Guestage_87
Storyteller
Alright, odds are no one on these boards really remembers me, because I haven't visited in a long time. But one thing that I did contribute to these boards was my fan fic writing. One such fan fic stories is Twenty Years Later, a story that I began writing the summer after Buffy ended and as of this writing is still unfinished. So I bring to you the first six parts collected and cleaned up a little bit. Once again, this story was written before Angel season 5, so just pretend that everything ended with BTVS season 7. And as I was rewriting and touching up this story (which took a long time, I guess I used to write alot.), I realized that I am once again going to return to this story. So, Part 7 will be posted this week in this thread (since I figured spreading out my parts was probably wasteful). So, I hope you all enjoy the first six parts of Twenty Years Later.
PART 1
BURIAL GROUNDS
London, England
She walks through the cementary, her gray hair flowing in the harsh winds of this foreign atmosphere. Sure she has traveled all around the world over the last twenty years, but this is place that she has been trying to stay away from due to it reminding her of her true calling. That's why she left America years back, she chose a normal life and she paid for it. Only in the last couple of months has she realized that she wasn't living a normal life, she was living a life of seclusion. She hasn't had very many friends over the past fifteen years, she didn't chose not to be a slayer, she chose to be dead again. But it just seemed like even thought she wasn't the only slayer anymore that she was called as long as she stayed with her friends. She would keep trying to leave, but they just tried pulling her in. First it was just to restart the Watchers council, than it was to train more slayers, than she was battling vampires again. No matter which way she tried, she was still THE SLAYER.
Buffy Summers slowly walks around the graveyard, checking the tombstones for a certain name, a name the means a lot to her. This is not something new to her, in fact, she has had to do this many times over the course of the last few years. So many names come to mind, Jesse, Jenny, Kendra, her mom, herself, Tara, Jonathan, Anya, Rona, Riley and her biological father. She has outlived them all, even though she was not supposed to, her destiny was to actually die at an early age. But oddly enough, she outlived those she was sworn to protect and it eats her up inside. That's another issue she has had to deal with over the last few days, she is now the oldest slayer ever. She guesses she is now in the watcher's councils record books for that, if they have records. But now she is coming the realization that she may never die due to a question that nobody ever asked. What happens if a slayer is not slain in battle? The answer is simple, they don't, she can feel it in her bones. While most are supposed to get weaker with age, she actually gets stronger. Buffy Summers is never going to die.
While thinking this through, she stops dead in tracks, she finds the headstone she's been looking for. But it's not really a head stone, it's more like a shrine. As she walks closer, she thinks that if anybody deserved a shrine it was this man. She begins reading the words and bursts into tears once she is done reading the passage written on the shrine. She hasn't cried like this in this years, ever since her mom died actually, but who can blame her this is the man she only truly loved. Not in the way most people think, she never had any sexual feelings for this man. Although, she did have a father, that man wasn't there for her the way that her watcher was, he didn't teach her the way her watcher did. She goes down on her knees as she mourns her real father. Head bowed down the tears pour onto the very soggy grass as the words on the shrine ring through her head.
RUPERT GILES
1951-2023
HE WATCHED OVER ALL OF MANKIND
A FATHER TO US ALL
THE MAN WHO MADE HEROES
She knows that each saying written by each member of her family, even though she knows that her family has grown since she has left, these three are the core. Her two sisters and her brother, and Giles was like a father to them. In the beginning, he would point and tell them what to do and she would lead them through the darkness. Each time, she thought she would lose one of them, but each time family over came all odds. But apparently, those odds can't last forever, at least not for her mentor. She thinks back to the last time she saw him, about fifteen years ago, she told him and her friends to stay out of her life, and they did. She hasn't seen them since, not only did she miss his funeral a few days ago, she missed her sisters wedding, the other sister's promotion as a goddess and her brother's promotion in the Watcher's Council. This remorse grows deeper and deeper the more she thinks about Giles. But before she can go any deeper into the dark place she realizes that there is someone behind her.
"You know" The older man that stands behind her begins. "In his last words, he mentions you."
She turns around to see a face she misses dearly, although much older and bald, it's still the same old face. Xander Harris still has that charming cute smile he had when they were teens, and although he still wears a patch over one his eye, the one left shines brighter than ever. She stands up still sobbing and the two look eachother, they have no clue what to say. Instead of saying anything right off the bat she rushes to his arms and continues to cry. He pats her head, not knowing what else to do, both are filled with happiness that they are together again, but remorse due to the death of their father. They stay that way for a minute or two, then release and they are back to staring each other in the face once more.
"So," Buffy begins as she wipes the tears from her eyes, then she flashes that old, but still beautiful smile. "What am I supposed to say, Xander? I've been away so long."
"I don't really think now is the time to bring back past emotional issues, Buff. You left we cried, then moved on. Right now, I'm just happy to see you again. Although I wish it was under better circumstances. But still good to have you back."
"Sorry I missed the funeral, I only got word of his death a few days back." With saying that, she bursts back into tears. Xander reaches over and puts his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry that I missed the last fifteen years, I'm sorry that I missed out on everything." She didn't think that her emotions would come out so quickly. She embraces him once more as he strokes her hair.
" You know if circumstances weren't so grim, I could probably think of many sarcastic things to say. But before he died, he told me not to hate you. That if you ever came back, to let you back into not only my life but the rest of the family. That's a promise I plan to keep." He let's his embrace go once more as they have another moment of silence.
She twirls her now fading blonde hair as she tries to make small talk, she wants to avoid the real question she has. " So the Watcher's Council is all yours now?"
"Yeah," a brief boyish smirk returns to his face. " He left to me in his will, I'm still in disbelief that he would trust a man who dated a vengeance demon, a praying mantis, an inca mummy girl, and was a love slave to Dracula the watcher's council. I'm just as shocked as when he made me Vi's official watcher after the first HELLMOUTH was destroyed. Now I'm in charge of the whole operation, it's a very different experience. But now that "˜You're the one who see's thing' comment that Caleb made all those years back makes a lot more sense nowadays."
"Well," She smiles at how humble Xander has become over the years, he has grown up so much and she missed all of that. " You are the perfect man for the job, you've been watching my back from day one." She pauses again, trying to avoid the question that she has again. "How's Dawn been?"
"Happy, very happy. Ends up that she has the same taste in men that you do."
A curious look appears on her face as he says this. "What's that supposed to mean?"
" Maybe you'll find out one of these days." He pauses and looks back at her with a very unsure look on his face. "She's been a watcher for the last seven years, poor girl had to learn the risk of this job the hard way."
"What risk would that be?"
"Responsibility, a hard thing I had to learn. Her first slayer died within two weeks, she was very broken over it. Her second one took Faith's path, we had to send Kennedy to take her out. That made her almost suicidal, she really could have used you during those days. But fortunately, her third slayer is still around and quite an improvement.
"Please tell me it's not Andrew"
Xander chuckles just a little bit as she asks this. "No, like I said, he closely resembles someone you know very well and it's not anyone from the Trioka for that matter."
Again, she asks a small talk question to avoid the real one on her mind. " How's Willow doing?"
Xander now looks complex at this question. "Godlike, I really don't get to see her much anymore. She came down for his funeral and we caught up on old times but that's as far as it goes."
"What did she become?"
"Remember that old lady that you ran into when you were inquiring about the scythe?"
"Wait, she has turned into a withered old wench? That must be really boring for her."
"It is, but it's what she was called for. She kind of had to or she wouldn't have been fulfilling her potential."
"I guess your right, but wouldn't she get lonely." Xander gives a remorseful look to her.
"I think after awhile she wanted to be alone, after her first boyfriend left, her first girl friend died, and her second girlfriend realized that the whole lesbian thing was just a phase she was going through. And you were gone, she wanted to be away from people who would hurt her."
"Oh," She looks very upset with this revelation. "What about your love life?"
" Married twice actually."
"Really," a warm smile crosses her face as he says this. "What happened there?"
"My first wife, Sandra, left because she couldn't handle the fact that I was training underage girls to fight evil as a living. Also, she always felt like she was living in Anya's shadow. She just didn't trust me as much as I trusted her. Apparently I shouldn't have. I caught her making out with a sloth demon." He has a bright smile on his face trying to hide the pain.
Buffy looks very upset with this other revelation from Xander. "Who was the second wife?"
"Clem" A very amused look crosses her face, she laughs a little bit. " It was a spell that Andrew cast, imagine trying to carry that over the threshhold, couldn't lift anything ever since."
Both burst into laughter as he goes over this hilarious past event. Once they are done laughing, Buffy decides it's time to get to the real question she has in mind. "Xander, I hate to ask this, but how did his body look in the casket during the funeral?"
Xander's face turns from a huge smile to a frown very quickly. "Buffy there was no body for the funeral."
She becomes terrified at where this is going. " So then he was cremated?"
Xander has a problem getting this last part out because it sounds very sarcastic, but it's the truth. "In a way, yes."
Her fear has been realized once he says this, she knows what happened to Giles. "Oh god no, who sired him? Why would he even allow someone to do that? I'll dust them."
Xander begins to explain with a very blank expression on his face. " I don't know, I came right after he was attacked. He said his last words as a human, didn't say what vampire did it to him, just talked about the Scoobs mostly. It was a very sad experience for me and Dawn to see him turn into a vampire like that. Didn't last long because I dusted him right away."
Tears begin trickling down her eyes once more. "Xander, I'm so sorry, if anyone had to do it, it should have been me."
"No," She is shocked once Xander goes to his knees and begins to ball into tears. "It shouldn't have been anyone of us. This shouldn't have happened to him"¦"¦ to any of us, he deserved a natural death, not this tragedy. Everyday, he put his life on the line just to teach others the way of battling the forces of darkness. All of that, just to be turned into darkness. It's not fair, Buffy."
Buffy kneels down and begins massaging Xanders back in a comforting fashion. "I know," More tears stream down and onto Xander's shoulder. "What have you done to find out what bastard did this to him? I mean The Watcher's Council must have done something to look into this, right?"
Still crying he looks back up at Buffy. "I've tried, but most of the council's attention has been focused on the L.A situation."
Buffy is once again confused, she hasn't watched the news or read the newspapers, so she has no clue what has been happening around the world. "What happened in Los Angles?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 2
THE STREETS OF L.A
L.A, CALIFORNIA
"The whole city has been taken over by Vampires?" A near ederly Robin Wood asks as the hot California sun boils down on him. "I can hardly believe it."
"Believe it!" Faith responds, although in her early forties, she looks as fit and as beautiful as ever. The same can't be said for her long time companion, who has put on a few pounds since he turned fifty a few years back. Together they walk the streets of L.A, looking at all the abandoned cars and dead bodies, most would be saddened by this sight, but not Faith. She is a fighter who has seen and done it all, including
murdering humans and demons alike. She looks back at Wood who seems very unsure. " There certainly aren't any humans left alive around here. That means there has to be a mother load of nests, yo."
As they walk down the streets, weapons in hand, Wood has something he wants to bring up to her but doesn't know how to say it and doesn't know if now is the time for it. But if he has learned anything over the years of knowing her, it is never the time to say something that will discourage. He sucks it in and says it. "What happened to that settling down thing we talked about a few years back?"
She stops in her tracks as does he, she looks very pissed off at this question. " Are you going to bring this up again. We settled, remember?
Wood sighs as she begins to argue. " Faith, that was for two weeks and I don't call hiding out from the government disguised as a happy suburban couple in Ohio counts."
"Robin, you knew what you were getting into when we first started, be happy that you lasted this long."
"You know that I love you and I appreciate your calling, but frankly I'm not a slayer or a vampire or demon and I'm getting too old for this."
She looks straight at him as she says this, it hurts him every time she says these words, but he has taken such a liking to her. "Then leave, your acting just as weird as you did when I turned down that stupid ring of yours. Plus, you know that this is a very personal mission I'm on."
"I know but, I just can't"¦"¦."
"Wait, I found what I'm looking for." She interrupts him as he is about to say something very important at least to him. He tries following her as she runs towards a very abandoned butcher shop. His heart can't take it as he catches up to her. She stops at the door and pulls out two stakes, one for each hand. She signals for Wood to grab something, he pulls out a bottle of holy water as she sighs. "When did you lose the passion for this job? Holy water isn't going to get the job done." He just shrugs at her, he still can't understand how she isn't feeling the ravages of age, the funny thing is that she doesn't understand why he is. "Whatever."
She begins counting down to him with her fingers, he cringes at what's going to happen once she has only one finger left. She busts down the door with her left boot, then she goes running into the building. He follows right behind her and the first thing he see's is about a dozen vampires being set a blaze. Faith lunges towards the vampires towards the back and begins staking one after the other. He slowly passes by the bodies that are disappearing in the flames. One vampire approaches him and he slams the body of holy water on his face. Once he catches up to Faith, she has a vamp on the ground and holding a stake to his heart. She begins screaming into his face, there's information she needs to know, the vampire actually looks terrified. "Who did it? WHO KILLED ANGEL?"
"I don't know what your talking about." The vampire squeals as Faith has his arms pinned to the ground.
"Don't lie to me," Wood hasn't seen her this violent in years, even in bed. " Angel was this city's champion against you guys, there's no way you wouldn't know who he is."
"Faith" Wood interrupts her as she grills the vamp. "Maybe he doesn't know anything."
"Stay out of this Wood, stick to your holy water and watch my back." She doesn't even look back towards him.
He turns to look at the entrance, but then realizes that that is not the place to be looking. He spots a huge gaping hole in the floor in the butcher shop. Almost as soon as he spots, a horde of dark figures arise from it. "FAITH!!!! IT'S A TRAP!!!"
She throws the vamp down and lunges at the horde approaching towards her. She begins staking them one by one, but she is still overwhelmed. He takes notice that they are ignoring him and going straight towards her. As the vamps huddle ontop her, he pulls a stake out of his jacket and leaps towards the barrage of bloodsuckers that are engulfing his sometime girlfriend. He manages to stake about three, but still, they keep coming at them. He can hear that she is still alive, every once in awhile dust would get in his eyes, so she's okay for now. Him on the other hand, he's not doing too well, he's already starting to ache during this battle. And then once he leaps at another vampire and stakes, that's when it happens. It feels like his inside have just exploded.
Robin grabs at his heart as the pain grows in that area, he is quickly pushed out of the dog pile on Faith. He falls to the corner and realizes that he is taking his final gasps of air. He wonders if it was worth it, if fighting by her side was worth all this chaos. Does she really care if he lives or dies, apparently not, because here he is, dieing, and all she can think about is avenging the death of some vampire with a soul. As he passes onto the otherside, the vampires pick up Faith, still alive and struggling. She gives him one last worried remorseful glance, and for him, to know that she at least cared a little bit, made it all worth it.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
London, England
From the minute she hops into Xander's beautiful new car, she realizes how quickly it has become like old times between the two of them. Maybe not exactly like old times, Willow not being there sort of spoils the moment, but it's close enough for her. Then a really sad thought hits her, he too will die, just like everyone else, she will out live him. Buffy wonders why she even agreed to go with him, part of her thinks that she should have just said good luck and just leave Xander and the other slayers to the big work, it's not her job anymore. But there's just some things she cannot let go, like loyalty. Her father figure was murdered and sired, she can't just leave during that type situation. As much as she wishes she can just turn the other cheek and walk the other way, like many others she has seen before, it's in her nature to stay and fight. And to be honest, it's very comforting that that side of her still exists deep down inside.
But returning is going to be much harder than she wants it to be right now, only one person has forgiven her. Even though Xander was very eager to forgive, she knows that Dawn will not, it's not in her character. She doesn't know what her sister's reaction will be once she knows that she has returned, will she be happy or just angry. It broke her heart those first couple of years not having Dawn around, but she's spent so many years watching over everyone else. So once Dawn was all grown up, she packed her bags and left, she tries to forget that day. Tears and yelling went on between the two of them, but once Buffy put her foot down, she was greeted in a slap in the face by Dawn. Now that was painful, at the time she didn't understand why everyone had to throw a big fit when she left. But now she understands more than ever, even though there were other slayers out there, she was still there guardian. They couldn't just simply replace her with Faith or Kennedy or Vi, they tried that once and they regretted it. But those issues will have to wait, she needs to find out what happened in L.A.
"At first it just looked like another riot, it was L.A, we didn't think much of it." Xander begins to explain the current world situation. "Then it became more and more obvious what was going on, like the fact that the intial fighting and death was only going on at night. Once LAPD was taken out completely, they sent in the army, they too were immobilized. Then guess who was sent there next?"
"The Intiative?"
"Bingo," He gives her a big thumbs up and then goes back to explaining. " Yeah, and guess what? They failed worse then the first time around. After about a month, the government gave up on trying to understand and control the vampires, so they barricaded the city off from the rest of the world. About a week before Giles died, he sent Kennedy and a few scouts there to see exactly what was behind it. Most of the slayers and watchers were killed, Kennedy was the only one who was able to escape."
"Wow," Buffy is very taken aback by all this shocking information, she thought everything would be taken care of with her gone, but perhaps she was wrong. "This is bad, really, really bad."
"You are telling me, we have a city taken hostage by vampires and the mysterious death of the man who became my mentor." He gives her a look that gives her a lot of guilt. "Buffy, we really need you with us for this."
"I know Xander"¦."
"Please, I go by Alex now, some of us have grown up." She is surprised at how stern he is becoming now that he knows she has no choice to fight. " Buffy, I know this is hard for you, but you have to understand, it's ten times harder for those of us who actually stayed to fight the good fight. And to be honest, I hate having to ask you for anything, I wish I could do this on my own. I'm not leadership guy, that shouldn't be my job."
"Yes it should Xander"¦ I mean Alex. Do I have to call you that, it doesn't feel right?"
"A lot of things don't feel right nowadays, Buff. I shouldn't have to be in this position to make the decisions."
Now it's Buffy's turn to be stern. " Yes you should, because you damn well deserve this role, wish it was under different circumstances." She looks at Xander, who is now more than a bit worried about the current situations. "I have never met someone who was more loyal to the cause than you. Giles made the right decision in giving the council over to you. Don't waste it due to your lack of confidence. I will go with you and fight this one time, but don't be going to me to make some rash decisions. Xander"¦ Alex"¦ whatever you want to be called nowadays, this is your time to lead."
Xander gives a half smile to her again. "Well, you have never been shy with the speeches have you?"
"Well, you know me, I'm speech girl."
"Your wrong." He now gives her a full smile, she is surprised at how handsome he still is.
"Wrong about what?"
"Your not a girl anymore. Sad to say, but all of us are all grown up now."
"Scary isn't it?" She asks Xander sort of jokingly.
"Completely terrifying." He gives her another bright smile as they finally make it into a parking lot. She has never actually been to The Watchers Council in either the Traverse Regime or when Giles was in control, so this is actually kind of a treat. "Well, were here."
"Do I have to go?" She is sort of sarcastic while saying this.
"Hey if I have to lead, you have to go. Congratulations, your days of isolation are now officially over with." He opens the car door and then gets out, she soon follows maybe a little bit eager.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 3
BUFFY WON'T CHOOSE YOU
LONDON ENGLAND
"Buffy Won't Choose You"
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alex told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the Brit stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel, the travel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man"¦."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um British. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great singing voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an "˜I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and every time he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a "˜Lost' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fan boy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of "˜Lost'? John Locke? Hurley?"
