Part 3
AU Magic Box
10:15 am
December 24, 2001
"She must be in some sort of shock," Jesse said. "She hasn't moved or blinked in like fifteen minutes."
"Any idea what's going on Wesley," Willow said. "I thought Buffy died in the Masters lair."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "Angel was the one who found the body."
"I'm not sure," Wesley said. "We need to find out what happened. I have no idea how she could be alive. We buried her and she doesn't look like someone who just crawled out of her grave."
"Thanks for the imagery Brit-boy," Jesse joked.
Wesley glared at Jesse.
"I got the tea," Amy said.
Wesley takes the tea from Amy and puts it in Buffy's hands. This snaps her out of her trance slightly. She takes a sip of the tea and puts it on the table.
"This can't be happening," Buffy said quietly. "It's not possible."
"Buffy," Willow started. "Are you okay?"
"I am not okay. I am SO not okay. I need Giles. Giles would know what to do."
"Buffy," Jesse said as he sat in the chair next to her. "Giles was killed not long before you. You should know that. It was right before the talent show our sophomore year."
"No," Buffy said. "He didn't. He lived. He was the one that found the prophecy I was supposed to die. He was my watcher until he was fired for helping me out during that test on my eighteenth birthday. He was like a father to me when I needed him the most. So don't tell me he's dead!"
Willow put her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
"Buffy…none of that happened. You didn't make it out of the master's lair. You were sixteen when all that happened."
Buffy stood up and ran to the back training room. It was set up differently than hers. The weapons were still in place, but her attack dummy was gone, and the shelves were missing too.
"Buffy," a voice said from behind her.
"How'd it happen Willow," Buffy asked.
"Giles?"
"Yeah," Buffy said softly.
Both girls sat on the couch.
"You remember that organ harvesting demon we had to deal with during the Talent Show right?"
Buffy nods.
"Well, we…Jesse, you, and me…thought I was the one he was going to come after my brain. Then we realized Giles was smarter than all of us. You told me and Jesse to stay together just in case and you went to help Giles…but it was too late."
Small tears started to fall from Willow's eyes. It still hurt her to talk about it.
"While you were fighting the demon, the guillotine he had strapped Giles to fell…and…I can't even say it," Willow said crying.
Willow stood up and left the room.
"He died…he died because…"
"Xander wasn't there to catch the rope and stop the ax," Lorie said from the back door.
"Must you pop up every where you go?"
"Yeah. It's one of the fun parts of being an angel," Lorie said smiling.
"Is this why you brought me here? To see that Giles is dead because Xander wasn't around."
"You aren't around either honey," Lorie replied.
"You're dead too. Xander was never there to revive you."
"How did Wesley come here…he didn't come until after Giles was fired? And why is Jesse alive? Why is Willow so nerdy now? How come Anya isn't behind…wait I know why she's not here. Angel…How is he different?"
"One question at a time. You're friends hold the answers, just ask them."
Spike's Crypt
December 24, 2001
10:30 am
"What the hell is this…a soap opera with vampires?"
Spike's crypt door swung open.
"Is this what you do all day…watch soap operas," Dawn asked.
"No," Spike said.
"Oh yeah. That's right. Sometimes you sleep with MY SISTER!"
"Now Dawn," Spike said getting out of his chair. "Calm down."
"Where is my sister," Dawn asked. "Is she hiding because she is ashamed to be sleeping with another killer."
"Dawn," Xander said as he appeared behind her.
"Droopy. What come to watch me shag the slayer again?"
Xander tried to control his anger.
"Spike," Xander said through his teeth. "Where's Buffy?"
"Two Words," Spike said. "Don't. Know."
"What," Dawn said. "She didn't come home last night. I assumed after what Xander said she'd come back here."
"Well, she didn't. Glad you could stop by, now leave."
"Come on Dawn," Xander said.
"If she DOES come by tell her to come home," Dawn said.
"Yeah yeah. No Problem little bit."
Dawn and Xander leave Spikes Crypt.
"Now what do we do," Dawn asked. "She's not at home, not at the Magic Box. Where could she be?"
"I don't know Dawn."
"Maybe she went to the mall," Dawn said.
Xander raised his eyebrow at the girl.
"What? She could be there doing some last minute shopping for me…besides I need to get my last minute shopping done with too."
Xander sighs.
"I'll drop you off there," Xander said. "Then I need to get back to the magic shop to help out while the rush is going on."
"Thank you," Dawn said smiling.
"I'm a sucker for the Summers smile."
