CHAPTER THREE: GETTING INTO THE SWING
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Silence.
Caden's alarm had gone off, and Caden responded by throwing the clock across the room to stick in the wall, silenced. Caden looked up at the sudden noise of the alarm clock hitting the wall, shrugged, mumbling something about not knowing her own strength anymore, and fell back asleep.
An hour later, Caden woke up to the shaking of her shoulder. She rolled over and looked up at her watcher looking down at her with a stern face.
"Waddaya doin here?" She mumbled, sitting up.
"I was afraid you'd try and skip. Don't think you have so much freedom in this town, Caden. You are under strict orders, to be directed by me. And my orders now are to get up, get dressed, and meet me down at the car in the school parking lot. We have to talk to the principal, and if anyone asks, I'm your brother." Wesley started to leave as Caden got up out of bed.
"That mean I gotta use a british accent?"
"No, not at all. Now get ready. You should look good on your first day, not this ordinary, all in black and long sleeves and lots of cuffs routine. Something... cheery, perhaps?"
"Well it is the hellmouth, after all. I might wear my gray and red Spitfire sweatshirt instead of my black Lamb of God one." She smiled at Wesley, who merely rolled his eyes.
"I'll be in the car. Make it quick, as in thirty minutes quick?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Thirty minutes later Caden, dressed in black, baggy pants a red long sleeve Slipknot shirt and black shoes, got in Wesley's car. Not to mention her usual adornment of chains, cuffs, and rings. She wore heavy black mascara and dark eyeshadow, leaving her lips pale and bare.
"This okay, Wes? I wore a bright color." She said sarcastically as Wesley started the car.
"You're a hopeless cause, Caden, did you know that?"
"I only am doing it to scare the stupid, California preps outta their minds when they see me." Caden replied. "You know I don't always go this all out thrash."
A ten minute car drive, thirty minute talk with Principal Snyder, and one wrong classroom later, Caden finally walked into what was said to be Ms. Calendar's Computer Science classroom.
A redheaded girl, not looking much older than her, stood at the front. A classroom full of students, each at their computers, but looking up at the redhead, glanced over at her.
"Am I in the right place for Ms. Calendar's Computer Science class?" Caden asked casually. She noticed people looking at her, some whispering to the person next to them.
The redhead replied, "Oh, yeah. What's your name?"
"Caden Andrews. Transfer, here's the sheet, teach." She relplied, handing Willow the sheet of information.
"Oh, I'm not Ms. Calendar."
"I really don't care who you are, in case you haven't noticed."
The class stopped at this.
"I'm Willow Rosenburg. I'm sort of taking over for a while. Ms. Calendar, well, she's kind of... dead. How about you tell the class about yourself, er, Caden?"
Caden sighed, looking at the class. "How bout not? No offense, I really think we should get on with what you're trying to teach." She smiled coolly.
"Sit right there, next to Xander." Willow pointed to the brown haired guy, looking upset.
Caden sat. She noticed the guy looking at her strangely.
"What?" She whispered.
He turned back to his computer without a reply. She rolled her eyes.
~*~
Later that day, Caden walked to the library during her lunch break to get some books. The sign said closed. But it was daytime...
Whatever. It wasn't like she hadn't stolen before. This was just for a good purpose. She pushed open the door and looked around, scoping out the big, lifeless room. Bookshelves lined the walls and were set up in rows in a platform-like area that had two sets of stairs on either side of the room leading up to it. In the middle was a table with lamps and chairs, and a counter and an office were to her right. On her left was a book cage, in which were bookshelves filled with... weapons. She could always use some of those. Besides, what would a librarian do with them anyway?
Caden dropped her messenger bag on the floor and backed up a few steps. She stepped forward once, and kicked open the locked book cage with her left foot. The door swung open, lock broken, and she picked up her bag, slinging it over one shoulder and opening the straps. She put in her bag a small crossbow, several knives, daggers and spurs, two short swords, a small axe when she saw a stake. Only used for killing vampires. Then she recalled Wesley telling her on the airplane that the former librarian was the ex-slayer's watcher. That would explain the artillery, then. She grabbed the stake and put it in her bag. She reached up to grab another when there came a voice from behind her.
