Author's Note: I am so sorry about how long this update has taken, I was intending to get this chapter out ages ago but I have had so much trouble with this as my muse was really not cooperating during this chapter. My school workload is going to get even worse over the following months now as the exams approach and normally I'd just blow them off and go 'eh, it'll be fine' but my university place relies on the results I get and so my focus from now on will have to be my exams, so I apologise in advance for that.
Thank you to everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed, the one year anniversary for this fanfiction is in two days time and I honestly can't believe that I've been posting chapters for nearly a year and writing this story longer than that! Thank you to everyone who has been reading since the beginning and I want to give a special shoutout to Lacey Solane and DaBillmann for all the helpful feedback and the fantastic conversations that I've had with them! I don't think this story would be as good if not for the help and feedback that they have given.
Lacey Solane: I'm glad that you liked it and I was originally planning to have her use magic but it didn't end up being written like that, but this chapter takes their magic use in a different direction so I hope you like it. The last chapter was a fun one to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! I hope you like this one and I'm sorry about the wait that it took!
Psycho17: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and I hope to surprise you with Amy's fate in the future, it may not be what you expect. And yeah, I love writing them as antagonistic, they're a lot of fun to write that way. I hope you enjoy the chapter!
DaBillmann: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and when I thought of writing the Christmas episode, I wanted to use an existing demon that had a link to Christmas and when researching, I came across the Krampus and so I decided to use that! Haha, that would have been interesting to watch! Yeah, Amy being turned would be horrible for poor Becky and for Amy herself, of course! And yes, a good Christmas was necessary for the upcoming events! The calm before the storm, as they say. I hope you like this chapter and I apologise for the wait!
Hermitt: I'm really happy that you enjoyed it, especially as you had said that you weren't keen on the idea of a Christmas chapter so the fact that you were pleased with what I did, makes me happy. And yes indeed, Amy was right about Spike not being able to take Becky. And there may be more to Drusilla's comment... You'll just have to wait and find out! I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm sorry for the wait!
Guest: I'm glad you like the chapter and I'm sorry about how long the update took!
Miss Lori MacManus: I'm glad that you like the story!
Chapter Thirty-Six:
What's My Line: Part One.
The Careers Fair. An entire week of sixteen and seventeen year old teenagers, filling out pointless questionnaires and going to pointless seminars to discuss pointless career options. Unfortunately, Snyder had made the Careers Fair compulsory for all Juniors during the first week back after the New Year. I thought it was pointless as I already knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I was already doing it, and getting paid for it as well. Xander thought it was pointless for other reasons.
"Are you a people person, or do you prefer keeping your own company?" Xander read the question out from the test, frowning. "Well, what if I'm a people person who keeps his own company by default?" I rolled my eyes.
"Xander, you are a people person." I told him but he waved me away.
"I said 'what if'."
"So mark 'none of the above.'" Buffy suggested, as I exchanged an amused glance with Amy.
"Well there are no boxes for 'none of the above.' That would introduce too many variables into their mushroom head, number-crunching little world." Xander snapped and I glanced up at Willow as she sat down beside us, a small smile on her face.
"I'm sensing bitterness." She commented.
"No, it's just these people can't tell from one multiple-choice test what we're gonna be doing for the rest of our lives. It's ridiculous!" My brother moaned.
"Actually I read somewhere that the tests are supposed to be rather accurate." Amy explained.
"Yeah, although there is also the argument that there aren't enough questions and answers to entertain every possible career." I argued and she shrugged.
"They've apparently been the most accurate career test so far though." She countered and I sighed, nodding before glancing back down at the test again. Would you rather work in a manner that is spontaneous or scheduled?
"I'm kinda curious to find out what sort of career I could have." Willow grinned and I smiled at the excited red-head. Sometimes, in all the craziness of Slayer stuff, I actually forgot that she loved school and studying.
"What and suck all the spontaneity out of being young and stupid? I'd rather live in the dark." Xander commented.
"You're not gonna be young forever." Willow pointed out.
"Yes, but I'll always be stupid." He grinned and I smirked, rolling my eyes. He pointed out our silence and Buffy assured him of his non-stupidity before he engaged in a sparring match with Cordelia who was passing by, leaving him without a comeback and an open mouth at her comments.
"I think Buffy's regretting saying that you're not stupid." I teased as Xander questioned if murder was always a crime. Buffy didn't look up at the mention of her name, only stared down in confusion at her test to ask us if she liked shrubs.
