Displaced: Death Always Knocks Twice
Aka Jack the Ripper, At Your Service (Ch. 2)
By obi's girl
Buffy choked back cries as she wandered around the cemetery. She looked at all the graves but stopped walking once she found her mother's stone. She knelt down and kissed it, closed her eyes and breathed. It was late. Her friends didn't even come after her; not even Giles and it scared her. What if they were right? What if there was some reason behind her returning?
"You have questions." A voice whispered.
She peered up, scanning the area. As far as she could tell, she was alone but something about that voice...It sounded familiar. Buffy stood up, brushing her pants, looking around some more. She nodded, turning...and there he was.
Dressed in black - black suit to be exact. It was nothing like she expected him to look like. His blonde-brown hair combed back and blue eyes, striking blue eyes and oval face. If a person hadn't been dead or near death, he or she wouldn't have known the person they were talking to be Jack the Ripper himself. But she knew.
Buffy stood her ground, raising her chin to him, placing her hands on her waist. "Took you long enough to show. I've been wandering when you would."
Death smiled, placing his fingers together as he walked around, looking at the many graves, especially the one Buffy stood beside. He nodded. "She's your mother."
"Yes." She replied in a somber tone. Her eyes drifted to his. He continued to circle her, staring at the grave. "Why?"
He looked up at her with his cold blue eyes, "Why what?"
Death. In all her years alive as the Slayer, she had met many demons and vampires. Dracula right before she died and he was nothing like she expected. Or was he? Except Death. He was a mystery as life itself was. He was an enigma...and alone, as she was. All her life she had always been alone, always in the dark, never really able to live.
She looked at him, "Why? Why have I come back?"
He shrugged, sitting down on a grave and shrugged, crossing his legs. "Why do you think you have come back?"
Buffy growled, "Look, I'm not in the mood for a toss around of questions." She paused, tossing her hair to her right shoulder, "Please, I need to know. Why have I come back?"
He remained silent, staring back at her. Buffy nodded, "Forget it. I can figure it out myself. I don't need your help; I don't need anyone." Starting off.
"Wait!" he called, standing up.
She froze, turning to him. "I'm 30 years old; I have no family; no home. My house is a museum for the public; my life is a legend - I have nothing. The last link to my family is dead."
He rose a finger and nodded no. "That's not entirely true. You still have your sister...and your friend, if you consider them family."
"Even they won't accept me. They think there's some loop hole behind my sudden rise from the grave." She paused, looking at him, "Is there?"
Death remained quiet, unmoving. Buffy rolled her eyes again, walking off. "If you won't help me, I'll go to someone who will." She spat back, leaving him.
He smiled, "She certainly is stubborn and unpredictable. No wander why the almighty won't allow her to remain in the afterlife. She's a loose cannon."
**
Buffy silently opened the door to the apartment. The lights were off, so she assumed Giles was asleep. Except the lights switched on and Giles was lying on the couch, staring back at her.
**
Giles sighed, walking over, handing Buffy a cup of coffee. She smiled at him, sitting down next to her. She nodded, "I just don't understand. Am I supposed to be here? Why am I here?"
He shrugged, "Maybe there's something you're supposed to be doing; something you weren't able to deal with when you were alive."
"Like what? Giles, it could be anything." She stood up, pacing around, "I can't have all the answers. I know there is a reason I'm back, I just don't know what that reason is."
H sighed, looking at his cup, "And Death. Did he say why?"
"No, he didn't. He wasn't very helpful in that area. He just stood there, tossing some questions at me I didn't have answers for."
"Is he your guide?" Giles asked.
She turned to him, frowning, "Maybe. I don't really know." She paused, "I need to do research on this guy, big time research."
Giles shrugged, "If you think that's what you need to do..."
"No, I have to." Buffy replied. "My fate depends on it."
**
"Willow. Willow! I need to talk to you." Buffy cried, knocking on her door. "Will, please. I need your help."
