Disclaimer: You are seriously delusional if you think I own any of this, I assure you I do not. The incomparable Joss Whedon does. P.S- spoilers kind of for Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, now on with the reading.
The Bus RideThe Master is extremely annoyed, furious over the complete incompetence of his minions. He begins to read to them the prophecy about the anointed one as he speaks he grabs one by the throat. "The anointed one will be my greatest weapon against the slayer, If you fail to bring him to me," He tightens his grip around his neck. "If you allow that girl to stop you," the Master throws the minion across the room, where he lands hard on a piece of furniture breaking it. "Here endeth the lesson," the Master angrily looks to the remaining minions as they leave in a rush to do his bidding.
Why does he surround himself with such incompetence? The Master thought to himself. It was so hard to find a good minion these days. If they ruin his plans, he will eviscerate every one of his worthless minions.
He also senses a new power in play; he could feel it within his very being. Its goodness sickens him and makes him want to retch. The Master knew that it is already changing things and that does not please him. He will find this power, tear out its heart and feast upon it.
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Entering the cafeteria, Buffy and Willow talk about Buffy's latest crush, Owen. They take their seats beside Xander and both girls get giddy about the prospects of dating.
Xander interrupts their girlish musings to see if they know what the mystery lunch is, they have no clue. "By the way Willow, where's your new shadow, you guys have been inseparable for the past week, what gives?" Xander says while trying to shake the mystery lunch of his spoon.
"Oh, Jessica went to Chicago with her dad for a few days, I think she will be back some time tonight," Willow says, obviously excited about her new friends return. She was also upset because Buffy and Xander had yet to warm up to her new friend. Not understanding why exactly, Jessica was delightful to be around, funny, smart, and a little jumpy. Maybe it will take a little more time for her friends to join the cause that is Jessica.
Xander then brings up Buffy's slaying a little too loudly and Buffy scolds him for his non discretionary outburst. She then starts to tell them about the prophecy about the latest big bad. Willow goes into slight worry mode and suggests that the situation is not good.
They all notice Owen sitting by himself at the table next to them. Buffy goes to sit next to him to the delight of Willow and the complete dread of Xander. Before she can take a seat, however, Cordelia tries to take her out with her hips and knocks Buffy's food to the floor.
"Boy, Cordelia hips are wider than I thought, "Buffy says to Owen, annoying the cheerleader thoroughly.
Cordy tries unsuccessfully to invite Owen to The Bronze with her and a group of friends, but he seems mildly disinterested at the thought of going somewhere with the Queen C. He asks Buffy if she will be there.
Buffy's disappointment to Cordelia obvious flirting turns into joy as he asks her on a date to The Bronze, totally ignoring Cordelia's irritation she says yes.
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Willow and Buffy walk joyfully to the library, talking about her upcoming date with Owen. They meet an anxious Giles at the entrance and try to get him in on the conversation and notice that he is not sharing in their enthusiasm over boys and dating.
They all walk into the library as he begins to tell them about a prophecy that is to happen tonight concerning the Order of Aurelius. Buffy interrupts his tirade as she pouts and begins to go into a rant of her own.
"Not okay, it can't be tonight," Says a frantic Buffy.
Giles looks indignant, thinking she was telling him he has made an error. "My calculations are precise."
"There bad calculations, bad!" Buffy says as she nearly shakes her head off her shoulders.
Willow interrupts to try explaining things a little more clearly than Buffy seems to. "Buffy has a really important date."
"Owen!" Buffy says his name pleading to Giles to understand her plight.
Giles looks completely frustrated with his slayer; she should learn to get her priorities straight he thought to himself. "Alright, I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days, while you take in dinner and a show."
"Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm," Said an annoyed Buffy while rolling her eyes.
Giles bent down and put his knuckles on the table and started to do that thing he always love to do, give the speech that will scare the shit out of you and get you t o do what needs to be done.
"Buffy, this is no ordinary vampire, now we have to stop him before he reaches the Master.
"But, cute guy, teenager, post pubescent fantasies," Buffy whined and pleaded.
"Will just have to be put on hold," Giles said. "The dark forces are aligning against us and we have a chance to beat them back, tonight we go into battle." Giles said going off into one of his scary speeches again
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Patrolling was a bust and Giles is a little embarrassed about the situation. He thought the prophecy was going to happen tonight. All signs pointed to it happening tonight. He quite reluctantly lets Buffy go on her date.
Giles looks down into his book and read aloud. "Five shall die and from their ashes, the Anointed shall rise," he scans the cemetery one last time. "I was sure it was tonight."
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Jessica and her father decide to ride the airport shuttle bus to their house. They talk for a while about her schoolwork and her new friends as they travel home.
"Willow is amazing dad, she is way smart, and she's been an awesome friend to me," Jessica beams as she talks about the red head. "I have caught up on all my classes because of her with straight A's no less, Willow rocks."
That is excellent Jess, I am glad you made such a good friend so soon. I think I will like to meet the girl that brought out my baby girls full potential," her dad said while smiling at her.
Jessica turns away from her father to look out the window, feeling a little embarrassed about what her dad had said. "Dad, please don't call me that in front of all these people."
He laughs at her discomfort and then asks her something that has been on his mind lately. "Alright Jess, I'm going to ask you something and I want you to be completely honest with me, okay."
"Okay dad, you know I will, what do you want to ask me?" she asks bewildered to the serious turn to the conversation.