"What are you doing?"
Caden spun around, the stake pointed in her hand at the brown haired boy from her first class as well as the redhead who was teaching. She quickly put the stake in her bag and closed it up.
"Nothing at all, buddy." She smiled, holding both hands in the air and stepping out of the book cage.
"Then why are you stealing from the book cage?" Willow asked accusingly, folding her arms across her chest.
"I don't know, what do you think, teach?" Caden asked the girl, taking a step forward.
"I don't think you know what those are." Xander replied.
Caden laughed. "Is that right? You don't think I know what those are. Let's see. Weapons. Pretty nice ones, actually. Better than the shit my friend gave me." She smiled, remembering to say friend instead of watcher.
"Put them back." Willow glared.
Caden smiled. "Make me. I don't care how much trouble I get in for stealing, I've been brought downtown before. But then again, isn't too much town here, is there? Besides, I have good use for 'em. What use does a dead librarian have?" She spat, knowing that she got them when the redhead's eyes began to water. Xander's eyes darkened, and his voice started to shake as he pointed at her.
"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. Put them back." He said, voice filled with anger.
"Tell ya what, you get this from me," she started, pulling out the battle axe, "you get to do whatever the hell you want with 'em. I get you in a hard-up position, you leave me in my theiving peace. Kay?" She asked, smiling at him.
"Fine." He replied. Caden put her bag on the floor.
"Touch that, Red, and you'll be in worse pain than your friend here." Caden warned.
"Xander, don't." Willow started, eyes pleading.
"No. This bitch wants a fight, this bitch'll get a fight." The teenager stated simply. "Stand back."
"Way to take the lead, dude." Caden said, twirling the axe in her fingers. Willow watched, remembering how heavy that was, and seeing how lightly the girl spun it with her left hand.
Xander advanced, throwing his fist in the direction of Caden's face. She ducked his punch, grabbed his arm with her right hand, and twisted the arm up behind his back roughly, but quicker than Xander could see what was happening next. Willow's eyes widened at the girl's speed and laid back agility. She still held the axe in her left hand.
"Mercy needed yet, conquistador?" She asked Xander casually, pulling his arm a little higher, which prompted a noise of pain to escape Xander's lips.
"N-no..." he groaned, and she let go of his arm.
"I'll give you another shot. Won't promise to be gentle though," Caden said, letting go of his arm and shoving his shoulders so that he flew from her grip into the book cage. He slumped down it and then stood up, as Willow looked on, fearing the raven-haired girl now.
Xander threw a punch, and Caden grabbed his fist before it got halfway to her body. Throwing the axe up into the air, she got in a quick punch to Xander's nose with her left hand, caught the axe that fell perfectly into her grip, and spun it triumphantly as Xander shouted, grabbed his now bleeding nose and slumped to the floor in pain. She shrugged.
"Thas' all the shots I'm gonna give you. A for effort, though." She said, watching as Willow rushed to her friend's side, examining the damage. The redhead looked at her, eyes furious.
"What the hell did you do?" She demanded. Caden grinned.
"Just was messing around. Didn't even have to try. Don't worry, your buddy isn't weak, he's just weaker than I am. Which isn't hard." She tossed the axe into the air and caught its handle again, and headed over to her bag. She stuck it in there, and pulling the bag over her shoulder, looked at the now standing duo. Willow was using the blue sweatshirt that had been tied around her waist as a means to stop the bleeding of Xander's nose.
"Sorry bout that." Caden said. "Now you two hold up your end of the bargain and get outta here. I have business to attend to." She walked into the book cage, taking more weapons, and the two did not move. Xander, nose ceasing to bleed, and Willow, eyes still flashing with wonder and anger, looked at the girl. She turned around, an uneven, sharp looking dagger in her hand.
