They never fail!
The day was dark, so dark that Willow and her friends thought that it would bring news of another demon and they knew that without the slayer they and their town were helpless, as they sat in Mr Giles house not one of them said a word as the old watcher spoke on the phone
"Yes, yes Quentin I understand, but you have to understand me… the people here want to say their goodbyes to buffy first!" he said before replacing the receiver, Willow turned to him and saw that the old watcher was having a hard time keeping his icy glaze over his face
"What did stuffy book guy say?" Spike asked sadly
"He said I, that is we will be receiving help as soon as he has been briefed about Buffy, meanwhile he said we should go ahead with the funeral arrangements!" Giles explained, as the older kids talked Dawn was sat in her new room in Giles house crying, she had been crying since her sisters sudden death, Willow and xander had told her about buffy's many comebacks but as she lay there on the bed she knew this time was different this time there would be no comeback no heroic re entry to their lives, as she cried Tara watched from the door
"Shouldn't somebody talk to her?" she asked as she joined the remainder of the Scooby gang
"Leave her to cry Tara she has to get it out of system just the same as we do!" Giles replied as he sat at his desk, All of a sudden there was a loud knock at the door
"Rupert are you in there?" a voice called through the door
"Harman!!!" Giles exclaimed, he was in no mood for old friends right now, but he knew Harman had come all the way from Greece and so he unlatched the door and let his old friend and her hooded companion in
"Thank you Rupert!" Harman said as she shook the rain out of her long blonde hair, as the watchers embraced Spike was circling the hooded stranger
"Spike, what are you a dog?" Xander snapped, spike looked up not too pleased
"Just because we're on our own doesn't mean the world stops turning for everyone else, spike just wants to know who the other person is!" willow replied, Harman seemed to enjoy their confusion and had no intention of telling them who her hooded companion was
"Show them what you can do!" she told him, the hooded figure stayed dead in front of spike it was clear he or she didn't trust vampires, willow coughed showing spike no one would stop him if he attacked, infact all were intrigued to see what the hooded figure could do.
Standing his full height the hooded figure advanced on xander and willow, xander immediately stepped in his path to willow, the hooded figure merely sneered before raising his gloved hand and waved it over xanders face all of a sudden Xander crumpled to the floor, Willow didn't seem impressed
"Giles we'll leave! I don't want to be here another minuet!" xander said groggily getting to his feet, Giles and lady Harman both nodded, as xander and his friend headed to the door the hooded figure followed them
"We didn't mean you too creepy!" Xander said timidly
"Oh Xander Harris, you surprise me, hasn't being friends with a Slayer shown you anything, other than how to be more of a coward?" the hooded figure taunted as xanders hand reached for the door, Spike waved him off and turned to the figure
"I don't think that's any of your business cape guy!" Spike demanded
"I beg to differ spike my boy! It is his business!" Harman said as she entered the sitting room
"Enough parlour tricks and guessing games Harman, I think its time they knew who they were dealing with!" Giles protested coming up behind her, Harman nodded, turning to spike she saw that the hooded figure had gone
"Now where's he gone?" she asked, from high above them they heard a laugh, like the kind Angelus had, looking up Giles saw a young boy perched on the banister
"Is that him?" Giles asked amazed at the boy's sense of balance, looking up Harman nodded
"That's him, Andros come down here this minuet!" Lady Harman demanded,
"Andros? You mean this creeps a boy!" spike and xander exclaimed,
Andros shook his head
"Your little witchy friend has my number mr Giles, call her off her spells and I'll come down!" he protested pointing over to where willow was still sat on the couch
"Willow what are you doing!" Tara cried as she saw that Andros had been right
"Buffy's dead Tara, we don't need guessing games we need her back!" willow retorted, Harman nodded up to Andros who dropped a parcel onto willows lap knocking her potion onto the floor, As Giles cleared the spilt liquid willow stared at the package she had been given
