Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, they belong to their respected parties. Except for Catherine Tyler, she's mine.
Strength and Honor
Part 3
By: Marcus
New York
Dear Diary,Jeez, that sounds kinda corny, but I don't know what else to start off on this, as you know, it's my first entry. Duncan thought that since I really can't talk to him about what's been bothering me lately, I should write it all down on paper.
It's been…how long now, almost two months since I died now? I've been thinking about Dawn and all the others almost constantly since then, I want to go back, but Duncan tells me that it would just complicate their lives, and considering that they were part of my life, it would make it all the more harder than it already is.
It's been disturbing my concentration a lot also, I can fight hand to hand no problem, but with a sword, damn, I'm beat. But the idea of killing someone other than a demon…I just can't do it, I don't think I can.
I haven't told him yet that I'm going to be running a bar that Joe Dawson is setting up in Sunnydale. He'd probably freak out big time, but I'm telling him today. I'm scared about going back now too, I'm scared about how they'll see me if they find out.
Oh! I forgot, I'm going back under a new identity with Joe and Duncan's friend Adam Pearson, another like me, immortal. There's something more to him though, something I can't figure out just yet.
Anyway, I'm still slaying all the same, keeping up practice. Trying to get by while having a life still, I find them to be a lot different from the type in Sunnydale, they have more attitude, more aggression. But I'll be happy to go home, watch over Dawn somehow, and see them all, I just hope that they're all right without me.
Sunnydale
Giles walked down the stairs in his home to find Dawn eating breakfast, she blinked tiredly as he looked at the clock, it was just seven thirty, quite early for a weekend. She looked up to see him walking down "Hey Giles." She said before she went to put her bowl in the sink.
Giles followed her there and observed her, she was acting shy and distant towards him "Good morning Dawn, sleep well?" he asked. Dawn nodded "Yeah, you?" she asked, becoming a little more close to him. Giles poured himself a cup of coffee "Yes, quite. You're up early." He said, pouring some cream and a cube of sugar.
Dawn shrugged as she usually did "Well, we have to if we're going to the Magic Shop right?" she said. Giles looked at her surprised "I thought you'd stay here and study for school, you usually do on the weekends." He said. Dawn pointed to her bag by the door "I'll do it at the shop." She said.
Giles nodded and wrote it off, he did prefer if she came with him instead of leaving her home alone "Well then, we'll be gone in an hour." He said. "Ok." Dawn chirped as she went upstairs to her room.
Giles watched her leave and he went to the sofa with his coffee, lately he had been involved with this new slayer, Catherine Tyler. She was quite the elusive one, she did attack Spike at Willow and Taras place over two weeks ago, when confronted, she gave her name and took off. Since then, it was touch and go, she had been seen in the cemetery's since then, she even aided them a few times when on patrol, but as soon as she had appeared, she vanished back into the shadows.
He looked at the television that Xander had dug out of his place around a year ago or so, he took the clicker and pushed the power button. He saw the news come on, perfect, just what he wanted to watch. But nothing really interested him, it was just gibberish. He was about to turn it off when something did catch his eye.
A new bar was opening in Sunnydale, a blues and music bar. The voice said that it was a place for people to come and sing if they wanted to on Fridays, even their own song if they wanted to. There wasn't a name for the place yet, but it was just down the street from the Magic Box store. Something to check out.
Xander and Anya walked into the shop a few minutes after Dawn and Giles had arrived. Anya looked cheerful as she usually did when she was working…and making money. Xander took a seat next to Dawn and looked at her with a smile "Hey Dawny, what's up?" he asked her. Dawn shrugged, grinned lightly at him "Nothing, just homework." She said.
Xander's jaw dropped as he looked at her with widened eyes "On a Saturday? That's got to be sacrilege on some level." He joked. Dawn looked at him with a questioning look "Got something in mind?" she asked. Xander smiled as he raised a finger before reaching into his coat "How about that Jackie Chan film festival?" he asked, holding up two tickets.
Dawn smiled cheerfully as Anya did as she looked up to Giles who was with Anya behind the counter "Can I?" she asked him. Giles thought for a minute, playing with Dawn as she waited eagerly for a response, he smiled finally, thinking it would be all right "Have fun." He said. Dawn shot out of her chair, pulling at Xanders coat as she took hers from the back of her seat.
