Chapter 2: Dead on the Dancefloor
Warnings: Violence, mild language
Chapter summary: Buffy's way of dealing with Xander leaving, and an unlikely source of comfort helps Buffy come to terms with the situation.
Buffy's kick landed where she wanted it to. It took the vampire off of the catwalk and made him hit the pool table below, causing screams of panic at his face to be heard. "Ugh..." The vampire sighed out, in obvious pain of the fall. He wasn't a newbie like Buffy thought he was, but he was still inexperienced in the ways of fighting. Especially with a Slayer. Or...so she thought rather.
"Ugh?" Buffy said in response. "Is that all you can muster? Because I gotta tell you that's not much of a battle cry." Buffy thought for a minute, and smiled. "But this is." She jumped off of the catwalk and onto the pool table, straddling the vampire while putting her arms up in faux mock cheer. "Oh Jesus Christ can we get on with the fighting already?" The vampire said, a bored tone in his voice.
Buffy punched him in the face. "Excuse much. Rude or anything." The vampire grabbed her, throwing her off of him and off of the pool table. She rolled and skidded to a stop on the dancefloor. "Yay. A good fight. This oughta work off the excess guilt," Buffy thought. She picked herself up and pulled out a stake. The vampire strutted over to her, his arms raised in a fighting stance.
"Isn't this poetic?" He stated. "You'll be dead on the dancefloor," He then took the opportunity to lunge at her. She ducked and rolled his way and he tripped over her, crashing into the stage.
Buffy immediatley got up off of the floor and jumped onto the stage. He tried to get up but Buffy kicked him back down. "No. You stay down," Buffy mock scholded. He grabbed her leg and pulled, causing her to loose her balance and fall.
He got back up and she made an attempt to, and succeeded. For a short time. She went to punch him in the face, but something wasn't right. She flashed back to what she did to Xander and stopped in mid punch.
He looked at her, a confused look on his demonic face. He quickly morphed back human, "What's wrong?" He asked. "It's nothing." She stated, still backing off.
"No. Tell me." He repeated, a stern tone in his voice. "I used to be a high school counselor, I think I can help you with your problems." He said, his tone softening and changing to concerned.
She sighed. "You see, a few months ago I slept with my now ex boyfriend. He was a vampire, but he had his soul. He lost it and he went evil. Killed a very close friend of mine. A few weeks after he killed her I found out my best friend, who turned out to be bisexual, was sleeping with him. I got so pissed. And the lady that was killed, she worked up at the school and she dated my Watcher, a Watcher is someone who-"
The vampire blinked and interrupted, "Yes I know what a Watcher is. I was a counselor for a long time. I think the Slayer before you went to the high school I used to work at."
Buffy was stunned. "Well, continue!" The vampire said. "Anyway, he went completely insane and somehow convinced us all my friend was evil, I have a little group of friends, they help me with slaying sometimes. Anyway, my friend left town and now I feel so guilty because I had tried to punch him like I did you. I flashed back and I couldn't do it."
"Did your watcher do anything else?" The vampire asked, interested in what Buffy had to say.
"Yeah. But this is probably my fault. He convinced my friend, who's a witch, to restore my exes soul. His real intention was to get my friend away from the vampire that killed his girlfriend,. and hopefully have him killed. Regardless whether it was his fault or not."
"Wow. Has your watcher tried to kill your ex?" The vampire asked.
"No. And it doesn't make sense that he won't. I guess since he went crazy after Jenny, the teacher that was killed, died he thought it was my friend's fault that she died. He said that he could have stopped him. But he didn't. And now that my ex has his soul back, I guess he finds that torment enough."
"But," Buffy sighed. "In his quest to find my friend and kill him, he was fired by the Watcher's Council. I'm supposed to get a new one in the Fall. After school starts back."
"Huh." The vampire said, he then looked back at Buffy, "Have you talked to your friend?"
Buffy huffed, a guilty expression appeared on her face. "No. He's in Los Angeles right now and the only person that has contact with him is my ex, and me and my ex aren't exactly what you would call close. After trying to kill his boyfriend I'd say he's pretty pissed at me. He talks to my other friend though, ya know the witch. She saved him from my Watcher because he had let my friend escape."
The vampire thought for a minute, and then said, "Well you should try and get in touch with him. And also you might consider talking to your ex. It might help matters a little."
Buffy smiled at him, "Thanks. You've been a real help."
"One last question though. When your ex lost his soul and he was sleeping with your friend, did he love him?"
Buffy thought for a minute, and smiled. "Yeah. I think he really did."
Cordelia decided she'd join the conversation and walk up onstage, "So that's where Harris has been this whole time? Angel wouldn't tell me."
The vampire stared at Cordelia's neck hungrily, then turned to Buffy, "Can I eat her? She's kind of annoying."
Buffy shrugged. Cordelia screamed. The vampire lunged for her.
But, Cordelia had a plan. No, wait...she had a pencil. Good enough.
As the vampire lunged for her, she stabbed the pencil through his heart.
The vampire turned to dust and Buffy looked at Cordelia. "You do know I knew you were going to do that? If you hadn't I was just going to throw the stake at the vampire and kill it that way right?"
Cordelia looked at Buffy, thought for a minute, and nodded. "Yeah. I had a pretty big clue you wouldn't let me get chomped. I'm too popular."
Buffy giggled. "Do you think you could give me a ride home?"
Author's note:
Yes, I realize this is a whole lot different than the past in the series. Well, if you think about it, this is a whole lot better written. Because of the stress taken off of me by school ending and summer vacation beginning :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
I decided to give this a try and write more on this series.
And yes. Conversations With Dead People did inspire this chapter.
And this entry into the series is going to have a lot more to do with Giles and the rest of the gang, rather than Xander. Xander doesn't show til the last few chapters...which will just be Angel/Xander cuteness.