"It's not your precious slayer willow Rosenberg but it's close enough!" Harman explained before closing the door behind her and Giles, Spike, Xander and Tara were left staring at the package, it was wrapped in blue silk and had a black bow tied around it, suddenly spike noticed that Andros had not followed the watchers
"What you still hanging around for?" he asked looking up at the banister
"This isn't hanging around William!" Andros replied, with a quick turn Andros was hanging my his feet from the banister "now this is hanging around!" he continued, Spike growled he was growing weary of the new comers sense of humour infact of his prencence all together, as spike advanced on the bat like boy willow and xander were untying his gift
"Come on bat kid, Harman told you to show us what you could do, so show us!" spike demanded, Andros remained silent, acting the fool wasn't doing very well sooner or later he knew willow or xander would recognise his style, finally he decided it would be best just to give up the sherad and tell them who he was in full
"Okay spike, you've got yourself a deal, no more fooling around, I give, I'll tell you who I am!" he said leaping into a crouch on the floor next to Tara, looking down Tara noticed what looked like a barcode on the newcomers neck, but she kept quiet for fear of being laughed at, since glory had fed on her mind she had been the centre of humour for the Scooby gang, looking around Andros saw that all eyes Apart from those of willow were on him, even dawn had come out of her room to see what all the commotion was, standing his full height Andros threw his cloak off completely, when the garment was fully away from his person it revealed to the onlookers a young man no older than xander with long flowing hair that was striped brown and blonde and a fully worked out body with everything in the right place, no disfigurements or demon parts were to be seen on the boys person, a series of gasps snaked round the room until only dawn had not commented
"Wow!" she gasped, looking up Andros smiled and his brown eyes lit up his pale skin
"I'm glad you like the way I look, because I'm gonna be here for a very long time!" he explained, Spike shook his head
"On whose authority, Giles will never let you hang around boy! It'll be to much for him…." Spike trailed off when he saw he was losing his bad boy image
"I know fully well about buffy summers passing away and that the reason I'm here!" Andros explained, looking towards willow the gang saw that she was clasping a black videocassette in her hands
"The video willow has is buffy's wishes for if her defeat of glory cost her, her life! I was told to bring it to Willow Rosenberg only, I never thought William the bloody would be guarding you willow!" Andros informed her as he sat in a chair nearest the television, slowly Spike Prized the video out of Willows grasp and placed it into the machine, the screen flickered into life
[I] At first all the gang could see was buffy speaking with a boy who looked to be Andros they both had stakes in their grasp and seemed to be discussing fighting techniques, suddenly the video flickered to another scene, Buffy was sat on a dark purple couch With Andros standing behind her looking menacing, leaning forwards buffy smiled
"Hi willow, xander, Tara, Giles, and spike, if the five of you are watching this it means Andros kept his promise to take my place with dignity, but it also means one of two things, either I failed and glory is back in her own realm and dawn has died or I won but at a price, either way I know the five of you are probably contemplating ripping each others throats out right now, blaming everyone and anyone for what happened to me, well listen up… no one is to blame! However I died I did it myself its not like spike bit me or willow threw me off a cliff with her magic, don't blame each other cos that's all you've got left. Your friendship!" buffy moved along the couch as Andros joined her
"By now you've probably he's kinda my replacement in sunnydayle, but he knows he'll never fully replace me with you guys! Treat him like you did me, he may act hard and cold as ice, but he's not, please look after dawn for me Giles, anyway guys I guess I better go before I get all emotional, I wish you all the best and remember if you ever need me I'm in your hearts… that is if you've got one spike!" buffy laughed, Andros leaned forwards and switched the camera off and the screen went blank[/I]
Leaning forwards Andros switched the monitor off looking around he saw that everyone was dazed
"Now do you believe I'm no threat?" he asked as willow stood up, walking over to Andros's side she smacked him full force in the jaw, it looked as though it hurt him, but even as the blood poured from his lip he kept a solemn expression!
