I do not own Buffy or any of the characters. This story is focused on a new character I came up with that reflects some of my personality.
Chapter One
I had just put the closed sign up on the Magic Box for that night. I joined the rest of my friends, "The Scoobies," we called ourselves, as Xander had so cleverly named the group years ago. It had been a year since Sunnydale had been destroyed in the battle with The First. Buffy, Xander, Dawn, Willow, Giles, and Faith had all packed up and moved to Los Angelous to join Angel and Cordelia in their quest to keep fighting the forces of darkness. Well, I shouldn't say packed up, because after their homes were destroyed, I guess they didn't really have anything to pack...
I had met Willow and Buffy when they both started college again. I had already been practicing magic, which is how I met Willow. Giles had found out that when Willow had done her spell to make all potential slayers actual slayers, I as now one of them. Giles and Willow had opened up a new Magic Box in L.A. And I helped run the store, as well.
"Thank you, Autumn," Giles said, as I joined the rest of the group.
"So, anything new going on? Any new creatures or demons to fight?" Dawn asked enthusiastically.
Buffy glared at her younger sister, "Why do you sound so excited about possible danger?"
"Sorry. I've just been so bored lately. It's like, nothing has happened in weeks." She replied.
"Yeah, I guess after we survive and explosion of a whole town, everything else must seem pretty boring in comparison." Xander joked.
Suddenly I heard a loud bang come from the back door of the magic shop that made us all jump.
"What the fuck was that?" I gasped.
"Isn't that door locked?" Giles asked me.
"Xander said he was going to lock it for me..." I replied.
"Um..." Xander mumbled, looking guilty.
I pulled a stake out and headed to the back to see what was going on. I walked slowly around the back, not seeing anything yet, but I could sense something. Being a slayer, it was easier for me to sense a vampire around and this is what this felt like. I heard shuffling behind me and I spun around, throwing a punch without hesitating, but the person caught my wrist before I made contact with their face.
A very sexy man stood before me, still grasping my wrist. He was tall, muscular, bleached blonde hair, kind of looked like Billy Idol, only hotter. I studied him for a moment, considering what to do. Was he the vampire I sensed?
"Who are you?" I snapped.
"Who wants to know?" he responded slowly. English accent. The sexiest accent by far.
"You're a vampire." I replied, stupidly.
"And you're observant." He replied, sounding bored.
I raised my free hand with te stake in it, but he had reflexes like a damn cat and he grabbed my other wrist and shoved me against the wall. I winced as my back rammed into a shelf of magic shit that went crashing to the floor.
He got up close to my face, studying me, "Who are you? I would guess a slayer, but you're not as quick as any slayer I've ever known."
"I'm just..." I stammered.
"New to the job?" he cut in.
I felt my face grow flushed. It was true. I was still trying to get the hang of the whole slayer thing. I had always been a huge klutz. I still didn't understand why someone with as little grace that I had could be a slayer.
"Here's a tip. Don't try to play with the big kids if you're not ready." He whispered in my ear.
I tried to shove him off me, but his grasp on my wrists remained just as strong. I heard the door fling open again.
"Autumn, are you o..." Buffy had bounded into the room, but came to a halt at once.
Her and the hot vampire stared at one another for a moment.
"Spike?" she gasped.
"Spike?" I repeated, "You mean... THE Spike?" I though he was..."
"Dead," Buffy cut in, "Yeah, I thought so too..."
Spike finally let go of my wrists, "Well to be fair, I am still technically dead, but I'm not ashes anymore." He explained.
"Um... I'm just gonna..." I had realized neither one of them knew I was in the room anymore, so I slipped back into the main room of the magic shop to leave them to talk.
My back was pretty sore, which made me walk slowly back to the others.
"Everything okay?" Giles asked me.
"Oh, yeah. Just great. I just got attached by William the Bloody. How may people can say that and live to tell the tale?" I replied, wincing as I sat at the table with everyone else.
"What?!" Willow gasped.
"Spike?" Dawn asked.
I nodded.
"But Spike's dead." Xander said.
"Yeah, well, he's not now." I replied.
"Are you sure?" Giles asked.
"I know I'm a crappy slayer compared to Buffy, but I'm not completely incompetent." I snapped.
"Sorry; that's not what I was..."
"I know. It's okay. My back just hurts now and it's making me bitchy." I explained, feeling bad for snapping at Giles, "I left him and Buffy in the back to talk... or whatever."
"Well, if he attached you, then he must be evil again." Xander said standing up, and starting to walk toward the back.
Buffy appeared at the moment.
"Buff, you okay? Autumn said Spikes back..." Xander said.
"Yeah," she replied quietly, "He, um... it's hard to explain, but yearh, he's back. He just left."
"Are you okay?" Willow asked her again.
"Yeah, I just, I think I'm going to call it a night..." she said, "Come on, Dawn."
"But... weren't we supposed to have a meeting?" I cut in.
"Yeah... talk about the latest big bad?" Xander added.
"There isn't anything. Meeting adjourned," She replied, then grabbed Dawn's arm and walked out of the shop.
"Seriously? Why am I even here, then?" I complained.
"Don't we need someone to at least patrol? To make sure the badness stays away?" Willow asked.
I stood up and winced again at my now throbbing back pain, "I will."
I was met with three looks of uncertainty, "What?" I snapped.
"Um, Autumn... maybe that's not such a good idea. You're obviously injured." Giles said.
"Yeah, injured and useless as a slayer. I know." I mumbled.
"You could take Xander with you..." Giles started to say.
"Xander?! You're having Xander take care of me? Now I know you think I'm incompetent!"
"Hey! Sitting here! Sitting right exactly here!" Xander cried, angrily.
"I'm sorry, Xander. I just... look, I know it's been hard for me to transition into this whole slayer thing. I know I'm clumsy and no where near where Buffy is, but with more training, and maybe if I can actually patrol and fight..."
"And you will, but not tonight. Not with your injury. Go home. Put ice on your back, and we'll see how you feel tomorrow." Giles said sternly.
I stomped off angrily... well... more like hobbled off...