"That's between you and your God." Xander snarked and I rolled my eyes as the blonde Slayer asked Willow, who had approved the shrubs. I glanced at Amy, an eyebrow raised and she made a disgusted face, shaking her head.
"Hmm, we both said no." I told Buffy and she frowned before continuing on with the test, groaning in annoyance.
"I shouldn't even be bothering with this. It's all mootville for me. No matter what my aptitude test says, we already know my deal." She moaned.
"Yup, high risk, sub-minimum wage…" Xander added as Buffy held up her pencil.
"Pointy wooden things."
"Then why are you even taking the test?" Willow questioned in confusion.
"It's Principal Snyder's hoop of the week. He's not happy unless I'm jumping. Believe me, I would not be here otherwise." Buffy snapped.
"You're not even a teensy weensy bit curious about what kinda career you could've had? I mean, if you weren't already the Slayer and all." Willow asked, eyes wide and happy little smile on her face. Buffy seemed to be in that hissy a mood that she shut it down nearly immediately.
"Do the words 'sealed in fate' ring any bells for you. Will? Why go there?" The blonde snapped and I raised an eyebrow at her words, as the smile fell off Willow's face, frowning slightly.
"Y'know, with that kind of attitude you could've had a bright future as an employee at the DMV." Xander commented, shaking his pencil at her and Buffy realised her mistake, sighing and apologising.
"It's just… unless Hell freezes over and every vamp in Sunnydale puts in for early retirement, I'd say my future is pretty much a non-issue." Buffy explained and I frowned.
"Buff, it doesn't have to be. You could still have a career outside of your Slayer commitments." I explained. I didn't understand why she had this attitude; I mean, sure being a Slayer did mean that sacrifices had to be made but we didn't have to sacrifice our entire future. That may have been what Slayers did in the past, but fuck if I was going to. My life was not defined by my being the Slayer.
"Like what?" She asked and I gave a shrug.
"What about something with flexible hours? Self-employment maybe? There are a lot of options. You don't have to go down the usual route of college either. You could get an apprenticeship." I suggested and she frowned, but not in annoyance, more like thought.
"Doing what though? I know you've got your hairdressing, but that doesn't really appeal to me." She shrugged and I nodded.
"Well, there's your Slayer strength. What about construction? You'd do pretty well there." She frowned in distaste.
"With the horrible, yellow hard hats?" She gave a shudder. "Nope. They don't suit my complexion." She smirked and I laughed, the others joining in.
"Thank you, Becky." The blonde Slayer murmured after the laughing had died down.
I shrugged. "It's no big deal. I just wanted you to realise that there are other options open than the traditional route of college and into a full time job."
She gave another smile before the five of us fell silent, returning to the questionnaires at hand.
~8~8~
Amy and I were patrolling in one of the cemeteries later that night, her hand held in mine as we strolled through, keeping our eyes out for any nasties that might ambush our evening. With Amy becoming more proficient in defensive and offensive magic, and mine progressing at a slower speed, Wesley had decided that it was a good idea for the pair of us to patrol together, so that we could see how the magic had progressed. Amy and I, however, were rather hoping that nothing would come of the patrol, content to just stroll through and enjoy one another's company. Of course, fate had different ideas.
We were on the edge of the cemetery when two vampires came out of nowhere, one pushing Amy to the ground as the other snarled at me. I managed to dodge the vampire that threw itself at me, grabbing the stake out of my boot and aiming for the heart but the vampire moved, as I made a wild swing, laughing and snarling. I frowned, a roundhouse kick causing the vampire to stumble before I punched it in the jaw, and my stake hit target, the creature exploding into dust. I spun around to check on Amy, only to see her grinning, standing with her arms out. The vampire that had attacked her was levitating in the air, and I couldn't help but laugh at his shocked and confused face.
"Witch! Put me down!" He ordered and the blonde gave a small shrug, nodding.
"If you insist." She obliged, dropping her arms and the vampire crashed to the ground in a groaning heap, as I raised my stake.
"Shall I do the honours?" I asked and she smirked.
"May I?" She questioned and I gestured to the stake.
"Be my guest." She took the stake from my hand and 'dropped' it; the stake hovered in the air and Amy moved her hands towards the vampire. The stake whizzed through the air towards the vampire, burying itself in the heart and after it turned to dust, Amy flew the stake back, into my boot.