Xander chuckled as he slowly followed her out the door and to his car "Later all." He called out behind him to the others.
Catherine Tyler, the new Slayer walked down the busy streets of Sunnydale. She had been here for over three weeks now, living scarcely in a hotel and finding food with whatever little money she had. She hated to admit it, but her options for living independently were running thin.
She looked across the street to see a building being renovated. She saw the sign to see that a bar was opening up soon and they were looking for employees. She quickly walked across the street to get a closer look. She saw the number to call; it was in New York though, directly to the person who was opening the place, the owner.
She took a pen that was in her hair as a pin and wrote the number on her palm carefully, she seemed to take an interest in this job, and it sounded interesting. And she needed work soon or she'd starve.
She took off after she caught a peek inside; it looked like it was going to be a classy place to work in, if she got the job.
New York
"WHAT? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" Duncan yelled aloud at Buffy as he rushed around the apartment from where she stood. She had just told him that she was going to be running the new bar in Sunnydale, and that she choose the location. "Duncan, please. I have to go back there." She said, following him as he passed by her arguing to himself and to her.
"No! It's going to risk all immortals, and its going to make things worse than it has to be for you and for them too if they find out who you really are!" Duncan said, turning around and walking towards her as she slowly walked backward at the same pace.
Buffy stopped and stood strong before Duncan now "No! My life is all wrong here, I have to go back, and I have to. I belong there. My sister…she's there. My friends…my family." She said, softly ending on the last part.
Duncan stood still, looking down to the floor as he thought. He looked at her and lightened up "You sure about this?" he asked. Buffy nodded as she loosened up "Yes, I am Duncan." She replied. Duncan closed his eyes and nodded, still thinking to himself "Well, we have to give you what Amanda loves to do…makeover and shopping."
Buffy kept silent, but the large grin the stretched across her face was loud enough for Duncan to hear, he had a feeling that his credit card was going to be suffering on this one.
Los Angeles
Angel lay in his bed peacefully. He was beginning to get through his faze a little, Fred had always been there for him, and he wouldn't let any of the others come and let them see him like this. He turned his head to see Winifred asleep on the chair next to his bed; she was there since he dozed off earlier.
Her eyes opened to see him looking at her from where he lay, she smiled lightly "How are you feeling?" she asked him with a groggy voice, smiling at him. Angel nodded "I'm ok…thanks for staying again." He said, a little hesitant. Fred smiled as she left the chair and lay next to him on the bed, resting her head next to Angels "I didn't want to be alone either." She said to him, gently touching his hand.
Angel closed his eyes and smiled a little, something he didn't do very often, "Should we get up and check on the others?" Angel asked, not sure what to do right now. Fred shrugged lightly with a move of her head and smiled "How about later, let's just stay here for now."
New York
Duncan was at Joe's bar talking to Joe and Methos as Buffy was out with Amanda shopping. "You encouraged this didn't you?" Duncan asked, accusing Joe of making Buffy open the new bar back in Sunnydale. Joe remained calm as he walked around the bar slowly to Duncan "No Mac, it ain't me at all, she came to that decision all on her own." He said.
"Besides, it's her decision, why bother her with it if you can't change her mind?" Methos said, trying to make Duncan see a different side to this problem he saw. Duncan turned and looked at Methos "Because it's going to get her hurt Methos, more than she could probably handle."
Methos shook his head "Somehow I kind of think she could handle it. Something about that girl that she isn't telling us, I get the feeling like she's gone through things that have been more intense than anything we've gone through." He said. Duncan nodded "I know, for the past five weeks now I've been aware of her sneaking out late at night and coming back almost before Dawn." He said.
Joe looked at them "Should we follow her? See what she's been doing at these late hours?" Joe asked them. Duncan thought for a little "I suppose we should"
Evening, 11pm
Buffy opened her eyes to see past the spiral stairs if Duncan was asleep, she slowly and quietly tossed the covers off her to get out of bed and got dressed. After a slow dressing, she wore a white halter-top, black jeans and her coat over top. She stowed a few stakes under her coat as if she were hiding her sword. She crept to the door and slowly walked out and down the stairs to the gym.
