SUNNYDALE, CALIFORNIA: 2001

After having so much thrown at her on her first day back in the mortal plane Buffy strolled through the familiar steps of the graveyard needing some time to breathe, away from the overbearing of her friends and sister.
So now here she was alone wandering through the darkness, left with nothing but her own thoughts, she just felt like a void right now, completely emotionless and empty.

As she walks through the dark woods surrounding one of the many graveyards that encompassed Sunnydale, the blonde frowns as she finds herself now standing outside of a familiar house, a house she had been brought to last night.

Unsure of what she was doing the blonde makes her way up the stairs of the porch and moves to sit down on them staring down at the woods ahead of her.

Hearing the front door open behind her the blonde doesn't even flinch as she hears heavy booted steps moving towards her, before the owner of the home sits beside her.

"I didn't realize that by saving your ass you would see that as an open invitation."

Buffy sighs at his words before glancing over at Damon who rolls his eyes before revealing a bottle of bourbon from behind his back and handing her a glass.
The blonde frowns as she glances down at the glass before silently taking it allowing Damon to fill it with the amber liquid.
Damon arches a brow at her curiously as he watches the blonde continue to stare up at the woods surrounding the property, there was something about this woman he just couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"What are you doing here, Buffy?"

Buffy looks down at her busted knuckles before with a shaky hand raising the glass to her lips sipping the liquid slowly. Groaning at the bitter taste she pulls back "Ew." She mumbles her nose crinkling softly only causing a small amused snort to escape Damon.

All-powerful Slayer and a small sip of bourbon, she was like a little girl "It's an acquired taste." He tells her as he pours himself a glass before staring out at the distance.
As the two natural-born enemies sit there in silence Buffy couldn't help but glance over at the handsome vampire "You saved me...to get a favor out of Spike. What was it?"

Damon clenches his jaw tightly as he watches the blonde in confusion, he hadn't been expecting her to ask let alone speak to him, when he saw her he was pretty sure she was here to try and go all Slayer on his ass. Why she wasn't he couldn't figure it out.

"What aren't you following Slayer duty and all that crap, pretty sure Spike told you what I am."

Buffy merely shrugs as she stares out at the woods, honestly, she wasn't too sure why she wasn't killing him but Spike had taken responsibility for him "Spike argued your case." She admits glancing back over at him his blue crystal eyes meeting her forest green "So...what did I buy you?"
Damon couldn't help but chuckle at that, he had to admit this girl was a surprise despite her traumatized exterior he could see that tough edge still "A meeting with a demon in a few days. Looking for a way to open a tomb."
Buffy tilts her head curiously as she watches the vampire "What's in the tomb?"

"A woman." Damon admits as he downs his drink before moving to refill both of their glasses as his eyes meet hers once again "Doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman?"

MYSTIC FALLS: PRESENT DAY

Buffy groans as she lays back on the cold hard metal table that she was sure Wes had stolen from a morgue, at least Enzo had managed to get a damn hospital bed while she got a dead person's slab. To be fair though she pretty much felt dead, she had felt like death every day for the past 9 years.
Staring up at the ceiling she glances over at the bed where she expected to see Enzo only for her eyes to widen as she spots his bed empty with nothing but an empty blood bag on top.

"He'll be back." Wes assures her as he walks into the room shutting the other door lightly behind him as he does, moving across the table he grabs a small vial before smiling over at the blonde, really playing up his Jekyll and Hyde impression "He needs this or he'll die. I sent him to have a chat with an old friend."

Buffy sighs and adjusts in her position only to freeze as she feels a sharp object jab her leg slightly, glancing down her eyes widen as she spots a small blade peaking out of the side pocket of her army trousers.
That's when it clicks, Enzo had slipped in a blade on his way out.

He always was a sneaky bastard.

Glancing over to where Wes was she silently reaches down sliding the blade out of her pocket as quietly as humanly possible while Wes continued to monologue.
"So..." He mumbles as he stares down at the clipboard in his hands "...we've managed to increase your healing factor and your speed so we're almost ready for Phase 3. Years of work finally we're almost there."
Buffy rolls her eyes in annoyance before freezing at his next words "I may have to keep you awake for the cranial incisions. Hmm, that could be difficult..."

Before he could finish off his sentence Buffy places the knife into the lock of the chains and twists violently causing the chains to crumble away. In an instant, she had raised her hand slicing through the binds holding her head down, and for the first time in years, she was able to move.

Spotting Wes panic and run at her with a needle she quickly wraps her arm around his neck before rolling forward over the metal slam causing the two of them to go tumbling to the ground.
Hearing Wes moan in pain next to her Buffy quickly slams her foot into his face knocking him unconscious.

Sighing in relief Buffy pulls herself back up to her weak legs struggling slightly, she hadn't really stood in at least a year, she was always strapped down or chained, never free to move around her cell, always kept in the corner against her will.

Stumbling over to the table her eyes widen in relief as she spots the cure for Enzo and ignoring the yelling coming from the other room she speeds out of the hell that had been her life for years.

Following Aaron and Stefan into the lecture theatre in hopes of finding Wes and hopefully find out where he was keeping Elena and Buffy, Damon freezes as he hears a familiar voice echo through the room.

"21051."

Damon's entire body goes stone-cold as his eyes finally land on the vampire he had abandoned all those years ago to die, the friend he had betrayed "Enzo."
Enzo smirks evilly as he stands from his seat and begins making his way down the steps towards the brothers and the human, he had to admit, this was going to be fun "It's been a while, mate."

As Enzo circles the chairs moving closer and closer to them Stefan merely frowns in confusion "Who the hell are you?"
"Lorenzo." Enzo informs the clueless Salvatore as he continues approaching the three, yet to tear his gaze off his old friend "But my friends call me Enzo. Ah, kidding." He taunts as he finally moves to stand in front of Damon "...Just the lovely Slayer calls me that. She's my only friend. You remember her don't you, Damon?" He taunts smirking at the way Damon's jaw tightens at the mention of Buffy "She thought you would safe her too you know, I talked her out of that nonsense."

Before Stefan could even take a breath Damon had snapped and grabbed Enzo by the throat slamming him up against the wall as rage filled his eyes "Where is she?" He hisses and while Stefan thought he was asking about a certain doppelganger Enzo knew the truth.
He could see it in Damon's eyes the minute he mentioned her, he wasn't asking about Elena...he was asking about Buffy.

"Bit tied up at the moment." Enzo admits shoving Damon off him before smirking"But me being the great friend I am...left her with a something. I'll explain later but for now...I've been waiting 70 years to tell my story. So take a seat, Mate."