"I see you've finally mastered the element of air." I commented and Amy nodded, a wide grin on her face. The book on magic that Wesley had gotten me for Christmas had contained a lot of information on elemental magic and was described to be difficult to master, but once all four elements had been mastered, then it was among the easiest magic to do and could never be forgotten. It was also among the hardest magic to turn to dark magic, and given Amy's past, that was the magic that we had chosen to focus on. Air had been described the easiest to manipulate and so that was how we had started. Amy was progressing a lot faster than I was, but she had more experience in magic anyway; I was only the stage of levitating pencils as of yet, but I didn't mind. Amy was confident and adamant that I would be mastering the elements soon. It was just a matter of time and practice.
"It took some goes. I've been practising with my dad's old dartboard that he never uses anymore." She shrugged and I raised an eyebrow.
"That's not a bad idea. I'd say that I'd try and do that in the library but I don't think Wesley or Giles would be very happy to see me floating knives." I commented and Amy giggled, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, somehow I don't think they would either. Especially as you are only just learning. I think we should stick to less threatening items at the moment. We don't want to cause anyone to lose any vital body parts." She pointed out and I rolled my eyes, frowning at her comment.
"Thanks Amy, your confidence in me means so much." I snapped and she paused, grabbing my arm and turning me back around to face her.
"Hey, I didn't mean any harm by it, Becky. It was just a laugh. Listen, you're doing a fantastic job at your magic, it's coming along quickly. It isn't a race, you're not competing with anyone. And there's no big deal if you're still on pencils. But, I think we can move onto a bit more tonight, if you want." Amy suggested and I smiled.
"That'd be cool." I sighed, frowning slightly at her. "We best finish patrolling first though." I muttered and she laughed, as we continued to walk through the cemetery.
"You know, for someone who fights monsters for a living, you really don't like it, do you?" Amy asked and I frowned, looking at her in confusion.
"Where have you been?" I asked, a playful smile on my face. "It's not that I don't like it. It's just that it's annoying when it interferes with my plans."
Amy raised a curious eyebrow at me. "Oh? What sort of plans?" She murmured and I smirked.
"Plans where I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend." I answered and Amy's grin widened.
"Oh and who might that be?"
"Well… She's blonde, she has the bluest eyes I've ever seen and she's very proficient in magic." I murmured, as our faces got closer together. Seconds before our lips met, a growl sounded from nearby and I sighed in annoyance, the noise sounding like a growl in itself as Amy laughed.
"No rest for the wicked, eh?" She questioned, as we went to discover the new threat.
~8~8~
"You know, considering that I'm a Slayer, ice skating really isn't my thing." I admitted and Buffy frowned, as the three girls looked at me in confusion.
"What does being a Slayer have to do with that?" Willow asked and I shrugged.
"Well you know, good balance and all that. I still can't ice skate for shit." I pointed out and Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Becky, I don't think your ice skating abilities have anything to do with you being a slayer. They are two completely different things." Buffy explained and I shrugged.
"I stand by my statement."
"Angel ice-skating?" Willow commented after a few seconds silence and Buffy made a small noise of agreement.
"I know. Two worlds collide." Buffy admitted and I frowned.
"Do you think he has perfect balance because of the vampire thing?" I asked and Buffy and Willow exchanged glances, rolling their eyes and I frowned.
"What did I say?" I asked Amy, who laughed at my perplexed expression and I couldn't help the smirk that came out, laughing along with her. Sometimes, Buffy and Willow were too easy to wind up.
"Wouldn't you three say you know me about as well as anyone else? Maybe even better than I know myself?" Xander questioned, darting up to us and I raised an eyebrow at Amy, before glancing at my brother.
"What's this about?" Willow asked, an eyebrow raised curiously.
"When you look at me, do you think prison guard?" I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up inside, as the others giggled.
"Um, crossing guard, maybe, but prison guard?" Buffy shook her head, lips pursed in an attempt not to laugh.
"They just put up the assignments for the career fair and according to my test results, I can look forward to being gainfully employed in the growing field of corrections." Xander lamented and Buffy smirked.
"Well, at least you'll be on the right of the bars." She quipped and Xander mimicked her laugh sarcastically.
"Laugh now, missy, they assigned you to the booth for law enforcement professionals." Xander retorted and Buffy's face fell, eyes opened in shock.
"As in police?"
"As in polyester, doughnuts and brutality." Xander explained and Buffy whined, as Willow tried to cheer her up with a "but, doughnuts!"
Buffy just gave a longer whine, before sighing. "Well, I'll just jump off that bridge when I come to it." She glanced over in a different direction and I followed her gaze to where Giles and Wesley were carrying a large pile of books each.
"First I have to deal with Giles and Wesley. They're on this Tony Robbins hyper-efficiency kick. They expect Becky and I to check in every day after homeroom." Buffy moaned and I sighed, as she began to walk away.