"What?" She asked casually. "This?" She asked, holding up the dagger. "Mine." She smirked, running the rough blade over her lips, inhaling its scent. She spat on it, and rubbed in the shine with her hands.
"No." Xander said, voice a little shaky.
"What's that?" Caden asked.
"It's Buffy's. The Slayer's."
"Y-you two... you know?" Caden asked in disbelief, stepping closer, dagger held firmly in her hand.
They swallowed nervously, but stayed strong.
"Know about Slayers? Do you?" Willow challenged.
"Fuck yeah. Slayer is me. Me is Slayer. What's your excuse?"
~*~
"Her friends?" Caden laughed. "You were her... friends? Good one guys." She smiled, sitting across from them at the library table. The other two did not smile.
"Yeah. We were her friends. And we knew. So?" Willow asked.
"So? What do you mean, so? That's not allowed, honey." Caden replied.
Xander glared at her. "Well, sometimes the bonds of friendship are a little stronger than rules."
Caden raised one eyebrow. "Are they now? Sorry, I don't know much about that. Friendship, love, family, all the perks your little Slayer got, nobody else did. She was lucky, and she was supposed to be strong-"
"The strongest." Xander interjected.
"Whatever. She's dead now. We're all dead sooner or later. This Angelus dude? Top of my demons to kill list. Don't worry, he'll get the killing Buffy couldn't give him."
"Don't talk about her like that." Willow shouted.
"Sorry, Wills."
"Don't call me that."
"You challenging me? Cause last time one of yall did that, my socalled challenge got himself a broken nose." She said, motioning to the bag of ice that Xander held to his nose.
"It's not broken." He replied.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. I'll be taking those weapons and getting out of here. See you in class." Caden said, standing up.
"I already told you. Those are Buffy's and Giles' weapons. Not yours." Xander said, standing as well.
"Well if you're gonna get in a snit bout it, you can have the damn weapons. But what are the three or four dead guys Angelus killed last week gonna do with 'em? What are you gonna do with em? You don't know how to use them."
"For your information, both Xander and I have killed plenty of demons with Buffy." Willow said, standing also.
"Yeah, okay..." Caden scoffed, heading for her bag.
"We have! And we've taken over patrolling the graveyards. So take that you... bitchy Slayer, you!" Willow stuttered. Caden raised an eyebrow.
Her heart softened and saddened, seeing the two best friends of the Slayer trying to defend her honor. Standing up for someone they obviously cared about very much, while in tremendous amounts of pain, trying to do the world some favors. It was good of them. Took a lot of guts. This Buffy must have really been loved. Lucky her, Caden thought, letting herself shut out the feelings of remorse once more.
She went over to her bag, and brought it over to the two teenagers. She opened it up, and threw all the weapons she had taken at their feet. She closed the bag, put the strap over her shoulder, and looked them both in the eyes, lowering her voice.
"There's Buffy's weapons for you. It's nice that she had people who actually gave a shit about her. She's one of the lucky ones. Leave the patrolling to the pros, kiddies. You'll get yourselves killed otherwise. And if this Angelus comes near you guys again, you come get me right away. Otherwise, stay the hell out of my way and out of my business. I'm the Slayer now, and you don't have any right to question my authority, whether you're my peer, or my teacher." She said, glaring, stone cold walls back up. She left the library, leaving the two standing there, weapons at their feet and harsh words to ponder.
~*~
That night, after her training session with Wesley, in which she filled him in on the Willow and Xander situation, leaving out the part about meeting Angelus the previous night, Caden was patrolling another graveyard. There were six, and she was on the third for that evening at about eleven thirty that evening. Caden walked, her own personally whittled stake in her hands, looking lamely around for any sign of demonic activity, hopefully Angelus. Also, not hopefully. She didn't know why, but something about him just stopped her up.
She heard a noise from the other side of a wooded area next to her, and went to check it out. It was the Slayerettes, Xander, Willow, and another guy with purple hair, talking, with weapons in their hands.
Caden walked towards them, stake held readily in her hand.
