Hello, readers!
Almost a four-month hiatus, there. I know how I want this story to finish, and I originally envisioned a sequel...but I think I'll be altering things a bit, to make a more concrete ending. I probably only need about four or five more chapters to wrap this up. I love this fandom SO MUCH. BTVS is so iconic, and I'm happy that generations, new and old, are discovering and rediscovering truths and lessons in its episodes.
You are awesome. Thank you for reading, supporting, and encouraging me. 2020 sucked (terrible vampire pun not intended), but this site made it much more bearable. I really love this community.
Happy reading and a happy 2021!
Jenn
The long week, stressful Council visit, and late-night news of Jenny's turning had the rest of the Scooby gang sleeping in late on that Saturday morning. Buffy made it home and was relieved to find everyone there still asleep, as well. She yawned as she went up the stairs, completely done with her day, although it wasn't yet seven in the morning.
She wanted to cry herself to sleep, but there were no more tears left to shed. At least she could sleep.
A couple of hours later, she was awoken by a soft knock at the door.
"Mmmph?" she grunted out.
"Buffy? It's me," Dawn called softly. "I, uh, the phone rang. It was Willow and she said that everyone was going to meet at the Magic Box when it opens."
Buffy groaned and sat up. She was still wearing the clothes she'd put on to meet up with Giles only hours ago. At least that was one less thing to do.
"Mmm-kay," she answered back groggily. "I'm up. Thanks."
"Can I come in?"
"Sure."
Dawn opened the door and slowly pushed it open, stepping through with timidity.
"Thanks for staying with me last night," she said seriously. But her words seemed to be directed at the carpet. "Aren't you mad at me for sneaking out?"
Buffy sat up in bed and glared at her. "Of course I'm mad about that."
"Why?"
"Why am I mad about my little sister putting herself in danger, when she knows, better than most in this town, what's out there? Really?"
Dawn blushed and finally met Buffy's eyes. Her hand was on the doorknob, and she hesitated to come further into the room.
"Angelus went with me," she defensively added.
The eldest sister snorted loudly. "Yeah. Great idea, having a soulless vampire escort you around town."
"You don't seem to mind him being around," Dawn shrugged.
"Because I'm the Slayer, and I can keep him in check," Buffy leveled a deadpan look at the younger girl.
"Do you still love him?"
"No," Buffy replied honestly. "I miss Angel. I… Angelus isn't hurting anyone, for now. And I need him around."
"Like last night? With Miss…" Dawn choked on the final word of her sentence, and a brief silence followed.
"Yes. I wish it hadn't ended that way, though. I wish…I wish I had been able to protect her."
"You can't protect everyone," Dawn whispered.
"Yeah, I know," Buffy nodded and patted the space on the bed next to her. The brunette complied, sitting next to her. The Slayer put an arm around her sister. "But that doesn't stop me from trying."
"It'd be easier, if I wasn't here," the teen morbidly declared.
Buffy hugged her sister tighter. "Don't say that. I can't imagine not having you in my life." She let go of Dawn to face her, using both of her hands to gently turn the girl's head in her direction. "I always wanted a baby sister, Dawnie. So, don't you dare try to make my life harder by doing stupid things like sneaking out at night!" Buffy cocked her head. "Why were you sneaking out, anyway?"
Dawn's eyes glistened slightly, but she blinked the moisture away and composed herself quickly. "I just needed to get out of the house," she effectively lied through her teeth. "School, hospital, home…I was going crazy this week."
At that revelation, Buffy fully embraced her sister, feeling obtuse at not recognizing the strain Dawn had also been under.
"Yeah, I get that."
An hour later, Buffy was entering the Magic Box, expecting an awkward exchange with Giles. But at least he knows. He can blame me, that's fine, but I can't protect everyone, she reminded herself of the earlier conversation with Dawn.
Giles was nowhere in the vicinity. An enthusiastic Anya greeted her and pointed her toward the rest of the gang.
"Giles told me that I was on my own…for a while, anyway," she gleefully revealed. "I control the money! This is so great! I marked up everything by ten percent this morning!"
The color drained from Buffy's face. "Giles left? Where did he go?"
The perky blonde placed a finger to her chin to contemplate in a more human fashion. "He called me this morning and said he was going to do some research in England…or something. Then he told me I could run the store, while he was gone! Would you like to buy a candle for your mother? Only $32 each. Or two for $60!"
"Wow. What savings," Buffy quipped back, knowing that it would be lost on the literal mind of the former immortal. "I think I'll just join the others, thanks."
Anya nodded and happily went back to tending to the empty shop. Xander, Willow, and Tara sat at the table, confused and morose.