"I best follow suit. I can't have Buffy getting there before I do. Ooh, did you see what I got?" I asked and he nodded.
"Yes, I did, you got beautician!" He answered and I grinned smugly.
"I knew it! I literally made sure that was the result that I got! What did Amy get?" I asked and Xander paused, looking sheepish. I rolled my eyes.
"You didn't look?" I asked and he held his hands up in defence.
"I forgot, I'm sorry Amy." He apologised and the blonde waved him away, a bemused smile on her face.
"Don't worry, Xander, I'll just forgot your birthday instead." She smirked and I laughed at my brother's face, before quickly kissing Amy and running off to catch up with the other Slayer.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" I asked as I strolled into the library. Wesley and Giles were stood near the table, a ridiculous amount of books stacked perilously on that table.
"We've been indexing the Watcher diaries covering the last couple of centuries. You would be amazed at how mind numbingly pompous and long-winded some of these Watchers were." Giles commented and I smirked, exchanging an amused glance with Buffy.
"Colour me stunned." The blonde murmured and Giles didn't notice the sarcasm or chose not to acknowledge it, as Wesley smirked.
"I trust last night's patrol was fruitful?" Giles questioned and Buffy gave a shrug, sitting down at the table as I stayed standing, flicking through one of the books that was on the top of the pile. I started as I recognized Wesley's writing, but the book disappeared from my hands, Wesley staring pointedly at me and placing the book back at the top of the pile as I scowled. I really wanted to know what he'd written about me.
"Semi. I caught one out of two vamps after they stole something from this jumbo mausoleum." I looked up in surprise, exchanging curious glances with Wesley.
"They were stealing?"
"Yeah. They had tools, flashlights, whole nine yards." Buffy frowned and seemed to lose her train of thought. "What does that mean anyway? Nine yards of what?" The elder Slayer whined, as Giles paced around the library and I dug the Book out of my bag. "Now it's gonna bug me all day." Buffy glanced over at Giles, only just starting to notice that he was pacing from one end of the table to the other. "Giles, you're in pace mode. What gives?"
"The vampire who escaped, did you see what he took?"
"No, but I could take a guess and say it was something old." Buffy answered and I couldn't help but roll my eyes; it was pretty much a given that it was something old.
"You made no effort to find out what was taken?" Giles snapped and I put a hand up as Buffy was about to retort.
"Hey, just a thought but before this turns into an argument, why don't we ask the Book?" I pointed out and Buffy frowned.
"Ask? I'm confused, did I miss something?" She asked and I suddenly realised that she didn't know.
"Yeah, we found out that you can ask the Book things instead of just waiting for messages to show up." I explained and Buffy raised an eyebrow.
"And you're only just telling me this because…?" She questioned and I shrugged.
"We found out the night Spike came to the school; it's how I was able to find the factory, where the Anointed One was. In all the excitement afterwards, I suppose I must have forgotten."
Buffy rolled her eyes. "So you've had a way to get us through every situation and you haven't used it?"
"I have used it; my point was I forgot to tell you and Willow. I have used the Book but it doesn't always answer. I just thought that it would be worth trying it now."
Buffy studied me for a few seconds with her eyebrows raised before shrugging. "Okay then. Try it."
I nodded, opening the Book up to the latest page. A brief reminder of the Mark of Eyghon incident greeted me and I hastily flicked it over to the next page, not wanting any reminder.
"What did the vampire steal from the mausoleum?"
The Book flashed, a bright light obscuring the pages from view, before it faded, leaving behind a sketch of a fancy cross, the words Du Lac scrawled beside it.
"Well, I guess there's your answer." I shrugged, showing the others the drawing and Giles blanched, as Wesley frowned.
"Oh dear, oh dear." Giles murmured and I frowned as Buffy sighed.
"I hate when you say that." She snapped and Giles ignored her.
"Do you remember the book that was stolen a few weeks ago? When you and Becky fell out?" He asked and we nodded. "It was written by Du Lac." There was a short pause and then "damn it! I let it slip my mind in all the excitement."
"Well what was in the book?" I asked, glancing over at Wesley.
"It was said to contain rituals and spells, but it was written in archaic Latin so that no one else but Du Lac could understand it." He explained and Buffy gave a shrug.
"So everything's cool then."
"It's not. First the book was taken from the library and now the vampires have taken the Cross. Something's coming and I can guarantee that it's not good." Giles declared ominously and I gave a shrug.
"We'll sort it. What significance does the Cross hold?" I asked and the two Watchers shrugged.