"What"˜s a Hurley?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching "˜Charmed"˜."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on turn of the century sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
NEW YORK CITY
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
London England
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alexander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alex taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alex gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alex then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angles. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alex began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alex continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alex has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods her head to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alex who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alex. "So what's this all about? I thought we were here for the Watchers meeting."
Alex stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alex opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 4
THE BOY WHO NEVER WAS
Connor and Dawn's apartment, New York City
"So that's the story you never knew." Once the mysterious man named Whistler is done talking, a numb sensation comes over Connors body. Yes, it all seems so real, but it seems like a lie. This surreal feeling doesn't fade as Whistler begins raiding the fridge. " Question is why have you never questioned who you were up until the last couple of weeks?"
Connor walks over to him and pulls his hands off the milk that he was reaching. "That's expired. But the real question is why did I let you talk for over twenty minutes about a a guy who you probably made up." He knows that he's being defensive because what he is being told is the truth.
" Are you that afraid?" Whistler looks him straight in the eyes with contempt. " Doesn't it make perfect sense, the super powers, the need to fight the creatures who roam in the dark, marrying someone who is involved in the same profession, doesn't any of that click with you?"
Connor sighs knowing that he makes a very good argument. "I didn't get into vampire slaying until I met Dawn, I just wanted to help her out."
"But it came so natural to you didn't it? Like you were born to fight them or that someone taught you how to fight them, makes sense doesn't it?"
"No, none of this makes any sense whatsoever, your telling me that my life up until I was eighteen was a lie. I can't believe to tell you the loopholes that exist in your theory."
"The same loop holes that exist in the first fourteen years of your wife's life." Whistler winks at him.
"Dawn has nothing to do with this." Connor sits back down on the kitchen counter playing with his crossbow.
"Yes, she does." Whistler pulls a half eaten ham sandwhich out of the fridge and takes a bite. "She is a person who shouldn't have been and so are you, kind of cute how the powers worked you two together."
"I don't believe in any higher powers." Connor asking himself in his head why he is lying to himself, he knows that Whistler is right, but still he can deny his calling, can't he? "Me and Dawn are together because we love each other."
"True, but I'm sure the Powers had a hand in your meeting. You are still soul mates." Whistler throws the sandwhich in the trash and stands right in front of Connor. He knows it's coming now, Whistler is going to go in for the kill, he is going get him. "Your stubborn, just like your father."
Connor slams his crossbow down and gets right in the face of the good demon. "I'M NOT LIKE MY FATHER!!!!"
Connor catches that and slams his hands down on the counter, Whistler points and laughs.
"See, you do believe me. But you know what your problem is, Connor old boy? Your afraid of who you are, who you are supposed to be."
"Wait, I thought I wasn't supposed to be at all. Remember, just a son of two vampires to impregnate a higher power so she could give birth to a love demon." It's at that moment, that everything has come back to him, that the person he really was has come back to him. What he also realizes is that person was a confused boy who has been manipulated by so many people. That's not who he is deep down inside, he has the knowledge now that he is a good person who can make a difference. He is like his father, all three of them, Holtz, Angel and Gerald. But still, he must argue his point further, he doesn't want to give in that easily to this fantasy reality.
"Well, you were also supposed to kill a demon named SaunJaun." Whistler realizes that he has just given Connor more fuel for the rebellion fire.
"Wait," Connor points towards Whistler. "That makes no sense whatsoever, how can there be a prophecy about me ridding the world of the demon if I was meant to bring forth of the coming of Oprah-Goddess-Bitch? And what about the "˜father will kill the son' thing How do you explain that all mighty wizard of the beyond?"
"That part actually did come true." Whistler begins raiding Connors bread box now. "You have any white bread?"
"Next to the sink." Connor tells Whistler as he rushes to get some bread. "Oh yeah, he killed me around the same time he took charge of the evil law firm. Do you know how strange this sounds to a normal person?"
"Yeah, but sadly Connor, your anything but normal." Whistler takes a huge bit out of the bread and continues. "And you believe me."
Connor gives up, he knows he's no going to win, that he can't hide from his past. It came back and now it's going to ruin his future, he knows either way there is no going back from this point. He raises his arms up in defeat. "Alright, I believe you, deep down inside, I've always know who I really was. But why now, why are you here"
"To do the same thing I did with your daddy." Whistler takes a seat leaning on the counter right next Connor. "To give a step in the right direction, there's wrongs that need to be righted and with the Powers greatest hope dead, the responsibility goes directly to his son."
"Why?" Connor now finds another reason to deny his destiny. "I didn't ask for this."
"Do you think any slayer around the world ever asked to be what they are? Do you think that Angel asks for the gypsies to curse him with the soul? The truth is Connor, you have free will, that's what the Powers That Be are all about. You can use that free will to reach your full potential or you can waste it by maintaining your semi-ordinary life as your wife's cheerleading squad."
"So what do you want me to do?" After that he has no choice but to submit again, although there is apart of him that still wants to fight this, that wants to be normal.
"To journey into the center of hell." Whistler stands up and motions for Connor to follow him. Although, he doesn't want to, he can't stop his legs from following his demon guide.
"Nebraska?" Connor doesn't know where that witty comment came from, but sounds like something the black man from his dreams would say, either him or the green guy, Lorne was his name.
"No, Los Angeles." Whistler opens the front door for them and soon they find themselves walking away from the house and towards an old beat up truck in the distance.
"Wait, your insane." Connor's not stupid, he knows damn well what's in L.A, pure evil, a city run entirely by vampires. Connor stops in his steps and pleads his case once more to Whistler. "We can't just march into the middle of apocalypse R US and expect to survive."
Whistler stops and chuckles a little bit. "Who said anything about "˜we'? Like I said, I'm just here to give you a step in the right direction and then I'm gone. Who knows, maybe I'll do the same thing I'm doing now for your child or his child."
"Wait," Connor follows Whistler as he walks closer to the old beat up truck. "You want me to go into this alone? And you want me to leave right now, what am I going to tell Dawn?"
Whistler stops once more and looks Connor right in the eyes once more. "Call her and tell her your going on a business trip. Plus, I have a sinking feeling that your little wifey will be going on a journey all her own."
"What does that mean?" Connor is now confused by that cryptic message, he hates cryptic messages.
"I have a feeling that you'll find out sooner than later." Whistler begins walking towards the truck once more, the closer they get, the more his stomach sinks down to his knees.
"And to answer your other question, time is running out, you need to get going on your journey now if you want to stop the death that is to come."
"What is it exactly that I'm stopping?" This moment feels the most surreal in his mind, like he's walking towards a destiny that he should have gone towards long ago. "And how am I going to stop it if I have no idea what I'm doing and no one with me?"
"Not really sure what it is your fighting, but I'm guessing it's the end of the world, cases like these always have something to do with an upcoming apocalypse, used to happen once a year, now it's an occasional five years. But this one feels like it could be the end all of summer movie of Armagedons." Now they stand right next to the truck, and for the first time since this whole conversation, Whistler has a blank stare on his face. "And I never said you were going to have to go it alone, I've arranged a guide for you."
The driver side of the truck opens up and a man who looks to be in his late thirties or early forties jumps, he's wearing blue jeans and open flannel shirt, on his head is a cowboy hat and he's wielding a really sharp samurai sword. The man walks up to Connor and puts his sword his side, he reaches out his hand to him and smiles him a very sly devilish smile.
"Hi, Connor," Connor feels another pain in chest as he takes the urban cowboys hand shakes it, he does not trust this man whatsoever. "I'm Lindsey McDonald, when were done saving the world, I'll be the man who kills you."
Whistler puts his hands on both of the men's shoulder and gives them a bright smile. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine, have a good trip."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Watcher's Council, London England
"And he's a vampire fighter like the rest of us, but he sure seemed to know what he was doing a whole lot better than any of us when he joined up." Buffy recoils at the thought that she missed out on the amazing stories she is now telling her. What kind of person is she to miss out on Dawn's life, why did she have to bail out on her own sister? Now she can't even remember the answer to that question, all she feels now is remorse to the past she missed out on. She could understand how Alex can forgive her, but she never fathomed Dawn forgiving her that easily. And it's as Dawn begins her next sentence that she realizes something, Dawn was able to do something that Buffy never could, she moved on. Dawn continues as Buffy realizes what a mature young woman she has become. "But I've been very worried about him as of late, he's become very dark and moody, well more than usual."
"And dark and moody is something he does often?" Buffy is actually a little hesitant to trust her sister's husband by the explanation she is giving. From her own experience, dark and moody is never a good combination. But what does she know, Dawn is proving as they talk that she has become the more mature of the two. Again, Buffy questions what has she become?
"Oh yeah, totally turned me off when I first met him, I was actually dating Andrew at the time." Dawn says regretfully, of course, Andrew and the other are in the other room figuring out what their next move will be.
"You dated Andrew?" Buffy asks half surprised, but she can see where the young Dawn could find him charming in a weird dorky way.
"Yeah," Dawn says sort of snickering at the thought now. "But that was for only a few weeks, then I met Connor in L.A chasing my rogue slayer. He immediately became persistent, but I wouldn't have any of it, due to the fact that I was dating someone else at the time, but in the end, he won my heart."
"That must have killed Andrew." Buffy knows how sensitive the bookkeeper of the watcher's council is.
"Actually no, him and Vi started hooking up around that point, but they try to keep that relationship secret, only a few of us know about it." Buffy at first takes solace in the light in Dawn's eyes, but then ends up in envy of it.
You weren't even supposed to be here. She finds herself thinking, doesn't know why but the inner voice in her head begins preaching hate towards her sister. Sometimes I wish the monks never made you, especially right now, I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt I'm feeling right now and certainly wouldn't have come back to this life, I would still be on my own able to run away from you and the rest. Buffy almost pukes at the thoughts she has towards her little sister, how can she even think that? It wasn't more than twenty five years ago that she died for her sister, now she's wishing that she was never born. Why? Because now she has to pay for isolation, because now she has to actually deal with a decision she made years ago. And also, deep down inside, she's jealous that Dawn was able to handle the life that Buffy couldn't balance, she's fighting the forces of the occult while having a normal with a fairly normal husband. Even someone who shouldn't be is living the life she was supposed to live better. How can she be thinking all of this? What is she? Definitely not the hero she used to be, that's for sure.
She tries to find something to talk about, to say something so she could love her sister instead of this hate that she's feeling right now, but they are interrupted by a young girl who slams open the door to Alex's private office. She gives Dawn a very impatient look, Buffy realizes that this must be Reese, Dawn's latest charge, Buffy could tell that this girl has a bad attitude but what slayer doesn't. The girl taps her shoe on the floor and looks at her watch. "So Dawn, we ready to leave yet. You had your little watcher meeting, now let's jet, I want to patrol."
Dawn stands up and sighs at her unrelenting slayer as Buffy gets on her feet as well. "Actually, we are going to be staying here a little longer than expected." Before Reese has a moment to complain Buffy extends her arm and Dawn introduces them to each other. "Reese, this my sister Buffy."
A look of surprise enters Reese's face as Dawn just said that. "Oh, this is the sister that abandoned you when you needed her the most." Dawn is just as surprised with Reese's honesty as Buffy is.
"Wow, your rather blunt aren't you?" Buffy exclaims at this little brat. But of her likes that she brought it up.
Dawn looks very embarrassed at what her student just said. "Buffy I'm so sorry, Reese doesn't know how to hold her tongue." Dawn looks at Reese with a very stern look and Buffy is surprised by the authority her little sister is showing. "What did I tell you about that, a slayer isn't just a warrior, but she must also be polite, especially when it's a family member of mine."
Buffy has to interrupt because, despite her rudeness, Reese has a point. "Dawn, it's okay, although she's a complete stranger. She has a point, but I think we should have that conversation just between the two of us."
Right before Dawn is about to dismiss Reese, they are interrupted by Kennedy who just struts into the room like she is the greatest slayer who has ever lived. "But that's going to have to wait. Alex says he has news about Giles sire, he's treating it like an urgent situation. He wants to see all three of you in the war room right now."
Just as Buffy is going to say they are on their way, Dawn steals the lead from her. "We are on our way." Dawn puts her serious watcher face back on and walks out the door passing Kennedy. "Reese come on." Reese sighs but follows her watcher out the door.
Buffy smiles at Kennedy as she trails slowly behind the others, she stops at the slayer general as she caresses the scythe hanging from her holster. "Wow, she's grown up."
"Yes," Kennedy agrees as she closes the door and gives Buffy a very dirty look. "Funny that you haven't what so ever."
Buffy is once again taken aback by Kennedy's trademark attitude, of all people, she at least thought Kennedy had respect for her. "Excuse me."
"You heard me," Kennedy begins walking down the hall side by side with Buffy. "Your friends and family may have welcomed you back with open arms, but I and the rest of the slayer family don't want you here. You should have stayed gone."
"And what gives you the right to say that?" Buffy asks wanting to lay Kennedy out on the floor, not the first time somebody wanted to smack her upside the head.
Kennedy unleashes the scythe and holds it against her chest. "This does. When you left, who do you think had to pick up the slack? Not Faith, I'll tell you that much. I did it all, I proved that I am more of slayer than you'll ever be, because I never quit, never had a moment of weakness. And when I did have somebody holding me back from my true potential I dropped her like the bad habit that she was."
"I'd watch how your talking about my best friend there, Ken." This conversation is enraging Buffy more and more. "Somebody might just knock you off your high horse."
Kennedy gives Buffy an almost sinister grin. "Funny, nobody has over the last fifteen years and I'll be damned if I let some retired slayer replace me."
"Kennedy," Buffy of course could tell the jealousy that Kennedy had for her even when she was just a potential. "Is this what it's all about? Your afraid I'm going to replace you."
"Makes sense doesn't it? You come back, get all nicey nice with the head of the Watcher's Council because after all these years you know he still has a boner for you. And then you prepare to resume the role of head slayer."
Now she's pissed and stops dead in her tracks staring down Kennedy. "My god, the man who I saw as my father just died and you are worried about me taking your place. You are the most selfish ego maniacal person I have ever met Kennedy and I'm talking about ever since you were a little maggot."
Buffy notices the rage in Kennedy's eyes grow and her right fist go up. "NOBODY CALLS ME A MAGGOT!!!" Kennedy goes to throw a blow, but Buffy blocks it and hits on the jaw with a hard right hand.
Buffy wonders what kind of impression she's making as Kennedy hits the ground dropping the scythe on the ground. "Sorry Kennedy, I know I've been out for a while, and I know I've been coward. But no matter which way you stretch it, I will always be a slayer. And you, you've wasted everything that was given to you by being a spoiled brat." Buffy picks up the scythe and hands it to Kennedy who is laying on the ground, Kennedy quickly takes it from her. "I guess me and you are in the same boat, because it seems like we are the only two who haven't grown up around here."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 5
THE PRICE YOU PAY
BlackPool England, The Rayne Estate
"I'm telling you, he doesn't know anything." Buffy says as they stand at the gates of the huge mansion. She stands in between Dawn and Alex, all armed with weapons, behind them is a very bored Reese, who is snacking on potato chips and listening to her head phones. " He's Probably just trying to play another mind game with us."
Alex looks at Buffy, very understanding, but not really paying attention. "You know, your probably right, but we got to go with every lead we have."
"You sure you must be here Alex? I mean most of your attention should be on the siege in L.A." Dawn says breaking from the group and stepping towards the gates.
"Maybe, but this is a personal issue, I need to stake the vamp who did this. Rupert had a few years left in him, he would've handled these problems a whole lot better than me." Alex follows Dawn.
"The self pity is getting really annoying, your doing the right thing, your going with your heart. It's the best anyone could ask of you." Buffy joins both of them at the gates, ready to enter.
Alex presses the button by the gates. "Let's get this slay show on the slay road."
A very familiar female voice rings over the intercom next to the gates where the quartet stands waiting to get the information they are looking for. "Rayne Estate, who may I ask is this." Buffy knows that voice, she just can't tell where she knows it from.
"This is Alexander Lavelle Harris, from the Watcher's Council, Ethan is expecting us."
"Yes," The voice over the intercom speaks, again, so familiar. "He has been expecting you for more than a few days. How's Willow doing?"
Dawn presses the button down and answers for Alex. "More powerful than you will ever be."
The female voice laughs over the intercom, but then she coughs a little. "Oh, little sis, is your slayer there with you." The voice pauses and then begins again. "And she is, and what's this, what a very pleasant surprise, big sis is here too."
"Just open the gates, you rat, so we can get the info we need from your geriatric mentor." Alex demands as he puts his hand back on the button.
"Will do, boss!" Buffy finally realizes that the sarcastic voice is a confused girl who she used to go to high school with. The gates open, and they have access to the mansion, Alex and Buffy walk forward.
"Reese, come on." Dawn looks back and realizes that Reese has been paying no attention to what's been going on for the last couple of minutes, too busy rocking out to the no. 1 band in the world on her IPOD.
Dawn walks back to Reese who still hasn't gotten the gist that it's time to move out. Reese starts singing her rock tune. "Witchcraft, Werewolf, love, lesbians, spells, just can't get away from myself." Reese doesn't even know she has started to sing, Dawn kind of laughs at her. " Giant Snake, Larry's gay, flaming arrows making me ache." Reese starts banging her head as she starts singing the chorus. "Death, death in the High School. Death, death in the dorms. Death, death at Bronze."
Dawn pulls the head phones off of Reese's head and takes her hand leading her on.
"Come on, time to interrogate." Dawn urges her charge.
"But that was my favorite song by the greatest band in the world."
"Yes," Dawn pulls her even more forward. "We all love the "˜Humis' song, but it's time to work." Reese reluctantly follows her watcher, but suddenly, her cell rings.
"What was that about going to work?" Reese asks with a sly smirk. Dawn is going to pass up the call but she notices it's her absent husband, so she has to answer it.
"So, you finally decided to call." Dawn jokes answering the phone. She listens to her husband for a seconds before answering. "London's good, there's a lot of stuff going on right now, so I'll be gone longer. But I'm kind of in a hurry now, we are investigating a witness to Gile's death." Reese watches as her mentor listens to her husband. "Oh, your going to be gone too." She listens in a little bit more. "So, where are you going?"
Lindsey's Car
"I'm sensing a bit of a communication problem between you and your Mrs." Lindsey smiles as he sips on the soda he bought from the last Burger King they were at. They've been driving for four hours now and Connor has yet to say anything to him. Lindsey takes great comfort in this guys conversation with his wife. Lindsey has always been quite good at sensing weakness, including his own. " No action in the bedroom?"
Connor puts his phone back in his jacket and looks at his guide blankly. " I don't want to have this conversation."
Lindsey, ever the jackass, persists. "Oh, I get it, it's not just in the bedroom. You don't get to see her too often, do you? She's all busy with her watcher duties and her slayer, that leaves you here to live the normal life and fight demons and vampires casually."
Connor turns towards him, frustrated and speaks to his driver. "That's all changed now hasn't it?"
"Yeah, that's got to be weird. One moment your just another thirty something wasting away his life, then the next "¦"
Connor finishes Lindsey's little speech. "I'm on my way to a suicide mission for a father I never really knew."
Lindsey takes another gulp of his drink then throws it out the window. "I knew Angel."
Connor looks up, more interested then Lindsey thought he would be. "You did? What were you guys partners?"
"Hell no, I hated him. We were bitter enemies, I'm still pissed off that we never got to have our battle to death."
Connor is now even more confused by this man then he was before. "If you and my dad were such bitter enemies, then why are you helping avenge his death? It doesn't make much sense."