"Yeah we believe you!" she said before slouching into the couch next to tara
"but how can you replace buffy, your not a slayer cos you're a boy!" spike asked, Andros smiled
"That's the beauty of it spike, I'm not even from earth! That's how I came to meet Harman, she's the grandmother of a friend of mine and when she heard about my telekinesis and teleportation abilities as well as my fighting skills she immediately brought me in front of the council, next thing I know I'm working with a vampire in los Angeles and balancing college as well, I met buffy when she came to see angel in l.a, a few months later she called me up and asked me to meet her outside sunnydayle, she told me what the council had decided and told me she was scared, both for herself and for you guys! I told her I'd do my best to protect everyone she knew, then she asked me to help her make the video you've just seen! And so here I am! That is if you guys want me here!" andros asked, at that xander and willow both leapt to their feet
"oh no you don't andros, you promised buffy you'd stick around and we don't like people who break promises to her!" xander demanded, Andros smiled
"I had a feeling you'd say that, you humans are such good natured people!" andros laughed, looking around spike saw that dawn had gone
"I think you'll find shes behind you spike!" andros laughed as dawn walked past him to andros
"if your buffy's friend how come your part vampire?" she asked, the remainder of the gang gasped
"easy dawn, because some halfwit human girl got me in a fight with angels sire I barley got out with my life!" andros replied, willow advanced
"not buffy willow, it was chordelia!" andros informed, willow nodded, as giles entered he saw that andros had made friends with the Scooby gang and was nearly one of them.
That evening andros had agreed that dawn could accompany him on his first patrol
"whats it like andros?" she asked
"whats what like dawn?" Andros asked staking a vampire that was reaching for her
"being the only one of your kind here on earth?" dawn asked sadly, Andros knew what she was getting at, but he wasn't in the mood for such a question and answer session and so he led her to where willow had said buffy was at rest, as he watched dawn talking to her dead sister he began to wonder
"what if the tables were turned and it was Karone who had been left here with me dead? When I first heard I almost laughed at buffys weakness of heart but now I'm beginning to wonder if that weakness was what kavorans call the bond between siblings!" he thought laying back against the tree, as he sat their staring at the sky he didn't see dawn studying him all he saw were the star and that's all that mattered
"as long as shes up their I'm gonna do my damndest to stay alive!" he proclaimed getting to his feet!
The end
For now
The day was dark, so dark that Willow and her friends thought that it would bring news of another demon and they knew that without the slayer they and their town were helpless, as they sat in Mr Giles house not one of them said a word as the old watcher spoke on the phone
"Yes, yes Quentin I understand, but you have to understand me… the people here want to say their goodbyes to buffy first!" he said before replacing the receiver, Willow turned to him and saw that the old watcher was having a hard time keeping his icy glaze over his face
"What did stuffy book guy say?" Spike asked sadly
"He said I, that is we will be receiving help as soon as he has been briefed about Buffy, meanwhile he said we should go ahead with the funeral arrangements!" Giles explained, as the older kids talked Dawn was sat in her new room in Giles house crying, she had been crying since her sisters sudden death, Willow and xander had told her about buffy's many comebacks but as she lay there on the bed she knew this time was different this time there would be no comeback no heroic re entry to their lives, as she cried Tara watched from the door
"Shouldn't somebody talk to her?" she asked as she joined the remainder of the Scooby gang
"Leave her to cry Tara she has to get it out of system just the same as we do!" Giles replied as he sat at his desk, All of a sudden there was a loud knock at the door
"Rupert are you in there?" a voice called through the door
"Harman!!!" Giles exclaimed, he was in no mood for old friends right now, but he knew Harman had come all the way from Greece and so he unlatched the door and let his old friend and her hooded companion in
"Thank you Rupert!" Harman said as she shook the rain out of her long blonde hair, as the watchers embraced Spike was circling the hooded stranger
"Spike, what are you a dog?" Xander snapped, spike looked up not too pleased
"Just because we're on our own doesn't mean the world stops turning for everyone else, spike just wants to know who the other person is!" willow replied, Harman seemed to enjoy their confusion and had no intention of telling them who her hooded companion was
"Show them what you can do!" she told him, the hooded figure stayed dead in front of spike it was clear he or she didn't trust vampires, willow coughed showing spike no one would stop him if he attacked, infact all were intrigued to see what the hooded figure could do.