"We're not actually sure. We'll need to do some further research into the Cross itself in order to gain that kind of insight." Wesley explained and I nodded.
"Alrighty. Well, you two do that and the pair of us will make sure to experience the Career Fair. Snyder's been sniffing around looking for Buff again, so let's keep him happy." I suggested and Buffy groaned.
"Be back here after school." Giles ordered and I saluted, a smirk on my face as the pair rolled their eyes and we made our way out of the library.
~8~8~
The Career Fair was boring as hell; my meeting wasn't until tomorrow so I spent most of the day wandering around, looking at all the different stalls. The Fair felt increasingly pointless to me; one who knew what she wanted to do and where she wanted to work. I was planning on moving out of Sunnydale after high school, maybe going somewhere like L.A or another city. I hadn't mentioned it to Wesley yet though; I wasn't sure how he'd take the news of the Slayer moving away from the Hellmouth but I didn't think it would be that big a deal. I mean, vampires and demons are everywhere right? As long as I'm still slaying, there should be no problem. Right?
I brought these fears up to Amy, as we sat in the canteen, away from the mania of the Career Fair. Amy cared for it as little as I did, despite not knowing what she wanted to do. The test had come up saying psychologist and Amy didn't mind the idea but she was unsure of her future.
"I can't see myself moving out of Sunnydale. I mean, sure weird shit goes down but I grew up here. I like it." She murmured and I raised a curious eyebrow.
"Really? You like living on a Hellmouth, with shit tons of vampires and demons, where dying is a constant threat and possibility?" I asked, sceptical and she laughed, shaking her head.
"Well when you put it like that…" She giggled and I rolled my eyes. "I do like Sunnydale." Amy said after a few minutes silence. "It has it's problems but it's part of it's charm."
"I suppose." I conceded. "Tell you what; when it comes down to deciding our futures, if you give me a good enough reason, I'll stay." I promised and she smirked.
"Is my presence not enough?" She teased and I smiled.
"Well, your presence counts as a reason." I told the blonde, capturing her lips in a kiss.
~8~8~
We're going to need a bigger library soon, I thought as we stood in the library later. Amy and I were stood on the stairs, as Buffy, Willow and Xander were sat at the table with Wesley stood on the other side of the table, near the stairs. Giles was somewhere in the stacks, looking for a specific volume. There was only two extra people in our group, excluding Angel but on some occasions Cordelia would join us which brought the number up to eight people instead of the five we started off with.
"So Giles is sure that the vampire who stole his book is connected to the one you slayed last night? Or is it slew?" Willow questioned, perplexed over the grammar as Giles came back down the stairs.
"Both are correct and yes, I'm sure. Du Lac was both a theologian and a mathematician. This article describes an invention of his, which he called the Du Lac Cross." He explained and my brother frowned.
"So why go to all the trouble of inventing something and then giving it a weak name like that? I mean, I'd of gone with the Cross-o-matic or the Amazing Mr Cross." Xander declared and I rolled my eyes.
"Brother dear, that is precisely why we don't let you name anything." I pointed out and he pouted as Giles and Wesley rolled their eyes, the two girls looking exasperated.
"The cross was more than a mere symbol," Giles murmured, handing Willow the magazine extract, before continuing. "It was used to understand certain mystical texts, to decipher hidden meanings and so forth."
Buffy frowned. "So you're saying these vampires went to all this hassle for your basic decoder ring?" She asked and Giles frowned, nodding.
"Yes, I suppose I am." He answered, surprised by the metaphor.
"According to this, Du Lac destroyed every cross except the one buried with him." Willow read out from the magazine and I frowned, exchanging glances with Amy.
"Why destroy your own work?" Buffy asked, voicing my own thoughts and Giles frowned, pacing through the library.
"Maybe he feared what could happen if the cross fell into the wrong hands." Wesley suggested.
"A fear we'll soon get to experience for ourselves up close and personal." Xander declared, sarcastically upbeat about it.
"Unless we can preempt their plans." Giles suggested, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes tiredly. I sighed, putting my hand up to my temple. I could feel a headache coming on and we hadn't even opened the books yet.
"How?" Willow questioned.
"Uh, by learning what's in the book before they do. Which means we can expect to be here later tonight." Giles murmured, sitting down at the table wearily. Willow, on the other side, grinned excitedly.
"Goody! Research party!"
"Will, you need a life in the worst way." Xander declared, pointing at her and she frowned.
"Speaking of, I really have to bail but I promise I'll be back bright and early tomorrow and ready to slay." Buffy declared, getting up from her position at the table, and slowly backing away towards the library doors. I smirked at Giles' indignant face.