As soon as the door closed Duncan moved freely, getting out of bed and dressed himself too. He picked up his sword and stowed it under his coat as he took a cell phone, he quickly dialed the number as he walked out of his home through the same door as Buffy had.
"Joe, did you see her?" he asked as the Joe replied to his call. "Mac, yeah, me and Adam are following just a ways back from her, she's on the move down the street, going north." Joe said through the phone. Duncan nodded as he walked into the gym to see one of the larger swords on the wall to be gone "Ok, I'm on my way, keep me informed Joe." Duncan said before turning off the phone and following in the direction Joe said she went.
Buffy walked down the street at a slower pace than normal, usually the vampire would find you if you make an interesting enough target for them, and just walking was enough to attract them to you. She listened carefully for any sounds that could give them away; usually they weren't the quietest bunch.
As she passed in front of an alley she stopped as she heard a growling and sounds of a struggle. She pulled out a stake slowly from the inside of her coat. She walked in the alley at a faster pace now, she saw whatever was going on was from behind a Dumpster. "Hey! What's going on there?" she called out, trying to pass off as an innocent so she could still get the upper hand.
Joe and Methos watched from their car as Buffy stopped and pulled out an object from her coat before walking into the alley. "What's she doing?" Joe asked, not really asking Methos directly, just thinking out loud mostly. Methos shook his head "I haven't the faintest idea Joe, should we follow her? Or wait for Duncan?" he asked the former watcher.
"Why don't we just go now?" Duncan asked as he suddenly appeared from the window of their car. Joe jumped in his seat, nearly hitting the roof, as Methos was rather calm, feeling Duncan approach awhile ago. Duncan chuckled as he saw Joe looking at him in agitation and panic "Jesus Mac! Don't do that!" he growled. Duncan raised his hand sup in mock innocence as he looked to the alley.
"Should we follow on foot?" Methos asked, looking at the entrance to the dark crevice in between the two buildings, Duncan nodded "I suppose so, Joe you coming too?" Duncan asked. Joe pulled out a revolver and tucked it in his coat as he nodded "Let's go."
Buffy had several vampires on her case right now; two others were a pile of ash on the cold, damp ground. He had expended her stakes and they were out of reach, so she grabbed the closest thing that would serve as a weapon. She took a long wooden poll that was against the wall and used it as a staff. Both the ended were broken and were pointed just enough for her to use. It was around her height and just long enough as well.
She looked around, surrounded "Well, who's first?" she asked, waiting for the dumbest one to move first. As if on cue, one of them on her left lunged towards her, growling and throwing his fist at her. Three seconds after two others did.
Buffy did what came easily to her; she kicked the first to attack and jabbed her staff into the hearts of two that followed, two down, five others to go. Buffy saw the gape in their circle and leapt through it, they regrouped and formed up on her, pushing her against the wall, their demonic features glowered at her now in pure hatred and anger.
Duncan, Methos and Joe walked down the alley to hear signs of a fight in the distance. As they approached it, the two immortals felt the presence of another, obviously Buffy. They looked at each other and quickened their pace towards the fight.
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up!" Joe told them. Duncan and Methos nodded at him and pulled out their swords, running toward the fight.
Buffy's head snapped back as she was caught off guard by one of the four remaining vampires. She tastes the taste of iron in her mouth; she must have cut her lip maybe. She didn't let it stop her as she still had half the staff left in her hand. She thrashed the head of one vampire that had just struck her. The vampire staggered back in pain, clutching his face in agony.
Buffy moved away from the wall quickly and spun around, letting her foot stretch out and strike at two of the others simultaneously. She threw the stick away and reached into her coat to pull out the sword she'd borrowed from Duncan's gym. She brought it up as she spun once more, as she came to face another vampire the blade sliced through its neck, severing its head. The vampire disintegrated into a pile of ashes in seconds.
The stopped for a second as she felt the presence of another immortal 'Not now damn' she said to herself as she resumed the fight with the three other demons. Before she could strike at them, the other two fell to ashes themselves. The last sole survivor looked around as did Buffy to see Duncan and Methos there, swords drawn and staring coldly at the remaining vampire.
Before any of them could react next, Buffy threw her sword at the retreating vampire. The sword spun through the air with precision and thrust itself into the demons back, as it fell forward it landed in a swirl of ash on the ground. As Buffy walked over, Joe had showed up, witnessing a little of what Duncan and Methos had already seen.