"I thought I told you not to be hanging around graveyards, kids." She said, folding her arms over her chest.
The three looked at her.
"Caden. What an unpleasant surprise." Xander spat, nose taped up.
"Nice to see you too, smartass." She said back.
"Stop it!" Willow interjected as Xander took a step towards the girl.
"You three. Home. Now. Don't you have lives? Go enjoy them somewhere else." Caden shooed.
"It's a free country." Xander replied.
"It isn't a free world. Get used to it. If I were an ordinary teenager like you three are, then-"
"Actually, Oz is a werewolf." Willow said, pointing to the purple haired guy.
"Whoop dee fucking doo for him. All the same, if I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, I'd be off at a concert, party, whatever, having fun with my friends, off getting drunk or high or whatever the hell is cool in Nowheresville. But I'm not. I don't have friends. Take advantage of the fact that you do, and get the hell out of here, because it's not safe."
"We helped Buffy. We can help you, too." Willow said. "We'll patrol. Keep you company. Back you up." She smiled, in a much better mood than this morning. Caden saw that it was forced. She hated it when people forced themselves to be around her, like Wesley.
"I don't need help. As far as backup goes, and helping me, some dumb cheerleader did that with your girl and she's dead. So it's prolly not the best idea, now, is it?"
"That dumb cheerleader was a snotty bitch sometimes, sure, and ditzy, with no tact whatsoever, but she was a good friend to us. And we were there beside them when they all were murdered by the guy that you have to seek out, the guy we're seeking out, so we can help each other or we can get in each other's way." Xander said to Caden.
"One. Only one of you. I'm not taking on more. It's too risky." Caden said softly. It was just one patrol, and they were practically begging for danger. She'd let whoever was with her get their ass kicked, and save them in the nick of time. Whoever it was would sure as hell never do it again, that's for sure.
"I'll do it." Xander volunteered.
"Xander, are you sure this is a good idea?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, I can go if you want." Oz added.
"No. Besides, I want to talk to Caden. If that's okay, that is." He said, warm eyes focused on her own icy ones.
"If you must." Caden replied coldly.
~*~
The two walked in silence along the fourth graveyard after Caden defeated two vampires in the last one. They hadn't talked.
"Caden, you need to get something straight." He finally said. Caden stopped and turned to the brunette, who in turn halted.
"Oh? What's that?" She asked coldly.
"It's about Buffy." He said.
"Tell me what you got to say before I my ADD kicks in."
"You might be the replacement slayer. But you'll never be able to replace her."
Caden glared back at Xander. "Well I never asked your opinion, now, did I?"
"No, you didn't. But we're in this fight against Angelus together. So let's just kill him, okay?" Xander interjected, moving forward.
"Let's? As in 'we'? Maybe that was her mistake. Another one I won't make." Caden glared.
"You need help. Angelus is dangerous. You don't know what you're getting into. And Willow, Oz and I do. He's been after us the past few months, and you've never even seen him."
"Wouldn't say that." A deep voice said from the shadows. Out stepped Angelus, decked out in his usual black clothing and wicked grin.
"Angelus." Caden replied.
"Good to see you again, Slayer." Angelus said, stepping closer to her, taking her right arm in his hands and rolling up her sleeve to reveal the cuts. Xander looked on, confused. Angelus examined her arm. Same cuts as before. No new ones.
"Get off me." Caden snapped, wrenching her arm out of his grip and tightening her fist around her stake.
Angelus laughed. "Glad to see you didn't lose any more blood at your will, Slayer. Now, how about we finish what you tried to start last night?" He said darkly, and his fist flew into her face.
AN: There you have it. More of my fic. Review if you want more, because review is like a cattle prod: the more you poke me with it, the faster I write.
CHAPTER FOUR PREVIEW: Angelus knew that he would win. Her blood was searing with rage, but it wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to he could kill her right now. And a part of him wanted to desperately. Another part of him wanted to knock Xander unconscious, grab her up into his arms and take her then and there. But both would have to wait. His plan was too damn good.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Silence.