"This is a matter of some urgency, Buffy." Giles pointed out and the blonde shrugged.
"I realize that. But, you have to admit, I kinda lack in the book area. And you have Becky and Amy here as well, so you have extra brains, I'd only be here for moral support anyway." She argued but Xander seemed unable to let it go.
"That's untrue, Buffy, you totally contribute. You go for snacks!" He claimed and I rolled my eyes as Buffy glanced at Willow, asking for help.
"There's enough of us as there is, Buffy can take the night off." I backed the blonde up, smiling at her and she grinned, nodding.
"Fair enough, I suppose. Alright, off you go." Giles conceded with a small sigh and Buffy made her way to the door as Xander protested.
"But Ho-Hos are a vital part of my cognitive process!" He argued and I slapped him gently upside the head as Buffy smiled sweetly.
"Sorry Xand, someplace I have to be." She murmured as the library doors swung open as she sauntered out.
I paused for a second, before glancing at Amy. "We should go on a cute date like that, somewhere romantic." I declared and she raised an eyebrow.
"Was last night not a romantic date?" She questioned and I rolled my eyes.
"Amy, we went patrolling and you used magic to destroy a vampire. I don't think that's classed as romantic." I pointed out and she smirked.
"Well, I thought that the team work we used was a good combination and was rather romantic." She countered and I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't make the list of my top ten favourite romantic things to do." I quipped and Willow glanced up at me with a curious glance.
"You have a list?" She asked and I giggled as Xander gave her a look and she realised her mistake. "Oh, right, sarcasm." She murmured. "Well, some say sarcasm is the lowest form of wit." She argued and I scoffed.
"Will, if that were true, then why are the sarcastic people also the geniuses? Sarcasm is actually supposed to increase creativity." I explained and she rolled her eyes.
"You always have an answer for everything." Willow muttered and I grinned, sitting down at the table.
"Is that not why you love me?" I replied and the red-head rolled her eyes.
"I was more thinking that's the reason that we think you're so annoying." She retorted and I gasped in mock offense.
"How rude!"
"Are we actually going to do any research?" Giles questioned exasperatedly and I gave a shrug, glancing sheepishly at Willow who looked amused but guilty and I sighed, sitting down, pulling Amy with me, not saying a word at Giles' annoyed look.
Wesley handed the pair of us a book and we spent the majority of the evening in companionable silence, the only noise the rustling of pages and the occasional swapping of books.
We broke apart around eleven that night, to have snacks, order pizza and take a break when the phone rang. No one else appeared to be moving, too tired to and so I went to the phone, picking it up.
"Hello?"
"Becky, are you still at the library?" I frowned at Buffy's question, which seemed rather obvious and pointless.
"Well, duh, considering I answered the phone." I pointed out and I heard her sigh with realisation.
"Okay, well, you need to get out of there." She explained and I frowned in confusion.
"What, why?"
"Angel and I were attacked at the ice rink. Some guy with a fancy ring, Angel said that there's a high chance that someone's going to attack you as well." Buffy explained.
"Are you both okay?" I asked, more worried about her than me at this point. The news that she'd been attacked, immediately after the disappearance of the Cross, wasn't good news. Giles was right - something was coming.
"We're fine, the guy with the ring is dead but you need to get somewhere safe." Buffy urged.
"Why? What about the ring?" I asked, thinking that it was a strange thing to mention.
"Angel said that if someone tries to attack you, then they'll be wearing the same thing; it's gold and quite large and it has a fancy inscription on it. That's about as much as I can tell you." She explained and I nodded as the doors swung open.
"Pizza for Rebecca Harris?" A young woman, around mid-twenties asked, wearing a Dominos outfit and I smiled, pointing to the phone and holding up a hand as if to say 'one second' as Xander smiled giddily, making his way over to the woman. She moved her hand and I froze as I spotted the ring, looking extremely similar to the one that Buffy described.
I tensed and the woman must have noticed, because she pushed my brother away from her, throwing the pizza to the floor and I dropped the phone, dodging the knife that she threw at me and ran over to her, punching her in the face. It didn't faze her as she kicked me in the stomach and I pushed her away from me as Amy threw her arm out, using the air to push her towards the cage as Xander quickly opened it and I pushed at the air, knocking her into the cage as Amy swung the door shut, locking her in.
There was a stunned silence in the library before Xander smirked, picking up the dropped pizza box.