She picked up her sword and two dropped stakes and stowed them once more under her coat. She avoided the looks from Duncan, Methos and Joe, until they spoke out, breaking the silence. "Buffy, what were those?" Duncan asked her. Methos, still under the name of Adam to Buffy smacked Duncan across the shoulder "Don't you know what a vampire is?" he asked, sounding irritated.
Buffy and the others all looked at him "You know about vampires Adam?" she asked, surprised that immortals knew about the demon populations of earth. Methos shrugged as he looked at them all "What? Of course I do." He said, wondering what was with them.
An hour later, the four of them were in Joe's bar, having a drink as Buffy told them about her life before immortality, about her being the slayer. They listened careful as she paced back and forth, sat, drank her drink as she told them about the master, how she met her friends. Her relationship with Angel took a little over an hour for her to explain to them, how the mayor tried to kill them all, even Faith, her friend.
Eventually it came down to Glory, the hell-god, and her sister Dawn being the key. She told them about how that year went, the death of her mother, Tara and Willow meeting prior to that time. How it all came down to that final fight, the world on the verge of another apocalypse.
"So, that's what that thing was that night?" Duncan asked her. Buffy nodded "Yes, that portal would have caused everything and everyone on earth 'unimaginable pain' as Giles put it." She said. Joe leaned towards in his seat "So…how'd you stop it?" he asked her.
Buffy sat down and finished the remaining beer in her bottle, tilting her head back and gulping the fluid. She put the bottle down on the table and sighed "I leapt into it…and that's when I died." She said.
"But I thought you said that if Dawns blood starts to flow, the portal will open, when the blood stops and she's dead, the portal will close? So…how did you close I without killing her?" Methos asked, obviously drawing a blank there. Buffy leaned back "Well, that's another puzzle that I figured out just before I died. Awhile back I went on this vision quest, I was told by the first Slayer…that 'Death was my gift'." She began.
Duncan squinted his eyes "What's that mean?" he asked, Buffy smiled "I said the same thing at first. It's my gift to all of you, every human…self-sacrifice, to give myself up for the greater good." She said, fully understanding it herself. She turned to Methos, staring at him with something of a sultry smile "Now it's your turn Adam." She said.
Methos sat still and looked out of each corner of his eyes "Excuse me?" he asked her. Buffy walked up and took a chair, flipped it backwards and sat down in front of him, folding her arms under her chin "You knew what those demons were, how? And for that matter, how old are you?" she asked.
Methos fidgeted in his seat, crossing his legs as he fakes a chuckle "Uh…it doesn't matter." Buffy shook her head "I think it does…" she said as she leaned closer to his face in her chair until they were nose to nose and each could feel the others breath "…Don't you think?" she whispered to him, teasing him with hormones and charm.
Methos shot up from his seat and backed off a little "Ok, you win." He said, "My real name is Methos." He said simply. Buffy looked at him confused, thinking for a little. Her eyes widened as she stood up from her seat "You mean THE Methos? The oldest?" she asked. Methos nodded "Yeah, that's me." He said, shrugging, looking away from her eyes. He looked back to see her looking him over "What?" he asked.
Buffy shook her head "You're not what I expected." She said. Methos rolled his eyes and let his shoulders drop "Well what were you expecting? An old man? Long beard like Merlin? What?" he said, exasperated and irritated at this examination. Buffy shrugged with a fake frown "You just look…not what I expected." She said, playing with him.
Methos exhaled roughly and walked off in a fit, cursing under his breath about annoying blondes and making an effort to respect an elder.
Duncan and Joe chuckled to themselves and Buffy grinned at them while looking to them from her side. The grin faded a little as something passed through her mind "Uh, I'll be back at the loft ok Duncan?" she said as she grabbed her coat and left before any of them could respond.
Buffy sat on the rooftop with a blanket covering her body. After she showered she just wore her underwear underneath, just wanting to feel as free as she could. She looked out to the sky, the moon and the stars lit up brilliantly in the heavens, illuminating the night air around her in a soft light.