Caden's alarm had gone off, and Caden responded by throwing the clock across the room to stick in the wall, silenced. Caden looked up at the sudden noise of the alarm clock hitting the wall, shrugged, mumbling something about not knowing her own strength anymore, and fell back asleep.
An hour later, Caden woke up to the shaking of her shoulder. She rolled over and looked up at her watcher looking down at her with a stern face.
"Waddaya doin here?" She mumbled, sitting up.
"I was afraid you'd try and skip. Don't think you have so much freedom in this town, Caden. You are under strict orders, to be directed by me. And my orders now are to get up, get dressed, and meet me down at the car in the school parking lot. We have to talk to the principal, and if anyone asks, I'm your brother." Wesley started to leave as Caden got up out of bed.
"That mean I gotta use a british accent?"
"No, not at all. Now get ready. You should look good on your first day, not this ordinary, all in black and long sleeves and lots of cuffs routine. Something... cheery, perhaps?"
"Well it is the hellmouth, after all. I might wear my gray and red Spitfire sweatshirt instead of my black Lamb of God one." She smiled at Wesley, who merely rolled his eyes.
"I'll be in the car. Make it quick, as in thirty minutes quick?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Thirty minutes later Caden, dressed in black, baggy pants a red long sleeve Slipknot shirt and black shoes, got in Wesley's car. Not to mention her usual adornment of chains, cuffs, and rings. She wore heavy black mascara and dark eyeshadow, leaving her lips pale and bare.
"This okay, Wes? I wore a bright color." She said sarcastically as Wesley started the car.
"You're a hopeless cause, Caden, did you know that?"
"I only am doing it to scare the stupid, California preps outta their minds when they see me." Caden replied. "You know I don't always go this all out thrash."
A ten minute car drive, thirty minute talk with Principal Snyder, and one wrong classroom later, Caden finally walked into what was said to be Ms. Calendar's Computer Science classroom.
A redheaded girl, not looking much older than her, stood at the front. A classroom full of students, each at their computers, but looking up at the redhead, glanced over at her.
"Am I in the right place for Ms. Calendar's Computer Science class?" Caden asked casually. She noticed people looking at her, some whispering to the person next to them.
The redhead replied, "Oh, yeah. What's your name?"
"Caden Andrews. Transfer, here's the sheet, teach." She relplied, handing Willow the sheet of information.
"Oh, I'm not Ms. Calendar."
"I really don't care who you are, in case you haven't noticed."
The class stopped at this.
"I'm Willow Rosenburg. I'm sort of taking over for a while. Ms. Calendar, well, she's kind of... dead. How about you tell the class about yourself, er, Caden?"
Caden sighed, looking at the class. "How bout not? No offense, I really think we should get on with what you're trying to teach." She smiled coolly.
"Sit right there, next to Xander." Willow pointed to the brown haired guy, looking upset.
Caden sat. She noticed the guy looking at her strangely.
"What?" She whispered.
He turned back to his computer without a reply. She rolled her eyes.
~*~
Later that day, Caden walked to the library during her lunch break to get some books. The sign said closed. But it was daytime...
Whatever. It wasn't like she hadn't stolen before. This was just for a good purpose. She pushed open the door and looked around, scoping out the big, lifeless room. Bookshelves lined the walls and were set up in rows in a platform-like area that had two sets of stairs on either side of the room leading up to it. In the middle was a table with lamps and chairs, and a counter and an office were to her right. On her left was a book cage, in which were bookshelves filled with... weapons. She could always use some of those. Besides, what would a librarian do with them anyway?
Caden dropped her messenger bag on the floor and backed up a few steps. She stepped forward once, and kicked open the locked book cage with her left foot. The door swung open, lock broken, and she picked up her bag, slinging it over one shoulder and opening the straps. She put in her bag a small crossbow, several knives, daggers and spurs, two short swords, a small axe when she saw a stake. Only used for killing vampires. Then she recalled Wesley telling her on the airplane that the former librarian was the ex-slayer's watcher. That would explain the artillery, then. She grabbed the stake and put it in her bag. She reached up to grab another when there came a voice from behind her.