"So does this mean free pizza? And by the way, I think Dominos might be run by demons." He answered, taking a bite out of the pizza. Wesley and Giles came to stand near the cage, as Willow stood beside Xander and Amy stood beside me, also frowning. The woman was pretty, only in her early twenties, with pale skin, long blonde hair tied back in a braid and wearing the Dominos uniform, with the hat but there was a knife hilt hidden in her boot and I could see the outline of a gun holster beneath her jacket. The woman was glaring fiercely and I studied her curiously.
"She doesn't look like a demon." I commented, and she laughed.
"That's because I'm not." She pointed out and I frowned, moving closer.
"Becky, be careful." Amy warned as the woman smirked.
"If you're not a demon, then why attack me?" I questioned and she gave a shrug.
"I was hired."
"You're an assassin?"
She shrugged again. "Of sorts."
"Wesley, can you see that ring from here?" I asked him and he moved closer slightly, nodding.
"Yes, I recognise it. She is indeed an assassin, part of a group known as the Order of Taraka." He identified and she smiled sarcastically.
"Hmm, you guys know your stuff. I wish we were warned of that." She murmured and I frowned, glancing at Wesley in confusion.
"Who hired you?"
The woman was silent and my frown deepened. "Don't play stupid with us, we know that someone hired you and we want to know who it was. So I'd suggest that it's in your best interests to tell us." I snapped and she leered at me.
"Or you'll do what?"
"I'm not above hurting you just because you're human. You've clearly shown that you don't mind harming us." I shrugged and Wesley frowned.
"Rebecca…" He murmured warningly but I ignored him, not breaking eye contact with the assassin.
"Go on then. Give it your best shot." The blonde murmured, eyes sparkling dangerously and I returned the smirk with a sarcastic one of my own before a hand grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the cage.
"What are you doing?" Wesley demanded, his voice quiet but angry and I glared back at him.
"I'm trying to get us information on why she's here and who hired her. Someone attacked Buffy and when she calls to warn us, we get attacked as well. She's an assassin, Wesley, she's deadly. That cage won't hold her forever; she wants to be here and I'm gonna find out why." I snapped, pulling my arm out of his grasp but he pulled me back.
"Through torture? Rebecca, that isn't how we're supposed to do this." He argued and I scoffed.
"Right, because she was going to give us a quick painful death?"
"If we stoop to their level, we're as bad as they are!"
"I don't care! I will not let anything hurt us, and if that includes doing what's necessary, then so be it!" I retorted, as there was a crash. I spun round to see the cage door swinging open, knocking into Xander and Willow and she pulled the gun out of her holster, pointing it around the library, darting from person to person. We froze, fear running through my veins as she aimed it at different people within the library, switching between four; my girlfriend, my brother and my Watcher and then to me.
"This isn't over. But for now," she grinned before darting off out the back exit of the library, gun raised and I went to run after her but Wesley didn't relinquish the hold he still had on my arm.
"This isn't over." He warned before heading back over to the table and I sighed before moving over to my brother and Willow, making sure they were alright.
"We're okay, just a bit shaken. How about you? It got pretty dark there." Xander murmured and I sighed, shaking my head.
"I don't know. I didn't mean for it to happen like that, I just wanted to know why she was here. I think I took it too far but it felt like she was goading me and egging me on, I couldn't help it." I sighed. "I guess there's more dark in me than I realised."
Xander smiled softly, putting his arm around my shoulder. "It's no big. So you threatened to torture her; she was gonna kill us. I'd say that makes you the bigger person." He pointed out and I smiled.
"Well, when you put it like that…" I giggled, as Xander grinned.
"This is no laughing matter." Wesley interrupted, and I bowed my head, feeling chastised. "The Order of Taraka are deadly assassins, made up of human and demon members. They are hired to find and eliminate a specific target and they do so with precision. They don't stop until the job is done."
"Well, that's incredibly ominous. What's your point?" I asked, confused and Wesley sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"We need to get you someplace safe. You and Buffy. If these assassins are after you both, then you aren't safe. She knew that you were here and they found Buffy."
"Buffy and Angel are on their way here." Giles declared and I glanced over at Amy worriedly; she came over to stand on my other side and I grasped her hand in comfort.
"Where are we supposed to go?" I asked in confusion and the two Watchers shook their heads.
"You can stay at mine." Amy offered but I shook my head.
"No, I can't risk your life like that." She looked offended and I sighed, kissing her forehead. "Amy, we don't know what these assassins know about me, or who hired them. They have no qualms about killing innocents and if they know that I'm at yours then it'll put you and your father in danger." I explained and she sighed, clearly not happy but nodded. I turned quickly to my brother and Willow, speaking sharply.
