For Disclaimer and past Readers notes see chapter one.
Feedback suicidal_snowman@hotmail.com.
Readers Note: The sphere is a game played over the future version of the internet that is very popular in my future Buffyverse.
Chapter 4: The Talk
As they walked through the cemetary Amelia tried to explain the whole thing to Marcus and Tara, "So what you're saying is that the things that go bump in the night are real, and that you kill them?" a still confused Tara asked. She was so confused she hadn't noticed that Connor had disappeared five minutes ago, even Amelia found it hard to keep track of him.
"You got it, mostly, that Giles guy can explain better than me."
"The librarian?" Marcus asked, also confused.
"Yeah, I am a Slayer," she explained again, "he's a watcher, they are assigned to watch over Slayers and teach them to fight vampires," she stopped for a moment at a recent grave site, "I had one back when I lived in New York, but he got knocked down by a bus."
"Wow," Marcus said, "you'd think that living such a dangerous life he'd be killed by vampires but," he stopped as he realised that both girls were frowning at him, "sorry."
"It's okay Marcus, I got over it," she fixed her happy smile back in place, "I went shopping."
"I still don't understand," Tara confused easily. If it wasn't about boys, MTV, or pool she took a little time to get her head around it, "so vampires are real?"
"Yes." Amelia sighed, this was going to take time.
Tara continued on up till they had walked past Marcus' house and dropped him off and when they got to her house her mother was sat on their porch.
"Buffy?" her mom shouted out to Amelia. Amelia was startled and stepped back.
"No mom," Tara said, "this is Amelia, she's new in town."
"Sorry," she said, "you remind me of an old friend," she offered her hand, "Willow Rosenberg, pleased to meet you Amelia."
Amelia warily shook the red-head's hand, "Hiya Mrs. Rosenberg, sorry we're a bit late but Tara got a little distracted by a boy."
"Oooh, do tell," she asked, eager to get away from her mistake, "what's his name, is he really cute?" she smiled a naughty little smile that made her look like a kid.
"His name is Connor Chase and he is really, really cute, now can we finish in the morning because I'm kinda beat?" she yawned and walked into the house, stretching her arms.
"Good night love," Tara's mother shouted out behind her, "I think I'll stay out here for a while," she turned to face Amelia, "sorry again about that thing earlier."
"So who's Buffy?" Amelia asked innocently.
"My best friend, I haven't seen her for a while and I started seeing her face everywhere," her perky attitude slipped for a moment and Amelia could see the sadness on her face, "even in the strangest of places."
As she walked home, she thought of her mother. Sometimes she wished her mother was like Tara's mother, more of a friend than a parent. Even though they had only met that morning she felt a bond with Tara, and in a lesser way with Marcus. She couldn't explain it but she felt as if she had known them forever.
Then she thought about herself, she did that a lot recently, she put herself first. She was the Slayer and she was built to save lives and to kill vampires, but she put her social life ahead of other's lives. She knew it wasn't right, she needed help deciding. Perhaps she would ask her mother.
When Amelia stepped in the front door she could see her mother sat in the front room watching the television. She could hear the cheesy game show host rolling off one-liners that were funny twenty years ago, and decided.
"Mom," her mother turned to face her, smiling, "can I ask you a question?"
"Sure honey, what is it?" she asked.
"Mom, if somebody is able to help people should that person help people?" her mother was about to answer when she carried on, "But does she ever get a thank you, no, all she ever gets is beaten up or cursed or whatever and then she loses all her friends," she had to stop for air and that was when her mother took her chances and butted in.
"Look honey, I know that you worry about other people," she stood and put her hands on Amelia's shoulders, "and my father always said that if you can help someone then you should," she put one arm round her back and led her to the stairway, "why don't you go down and help at the homeless shelter after school. You can help people and keep your friends, assuming they are up to my standards."
"Mom!" Amelia whined and gave her mother the 'that is so unfair' look.
"I'm sure they're very nice, everything just seems happier here," she pushed Amelia up the stairs toward her bedroom, "I understand now why it's called Sunnydale," she turned to go back to the television but called over her shoulder, "make sure you go to sleep, don't stay up playing with the sphere."
"G'night mom."