Lindsey gives his handsome smile once more. "You'll realize that when dealing with the forces of good and the forces of evil, not much really makes any sense. Best thing to do is to strap in for the ride." Lindsey pauses as he looks at Connor. "And as far as to why I'm helping, I never got to kill him, God knows I'm going to kill the person who did."
"Wait, isn't that my job? To avenge my father's death?"
"That's what people like Whistler want you to believe. Your real job is to watch my back, there's a powerful force in L.A, and I need a good back to make sure I don't get killed until I get my moment." Lindsey pauses again. "Now, I know you've probably read all about this on the news, but it goes way deeper than that. L.A, as you may also know, is now run by vampires."
"Yeah, but my wife's council is taking care of that." His thoughts are now back on Dawn. He really misses her.
"But there is a force that is leading the vamps, something more sinister than any vamp or demon that you can imagine." Lindsey's look is rather grim now.
Connor finishes Lindsey's thoughts. " The Wolf, The Ram, and The Hart. Lawyers are the ones controlling this whole L.A massacre?"
Lindsey chuckles again as he turns the steering wheel. "Yeah, you got it right on the nose. Do you really think a vampire can organize that kind of siege on a city? They needed something big to lead them and that would be the Senior Partners. Granted, the Partners are probably using a big up in Wolfram and Hart to arrange this, probably the same person who killed your pops."
Connor is now curious again in what this older man has to say. "Do you know who it could be?"
Lindsey thinks hard then answers him. "If I wasn't caught up to speed I'd say my old buddy Lilah would have found a way to put the old kibosh on him. But old Angel had so many enemies, it could've been anyone."
"Then how do you plan on finding this mystery man who killed my father?"
" I have my sources, plus I'm sure it had to be someone close to him. Maybe his watcher friend decided to get a little payback on him."
Connor sits up and tries to process all of this in his head. "So, let me get this straight: we are going on what probably is a kamikaze mission for a man I have fuzzy memories of and you hate."
Lindsey grins as Connor let's the question dwell for a few seconds. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Now I have just one more question for you."
"Shoot." Lindsey is still grinning.
"How can I trust you?" That's a question that has been lingering in his mind for several hours now and Connor knows what Lindsey's answer is going to be.
A wide smile raises on the face of Lindsey Mcdonald. "You can't."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Lobby of The Hyperion Hotel
The minute she comes to, she automatically recognizes her prison that she is in. In tears over Robin, Faith begins to struggle in the chair that she has been strapped into, but quickly realizes that she is paralyzed. Her memories come racing back to her as soon as she realizes this. For the first time in years, her vulnerability gushes out of her when she thinks that the only person she could've really loved is dead. Not Angel, of course, that was more of a love one would have for her father. What she had for Wood, was really love. Tears stream down her face because it took his untimely death to realize that.
But she has no time for that, whoever is keeping her here is going to be back any second, she needs to find some way to get unparalyzed. She takes a gander around for any weapons or any way out of this, what she finds instead is a story. The hotel looks more beat up then it did twenty years ago, in fact, looks like a huge battle took place in here. Her second clue is the body hanging a little off the balcony, it's a body of a woman in her thirties, in red spandex pants and gloves on her hands. Although she doesn't recognize the molding female figure, she knows it had to be one of Angel's many allies. Then, a second body laying on the flight of stairs, a long haired man with half his brain hanging out of his forehead, next to him is his fallen sword. Again, doesn't recognize the man, but has heard several stories of Cordelia's boyfriend from another dimension, she guesses this must've been him. But the third body almost makes her scream, if she could, she probably would've, vulnerable state and everything.
She utters out these words even during paralyzes. "Lorne, you friggin bastards got Lorne." Impaled on the wall of the Hyperion by a huge axe is the headless body of a green demon in a flashy suite. "I'm going to kill whoever did this. You hear me." Her anger is almost enough to snap Faith out of her state, but still not enough. "My boyfriend, Lorne, Angel. They will all be avenged, I'm not afraid of whoever you are."
"It doesn't matter." A child like voice behind her says. She can't lean back to see this child who apparently has been behind her the whole time. "Nothing matters anymore, Faith."
"Who are you?" Faith asks the child. She can tell that the voice is definitely male and definitely English. "Can you set me free?"
"I told you, it doesn't bloody matter." The boy snaps.
"Don't take that tone with me junior, unless you want to end up splattered on the wall with the rest of martyrs here." Faith doesn't feel bad whatsoever for yelling at this boy.
"I am already a martyr, several times over actually. It's a real brain bender of a tale if you ever have the time to listen to it." The boy almost sounds gleeful as he says this.
"I know you." Or at least she thinks she should.
"It doesn't matter what you know. Forget it." He sounds to be about nine years old from his voice, so she shouldn't know him. But she thinks she does.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a slamming door, the boy behind her gasps. The lights dim as she hears footsteps come from upstairs, they are almost booming. Although she doesn't fear what's coming, goose bumps arise over her body. "Who is that?"
"Not the worst, that is yet to come. But he is pretty damn close." The boy says behind her. "You should run."
"Well, help me junior." She says a dark figure appears on the balcony and smiles.
"Sorry, I can't, he'll torture me again." The boys says creeping off.
"That's right. Funny, you've become very smart since your recent transformation." The figure says now walking down the stairs. His voice is vaguely familiar and his body is also recognizable. But she doesn't want to believe that this is what he has become. He has a flame thrower in his right hand and a battle axe in the other. He looks her way and has a wide grin on his face. "Well Faith, this whole situation seems quite familiar, doesn't it."
The tears are streaming down again as the bumpy headed former watcher walks closer and closer towards her. "No it can't be. This is not you."
"Ah, stupid, stupid Faith," The british man pauses for a second. "Remember, you had me tied up and you did all kinds of meaningless torture to me. And why? Because you were a killer, that's what you did best. Well, now it's my turn to unleash meaningless torture on you. So, have you found your redemption yet."
"You don't want to do this."
The vampire finally comes into the light and Faith can clearly see the now sinister face of Wesley Wyndam Pryce. He leans towards, now starting up the flame thrower, getting ready to deliver her final judgment. He has a wide smile on his face as he puts foreward the flame towards her left arm. "Yes Faith, I really do."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 6
REVELATIONS AND BETRAYALS
Watcher's Council, London England
"When did we become the B-team?" Vi asks while sitting down at the other end of Andrew Well's desk. Both are researching several different books on vampire nesting and migration habits, toiling away to figure out a way to stop the current rise of vampirism on the west coast. Andrew looks up from his book, he is actually hiding the newest issues of "Astonishing X-Men" in it, he smiles at her with a coy expression, she smiles back. "I didn't use to do research."
"But vastly aging one, you are the one who told Kennedy you wanted to retire. And me, I guess I've kind of have always been a member of the B-Team. I mean I've always been a watcher, so research is my thing." I tries to go back to his comic, but he notices the look in his untold lovers eyes. "What's wrong my dear?"
Vi doesn't say something for a moment, she doesn't KNOW what to say. The things she is thinking aren't very nice and she knows she is not in the right for thinking of it. But why should she hold anything back from Andrew, her unofficial life partner? They've been together since he became an official watcher, although no one really ever knew for sure. And it was tough for her to keep his mouth shut about it too, he immediately called Clem and Willy, but after he got the gist that she wanted to keep the relationship between them and not the whole Watcher's council he kept his mouth shut. He is actually very loyal to her, not a puppy dog loyal, but he stays by her. So why is she holding back on him? "It's just Buffy."
"What about the slayer of the VAMPYRES?" Andrew gives her an even wider smile which still makes her glow. He's been saying this since he first joined Buffy's little band during the battle on the Sunnydale HELLMOUTH. She just thinks about how much she is in love with him and decides that no, she can't hold anything back from him.
"I hate to sound like Kennedy, but the minute that she came back things changed didn't they?" Vi cringes as she says this.
"You mean how she automatically took the forefront as the leader again?" Andrew rubs his forehead for a moment.
"Yeah, shouldn't we hate her? She walked out on the cause and now that she's back, it's all about her again. It wouldn't be that easy for me and I know it wasn't that easy for you or Faith to get back on good terms with the gang." Again, she feels so out of character saying this stuff, she remembers when she began this that she used to be just a fly on the wall, how things have changed in twenty years?
"I thought that too at first, but then I thought about it, Giles was killed. Rupert was like a father to her, I don't think she really cares about what we think about her. The only thing on her mind right now is to find his sire, she doesn't care about the L.A situation, she thinks she needs to be the one to make things right." Andrew isn't smiling anymore because she knows that deep down inside he agrees with her.
Vi thinks for a moment and then answers him. "But he was like a father to us too, especially to you. And we stuck with him longer than she did, we've been a tight band for twenty years now."
Andrew chuckles a little bit. "But now it feels like your back to being a supporting character again. Because this has always been about THE slayer, which Buffy is and your not, you are just an offshoot, a spinoff of her power. But you have to understand, being the chronicler of the slayer mythos, it began with Buffy, Giles, Willow and Alex, in everyone's mind it's going to always be about those four, and Dawn."
Vi slams her fist down on the desk and pouts at him, he knows that she's not mad at him, just frustrated with the situation. "But this didn't begin with Buffy, it began with the primitive and a bunch of greedy old men, it should be about us now." She pauses for a moment and then realize what she is saying. "My god, I sound like Kennedy."
"Yeah, you do and look at her." Andrew rubs his fingers to his chin for a second then looks back at his non girlfriend girlfriend. "She has never been able to love because of that attitude and I hope that isn't you, I don't know if I would be able to stand that truth, especially in these times."
Vi knows what he is saying, he wants to be reminded that she is his "one", something she isn't reluctant to say to his face anymore. "Andrew, you know how I feel about you now, after all these years, you still need to be reminded?" She then realizes after all these years that he suffers from that trademark low self esteem. "I love you Andrew Wells, you were the only one here who didn't make me feel like a supporting character, you make me feel like the star of your big movie."
Andrew leans over towards her face, getting ready to plant a kiss on her but then thinks back to when they first met. He was tied up in the Summer's household, with garland and holy wrapped around him as well (because Xander thought it would be festive due to the Xmas season) and even then he sort of knew who she would become. Sure, at the time he thought he was gay, but he's glad that it didn't happen that way. "Vi, you will always be THE slayer to me."
As she leans in closer, a thought pops into her head. "We are nearing the end aren't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, it feels like we finally gotten to the end of days." And the feeling inside eats her up, it has been since Giles death and even more since Buffy returned. "It feels like everything is coming together so perfectly for the "¦"¦"
Andrew finishes her sentence. "The final chapter?"
She bends over even more and kisses her man on the lips and then pulls away. "Yeah, your story is coming to an end."
Andrew grabs her by the neck and pulls her towards him and they have another smooch, they pull away and look at each other. "Yeah, I have that feeling too. And we know it's for real this time don't we? Not another fake out, the end is near."
"No, the end is here." She is now laying on the Watcher's council book keeper's desk and she feels him reach for something in his pocket as they embrace once more.
"In that case "¦." He says as she hears something click in the palm of his hand, she looks down and sees a huge diamond ring sitting in it's case. She lights up as he gently pulls her away then gets down on one knee. " I feel like such a dope for saying this with the way things are going. I've been contemplating this for so many years now, but only now do I feel comfortable saying this. I mean asking this."
On the desk, she has a wide smile on her face and doesn't let him finish his sentence. "Yes."
Andrew doesn't pay attention at all and continues his monologue to his girlfriend. " I know that I'm a nerd and former evil genius and well a murderer, but I was hoping that you could look past all of that "¦"¦"
"Yes, I will marry you."
Again, he is so focused on his speech that he doesn't hear her answer again. "So what I'm asking is "¦.."
Vi puts her hand over his mouth and looks at this adorable man in the eyes with great affection. "Andrew, I said yes. I will marry you."
Now Andrew is smiling as well as Vi sits him down on the chair and begins to embrace him. He is shocked at her answer, he can't believe what he is hearing, not in a million years did he think that she would answer yes. "Really?"
She kisses him on the lips again just to confirm for him and now they are fully making out on his chair when they should be researching right now. They continue for a good five minutes, letting the astonishment of the moment over come them, they don't care who's watching, they are about to get it on. But that moment is ruined once the lights all over the building go out.
They finish their embrace and look at each other both shocked at the lights going out on them. Andrew feels a big sense of a buzz kill at this moment and just stares at his fiancée. "What was that?"
Then a flaming arrow flies through the window of the Watcher's council, making the glass shatter around them. He quickly pulls her behind him and the chair for shelter, he's not going to let anything take her away from him. He knows that she is fully capable of taking of her self, but she feels safe letting him be the MAN now, not just safe comfortable. As the arrow hits the wall the wall suddenly erupts in flames and the door to office smashes open. Both are expecting the enemy, but they are staring at the slayer master general, Kennedy who has a grin on her face, she knows that she caught them at a bad time. "Come on guys, let's get the **** out of here."
Vi and Andrew run towards her and the exit out of the room that is now catching on fire. Once they make it to Kennedy, Vi gives her an a very worried look. "Kennedy, what's going on?"
Kennedy now has a stone cold reaction on her face. "We have a situation on our hands, a bad one." Kennedy leads them out of the office and into the halls of the Watcher's council that is filled with panicked council members and slayers.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Hyperion Hotel, L.A, CA
"Are you still five by five Faith?" Wesley asks as he sticks the wooden stake into her shoulder blade, she wonders in horrible pain when this is going to end. He been going at this for six straight hours, and the smile hasn't left his face. Of course, he has taken breaks to taunt and verbally torture her, but mostly it's been burning her and sticking blunt objects into her flesh. She is still trying to get over the loss of Wood during all of this, and to make things worse, him nor the little runt who has been running around has answered any of her questions. She still doesn't know how Wesley has become this way and who this mysterious child is and of course what happened to Angel. He pulls the stake out once more and looks at her with a menacing smile underneath his point forehead. "Does this earn you redemption Faith?"
She looks at him and is interrupted by the little boy behind her. "Redemption isn't always all it's cracked up to be."
Wesley looks at the little boy very bemused and then snaps at the kid. "Shut up, William. Be a good little boy or I'll have to take you to the wood shed again."
She hears the boy run off behind her as she sits wrapped up on her chair, bleeding heavily. Although, she keeps going and forth between passing out and being wide awake, even for a slayer this punishment is incredibly grueling. She looks at him with blood dripping down from her forehead and finally asks a question she knows he'll answer. "So why don't you just kill, you pansy."
Wesley leans over Faith's battered body with an evil grin. "I believe the correct term for me is that of a nancy. But of course, you were never good with terminology. And I would love to kill you right here, right now. But unfortunately my orders were not to kill, well, I was ordered not to torture you either, but I just couldn't resist." He licks the blood off her forehead and begins pacing around her, then slams the stake into her knee cap. "No, Faith, it's sad, but you are needed, along with the little runt over there. If I had my way, he would have been dead the day he was conceived."
With the stake stuck in her knee, she begins to tear up but never takes her eyes off of Wesley, she has no idea what he is going to do next. " What do you need me for Wesley, what is the point of all of this?"
Wesley grabs the stake and yanks it out of the knee cap causing her even more pain. "We are not playing that game Faith, you know I'm not going to tell you. You will find out when you need to find out."
The phone at the clerks desk begins to ring, once Wesley hears it, he ignores it for a few seconds. He looks at Faith with his gleefully evil face. She hears the little boy scatter to the phone, but Wesley gestures for him to stop. The boys footsteps stop once Wesley is done commanding him, she thinks she hears him light up a cigarette. Then her suspicions are confirmed once she smells the reek of the smoke, she begins to try to get out of her restraints but still nothing.
Wesley leans over to her once more with that crazy joker-like face of his and touches her cheek. "I hate when my fun is interrupted, but sadly I must answer that. But don't worry your little head, father Wesley will be right back." He struts over to the phone, dropping down most of his arsenal for the time being, again she tries to get out of her restraints, but alas, she is still paralyzed, although it is wearing off. She watches Wesley answer the phone and listens into his conversation.
"Yeah, I have her here." He pauses for a few seconds then answers back. "Well, she is a little messy right now, but she is still in one piece." He looks back over at his victim and smiles. "Well, kind of." He listens more to the voice at the other end of the line and smiles a very evil grin again. "Okay, we are on our way."
He hangs up the phone and walks over to Faith and begins to untie her restraints. She has one question she hasn't asked yet, so she decides it's about time to ask him, if he did of course he would gloat. "So Wesley, tell me, you killed Angel didn't you?"
Wesley looks at her with great contempt. "Oh, I only wish Faith, but unfortunately, no, I didn't kill him. Was I culprit who helped? Yes I was, but I wasn't the one who ended that half breeds sad existence." He fully unties and she immediately goes to attack him, but yet she is still paralyzed, he pulls her up and begins dragging her towards the door. "Don't try to struggle or I might have to make a pit stop and shoot your knee caps out completely."
"Go to hell." Faith says and spits in Wesley face.
Wesley wipes the spittle off his face and begins to chuckle at her sad attempt. "Sorry, we are already there. The rest of the world will be joining us soon."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Rayne Estate, Black Pool, England
They've waiting for what seems hours for their host to show up, Buffy has gone through several cups of tea already and can't drink anymore. She looks over at Alex, who has a very stiff look on his face, next to him is Dawn who looks at her watch and yawns a little bit. And sitting beside Buffy, is the young slayer, Reese, who just looks plain bored to death, she tries to put her head back on but Dawn just slaps her hand each time. Buffy thinks back to how much things have changed over the years, Dawn and Reese reminds her of herself and Dawn from way back when. Buffy really hates being right now, she hates seeing this man, she always hated Ethan and now she is sitting in his living room waiting to interrogate him for what? What could he really know? He hasn't been helpful before, how can he be now? Alex sees the look on her face and kneels over to her.
His face lights up underneath the eye patch. "You sure you can do this, Buff? You could go back to the council if "¦."
She smiles politely at him and puts her hand on his shoulder, showing once more that she is the leader again. "I can handle this, I mean it's just Ethan, we've beat him several times."
Dawn decides to add her two cents in. "Yeah, but that's before he inherited an ass load of cash and hired a very powerful witch as his right hand man. He also has an army of demons who do his dirty work for him."
Buffy looks at her, shocked again. "Wow, you really did your homework."
Dawn looks at her with a sarcastic glare. "I'm a watcher, that's what I do."
Buffy knows that she has no right to pull rank right now. "Sorry, I forgot, your watcher girl now."
Alex slams his hand down on the coffee table. "I swear, if I find out he had anything to do with this, I'm going to make sure he pays."
Reese finally pays attention and looks at the head of the Watcher's Council. "By doing what? You're too old to fight and from what I've heard, you were never too good of a fighter in the first place."
Dawn reaches over and slaps her as Alex smiles at her a little bit. "You better watch it or I'll demote you to potential."
Reese looks at him confused. "A what?"
"A potential, my dear." A voice from the hallway says, they look towards it and see a very senile man being wheeled out towards them. Buffy has a cold shiver come over her as she sees Ethan Rayne for the first time in twenty years, he is much more wrinkled and now in a wheel chair, but it's the same old Ethan. And behind him is a blonde woman in her middle ages, this is apparently Ethan's protégé, but she knows her better as Amy The Rat. Ethan continues his speech looking directly at Buffy. "You should've been one, but someone went and ruined all of that for us. Everyone say thank you to Miss Summers."
Buffy looks at Ethan with great contempt and anger, she knows already that he had something to do with Gile's death. "Ethan, long time no beat the crap out of."
