A/N: I want to thank everybody who reviewed this story. It is wonderful to
know A. People are reading this and B. you like it, you really like it.
I've decided to make this a lot of short stories instead of really long
ones. That way you get more updates. I hope that is okay.
Spooked: I'm sorry it's taken so long but here is the reeling (aka - we get an idea of what Buffy is doing here, be warned this has plot)
Buffy rushed forward, but Oz reached her first. Dawn crumpled and Oz lifted her to the couch. He laid her down.
Buffy looked wildly to Giles, the one who always held the answers to her problems, "Giles what is going on?"
Giles looked at Buffy, at the same time they both realized that he was still holding the crossbow. Giles looked at the crossbow and shrugged.
"Can't be any worse than things now," he muttered and threw the crossbow down. He looked back at Buffy with a look that said 'if Dawn is sure, then I will allow you in my home, but I'm still unsure.'
"Giles please," Buffy said coming closer to him, "I've spent the last five years thinking that I was alive. I have all these memories. I just saw you hours ago. You were my Watcher who never let me fail. Dawn was just a kind of normal girl. She was healthy. Everything looked so good. Now things are just falling apart and I need you to tell me what is going on."
Giles gave her a steady glance, "It's been so long."
He looked at her as if his own child had been reborn, "Its hard to believe this."
She saw the weight of the world on his shoulders, "Let me help you. What is wrong with Dawn?"
She looked down at Dawn. The girl on the couch was different from the girl that Buffy had left behind. This girl was older, yet she seemed so fragile, as if she was going to break at any moment.
Oz was gently stroking her hair watching Giles and Buffy realized that something was going on here. He was protecting her. His demeanor was completely in defense of the girl on the couch with him. When he looked down for a second she saw pure feelings in his eyes.
Whoa Buffy thought Things are different.
"It's the Anointed One," Giles said pouring himself a drink.
Buffy looked confused, "But he died Giles. He died Spike killed him just after I came back to school."
"Well you didn't come back," Giles said harshly, then he breathed and realized he was being crueler than he intended, "Buffy I assure you that the Anointed One is still alive. He has been attempting to rid himself of Slayer after Slayer."
"Kendra and Faith?" Buffy guessed.
Giles looked at her suspiciously, "How do you know that."
Buffy sighed, "The Powers have given me five years of.dreams, I guess is what they were. I died at the Master's hands, but Xander brought me back. Since I died another Slayer was called. I met Kendra and Faith, well kind of. I met them in another world."
"Interesting premise, I wonder if there is any record of a Slayer dying and another being called."
"There isn't. We checked," Buffy said impatiently. For some reason she just knew that certain things were identical in her world, "Now could you get on with the explaining? What is happening to Dawn?"
Giles looked at her sharply, "Who was she to you."
"She was my sister."
"Buffy you don't have a sister. You didn't when you died."
Buffy shook his head at him, "No there were these monk guys who needed to put this mystical energy that opened portals into human form. So they decided that the Slayer was the perfect person to protect the key from this hell god, Glory. She appeared fully formed with my mother and I having full memories."
Giles looked at her for a minute then stepped forward and gave her a very British hug, "Welcome back Buffy. I've missed you."
"So that is what made me believable?" Buffy said muffled in his coat, "You are a strange man Giles."
He pulled back and smiled, "I think that no one would even attempt a story like that if they were not really you. Besides I blame you for becoming so peculiar."
"Thanks Giles," Buffy said smiling at him.
"Buffy you know there are rare cases of people emerging years after their deaths. These people are very human and they have been sent back for some purpose. They have all these memories of people they've never met. The memories are there to aid their return and their reason for re-being. It is utterly fascinating."
Buffy nodded as if she understood, "That is good, so now can you continue your story."
Giles nodded, "He killed Kendra when he called forward Acathala, it was the blood of the Slayer that opened the portal. He aided the mayor in the Ascension. It was then that he emerged and killed Faith himself. Now he has poisoned Dawn. She cannot be killed, but he has rendered her harmless. She has so little energy. She doesn't do anything except fight. She goes out when she can. Oz goes with her. Have you met Oz?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked at him, "Werewolf?"