"What's going on, Buffy?" Xander piped up first. "Miss Calendar is…she's a vampire, right? And now Giles is gone? What happened last night?"
Buffy swallowed. "Jenny was hunting Dracula, working on that restoration spell that they used on Angelus all those years ago. I don't know exactly how, or when…but Dracula turned her. She went to Giles' apartment last night, and he must've figured it out before inviting her in. He called me, and he told me to call you, too," she looked around the table at her three friends. She took a deep breath. "And then she came to my house. She was mad that I already knew what she was. Dawn and I stayed inside, and my mom was asleep for the whole thing. Angelus was outside, too, behind Jenny."
At the mention of the male vampire, Xander's expression darkened significantly, while Willow looked nervous. Tara, sitting beside her girlfriend, remained calm and unaffected by the mention of Buffy's ex-love. Xander looked like he was about to speak up, but he held his tongue for more of an explanation.
"She said that she was about to leave Sunnydale with Dracula. I guess he was making her go with him? And she'd wanted to…" I probably shouldn't use her words. "Well, she mentioned that she understood, now, why vampires often ended up attacking all of their human friends and family."
The whole group grimaced, completely aware of what Buffy wasn't saying.
"Anyway, she kind of got that it was too late to use the element of surprise, with Giles and I already knowing what she was. So she threatened to come back at a later time. To catch us off-guard."
Willow shivered and shared a look with Tara. Xander's jaw clenched, and he looked toward blissfully-unaware Anya.
"Then Angelus killed her," she finished.
Xander's mouth went agape, and Willow also looked surprised. Tara started to tear up.
"I'm sorry," the sole male in their group began, standing to his feet. "What, now? Angel killed Miss Calendar? So…he's gone now, too, right? You staked him, finally, didn't you Buffy?"
She narrowed her eyes at Xander's sarcastic tone. He knew the answers to his questions.
"Oh, no," the man continued. "Of course you didn't. Your first love, and all that jazz." He shook his head, incredulous. "I swear, that undead clown could bring about an apocalypse and you'd stand by and do nothing."
"There's nothing to do about it," Buffy said through her teeth. "Blame Dracula."
"I blame vampires in general, sweetheart, for the evil they do in this town and everywhere. I kind of thought that was supposed to be the Slayer's deal, too."
The two witches fidgeted uncomfortably at the tension between their two friends. But, when it came to Angel, they had never seen eye to eye.
"Does Giles know?" Willow spoke up to interrupt their verbal sparring.
Buffy's face said it all. Xander derisively snorted.
"I guess that explains Giles leaving town," he sneered. "I can't imagine he was too pleased to hear your soulless, torturing, kidnapping, ex-lover dusted the love of his life."
The Slayer threw her hands in the air. "She was a vampire, already! Angelus is chipped! And let's not forget that we're still up against a goddess from a hell dimension, here!"
"Is Xander right, though?" Willow meekly asked. "Did Giles leave because of Jenny? Because, this is kind of the worst time to be down a Watcher."
Buffy smiled sadly at her redheaded friend. "He had some other things to say," she admitted. "But it had nothing to do with any of you guys."
Xander rolled his eyes and sat back down. Buffy pulled out the remaining chair and sat down, too.
"So, what do we do, now?" Tara asked pragmatically.
"I'm not sure," Buffy whispered. "I don't suppose Quentin was wrong about you not being able to figure out who Glorificus' human counterpart is, was he?"
Tara bit her lip and looked over at Willow, who shook her head.
"Sorry, Buffy," Willow answered. "I mean, the magics to figure out where the Key was is one thing. The monks used magic from this world to hide it. Disguise it. If this Glorificus was banished from her dimension straight into ours, then those are powers we can't hope to understand or replicate."
"Speaking of the Key, how is Dawn?" Tara kindly inquired.
"Fine," Buffy waved a hand in front of her. "Still totally clueless. She did sneak out of the house last night. Crazy brat. Angelus stayed with her, though."
"Nice," muttered Xander. "If I'd known you were fine with him playing babysitter, I would've invited him into your home for you."
"That's enough, Xander," Willow warned, finally fed up with the petty remarks.
Buffy gave him a glare and folded her arms under her chest. Then she leaned back into the seat and stared down at the table. The four friends were quiet for the next few minutes, until Anya's voice rang over their heads.
"Are you going to sit there all day? Because, if you are, could you at least be pretending to examine the merchandise or look happy? I read in a business article that atmosphere and mood will greatly affect my profits, so… smile, please!"
