Author's Note: This is one of the first times I ahve used beta readers, so big thanks to Spaceghostess, J.A.I.T., Just Me.
Buffy slowly walked into the magic shop. She looked around at the people gathered there. Giles. Wesley. Willow. Tara. Xander. Anya. Cordelia.
Buffy, how are you?" Giles asked carefully.
I'm... OK." Buffy replied.
everyone looked at her, not sure what to say. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Willow.
"So what's going to happen now?" she asked
"The funeral." Wesley replied,
"We made the arrangements already."
"You OK?" Willow asked, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"It was just so fast." Buffy said,
"I never got to say goodbye."
"I know." Willow agreed
"And I never got to say that I ... forgave her."
Everyone was silent.
"I should have been here. If both of us were fighting, she would have been OK." Buffy insisted
"You don't know that, Buff." Xander said, "And you have a life. Jeff and Robin Claire."
"But still--"
"The Council dismissed you, Buffy." Giles added,
"You are 23 years old. That's longer than any Slayer has lived. And you were dismissed so that Faith would become the real Slayer, and she did."
"And she *died*!" Buffy exclaimed
"That's what happens, Buffy." Willow said, gently, "You're the exception."
"So what now? Am I the Slayer again?"
"No, another has been called." Wesley told her
"Who is she?" Buffy asked
"We don't know, only her Watcher does." Wesley explained,
"I'm sure we'll find out in the near future, though."
A few hours later, Buffy walked down Main Street, carrying Robin Claire.
"This is where Mommy lived, sweetie." she said to her daughter, "But this is a bad place. Now we're safe because it's daytime, but when it's dark, bad things happen."
She looked into the shop windows as she kept walking. She turned onto a smaller street. Revello Drive. A short while later, they reached the house. Buffy took out her key and unlocked the door.
"This was where Mommy lived with Aunt Dawn, and your Grandma Joyce."
Inside, all the shades and curtains were closed. Buffy placed Robin Claire in the crib that had been set up earlier that day.
"Your Aunt Willow did all this." she said to the baby, then went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. After dialing the number, she waited for someone to pick up.
"Hello?" a familiar voice asked.
"Jeff? Hi." Buffy said.
"Hey honey." Jeff replied, "How are you?"
"OK, I guess. I just got home. You have the number, right? Just call me anytime."
"OK…how's Robin Claire?" he asked
"Good. Everyone loves her. She's a little fussy, but you know..."
"Yeah."
"How's everything in Ohio?"
"Same as always. I wish I could be there for you, Buffy."
"I know, but it's OK." Buffy said, "All my friends are here. And I'll be home soon."
"All right, I'll talk to you soon." Jeff said.
"'Bye." Buffy hung up the phone. She leaned on the table, tired from everything that had happened.
"Cute baby." said a familiar voice.
Buffy spun around.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, "It's daytime, how did you get in here?" "I've been here since morning." Spike replied
"What? Why?"
"I've been staying here. I hope you don't mind." Spike walked into the living room and stood next to the baby crib.
"Of course I mind! This is my house!" Buffy insisted as she followed him
"It's not like you're here that much."
"That's not the point!"
"And why do you have Angel's kid anyway?" Spike asked, "I thought you were marrying Jeff what's-his-name."
"How did you- It's a long story."
"Vampire senses." Spike explaimed, "She's cute. Can I hold her?"
"No!"
"Why not? I won't hurt her."
"OK, fine." Buffy picked up her daughter and handed her to the vampire, "Be careful. Don't drop her."
"Calm down." Spike looked at the miniature version of Buffy. "She's perfect."
Buffy slowly walked into the magic shop. She looked around at the people gathered there. Giles. Wesley. Willow. Tara. Xander. Anya. Cordelia.
Buffy, how are you?" Giles asked carefully.
I'm... OK." Buffy replied.
everyone looked at her, not sure what to say. She walked over to the table and sat down next to Willow.
"So what's going to happen now?" she asked
"The funeral." Wesley replied,
"We made the arrangements already."
"You OK?" Willow asked, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.
"It was just so fast." Buffy said,
"I never got to say goodbye."
"I know." Willow agreed
"And I never got to say that I ... forgave her."
Everyone was silent.
"I should have been here. If both of us were fighting, she would have been OK." Buffy insisted
"You don't know that, Buff." Xander said, "And you have a life. Jeff and Robin Claire."
"But still--"
"The Council dismissed you, Buffy." Giles added,
"You are 23 years old. That's longer than any Slayer has lived. And you were dismissed so that Faith would become the real Slayer, and she did."
"And she *died*!" Buffy exclaimed
"That's what happens, Buffy." Willow said, gently, "You're the exception."
"So what now? Am I the Slayer again?"
"No, another has been called." Wesley told her
"Who is she?" Buffy asked
"We don't know, only her Watcher does." Wesley explained,
"I'm sure we'll find out in the near future, though."
A few hours later, Buffy walked down Main Street, carrying Robin Claire.
"This is where Mommy lived, sweetie." she said to her daughter, "But this is a bad place. Now we're safe because it's daytime, but when it's dark, bad things happen."
She looked into the shop windows as she kept walking. She turned onto a smaller street. Revello Drive. A short while later, they reached the house. Buffy took out her key and unlocked the door.
"This was where Mommy lived with Aunt Dawn, and your Grandma Joyce."
Inside, all the shades and curtains were closed. Buffy placed Robin Claire in the crib that had been set up earlier that day.
"Your Aunt Willow did all this." she said to the baby, then went into the kitchen and picked up the phone. After dialing the number, she waited for someone to pick up.
"Hello?" a familiar voice asked.
"Jeff? Hi." Buffy said.
"Hey honey." Jeff replied, "How are you?"
"OK, I guess. I just got home. You have the number, right? Just call me anytime."
"OK…how's Robin Claire?" he asked
"Good. Everyone loves her. She's a little fussy, but you know..."
"Yeah."
"How's everything in Ohio?"
"Same as always. I wish I could be there for you, Buffy."
"I know, but it's OK." Buffy said, "All my friends are here. And I'll be home soon."
"All right, I'll talk to you soon." Jeff said.
"'Bye." Buffy hung up the phone. She leaned on the table, tired from everything that had happened.
"Cute baby." said a familiar voice.
Buffy spun around.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, "It's daytime, how did you get in here?" "I've been here since morning." Spike replied
"What? Why?"
"I've been staying here. I hope you don't mind." Spike walked into the living room and stood next to the baby crib.
"Of course I mind! This is my house!" Buffy insisted as she followed him
"It's not like you're here that much."
"That's not the point!"
"And why do you have Angel's kid anyway?" Spike asked, "I thought you were marrying Jeff what's-his-name."
"How did you- It's a long story."
"Vampire senses." Spike explaimed, "She's cute. Can I hold her?"
"No!"
"Why not? I won't hurt her."
"OK, fine." Buffy picked up her daughter and handed her to the vampire, "Be careful. Don't drop her."
"Calm down." Spike looked at the miniature version of Buffy. "She's perfect."