Sunnyvale Train Station, 3rd of June, 11:15 pm

In the town of Sunnyvale, California, a breeze gusts through the parking lot of Sunnyvale's Grand Central station. The wind is warm with the night being a balmy 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The wind blows west, as a Honda Civic pulls into the train station parking lot following the direction of the wind. Moments later walking from the direction of the car, two high school girls, who could not have been more different walk briskly towards the front entrance of the station.

"So, why didn't your cousin come here during the day, Buffy," asked the pretty but mousy red headed nerd girl?

The tall, beautiful valley girl, rolled her eyes, and replied, "I told you, Willow, he and his best friend had to complete a mission, before he could leave for summer vacation."

The first girl nodded her head, as if she was just reconfirming past information, her name was Willow Rosenberg, an intelligent, shy young woman, who was an extreme introvert most of her life has just recently learned how stand up for herself. "I heard you the first time, but what kind of teenager has to go on 'missions' before going on summer break?"

Buffy grins and replies, "What kind of teenager, has to fight supernatural monsters in a town literally sitting over the gates of Hell?"

Willow blushed at her friend's verbal volley, "Touché," she said. "How long has it been since you've last saw your cousin?"

Buffy Summers, former stuck up Valley girl, current Vampire Slayer of Sunnyvale smiled fondly. "Hanukah of my Freshman year in high school, it was just before I became a Slayer. My mom's sister is his mom, we went to his hometown for the holiday, he was still in the eighth grade." Buffy's smile faded, as she turned with tears in her eyes, to see Willow watching her. "I was a bit like Cordy back then, although I was more the dumb-blonde oblivious type, than the bitchy type, at least that was how I wanted the world to see me. He was one of the few people I let see the real me, the Buffy you guys see. The one that cares and is actually worth something." Suddenly images of Angel flooded Buffy's mind, as she remembered him before he became Angelus, and before he was sucked into the rift. Buffy swayed a little as the images showered her with intense anger and grief.

Willow placed her hand on her best friend's shoulder to steady her. "You alright, Buffy?"

Buffy put her hand on Willow's hand, while shaking her head. "I'm fine," she said a little too up beat, "just haven't slept much recently. Been having nightmares every time I go to sleep."

"Nightmares or nightmare," Willow asked?

"It's just a dream, Willow, nothing to worry about."

This late at night the station was all but deserted, not more than a dozen people occupied the area. The station was nothing special, its walls were whitewashed with six or seven columns evenly spaced. Twelve benches grouped in square sets of four evenly spaced in a 50 by 30 by 20-foot common area. There were kiosks along the walls where one could buy tickets or get lockers. On the side, Buffy and Willow entered was a huge desk, where two indifferent security officers sat, watching television or reading a book.

Outside another set doors, were the train tracks of the Amtrak Line, the moment Buffy and Willow entered they could hear a repeated bell clanging. This was the signal that the train they were waiting on was pulling into the station. Many of the people in the terminal began to wander over to the train entrance. As Buffy and her friend got closer, most of them began eyeing them up and down, while Buffy was used to it from men, she saw some of the women doing the same thing. In fact, the looks were not that of admirers, she had seen that look before, on her own face whenever she was in a restaurant with mirrors. It was the look she got, whenever she was admiring a good steak, or latte.

Out of instincts born two and a half years of fighting, Buffy grabbed Willows hand sharply, giving her a look. They were about to be lunch specials for blood-suckers. At least, that is what the Damned that were attempting to surround them probably thought, right before the vampire slayer launched a back kick, right into the huge breasts of an attractive female vampire. While shoving Willow behind her and trying to keep herself between them and her friend.

Nobody noticed the door to the train tracks opening and closing. Because, just as it did four of the vamps lunged at her hoping to overwhelm her. Instead of meeting the charge head on, Buffy dodged, and jumped taking Willow with her, as her friend shrieked, they landed a good ten feet back from where they were. "Call Xander and Giles, tell them to get here as soon as they can, I'm going to buy us some time and keep them busy."

"Buffy," Willow said, "be careful, don't let them surround you."