Buffy left soon thereafter. Willow and Tara did, too, determined to look up anything useful to aid in the Slayer's two main objectives: protect Dawn and kill Glorificus. Xander remained, watching his girlfriend work and attempting to stop focusing on his hatred of Angel.
In truth, Willow went straight to Giles' home after the meeting. Tara agreed to meet with her later, sensing that this was a trip that her girlfriend needed to make alone.
Giles answered the knock at his door without surprise, and Willow credited the peephole for that.
"Willow, what a pleasant surprise," he said, obviously trying to be cordial. Failing miserably. He blocked the entrance to his home. "Did you need something?"
It was more than awkward, to not be invited in, but she held her ground.
"I needed…to tell you that…I'm sorry about Jenny," she finished softly. It wasn't what brought her to his door, but it was in her heart. She clenched her teeth and swallowed, trying not to cry. "Buffy told us what happened to her," she whispered, looking down.
"Ah," the mentor grimly smiled. "Yes, well. Thank you for your condolences. Are you all right?"
"I mean, I am, but…can I come in?"
He hesitated, clearly wanting to say no. But, after the pause, he swung the door open and allowed her entry. Willow walked through the threshold, noting the suitcase that stood at the ready.
"Goin' somewhere?" she asked.
"Yes, I thought I might go back to England for a short while. Clear my head."
"Leave us in the middle of the fight of our lives?"
He sighed and motioned for her to sit on the couch. She did, and he joined her.
"Do you remember when Buffy turned eighteen? The test? Tento di Cruciamentum." He spoke slowly and quietly. As if even invoking the words was damnable. "It's a test for both the Slayer and the Watcher."
"Yeah," Willow nodded. "What about it? Buffy passed, you didn't. Wesley came and went. I remember all that."
"If we had both succeeded, it would have been the beginning of a separation, of sorts."
"A separation?" The young witch confusedly repeated.
"The Slayer is an adult, and, assuming the Watcher has done their job, he or she is then required to take a lesser role in the Slayer's life. You recall Kendra, and how her Watcher stayed behind, instead of joining her?"
Willow nodded.
"That's the more accepted practice. Teach, train, and, of course, watch. Don't interfere, except to educate. Don't participate, don't…don't become…too attached." He started to break, then, and Willow winced. "When I…failed, the Council determined that Buffy was woefully unprepared to be without a Watcher. In essence, she was granted more time to develop into the Slayer the Council expected her to be."
He took a breath, and Willow had nothing to say. She also could sense that he wasn't done.
"Fired from the Council, I was supposed to distance myself immediately." He smiled, and there was nothing grim about it. It radiated kindness and warmth. "You already know I couldn't abandon her. Or any of you."
"But you will now?" Willow interjected. The words popped from her lips. "You're not just leaving Buffy, you know. You're leaving me, too. To fight a goddess that even the Council is terrified of."
Characteristic of the Watcher she'd known since her sophomore year, he removed his glasses and ran a hand across his forehead. Uncomfortable. Convicted. But, also, resolute.
"There is always an apocalypse to face. I care about you and Buffy, and Xander, and Anya, and Tara… and Joyce," he added with a lump in his throat.
"And Dawn?"
"I…Willow, it's incredibly difficult…" he sighed, again. "If Dawn had never been placed in Buffy's care…if Buffy would consider the greater sacrifice…" The sad old man was gone, replaced with a grittier version. "If we weren't fighting on two fronts, Buffy and I would have been tracking Dracula. And Jenny…" He stopped there.
"Lots of 'ifs,'" Willow sadly countered.
"One more, then: if I had acted as the Watcher I'd been trained to be, I wouldn't be helping you in this fight, anyway. I would be back in England, counseling from afar, trusting that the Slayer was capable to do her job. And, if not, preparing for her replacement."
Willow stood, no longer sympathetic. "Well, if that's the Watcher you were supposed to be, no wonder so many Slayers died young," she spat out bitterly. "Lucky for us, you were the Watcher that Buffy needed…that we all needed."
"Needed then, but not needed now," he calmly pointed out, still sitting. "Any research can be done by you and Tara. Spells, too. You're incredibly integral to the Slayer's effectiveness. Resources can be supplied by Anya and Xander, at this point. You know that, should you need it, everything in the Magic Box is yours. I have one unique contribution: my advice. Cultivated by experience, wisdom, and my own training. It can be imparted over the phone. And, if I'm somewhere that makes me happy, at least I won't be as devastated as I am when Buffy continually rejects the one card I have to play."
She went to speak, to ask Giles more about what he meant by rejected advice, but the man shushed her.