Finally, the door opened...only it wasn't Willow.
Buffy smiled, "Tera." hugging her. Tera smiled back, letting go. The two girls looked each other over. Tera nodded, letting her in. She gestured to sit on the bed while she went to the back to get Willow. Moments later, Tera returned with Willow. Buffy stood up, straightening her skirt and smiled at her friend.
"What do you need help with?" Willow murmured.
"Death; Jack the Ripper. I need to know everything about him."
The Wicca made a face, totally lost. She even glanced at Tera but she just shrugged. "Okay, I'm lost. Did you just say you want to know about the Angel of Death?"
She nodded yes. Willow stepped forward, placing a hand on her forehead and nodded. "Well, you're still warm. You don't seem to be delirious or anything. That's good."
"Willow, this is serious. Death, the Angel of Death - I need to know. Will you help me?"
"Of course." Will replied, walking to one of Tera's shelves, pulling out a brown book.
Buffy nodded, "I don't understand. Before, in the shop, you wouldn't accept my explanation. What changed?"
Willow shrugged, sitting on the bed and nodded to Tera. "I told Tera and she assured me if something evil was going on, the evil would have surfaced by now. Sunnydale's been pretty quiet since you died. There is the occasional vampire and demon, but nothing serious or life threatening."
She huffed, "Is that a good thing?"
"We're not dead." Tera pointed out.
"Right." Buffy mused, looking at Willow. As the Wicca was flipping through some pages, she stopped once she found the right one. Buffy sat down next to her, staring at the painted image of Death.
"It says that Death is neither good or evil. He's in between; neutral. He's there to help people crossover without incident; he rarely makes a mistake." Willow read, before skipping down some. "Oh, he lives in a neutral plane, adjacent to ours."
Buffy nodded, "That's why he's able to pop in and pop out."
"Ooo!"
The former Slayer scooted over, looking intently at the book. "Ooo what?"
"He has connections; high connections." Willow mused, her fingers running down the page.
Tera crossed her arms, "Like the Powers that Be?"
Willow nodded no, "Higher. He knows God; he knows the Twelve Apostles and Jesus himself."
Buffy stood up, "Definitely don't get any higher than those guys. But why is he here?"
"Maybe he's your guide." Tera added as Willow shut the book.
"That's what Giles said but I don't believe it. There has be a reason he's here and I'm going to find out why." Buffy replied.
As Willow put the book away she asked, "Where did you see him?"
She looked up at her, solemnly, "The cemetery where my mom was buried. I should probably go back there."
Tera shook her head, "I don't think that would work. Death, he likes show up whenever he wants to - or whenever he feels his presence is desired."
"Well, I desire to see him."
Willow hesitated, "There's a spell to summon him. It's tricky; he's tricky."
"Spell? He's Death...how can there be....?"
Tera shrugged, "Theoretically, he's a mystical entity. He doesn't really exist. He's an enigma but very old. As long as life as survived, he's always been there, therefore a spell to summon him whenever needed."
Both Willow and Buffy stared at her and nodded. "How do you know that?" Buffy asked.
"I've met him before. When my mother died, he came to take her soul away to the after life. My dad, brothers and sisters thought I was crazy but I know it was him."
Turning to Willow, Buffy nodded, "Will, do the spell."
**
"Death, from now to eternity, I summon thee. I summon thee, from now to eternity. Death, heed my call. Death, from now to eternity, from now to eternity, I summon thee." Willow cited as Tera stood back. She glanced once at Buffy before a swirl of wind appeared in the middle of the triangle. The wind became a black mist as a figure manifested in the eye.
He nodded, "I had a feeling you'd call on me again."
Buffy smiled, taking him by the neck, shoving him against the wall.
"You certainly are a feisty one, aren't you?" Death grinned, eyeing her friends.