"What are you doing?"
Caden spun around, the stake pointed in her hand at the brown haired boy from her first class as well as the redhead who was teaching. She quickly put the stake in her bag and closed it up.
"Nothing at all, buddy." She smiled, holding both hands in the air and stepping out of the book cage.
"Then why are you stealing from the book cage?" Willow asked accusingly, folding her arms across her chest.
"I don't know, what do you think, teach?" Caden asked the girl, taking a step forward.
"I don't think you know what those are." Xander replied.
Caden laughed. "Is that right? You don't think I know what those are. Let's see. Weapons. Pretty nice ones, actually. Better than the shit my friend gave me." She smiled, remembering to say friend instead of watcher.
"Put them back." Willow glared.
Caden smiled. "Make me. I don't care how much trouble I get in for stealing, I've been brought downtown before. But then again, isn't too much town here, is there? Besides, I have good use for 'em. What use does a dead librarian have?" She spat, knowing that she got them when the redhead's eyes began to water. Xander's eyes darkened, and his voice started to shake as he pointed at her.
"Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. Put them back." He said, voice filled with anger.
"Tell ya what, you get this from me," she started, pulling out the battle axe, "you get to do whatever the hell you want with 'em. I get you in a hard-up position, you leave me in my theiving peace. Kay?" She asked, smiling at him.
"Fine." He replied. Caden put her bag on the floor.
"Touch that, Red, and you'll be in worse pain than your friend here." Caden warned.
"Xander, don't." Willow started, eyes pleading.
"No. This bitch wants a fight, this bitch'll get a fight." The teenager stated simply. "Stand back."
"Way to take the lead, dude." Caden said, twirling the axe in her fingers. Willow watched, remembering how heavy that was, and seeing how lightly the girl spun it with her left hand.
Xander advanced, throwing his fist in the direction of Caden's face. She ducked his punch, grabbed his arm with her right hand, and twisted the arm up behind his back roughly, but quicker than Xander could see what was happening next. Willow's eyes widened at the girl's speed and laid back agility. She still held the axe in her left hand.
"Mercy needed yet, conquistador?" She asked Xander casually, pulling his arm a little higher, which prompted a noise of pain to escape Xander's lips.
"N-no..." he groaned, and she let go of his arm.
"I'll give you another shot. Won't promise to be gentle though," Caden said, letting go of his arm and shoving his shoulders so that he flew from her grip into the book cage. He slumped down it and then stood up, as Willow looked on, fearing the raven-haired girl now.
Xander threw a punch, and Caden grabbed his fist before it got halfway to her body. Throwing the axe up into the air, she got in a quick punch to Xander's nose with her left hand, caught the axe that fell perfectly into her grip, and spun it triumphantly as Xander shouted, grabbed his now bleeding nose and slumped to the floor in pain. She shrugged.
"Thas' all the shots I'm gonna give you. A for effort, though." She said, watching as Willow rushed to her friend's side, examining the damage. The redhead looked at her, eyes furious.
"What the hell did you do?" She demanded. Caden grinned.
"Just was messing around. Didn't even have to try. Don't worry, your buddy isn't weak, he's just weaker than I am. Which isn't hard." She tossed the axe into the air and caught its handle again, and headed over to her bag. She stuck it in there, and pulling the bag over her shoulder, looked at the now standing duo. Willow was using the blue sweatshirt that had been tied around her waist as a means to stop the bleeding of Xander's nose.
"Sorry bout that." Caden said. "Now you two hold up your end of the bargain and get outta here. I have business to attend to." She walked into the book cage, taking more weapons, and the two did not move. Xander, nose ceasing to bleed, and Willow, eyes still flashing with wonder and anger, looked at the girl. She turned around, an uneven, sharp looking dagger in her hand.