Oz raised an eyebrow, "Yep."
Buffy looked back at Giles, "I know him, a little different of course."
Buffy looked back at the weirdness of Oz cuddling with Dawn. She shivered.
Giles continued, "She can't go alone. On off nights when she has been hurt Xander and Willow cover the shift. That is where they are tonight. Dawn was in the hospital after a fight. The Anointed One has found a way to live in a town with a Slayer, yet not have to worry about her presence. It isn't good. The worst part is that he never emerges from his lair except when he is surrounded by no less than twenty vamps."
"Oh," Buffy said sitting down. She had never really understood the point of the Anointed One, he seemed more like a means than an actual enemy, but she had never questioned what power this child had. All she had known was that he had lead her to the Master and disappeared. Later the whispers of the underworld had proclaimed that Spike had thrown the child in sunlight.
"So Spike didn't kill him," she muttered.
"Who is Spike?" Giles asked confused.
"William the Bloody?" Buffy tried.
Giles shook his head, "Is he a vampire?"
Buffy nodded, but something began to form in her head.
"Giles if I am here to protect Dawn would it be beneficial to stake the Anointed One?" Buffy asked slowly.
Giles nodded, "It is the only way to end her agony. He has cursed her with a mystical poison. His end would mean the continuance of Dawn's normal functions."
Buffy bit her lip, "And no one can get to him but his own kind?"
Giles nodded, "Buffy what are you thinking."
Buffy looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "I'm working on a plan. Can we get Xander and Willow here."
"Yes, that is right, "Giles said taking out a cell phone, "I should have remembered that they would want to know."
"Giles," Buffy shrieked, "What are you doing with that thing. That is a cell phone. That is technology."
Giles eyes smiled for a moment then his guise changed, "Buffy this is a far worse place than you were in, I believe. No one goes out here at night. We've devised a night smog warning if it looks to be too many vampires. The people buy it, they have to. On a good day it feels as if we can win. On a bad day we're just fighting to stay on top. The five of us stay in constant contact. I even can do e-mail now."
Buffy didn't know what to say. She looked down at her fingers and began to cultivate the plan that had begun in her head.
Spooked: I'm sorry it's taken so long but here is the reeling (aka - we get an idea of what Buffy is doing here, be warned this has plot)
Buffy rushed forward, but Oz reached her first. Dawn crumpled and Oz lifted her to the couch. He laid her down.
Buffy looked wildly to Giles, the one who always held the answers to her problems, "Giles what is going on?"
Giles looked at Buffy, at the same time they both realized that he was still holding the crossbow. Giles looked at the crossbow and shrugged.
"Can't be any worse than things now," he muttered and threw the crossbow down. He looked back at Buffy with a look that said 'if Dawn is sure, then I will allow you in my home, but I'm still unsure.'
"Giles please," Buffy said coming closer to him, "I've spent the last five years thinking that I was alive. I have all these memories. I just saw you hours ago. You were my Watcher who never let me fail. Dawn was just a kind of normal girl. She was healthy. Everything looked so good. Now things are just falling apart and I need you to tell me what is going on."
Giles gave her a steady glance, "It's been so long."
He looked at her as if his own child had been reborn, "Its hard to believe this."
She saw the weight of the world on his shoulders, "Let me help you. What is wrong with Dawn?"
She looked down at Dawn. The girl on the couch was different from the girl that Buffy had left behind. This girl was older, yet she seemed so fragile, as if she was going to break at any moment.
Oz was gently stroking her hair watching Giles and Buffy realized that something was going on here. He was protecting her. His demeanor was completely in defense of the girl on the couch with him. When he looked down for a second she saw pure feelings in his eyes.
Whoa Buffy thought Things are different.
"It's the Anointed One," Giles said pouring himself a drink.
Buffy looked confused, "But he died Giles. He died Spike killed him just after I came back to school."
"Well you didn't come back," Giles said harshly, then he breathed and realized he was being crueler than he intended, "Buffy I assure you that the Anointed One is still alive. He has been attempting to rid himself of Slayer after Slayer."
"Kendra and Faith?" Buffy guessed.
