Buffy the Vampire Slayer

In Between

Chapter Two: Leaving out all the Rest

2 Months Prior:

"It's all going to hell."

Buffy looked up from her book and peered at her best friend, Xander, who was lying down on the couch, the remote to the television in his hand as he watched the television. "What is?" she asked.

Xander lifted his head up a bit to look at her. "This TV show." She shook her head and smiled. "I mean…they keep changing the actors. You can't do that.'

"Lemme guess," she said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. "An Italian soap opera?"

Xander frowned. "How'd you know that?"

Buffy giggled. "Because it was the first thing I noticed when we came here."

Sighing, Xander sat up and walked over to Buffy, placing the remote down on the coffee table. "That was the first thing you noticed?"

Buffy nodded as she took out a carton of orange juice and two glasses. "Amazingly, and strangely, yes."

Xander laughed and shook his head as he took a glass of the juice from her and drank it. '"Do you think it's weird?"

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "What?"

Xander spread out his arms. "This?"

"Living in a house?" she quipped.

"No," he said. "I mean, having a normal life." Buffy nodded and sighed, putting the carton away. "We're so used to the world ending and seeing vampires and running into demons. It just…feels weird doesn't it?"

Buffy leaned against the counter. "You really want my thoughts?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay," she said, standing up straight. "I think it'll be short lived."

Xander frowned. "Why's that?"

Buffy shrugged. '"Slayer sense maybe. I don't know. All I know, is I keep having nightmares. Have been for the part week."

"Nightmares?"

Buffy nodded. "About death, suffering and fear. Like, a big bad is coming and we'll find out too late."

"So, you never let your guard down, did you?"

She shook her head. "No. Not seeing any big evil's around just makes me more worried. I came here to give Dawn a normal life," she explained. "Hell, even me. But, it seems I never can."

"Yeah, but Buff…nothing's happened."

Buffy nodded and looked at him sadly. "Yet."


Faith shook her head. "Something's up."

Robin looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "You don't know that."

Faith looked at him, giving him one of the 'shut up or else' looks. "Hel-lo, Slayer."

He chuckled softly as they walked down the street. "Yeah okay."

She raised her eyebrow. "You don't believe me?"

He shook his head. "No, I do. But I also believe that you can't just live a normal life. Or, at the very least, try."

"Hey," she said, stopping walking. "I have tried."

He rolled his eyes. "You trued for three weeks, Faith." This time, she rolled her eyes. "You stayed with Buffy and the others in Italy only for three weeks before you moved back here to the states. In a city, may I remind you, that contains a hellmouth."

Faith crossed her arms across her chest. "We all agreed that one of us return here to keep things stable, remember?"

"Yes," he said, nodding. "But before then, Faith, you still couldn't handle it."

She sighed and continued walking again. "Yeah, okay, so what? So what if I'm not into those fancy meals all night or the white villas and mountain tops and hills that are high as some mountains?"

Robin chuckled. "You're so cute when you get defensive." From afar, they heard a woman screaming. "Speaking of defensive."

Faith took off down the street, around the corner, and down an alley way. Cleveland wasn't known for their alleys but the fact that they had them didn't bother Faith; that was where the fun was. She stopped when she saw a vampire cornering a young woman as Robin ran from behind her.

"Hey," she called out. The vampire turned around and growled. "Leave her alone."

"Who are you?" he snapped.

Faith pulled out her stake from her belt and smirked at the creature. "Wanna take a guess?"

He snarled. "Slayer."

He suddenly forgot about the girl and stalked up to Faith. Still smiling, she rushed at him. He threw a punch, but she ducked and caught him with an uppercut. He stumbled back and Faith kicked him. He fell to the floor as Faith brought the stake down. But he grabbed her arms and flipped her over him then jumped to his feet. He kicked her while she was on the ground as Robin then grabbed him from behind and threw him against the wall. He got a good few hits in before the vampire grabbed him and head butted him then hit him in the gut then face, taking him down. By this time, Faith was recovered, and she came in, punching the vamp then kicking him with her knee in his face, then throwing a nice right hook. He fell back, his chest exposed, and Faith brought the stake down, dusting the vampire. She sighed and threw the stake away, offering her hand to Robin, who took it, helping him up.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Cool."

As Faith began to walk away, he cracked his neck back into place, he muttered, "Bet Buffy misses this."


Kennedy walked into her room and saw Willow lying on the bed, deep in thought. She raised her eyebrows in concern. "You okay?"

Snapping out of her daydream, Willow smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah."

Kennedy sat down next to her. "Want to tell me what you're thinking about?"

Willow shrugged. "Nothing." Kennedy stared at her and she sighed. "Everything. It's just….everything is so different."

Kennedy frowned. "Isn't it supposed to be?"

"Well, yeah…I guess. I mean life changes but…."

"You're just not used to a normal life anymore," Kennedy said for her.

Willow nodded. "Yeah. We've done our jobs, and Buffy deserves a normal life so badly…but there's still evil out there. Evil that we can vanquish just like we did in Sunnydale. There's nothing here."

Kennedy shrugged. "Well, I'm sure that was the point just as I'm sure there are vampires here."

"Do you think I'm just being weird?"

Kennedy smiled. "Just a little. But, seven, eight years of this, you're bound to feel the way you do."

Willow nodded. "I wonder if they all feel the same."


"I feel like crap."

Buffy raised her eyes at her sister. "What's wrong?"

Dawn shrugged. "I don't know. School's….boring."

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "So, that's making you sick?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "No, their food is. But still…"

"Dawn, for the first time since….forever, we get to live a normal life."

"I know," Dawn said, watching Buffy fold laundry. "Part of me just thinks that we should've gone to Ohio."

Buffy sighed, stopping her chore and closing her eyes. "Dawn, we've been through this…"

Her sister rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, I know."

Buffy turned to her. "Then why do you keep bringing it up?"

She rolled her eyes and turned around, stomping out. "Forget it."

Buffy sighed and shook her head, resuming her task. For the first time since she arrived, Buffy wished they hadn't gone to Italy after all agreeing to train girls. She was torn, once more, between her duties and her life with her sister. A real life.