She hummed to herself, as she looked onward to the sky calmly. "No it won't rain all the time…the sky can't fall forever…" she whispered to herself softly, remembering the song that she and Dawn learned from Faith. "It's a good song." She heard from behind her.
Buffy gasped a she pulled the blanket over top her upper body, covering herself "Joe!" she yelped. Joe lowered his gaze and slowly walked towards her and took a seat next to her "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you." He said apologetically, Buffy shrugged, as she looked back to the horizon "It's ok." She said in a low voice.
Joe looked at her then out to the horizon as she was. "Can I ask you why you're going back to Sunnydale?" Joe asked her plainly. Buffy breathed deeply as she kept her eyes on the approaching sunrise "Dawn, my sister. I can't stand to be away from her; even this long…it tears at me inside. I touch her, hold her, look at her and I feel so close that being away from her is like I lost am arm. I love her more than everything and anything in the world." She said looking out to the horizon as the sun peaked its first sight of the new day, washing away the nights evil and sin.
Sunnydale – Five hours to Morning
The vampire thrashed into the tree with violent force, his shot at the new slayer was missed greatly, leaving his fist sore and cut from punching his fist into it. He spun around to catch her with a backhand by surprise, she yelped as she staggered back several steps. He was overconfident, she was new to the eternal war, and her moves were fresh, as was she.
Catherine took a kick to the chest, feeling her flesh scream in pain momentarily, but she kept strong. Returning to a defensive stance, she caught the next fury of attacks with ease, blocking them easily. She had to admit this vampire must have been around for awhile, a few years maybe, he had more of a brain than most demons did.
As she blocked a strike to her face, she grabbed hold of his wrist and yanked him forward, Gotcha, she thought to herself with an inward grin. As she yanked the demon forward, she reached for a stake that was hidden under her pants behind her. In the blink of an eye, it was embedded in his chest. The demon stood up, staring in shock at her with wide eyes, actually surprised that he had lost to her.
The sounds that followed were the usual, demonic screaming sound followed by the disintegration of the demon body into ashes.
Catherine dusted off whatever remains of the demon had fluttered onto her in those seconds "Damn dead demons." She muttered under her breath as she stroked her jacket sleeve.
"Give us a little credit will you?" she heard from behind her. Catherine spun around, brought her stake up close, gripping it tightly. She relaxed a little as she saw it was that same vampire from the other night at that witches dorm room. "Spike right?" she asked.
Spike nodded, taking a drag from his cigarette "Yeah, that's my name luv, don't wear it thin." He said, walking slowly towards her. Catherine shook her head "Out." She said. Spike stopped and stood straighter "What?" he asked.
Catherine rolled her eyes as she relaxed her arm and stowed her stake behind her pants. She knew by now that if he were going to pick a fight with her that they'd be at each others throats already "Out, you know 'That's my name, don't wear it out', OUT" she said, correcting him.
Spike blew out the smoke from his lungs, looking at her irritated "Well excuse me miss 'perfect grammar'", didn't mean to offend you with a bad choice of words." Catherine stood there silently, arms crossed and her eyes trained on him with a cold intensity.
"What do you want, and make it quick, there aren't any witches here to protect you." She said. Spike leaned up against a large headstone near her and looked at her as he smoked his cigarette "Why'd you attack me the other night when I know for a fact that you knew I wasn't being a threat to them." He asked her, demanding an explanation.
Catherine strode along his line of sight and staying just out of arms reach, she eyed him carefully. His bleach blonde hair, black leather duster, pale skin with tat scar over his left eye. She stopped pacing just in front of him, staring at him with less strictness in her expression "You're a demon, just another vampire to me." She said.
Spike leaned forward and off the headstone, looking shocked "Another vampire? Bloody hell girl, I'm Spike, I've killed two of you slayers in the past hundred years, and you're calling me 'just another vampire'?" he said exasperatedly, he tossed his smoke away without even blinking, keeping his eyes focused on her totally, taking her all in.
Her long black hair, black leather pants, white tank top, and the exposed skin of her shoulders, how she glowed in the moonlight. She smirked with a light nod, looking him over "Two slayers huh? So why couldn't you take me out that night?" she asked as she began to walk closer to him. Spike nodded in all direction, pointing at her "Oh, like I didn't know that was gonna come up, bleedin' Christ." He said, swearing upon a religion that was poison to him.