Ethan continues to stare at his arch rivals adopted daughter from beneath oxygen tank that he now breathes from. "It's also a pleasure to see you again too, Buffy. How's immortality treating you?"
Alex looks at Buffy very confused. "What?"
Buffy looks at her older brother (but she doesn't quite see him as a brother anymore does she?) and touches his hand. "It's nothing Alex, he is just trying to taunt me."
"That I am, my dear slayer, but that's what I'm good at." Ethan replies.
Alex walks over to him and slams his fist onto the wheel chair. "We are not here to play games Ethan. We want answers and we want them now."
Amy immediately puts up a barrier spell as Buffy is impressed at how aggressive Xander Harris has become. Again, she can't help but think how attractive he has become in his older state, she can't believe she is even thinking that. Amy has a huge grin as Alex is flung across the room and onto the wall, she is about to perform another spell but Ethan gestures for her to stop as everyone gets off their seats ready to attack. "Hold back my dear, little Xander Harris poses no threat, he is just another imposter to the throne. And to answer you Mr. Harris, if you want answers to your questions, you have to play my games."
Reese pulls a knife out of her pocket and lunges to towards the barriers, but Dawn holds her back. "No Reese, you better not, you don't know what your dealing with."
Ethan looks over at Dawn and nods. "Wise advice from a wise woman, much smarter than your sister, I always liked you Dawn, even when you didn't even exist. How's your husband doing? I hear he is on an adventure of his own."
Dawn rolls her lip up and looks at Ethan. "What are you talking about?"
"You guys don't really know anything do you?" Ethan laughs a little as he rolls closer to them in his wheel chair.
Buffy helps Alex to his feet as a strained look appears on his face. "Get to the point Ethan or I'll sick Reese on you."
Reese is in a ready stance. "Good, let's end this quickly."
Ethan brushes off the petty threats and looks back at Buffy and Alex. "That's not much of a threat now is it? Even Buffy couldn't stop me."
"Because I let you get away, not this time Ethan, you are going to answer our questions." Buffy stays stern next to Alex.
"The questions you are going to ask aren't the right questions."
Buffy looks at him with very little restraint, the old man doesn't look scared. "Then what are the questions we should be asking?"
"You're here to ask me about who killed Giles, am I correct?"
Dawn answers for her party. "Yes."
"But my dear Dawn, what you don't realize that both of the Councils problems are closely connected."
Alex stands next to Buffy ready to attack with her, she holds him back. "What are you talking about?"
"Always so daft, Xander, you have a major issue in L.A, but you are looking for answers about who killed Giles at the same time. I'm surprised The Key hasn't figured all of this out yet, she is the smartest out of all of you. Have you ever read the prophecies of Tylos?"
Reese looks at him confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing really young slayer, I just figured both your generations should read more often." Ethan raises the hand around him to display the glow of Amy's barrier. "What I'm saying is that you guys should play connect the dots more often."
"Cram it Ethan, we want answers about Giles, you called us telling him you knew who did it." Alex says getting very fed up with this runaround.
"That I did, I was right there when he died and he was sired."
Buffy goes right into his face looking at him past the barrier spell. "So who did it Ethan?"
"My god Buffy, you should already know the answer, but it's sad to hear that you don't. Oh well, more fun for me I guess."
Buffy continues to stare at her father's rival. "In your words Ethan, what happened?"
"What happened? Well, a few weeks ago, good old Ripper gets a call from me, you see he was doing some research on something very very crucial and I had information on it for him. Being the smart man that he was, he wanted to meet at a neutral area in case it was trap, so we met at an old where house down in the docks. We had a nice conversation, I gave him the information he needed then he was on his way."
Buffy looks at him, she is not aware of the shadows creeping up behind them, none of them are. "Then what happened Ethan?"
As he begins to speak, Reese is the first to notice them at every corner of the room, then the three also see them. "The same thing that is happening to you now, I set him up, fortunately, he had back up just around the corner. That's something you don't have." As they make their appearance known, Buffy immediately recognizes two of the bumpy faces that now surround them, Harmony and Drusilla. The four get ready for a fight once they start gathering ever closer. Ethan begins to speak again as Buffy heads towards the obvious leader, Drusilla and gets her with a round house kick. "I loved every minute of it, too. The look of desperation on his face when he knew he was going to die and then finally when he gave in and started drinking the blood out of his soon to be sire. Never thought Ripper could be so desperate not to die that he himself would become a vampire. It was brilliant."
As Drusilla kicks Buffy to the floor, she looks down at her old nemesis. "The one and only slayer of thiefs is back. You stole my Bloody's heart and turned it into a soul. I don't like you very much." Buffy gives her a leg sweep and quickly back on her feet.
Buffy pulls her back up and stares at her. "Well, your not big on my list either Drusilla. But it's kind of hard when I stole both of your men."
Ethan watches on as Reese goes after Harmony with Xander immediately taking point and pulling out his crossbow and starts dusting wherever he can. Dawn finds herself swarmed by at least five of the hench vampires. Buffy and Drusilla are actually equaled out during this point of the battle as Reese has her stake ready to get rid of Harmony, but is tackled by one of the henchmen. Harmony looks down at her with a big grin on her face. "Ha, you can never stake me, haven't you freaks learned anything at all, I am the greatest mastermind of them all. Dorks."
Alex looks around him to see that Buffy is still up and fighting, Ethan standing watching the mayhem that he set up, Reese is already knocked out and Dawn is being pulled down the hallway. He tries to put things together and realizes that Dawn would need the most aide right now, because she's the only being dragged off. He tries to take as many as them out as he can, but is quickly intercepted by Harmony. "Harmony, long time no see, another round of rabid hair pulling, right?"
"Grow up Xander, I've matured much more since then." She kicks him the jewels and he is down on his knees. As Harmony goes in for the kill, he manages to yell out to the only member of their party left standing.
"Buffy, their going after Dawn." That's all Xander cat get out before he gets knocked out by one of Harmony's hard right punches.
Buffy notices this and pushes Drusilla away, but Dru is quick and back on her feet in no time. Buffy reaches for the vamps who are pulling Dawn out of the room, she is surprised that Dawn isn't screaming, she is just fighting for her life. Buffy manages to pull a few off her sister, but Dru is quickly back on her and throws her to the ground. "If I have to lose my sister again, I swear I'll kill you and whoever else is involved in all of this."
"I'm sorry, but the stars all point to a key with the face of a girl. We must have her for our little experiment." Buffy pulls Dru off, but is overwhelmed by the rest of the hench men that surround her and with that she loses her sister again. As she fades into darkness, she thinks about how her age is finally catching up with her, twenty years ago she would've been able to beat these odds, but now, it is all gone. Her sister is gone, and this time maybe for good.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Watcher's Council, London England
"Alright, don't panic, but we are surrounded." Kennedy fills in the little army who hasn't been caught in the flames from an hour ago. Fortunately, they were able to put out most of the fire, but they are still in a dire situation. Andrew is surprised that Vi is in his arms, she never does that in front of anyone, she's always been private about their relationship.
He looks at Kennedy still very confused and very scared, but still very thrilled at the same time, he finally has his fiancée in his arms. "Surrounded by what?"
Kennedy answers polishing her scythe getting ready for battle. "Vampires, about twelve dozen, this was a planned attack. We've been set up."
One of the younger slayers in what is known as their shelter raises her hand and Kennedy gives her a gesture to ask her question. "What are we going to do?"
Kennedy smiles with a lot of confidence. "We are going to do what we were born to do, we are going to fight them until they are dust."
Andrew looks around and notices that the fire might've taken out a few of their ranks, twenty at best, but most of them are accounted for, he thinks that maybe they have a chance. He counts fifty slayers and fifteen watchers, not a bad chance, but still he plans on keeping Vi close to him, something isn't right about all of this. He looks at Vi and kisses on her cheek looking down at the ring she is wearing on her finger, she looks worried. "It's going to be okay."
She puts her hand on his cheek and smiles. "I know, as long as you're here, everything is going to be okay." A warm feeling arises in his stomach as she says this, he hasn't felt this way since they first kissed all of those years ago.
They give their attention back to Kennedy who is about to open the hatch and lead her army into an impromptu battle. "Alright, we are going to go out by seniority, me first of course, then Vi, Andrew do you have your crossbow ready?"
Andrew pulls it out of his jacket and taps it twice. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Kennedy nods in appreciation. "Good, your watching both of our back." She looks to the army behind the three of them. "You guys follow in behind us and be prepared to fight." She looks at them one more time always ready for a fight. "Good now lets' get going."
She opens the hatch then looks over at Vi and Andrew motioning them to follow her, they follow and then the others are behind them. Kennedy pulls a sword from her holster and hand it to Vi. Vi looks at her with great appreciation and is now standing by her side. "Thank you, these vamps are dust."
Kennedy doesn't look over Vi and just moves down the hallway towarg outside where a horde of blood thirsty vamps are awaiting them to come out and fight. "Hope you still know how to use it. That's a nice rock you got on your finger, congratulations."
Both Andrew and Vi are shocked that that actually came out of Kennedy's mouth, she is never happy for anybody. Andrew looks at her with a very pleading look. "Just promise us you'll get us through this."
"Trust me, I'm THE slayer." Kennedy smirks right before she gets to the double doors with army behind her. Andrew and Vi both take a breath at the same time, right before Kennedy opens up the double doors. Once the doors are open, Andrew can see what looks like a crowd for a sold out "Dingoes Ate My Babies" concert, but these aren't concert goers, they are vampires. These are vampires that they are about to try to take out and now that horrible feeling enters Andrew's body, he hasn't felt this way since him and Anya were waiting for the Uber vamps to attack. He has a horrible feeling about this one, he embraces Vi's hand once more, she looks back at him with a beautiful smile and lets go. He then stares directly at the sea of vampires that are ready to pounce on them.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Rayne Estate, Blackpool England
"Buff, wake up." Alex says as Buffy begins to come to, she even feels him slap her across the face. "Buffy, you need wake up. They took Dawn, we have to go get her."
She opens her eyes and stares at the cute older man, behind him is Reese who is slowly getting back to her feet. "I'm awake, Xander." Alex helps her up and she looks around at the massacre that surrounds them, a lot of dust, Amy's body is in pieces in the corner and Ethan's wheel chair is knocked over. She looks around again and notices Ethan's body laying across from his wheel chair, she can still hear him breathing. "So, it looks like Ethan was double crossed as well."
Reese begins to hold Buffy up. "Very poetic, but that's not what we should worry about right now. They kidnapped my watcher, I swear if anything happens to her "¦.."
Alex puts his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "I know, I know, but I don't think they did anything to her. At least not yet anyways, but we are probably running out of time."
Buffy pulls Reese off her and begins to limp towards where Ethan's body lays. "You stupid son of a bitch."
"Buffy, calm down, we'll get her back." Alex tries to put his arm on her shoulder too, but she quickly pulls him off.
"Not now, this bastard set up my father and now my sister, I'm going to make him pay." Alex has never seen Buffy like this, what has this time away done to her? The better question is what has coming back done to her? He sees the vengeance in her eyes and it almost makes him cringe. He slowly follows her as she turns over the half dead Rayne and stares into his old fearful eyes. "Where is she?"
Ethan coughs up blood. "Figure it out for yourself, put the pieces together."
Buffy slams her fist into the fragile face of Ethan, bending his nose into his face. "Not good enough, I want real answers."
"It will devour you." And those are his last words as Buffy puts her hand over his mouth and slowly suffocates him until he dies. Alex and Reese watch in shock as they see something they have never seen before. Alex has no words to say as Buffy stands back up and looks at them with her furious eyes, he never thought Buffy had it in her to do THAT. Slayers don't kill.
She looks at him with no remorse. "From now on, we don't play games. I will get my sister back. No one ****S with my family."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Alright, on my count." Kennedy commands as they stand facing the sea of vampires, she holds her scythe out towards them. He gives Vi one more loving look that she sends back to him, but still that horrible feeling arises in him again. Now he holds his crossbow up ready for action.
"One" Kennedy takes a step forward and Andrew thinks it's very weird that the vampires haven't attacked yet. His head is all buzzed now, from here on out, this feels like a really bad dream sequence.
"Two" Kennedy yells, but instead of taking one step forward she begins to turn towards Vi with her Scythe still in hand. Andrew finally figures out what this horrible feeling is, but for some reason he can't move. He knows the look on Kennedy's face, he's seen it before, it's the face Warren had whenever he talked about double crossing Jonathan or killing Buffy, it's the look he had on his face when he killed Jonathan.
"Three" Kennedy swings the scythe as Andrew drops his crossbow and tries to get in the way and save his love. But all he catches is Vi's headless body, soon her head drops next to her knees, he begins to actually cry as he quickly looks away. He then looks back to the body, still with the ring around the finger, he clamps the body close to him as he looks up at the vengeful face of Kennedy.
She looks down at him with Vi's blood now on the blade of the scythe and just smiles as the vampires stand behind her, following her. "God, I've been wanting to do this for years. Now I know how Faith felt during her first kill, it feels incredible, I can feel the power flowing through me. Can you feel it Andy?" He can't say anything at all, this is all happening way to fast, all he can do is watch Kennedy lead the vampires towards their kill. All he can do is hold Vi's dead body close to him and cry.
PART 1
BURIAL GROUNDS
London, England
She walks through the cementary, her gray hair flowing in the harsh winds of this foreign atmosphere. Sure she has traveled all around the world over the last twenty years, but this is place that she has been trying to stay away from due to it reminding her of her true calling. That's why she left America years back, she chose a normal life and she paid for it. Only in the last couple of months has she realized that she wasn't living a normal life, she was living a life of seclusion. She hasn't had very many friends over the past fifteen years, she didn't chose not to be a slayer, she chose to be dead again. But it just seemed like even thought she wasn't the only slayer anymore that she was called as long as she stayed with her friends. She would keep trying to leave, but they just tried pulling her in. First it was just to restart the Watchers council, than it was to train more slayers, than she was battling vampires again. No matter which way she tried, she was still THE SLAYER.
Buffy Summers slowly walks around the graveyard, checking the tombstones for a certain name, a name the means a lot to her. This is not something new to her, in fact, she has had to do this many times over the course of the last few years. So many names come to mind, Jesse, Jenny, Kendra, her mom, herself, Tara, Jonathan, Anya, Rona, Riley and her biological father. She has outlived them all, even though she was not supposed to, her destiny was to actually die at an early age. But oddly enough, she outlived those she was sworn to protect and it eats her up inside. That's another issue she has had to deal with over the last few days, she is now the oldest slayer ever. She guesses she is now in the watcher's councils record books for that, if they have records. But now she is coming the realization that she may never die due to a question that nobody ever asked. What happens if a slayer is not slain in battle? The answer is simple, they don't, she can feel it in her bones. While most are supposed to get weaker with age, she actually gets stronger. Buffy Summers is never going to die.
While thinking this through, she stops dead in tracks, she finds the headstone she's been looking for. But it's not really a head stone, it's more like a shrine. As she walks closer, she thinks that if anybody deserved a shrine it was this man. She begins reading the words and bursts into tears once she is done reading the passage written on the shrine. She hasn't cried like this in this years, ever since her mom died actually, but who can blame her this is the man she only truly loved. Not in the way most people think, she never had any sexual feelings for this man. Although, she did have a father, that man wasn't there for her the way that her watcher was, he didn't teach her the way her watcher did. She goes down on her knees as she mourns her real father. Head bowed down the tears pour onto the very soggy grass as the words on the shrine ring through her head.
RUPERT GILES
1951-2023
HE WATCHED OVER ALL OF MANKIND
A FATHER TO US ALL
THE MAN WHO MADE HEROES
She knows that each saying written by each member of her family, even though she knows that her family has grown since she has left, these three are the core. Her two sisters and her brother, and Giles was like a father to them. In the beginning, he would point and tell them what to do and she would lead them through the darkness. Each time, she thought she would lose one of them, but each time family over came all odds. But apparently, those odds can't last forever, at least not for her mentor. She thinks back to the last time she saw him, about fifteen years ago, she told him and her friends to stay out of her life, and they did. She hasn't seen them since, not only did she miss his funeral a few days ago, she missed her sisters wedding, the other sister's promotion as a goddess and her brother's promotion in the Watcher's Council. This remorse grows deeper and deeper the more she thinks about Giles. But before she can go any deeper into the dark place she realizes that there is someone behind her.
"You know" The older man that stands behind her begins. "In his last words, he mentions you."
She turns around to see a face she misses dearly, although much older and bald, it's still the same old face. Xander Harris still has that charming cute smile he had when they were teens, and although he still wears a patch over one his eye, the one left shines brighter than ever. She stands up still sobbing and the two look eachother, they have no clue what to say. Instead of saying anything right off the bat she rushes to his arms and continues to cry. He pats her head, not knowing what else to do, both are filled with happiness that they are together again, but remorse due to the death of their father. They stay that way for a minute or two, then release and they are back to staring each other in the face once more.
"So," Buffy begins as she wipes the tears from her eyes, then she flashes that old, but still beautiful smile. "What am I supposed to say, Xander? I've been away so long."
"I don't really think now is the time to bring back past emotional issues, Buff. You left we cried, then moved on. Right now, I'm just happy to see you again. Although I wish it was under better circumstances. But still good to have you back."
"Sorry I missed the funeral, I only got word of his death a few days back." With saying that, she bursts back into tears. Xander reaches over and puts his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry that I missed the last fifteen years, I'm sorry that I missed out on everything." She didn't think that her emotions would come out so quickly. She embraces him once more as he strokes her hair.
" You know if circumstances weren't so grim, I could probably think of many sarcastic things to say. But before he died, he told me not to hate you. That if you ever came back, to let you back into not only my life but the rest of the family. That's a promise I plan to keep." He let's his embrace go once more as they have another moment of silence.
She twirls her now fading blonde hair as she tries to make small talk, she wants to avoid the real question she has. " So the Watcher's Council is all yours now?"
"Yeah," a brief boyish smirk returns to his face. " He left to me in his will, I'm still in disbelief that he would trust a man who dated a vengeance demon, a praying mantis, an inca mummy girl, and was a love slave to Dracula the watcher's council. I'm just as shocked as when he made me Vi's official watcher after the first HELLMOUTH was destroyed. Now I'm in charge of the whole operation, it's a very different experience. But now that "˜You're the one who see's thing' comment that Caleb made all those years back makes a lot more sense nowadays."
"Well," She smiles at how humble Xander has become over the years, he has grown up so much and she missed all of that. " You are the perfect man for the job, you've been watching my back from day one." She pauses again, trying to avoid the question that she has again. "How's Dawn been?"
"Happy, very happy. Ends up that she has the same taste in men that you do."
A curious look appears on her face as he says this. "What's that supposed to mean?"
" Maybe you'll find out one of these days." He pauses and looks back at her with a very unsure look on his face. "She's been a watcher for the last seven years, poor girl had to learn the risk of this job the hard way."
"What risk would that be?"
"Responsibility, a hard thing I had to learn. Her first slayer died within two weeks, she was very broken over it. Her second one took Faith's path, we had to send Kennedy to take her out. That made her almost suicidal, she really could have used you during those days. But fortunately, her third slayer is still around and quite an improvement.
"Please tell me it's not Andrew"
Xander chuckles just a little bit as she asks this. "No, like I said, he closely resembles someone you know very well and it's not anyone from the Trioka for that matter."
Again, she asks a small talk question to avoid the real one on her mind. " How's Willow doing?"