AU Magic Box
11:00 am
Buffy sat in the training room alone. She was trying to figure out a way to explain what happened.
"Pardon me Buffy," Wesley said. "I was wondering if I could speak with you."
"Sure," Buffy said.
"Is there anything you want to know that I could help you with?"
"How did you become my watcher?"
"You really don't remember anything."
"I can explain everything much better after I know everything that happened."
"Of course…shortly after Mr. Giles…passed away. Willow got in touch with the Watcher's Council and they sent me. I went in being all tough like a watcher should, but you never listened…I missed that. I think it was your inability to listen that made you such a great slayer."
"What happened the night I died?"
"Well, you found out about the prophecy and got upset, but you did the right thing and went to fight the Master…When the Hellmouth opened; me, Willow, Jesse, Cordelia, and Jenny were fighting this Hellmouth demon."
"What about Angel?"
"He told us he was brooding in his apartment when the Hellmouth opened. He made the decision to take out the Master in your memory. So he made it to the school and threw the Master on a broken table. The Hellmouth closed and Angel said we should destroy and bury the Masters bones. While we took care of that, Angel went to the Master's lair and found your body in a pool of water."
Buffy thought.
"But somehow you are here and a bit older looking…not in a bad way of course. But the question 'how' comes to mind," Wesley said.
"I think this is something everyone should hear since I want to go through it once."
"Okay."
Wesley stood up with Buffy and they headed towards the front of the store.
"By the way," Buffy said. "What happened to Angel?"
"Uh…Angel?"
"Yeah, the vampire with a soul?"
The bell in front rang as young woman came in.
"The fact you want me to train on Christmas Eve is just unfair Wes," the young woman said.
She sees Buffy standing there.
"The training for the shop," she said trying to cover. "Me being new and all."
"She knows," Willow said. "This is Buffy. The one me and Jesse told you about."
"Oh…I thought she was dead?"
"She was," Jesse said. "She hasn't told us what happened yet…we're still filling her in what happened while she was gone."
"Wait a minute," Buffy said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Laney…the Vampire Slayer."
Buffy's eyes went wide.
"B-but…it can't…I mean it's not…"
Buffy began to hyperventilate.
Wesley and Jesse grab each arm and lead her to the table.
Buffy thought.
End Part 3
AU Magic Box
10:15 am
December 24, 2001
"She must be in some sort of shock," Jesse said. "She hasn't moved or blinked in like fifteen minutes."
"Any idea what's going on Wesley," Willow said. "I thought Buffy died in the Masters lair."
"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "Angel was the one who found the body."
"I'm not sure," Wesley said. "We need to find out what happened. I have no idea how she could be alive. We buried her and she doesn't look like someone who just crawled out of her grave."
"Thanks for the imagery Brit-boy," Jesse joked.
Wesley glared at Jesse.
"I got the tea," Amy said.
Wesley takes the tea from Amy and puts it in Buffy's hands. This snaps her out of her trance slightly. She takes a sip of the tea and puts it on the table.
"This can't be happening," Buffy said quietly. "It's not possible."
"Buffy," Willow started. "Are you okay?"
"I am not okay. I am SO not okay. I need Giles. Giles would know what to do."
"Buffy," Jesse said as he sat in the chair next to her. "Giles was killed not long before you. You should know that. It was right before the talent show our sophomore year."
"No," Buffy said. "He didn't. He lived. He was the one that found the prophecy I was supposed to die. He was my watcher until he was fired for helping me out during that test on my eighteenth birthday. He was like a father to me when I needed him the most. So don't tell me he's dead!"
Willow put her hand on Buffy's shoulder.
"Buffy…none of that happened. You didn't make it out of the master's lair. You were sixteen when all that happened."
Buffy stood up and ran to the back training room. It was set up differently than hers. The weapons were still in place, but her attack dummy was gone, and the shelves were missing too.
"Buffy," a voice said from behind her.
"How'd it happen Willow," Buffy asked.
"Giles?"
"Yeah," Buffy said softly.
Both girls sat on the couch.
"You remember that organ harvesting demon we had to deal with during the Talent Show right?"
Buffy nods.
"Well, we…Jesse, you, and me…thought I was the one he was going to come after my brain. Then we realized Giles was smarter than all of us. You told me and Jesse to stay together just in case and you went to help Giles…but it was too late."
Small tears started to fall from Willow's eyes. It still hurt her to talk about it.
"While you were fighting the demon, the guillotine he had strapped Giles to fell…and…I can't even say it," Willow said crying.
Willow stood up and left the room.