He looked at her, closer now, he could reach out and touch her with the tip of his fingers, but he didn't, finally managing to find her after their first encounter was tough enough, he wanted to avoid another 'hunt'.
"Well, if you just HAVE to know, about a year ago, last year to be exact, there were a group of government special forces around these here parts…called the INITIATIVE. They found me, kidnapped me with one of those pesky ray guns of theirs…and they put a chip in my head, stopping me from having a good ol' time." He said, leaning back and crossing his arms.
Catherine giggled to herself; Spike frowned and raised his hands up to her "What?" he asked, angry at her laughter. Catherine waved her hand "You, harmless? OH! What a riot!" she said, acting more ecstatic than she really was. Spike shook his head and walked up to her "Here's proof luv." He said seconds before he sucker punched her.
Catherines head shot back sharply with a dull pain in her jaw, when she fell back, she felt disoriented, but she could make out a yelling, Spike crying out in pain. She shook her head and looked at him from where she was on the grass. He kneeled there, both hands clutching his head as he growled fiercely.
'He's serious, he's harmless…oh fuck me, this is way to weird for me already' she thought to herself. She got up and approached him slowly, touching his shoulder as he sat there in silence. His head snapped to life, looking at her "Never gets easier." He said as he got up with ease, Catherine stood up as well and looking him over "In the name of fuck." She said aloud.
She shook her head, trying to get past this little revelation for the night "What do you want anyway, you never answered that." she said. Spike lit up as he shook himself for forgetting "Oh, sorry about that. Ok, we just want to know why you've been so damned elusive lately." He said, relaying a question that Giles himself would obviously want to ask.
Catherine stepped back and paced "I don't really know…I guess that it's because I prefer not to have friends, or allies. I don't want to…" she began, but Spike cut her off "…have to worry about them? Watch their backs?" he said, finishing her sentence. Catherine looked at him, both irritated and surprised "Since when are vampires telepathic?" she asked sarcastically.
Spike shrugged "That's how Buffy used to feel, awhile ago…trust me, even if it's the only time you do, they can handle themselves, especially the 'witch.'" He said, referring to Willows frighteningly growing power "Just go to them, Giles used to be a watcher, still is actually in his own way. He got booted for caring to much, what's that tell ya?" he asked her, trying to convince her to approach them.
Catherine's brow furrowed as she thought about it, she didn't know if she ought to, she'd already lost quite a bit in her life, most of it while being to young. He mind wandered back to hr early childhood and teenage years, the memory of her parents being brutally murdered in their home in a somewhat peaceful neighborhood, moving from one foster home to another. Before long she was already fourteen and on the streets slaying to stay alive.
Yes, she began at quite an earlier age than most slayers had, but she didn't know she was a slayer, not until a few months ago when one night she woke up to find herself with a guest at the condemned loft she was living out of . a trio of men, calling themselves watchers had approached her at night, telling her about her destiny and stuff. At first she didn't believe them, but as she continued to waken from her sleep, she noticed that she felt quite different, more…better, for the lack of a better word.
But as she accepted their plea for her to join, they already proceeded to try and control her with extreme measures, they threatened her, abused her when she disobeyed their orders, even tried to kill her when she decided to skip out of them, she almost didn't make it out of that one, but she did it, without killing one of them –even thought she was severely tempted.-
Before she left, she read some of the journals from the watchers, one about a Buffy Summers, one who had died just not to long ago in Sunnydale. So that's how she came to the decision to come here, she felt it was the right place for her, of course she was still trying to decide if that was right or not.
"Tell them to meet me at the cemetery close to the edge of town, the nice one. Name the grave." She said, agreeing on her own terms. Spike nodded, thinking about how to go about this "Buffy Ann Summers, I believe you might already know about her?" he asked. Catherine just gave a silent nod as she did in fact. "Meet me there one hour after dark, all of you if you'd prefer it." She said.
Spike nodded at her as she grinned to him for an instant. By the time he blinked, she was a motion blur and was gone, into the night once more "I see how slayers hate that." He said to himself as he tossed the butt of his cigarette away and walked away.
