Author's Note: Just a little timing explanation...this is set around the time of Season 5. Glory doesn't exist (or maybe she does, but her and Buffy never have any contact) but Dawn is still not entirely human. She's not "the key" but she did randomly show up recently and everyone's memories were changed, just like in the show. Also, they already all know that she's not real.
Six Months Earlier
"Can you say that again? I think I missed it the first forty times."
"It's called a Gor-mog demon," Giles began with an annoyed sigh before realized that he was only being teased, "Oh. Right."
Buffy stood in front of her former Watcher and settled her hands on his arms in reassurance, "Giles, I know how to kill this demon. Have a little faith. You've only told me a million and one times what it is and what it does and that's only been in the last hour."
Giles was about to sigh again, this time in resigned agreement, but he was interrupted by three loud 20-year-olds entering The Magic Box. Xander, Anya, and Willow made their way to the back of the store to join the Watcher and Slayer.
Xander had one of his arms around Anya's waist and threw the other over Buffy's shoulder as soon as he approached her, "Hey Buff. What's the what?"
"Just a demon," Buffy answered as she pulled out of Xander's embrace and sat down next to Willow at a small table, "A Gor-mog demon. It kills humans, then grills them, then eats them, then uses their bones to make utensils and other essential household items. How's your day?"
Xander grimaced and ignored her question, "A whatta demon? How do we kill it? I don't want no demon touchin' this body." With a quick look at Anya, he added, "Except for you."
Anya smiled, "Thank you. I want to touch your body all the time."
With a roll of her eyes, Willow interrupted, "Seriously, Buffy, how do we kill this thing?"
"Oh, I don't know. Hey, Giles, why don't you tell me again?" she said with good-humored sarcasm.
Giles finally let out the sigh that had been building up since the Scoobies had entered.
"Did we come in to the middle of something?" Willow giggled.
"No, no," Giles assured as he took off his glasses to clean them, "Buffy is just teasing me for repeating the information about this demon. But really, Buffy, it is quite important."
"Giles, I know! The Gor-mog has a little blue diamond-shaped wart-thing on its left shoulder region and all I have to do is remove it from the body."
"That sounds easy enough," Xander commented optimistically.
"It really isn't easy at all, though," Anya said in an inappropriately chipper voice. When everyone looked at her questioningly, she continued with an explanation, "You have to remove the wart-thing, and only the wart-thing, from the body for it to actually kill a Gor-mog. I've never heard of someone in all my life that's lived through a battle with one."
The five sat in silence for a few moments before Xander clapped his hands and rubbed them together with a smile, "Okay, who's up for a good demon ass-kicking?"
After five years of slaying as a team, the Scoobies were well trained in anticipating each other's moves, so when the Gor-mog demon threw Buffy to the ground, she knew it was only a matter of time before Xander would be hanging off it's back, giving Buffy the perfect moment to pin it the floor and use her small pocket knife to shave off the wart-thing.
In the moments before the battle was over, Buffy surveyed the scene, as she did during almost ever battle like this one. The battles had become slightly mundane. Demons were strong, stronger than humans, so of course she had to put in at least a little effort, but Buffy was growing bored with the similarities between all these battles.
Most of them occurred in a cave or a tunnel or something else dank, dark, and underground. It was always the same group of people: Giles shouting suggestions from a corner, Willow and Tara using magic, Xander and Anya acting as distractions and using what human strength they had, and Buffy doing most of the dirty work herself. Dawn was always safe with Spike in his crypt, most likely watching Passions or some other inane show like that.
Buffy made a mental note to introduce Spike to good television, even if only for the reason that her sister didn't become a mindless idiot like himself.
Spike's relationship with the Scoobies had changed when he realized that he could still fight demons, despite the chip in his head. He began fighting for the "right" side, along with the Slayer and her group of mystical misfits. He had supposedly even fallen in love with her, but she had trouble believing it. He was a soulless vampire, after all, and only vampires with souls could love, right?
This thought took Buffy in another direction. Angel. It had been a while since she'd heard from him. He had left her after the fight against the Mayor almost two years earlier and had only been back to Sunnydale once since then: last Thanksgiving. She hadn't even known he was there until Xander spilled the beans. During a trip to visit her father in L.A., Buffy dropped in on Angel as well. She only stayed for five minutes but left with a heavy heart and the gnawing in the back of her head that she was forgetting something.
Shaking her head, Buffy brought herself back to the fight at hand. Xander was hanging off the Gor-mog's back as it tried to violently shake him free.
"Buffy! Stop stalling!"
With a smile and a suppressed laugh, Buffy lunged at the demon and pinned him to the floor, using her small knife to neatly cut the diamond-shaped growth from the demon's shoulder. She looked up at her friends triumphantly as the Gor-mog wilted beneath her and she didn't realize the blue goo oozing from the wart-thing that was smeared on the tip of her thumb.
She stood up and brushed off her clothes as Xander wriggled out from under the demon's dead body. Giles moved out of his protective corner and Anya, Willow, and Tara joined them all in the center of the cavern.
"That was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Buffy stated then turned to Anya, "What was that you were saying about not knowing anyone who's lived through a fight with one of these guys?"
Anya just shrugged and grabbed Xander's hand, leading him out of the cave.
On the walk back from the cave to Buffy's house, they all walked in groups of two. Xander and Anya were in front, hoping to get back as soon as possible so they could bid the rest farewell and head back to their apartment to have wild sex. Next were Willow and Tara, quietly holding hands and whispering sweet nothings to each other, both just wanting to get home and curl up on the couch with a cup of hot cocoa each. Giles and Buffy brought up the rear, discussing the fight they had just been in and it's rather simple result.
It was just as Buffy was recounting the ease with which she cut off the wart-thing that a severe shock went through her body and she dropped to her knees.
"Buffy!" Giles called, alerting the two couples that were walking ahead.
"Buffy?" Willow called and let go of Tara's hand, rushing to her best friend.
Xander and Anya ran up close behind, still joined at the hands, "Buff? Buffy, what's going on?"
With a shake of her head, Buffy was about to stand up when she felt a hollow pain at the base of her spine. It grew in intensity as it moved up her back until it felt like sharp knives stabbing her in the back of her neck where here spine met her skull.
"Ahh!" she screamed out and crashed to the ground in pain.
"Oh god. Oh god, Giles, what's happening? What's happening?" Willow yelled, gripping Giles' jacket sleeve.
Giles, too busy trying to help Buffy, ignored the witch's questions.
Soon, the pain subsided and Buffy's eyes shot open, both glowing a vibrant blue.
"Hey," Anya leaned down towards Buffy, "That's the same color as the Gor-mog's wart."
Buffy began to float from the ground and hover a few inches above it, the glow from her eyes forming two distinct lights shining straight up. Her body gave off a humming sound and the other five people in the area felt distinct vibrations roll through the surrounding forest.
The only thing they could do was step back and watch as the blue light from Buffy's eyes covered her whole body. Finally, the light show ended and her body fell back to the ground.
Rushing to her, Xander picked her up and fully intended on carrying her all the way back to her house, but Buffy's eyes opened and she insisted on standing on her own.
"Buffy…" Giles moved with caution, "How are you feeling?"
Buffy seemed to contemplate this question for a second and then her face broke out in a smile, "I feel like I could live forever."
Okay, here's the next chapter. Tell me what you think! Also, I'd be really interested in finding out what people's predictions are, so tell me that too!
Also, to my The Heart That Shines fans, I will be continuing that story. I promise. I'll get back to it this summer, which (YAY!) is only a month away.