The Slayer slightly loosened the grip on Death. He brought his hand to his neck and rubbed it, as Buffy stood back between her friends. After healing his neck, Death looked at the Slayer, the red head and the dirty blonde. "These your friends?" he asked.
Buffy didn't reply, smiling pointedly at him. Death rolled his eyes, settling down on the bed. He saw the book on the shelf, reached out his hand it flung into his grasp. Willow and Tera looked at each other as he flipped to "his page" and smiled. "You know, this account of me, my profession, is very wrong. I don't even know where they get this information."
"You mean you don't actually know the Twelve Apostles, Jesus and God?" Willow asked, stepping closer.
"No, I don't. Actually, that's not entirely true. I met them once but we had a disagreement and He kicked me out of heaven. That's why I live on a neutral plane."
Buffy nodded, "All right, enough with the small talk!"
"Fine!" Death roared, calmly shutting the book. "You have questions about why you're back. I would give you the answer, but I don't know."
She laughed, "You're lying. You know why. Why else would you be here?"
"You summoned me."
Willow nodded yes, "We did, yes...just now..."
He nodded no, "I don't mean just now. You summoned me before; you just didn't know it."
"How?" Tera added.
Buffy crossed her arms, adding, "Yeah, how? 'Cause I don't remember."
Death nodded, "Of course you don't remember. They never remember the In between. But you were there, though briefly. I was there. I tried to convince you it's where you belonged, but you wouldn't listen. You refused to believe me. Probably even now."
"You're right. I don't believe you."
"Buffy, maybe we should go to the magic Shop. We could figure things out there...maybe bring Him with us." Tera suggested.
Death shrugged, "You could try. But no one would see me. I'm Death; an illusion. I'm not here, physically anyway. If did you bring me to this 'Magic Shop' your friends wouldn't be able to see me."
"But they do." Buffy replied, referring to Tera and Willow.
"That's only because they're witches. At one time, witches were considered to be evil and were in league with Death and the Devil." He replied, sudennly standing up, "but if you want to try, by all means, lead the way."
TBC
By obi's girl
Buffy choked back cries as she wandered around the cemetery. She looked at all the graves but stopped walking once she found her mother's stone. She knelt down and kissed it, closed her eyes and breathed. It was late. Her friends didn't even come after her; not even Giles and it scared her. What if they were right? What if there was some reason behind her returning?
"You have questions." A voice whispered.
She peered up, scanning the area. As far as she could tell, she was alone but something about that voice...It sounded familiar. Buffy stood up, brushing her pants, looking around some more. She nodded, turning...and there he was.
Dressed in black - black suit to be exact. It was nothing like she expected him to look like. His blonde-brown hair combed back and blue eyes, striking blue eyes and oval face. If a person hadn't been dead or near death, he or she wouldn't have known the person they were talking to be Jack the Ripper himself. But she knew.
Buffy stood her ground, raising her chin to him, placing her hands on her waist. "Took you long enough to show. I've been wandering when you would."
Death smiled, placing his fingers together as he walked around, looking at the many graves, especially the one Buffy stood beside. He nodded. "She's your mother."
"Yes." She replied in a somber tone. Her eyes drifted to his. He continued to circle her, staring at the grave. "Why?"
He looked up at her with his cold blue eyes, "Why what?"
Death. In all her years alive as the Slayer, she had met many demons and vampires. Dracula right before she died and he was nothing like she expected. Or was he? Except Death. He was a mystery as life itself was. He was an enigma...and alone, as she was. All her life she had always been alone, always in the dark, never really able to live.
She looked at him, "Why? Why have I come back?"
He shrugged, sitting down on a grave and shrugged, crossing his legs. "Why do you think you have come back?"
Buffy growled, "Look, I'm not in the mood for a toss around of questions." She paused, tossing her hair to her right shoulder, "Please, I need to know. Why have I come back?"
He remained silent, staring back at her. Buffy nodded, "Forget it. I can figure it out myself. I don't need your help; I don't need anyone." Starting off.