Standing his full height the hooded figure advanced on xander and willow, xander immediately stepped in his path to willow, the hooded figure merely sneered before raising his gloved hand and waved it over xanders face all of a sudden Xander crumpled to the floor, Willow didn't seem impressed
"Giles we'll leave! I don't want to be here another minuet!" xander said groggily getting to his feet, Giles and lady Harman both nodded, as xander and his friend headed to the door the hooded figure followed them
"We didn't mean you too creepy!" Xander said timidly
"Oh Xander Harris, you surprise me, hasn't being friends with a Slayer shown you anything, other than how to be more of a coward?" the hooded figure taunted as xanders hand reached for the door, Spike waved him off and turned to the figure
"I don't think that's any of your business cape guy!" Spike demanded
"I beg to differ spike my boy! It is his business!" Harman said as she entered the sitting room
"Enough parlour tricks and guessing games Harman, I think its time they knew who they were dealing with!" Giles protested coming up behind her, Harman nodded, turning to spike she saw that the hooded figure had gone
"Now where's he gone?" she asked, from high above them they heard a laugh, like the kind Angelus had, looking up Giles saw a young boy perched on the banister
"Is that him?" Giles asked amazed at the boy's sense of balance, looking up Harman nodded
"That's him, Andros come down here this minuet!" Lady Harman demanded,
"Andros? You mean this creeps a boy!" spike and xander exclaimed,
Andros shook his head
"Your little witchy friend has my number mr Giles, call her off her spells and I'll come down!" he protested pointing over to where willow was still sat on the couch
"Willow what are you doing!" Tara cried as she saw that Andros had been right
"Buffy's dead Tara, we don't need guessing games we need her back!" willow retorted, Harman nodded up to Andros who dropped a parcel onto willows lap knocking her potion onto the floor, As Giles cleared the spilt liquid willow stared at the package she had been given
"It's not your precious slayer willow Rosenberg but it's close enough!" Harman explained before closing the door behind her and Giles, Spike, Xander and Tara were left staring at the package, it was wrapped in blue silk and had a black bow tied around it, suddenly spike noticed that Andros had not followed the watchers
"What you still hanging around for?" he asked looking up at the banister
"This isn't hanging around William!" Andros replied, with a quick turn Andros was hanging my his feet from the banister "now this is hanging around!" he continued, Spike growled he was growing weary of the new comers sense of humour infact of his prencence all together, as spike advanced on the bat like boy willow and xander were untying his gift
"Come on bat kid, Harman told you to show us what you could do, so show us!" spike demanded, Andros remained silent, acting the fool wasn't doing very well sooner or later he knew willow or xander would recognise his style, finally he decided it would be best just to give up the sherad and tell them who he was in full
"Okay spike, you've got yourself a deal, no more fooling around, I give, I'll tell you who I am!" he said leaping into a crouch on the floor next to Tara, looking down Tara noticed what looked like a barcode on the newcomers neck, but she kept quiet for fear of being laughed at, since glory had fed on her mind she had been the centre of humour for the Scooby gang, looking around Andros saw that all eyes Apart from those of willow were on him, even dawn had come out of her room to see what all the commotion was, standing his full height Andros threw his cloak off completely, when the garment was fully away from his person it revealed to the onlookers a young man no older than xander with long flowing hair that was striped brown and blonde and a fully worked out body with everything in the right place, no disfigurements or demon parts were to be seen on the boys person, a series of gasps snaked round the room until only dawn had not commented
"Wow!" she gasped, looking up Andros smiled and his brown eyes lit up his pale skin
"I'm glad you like the way I look, because I'm gonna be here for a very long time!" he explained, Spike shook his head
"On whose authority, Giles will never let you hang around boy! It'll be to much for him…." Spike trailed off when he saw he was losing his bad boy image
"I know fully well about buffy summers passing away and that the reason I'm here!" Andros explained, looking towards willow the gang saw that she was clasping a black videocassette in her hands
"The video willow has is buffy's wishes for if her defeat of glory cost her, her life! I was told to bring it to Willow Rosenberg only, I never thought William the bloody would be guarding you willow!" Andros informed her as he sat in a chair nearest the television, slowly Spike Prized the video out of Willows grasp and placed it into the machine, the screen flickered into life