Giles looked at her suspiciously, "How do you know that."
Buffy sighed, "The Powers have given me five years of.dreams, I guess is what they were. I died at the Master's hands, but Xander brought me back. Since I died another Slayer was called. I met Kendra and Faith, well kind of. I met them in another world."
"Interesting premise, I wonder if there is any record of a Slayer dying and another being called."
"There isn't. We checked," Buffy said impatiently. For some reason she just knew that certain things were identical in her world, "Now could you get on with the explaining? What is happening to Dawn?"
Giles looked at her sharply, "Who was she to you."
"She was my sister."
"Buffy you don't have a sister. You didn't when you died."
Buffy shook his head at him, "No there were these monk guys who needed to put this mystical energy that opened portals into human form. So they decided that the Slayer was the perfect person to protect the key from this hell god, Glory. She appeared fully formed with my mother and I having full memories."
Giles looked at her for a minute then stepped forward and gave her a very British hug, "Welcome back Buffy. I've missed you."
"So that is what made me believable?" Buffy said muffled in his coat, "You are a strange man Giles."
He pulled back and smiled, "I think that no one would even attempt a story like that if they were not really you. Besides I blame you for becoming so peculiar."
"Thanks Giles," Buffy said smiling at him.
"Buffy you know there are rare cases of people emerging years after their deaths. These people are very human and they have been sent back for some purpose. They have all these memories of people they've never met. The memories are there to aid their return and their reason for re-being. It is utterly fascinating."
Buffy nodded as if she understood, "That is good, so now can you continue your story."
Giles nodded, "He killed Kendra when he called forward Acathala, it was the blood of the Slayer that opened the portal. He aided the mayor in the Ascension. It was then that he emerged and killed Faith himself. Now he has poisoned Dawn. She cannot be killed, but he has rendered her harmless. She has so little energy. She doesn't do anything except fight. She goes out when she can. Oz goes with her. Have you met Oz?" Giles asked.
Buffy looked at him, "Werewolf?"
Oz raised an eyebrow, "Yep."
Buffy looked back at Giles, "I know him, a little different of course."
Buffy looked back at the weirdness of Oz cuddling with Dawn. She shivered.
Giles continued, "She can't go alone. On off nights when she has been hurt Xander and Willow cover the shift. That is where they are tonight. Dawn was in the hospital after a fight. The Anointed One has found a way to live in a town with a Slayer, yet not have to worry about her presence. It isn't good. The worst part is that he never emerges from his lair except when he is surrounded by no less than twenty vamps."
"Oh," Buffy said sitting down. She had never really understood the point of the Anointed One, he seemed more like a means than an actual enemy, but she had never questioned what power this child had. All she had known was that he had lead her to the Master and disappeared. Later the whispers of the underworld had proclaimed that Spike had thrown the child in sunlight.
"So Spike didn't kill him," she muttered.
"Who is Spike?" Giles asked confused.
"William the Bloody?" Buffy tried.
Giles shook his head, "Is he a vampire?"
Buffy nodded, but something began to form in her head.
"Giles if I am here to protect Dawn would it be beneficial to stake the Anointed One?" Buffy asked slowly.
Giles nodded, "It is the only way to end her agony. He has cursed her with a mystical poison. His end would mean the continuance of Dawn's normal functions."
Buffy bit her lip, "And no one can get to him but his own kind?"
Giles nodded, "Buffy what are you thinking."
Buffy looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, "I'm working on a plan. Can we get Xander and Willow here."
"Yes, that is right, "Giles said taking out a cell phone, "I should have remembered that they would want to know."
"Giles," Buffy shrieked, "What are you doing with that thing. That is a cell phone. That is technology."
Giles eyes smiled for a moment then his guise changed, "Buffy this is a far worse place than you were in, I believe. No one goes out here at night. We've devised a night smog warning if it looks to be too many vampires. The people buy it, they have to. On a good day it feels as if we can win. On a bad day we're just fighting to stay on top. The five of us stay in constant contact. I even can do e-mail now."
Buffy didn't know what to say. She looked down at her fingers and began to cultivate the plan that had begun in her head.