father's loss let alone the fact her little sister could be killed and the world ends. "You and dad have made sacrifices for the world, for me, for Dawn. I mean you killed dad to save the world. I don't have that in me. What kind of world is this? Is it even worth living if all you do is save but everything is just stripped from you? What's the point mom?" Isabella asked.

"It's called fighting, it doesn't stop Izzy, I know it feels like you kill one vampire five come back. And," She then went back into time to what felt a lifetime ago something Angel told her and something she told him. "We'll never win but we don't fight to win. We fight because there's something worth fighting for. Strong is fighting and it's hard and it's everyday." Those words were so old but they still held true to their meaning. "I wish I could have given you and Dawn the childhood you both deserved but that's not going to happen."

"Dad always said that to me," Isabella smiled a little and she was still holding that hold cross and her father's old ring. "He always wished to give something he never had or something better than this life." Buffy smiled.

"We're going to win." Buffy stated trying to help and Isabella looked to her. "Got a feeling it might go down to the last of us." That part Isabella agreed on.

"You know," Isabella began. "There was one story dad told me and I always liked it even did a paper on Senior year." Isabella paused and Buffy looked to her. "It was about the Spartans and the three hundred men. Three hundred men marched to fight the Persians in the battle of Thermopylae. Three hundred against thousands and the odds were not in the Spartans favor. So they forced the Persians to funnel in and made a stand. The fight went down to the last man standing, the three hundred Spartans fought. They may have died that day but the Persians never won the war." Isabella finished and Buffy looked to her. "Dad always told me to be the last standing, never let the enemy go down without a fight and make them remember that fight." Buffy smiled, Angel has taught her well.

"Then we'll be the last ones standing." Buffy stated and Isabella smiled as Buffy held out her hand and Isabella took it. Just then a caravan of cars pulled up and mother and daughter stood up. The slayers have arrived.

Faith had to take a moment to be alone hearing of Angel's death. It was complete blow to the group and it was a man down and one man short. Angel might have been a human but he could still fight and they needed everyone in this.

All the weapons were packed, the gear everything. They were leaving the mansion and after this they would leave Sunnydale for good. There would never be a reason to come back to this place, too much pain, too much death. Isabella pulled her group aside and needed to say something to them before they left.

"I'm sorry," She apologized to them but for what? "I said that I was the leader but I'm not, we're family and before we go we need to be a family." Buffy had to smile just a little. "I can't kill my little sister not for anyone or anything. But you are my family and I'm sorry how I've acting I just," Isabella paused for a moment. "Just wish dad was here." Cordelia walked up to Isabella and hugged her then hugged Buffy. Everyone got up and hugged one another. Whatever happens now is anyone's guess. They could all die because of this but it's why they fight, it's what they've fought for all this time.

Isabella drove a car and in front of her were Willow, Tara and Levy. Levy would guide them to wherever Glory was. The sun had barely set and Buffy looked out the window with two million things going through her head. She thought about Angel most of all. She hoped he would help them some how. She hoped he was comforting Dawn in some way. Dawn was alone and Buffy knew she was scared and just wanted to go home. Buffy thought about what would happen after this. Where will she, Isabella and Dawn go? Home was where all four were and they were minus Angel. What will this do to them when it's over and that's if they survive.

Isabella drove thinking the same thing as her mother. She also just wanted her dad back. He always knew what to do; he knew how to fix things, make things right. Isabella knew she needed to push it out of her head and focus because if she brought herself down then she doesn't stand a chance against a Hell God no matter what. Isabella then felt her mom grab her hand and Isabella accepted. They both lost the man of their life and they cannot and will not lose Dawn.

Just a small chapter but a very powerful chapter. Now for the rest of the story I'm combining chapters and by doing that we got like three chapters left. The end has been typed up and it's a good one. After this story though there will be no more adventures of Isabella. The end sets up to where I could do another one but I'm not going to.

So what's next? We got to kill Glory right? I mean she killed Angel I say bring the bitch down. But who do you want to kill Glory? Should it be Isabella or Buffy? More soon, comments and reviews are most welcomed and thanks for reading.