Giles and Dawn were with Xander and Anya at the magic shop, it was that time of the year for inventory and that mean research kind of stuff as well as late hours. Anya had convince Xander to come along for fear of him drinking again, it hadn't been a serious problem at all, but given his fathers history with the substance, and his behavior of late, the whole situation made her nervous and afraid for him.
Giles began staking a group of books and checking them off on a pad of paper. He and all the others hadn't spoken a word in almost an hour. Dawn was writing away in her journal, the newest of many volumes. She wrote and sketched small images in the corners of the pages, smiling softly from time to time.
Xander found himself reading some parts of the books that he was cataloguing, trying to know more about some of the things he already knew about.
"Hey, who wants to hear some cheery music?" Anya asked, trying to break the silent with a knife…a VERY sharp knife. Giles looked over to her as did Xander and Dawn. Xander shrugged as did Dawn, Giles hadn't said or done anything, it was an excruciatingly boring night for him especially.
Before anything else could be said, the door opened and Spike walked inside. "Spike! Hey! Want to play some cheery music?" Anya asked, smiling fiercely at him. Spike stood still and stared at her with a dumbfounded look "Uh, good to see you to." He mumbled. Spike shook his head and walked up to the others, specifically Giles "Giles, I got us an appointment tomorrow night." He said to him out loud, making sure that the others heard him.
"What are you talking about?" Xander asked him. Spike looked at him and then to Giles, looking at him silently "Our new resident slayer if you must know, has agreed to a meeting with us, all of us." He said. Giles put the book down as everyone in the room shot to their feet and rushed up to him "You found her?" Giles asked, surprised and shocked, finding new respect for Spikes abilities.
Spike nodded, taking a seat on the foot of the stair heading up to the restricted books "Yeah, and I have to admit, she's pretty damn good at the slayer thing." He commented. "When?" Dawn asked referring to the time of their meeting with her.
"Tomorrow night, not long after nightfall, by Buffys grave." He said. He saw the glances and split second reactions as he mentioned Buffy, he couldn't blame them really, they all still missed her, he did to more than they really knew.
New York
"Are you sure about this?"
Amanda sighed impatiently as she worked her gloved hands at Buffys hair. It was decided –through much arm twisting from Amanda- that Buffy would have dark red hair, almost black. She looked at her through the reflection in the mirror "Oh course darling, you'll look great!" Amanda said, plenty of enthusiasm in her voice.
Buffy raised an eyebrow as she looked at her "Ok, but if you screw up, it's your butt I'm pounding." She said sarcastically as she grinned.
Methos was at his place packing some of his clothes and other items, Joe was there with a drink in his hand talking to him "You sure you're of with going off with her?" he asked, trying to see if Methos really was ok with this job he'd set him up with.
Methos sighed as he stood up from where he was crouched "For the tenth time Joe, yes!" he exclaimed. As Methos went back to furiously packing, Joe had been noticing the change in his behavior since he had met Buffy and it had become quite noticeable since she told them her story of her life of demons and slayers.
Methos caught his friend looking at him in question, he tossed the shirt he had on the bed and fell back, taking a seat "Alright…" Methos began "A long time ago, I knew a slayer. It was when I was very young, before I became immortal. I fell in love with this slayer. And then one day, she died, and me along with her." He said, obviously being in pain from telling Joe this.
"When I came back, and found her laying dead next to me…I snapped, that's when I became death of the horsemen, I was looking for someone to kill me, send me home to her." He said. Joe looked at him as though Methos had told him he were dying "Aw jeez Adam, why didn't you ever tell us about this before?" he asked.
Methos shrugged "No reason, hurts still. Funny, after five thousand years, it doesn't hurt any less. But…" he said, beginning something else "When she and I were together, we discovered a prophecy, very old even for those times." He said. Joe took a seat in the chair behind him, giving Methos his total attention. "It was a prophecy of the slayer, about one who would die as all the rest, but death would not take her. I can't remember the rest just yet, I'm going to look the rest of it up once we're there." He said, continuing to pack his things.
Joe had a thought that things in the future were about to become quite interesting, and he was afraid that it wasn't going to be all good.
End part 3
Hey all! God I love all your input! Keep it coming, it's so great! The next part should begin to pick up on the story line (which I myself am still figuring out) but it may take awhile (Work and all, going out of town, ugh) anyhoo, keep your input and reviews coming, I love reading them all!