Nancy flew out of the Bronze and connected with the pavement, the vampire that had thrown her was turning around and heading back inside deciding she wasn�t worth it. Nancy climbed to her feet painfully and glanced back through the smoke pouring out of the doors looking for Oz, Larry, or Jesse. She had seen Giles get out right before the fire had started, she wondered where he�d gotten to.

Suddenly a ball of flames was launched out the door at her, she fell backwards but managed to get herself to the side in time. The flames convulsed where it landed and the open mouth of what used to be Jesse looked shocked, a gap with the final horrors of death by fire.

Nancy swore under her breath and stood up dusting off her pants. She�d liked Jesse well enough, he�d been crushed when his two best friend�s had been turned and had joined the little brigade that kept Sunnydale from the brink of doom. Now he was just Barbeque.

Oz came charging out of the collapsing building his outer shirt was on fire and he shrugged out of it quickly and stomped it. He stopped as the final flames were put out. �Jesse.� He said taking in the still charred corpse.

Nancy opened her mouth to say something, as roar came from the inside of the Bronze. The Master didn�t seem too pleased with his minions tonight, good they�d done some damage.

�Maybe we�d better..� Nancy said, Oz was already in motion towards the high school. �Did Larry get out?� she asked finally it�d been swarming around in her brain like so many pesky mosquitoes.

�Yeah, he made it out the emergency exit. Dunno how far he got, I had a vamp on my back and one coming at me. �

Nancy nodded, it could get rough. Oz cocked his head and looked back. She turned around also and took it in, there were about ten very singed, very pissed vampires coming upon them. They were being lead by a redhead and a very nice looking brunette guy that might of been cute if he had a pulse. There was no way they would be able to take them all.

Oz growled low in his throat, �Run.�

And they did. They ran through what used to be downtown Sunnydale, Nancy could hear the leather and boots click against the pavement behind them. The vampires would overtake them soon, and then they�d be dead. Oz grabbed her hand and dragged her into what used to be the coffee house and slammed the door behind them.

It clicked.

Nancy swiveled her head around glancing at the empty dark room. The counter was clean but there was nothing left of the place that had been the java center for everyone. The doors started to shake as the vampires began pounding on them. �Will they hold?� she asked, backing away from them and moving towards the wall farthest from the door.

�I think so, if we�re lucky. There�s only about a hour or two before sunset.� Oz said moving to the corner and sliding down to the floor making himself comfortable. �Your bleeding.�

�Huh?�

He pointed, she looked. There was a gash on her arm and blood was dripping onto the fabric of her gray shirt. �Oh, probably got caught on the door on my graceful flight out..� Oz yanked a light blue handkerchief from his pocket and pulled her down next to him, beginning to clean the wound.

�Such the gentlemen.� she said with a smile.

�Unfortunately.� Oz grumbled, Nancy looked at him quizzically. �Nothing.�

There was another loud shout from outside and a rumble against the doors. �No. What�d you mean?�

�I hate being the gentlemen.� Oz said and shrugged, �I always had to be the one who drove Devon home when he got too smashed to see straight and always had to break-up with his girlfriends because he was too much of a spaz to do it.�

�Devon? That�s the guy who...� Nancy stopped. She hadn�t known they were close.

�Yeah, he was the first one the Master took after he ascended.� Nancy saw something like hurt flash behind Oz�s calm green eyes and then he concentrated on cleaning the gash on her arm.

�I�m sorry.�

Oz looked at her startled, �For what?�

�For making you be the gentlemen. I think it�s time that rule was out.� she whispered and leaned forward planting a kiss on his mouth, it seemed to last forever and a moment all at the same time. She finally pulled back and Oz�s eyes were slightly glazed.

�Way out.�

~*~End~*~