"Wait!" he called, standing up.
She froze, turning to him. "I'm 30 years old; I have no family; no home. My house is a museum for the public; my life is a legend - I have nothing. The last link to my family is dead."
He rose a finger and nodded no. "That's not entirely true. You still have your sister...and your friend, if you consider them family."
"Even they won't accept me. They think there's some loop hole behind my sudden rise from the grave." She paused, looking at him, "Is there?"
Death remained quiet, unmoving. Buffy rolled her eyes again, walking off. "If you won't help me, I'll go to someone who will." She spat back, leaving him.
He smiled, "She certainly is stubborn and unpredictable. No wander why the almighty won't allow her to remain in the afterlife. She's a loose cannon."
**
Buffy silently opened the door to the apartment. The lights were off, so she assumed Giles was asleep. Except the lights switched on and Giles was lying on the couch, staring back at her.
**
Giles sighed, walking over, handing Buffy a cup of coffee. She smiled at him, sitting down next to her. She nodded, "I just don't understand. Am I supposed to be here? Why am I here?"
He shrugged, "Maybe there's something you're supposed to be doing; something you weren't able to deal with when you were alive."
"Like what? Giles, it could be anything." She stood up, pacing around, "I can't have all the answers. I know there is a reason I'm back, I just don't know what that reason is."
H sighed, looking at his cup, "And Death. Did he say why?"
"No, he didn't. He wasn't very helpful in that area. He just stood there, tossing some questions at me I didn't have answers for."
"Is he your guide?" Giles asked.
She turned to him, frowning, "Maybe. I don't really know." She paused, "I need to do research on this guy, big time research."
Giles shrugged, "If you think that's what you need to do..."
"No, I have to." Buffy replied. "My fate depends on it."
**
"Willow. Willow! I need to talk to you." Buffy cried, knocking on her door. "Will, please. I need your help."
Finally, the door opened...only it wasn't Willow.
Buffy smiled, "Tera." hugging her. Tera smiled back, letting go. The two girls looked each other over. Tera nodded, letting her in. She gestured to sit on the bed while she went to the back to get Willow. Moments later, Tera returned with Willow. Buffy stood up, straightening her skirt and smiled at her friend.
"What do you need help with?" Willow murmured.
"Death; Jack the Ripper. I need to know everything about him."
The Wicca made a face, totally lost. She even glanced at Tera but she just shrugged. "Okay, I'm lost. Did you just say you want to know about the Angel of Death?"
She nodded yes. Willow stepped forward, placing a hand on her forehead and nodded. "Well, you're still warm. You don't seem to be delirious or anything. That's good."
"Willow, this is serious. Death, the Angel of Death - I need to know. Will you help me?"
"Of course." Will replied, walking to one of Tera's shelves, pulling out a brown book.
Buffy nodded, "I don't understand. Before, in the shop, you wouldn't accept my explanation. What changed?"
Willow shrugged, sitting on the bed and nodded to Tera. "I told Tera and she assured me if something evil was going on, the evil would have surfaced by now. Sunnydale's been pretty quiet since you died. There is the occasional vampire and demon, but nothing serious or life threatening."
She huffed, "Is that a good thing?"
"We're not dead." Tera pointed out.
"Right." Buffy mused, looking at Willow. As the Wicca was flipping through some pages, she stopped once she found the right one. Buffy sat down next to her, staring at the painted image of Death.
"It says that Death is neither good or evil. He's in between; neutral. He's there to help people crossover without incident; he rarely makes a mistake." Willow read, before skipping down some. "Oh, he lives in a neutral plane, adjacent to ours."
Buffy nodded, "That's why he's able to pop in and pop out."
"Ooo!"
The former Slayer scooted over, looking intently at the book. "Ooo what?"
"He has connections; high connections." Willow mused, her fingers running down the page.
