Summer

Chapter One

It was that time of evening, just before sunset, where the air is still muggy but there's the relief of evening breeze, and the smell of barbeques and cut grass and the sea salt from the ocean makes you tired and you feel like you're a kid again.

The sounds of children protesting loudly as protective mother's gather them inside reached Buffy and she smiled slightly. She sat on the doorstep looking out at her backyard. Willow and Oz shared a blanket on the grass, arms wrapped round each other. Xander stood over the barbeque with her mother and Giles, trying to put out the flames.

She looked at them all longingly. She herself had requested this, something normal she could look forward to - a rarity these days. Her mother and Giles had both agreed that it would do her good to miss out on the nightly patrols as the forces of evil had been somewhat subdued. Since the chaos that had been her graduation day a calm had settled over Sunnydale.

Usually, Buffy would remind herself that evil was just in hiding, biding it's time, and that she should be more careful then ever. She sighed and took another sip of her drink. The truth was, at the moment she was just too hot to care - and she had other things on her mind.

Tears watered her eyes yet again as she thought of Angel, walking away after fighting the good fight, through the smoke without saying a word.

She looked back at her friends. The picture perfect scene stirring emotions within her best left unspoken. Jealousy was one word that came to mind. Unwanted amongst supposed best friends and family - but it was there. They had normal lives. If they wanted to they could walk away after the lazy summer days had ended and never look back. They could put the events of high school down to overactive imaginations as so many others seemed to have done. They could hardly understand how she felt, what she went through. Every day she lived could be her last. She had never let on how much that scared her. How could she? She was supposed to be the strong one who always came through and saved the day. Those were just some of the issues that were separating her from her friends right now.

She sighed. Loosing Angel and so many other of her friends during the fight with the mayor had made her realise these things had always been there testing her friendships since the beginning. But she couldn't let it get to her. Not now. They had just won the greatest victory of their lives. Just because she was depressed didn't mean she could take it out on her friends. Which was why she was suffering in silence, unable to bring herself to be a burden on the world. Although they must be able to see her pain, they only saw from a distance. She knew they were giving her space. But on the other hand, on her worst days, she wanted nothing more then the nights in watching an old film with her mother and eating lots of popcorn. She wanted Xander's jokes and sometimes annoying look on the bright side attitude. Willow's best friend advice and Oz's silent support. But when they offered that to her, it all became to much and she shut herself off. She was a mess, her thoughts all over the place. Maybe not thinking would be a start for her being happy again!

With a shake of her head she stood up. At first no one noticed. Her mum and Giles were in animated conversation - Xander pretending to be interested. Willow and Oz were being more then a little friendly. She considered slipping away - but that would be rude right? After all, this day had been planned for her.

The knock at the front door made her smile shakily in relief as it saved her from an embarrassing speech and all the pity that would follow.

"I'll get it," she said out loud and turned away before anyone could answer. As she walked through the house a sixth sense suddenly overtook her. She shivered - an unusual act in a heat wave. Her fake smile that she saved for sales people/kids/old ladies/ and perfect strangers faded.

"Hello Miss Summers," smiled Quentin Travers. "May I come in? We have….some urgent business to discuss". He said this as he stepped across the threshold of her home uninvited and without waiting for a reply.

"It's at times like these I wish that vampire rule about not entering a person's home applied to humans," she said bitterly. "I knew it would be bad news as soon as I opened the door," she continued. "But there's bad news and then there's…well….worse bad news. What are you doing here?"