"Do I have to get the shotgun out for any potential boyfriends?" her dad asks with a silly gleam in his eye and a smirk on his lips.
Completely mortified Jessica puts her face in her hands to hide her dismay. "Dad what's wrong with you, I hope you don't say things like that when I bring Willow around. You might scare my only friend away."
Jessica father burst into laughter relishing in the fact that his daughter has no problems talking to him. He had worries about when she became a teenager that she would start to push him out of her world. He was glad when she did not. However, he still wanted an answer to his question so looked expertly to his daughter waiting for her to respond.
Avoiding his gaze, she tries to ignore him but cannot, so she sighs and answers the question. "Well there is this one boy in a few of my classes, I think he's cute and he keeps smiling at me when I see him," Jessica smiles at the memory of that. "There might be a possible something there."
Her dad smiles and they continue talking until her dad drifts off to sleep, but Jessica is too wired to sleep and starts on some homework the teachers have given her for the days she would be absent. She cannot wait to see Willow again; maybe she will invite her to a sleepover for the weekend. They could go shopping or to the movies or anything. Jessica was nearly bouncing in her seat thinking of the prospects.
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"Hello," Jessica looks up to see the cutest little boy greeting her and she wants to pinch his cheeks.
"Hey, little man how are you doing?" Jessica says as she reaches up and ruffles his hair.
"I'm okay," he says as he glances at his sleeping mother. "I and my mother are moving to Sunnydale to get away from my dad, after the divorce," he says the last part of that statement in the saddest little voice and Jessica's heart goes out to him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry little one, that's got to be hard on you leaving your dad and all," She glances at his mother before continuing. I'm sure your mom will take good care of you though," she looks to her father then smiles at the little boy.
"You see this man," the boy nods at her. "He's my dad and he is all I have left after my mom passed. He is a good dad and has been there for me through thick and thin and I keep him out of trouble."
Jessica leans in closer to whisper to the young boy. "You know how much trouble parents can get into, you can be there to keep her out of it," she said as she winked at him.
He giggles as he looks at his mom thinking what kind of trouble she could possibly get into. He turns back to Jessica and grins wildly. "That could keep me busy for a very long time," He says to her and she bursts out laughing almost waking her dad.
"My name is Jessica by the way and you areā¦." Jessica see's him hesitate for a moment and smiles. Good at least his mom taught him to be somewhat wary of strangers she thought to herself.
The little boy contemplates if he should tell this strange girl his name, he should not even be talking to strangers but he could not help himself. He is compelled to talk to her. "My name is Collin," he says almost to quiet for her to hear.
"Hello Collin, nice to meet you, maybe we will see each other again in Sunnydale," Jessica says. You can tell your mom that if she ever needs a babysitter, I am her girl. Jessica Trish Cine, babysitter extraordinaire.
Collin frowns at her and puffs out his chest. "I don't need a babysitter, I am old enough to take care of myself," He says this to her while looking quite indignant.
Smiling at him knowingly Jessica pats his hand." I know you are, being the man of the house and all, but if you ever need anyone to beat you in all your video games give me a call."
Collin harrumphs loudly at that, turns, and sits back in his seat with his arms crossed. "That will be the day when a g-i-r-l beats me in anything."
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Sitting back in her seat Jessica quietly laughs at the boy's outburst. She then looks over to the man sitting next to her as he with a deep and creepy voice starts to preach about fire and brimstone. Oh great she thought, one of those type of preachers.
He begins to scare everyone on the bus as he gets into their faces and preaches about the coming judgment. Her dad finally having enough of his sermon tells him to sit down and keep his last day revelations to himself.
The creepy preacher turns to her dad and says. "Are you willing to stand with the righteous?" Then everyone screams as the bus jerks off the road and hits a tree knocking all from their seats. The driver turns and asks if everyone is okay. As they nod, he goes outside to see if the person who he hit was okay.
Jessica's father watches in horror as the person he thought for sure was dead brutally attacks their driver. Then all hell breaks loose and windows are broken from the outside. Assailants start to attack and drag the passengers out through windows as they fight and scream.
Jessica looks up and notices Collin and his mother trying to fight off an attacker. They grab Collin and try to drag him through a window. She quickly jumps up, grabs Collin by the waist and tries to pull him back into the bus. The attackers pull is too strong for Jessica and she starts to lose Collin to his grip.
The boy screams and Jessica cries out to her dad for help, he leaves preacher to fend for himself as he goes to his daughters aid. He punches the assailant in the face as Jessica and the boy's mother try to pull him in to safety, but the attacker only growls and reinforces his grip on the boy.
Jessica gets an idea and tells her dad to hold on to Collin as long as he can, she goes into her purse and gets her mace. She hopes it still work, as she remembers Willow tampering with it one day at lunch. Jessica asks her what she did to it, Willow said that she refilled the container. Leaving Jess confused as to why she would have her own stash of mace ingredients.
Jessica returns to the window and proceeds to spray the assailant with mace. He quickly releases the boy, cups his face with his hands as it starts to smoke. Jessica looks at her bottle wondering if it was supposed to do that, Willow had definitely put a little something extra in it. She looks at Collin and says. "Wow, that was a close call."
All thoughts of that quickly wipe away when Collin screams as one of the assailants violently pulls Jessica out the window and away from the bus.
To be continued. Hope you like, please review.