Xander now looks complex at this question. "Godlike, I really don't get to see her much anymore. She came down for his funeral and we caught up on old times but that's as far as it goes."
"What did she become?"
"Remember that old lady that you ran into when you were inquiring about the scythe?"
"Wait, she has turned into a withered old wench? That must be really boring for her."
"It is, but it's what she was called for. She kind of had to or she wouldn't have been fulfilling her potential."
"I guess your right, but wouldn't she get lonely." Xander gives a remorseful look to her.
"I think after awhile she wanted to be alone, after her first boyfriend left, her first girl friend died, and her second girlfriend realized that the whole lesbian thing was just a phase she was going through. And you were gone, she wanted to be away from people who would hurt her."
"Oh," She looks very upset with this revelation. "What about your love life?"
" Married twice actually."
"Really," a warm smile crosses her face as he says this. "What happened there?"
"My first wife, Sandra, left because she couldn't handle the fact that I was training underage girls to fight evil as a living. Also, she always felt like she was living in Anya's shadow. She just didn't trust me as much as I trusted her. Apparently I shouldn't have. I caught her making out with a sloth demon." He has a bright smile on his face trying to hide the pain.
Buffy looks very upset with this other revelation from Xander. "Who was the second wife?"
"Clem" A very amused look crosses her face, she laughs a little bit. " It was a spell that Andrew cast, imagine trying to carry that over the threshhold, couldn't lift anything ever since."
Both burst into laughter as he goes over this hilarious past event. Once they are done laughing, Buffy decides it's time to get to the real question she has in mind. "Xander, I hate to ask this, but how did his body look in the casket during the funeral?"
Xander's face turns from a huge smile to a frown very quickly. "Buffy there was no body for the funeral."
She becomes terrified at where this is going. " So then he was cremated?"
Xander has a problem getting this last part out because it sounds very sarcastic, but it's the truth. "In a way, yes."
Her fear has been realized once he says this, she knows what happened to Giles. "Oh god no, who sired him? Why would he even allow someone to do that? I'll dust them."
Xander begins to explain with a very blank expression on his face. " I don't know, I came right after he was attacked. He said his last words as a human, didn't say what vampire did it to him, just talked about the Scoobs mostly. It was a very sad experience for me and Dawn to see him turn into a vampire like that. Didn't last long because I dusted him right away."
Tears begin trickling down her eyes once more. "Xander, I'm so sorry, if anyone had to do it, it should have been me."
"No," She is shocked once Xander goes to his knees and begins to ball into tears. "It shouldn't have been anyone of us. This shouldn't have happened to him"¦"¦ to any of us, he deserved a natural death, not this tragedy. Everyday, he put his life on the line just to teach others the way of battling the forces of darkness. All of that, just to be turned into darkness. It's not fair, Buffy."
Buffy kneels down and begins massaging Xanders back in a comforting fashion. "I know," More tears stream down and onto Xander's shoulder. "What have you done to find out what bastard did this to him? I mean The Watcher's Council must have done something to look into this, right?"
Still crying he looks back up at Buffy. "I've tried, but most of the council's attention has been focused on the L.A situation."
Buffy is once again confused, she hasn't watched the news or read the newspapers, so she has no clue what has been happening around the world. "What happened in Los Angles?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PART 2
THE STREETS OF L.A
L.A, CALIFORNIA
"The whole city has been taken over by Vampires?" A near ederly Robin Wood asks as the hot California sun boils down on him. "I can hardly believe it."
"Believe it!" Faith responds, although in her early forties, she looks as fit and as beautiful as ever. The same can't be said for her long time companion, who has put on a few pounds since he turned fifty a few years back. Together they walk the streets of L.A, looking at all the abandoned cars and dead bodies, most would be saddened by this sight, but not Faith. She is a fighter who has seen and done it all, including
murdering humans and demons alike. She looks back at Wood who seems very unsure. " There certainly aren't any humans left alive around here. That means there has to be a mother load of nests, yo."
As they walk down the streets, weapons in hand, Wood has something he wants to bring up to her but doesn't know how to say it and doesn't know if now is the time for it. But if he has learned anything over the years of knowing her, it is never the time to say something that will discourage. He sucks it in and says it. "What happened to that settling down thing we talked about a few years back?"
She stops in her tracks as does he, she looks very pissed off at this question. " Are you going to bring this up again. We settled, remember?
Wood sighs as she begins to argue. " Faith, that was for two weeks and I don't call hiding out from the government disguised as a happy suburban couple in Ohio counts."
"Robin, you knew what you were getting into when we first started, be happy that you lasted this long."
"You know that I love you and I appreciate your calling, but frankly I'm not a slayer or a vampire or demon and I'm getting too old for this."
She looks straight at him as she says this, it hurts him every time she says these words, but he has taken such a liking to her. "Then leave, your acting just as weird as you did when I turned down that stupid ring of yours. Plus, you know that this is a very personal mission I'm on."
"I know but, I just can't"¦"¦."
"Wait, I found what I'm looking for." She interrupts him as he is about to say something very important at least to him. He tries following her as she runs towards a very abandoned butcher shop. His heart can't take it as he catches up to her. She stops at the door and pulls out two stakes, one for each hand. She signals for Wood to grab something, he pulls out a bottle of holy water as she sighs. "When did you lose the passion for this job? Holy water isn't going to get the job done." He just shrugs at her, he still can't understand how she isn't feeling the ravages of age, the funny thing is that she doesn't understand why he is. "Whatever."
She begins counting down to him with her fingers, he cringes at what's going to happen once she has only one finger left. She busts down the door with her left boot, then she goes running into the building. He follows right behind her and the first thing he see's is about a dozen vampires being set a blaze. Faith lunges towards the vampires towards the back and begins staking one after the other. He slowly passes by the bodies that are disappearing in the flames. One vampire approaches him and he slams the body of holy water on his face. Once he catches up to Faith, she has a vamp on the ground and holding a stake to his heart. She begins screaming into his face, there's information she needs to know, the vampire actually looks terrified. "Who did it? WHO KILLED ANGEL?"
"I don't know what your talking about." The vampire squeals as Faith has his arms pinned to the ground.
"Don't lie to me," Wood hasn't seen her this violent in years, even in bed. " Angel was this city's champion against you guys, there's no way you wouldn't know who he is."
"Faith" Wood interrupts her as she grills the vamp. "Maybe he doesn't know anything."
"Stay out of this Wood, stick to your holy water and watch my back." She doesn't even look back towards him.
He turns to look at the entrance, but then realizes that that is not the place to be looking. He spots a huge gaping hole in the floor in the butcher shop. Almost as soon as he spots, a horde of dark figures arise from it. "FAITH!!!! IT'S A TRAP!!!"
She throws the vamp down and lunges at the horde approaching towards her. She begins staking them one by one, but she is still overwhelmed. He takes notice that they are ignoring him and going straight towards her. As the vamps huddle ontop her, he pulls a stake out of his jacket and leaps towards the barrage of bloodsuckers that are engulfing his sometime girlfriend. He manages to stake about three, but still, they keep coming at them. He can hear that she is still alive, every once in awhile dust would get in his eyes, so she's okay for now. Him on the other hand, he's not doing too well, he's already starting to ache during this battle. And then once he leaps at another vampire and stakes, that's when it happens. It feels like his inside have just exploded.
Robin grabs at his heart as the pain grows in that area, he is quickly pushed out of the dog pile on Faith. He falls to the corner and realizes that he is taking his final gasps of air. He wonders if it was worth it, if fighting by her side was worth all this chaos. Does she really care if he lives or dies, apparently not, because here he is, dieing, and all she can think about is avenging the death of some vampire with a soul. As he passes onto the otherside, the vampires pick up Faith, still alive and struggling. She gives him one last worried remorseful glance, and for him, to know that she at least cared a little bit, made it all worth it.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
London, England
From the minute she hops into Xander's beautiful new car, she realizes how quickly it has become like old times between the two of them. Maybe not exactly like old times, Willow not being there sort of spoils the moment, but it's close enough for her. Then a really sad thought hits her, he too will die, just like everyone else, she will out live him. Buffy wonders why she even agreed to go with him, part of her thinks that she should have just said good luck and just leave Xander and the other slayers to the big work, it's not her job anymore. But there's just some things she cannot let go, like loyalty. Her father figure was murdered and sired, she can't just leave during that type situation. As much as she wishes she can just turn the other cheek and walk the other way, like many others she has seen before, it's in her nature to stay and fight. And to be honest, it's very comforting that that side of her still exists deep down inside.
But returning is going to be much harder than she wants it to be right now, only one person has forgiven her. Even though Xander was very eager to forgive, she knows that Dawn will not, it's not in her character. She doesn't know what her sister's reaction will be once she knows that she has returned, will she be happy or just angry. It broke her heart those first couple of years not having Dawn around, but she's spent so many years watching over everyone else. So once Dawn was all grown up, she packed her bags and left, she tries to forget that day. Tears and yelling went on between the two of them, but once Buffy put her foot down, she was greeted in a slap in the face by Dawn. Now that was painful, at the time she didn't understand why everyone had to throw a big fit when she left. But now she understands more than ever, even though there were other slayers out there, she was still there guardian. They couldn't just simply replace her with Faith or Kennedy or Vi, they tried that once and they regretted it. But those issues will have to wait, she needs to find out what happened in L.A.
"At first it just looked like another riot, it was L.A, we didn't think much of it." Xander begins to explain the current world situation. "Then it became more and more obvious what was going on, like the fact that the intial fighting and death was only going on at night. Once LAPD was taken out completely, they sent in the army, they too were immobilized. Then guess who was sent there next?"
"The Intiative?"
"Bingo," He gives her a big thumbs up and then goes back to explaining. " Yeah, and guess what? They failed worse then the first time around. After about a month, the government gave up on trying to understand and control the vampires, so they barricaded the city off from the rest of the world. About a week before Giles died, he sent Kennedy and a few scouts there to see exactly what was behind it. Most of the slayers and watchers were killed, Kennedy was the only one who was able to escape."
"Wow," Buffy is very taken aback by all this shocking information, she thought everything would be taken care of with her gone, but perhaps she was wrong. "This is bad, really, really bad."
"You are telling me, we have a city taken hostage by vampires and the mysterious death of the man who became my mentor." He gives her a look that gives her a lot of guilt. "Buffy, we really need you with us for this."
"I know Xander"¦."
"Please, I go by Alex now, some of us have grown up." She is surprised at how stern he is becoming now that he knows she has no choice to fight. " Buffy, I know this is hard for you, but you have to understand, it's ten times harder for those of us who actually stayed to fight the good fight. And to be honest, I hate having to ask you for anything, I wish I could do this on my own. I'm not leadership guy, that shouldn't be my job."
"Yes it should Xander"¦ I mean Alex. Do I have to call you that, it doesn't feel right?"
"A lot of things don't feel right nowadays, Buff. I shouldn't have to be in this position to make the decisions."
Now it's Buffy's turn to be stern. " Yes you should, because you damn well deserve this role, wish it was under different circumstances." She looks at Xander, who is now more than a bit worried about the current situations. "I have never met someone who was more loyal to the cause than you. Giles made the right decision in giving the council over to you. Don't waste it due to your lack of confidence. I will go with you and fight this one time, but don't be going to me to make some rash decisions. Xander"¦ Alex"¦ whatever you want to be called nowadays, this is your time to lead."
Xander gives a half smile to her again. "Well, you have never been shy with the speeches have you?"
"Well, you know me, I'm speech girl."
"Your wrong." He now gives her a full smile, she is surprised at how handsome he still is.
"Wrong about what?"
"Your not a girl anymore. Sad to say, but all of us are all grown up now."
"Scary isn't it?" She asks Xander sort of jokingly.
"Completely terrifying." He gives her another bright smile as they finally make it into a parking lot. She has never actually been to The Watchers Council in either the Traverse Regime or when Giles was in control, so this is actually kind of a treat. "Well, were here."
"Do I have to go?" She is sort of sarcastic while saying this.
"Hey if I have to lead, you have to go. Congratulations, your days of isolation are now officially over with." He opens the car door and then gets out, she soon follows maybe a little bit eager.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 3
BUFFY WON'T CHOOSE YOU
LONDON ENGLAND
"Buffy Won't Choose You"
Those words have been ringing through her ears for the last twenty years of her life, it was a warning that her mom gave her from the afterlife. At first she didn't know if that was prophecy that would come true, everyone just assumed that it was The First playing with her mind, and it very well could've been. But still five years later, that prophecy came true. Her sister, the one who she would protect her, abandoned her for a life of self solitude. Of course the warning wasn't wasn't as life or death as she though it would be at the time, but still it happened. She had to make all the tough decisions on her own from then on, even Giles couldn't save her from leading two slayers to death and darkness. Maybe if her sister Buffy would've been around, she probably could've avoided those disasters. Then Dawn Summers she realized that she has zoned out again into her own thoughts.
"So how long is this going to take?" Her charge, Reese, asks very impatiently in the lobby of The Watcher's council.
"I don't know Reese, from what Alex told me, this is a meeting that involves both slayers and watchers, you can't try to get out of it this time." Dawn has been pretty grim these couple of days just due to the loss of Rupert. She knows that Reese is trying her hardest to understand that this is a very hard loss for her, but she is still a teenaged girl and doesn't really look farther beyond that. "Don't worry, this trip will be over soon"
"Let's hope, I can't wait to get back to New York, to kick some vampire ass. Plus, the Brit stench is already getting to me."
"Don't be rude, they payed for the hotel, the travel and the food."
"But still they didn't pay for my shopping spree, there is something completely wrong with that" Dawn gives her smile, something she hasn't done for the last couple of days. Reese than changes the subject on her, asking her something that she wouldn't expect from her young slayer. "So what was Mr. Giles really like, I mean I actually never met him. But from the funeral he apparently was a great man, or at least the way Alax was talking about him and that weird white haired lady."
Dawn is a little shocked by this question, but she figures that she needs to answer, pass on the legacy. "First of all, that weird white haired ladies name is Willow. Now Giles, he was a great man"¦."
"I'm getting that, but what was he like?" As usual, Reese is being very impatient.
"Well, firstly, he was very, well, um British. He used big words and was very compassionate and he had a great singing voice."
Reese gives Dawn an unimpressed look. "That's it? That's all you can say about the guy who brought you up?"
Dawn wishes she could say more, but her mind is off in a dozen other places right now. She is still mourning the loss of her sisters ex watcher, but now she thinks more and more about Buffy. She wonders if Buffy just stopped caring about everything years back, why wasn't she at the funeral. She has left many times before, but she always came back, but now fifteen years later, she can't come back just for a few minutes for something like this? And she didn't even show up for her wedding, that's not the Buffy Summers she remembers. She notices her mind wander off again and she turns back to Reese. "Sometimes, there are people who are so great that it is hard to get their essence into a sentence or paragraph. Plus, I'm not trying to think about him as gone, I had to do a lot of that growing up."
Reese takes a moment to think over what Dawn says and then says the last thing that Dawn wants to hear. " Oh yeah, because your sister sacrificed herself for you, right?" Dawn looks down in more remorse for her lost sister, as it looks like Reese is thinking hard about something. "Wait, if your sister died saving you and the world, how did she lead the potential slayers to defeat The First two years later? Where is she now?"
Dawn looks deeply, giving her an "˜I don't want to continue this conversation' look, "I don't know." Reese gets the hint and backs off of her watcher. As they reach the main offices Dawn notices a figure she recognizes very well. Well of course she recognizes him, he was the guy that they kept hostage at their house for a few months, how could she not forget that face and the wormy posture. But of course every time she sees him, she can't help but smile at his nerdy charm. She wonders if this was how Buffy saw Alax or Xander in the High School days that she's heard so much about. Reese on the other hand has met Andrew a few times before, and every time he opens his mouth around her, she tries not to laugh at his dorkyness. Dawn thinks he looks kind of funny in his suit and tie, just because she remembers when he was hardcore trekkie. As oppose to Xander, he still has his hair, but it has turned into a weird pale blonde color, he also has attempted to grow a goatee to either look younger or to look like the evil alternate dimension version of Captain Kirk, she can't tell which. Over the last couple of years he has become a book keeper of sorts for the Watchers Council, something he is quite good at.
"Mrs. Summers, Reese" He gives them a wild grin while stroking his chin hair, always the fidgety one. "You two have arrived right on time, Alax is just about to get started. May I take your coat?"
Dawn gives Andrew a very warm look, while Reese just rolls her eyes. "Good to see you too Andrew. What exactly is this meeting all about and once again, you're the book keeper not the councils butler"
Andrew goes aback like he had just been insulted, he's just a bit sensitive, but still he answers her question. "Well apparently the meeting is just Mr. Harris taking his spot as head of the Watcher's Council and what he plans to do about L.A."
"Will it be long?" Reese bursts out loud. If it were to one of the more uptight older members of the council, she would have scolded her slayer, but Andrew was probably was wondering the same thing.
"I hope not, Sci fi channel is playing a "˜Lost' marathon."
"What is that?" Reese asks, and to be honest, Dawn has never heard of that show either. But it kind of goes to show that Andrew is still the same old nerd he always has been, maybe a little more mature, but still a fan boy at heart.
Andrew again looks offended. "You never heard of "˜Lost'? John Locke? Hurley?"
"What"˜s a Hurley?" Reese just asks that last question to get under his skin, although she had no clue who he was anyways.
Andrew looks at Dawn with a very upset look. "What are you teaching this girl? The first thing a good slayer should know is good television."
Dawn shrugs. "Sorry, I grew up watching "˜Charmed"˜."
Now it's Andrew's turn to roll his old eyes. "Witches, Demons, who growing up in our era watched that stuff anyways?" Before he can continue his rant a slim hand goes over his mouth. Dawn begins to glow as VI stands there holding Andrew back with smirk on her face. Dawn really likes VI, of all the slayers that she had to bunk with during The First war, she liked her the most. And although, they have recently learned that slayers age very well when it comes to their looks, at least with the proof of Faith and Kennedy's old age, she is sure the youngest looking one and she is a good thirty eight years old. She doesn't look a day over twenty one, despite her red hair growing down to her back, she looks almost the same.
"Sorry, I like the guy," She begins with a sweet smile and letting go of his mouth. "But when you get him going on turn of the century sci fi shows, he doesn't seem to be able to shut himself up."
"Ouch, remember you have slayer strength." Andrew says grabbing at his jaw, then strokes his chin hair once more.
"Hey VI" Dawn says giving her a hug. "How is the slaying going?"
"Same as usual, but I think I'm about ready to retire now. I've been doing this since I was what? Fifteen? Time to trade in my stake for a comfy bed. But how are you doing? How's your husband?"
Then her mind goes somewhere, she thinks about her husband, someone who has been worrying her for a couple of months now. He seemed in bad shape when they left New York, been having very strange nightmares. Whenever she would ask him if she could do anything, he would just tell her to leave him alone. For the first time ever in their relationship, he is rejecting her love. He has become very brooding as of late actually, kind of reminds her of a guy that her sister used to date. But she decides to lie to VI about her husband. "Oh, Connors doing very good."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
NEW YORK CITY
He wakes up in a deep sweat for the third time this week, the same dream again. Makes it not having Dawn around or maybe it's that he has being feeling useless in the world as of late. But his dreams are so weird, they have nothing to do with any of that. But it also seems like they have nothing do with him either, it's about some other guy, well a vampire really. He remembers seeing this man/vampire fighting demons in some place that isn't New York, he thinks most likely L.A. Most of his dreams took place in a gorgeous hotel where this vampire and his minions took sanctuary in. He knows their faces, better than people he see's on a normal basis now. There of course was the vampire, but there was also the tough looking black man, the weird green faced guy who wears flashy clothes, a very skinny but lovely looking girl, and a british man who sometimes wore glasses. And there was someone else, someone who really caught his eye, beautiful young woman, there's something about this woman that he just can't put his finger on. But most of his dreams are about the vampire, the dark mysterious vampire who haunts his dreams every night.
