Chapter 2

Everyone was sitting at the table waiting for Buffy to tell her story. Buffy was thinking hard, trying to take in the information Pike brought her. There was a heavy silence in the air. Finally Buffy spoke.

"Well I'm not really sure where to start. Okay let's see, you probably won't believe me but when I was in L.A. I was like Cordelia. You know a rich, popular, valley girl. I had tons of friends, and a prefect boyfriend. Then one day it all change. I remember I went to the mall with the girls and this old creepy guy stared at me saying I was the one. Then he show up at my school saying I inherit a gift. I thought he was crazy. Especially when he stated talking about demons and vampires. But it was when he started quoting my dreams that I followed him to the grave yard and saw a real vampire, two actually." Buffy paused.

"So when did you meet Pike, here?" Xander ask picking at the table.

"Well, it was at the movie theater, when you and Benny snuck in right, and then later we when introduce ourselves it was in the Café, right?"

"Yeah, that's about right, because you made fun of my name. What was it you said, oh yeah, 'Pike isn't a name it's a fish'." Pike said quoting her. Buffy and Pike laughed, and Xander looked away. Only two people saw, both thinking the same thing.

"So what happen at the graveyard?" Giles bring back the subject curiously.

"What, oh, um well I kill the two vamps, then Merrick, my first watcher, drove me home then the next day at cheerleading practice, he came and I punch good and hard."

"What I didn't know that? Why?" Pike said shocked.

"Well, it was because he knew I was sitting on a live grave. Plus he threw a knife at my head. But it was then that I started training with him." Buffy paused.

"Then I met Lothos, a very bad vampire. He killed Merrick, when he was trying to save me. He died in my arms and told me I did everything wrong and to keep doing it wrong. So after that I quit. Yelled at Pike, got a prom dress, and went to prom only to find out my friends and boyfriend totally dump me. Then Pike showed up, with tools. Then the vampires showed up, asking for me. So I went to Lothos, fought him and went to the prom and saw that everything was cool. When I went to check with Pike, when Lothos show up, I thought I killed him, but nope he was still walking. We fought and I made sure he was dead. Then me and mom came here." Buffy looked around. There was silence around the table while everyone trying to get a grab on this.

"Now Pike, where are they, do you know?" Buffy ask Pike.

"Yeah, there in L.A. where Merrick died, the carnival they own the place, and more." Pike informed Buffy.

"So if Merrick was your first watcher, and this Lothos dude is the bad vampire, then who are Benny and Lefty?" Dawn ask as she was writing Buffy story down like notes in class.

"Well, Benny was my friend, but after we meet Buffy we got drunk, a vampire took him and turned him. They would've taken me too but Merrick saw and dragged me home. And Lefty is Lothos right hand man, no pun intended." Pike chuckled at the last part, and Buffy just smiled.

"Well I can see why you never want to be the slayer, when we meet Buffy." Giles, now knowing the real reason why Buffy always wanted to quit slaying, stated out aloud.

"What! Buffy quit again, how many time did you want out?" Pike turned to Buffy.

"Well there was the time Merrick died, then when I moved here, then I tried to, when I over heard Giles telling Angel, who is the first vampire with a soul, that I was to die fighting the Master, then when I thought I killed a human which just turn out to be a robot, then there was the time I ran away, oh and there was the time were the Watchers Council strip my power and lock me in a room with a crazy vampire, and ----" Pike interrupted Buffy's fingered count.

"Okay I get it, wow after all that and more, that's a lot of stuff I'm surprise that your still at it. Your really are something." Pike smile at her.

"So what do we do now?" Willow asks.

"Now, well we got to save Merrick. I won't allow him with that monster any longer." Buffy said angry as she walk to pack up weapons, and Pike followed her leaving the door open, so that everyone else could hear.

"Buffy, you know that's what Lothos will suspect this from you, right. He knows you would do anything for Merrick. You can't give in to him like that or Merrick's teaching would be for nothing." Pike trying make Buffy see his point. Ignoring Pike, Buffy test the weapons she wanted then put them in a bag.

"Come on Buffy, don't be stupid." Pike stopping Buffy.

"Stupid, I'm being stupid. Pike, if what you say is true, then Merrick is alive and is in the hands of Lothos, then I'm going to do whatever to get him out. I own him that much, especially after all the trouble he did for me."

"I know. I didn't mean it like it sounded. But don't you think we need a plan. And what of your friends, surly you don't suspect them to know what to do against Lothos."

"Sure, why not, they been though this stuff with me for about seven years now, and if I tell them not to take on Lothos, they wont." Buffy said, getting a two-headed ax off the wall.

"No offence to anyone, but they don't really look like a bunch fighting demons types."

"Yeah, but see Willow she is a Powerful witch, she can kill you with a wave of hand, not that she would anymore, and Xander and Dawn are the scope people, I guess that's how you can described their jobs, mostly like decoy and stuff, but they help out a lot, Anya and Spike are the demon expert because they live long enough to know most of the demons we fight, and Giles is our watcher and researcher, we all work together like a puzzle. And at times you least suspect it they really can surprise you. Just give them a chance to show you what they got, okay. Besides, at first glance, you and me, didn't look like we can take on monsters." Buffy gave Pike a squeeze on the shoulder. The Scobbie-gang smiled at Buffy's description about them.

"Okay, if you have that much faith in them, then they must be good at what they do. But I still think we should come up with a plan. Lothos is stronger then before." Pike reminded Buffy.

"Yeah, but so am I. And plus smarter and faster." Buffy said as she cocked an automatic arrow gun. Loading it, she pointed the arrow gun that the Bull-Eye on the wall, she aim and shot making a bull's eye. Laughing at Pike shock face, as she walked out to the front, she went to tell everyone to pack up for L.A.