"What?" She asked casually. "This?" She asked, holding up the dagger. "Mine." She smirked, running the rough blade over her lips, inhaling its scent. She spat on it, and rubbed in the shine with her hands.
"No." Xander said, voice a little shaky.
"What's that?" Caden asked.
"It's Buffy's. The Slayer's."
"Y-you two... you know?" Caden asked in disbelief, stepping closer, dagger held firmly in her hand.
They swallowed nervously, but stayed strong.
"Know about Slayers? Do you?" Willow challenged.
"Fuck yeah. Slayer is me. Me is Slayer. What's your excuse?"
~*~
"Her friends?" Caden laughed. "You were her... friends? Good one guys." She smiled, sitting across from them at the library table. The other two did not smile.
"Yeah. We were her friends. And we knew. So?" Willow asked.
"So? What do you mean, so? That's not allowed, honey." Caden replied.
Xander glared at her. "Well, sometimes the bonds of friendship are a little stronger than rules."
Caden raised one eyebrow. "Are they now? Sorry, I don't know much about that. Friendship, love, family, all the perks your little Slayer got, nobody else did. She was lucky, and she was supposed to be strong-"
"The strongest." Xander interjected.
"Whatever. She's dead now. We're all dead sooner or later. This Angelus dude? Top of my demons to kill list. Don't worry, he'll get the killing Buffy couldn't give him."
"Don't talk about her like that." Willow shouted.
"Sorry, Wills."
"Don't call me that."
"You challenging me? Cause last time one of yall did that, my socalled challenge got himself a broken nose." She said, motioning to the bag of ice that Xander held to his nose.
"It's not broken." He replied.
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. I'll be taking those weapons and getting out of here. See you in class." Caden said, standing up.
"I already told you. Those are Buffy's and Giles' weapons. Not yours." Xander said, standing as well.
"Well if you're gonna get in a snit bout it, you can have the damn weapons. But what are the three or four dead guys Angelus killed last week gonna do with 'em? What are you gonna do with em? You don't know how to use them."
"For your information, both Xander and I have killed plenty of demons with Buffy." Willow said, standing also.
"Yeah, okay..." Caden scoffed, heading for her bag.
"We have! And we've taken over patrolling the graveyards. So take that you... bitchy Slayer, you!" Willow stuttered. Caden raised an eyebrow.
Her heart softened and saddened, seeing the two best friends of the Slayer trying to defend her honor. Standing up for someone they obviously cared about very much, while in tremendous amounts of pain, trying to do the world some favors. It was good of them. Took a lot of guts. This Buffy must have really been loved. Lucky her, Caden thought, letting herself shut out the feelings of remorse once more.
She went over to her bag, and brought it over to the two teenagers. She opened it up, and threw all the weapons she had taken at their feet. She closed the bag, put the strap over her shoulder, and looked them both in the eyes, lowering her voice.
"There's Buffy's weapons for you. It's nice that she had people who actually gave a shit about her. She's one of the lucky ones. Leave the patrolling to the pros, kiddies. You'll get yourselves killed otherwise. And if this Angelus comes near you guys again, you come get me right away. Otherwise, stay the hell out of my way and out of my business. I'm the Slayer now, and you don't have any right to question my authority, whether you're my peer, or my teacher." She said, glaring, stone cold walls back up. She left the library, leaving the two standing there, weapons at their feet and harsh words to ponder.
~*~
That night, after her training session with Wesley, in which she filled him in on the Willow and Xander situation, leaving out the part about meeting Angelus the previous night, Caden was patrolling another graveyard. There were six, and she was on the third for that evening at about eleven thirty that evening. Caden walked, her own personally whittled stake in her hands, looking lamely around for any sign of demonic activity, hopefully Angelus. Also, not hopefully. She didn't know why, but something about him just stopped her up.
She heard a noise from the other side of a wooded area next to her, and went to check it out. It was the Slayerettes, Xander, Willow, and another guy with purple hair, talking, with weapons in their hands.
Caden walked towards them, stake held readily in her hand.