Connor figures since he can't get any sleep tonight, he might as well go out patrolling. As he puts his clothes on he wonders what any of this has to do with him? Sure he helps his wife Dawn and her student fight evil, but that doesn't explain why he has those dreams. But there is the super strength and instincts that he has pretty much remembered having since he was eighteen, he has always wondered where that came from. Is he some sort of male slayer? No probably not. He puts his black trench coat on and thinks about that man/vampire in his dreams. There's something more to him, and the beautiful woman for that matter, but he feels some sort of bond toward the vampire. That bond is the same thing that is telling him that this vampire has long since died. So why is he haunted by dreams of him.
He grabs his stakes and places them in the sleeve of his coat, then he opens up the closet of the two bedroom apartment and pulls out a mini crossbow and places it on his belt buckle. He tries to get these silly dreams out his head as he opens the door to his hallway. What he mostly tries to focus is on is the kill, when he goes out there, he goes out there to hunt. But as he opens the front door, he realizes that he will not be able to get away from these dreams. He looks at the man who seems like he has been standing in his doorway for a while now. The man has a very innocent face and is wearing a goofy derby ontop of his head and Connor can smell that he is a demon.
The man smiles at Connor. "Hi Connor, the names Whistler and I'm here to give you a push in the right direction."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
London England
Dawn was surprised at how many Watchers and Slayers could fit into the Council's conference room, bout seventy in all had to cram into the room with a long table in the middle. And for the first time ever, Alexander Lavelle Harris is at the forefront. Dawn only recognized half of the people there, she is surprised that the council was able to get rid of most of the older males who lived through the blast that took out the original council twenty years back. Now it just seems like the council is built up of people who are forty five or younger, which is a good thing. She is also surprised to see that a lot of the watchers are women like her. They are not the council of the old male dominance. And all of it goes to the man who took over the council twenty years ago, Giles really did change things for the better.
The conference went pretty much the way Andrew said it would, it was pretty much Alex taking the role of leadership and then went talking about the whole L.A situation. He didn't shine any new info on the situation, pretty much just stressing how extreme measures are with it. He mostly stood up as he did his exposition, behind him, the slayer general Kennedy is in a corner shining HER Scythe. Alex gives her the floor to explain exactly what went down in L.A and it was basically her and her group of slayers and watchers going in and slaughtered by vamps right away. She said she couldn't find any information on what led to the takeover. So really nothing new, accept more death. Alex then gave the floor to Andrew who pulled out a big board and grabbed a pointer showing all the main activity of vampires over the world. And of course the highest activity was in Los Angles. Apparently, it has now become a safe haven for vamps to feed off the dead and create their own society.
"Okay, now some of you may see this as a good thing," Alex began his finishing up speech. "All vampires and demons in one place keeps them away from everyone else, right?" He looks around at everyone who stays pretty much silent the whole time. "Wrong. Believe me, they will try to migrate. Sure, right now they might have a whole lot of people to feed off of, but with their numbers growing they are going to run out of food very quickly. So if we are going to do something, we better do it fast. I know it seems impossible, seeing the army and the intiative were taken out. But our organization has been around much longer, and now thanks to Mr. Giles, we are much stronger than before. Now you are all to stay here in London until we come up with a battle plan." At that moment Dawn hears Reese groan right beside her, Alex continues. "With that our meeting is closed until further notice."
Once Alex has finished, most of the young girls rush out of the conference room due to boredom. Reese looks at Dawn and she knods her head to tell her that she can leave as well. Reese runs out the double doors with the rest of the slayers. The Watchers talk amongst themselves for a few minutes, then most of them walk out the door. Dawn talks to VI and Andrew with Kennedy staying in her corner being very quiet, she has become quite the silent war bird over the last couple of years. Dawn, VI and Andrew are on their way out of the room when Alex who has been going through paperwork (something he hates doing) stops them. "Hey guys," the three of them stop and look at him. " Can you guys follow me to my offices," He looks back at Kennedy. "You too."
Seeing that they can't say no to him, he is their boss now, the four follow him down the hallway. Kennedy is the first one to question Alex. "So what's this all about? I thought we were here for the Watchers meeting."
Alex stops before he gets to the door of his private office. "And that you were. But you are also here for a different kind of meeting."
Dawn thinks she knows where he is going when he says that, but apparently it went over the others heads. "What kind of meeting are you talking about?" VI asks as Alex opens the door to his office.
He grins the door opens and they see who has been waiting for them inside. "A Scooby Gang meeting." And there stands the sister who had abandoned her all those years ago in the middle of Alax Harris's office. Buffy gives Dawn a reluctant smile as all four of them stand in shock over the returning Buffy Summers. Well at least the three girls are shocked at Buffy. Andrew was shocked at something else.
"Wait, I'm a member of the Scooby Gang?" Andrew asks with excitement.
VI gives Andrew a shove telling him to stay quiet as Dawn and Buffy just stare at each other with contempt. It seems like days go by as she stares into the blue eyes of her sister, so much anger grows inside her as the time goes further and further. She thinks about the day she left, she looks back the weddings the funerals, the battles that she has missed. The times that she needed her, she wasn't there. But now here she is like nothing has changed a bit and Dawn bets that she won't even apologize for all those missed moments. Buffy opens her arms for a hug as Dawn walks up getting ready to slap her in the face. The open arms for a hug soon turns to Buffy bringing up her right arm to block the slap. Right as Dawn is about to deck her sister and Buffy is ready to block it they both stop and look at each others eyes once more. It is at that exact moment that Dawn bursts into to tears and falls to the floor, something she's been doing a lot of since Giles passing. She spends not half a second as she looks up and Buffy is kneeling right next to her also in tears. Dawn leans her head to Buffy's shoulder and they both embrace in tears of joy and loss. But still the words ring through her head.
"Buffy still won't choose you. She will be against you."
But then Dawn thinks to herself, at least she is here today, she is with me right now.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 4
THE BOY WHO NEVER WAS
Connor and Dawn's apartment, New York City
"So that's the story you never knew." Once the mysterious man named Whistler is done talking, a numb sensation comes over Connors body. Yes, it all seems so real, but it seems like a lie. This surreal feeling doesn't fade as Whistler begins raiding the fridge. " Question is why have you never questioned who you were up until the last couple of weeks?"
Connor walks over to him and pulls his hands off the milk that he was reaching. "That's expired. But the real question is why did I let you talk for over twenty minutes about a a guy who you probably made up." He knows that he's being defensive because what he is being told is the truth.
" Are you that afraid?" Whistler looks him straight in the eyes with contempt. " Doesn't it make perfect sense, the super powers, the need to fight the creatures who roam in the dark, marrying someone who is involved in the same profession, doesn't any of that click with you?"
Connor sighs knowing that he makes a very good argument. "I didn't get into vampire slaying until I met Dawn, I just wanted to help her out."
"But it came so natural to you didn't it? Like you were born to fight them or that someone taught you how to fight them, makes sense doesn't it?"
"No, none of this makes any sense whatsoever, your telling me that my life up until I was eighteen was a lie. I can't believe to tell you the loopholes that exist in your theory."
"The same loop holes that exist in the first fourteen years of your wife's life." Whistler winks at him.
"Dawn has nothing to do with this." Connor sits back down on the kitchen counter playing with his crossbow.
"Yes, she does." Whistler pulls a half eaten ham sandwhich out of the fridge and takes a bite. "She is a person who shouldn't have been and so are you, kind of cute how the powers worked you two together."
"I don't believe in any higher powers." Connor asking himself in his head why he is lying to himself, he knows that Whistler is right, but still he can deny his calling, can't he? "Me and Dawn are together because we love each other."
"True, but I'm sure the Powers had a hand in your meeting. You are still soul mates." Whistler throws the sandwhich in the trash and stands right in front of Connor. He knows it's coming now, Whistler is going to go in for the kill, he is going get him. "Your stubborn, just like your father."
Connor slams his crossbow down and gets right in the face of the good demon. "I'M NOT LIKE MY FATHER!!!!"
Connor catches that and slams his hands down on the counter, Whistler points and laughs.
"See, you do believe me. But you know what your problem is, Connor old boy? Your afraid of who you are, who you are supposed to be."
"Wait, I thought I wasn't supposed to be at all. Remember, just a son of two vampires to impregnate a higher power so she could give birth to a love demon." It's at that moment, that everything has come back to him, that the person he really was has come back to him. What he also realizes is that person was a confused boy who has been manipulated by so many people. That's not who he is deep down inside, he has the knowledge now that he is a good person who can make a difference. He is like his father, all three of them, Holtz, Angel and Gerald. But still, he must argue his point further, he doesn't want to give in that easily to this fantasy reality.
"Well, you were also supposed to kill a demon named SaunJaun." Whistler realizes that he has just given Connor more fuel for the rebellion fire.
"Wait," Connor points towards Whistler. "That makes no sense whatsoever, how can there be a prophecy about me ridding the world of the demon if I was meant to bring forth of the coming of Oprah-Goddess-Bitch? And what about the "˜father will kill the son' thing How do you explain that all mighty wizard of the beyond?"
"That part actually did come true." Whistler begins raiding Connors bread box now. "You have any white bread?"
"Next to the sink." Connor tells Whistler as he rushes to get some bread. "Oh yeah, he killed me around the same time he took charge of the evil law firm. Do you know how strange this sounds to a normal person?"
"Yeah, but sadly Connor, your anything but normal." Whistler takes a huge bit out of the bread and continues. "And you believe me."
Connor gives up, he knows he's no going to win, that he can't hide from his past. It came back and now it's going to ruin his future, he knows either way there is no going back from this point. He raises his arms up in defeat. "Alright, I believe you, deep down inside, I've always know who I really was. But why now, why are you here"
"To do the same thing I did with your daddy." Whistler takes a seat leaning on the counter right next Connor. "To give a step in the right direction, there's wrongs that need to be righted and with the Powers greatest hope dead, the responsibility goes directly to his son."
"Why?" Connor now finds another reason to deny his destiny. "I didn't ask for this."
"Do you think any slayer around the world ever asked to be what they are? Do you think that Angel asks for the gypsies to curse him with the soul? The truth is Connor, you have free will, that's what the Powers That Be are all about. You can use that free will to reach your full potential or you can waste it by maintaining your semi-ordinary life as your wife's cheerleading squad."
"So what do you want me to do?" After that he has no choice but to submit again, although there is apart of him that still wants to fight this, that wants to be normal.
"To journey into the center of hell." Whistler stands up and motions for Connor to follow him. Although, he doesn't want to, he can't stop his legs from following his demon guide.
"Nebraska?" Connor doesn't know where that witty comment came from, but sounds like something the black man from his dreams would say, either him or the green guy, Lorne was his name.
"No, Los Angeles." Whistler opens the front door for them and soon they find themselves walking away from the house and towards an old beat up truck in the distance.
"Wait, your insane." Connor's not stupid, he knows damn well what's in L.A, pure evil, a city run entirely by vampires. Connor stops in his steps and pleads his case once more to Whistler. "We can't just march into the middle of apocalypse R US and expect to survive."
Whistler stops and chuckles a little bit. "Who said anything about "˜we'? Like I said, I'm just here to give you a step in the right direction and then I'm gone. Who knows, maybe I'll do the same thing I'm doing now for your child or his child."
"Wait," Connor follows Whistler as he walks closer to the old beat up truck. "You want me to go into this alone? And you want me to leave right now, what am I going to tell Dawn?"
Whistler stops once more and looks Connor right in the eyes once more. "Call her and tell her your going on a business trip. Plus, I have a sinking feeling that your little wifey will be going on a journey all her own."
"What does that mean?" Connor is now confused by that cryptic message, he hates cryptic messages.
"I have a feeling that you'll find out sooner than later." Whistler begins walking towards the truck once more, the closer they get, the more his stomach sinks down to his knees.
"And to answer your other question, time is running out, you need to get going on your journey now if you want to stop the death that is to come."
"What is it exactly that I'm stopping?" This moment feels the most surreal in his mind, like he's walking towards a destiny that he should have gone towards long ago. "And how am I going to stop it if I have no idea what I'm doing and no one with me?"
"Not really sure what it is your fighting, but I'm guessing it's the end of the world, cases like these always have something to do with an upcoming apocalypse, used to happen once a year, now it's an occasional five years. But this one feels like it could be the end all of summer movie of Armagedons." Now they stand right next to the truck, and for the first time since this whole conversation, Whistler has a blank stare on his face. "And I never said you were going to have to go it alone, I've arranged a guide for you."
The driver side of the truck opens up and a man who looks to be in his late thirties or early forties jumps, he's wearing blue jeans and open flannel shirt, on his head is a cowboy hat and he's wielding a really sharp samurai sword. The man walks up to Connor and puts his sword his side, he reaches out his hand to him and smiles him a very sly devilish smile.
"Hi, Connor," Connor feels another pain in chest as he takes the urban cowboys hand shakes it, he does not trust this man whatsoever. "I'm Lindsey McDonald, when were done saving the world, I'll be the man who kills you."
Whistler puts his hands on both of the men's shoulder and gives them a bright smile. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine, have a good trip."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Watcher's Council, London England
"And he's a vampire fighter like the rest of us, but he sure seemed to know what he was doing a whole lot better than any of us when he joined up." Buffy recoils at the thought that she missed out on the amazing stories she is now telling her. What kind of person is she to miss out on Dawn's life, why did she have to bail out on her own sister? Now she can't even remember the answer to that question, all she feels now is remorse to the past she missed out on. She could understand how Alex can forgive her, but she never fathomed Dawn forgiving her that easily. And it's as Dawn begins her next sentence that she realizes something, Dawn was able to do something that Buffy never could, she moved on. Dawn continues as Buffy realizes what a mature young woman she has become. "But I've been very worried about him as of late, he's become very dark and moody, well more than usual."
"And dark and moody is something he does often?" Buffy is actually a little hesitant to trust her sister's husband by the explanation she is giving. From her own experience, dark and moody is never a good combination. But what does she know, Dawn is proving as they talk that she has become the more mature of the two. Again, Buffy questions what has she become?
"Oh yeah, totally turned me off when I first met him, I was actually dating Andrew at the time." Dawn says regretfully, of course, Andrew and the other are in the other room figuring out what their next move will be.
"You dated Andrew?" Buffy asks half surprised, but she can see where the young Dawn could find him charming in a weird dorky way.
"Yeah," Dawn says sort of snickering at the thought now. "But that was for only a few weeks, then I met Connor in L.A chasing my rogue slayer. He immediately became persistent, but I wouldn't have any of it, due to the fact that I was dating someone else at the time, but in the end, he won my heart."
"That must have killed Andrew." Buffy knows how sensitive the bookkeeper of the watcher's council is.
"Actually no, him and Vi started hooking up around that point, but they try to keep that relationship secret, only a few of us know about it." Buffy at first takes solace in the light in Dawn's eyes, but then ends up in envy of it.
You weren't even supposed to be here. She finds herself thinking, doesn't know why but the inner voice in her head begins preaching hate towards her sister. Sometimes I wish the monks never made you, especially right now, I wouldn't have to deal with the guilt I'm feeling right now and certainly wouldn't have come back to this life, I would still be on my own able to run away from you and the rest. Buffy almost pukes at the thoughts she has towards her little sister, how can she even think that? It wasn't more than twenty five years ago that she died for her sister, now she's wishing that she was never born. Why? Because now she has to pay for isolation, because now she has to actually deal with a decision she made years ago. And also, deep down inside, she's jealous that Dawn was able to handle the life that Buffy couldn't balance, she's fighting the forces of the occult while having a normal with a fairly normal husband. Even someone who shouldn't be is living the life she was supposed to live better. How can she be thinking all of this? What is she? Definitely not the hero she used to be, that's for sure.
She tries to find something to talk about, to say something so she could love her sister instead of this hate that she's feeling right now, but they are interrupted by a young girl who slams open the door to Alex's private office. She gives Dawn a very impatient look, Buffy realizes that this must be Reese, Dawn's latest charge, Buffy could tell that this girl has a bad attitude but what slayer doesn't. The girl taps her shoe on the floor and looks at her watch. "So Dawn, we ready to leave yet. You had your little watcher meeting, now let's jet, I want to patrol."
Dawn stands up and sighs at her unrelenting slayer as Buffy gets on her feet as well. "Actually, we are going to be staying here a little longer than expected." Before Reese has a moment to complain Buffy extends her arm and Dawn introduces them to each other. "Reese, this my sister Buffy."
A look of surprise enters Reese's face as Dawn just said that. "Oh, this is the sister that abandoned you when you needed her the most." Dawn is just as surprised with Reese's honesty as Buffy is.
"Wow, your rather blunt aren't you?" Buffy exclaims at this little brat. But of her likes that she brought it up.
Dawn looks very embarrassed at what her student just said. "Buffy I'm so sorry, Reese doesn't know how to hold her tongue." Dawn looks at Reese with a very stern look and Buffy is surprised by the authority her little sister is showing. "What did I tell you about that, a slayer isn't just a warrior, but she must also be polite, especially when it's a family member of mine."
Buffy has to interrupt because, despite her rudeness, Reese has a point. "Dawn, it's okay, although she's a complete stranger. She has a point, but I think we should have that conversation just between the two of us."
Right before Dawn is about to dismiss Reese, they are interrupted by Kennedy who just struts into the room like she is the greatest slayer who has ever lived. "But that's going to have to wait. Alex says he has news about Giles sire, he's treating it like an urgent situation. He wants to see all three of you in the war room right now."
Just as Buffy is going to say they are on their way, Dawn steals the lead from her. "We are on our way." Dawn puts her serious watcher face back on and walks out the door passing Kennedy. "Reese come on." Reese sighs but follows her watcher out the door.
Buffy smiles at Kennedy as she trails slowly behind the others, she stops at the slayer general as she caresses the scythe hanging from her holster. "Wow, she's grown up."
"Yes," Kennedy agrees as she closes the door and gives Buffy a very dirty look. "Funny that you haven't what so ever."
Buffy is once again taken aback by Kennedy's trademark attitude, of all people, she at least thought Kennedy had respect for her. "Excuse me."
"You heard me," Kennedy begins walking down the hall side by side with Buffy. "Your friends and family may have welcomed you back with open arms, but I and the rest of the slayer family don't want you here. You should have stayed gone."
"And what gives you the right to say that?" Buffy asks wanting to lay Kennedy out on the floor, not the first time somebody wanted to smack her upside the head.
Kennedy unleashes the scythe and holds it against her chest. "This does. When you left, who do you think had to pick up the slack? Not Faith, I'll tell you that much. I did it all, I proved that I am more of slayer than you'll ever be, because I never quit, never had a moment of weakness. And when I did have somebody holding me back from my true potential I dropped her like the bad habit that she was."
"I'd watch how your talking about my best friend there, Ken." This conversation is enraging Buffy more and more. "Somebody might just knock you off your high horse."