The Slayer nodded curtly before literally jumping into the fray. I hope he takes his time getting his luggage, don't want to lose anybody else, I care about. As she landed, she allowed her momentum to push her into a crouch, with just enough left to spin in a full circle toppling four of her would be assailants. She bounded back into a small hop and landed feet first on top of one of the vamps, before bounding forward into a knee right into Big Boob's face breaking her nose. Buffy let a slight smile of feminine pride cross her face when that happened, before getting back to business.

Buffy silently cursed herself for leaving her stakes and crosses in the car, she fought with speed, precision and skill but the numbers were beginning to become a factor. They began to push Buffy back, landing strikes more often, now she was on the defensive, blocking and dodging more often the striking and kicking. Finally, Buffy found herself pushed back into a wall. She could not see past some of the tallest of the assailants, and as they drew close, she closed her eyes. Out of nowhere, there was a commotion that started in the back of the pack. The sound of impacts, surprised hisses, and thuds as bodies impacted walls. Buffy opened her eyes and saw a man moving through the vamps, like they were tissue paper. His strikes seemed to knock them back ten feet, his kicks were even more powerful. He laid about him with precise, deadly attacks, one attack leading to another, but what was really unnerving was the manner, in which he moved.

He was almost a blur, pulling attacks from angles, that did not seem possible. By this time, he had reached Buffy's position and stood between the vamps and her assailants. He was finally able to push them back, long enough to turn around and face Buffy. His lips curled into a goofy grin, and when she saw him, her eyes widened because she would know that face anywhere. He was average height, lean but muscular, Buffy noticed it because, the black turtleneck he wore fit him snuggly. The olive-green cargo pants he wore, held up by a belt and suspenders, was also a perfect fit, he wore a pair of work gloves, and on his feet, were in a pair of combat boots. Buffy noticed all of that peripherally because she focused on his face, one she had not seen in three years. His hair was a messy golden-wheat color, on both cheeks two sets of three freckles were configured in a triangle, the side of his head sported a pair of large ears. The only unusual feature were his eyes, instead of their normal color, they glowed a brilliant, sky-blue.

"Hey, BA," he said, casually, "what's happening here, and what are these things, they look human but they're not?"

Buffy regained her composure, "Hey, Ronnie, to answer your question, they're vampires," he looked, at her in shock for a moment, before she smiled, "welcome to Sunnyvale, cuz."

He looked over at the creatures who were getting to their feet, they did not even look bruised, no blood flow, so of course there won't be any bruises. He reached back and helped her to her feet. "I saw the beginning of the fight, and the way you fought was badical, care to fill me in on what you've been doing the last three years?"

Buffy gave him a mischievous smile, "I could ask the same of you, Ronnie, you got some bon-diggity moves and abilities too." She pursed her lips and continued, "Bottom-line, I'm a vampire slayer and it's my duty to fight and kill… er, destroy these things."

Ron nodded as he listened to his cousin, talk about something he always thought was fiction. "Okay, how do we take 'em out?"

"As luck would have it, fiction got it right for once, holy symbols and holy water, repel and burn them respectively, wooden stakes, decapitation, fire and sunlight kill… er, destroy them," Buffy informed him. "Unfortunately, I left my stakes in the car." She added still berating herself, note to self, don't go anywhere at night without your damn vamp kit.

They moved out away from the wall, back to back subconsciously reading each other's intent like they had been partners for years, instead of minutes. They made it next to one of the twelve benches. "I know where we can get some stakes," they declared in unison. As they both turned as one chopped, punched and kicked the bench to pieces. The slats of wood in the bench were quite robust, they rendered it down to kindling in seconds. Buffy and Ron both wielded a pair of jagged, long, wooden stakes, and dropped into aggressive fighting stances.

Suddenly, Ron rushed forward and threw one of his stakes like a javelin. The make-shift spear went through a huge muscular black man. Buffy somersaulted forward at the same time and thrust up into a matronly looking blonde woman, before regaining her feet only to pivot on the left and lunge, taking down a cute teenage boy about the same age as Ron and herself. Ron sprinted forward and caught his own thrown weapon just before it hit the floor, and twirled back facing the gang. He began whirling them like a Kali fighter, making them a blur motion that even the vamps – used to moving faster than normal humans – could barely follow. Together, Buffy and Ron destroyed seven more, including one of the indifferent security officers, Buffy took a little pleasure when she dusted Big Boobs herself.