[I] At first all the gang could see was buffy speaking with a boy who looked to be Andros they both had stakes in their grasp and seemed to be discussing fighting techniques, suddenly the video flickered to another scene, Buffy was sat on a dark purple couch With Andros standing behind her looking menacing, leaning forwards buffy smiled
"Hi willow, xander, Tara, Giles, and spike, if the five of you are watching this it means Andros kept his promise to take my place with dignity, but it also means one of two things, either I failed and glory is back in her own realm and dawn has died or I won but at a price, either way I know the five of you are probably contemplating ripping each others throats out right now, blaming everyone and anyone for what happened to me, well listen up… no one is to blame! However I died I did it myself its not like spike bit me or willow threw me off a cliff with her magic, don't blame each other cos that's all you've got left. Your friendship!" buffy moved along the couch as Andros joined her
"By now you've probably he's kinda my replacement in sunnydayle, but he knows he'll never fully replace me with you guys! Treat him like you did me, he may act hard and cold as ice, but he's not, please look after dawn for me Giles, anyway guys I guess I better go before I get all emotional, I wish you all the best and remember if you ever need me I'm in your hearts… that is if you've got one spike!" buffy laughed, Andros leaned forwards and switched the camera off and the screen went blank[/I]
Leaning forwards Andros switched the monitor off looking around he saw that everyone was dazed
"Now do you believe I'm no threat?" he asked as willow stood up, walking over to Andros's side she smacked him full force in the jaw, it looked as though it hurt him, but even as the blood poured from his lip he kept a solemn expression!
"Yeah we believe you!" she said before slouching into the couch next to tara
"but how can you replace buffy, your not a slayer cos you're a boy!" spike asked, Andros smiled
"That's the beauty of it spike, I'm not even from earth! That's how I came to meet Harman, she's the grandmother of a friend of mine and when she heard about my telekinesis and teleportation abilities as well as my fighting skills she immediately brought me in front of the council, next thing I know I'm working with a vampire in los Angeles and balancing college as well, I met buffy when she came to see angel in l.a, a few months later she called me up and asked me to meet her outside sunnydayle, she told me what the council had decided and told me she was scared, both for herself and for you guys! I told her I'd do my best to protect everyone she knew, then she asked me to help her make the video you've just seen! And so here I am! That is if you guys want me here!" andros asked, at that xander and willow both leapt to their feet
"oh no you don't andros, you promised buffy you'd stick around and we don't like people who break promises to her!" xander demanded, Andros smiled
"I had a feeling you'd say that, you humans are such good natured people!" andros laughed, looking around spike saw that dawn had gone
"I think you'll find shes behind you spike!" andros laughed as dawn walked past him to andros
"if your buffy's friend how come your part vampire?" she asked, the remainder of the gang gasped
"easy dawn, because some halfwit human girl got me in a fight with angels sire I barley got out with my life!" andros replied, willow advanced
"not buffy willow, it was chordelia!" andros informed, willow nodded, as giles entered he saw that andros had made friends with the Scooby gang and was nearly one of them.
That evening andros had agreed that dawn could accompany him on his first patrol
"whats it like andros?" she asked
"whats what like dawn?" Andros asked staking a vampire that was reaching for her
"being the only one of your kind here on earth?" dawn asked sadly, Andros knew what she was getting at, but he wasn't in the mood for such a question and answer session and so he led her to where willow had said buffy was at rest, as he watched dawn talking to her dead sister he began to wonder
"what if the tables were turned and it was Karone who had been left here with me dead? When I first heard I almost laughed at buffys weakness of heart but now I'm beginning to wonder if that weakness was what kavorans call the bond between siblings!" he thought laying back against the tree, as he sat their staring at the sky he didn't see dawn studying him all he saw were the star and that's all that mattered
"as long as shes up their I'm gonna do my damndest to stay alive!" he proclaimed getting to his feet!
The end
For now