Kennedy gives Buffy an almost sinister grin. "Funny, nobody has over the last fifteen years and I'll be damned if I let some retired slayer replace me."
"Kennedy," Buffy of course could tell the jealousy that Kennedy had for her even when she was just a potential. "Is this what it's all about? Your afraid I'm going to replace you."
"Makes sense doesn't it? You come back, get all nicey nice with the head of the Watcher's Council because after all these years you know he still has a boner for you. And then you prepare to resume the role of head slayer."
Now she's pissed and stops dead in her tracks staring down Kennedy. "My god, the man who I saw as my father just died and you are worried about me taking your place. You are the most selfish ego maniacal person I have ever met Kennedy and I'm talking about ever since you were a little maggot."
Buffy notices the rage in Kennedy's eyes grow and her right fist go up. "NOBODY CALLS ME A MAGGOT!!!" Kennedy goes to throw a blow, but Buffy blocks it and hits on the jaw with a hard right hand.
Buffy wonders what kind of impression she's making as Kennedy hits the ground dropping the scythe on the ground. "Sorry Kennedy, I know I've been out for a while, and I know I've been coward. But no matter which way you stretch it, I will always be a slayer. And you, you've wasted everything that was given to you by being a spoiled brat." Buffy picks up the scythe and hands it to Kennedy who is laying on the ground, Kennedy quickly takes it from her. "I guess me and you are in the same boat, because it seems like we are the only two who haven't grown up around here."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 5
THE PRICE YOU PAY
BlackPool England, The Rayne Estate
"I'm telling you, he doesn't know anything." Buffy says as they stand at the gates of the huge mansion. She stands in between Dawn and Alex, all armed with weapons, behind them is a very bored Reese, who is snacking on potato chips and listening to her head phones. " He's Probably just trying to play another mind game with us."
Alex looks at Buffy, very understanding, but not really paying attention. "You know, your probably right, but we got to go with every lead we have."
"You sure you must be here Alex? I mean most of your attention should be on the siege in L.A." Dawn says breaking from the group and stepping towards the gates.
"Maybe, but this is a personal issue, I need to stake the vamp who did this. Rupert had a few years left in him, he would've handled these problems a whole lot better than me." Alex follows Dawn.
"The self pity is getting really annoying, your doing the right thing, your going with your heart. It's the best anyone could ask of you." Buffy joins both of them at the gates, ready to enter.
Alex presses the button by the gates. "Let's get this slay show on the slay road."
A very familiar female voice rings over the intercom next to the gates where the quartet stands waiting to get the information they are looking for. "Rayne Estate, who may I ask is this." Buffy knows that voice, she just can't tell where she knows it from.
"This is Alexander Lavelle Harris, from the Watcher's Council, Ethan is expecting us."
"Yes," The voice over the intercom speaks, again, so familiar. "He has been expecting you for more than a few days. How's Willow doing?"
Dawn presses the button down and answers for Alex. "More powerful than you will ever be."
The female voice laughs over the intercom, but then she coughs a little. "Oh, little sis, is your slayer there with you." The voice pauses and then begins again. "And she is, and what's this, what a very pleasant surprise, big sis is here too."
"Just open the gates, you rat, so we can get the info we need from your geriatric mentor." Alex demands as he puts his hand back on the button.
"Will do, boss!" Buffy finally realizes that the sarcastic voice is a confused girl who she used to go to high school with. The gates open, and they have access to the mansion, Alex and Buffy walk forward.
"Reese, come on." Dawn looks back and realizes that Reese has been paying no attention to what's been going on for the last couple of minutes, too busy rocking out to the no. 1 band in the world on her IPOD.
Dawn walks back to Reese who still hasn't gotten the gist that it's time to move out. Reese starts singing her rock tune. "Witchcraft, Werewolf, love, lesbians, spells, just can't get away from myself." Reese doesn't even know she has started to sing, Dawn kind of laughs at her. " Giant Snake, Larry's gay, flaming arrows making me ache." Reese starts banging her head as she starts singing the chorus. "Death, death in the High School. Death, death in the dorms. Death, death at Bronze."
Dawn pulls the head phones off of Reese's head and takes her hand leading her on.
"Come on, time to interrogate." Dawn urges her charge.
"But that was my favorite song by the greatest band in the world."
"Yes," Dawn pulls her even more forward. "We all love the "˜Humis' song, but it's time to work." Reese reluctantly follows her watcher, but suddenly, her cell rings.
"What was that about going to work?" Reese asks with a sly smirk. Dawn is going to pass up the call but she notices it's her absent husband, so she has to answer it.
"So, you finally decided to call." Dawn jokes answering the phone. She listens to her husband for a seconds before answering. "London's good, there's a lot of stuff going on right now, so I'll be gone longer. But I'm kind of in a hurry now, we are investigating a witness to Gile's death." Reese watches as her mentor listens to her husband. "Oh, your going to be gone too." She listens in a little bit more. "So, where are you going?"
Lindsey's Car
"I'm sensing a bit of a communication problem between you and your Mrs." Lindsey smiles as he sips on the soda he bought from the last Burger King they were at. They've been driving for four hours now and Connor has yet to say anything to him. Lindsey takes great comfort in this guys conversation with his wife. Lindsey has always been quite good at sensing weakness, including his own. " No action in the bedroom?"
Connor puts his phone back in his jacket and looks at his guide blankly. " I don't want to have this conversation."
Lindsey, ever the jackass, persists. "Oh, I get it, it's not just in the bedroom. You don't get to see her too often, do you? She's all busy with her watcher duties and her slayer, that leaves you here to live the normal life and fight demons and vampires casually."
Connor turns towards him, frustrated and speaks to his driver. "That's all changed now hasn't it?"
"Yeah, that's got to be weird. One moment your just another thirty something wasting away his life, then the next "¦"
Connor finishes Lindsey's little speech. "I'm on my way to a suicide mission for a father I never really knew."
Lindsey takes another gulp of his drink then throws it out the window. "I knew Angel."
Connor looks up, more interested then Lindsey thought he would be. "You did? What were you guys partners?"
"Hell no, I hated him. We were bitter enemies, I'm still pissed off that we never got to have our battle to death."
Connor is now even more confused by this man then he was before. "If you and my dad were such bitter enemies, then why are you helping avenge his death? It doesn't make much sense."
Lindsey gives his handsome smile once more. "You'll realize that when dealing with the forces of good and the forces of evil, not much really makes any sense. Best thing to do is to strap in for the ride." Lindsey pauses as he looks at Connor. "And as far as to why I'm helping, I never got to kill him, God knows I'm going to kill the person who did."
"Wait, isn't that my job? To avenge my father's death?"
"That's what people like Whistler want you to believe. Your real job is to watch my back, there's a powerful force in L.A, and I need a good back to make sure I don't get killed until I get my moment." Lindsey pauses again. "Now, I know you've probably read all about this on the news, but it goes way deeper than that. L.A, as you may also know, is now run by vampires."
"Yeah, but my wife's council is taking care of that." His thoughts are now back on Dawn. He really misses her.
"But there is a force that is leading the vamps, something more sinister than any vamp or demon that you can imagine." Lindsey's look is rather grim now.
Connor finishes Lindsey's thoughts. " The Wolf, The Ram, and The Hart. Lawyers are the ones controlling this whole L.A massacre?"
Lindsey chuckles again as he turns the steering wheel. "Yeah, you got it right on the nose. Do you really think a vampire can organize that kind of siege on a city? They needed something big to lead them and that would be the Senior Partners. Granted, the Partners are probably using a big up in Wolfram and Hart to arrange this, probably the same person who killed your pops."
Connor is now curious again in what this older man has to say. "Do you know who it could be?"
Lindsey thinks hard then answers him. "If I wasn't caught up to speed I'd say my old buddy Lilah would have found a way to put the old kibosh on him. But old Angel had so many enemies, it could've been anyone."
"Then how do you plan on finding this mystery man who killed my father?"
" I have my sources, plus I'm sure it had to be someone close to him. Maybe his watcher friend decided to get a little payback on him."
Connor sits up and tries to process all of this in his head. "So, let me get this straight: we are going on what probably is a kamikaze mission for a man I have fuzzy memories of and you hate."
Lindsey grins as Connor let's the question dwell for a few seconds. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Now I have just one more question for you."
"Shoot." Lindsey is still grinning.
"How can I trust you?" That's a question that has been lingering in his mind for several hours now and Connor knows what Lindsey's answer is going to be.
A wide smile raises on the face of Lindsey Mcdonald. "You can't."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Lobby of The Hyperion Hotel
The minute she comes to, she automatically recognizes her prison that she is in. In tears over Robin, Faith begins to struggle in the chair that she has been strapped into, but quickly realizes that she is paralyzed. Her memories come racing back to her as soon as she realizes this. For the first time in years, her vulnerability gushes out of her when she thinks that the only person she could've really loved is dead. Not Angel, of course, that was more of a love one would have for her father. What she had for Wood, was really love. Tears stream down her face because it took his untimely death to realize that.
But she has no time for that, whoever is keeping her here is going to be back any second, she needs to find some way to get unparalyzed. She takes a gander around for any weapons or any way out of this, what she finds instead is a story. The hotel looks more beat up then it did twenty years ago, in fact, looks like a huge battle took place in here. Her second clue is the body hanging a little off the balcony, it's a body of a woman in her thirties, in red spandex pants and gloves on her hands. Although she doesn't recognize the molding female figure, she knows it had to be one of Angel's many allies. Then, a second body laying on the flight of stairs, a long haired man with half his brain hanging out of his forehead, next to him is his fallen sword. Again, doesn't recognize the man, but has heard several stories of Cordelia's boyfriend from another dimension, she guesses this must've been him. But the third body almost makes her scream, if she could, she probably would've, vulnerable state and everything.
She utters out these words even during paralyzes. "Lorne, you friggin bastards got Lorne." Impaled on the wall of the Hyperion by a huge axe is the headless body of a green demon in a flashy suite. "I'm going to kill whoever did this. You hear me." Her anger is almost enough to snap Faith out of her state, but still not enough. "My boyfriend, Lorne, Angel. They will all be avenged, I'm not afraid of whoever you are."
"It doesn't matter." A child like voice behind her says. She can't lean back to see this child who apparently has been behind her the whole time. "Nothing matters anymore, Faith."
"Who are you?" Faith asks the child. She can tell that the voice is definitely male and definitely English. "Can you set me free?"
"I told you, it doesn't bloody matter." The boy snaps.
"Don't take that tone with me junior, unless you want to end up splattered on the wall with the rest of martyrs here." Faith doesn't feel bad whatsoever for yelling at this boy.
"I am already a martyr, several times over actually. It's a real brain bender of a tale if you ever have the time to listen to it." The boy almost sounds gleeful as he says this.
"I know you." Or at least she thinks she should.
"It doesn't matter what you know. Forget it." He sounds to be about nine years old from his voice, so she shouldn't know him. But she thinks she does.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a slamming door, the boy behind her gasps. The lights dim as she hears footsteps come from upstairs, they are almost booming. Although she doesn't fear what's coming, goose bumps arise over her body. "Who is that?"
"Not the worst, that is yet to come. But he is pretty damn close." The boy says behind her. "You should run."
"Well, help me junior." She says a dark figure appears on the balcony and smiles.
"Sorry, I can't, he'll torture me again." The boys says creeping off.
"That's right. Funny, you've become very smart since your recent transformation." The figure says now walking down the stairs. His voice is vaguely familiar and his body is also recognizable. But she doesn't want to believe that this is what he has become. He has a flame thrower in his right hand and a battle axe in the other. He looks her way and has a wide grin on his face. "Well Faith, this whole situation seems quite familiar, doesn't it."
The tears are streaming down again as the bumpy headed former watcher walks closer and closer towards her. "No it can't be. This is not you."
"Ah, stupid, stupid Faith," The british man pauses for a second. "Remember, you had me tied up and you did all kinds of meaningless torture to me. And why? Because you were a killer, that's what you did best. Well, now it's my turn to unleash meaningless torture on you. So, have you found your redemption yet."
"You don't want to do this."
The vampire finally comes into the light and Faith can clearly see the now sinister face of Wesley Wyndam Pryce. He leans towards, now starting up the flame thrower, getting ready to deliver her final judgment. He has a wide smile on his face as he puts foreward the flame towards her left arm. "Yes Faith, I really do."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
PART 6
REVELATIONS AND BETRAYALS
Watcher's Council, London England
"When did we become the B-team?" Vi asks while sitting down at the other end of Andrew Well's desk. Both are researching several different books on vampire nesting and migration habits, toiling away to figure out a way to stop the current rise of vampirism on the west coast. Andrew looks up from his book, he is actually hiding the newest issues of "Astonishing X-Men" in it, he smiles at her with a coy expression, she smiles back. "I didn't use to do research."
"But vastly aging one, you are the one who told Kennedy you wanted to retire. And me, I guess I've kind of have always been a member of the B-Team. I mean I've always been a watcher, so research is my thing." I tries to go back to his comic, but he notices the look in his untold lovers eyes. "What's wrong my dear?"
Vi doesn't say something for a moment, she doesn't KNOW what to say. The things she is thinking aren't very nice and she knows she is not in the right for thinking of it. But why should she hold anything back from Andrew, her unofficial life partner? They've been together since he became an official watcher, although no one really ever knew for sure. And it was tough for her to keep his mouth shut about it too, he immediately called Clem and Willy, but after he got the gist that she wanted to keep the relationship between them and not the whole Watcher's council he kept his mouth shut. He is actually very loyal to her, not a puppy dog loyal, but he stays by her. So why is she holding back on him? "It's just Buffy."
"What about the slayer of the VAMPYRES?" Andrew gives her an even wider smile which still makes her glow. He's been saying this since he first joined Buffy's little band during the battle on the Sunnydale HELLMOUTH. She just thinks about how much she is in love with him and decides that no, she can't hold anything back from him.
"I hate to sound like Kennedy, but the minute that she came back things changed didn't they?" Vi cringes as she says this.
"You mean how she automatically took the forefront as the leader again?" Andrew rubs his forehead for a moment.
"Yeah, shouldn't we hate her? She walked out on the cause and now that she's back, it's all about her again. It wouldn't be that easy for me and I know it wasn't that easy for you or Faith to get back on good terms with the gang." Again, she feels so out of character saying this stuff, she remembers when she began this that she used to be just a fly on the wall, how things have changed in twenty years?
"I thought that too at first, but then I thought about it, Giles was killed. Rupert was like a father to her, I don't think she really cares about what we think about her. The only thing on her mind right now is to find his sire, she doesn't care about the L.A situation, she thinks she needs to be the one to make things right." Andrew isn't smiling anymore because she knows that deep down inside he agrees with her.
Vi thinks for a moment and then answers him. "But he was like a father to us too, especially to you. And we stuck with him longer than she did, we've been a tight band for twenty years now."
Andrew chuckles a little bit. "But now it feels like your back to being a supporting character again. Because this has always been about THE slayer, which Buffy is and your not, you are just an offshoot, a spinoff of her power. But you have to understand, being the chronicler of the slayer mythos, it began with Buffy, Giles, Willow and Alex, in everyone's mind it's going to always be about those four, and Dawn."
Vi slams her fist down on the desk and pouts at him, he knows that she's not mad at him, just frustrated with the situation. "But this didn't begin with Buffy, it began with the primitive and a bunch of greedy old men, it should be about us now." She pauses for a moment and then realize what she is saying. "My god, I sound like Kennedy."
"Yeah, you do and look at her." Andrew rubs his fingers to his chin for a second then looks back at his non girlfriend girlfriend. "She has never been able to love because of that attitude and I hope that isn't you, I don't know if I would be able to stand that truth, especially in these times."
Vi knows what he is saying, he wants to be reminded that she is his "one", something she isn't reluctant to say to his face anymore. "Andrew, you know how I feel about you now, after all these years, you still need to be reminded?" She then realizes after all these years that he suffers from that trademark low self esteem. "I love you Andrew Wells, you were the only one here who didn't make me feel like a supporting character, you make me feel like the star of your big movie."
Andrew leans over towards her face, getting ready to plant a kiss on her but then thinks back to when they first met. He was tied up in the Summer's household, with garland and holy wrapped around him as well (because Xander thought it would be festive due to the Xmas season) and even then he sort of knew who she would become. Sure, at the time he thought he was gay, but he's glad that it didn't happen that way. "Vi, you will always be THE slayer to me."
As she leans in closer, a thought pops into her head. "We are nearing the end aren't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know, it feels like we finally gotten to the end of days." And the feeling inside eats her up, it has been since Giles death and even more since Buffy returned. "It feels like everything is coming together so perfectly for the "¦"¦"
Andrew finishes her sentence. "The final chapter?"
She bends over even more and kisses her man on the lips and then pulls away. "Yeah, your story is coming to an end."
Andrew grabs her by the neck and pulls her towards him and they have another smooch, they pull away and look at each other. "Yeah, I have that feeling too. And we know it's for real this time don't we? Not another fake out, the end is near."
"No, the end is here." She is now laying on the Watcher's council book keeper's desk and she feels him reach for something in his pocket as they embrace once more.
"In that case "¦." He says as she hears something click in the palm of his hand, she looks down and sees a huge diamond ring sitting in it's case. She lights up as he gently pulls her away then gets down on one knee. " I feel like such a dope for saying this with the way things are going. I've been contemplating this for so many years now, but only now do I feel comfortable saying this. I mean asking this."
On the desk, she has a wide smile on her face and doesn't let him finish his sentence. "Yes."
Andrew doesn't pay attention at all and continues his monologue to his girlfriend. " I know that I'm a nerd and former evil genius and well a murderer, but I was hoping that you could look past all of that "¦"¦"
"Yes, I will marry you."
Again, he is so focused on his speech that he doesn't hear her answer again. "So what I'm asking is "¦.."
Vi puts her hand over his mouth and looks at this adorable man in the eyes with great affection. "Andrew, I said yes. I will marry you."
Now Andrew is smiling as well as Vi sits him down on the chair and begins to embrace him. He is shocked at her answer, he can't believe what he is hearing, not in a million years did he think that she would answer yes. "Really?"
She kisses him on the lips again just to confirm for him and now they are fully making out on his chair when they should be researching right now. They continue for a good five minutes, letting the astonishment of the moment over come them, they don't care who's watching, they are about to get it on. But that moment is ruined once the lights all over the building go out.
They finish their embrace and look at each other both shocked at the lights going out on them. Andrew feels a big sense of a buzz kill at this moment and just stares at his fiancée. "What was that?"
Then a flaming arrow flies through the window of the Watcher's council, making the glass shatter around them. He quickly pulls her behind him and the chair for shelter, he's not going to let anything take her away from him. He knows that she is fully capable of taking of her self, but she feels safe letting him be the MAN now, not just safe comfortable. As the arrow hits the wall the wall suddenly erupts in flames and the door to office smashes open. Both are expecting the enemy, but they are staring at the slayer master general, Kennedy who has a grin on her face, she knows that she caught them at a bad time. "Come on guys, let's get the **** out of here."
Vi and Andrew run towards her and the exit out of the room that is now catching on fire. Once they make it to Kennedy, Vi gives her an a very worried look. "Kennedy, what's going on?"
