THE END IS NEAR

Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters mentioned in the story below. Alyssa, however is my character, I made her up and so I own her.

Summary: This story begins in the middle of season 7, the potentials have arrived and things are getting harder. This story is written out of Alyssa's POV.

Chapter 1 / Waking up

Slowly I wake up from a weird dream. I keep having those any other night and I start to get a little cranky. It's not like it keeps me up at night or anything. It's more like you wake up in the morning, knowing you had a dream, but not knowing exactly what it was about. And that really is annoying, defenitely when someone asks you if you dreamt. You could either say you didn't and move on. Or you say you did, following with 'I just don't know it anymore' and sound like a complete fool. I mostly pick the first option, kinda the savest one. That's what I've been doing lately. Picking the savest options.

So now everybody is looking at me, like I'm wise, like I know what I'm doing. Well, that I'm pretty much invinsible. But it's nothing like it. When Buffy or Faith starts talking about the burden of being THE slayer, I mostly don't say anything. I know it's hard on them, but when you got a lot of potentials, a slayer's sister, a watcher and most members of the scooby gang depending on your judgement and sense of protection, it's kinda hard on me too. Sometimes it feels like a burden and most of the time I don't feel happy with the responsibility.

When we welcomed Giles back at the Summers Mansion, he had taken some potentials on the ride with him. When he told us what we were to do, we all assigned us to one of the jobs. Buffy would do the training, Giles, Dawn, Xander and Anya would do the research and teach the wannabes about demons, vampires and the forces of Darkness. Willow would tell the ones who were interested about magics and me? Well, I made it my job to walk around like some sort of psychologist. I would teach them everything I knew about life. I believe me, I have plenty to tell.

Not long after Giles' arrival, more potentials started to come. So in a very short time, the intire house was filled with the noise of teenagers, laughing, giggling, fighting. Every room in the house was filled with sleeping bags. The backyard had turned into a fighting yard. The basement had turned into Spike's new residence. After Giles' and Wood's attempt to end Spike's life, Buffy had taken him into the house and lent him the basement. She used the excuse that everyone would be a lot saver with another force in the house. But I really do believe, she took him in to show both Giles and Wood that there wasn't anything they could do about it. She's always been like that. I also know that sometimes she goes downstairs to 'talk'. But that word has got another meaning in this house.

I turn my head to look at the alarmclock. Just a few minutes before it goes off. I reach for the alarmbutton and turn it off. No need to wake me up, as I'm already wide awake. I sit up in my bed and look around. A few potentials gathered in my room, as they felt protected by me. I look at them and can feel their exhaustion. Deciding they can sleep in, I step out of my bed and slowly make my way to the door. Slowly closing the door behind me, I walk down the stairs. Soft sleeping noises reach me when I reach the hall and stand tall for a minute. They all look so peacefull, as nothing is really going on. I take left and walk into the kitchen. Hoping not to wake up anyone I make myself some coffee. With the coffee I open the door to the porch and stare into the yard. A little dawn on the grass. I feel like a little girl as I take my slippers off and walk towars the grass. Slowly I walk over the lawn and feel the dawn between my toes. Suddenly it hits me that I've been doing this every single morning for the past few weeks.

I walk to one of the chairs and sit down, wrapping my arms around my legs and just relax. I look up the sky and pray. Let this day not be the end, make sure everyone of us will be ok. Wrapped around my thoughts, I don't hear that someone opened the door. I feel the presence of someone around me, when he closed in on me a few feet. I open my eyes and look in the face of a demon.

To be continued....