"I thought I told you not to be hanging around graveyards, kids." She said, folding her arms over her chest.
The three looked at her.
"Caden. What an unpleasant surprise." Xander spat, nose taped up.
"Nice to see you too, smartass." She said back.
"Stop it!" Willow interjected as Xander took a step towards the girl.
"You three. Home. Now. Don't you have lives? Go enjoy them somewhere else." Caden shooed.
"It's a free country." Xander replied.
"It isn't a free world. Get used to it. If I were an ordinary teenager like you three are, then-"
"Actually, Oz is a werewolf." Willow said, pointing to the purple haired guy.
"Whoop dee fucking doo for him. All the same, if I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted, I'd be off at a concert, party, whatever, having fun with my friends, off getting drunk or high or whatever the hell is cool in Nowheresville. But I'm not. I don't have friends. Take advantage of the fact that you do, and get the hell out of here, because it's not safe."
"We helped Buffy. We can help you, too." Willow said. "We'll patrol. Keep you company. Back you up." She smiled, in a much better mood than this morning. Caden saw that it was forced. She hated it when people forced themselves to be around her, like Wesley.
"I don't need help. As far as backup goes, and helping me, some dumb cheerleader did that with your girl and she's dead. So it's prolly not the best idea, now, is it?"
"That dumb cheerleader was a snotty bitch sometimes, sure, and ditzy, with no tact whatsoever, but she was a good friend to us. And we were there beside them when they all were murdered by the guy that you have to seek out, the guy we're seeking out, so we can help each other or we can get in each other's way." Xander said to Caden.
"One. Only one of you. I'm not taking on more. It's too risky." Caden said softly. It was just one patrol, and they were practically begging for danger. She'd let whoever was with her get their ass kicked, and save them in the nick of time. Whoever it was would sure as hell never do it again, that's for sure.
"I'll do it." Xander volunteered.
"Xander, are you sure this is a good idea?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, I can go if you want." Oz added.
"No. Besides, I want to talk to Caden. If that's okay, that is." He said, warm eyes focused on her own icy ones.
"If you must." Caden replied coldly.
~*~
The two walked in silence along the fourth graveyard after Caden defeated two vampires in the last one. They hadn't talked.
"Caden, you need to get something straight." He finally said. Caden stopped and turned to the brunette, who in turn halted.
"Oh? What's that?" She asked coldly.
"It's about Buffy." He said.
"Tell me what you got to say before I my ADD kicks in."
"You might be the replacement slayer. But you'll never be able to replace her."
Caden glared back at Xander. "Well I never asked your opinion, now, did I?"
"No, you didn't. But we're in this fight against Angelus together. So let's just kill him, okay?" Xander interjected, moving forward.
"Let's? As in 'we'? Maybe that was her mistake. Another one I won't make." Caden glared.
"You need help. Angelus is dangerous. You don't know what you're getting into. And Willow, Oz and I do. He's been after us the past few months, and you've never even seen him."
"Wouldn't say that." A deep voice said from the shadows. Out stepped Angelus, decked out in his usual black clothing and wicked grin.
"Angelus." Caden replied.
"Good to see you again, Slayer." Angelus said, stepping closer to her, taking her right arm in his hands and rolling up her sleeve to reveal the cuts. Xander looked on, confused. Angelus examined her arm. Same cuts as before. No new ones.
"Get off me." Caden snapped, wrenching her arm out of his grip and tightening her fist around her stake.
Angelus laughed. "Glad to see you didn't lose any more blood at your will, Slayer. Now, how about we finish what you tried to start last night?" He said darkly, and his fist flew into her face.
AN: There you have it. More of my fic. Review if you want more, because review is like a cattle prod: the more you poke me with it, the faster I write.
CHAPTER FOUR PREVIEW: Angelus knew that he would win. Her blood was searing with rage, but it wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to he could kill her right now. And a part of him wanted to desperately. Another part of him wanted to knock Xander unconscious, grab her up into his arms and take her then and there. But both would have to wait. His plan was too damn good.