Just as the last one was obliterated, a few things happened in the span of seconds. The cousins had moved through the opposition quite steadily, almost like a dance until they bumped into each other. They whirled around ready for action and halted when they recognized each other. Just as that was happening two men, one middle aged with brown hair and glasses, the other a young man with dark hair and an athletic build rushed in from the parking lot. The younger one, Xander Harris being more impetuous than his older peer, saw his friend and former crush, Buffy Summers being threatened by a teenage boy and yelled out, "Buffy, look out!" and charged in wielding a stake. Ron and Buffy dropped their stakes just as Xander yelled. Ron saw him and reacted like the trained martial artist he now was. Thought and action became one, Ron parried Xander's thrust, took control of his arm, and moving in the direction of momentum, used Xander's arm as a lever, flipped him on his back, and pinned him an ichikage pin. Ron was getting ready to punch the stunned, Xander whose eyes widened, at the sky-blue eyes looking down at him. "Hey, you're human," Ron stated, "Why'd you attack me, dude?"

"You were about to kill my friend, bloodsucker," Xander spat.

Ron looked up at his cousin smiling, as she walked over to look down at her friend, then helping him up she turned and threw her arms over Ron's shoulders in a tight hug. Xander looking confused looked over at his childhood friend Willow, who was talking to Buffy's Watcher and friend, Rupert Giles animatedly pointing at Buffy and Ron. Their conversation over Willow and Giles walked over and waited. Ron and Buffy ended their hug, Ron's eyes no longer glowing, now appeared to be a rich, brown color.

Buffy began to make introductions, "Rupert Giles, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, I would like you to meet my cousin from Colorado, Ronald Stoppable." Buffy's face had a relaxed almost serene quality to it while she spoke his name, there was a peace in her eyes that they had only rarely seen, since they met her. It had been completely absent for the past two weeks since they lost Angel/ Angelus in that rift. She had almost left, but stayed when her mother informed her that her cousin from Colorado, was coming to visit for the summer.

Willow was staring in awe at him, she had seen what he did during the battle. This Ron Stoppable was equal or better than Buffy the Sunnyvale Slayer in strength, but definitely faster than her. "Wow, Ron, the way you took out the vampires, was awesome. I've only ever seen Buffy and… one other person, do it like that."

Ron scratched the back of his head, blushed, and said, "No big, I fight freaks like them every other week with my best friend/girlfriend, Kim. Hell, the least freaky one we fight is a blue-skinned, mad scientist."

Buffy laughed, "I'm glad you and Kim are going into your junior year as a couple. The last message I got from her, three weeks ago she told me how much she missed you while you were in Japan for that month-long exchange program."

"Well, it is getting quite late," Giles broke in before they got too deep in conversation, "I am sure you are both exhausted from your exertions tonight, let us collect Mister Stoppable's luggage and exit the station. I would like return to my bed."

Ron shook his head, "That won't be necessary, Dude" he replied. "That's why I'm dressed like this, had a mission in Seattle earlier today, one of our enemies Professor Dementor, tried to make Mount Rainier erupt, we had to leave my luggage at home." He placed his arm around Buffy's shoulders, "Wade said, he would send it to your house, by tomorrow." Ron let go, ran over to retrieve a back pack, "This is all, I'll need for tonight, and tomorrow," he said as he jogged to join them as they exited.

Under the security desk, the lone security officer, listened as the conversation faded. If one were to examine his eyes they would notice they were red, with a vertical iris. When the fighting has started, he had ducked under the desk to keep from being noticed. When the conversation had started it was all he could do not to jump over the desk and charge into them. He would have had surprise on his side, because the one he wanted to attack did not know he was here.

On the guard's uniform, the name plate had a three-letter word on it, 'GIL.' The guard began to wheeze as if the very air was suffocating him. In his mind one thought seemed paramount over all the others, the squeeb is HERE!