"No, no, it doesn't matter. Buffy has all she needs, and, if that changes, I will be on the first flight back. To visit. To help." He stood and walked away from Willow. He grabbed a pen and paper from his desk and wrote something down. "If this truly is the end of the world, I should like a happier view. One that doesn't remind me of what I've lost."
He walked back to Willow, the paper outstretched in his hand. On the formerly blank sheet was his address and phone for where he would be staying. She took the paper reluctantly, staring incredulously at a man she had long admired. Someone she had striven to be like.
There were no words. She wanted a hug. She wanted him to tell her how much he'd miss her. She wanted him to assure her that this was just a temporary insanity he was going through, and he'd be back to his normal self soon.
But she left without any of that. He was running, and he didn't care enough to think about the heartbreak he'd leave in his wake. She thought she heard him call out a farewell, but she was too distracted to acknowledge or return the sentiment.
There were more important things to focus on, Watcher or no Watcher.
Joyce had done well all morning, Dawn reported. The three Summers women ate a late lunch, then sat in the master bedroom playing card games and whittling away the hours of their Saturday afternoon.
When the time came for Buffy to patrol, she couldn't wait to get out the door. Dawn promised, as retribution for sneaking out the previous night, that she would wait on their mother hand-and-foot. Buffy kissed them both goodbye and headed toward the city's downtown.
She wasn't seeking a vampire, a demon, a werewolf, or anything else she had ever faced. She was looking for a god. She knew that much, at least. And it was highly unlikely that the goddess/human entity was residing in a cemetery.
Just because she wasn't looking for vampire didn't mean she wasn't going to find one. Angelus came alongside her almost as soon as she'd reached the end of her street.
"I was on my way to see you," he chuckled, falling in step with her.
"Shocker," Buffy sardonically muttered.
"I'm getting what I'm owed tonight, Buff," he grabbed her arm and she was pulled to a stop. She let him stand over her, unintimidated by him. He was all seriousness, without his usual flirty charm. He glowered down at her, expecting something.
She sighed. "What do you want, Angelus?"
"Are you upset with me for what happened last night? That was me actually helping you and your fake little sis," he spat out, half-disgusted with his confession. "Not to mention your Watcher and sidekicks. She wasn't kidding around. She would've come back and slaughtered you all. I did it to my family. Remember?!"
Buffy flinched. He actually smirked, pleased that, even with the chip trying to overwrite his basic instincts, he could still strike fear into the Slayer's heart.
"I remember!" she shot back. "And, no," she immediately changed to a calmer tone. "I'm not mad at you. For that. I wish it hadn't happened, but you protected me. Us. I know Jenny wouldn't have stayed away forever. You obviously can't," she bravely pointed out. "And, even if she had left Sunnydale for good, I couldn't willingly let her go out into the world and kill even more people than she already had."
"You let me go," he took a step closer to her, placing one of his hands on her lower back to pull her toward him.
"You're different," she whispered, clearly affected by his proximity.
"How?" he tilted his head in curiosity.
"I don't think either of us know the answer to that. Why haven't you killed me, with all the chances you've had in the past?"
"You're fun to play with," he provocatively teased her, leaning down into her neck. Where he'd tasted her blood on more than one occasion. He salivated for it, now.
She pushed him back and kept walking to her destination. He ran up behind her and casually kept up with her pace.
"Did little sis tell you about our little field trip last night?"
"Yeah, I know she snuck out," Buffy said without much emotion. Her eyes were trained on her path, temporarily ignoring him. "I probably should be thanking you for bringing her home safely, but I still don't completely trust you. Chip or not."
"Smart girl," he condescendingly praised her. "Did she ever say how a hell god came to be at a hospital?"
That effectively stopped Buffy in her tracks. "What?!"
Angelus smiled as the Slayer rounded on him.
"What are you talking about?" her voice sounded absolutely frantic. "What happened?"
"She heard you and Mommy talking about her, so she snuck out to get some answers. I followed her to the hospital, curious and bored. Good thing I did." He grabbed her by her chin with one hand, which she promptly hit away. He growled in his chest, but then shrugged it off. "She ran out all panicked because she ran into Sunnydale's newest bad bitch."
"Why would Dawn go to the hospital?"
"She might've mentioned looking for someone in there who could tell her more about being 'The Key,'" he gave her a damning look, to let her know that he was more in the loop than she probably felt comfortable with. "Someone sick."
As a silent answer, Buffy paled. "Someone sick?" she barely whispered.
"Someone crazy," he amended, sounding amused.
Buffy didn't have anything to say, after that. Angelus could tell that the gears in the Slayer's mind were grinding. She kept walking, again, with renewed purpose. She knew her destination, now.