Chapter Twenty




When the Scooby Gang arrived home, Anya and Xander went their separate ways and Darry flopped down on the pull out bed. She lay her head down on the pillow and sighed.
"These past few days of been enough adventure to last me a lifetime, thank you." She muttered.
"You must be used to adventure though, you being a werewolf and all." Dawn said and sat down on the bed beside Darry.
"I guess, but its not like I go searching for the adventure. If I had my way, I'd have a dull life." Darry said.
"Here, here." Buffy muttered as she dropped her Slayer Bag to the ground.
"All I'm saying is the next few days better not be this eventful." Darry muttered and buried her head in her pillow.

Once again, Buffy tossed and turned in her sleep; however, this dream was unlike the dreams that she had previously had as a Slayer. Well, except for the time that a first Slayer had come to haunt her and the others in their dreams.
Anyway, someone was talking to her. Looking closer she could see that it was Spike. He was telling her something and then pointing to his head; Buffy couldn't understand what he was saying. Then, he stopped pointing to his head and gestured beside them; he was pointing to a cavern that was barely lit by candlelight. Buffy looked closer and suddenly every candle in the room lit and the room was aglow. Buffy jumped back and watched as the walls of the cavern began to trickle blood. Buffy turned to Spike and tried to say something but it was no longer Spike that was standing beside her. It was Darry and she was pointing to something in her hand. Buffy looked closer and saw that there was a tiny red jewel in her hand. Buffy looked up but Darry was gone, the lights in the cavern went out and Buffy was in darkness. She felt a presence behind her and felt someone grab her shoulder. "Buffy…" The thing growled. "Buffy…" Buffy began to thrash, attempting to get away but she couldn't. The thing was too strong.

"Buffy!" Dawn said as she shook her sister's shoulder. "Buffy!" She repeated, a little louder.
Buffy continued to moan and thrash, refusing to wake up. "Buffy!" Dawn yelled right in her sister's ear.
Buffy awoke with a start. "Dawn, what? What's the matter?" Buffy asked.
Dawn shrugged. "Nothing's the matter, I just wanted to tell you that I'm off to school and that you overslept." Dawn said.
Buffy sat up and shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "What? Oh, okay I'll be down in a second. Have a good day." Buffy said and watched her sister walk out of her room.
Buffy was still shivering from the dream, it was too weird and felt so real. So confusing though, she thought, Slayer's dreams are never easy.
Buffy got out of bed and put on her street clothes. After looking at herself in the mirror, Buffy headed downstairs. Willow and Darry were in the kitchen; Dawn had already left for school.
"Hey there sleepy head." Willow said good-naturally.
Buffy said 'good morning' to both her friends and sat down at the table beside Darry.
Buffy turned to their friend. "Darry, do you know anything about a red jewel?" Buffy asked, hoping her question wasn't too strange.
Darry's face slightly blanched. "No, nothing." She answered. "Why?" She asked.
"No reason." Buffy answered.
Darry looked away from Buffy and out the yet to be repaired hole in the kitchen window. She knew that her face had paled and she wished it hadn't. After all, she told Buffy the truth: she didn't know anything about a red jewel.

"I hate this place!" Anya yelled.
Xander looked up at her from where he sat in the Magic Box. "Just the Magic Box or Sunnydale in general?" He asked and smiled, trying to bring Anya out of her bad mood.
"This place, the Magic Box. It's so boring and nothing interesting ever happens here." Anya asked.
"Funny, just a few weeks ago you couldn't wait for Giles to leave so you could own the place." Xander muttered.
"Well, that was before everything got all boring and crazy. Before Willow stopped using magick, before Dawn broke her arm, before Buffy became 'non-Buffyish', before Darry showed up, before Tara left, before…" Anya continued but Xander cut her off.
"Anya, I think I get the point." Xander muttered. "Lots of interesting things happen here." He added.
"Sure." Anya muttered, her voice full of sarcasm.
Just then, the door to the Magic Box opened and a girl that looked about a year younger then Anya and Xander, walked into the shop. Her hair was semi-long and a pretty brown color with a little bit of red. Her eyes were bluish-green and her skin was smooth and semi-tan. She was tall and skinny and wore blue jeans and a white T-Shirt.
The girl walked over to the counter where Anya was standing. "Hey, my name's Kellie Kennedy, and I need to know if you've seen anyone here or in this town named Daralyn Moore. She's a year older then me and has long brown hair about this long." Kellie said and showed Anya about how long she meant.
Anya looked over at Xander and then back at their guest. "You mean Darry?" Anya asked.
Kellie shrugged and blew a bubble with the pink bubble gum. "Do you know where she is?" Kellie asked.
Anya nodded. "Yeah, I know where she is. Who's asking?" Any asked.
"Me, Kellie, her cousin." The girl answered.