Andrew hugged Buffy tightly once she walked through the threshold.
"I am so glad you are back. The next time you need to leave bring Xander with you, he's been driving me crazy eating my homework. And he snores when we try to watch Clueless."
"Sorry Andrew I'm not allowed to bring Xander to LA, he and Angel would have one of those cat fights."
"So spill, what happened?"
"Wait till everyone gets home."
"Awww, you mean I have to find out with everyone else? So unfair. I better get back to the kitchen anyway before Xander comes home. Oh, by the way, I like the hair."
"Thanks. I'm going upstairs to unpack, just tell everyone there's a family meeting before dinner, I have something important to tell everyone."
***********
"Wait, we can't start yet, Tony isn't here yet?" Dawn said as Buffy's mouth opened to speak.
"Who is Tony?"
"That's the imaginary dog Andrew and Dawn have. They wanted a puppy and I said no." Xander said as he took his seat.
"You said no to a puppy?"
"See!! We said she would be okay with it!" Dawn said as she petted air.
"Why am I the bad guy? I said no to a puppy without Buffy being here to approve the cuteness. Its not like I wanted to put it in the gas chamber."
"Not in front of Tony!" Andrew put both hands at what was hoped to be the ears of the imaginary dog.
"Alright, we'll get a puppy, now that's settled; Buffy what was your news?"
"When I was in LA there was a ceremony I had to go through. I want all of you to know it was not for me, but for all the new slayers. I... My powers, the powers I had being the slayer, were given to all the new slayers. I needed to do it so they could be stronger in the fight... and I'm not fighting anything here so... Anyway that's it."
"I think its cool you did that for them. Me and Andrew were going to go out tonight, is the family meeting over yet?"
Buffy nodded and the two teenagers head out the door.
Xander softly put his arm around her shoulder, "Everything is going to be okay Buffy."
Once the soft words left his mouth she lost all control as salty tears ran down her face.
"You're still Buffy, just stronger than before."
"I'm weak." She cried, disgusted with her current state.
"If you were weak you'd have held on to your powers. Buff, it takes quite a person to give up what makes them special. You aren't less of Buffy than you were, you're more. I believe in you, you can do this."
"But if I'm not the slayer what am I?"
"What have you been for the past couple of months? You've been a loving and devoted sister and friend. You've done everything you can to help others, that isn't the slayer, that's Buffy. Buffy you were never a good person because you were the slayer. You were chosen to be the slayer because you, at your core, are a good person. I'm proud of having known you for the past eight years of my life."
Buffy smiled at the man in front of her and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you. That means so much coming from you."
"And the good part of it all is if you ever need help, you got the three of us."
"I am so glad you are back. The next time you need to leave bring Xander with you, he's been driving me crazy eating my homework. And he snores when we try to watch Clueless."
"Sorry Andrew I'm not allowed to bring Xander to LA, he and Angel would have one of those cat fights."
"So spill, what happened?"
"Wait till everyone gets home."
"Awww, you mean I have to find out with everyone else? So unfair. I better get back to the kitchen anyway before Xander comes home. Oh, by the way, I like the hair."
"Thanks. I'm going upstairs to unpack, just tell everyone there's a family meeting before dinner, I have something important to tell everyone."
***********
"Wait, we can't start yet, Tony isn't here yet?" Dawn said as Buffy's mouth opened to speak.
"Who is Tony?"
"That's the imaginary dog Andrew and Dawn have. They wanted a puppy and I said no." Xander said as he took his seat.
"You said no to a puppy?"
"See!! We said she would be okay with it!" Dawn said as she petted air.
"Why am I the bad guy? I said no to a puppy without Buffy being here to approve the cuteness. Its not like I wanted to put it in the gas chamber."
"Not in front of Tony!" Andrew put both hands at what was hoped to be the ears of the imaginary dog.
"Alright, we'll get a puppy, now that's settled; Buffy what was your news?"
"When I was in LA there was a ceremony I had to go through. I want all of you to know it was not for me, but for all the new slayers. I... My powers, the powers I had being the slayer, were given to all the new slayers. I needed to do it so they could be stronger in the fight... and I'm not fighting anything here so... Anyway that's it."
"I think its cool you did that for them. Me and Andrew were going to go out tonight, is the family meeting over yet?"
Buffy nodded and the two teenagers head out the door.
Xander softly put his arm around her shoulder, "Everything is going to be okay Buffy."
Once the soft words left his mouth she lost all control as salty tears ran down her face.
"You're still Buffy, just stronger than before."
"I'm weak." She cried, disgusted with her current state.
"If you were weak you'd have held on to your powers. Buff, it takes quite a person to give up what makes them special. You aren't less of Buffy than you were, you're more. I believe in you, you can do this."
"But if I'm not the slayer what am I?"
"What have you been for the past couple of months? You've been a loving and devoted sister and friend. You've done everything you can to help others, that isn't the slayer, that's Buffy. Buffy you were never a good person because you were the slayer. You were chosen to be the slayer because you, at your core, are a good person. I'm proud of having known you for the past eight years of my life."
Buffy smiled at the man in front of her and wrapped her arms around him.
"Thank you. That means so much coming from you."
"And the good part of it all is if you ever need help, you got the three of us."