"Don't go home. Will, can he stay at yours tonight?" I asked and the red-head nodded.
"Of course. My parents don't mind, they like Xander."
"Whoa, why can't I go home?" He asked in confusion.
"Xand, if that assassin knows where I live, then she's seen you, she knows who you are. There's a risk that she might use you as bait to get to me or threaten you to tell me where you are and I can't risk that." I explained and Xander sighed but also conceded.
"Where are you going to go?" Amy asked and I shrugged.
"Jonathan's, I think. I'm just going to make a quick call, see if I'm allowed over." I explained, heading towards the phone. I quickly dialled, the number ringing a few times before a "hello" sounded down the phone.
"Hey, I know this is short notice but can I stay over at yours tonight? There's a lot going on, I'll explain when I see you." He sounded confused but thankfully didn't protest, simply agreed and I sighed in relief, nodding. "Okay, thank you. I'll see you in an hour or so." I placed the phone back on the hook, sighing.
"Right, so Amy will go home, Xander's going to Willow's and I'll go to Jonathan's. What about Buffy?" I asked, just as the library doors swung open and the blonde Slayer walked into the library, Angel following close behind.
"What about me?" She demanded.
"None of us are going home. Did Angel fill you in?" I asked, glancing over at the souled vampire. There was a small cut on his face, just above his eye and the Slayer was limping slightly. I was suddenly very relieved that the assassin who came after me was human; if the demon managed to injure Buffy and Angel, then who knows who it would have injured here?
"Yeah, Order of Taraka. Why aren't we going home?" She asked in confusion and I gave a shrug.
"It isn't safe. If the demon found you at the ice rink and us here, then chances are they know where we live. And we don't know who sent them." I pointed out and Angel frowned.
"I can find out." He declared and I raised an eyebrow.
"Who from?" The souled vampire stared pointedly and I gave an 'ahh' of realisation. "Willy the Snitch. Of course." I nodded.
"Buffy, maybe you should stay with Angel for the next few days." I suggested, ignoring the protests from Xander. "Just whilst the Order is here, they probably know where you live and with a Slayer and a vampire in one place, you shouldn't be in too much danger." I explained and Buffy nodded, glancing at Angel who shrugged.
"There's a sofa, I don't mind sleeping on there. Besides, I don't sleep much at night anyway." He admitted and I smirked before glancing at the Watchers.
"Does that sound okay to you both? That way neither of us are at home but we all know where the others are." I explained and the two nodded.
"It sounds good, you're all in places different to what the assassins will expect, so that will throw them off the scent a bit. Maybe the pair of you shouldn't come into school tomorrow though, take a day and avoid it, lest they try and attack you here." I nodded, as did Buffy.
"I'll come to yours in the morning, and me and Buffy can research." I said to the vampire, before turning to Wesley. "Can I take a few of the books home, start trying to discover what was in the manuscript?" I asked and Wesley nodded, handing two massive volumes and I took them gratefully, placing them beside my bag.
"Well, I guess I'll see you all in a bit." I murmured. Making plans was all well and good but it was real, now. We were all going into some form of hiding from assassins, real honest to god assassins, and I wasn't even sure if all of us would come out of this alive, but I was determined to make sure that we didn't lose anyone, even if that was at the expense of myself. I didn't care; I'd lay down my own life for the people in this room and a select few outside of it.
"I'll see you soon, Becks." Xander smiled, pulling me into a hug and kissing the top of my head, as I sniffled, fighting back tears. It was pathetic, I know, but I couldn't help but think that it felt like we were saying goodbye and I hated it. Amy didn't give me a teary goodbye which I was grateful for, simply kissed me lightly and warned me to be careful.
I didn't do many other goodbyes, getting out of there as quickly as I could, and before I knew it, I was outside Jonathan's house. There was only one light on, the room that I knew was his bedroom and the window was left open, which I was grateful for. It was well past midnight now and I was increasingly thankful that he was so understanding. It was nice having a friend that knew about the Slayer crap but wasn't directly involved.
It was a surprisingly easy climb up to his bedroom and I climbed through the window, Jonathan rushing over to help me in. I'd never actually been to his place before and I took a curious glance around his room; it was large, with comic books strewn around the place and posters on the walls, little Star Wars and Star Trek figurines on the furniture. It was probably what Xander's room would look like if not for me. I'd had to explain to him several times why I didn't want a poster of Darth Vader staring at me whilst I slept.
"Hey, so what's wrong?" Jonathan asked as I sat on his desk chair, sighing.
"Where do you want me to start?"