Kennedy now has a stone cold reaction on her face. "We have a situation on our hands, a bad one." Kennedy leads them out of the office and into the halls of the Watcher's council that is filled with panicked council members and slayers.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Hyperion Hotel, L.A, CA
"Are you still five by five Faith?" Wesley asks as he sticks the wooden stake into her shoulder blade, she wonders in horrible pain when this is going to end. He been going at this for six straight hours, and the smile hasn't left his face. Of course, he has taken breaks to taunt and verbally torture her, but mostly it's been burning her and sticking blunt objects into her flesh. She is still trying to get over the loss of Wood during all of this, and to make things worse, him nor the little runt who has been running around has answered any of her questions. She still doesn't know how Wesley has become this way and who this mysterious child is and of course what happened to Angel. He pulls the stake out once more and looks at her with a menacing smile underneath his point forehead. "Does this earn you redemption Faith?"
She looks at him and is interrupted by the little boy behind her. "Redemption isn't always all it's cracked up to be."
Wesley looks at the little boy very bemused and then snaps at the kid. "Shut up, William. Be a good little boy or I'll have to take you to the wood shed again."
She hears the boy run off behind her as she sits wrapped up on her chair, bleeding heavily. Although, she keeps going and forth between passing out and being wide awake, even for a slayer this punishment is incredibly grueling. She looks at him with blood dripping down from her forehead and finally asks a question she knows he'll answer. "So why don't you just kill, you pansy."
Wesley leans over Faith's battered body with an evil grin. "I believe the correct term for me is that of a nancy. But of course, you were never good with terminology. And I would love to kill you right here, right now. But unfortunately my orders were not to kill, well, I was ordered not to torture you either, but I just couldn't resist." He licks the blood off her forehead and begins pacing around her, then slams the stake into her knee cap. "No, Faith, it's sad, but you are needed, along with the little runt over there. If I had my way, he would have been dead the day he was conceived."
With the stake stuck in her knee, she begins to tear up but never takes her eyes off of Wesley, she has no idea what he is going to do next. " What do you need me for Wesley, what is the point of all of this?"
Wesley grabs the stake and yanks it out of the knee cap causing her even more pain. "We are not playing that game Faith, you know I'm not going to tell you. You will find out when you need to find out."
The phone at the clerks desk begins to ring, once Wesley hears it, he ignores it for a few seconds. He looks at Faith with his gleefully evil face. She hears the little boy scatter to the phone, but Wesley gestures for him to stop. The boys footsteps stop once Wesley is done commanding him, she thinks she hears him light up a cigarette. Then her suspicions are confirmed once she smells the reek of the smoke, she begins to try to get out of her restraints but still nothing.
Wesley leans over to her once more with that crazy joker-like face of his and touches her cheek. "I hate when my fun is interrupted, but sadly I must answer that. But don't worry your little head, father Wesley will be right back." He struts over to the phone, dropping down most of his arsenal for the time being, again she tries to get out of her restraints, but alas, she is still paralyzed, although it is wearing off. She watches Wesley answer the phone and listens into his conversation.
"Yeah, I have her here." He pauses for a few seconds then answers back. "Well, she is a little messy right now, but she is still in one piece." He looks back over at his victim and smiles. "Well, kind of." He listens more to the voice at the other end of the line and smiles a very evil grin again. "Okay, we are on our way."
He hangs up the phone and walks over to Faith and begins to untie her restraints. She has one question she hasn't asked yet, so she decides it's about time to ask him, if he did of course he would gloat. "So Wesley, tell me, you killed Angel didn't you?"
Wesley looks at her with great contempt. "Oh, I only wish Faith, but unfortunately, no, I didn't kill him. Was I culprit who helped? Yes I was, but I wasn't the one who ended that half breeds sad existence." He fully unties and she immediately goes to attack him, but yet she is still paralyzed, he pulls her up and begins dragging her towards the door. "Don't try to struggle or I might have to make a pit stop and shoot your knee caps out completely."
"Go to hell." Faith says and spits in Wesley face.
Wesley wipes the spittle off his face and begins to chuckle at her sad attempt. "Sorry, we are already there. The rest of the world will be joining us soon."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Rayne Estate, Black Pool, England
They've waiting for what seems hours for their host to show up, Buffy has gone through several cups of tea already and can't drink anymore. She looks over at Alex, who has a very stiff look on his face, next to him is Dawn who looks at her watch and yawns a little bit. And sitting beside Buffy, is the young slayer, Reese, who just looks plain bored to death, she tries to put her head back on but Dawn just slaps her hand each time. Buffy thinks back to how much things have changed over the years, Dawn and Reese reminds her of herself and Dawn from way back when. Buffy really hates being right now, she hates seeing this man, she always hated Ethan and now she is sitting in his living room waiting to interrogate him for what? What could he really know? He hasn't been helpful before, how can he be now? Alex sees the look on her face and kneels over to her.
His face lights up underneath the eye patch. "You sure you can do this, Buff? You could go back to the council if "¦."
She smiles politely at him and puts her hand on his shoulder, showing once more that she is the leader again. "I can handle this, I mean it's just Ethan, we've beat him several times."
Dawn decides to add her two cents in. "Yeah, but that's before he inherited an ass load of cash and hired a very powerful witch as his right hand man. He also has an army of demons who do his dirty work for him."
Buffy looks at her, shocked again. "Wow, you really did your homework."
Dawn looks at her with a sarcastic glare. "I'm a watcher, that's what I do."
Buffy knows that she has no right to pull rank right now. "Sorry, I forgot, your watcher girl now."
Alex slams his hand down on the coffee table. "I swear, if I find out he had anything to do with this, I'm going to make sure he pays."
Reese finally pays attention and looks at the head of the Watcher's Council. "By doing what? You're too old to fight and from what I've heard, you were never too good of a fighter in the first place."
Dawn reaches over and slaps her as Alex smiles at her a little bit. "You better watch it or I'll demote you to potential."
Reese looks at him confused. "A what?"
"A potential, my dear." A voice from the hallway says, they look towards it and see a very senile man being wheeled out towards them. Buffy has a cold shiver come over her as she sees Ethan Rayne for the first time in twenty years, he is much more wrinkled and now in a wheel chair, but it's the same old Ethan. And behind him is a blonde woman in her middle ages, this is apparently Ethan's protégé, but she knows her better as Amy The Rat. Ethan continues his speech looking directly at Buffy. "You should've been one, but someone went and ruined all of that for us. Everyone say thank you to Miss Summers."
Buffy looks at Ethan with great contempt and anger, she knows already that he had something to do with Gile's death. "Ethan, long time no beat the crap out of."
Ethan continues to stare at his arch rivals adopted daughter from beneath oxygen tank that he now breathes from. "It's also a pleasure to see you again too, Buffy. How's immortality treating you?"
Alex looks at Buffy very confused. "What?"
Buffy looks at her older brother (but she doesn't quite see him as a brother anymore does she?) and touches his hand. "It's nothing Alex, he is just trying to taunt me."
"That I am, my dear slayer, but that's what I'm good at." Ethan replies.
Alex walks over to him and slams his fist onto the wheel chair. "We are not here to play games Ethan. We want answers and we want them now."
Amy immediately puts up a barrier spell as Buffy is impressed at how aggressive Xander Harris has become. Again, she can't help but think how attractive he has become in his older state, she can't believe she is even thinking that. Amy has a huge grin as Alex is flung across the room and onto the wall, she is about to perform another spell but Ethan gestures for her to stop as everyone gets off their seats ready to attack. "Hold back my dear, little Xander Harris poses no threat, he is just another imposter to the throne. And to answer you Mr. Harris, if you want answers to your questions, you have to play my games."
Reese pulls a knife out of her pocket and lunges to towards the barriers, but Dawn holds her back. "No Reese, you better not, you don't know what your dealing with."
Ethan looks over at Dawn and nods. "Wise advice from a wise woman, much smarter than your sister, I always liked you Dawn, even when you didn't even exist. How's your husband doing? I hear he is on an adventure of his own."
Dawn rolls her lip up and looks at Ethan. "What are you talking about?"
"You guys don't really know anything do you?" Ethan laughs a little as he rolls closer to them in his wheel chair.
Buffy helps Alex to his feet as a strained look appears on his face. "Get to the point Ethan or I'll sick Reese on you."
Reese is in a ready stance. "Good, let's end this quickly."
Ethan brushes off the petty threats and looks back at Buffy and Alex. "That's not much of a threat now is it? Even Buffy couldn't stop me."
"Because I let you get away, not this time Ethan, you are going to answer our questions." Buffy stays stern next to Alex.
"The questions you are going to ask aren't the right questions."
Buffy looks at him with very little restraint, the old man doesn't look scared. "Then what are the questions we should be asking?"
"You're here to ask me about who killed Giles, am I correct?"
Dawn answers for her party. "Yes."
"But my dear Dawn, what you don't realize that both of the Councils problems are closely connected."
Alex stands next to Buffy ready to attack with her, she holds him back. "What are you talking about?"
"Always so daft, Xander, you have a major issue in L.A, but you are looking for answers about who killed Giles at the same time. I'm surprised The Key hasn't figured all of this out yet, she is the smartest out of all of you. Have you ever read the prophecies of Tylos?"
Reese looks at him confused. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Nothing really young slayer, I just figured both your generations should read more often." Ethan raises the hand around him to display the glow of Amy's barrier. "What I'm saying is that you guys should play connect the dots more often."
"Cram it Ethan, we want answers about Giles, you called us telling him you knew who did it." Alex says getting very fed up with this runaround.
"That I did, I was right there when he died and he was sired."
Buffy goes right into his face looking at him past the barrier spell. "So who did it Ethan?"
"My god Buffy, you should already know the answer, but it's sad to hear that you don't. Oh well, more fun for me I guess."
Buffy continues to stare at her father's rival. "In your words Ethan, what happened?"
"What happened? Well, a few weeks ago, good old Ripper gets a call from me, you see he was doing some research on something very very crucial and I had information on it for him. Being the smart man that he was, he wanted to meet at a neutral area in case it was trap, so we met at an old where house down in the docks. We had a nice conversation, I gave him the information he needed then he was on his way."
Buffy looks at him, she is not aware of the shadows creeping up behind them, none of them are. "Then what happened Ethan?"
As he begins to speak, Reese is the first to notice them at every corner of the room, then the three also see them. "The same thing that is happening to you now, I set him up, fortunately, he had back up just around the corner. That's something you don't have." As they make their appearance known, Buffy immediately recognizes two of the bumpy faces that now surround them, Harmony and Drusilla. The four get ready for a fight once they start gathering ever closer. Ethan begins to speak again as Buffy heads towards the obvious leader, Drusilla and gets her with a round house kick. "I loved every minute of it, too. The look of desperation on his face when he knew he was going to die and then finally when he gave in and started drinking the blood out of his soon to be sire. Never thought Ripper could be so desperate not to die that he himself would become a vampire. It was brilliant."
As Drusilla kicks Buffy to the floor, she looks down at her old nemesis. "The one and only slayer of thiefs is back. You stole my Bloody's heart and turned it into a soul. I don't like you very much." Buffy gives her a leg sweep and quickly back on her feet.
Buffy pulls her back up and stares at her. "Well, your not big on my list either Drusilla. But it's kind of hard when I stole both of your men."
Ethan watches on as Reese goes after Harmony with Xander immediately taking point and pulling out his crossbow and starts dusting wherever he can. Dawn finds herself swarmed by at least five of the hench vampires. Buffy and Drusilla are actually equaled out during this point of the battle as Reese has her stake ready to get rid of Harmony, but is tackled by one of the henchmen. Harmony looks down at her with a big grin on her face. "Ha, you can never stake me, haven't you freaks learned anything at all, I am the greatest mastermind of them all. Dorks."
Alex looks around him to see that Buffy is still up and fighting, Ethan standing watching the mayhem that he set up, Reese is already knocked out and Dawn is being pulled down the hallway. He tries to put things together and realizes that Dawn would need the most aide right now, because she's the only being dragged off. He tries to take as many as them out as he can, but is quickly intercepted by Harmony. "Harmony, long time no see, another round of rabid hair pulling, right?"
"Grow up Xander, I've matured much more since then." She kicks him the jewels and he is down on his knees. As Harmony goes in for the kill, he manages to yell out to the only member of their party left standing.
"Buffy, their going after Dawn." That's all Xander cat get out before he gets knocked out by one of Harmony's hard right punches.
Buffy notices this and pushes Drusilla away, but Dru is quick and back on her feet in no time. Buffy reaches for the vamps who are pulling Dawn out of the room, she is surprised that Dawn isn't screaming, she is just fighting for her life. Buffy manages to pull a few off her sister, but Dru is quickly back on her and throws her to the ground. "If I have to lose my sister again, I swear I'll kill you and whoever else is involved in all of this."
"I'm sorry, but the stars all point to a key with the face of a girl. We must have her for our little experiment." Buffy pulls Dru off, but is overwhelmed by the rest of the hench men that surround her and with that she loses her sister again. As she fades into darkness, she thinks about how her age is finally catching up with her, twenty years ago she would've been able to beat these odds, but now, it is all gone. Her sister is gone, and this time maybe for good.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Watcher's Council, London England
"Alright, don't panic, but we are surrounded." Kennedy fills in the little army who hasn't been caught in the flames from an hour ago. Fortunately, they were able to put out most of the fire, but they are still in a dire situation. Andrew is surprised that Vi is in his arms, she never does that in front of anyone, she's always been private about their relationship.
He looks at Kennedy still very confused and very scared, but still very thrilled at the same time, he finally has his fiancée in his arms. "Surrounded by what?"
Kennedy answers polishing her scythe getting ready for battle. "Vampires, about twelve dozen, this was a planned attack. We've been set up."
One of the younger slayers in what is known as their shelter raises her hand and Kennedy gives her a gesture to ask her question. "What are we going to do?"
Kennedy smiles with a lot of confidence. "We are going to do what we were born to do, we are going to fight them until they are dust."
Andrew looks around and notices that the fire might've taken out a few of their ranks, twenty at best, but most of them are accounted for, he thinks that maybe they have a chance. He counts fifty slayers and fifteen watchers, not a bad chance, but still he plans on keeping Vi close to him, something isn't right about all of this. He looks at Vi and kisses on her cheek looking down at the ring she is wearing on her finger, she looks worried. "It's going to be okay."
She puts her hand on his cheek and smiles. "I know, as long as you're here, everything is going to be okay." A warm feeling arises in his stomach as she says this, he hasn't felt this way since they first kissed all of those years ago.
They give their attention back to Kennedy who is about to open the hatch and lead her army into an impromptu battle. "Alright, we are going to go out by seniority, me first of course, then Vi, Andrew do you have your crossbow ready?"
Andrew pulls it out of his jacket and taps it twice. "Yeah, I'm ready."
Kennedy nods in appreciation. "Good, your watching both of our back." She looks to the army behind the three of them. "You guys follow in behind us and be prepared to fight." She looks at them one more time always ready for a fight. "Good now lets' get going."
She opens the hatch then looks over at Vi and Andrew motioning them to follow her, they follow and then the others are behind them. Kennedy pulls a sword from her holster and hand it to Vi. Vi looks at her with great appreciation and is now standing by her side. "Thank you, these vamps are dust."
Kennedy doesn't look over Vi and just moves down the hallway towarg outside where a horde of blood thirsty vamps are awaiting them to come out and fight. "Hope you still know how to use it. That's a nice rock you got on your finger, congratulations."
Both Andrew and Vi are shocked that that actually came out of Kennedy's mouth, she is never happy for anybody. Andrew looks at her with a very pleading look. "Just promise us you'll get us through this."
"Trust me, I'm THE slayer." Kennedy smirks right before she gets to the double doors with army behind her. Andrew and Vi both take a breath at the same time, right before Kennedy opens up the double doors. Once the doors are open, Andrew can see what looks like a crowd for a sold out "Dingoes Ate My Babies" concert, but these aren't concert goers, they are vampires. These are vampires that they are about to try to take out and now that horrible feeling enters Andrew's body, he hasn't felt this way since him and Anya were waiting for the Uber vamps to attack. He has a horrible feeling about this one, he embraces Vi's hand once more, she looks back at him with a beautiful smile and lets go. He then stares directly at the sea of vampires that are ready to pounce on them.
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Rayne Estate, Blackpool England
"Buff, wake up." Alex says as Buffy begins to come to, she even feels him slap her across the face. "Buffy, you need wake up. They took Dawn, we have to go get her."
She opens her eyes and stares at the cute older man, behind him is Reese who is slowly getting back to her feet. "I'm awake, Xander." Alex helps her up and she looks around at the massacre that surrounds them, a lot of dust, Amy's body is in pieces in the corner and Ethan's wheel chair is knocked over. She looks around again and notices Ethan's body laying across from his wheel chair, she can still hear him breathing. "So, it looks like Ethan was double crossed as well."
Reese begins to hold Buffy up. "Very poetic, but that's not what we should worry about right now. They kidnapped my watcher, I swear if anything happens to her "¦.."
Alex puts his hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "I know, I know, but I don't think they did anything to her. At least not yet anyways, but we are probably running out of time."
Buffy pulls Reese off her and begins to limp towards where Ethan's body lays. "You stupid son of a bitch."
"Buffy, calm down, we'll get her back." Alex tries to put his arm on her shoulder too, but she quickly pulls him off.
"Not now, this bastard set up my father and now my sister, I'm going to make him pay." Alex has never seen Buffy like this, what has this time away done to her? The better question is what has coming back done to her? He sees the vengeance in her eyes and it almost makes him cringe. He slowly follows her as she turns over the half dead Rayne and stares into his old fearful eyes. "Where is she?"
Ethan coughs up blood. "Figure it out for yourself, put the pieces together."
Buffy slams her fist into the fragile face of Ethan, bending his nose into his face. "Not good enough, I want real answers."
"It will devour you." And those are his last words as Buffy puts her hand over his mouth and slowly suffocates him until he dies. Alex and Reese watch in shock as they see something they have never seen before. Alex has no words to say as Buffy stands back up and looks at them with her furious eyes, he never thought Buffy had it in her to do THAT. Slayers don't kill.
She looks at him with no remorse. "From now on, we don't play games. I will get my sister back. No one ****S with my family."
"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦"¦................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
"Alright, on my count." Kennedy commands as they stand facing the sea of vampires, she holds her scythe out towards them. He gives Vi one more loving look that she sends back to him, but still that horrible feeling arises in him again. Now he holds his crossbow up ready for action.
"One" Kennedy takes a step forward and Andrew thinks it's very weird that the vampires haven't attacked yet. His head is all buzzed now, from here on out, this feels like a really bad dream sequence.
"Two" Kennedy yells, but instead of taking one step forward she begins to turn towards Vi with her Scythe still in hand. Andrew finally figures out what this horrible feeling is, but for some reason he can't move. He knows the look on Kennedy's face, he's seen it before, it's the face Warren had whenever he talked about double crossing Jonathan or killing Buffy, it's the look he had on his face when he killed Jonathan.
"Three" Kennedy swings the scythe as Andrew drops his crossbow and tries to get in the way and save his love. But all he catches is Vi's headless body, soon her head drops next to her knees, he begins to actually cry as he quickly looks away. He then looks back to the body, still with the ring around the finger, he clamps the body close to him as he looks up at the vengeful face of Kennedy.
She looks down at him with Vi's blood now on the blade of the scythe and just smiles as the vampires stand behind her, following her. "God, I've been wanting to do this for years. Now I know how Faith felt during her first kill, it feels incredible, I can feel the power flowing through me. Can you feel it Andy?" He can't say anything at all, this is all happening way to fast, all he can do is watch Kennedy lead the vampires towards their kill. All he can do is hold Vi's dead body close to him and cry.
