a/n: so heres the next chapter, buffy makes her first appearance no spike unfortunately but that just builds anticipation. lol. thanks for all the great reviews they're what keeps me going on those long nights when my mum's harping on about my future (or apparent lack there of). enjoy...
Chapter 2
Mirroring Angel's earlier dramatic entrance, Xander burst into Giles' apartment with the biggest grin on his face and started babbling incoherently. Feeling like the mother of an overexcited four year old on a sugar high Anya strolled casually into the apartment and calmly translated Xander's babble.
'What Xander is attempting to say is that we spoke to Clem who informed us it was unnecessary to get a message to Buffy as she will be returning to Sunnydale. He also told me all I needed to know about Cordelia's vision.'
'You've figured out the spell?' Willow asked in surprise.
'The spell has nothing to do with this, well that's not strictly true, but that's not the point. You need to be researching a master vampire by the name of Nikolai.'
'Nikolai?' Giles repeated, turning his gaze to Angel. 'Have you heard anything about him?'
Angel shook his head. He was a little less interested in Cordelia's vision now that Anya was back. He was very eager to know why Anya had never bothered to tell anyone she knew how to get in contact with Buffy. Surely Joyce, at least, deserved to know that her daughter was alive and safe. As the last person to see Buffy alive, Angel wished he had of been able to give them more to go on but he was a little busy being stuck in hell to stop Buffy from leaving or even searching for her before she got too far away. That guilt, the guilt of not being here when she first went missing, being unable to help, eased slightly knowing that Anya had known so much more and never shared it with anybody.
'Anya, I want to know whatever you can tell us about this Nikolai. What did Clem say that has you so sure he is responsible for the attack on Buffy? Is he a warlock?'
'Forget about the damn spell!' Anya yelled exasperatedly. 'Nikolai is a vampire hell bent on taking out a slayer who does not belong to him. He will do anything and everything to get to Buffy.'
'What I want to know is how you knew all of this and never thought to tell anyone,' Angel grouched. 'What about Joyce? Don't you think she deserves to know that her daughter is alive and safe?'
'Joyce has been perfectly aware of Buffy's safety for a year now,' Anya responded impatiently. 'Buffy had her reasons for leaving and if she wants to tell you them, then she will on her own time.'
Anya spun on her heel and moved toward the door.
'As you're too busy looking in the wrong place to help Buffy, I'm going to visit Joyce and let her know Buffy is coming back.'
Anya was gone before anyone could protest and Angel had to fight back the urge to punch a wall. The ex-demon was beyond frustrating and her superior tone left Angel with a few desires Angelus would be proud of. While Angel was making his alter-ego proud Giles was actually choosing to listen to Anya. Of all of them she was the only one who had any idea how to get in touch with Buffy and maybe she knew what she was talking about in regards Cordelia's vision. Perhaps it was time they started doing as she suggested.
'Willow, leave the spell research for now. We will focus our attention on Nikolai until we have more to go on.'
More to go on appeared gradually over the next few days. Unfortunately for Giles it had nothing to do with the spell. They were lucky Angel was in town. As they took patrol, keeping an eager eye out for any sign that Buffy had returned, they couldn't help noticing the dramatic increase in not only fledgling vamps but quite a few older vamps seemed to be surfacing on the hellmouth as well. It was a clear sign that a bigger bad was coming to town. However, despite the signs of Nikolai's coming to the hellmouth, they had been unsuccessful in finding more than a mere mention of the vampire in any text. When asked about the lack of references regarding Nikolai, Anya laughed.
'He's about three hundred years old and no one talks about him because he's never been worth mentioning before. Now he's got a yen for the only slayer in history you'd have to be stupid to kill. He's trying to make a name for himself.'
She went back to watching Xander whittling stakes and refused to say more on the matter. She had however raised a few questions Giles desperately wanted answered. He knew she wouldn't say anything, though, she was sticking by her decision to leave the story telling to Buffy should she ever return.
They were on patrol, the whole Scooby gang, when they found her. The sounds of fighting drew them faster into Restfield but they stopped short at the sight before them. Buffy stood surrounded by vampires, at least eight, standing in a circle around her. They weren't fighting but Buffy sure as hell was talking.
'I do not belong to Nikolai and I will not die by his hand!' she growled to the vampires surrounding her. She wrenched the collar of her jacket away to reveal something on her neck. 'I belong to another and if I die it will be at his hands. Tell you're master he has no place here and if he does not leave he will die.'
The vampires didn't move just sneered at her.
'Go!' she snarled.
With one final look at her the vampires fled. Buffy repositioned her collar and turned to face her audience.
'Hi guys.'
She sounded like Buffy, she even looked like Buffy but she was definitely not the Buffy they remembered. She was dressed in jeans and black high heeled boots and wearing a black t-shirt with some slogan written on it in white and quite possibly in Russian. Her jacket was caramel colored leather with a short stiff collar and her hair was shoulder length and lightly curled making it look even shorter. She was definitely Buffy but this version, this Buffy, exuded confidence and power. And some serious sex appeal. She seemed older, wiser and lighter than she had been when they had last seen her dealing with Angelus. There was a light in her eyes. She looked happy.
'Buffy!'
Willow and Xander launched themselves at Buffy in a hug that put her slayer strength to shame. Giles was a bit more dignified, he waited until Willow and Xander had released her before he threw his dignity to the wind and swept her up into a fatherly embrace. Anya was next and this time it was Buffy who did the excited hugging. She threw her arms around Anya and squealed like the teenaged girl she didn't appear to be anymore. Angel didn't get a hug. When he attempted to approach she held up a hand to stop him.
'Angel,' she greeted neutrally, feeling nothing either way. 'We don't hug.'
His eyes flickered with a deep hurt but he understood that after all the things that had happened between them, all the things he'd done as Angelus, they didn't get to fall back into their old relationship. He didn't realize Buffy's reluctance to return his hug had little to do with what had happened when he was Angelus and everything to do with the fact that they had simply never been friends. They'd never had the sort of relationship where a hug was comfortable.
'We're so glad you're back, Buff!' Willow said brightly. 'Where have you been?'
'Let's take this back to Giles',' Xander suggested. 'Then you can tell us everything.'
Buffy and Anya briefly exchanged looks and with a heavy sigh Buffy started off with Anya beside her. She didn't speak a word to anyone but Anya on the walk to Giles' and even then the two were whispering together so as not to be overheard. Just for a moment on the walk over Giles had the fleeting thought that Buffy had changed too much for her friends to handle.