"He died…he died because…"
"Xander wasn't there to catch the rope and stop the ax," Lorie said from the back door.
"Must you pop up every where you go?"
"Yeah. It's one of the fun parts of being an angel," Lorie said smiling.
"Is this why you brought me here? To see that Giles is dead because Xander wasn't around."
"You aren't around either honey," Lorie replied.
"You're dead too. Xander was never there to revive you."
"How did Wesley come here…he didn't come until after Giles was fired? And why is Jesse alive? Why is Willow so nerdy now? How come Anya isn't behind…wait I know why she's not here. Angel…How is he different?"
"One question at a time. You're friends hold the answers, just ask them."
Spike's Crypt
December 24, 2001
10:30 am
"What the hell is this…a soap opera with vampires?"
Spike's crypt door swung open.
"Is this what you do all day…watch soap operas," Dawn asked.
"No," Spike said.
"Oh yeah. That's right. Sometimes you sleep with MY SISTER!"
"Now Dawn," Spike said getting out of his chair. "Calm down."
"Where is my sister," Dawn asked. "Is she hiding because she is ashamed to be sleeping with another killer."
"Dawn," Xander said as he appeared behind her.
"Droopy. What come to watch me shag the slayer again?"
Xander tried to control his anger.
"Spike," Xander said through his teeth. "Where's Buffy?"
"Two Words," Spike said. "Don't. Know."
"What," Dawn said. "She didn't come home last night. I assumed after what Xander said she'd come back here."
"Well, she didn't. Glad you could stop by, now leave."
"Come on Dawn," Xander said.
"If she DOES come by tell her to come home," Dawn said.
"Yeah yeah. No Problem little bit."
Dawn and Xander leave Spikes Crypt.
"Now what do we do," Dawn asked. "She's not at home, not at the Magic Box. Where could she be?"
"I don't know Dawn."
"Maybe she went to the mall," Dawn said.
Xander raised his eyebrow at the girl.
"What? She could be there doing some last minute shopping for me…besides I need to get my last minute shopping done with too."
Xander sighs.
"I'll drop you off there," Xander said. "Then I need to get back to the magic shop to help out while the rush is going on."
"Thank you," Dawn said smiling.
"I'm a sucker for the Summers smile."
AU Magic Box
11:00 am
Buffy sat in the training room alone. She was trying to figure out a way to explain what happened.
"Pardon me Buffy," Wesley said. "I was wondering if I could speak with you."
"Sure," Buffy said.
"Is there anything you want to know that I could help you with?"
"How did you become my watcher?"
"You really don't remember anything."
"I can explain everything much better after I know everything that happened."
"Of course…shortly after Mr. Giles…passed away. Willow got in touch with the Watcher's Council and they sent me. I went in being all tough like a watcher should, but you never listened…I missed that. I think it was your inability to listen that made you such a great slayer."
"What happened the night I died?"
"Well, you found out about the prophecy and got upset, but you did the right thing and went to fight the Master…When the Hellmouth opened; me, Willow, Jesse, Cordelia, and Jenny were fighting this Hellmouth demon."
"What about Angel?"
"He told us he was brooding in his apartment when the Hellmouth opened. He made the decision to take out the Master in your memory. So he made it to the school and threw the Master on a broken table. The Hellmouth closed and Angel said we should destroy and bury the Masters bones. While we took care of that, Angel went to the Master's lair and found your body in a pool of water."
Buffy thought.
"But somehow you are here and a bit older looking…not in a bad way of course. But the question 'how' comes to mind," Wesley said.
"I think this is something everyone should hear since I want to go through it once."
"Okay."
Wesley stood up with Buffy and they headed towards the front of the store.
"By the way," Buffy said. "What happened to Angel?"
"Uh…Angel?"
"Yeah, the vampire with a soul?"
The bell in front rang as young woman came in.
"The fact you want me to train on Christmas Eve is just unfair Wes," the young woman said.
She sees Buffy standing there.
"The training for the shop," she said trying to cover. "Me being new and all."
"She knows," Willow said. "This is Buffy. The one me and Jesse told you about."
"Oh…I thought she was dead?"
"She was," Jesse said. "She hasn't told us what happened yet…we're still filling her in what happened while she was gone."
"Wait a minute," Buffy said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Laney…the Vampire Slayer."
Buffy's eyes went wide.
"B-but…it can't…I mean it's not…"
Buffy began to hyperventilate.
Wesley and Jesse grab each arm and lead her to the table.
Buffy thought.
End Part 3