Tera crossed her arms, "Like the Powers that Be?"
Willow nodded no, "Higher. He knows God; he knows the Twelve Apostles and Jesus himself."
Buffy stood up, "Definitely don't get any higher than those guys. But why is he here?"
"Maybe he's your guide." Tera added as Willow shut the book.
"That's what Giles said but I don't believe it. There has be a reason he's here and I'm going to find out why." Buffy replied.
As Willow put the book away she asked, "Where did you see him?"
She looked up at her, solemnly, "The cemetery where my mom was buried. I should probably go back there."
Tera shook her head, "I don't think that would work. Death, he likes show up whenever he wants to - or whenever he feels his presence is desired."
"Well, I desire to see him."
Willow hesitated, "There's a spell to summon him. It's tricky; he's tricky."
"Spell? He's Death...how can there be....?"
Tera shrugged, "Theoretically, he's a mystical entity. He doesn't really exist. He's an enigma but very old. As long as life as survived, he's always been there, therefore a spell to summon him whenever needed."
Both Willow and Buffy stared at her and nodded. "How do you know that?" Buffy asked.
"I've met him before. When my mother died, he came to take her soul away to the after life. My dad, brothers and sisters thought I was crazy but I know it was him."
Turning to Willow, Buffy nodded, "Will, do the spell."
**
"Death, from now to eternity, I summon thee. I summon thee, from now to eternity. Death, heed my call. Death, from now to eternity, from now to eternity, I summon thee." Willow cited as Tera stood back. She glanced once at Buffy before a swirl of wind appeared in the middle of the triangle. The wind became a black mist as a figure manifested in the eye.
He nodded, "I had a feeling you'd call on me again."
Buffy smiled, taking him by the neck, shoving him against the wall.
"You certainly are a feisty one, aren't you?" Death grinned, eyeing her friends.
The Slayer slightly loosened the grip on Death. He brought his hand to his neck and rubbed it, as Buffy stood back between her friends. After healing his neck, Death looked at the Slayer, the red head and the dirty blonde. "These your friends?" he asked.
Buffy didn't reply, smiling pointedly at him. Death rolled his eyes, settling down on the bed. He saw the book on the shelf, reached out his hand it flung into his grasp. Willow and Tera looked at each other as he flipped to "his page" and smiled. "You know, this account of me, my profession, is very wrong. I don't even know where they get this information."
"You mean you don't actually know the Twelve Apostles, Jesus and God?" Willow asked, stepping closer.
"No, I don't. Actually, that's not entirely true. I met them once but we had a disagreement and He kicked me out of heaven. That's why I live on a neutral plane."
Buffy nodded, "All right, enough with the small talk!"
"Fine!" Death roared, calmly shutting the book. "You have questions about why you're back. I would give you the answer, but I don't know."
She laughed, "You're lying. You know why. Why else would you be here?"
"You summoned me."
Willow nodded yes, "We did, yes...just now..."
He nodded no, "I don't mean just now. You summoned me before; you just didn't know it."
"How?" Tera added.
Buffy crossed her arms, adding, "Yeah, how? 'Cause I don't remember."
Death nodded, "Of course you don't remember. They never remember the In between. But you were there, though briefly. I was there. I tried to convince you it's where you belonged, but you wouldn't listen. You refused to believe me. Probably even now."
"You're right. I don't believe you."
"Buffy, maybe we should go to the magic Shop. We could figure things out there...maybe bring Him with us." Tera suggested.
Death shrugged, "You could try. But no one would see me. I'm Death; an illusion. I'm not here, physically anyway. If did you bring me to this 'Magic Shop' your friends wouldn't be able to see me."
"But they do." Buffy replied, referring to Tera and Willow.
"That's only because they're witches. At one time, witches were considered to be evil and were in league with Death and the Devil." He replied, sudennly standing up, "but if you want to try, by all means, lead the way."
TBC
