Just for those confused, Buffy is sent back the same amount of time she lived. Six years have passed. Kendra was the Slayer for a year, Faith a year, then Dawn was the Slayer for a year then she got poisoned and two more years have passed. Buffy is 21ish or whatever, Dawn is 19. I'm trying not to overload the story with long winded explanations, the subtleties may be a little too subtle. I hope this explanation helps!!
PS I love everyone who has posted a little note. It is the best feeling to know you're liking this. Just one question - Is it moving too slow? Chapters too short? I'd just like to know.
****
Buffy got up early. It was kind of a natural thing seeing as she was used to getting Dawn off to school. Of course now Dawn was out of school and she didn't need to get up, but she did anyway.
She was rewarded. After starting a pot of coffee, Dawn walked in.
"Hey sleepyhead, can I interest you in pancakes?" Buffy said cheerfully.
Dawn raised an eyebrow, "I don't know. I have the feeling that you aren't the best cook."
"Well how about waffles then?" Buffy said biting her lip, "I know Giles has a machine. We got it for him at his birthday. Wait that was five years ago. Do you think he still has it?"
Dawn shrugged, "Let's find out."
The girls scurried around the kitchen. Buffy was pleasantly surprised to find that in addition to taking in a slayer border he had also begun to stock the panty. Alas there was no waffle iron.
"That stinks," Buffy said, "How about eggs and bacon."
Dawn smiled, "How about I make it for you."
Buffy relinquished breakfast duty and sat sipping her coffee as Dawn began to cook the eggs and bacon.
Dawn caught her staring at her, "So do I remind you much of her?"
Buffy examined her coffee for a second trying to figure out what to stay to that.
"Dawn you are her. I bet you shoplifted a lot around fourteen."
Dawn reddened, "A lot of kids did."
"It doesn't really need explaining, I just know that you are her."
Dawn shrugged, "Well I know that you like your eggs over light, but I messed up so you will have to enjoy them fried."
Buffy smiled.
"So is this going to work?" Dawn asked suddenly, "I mean I have almost forgotten what it is like to have any sort of stamina. I just want to know if you can fix this."
Buffy saw the wide eyes so filled with a hop that she had to go and hug the girl.
"I will make you better I promise. I'm Super Buffy. I know all."
Dawn looked back down at the pan, "For so long Giles and Oz searched for a cure. They looked and it was like every little hope hurt worse when it didn't come true. I would just like to wake up one day and be able to stay up all day long."
Buffy nodded, gaining insight into the scope of what she had taken on "You will. You have my word."
At that moment the kitchen door was thrown open.
"Hello my two favorite slayers," Xander said good naturedly.
Willow bounded in behind him.
"I've got good news! I have found a spell that can intensify the powers of the cross!"
Buffy pushed away her coffee, "Don't need that anymore. I've just got a dose of Willow adrenaline."
Willow continued talking very quickly, "With this spell it will make it impossible for any vampire to hold the cross even with gloves. Oooh, and I have the things for the de-invite spell."
"Would you like breakfast first?" Buffy asked dryly.
Xander looked over at her looking very tired, "She's been up all night finding these things. I had to keep her at home until seven. It is like a child at Christmas."
Buffy smiled and poured him a cup of coffee, "Thank you."
Willow pouted, "I just get all giddy when there is a plan a-brewing."
"Well the brew needs some time to stew," Buffy said shaking her head at her poor poem, "I think we can have breakfast."
Buffy turned to look at Dawn.
"So missy I want to hear the story behind you and Oz, what id going on there?"
Willow giggled and Dawn turned beet red.
***
"So this is wonderful," Spike said pacing and smoking, "I have one woman who doesn't make a bleeding word of sense who is depending on me not to die. I also have a little chit who makes too much sense who wants to kill me."
Dalton looked up at him in confusion.
"Who is this other woman."
Spike glared down at him, "She's a tiny little hellion, who appears out of nowhere throws me around then leaves with some smart remark. No one has been able to tell me who the hell she is or why she's here. It's like she is here to be a pain in my…" Spike looked at Dalton, "What do you care. You are here to translate."
Dalton looked up hesitantly, "I think we're missing something. This doesn't make sense."
Spike inhaled his cigarette, "Well what are we missing?"
"I don't know," Dalton said ducking, waiting for a blow to come, one that never did.
Dalton looked up and in the doorway was one of the Anointed One's minions.
"The Anointed One wants to see you."
Spike glared at the minion. He hated Sunnydale. He hated this town.
"I'll be there later."
The minion grabbed Spike, "No you will see him now."
"Are you tripping," Spike said looking at him in amazement, "Do you understand the hierarchy. You are a peon. I am a master. You don't touch me."
Spike threw the minion.
"You don't give me orders."
The minion stood up, "Well I answer to a higher power. You will come and see the Anointed One."
"Bleeding town and their women and children," Spike muttered.
***
"Okay incantation time," Willow said going to the cupboard where they decided to store the cross until they could figure out exactly what to do with it.
She opened the cupboard.
"Giles," Willow said in a strained voice.
Giles turned to look into the cupboard.
It was empty.
***
"You called," Spike said with complete contempt.
The child tilted his head and peered at Spike through almond eyes.
"I feel as if there is a rift between the two of us."
Spike rolled his eyes, "I don't know if I would say that."
I hate you, Spike thought pleasantly.
"The fact remains that we are family. I would like to offer you a token of good faith."
The child motioned to one of his minions. The minion came forward with a cloth covered parcel.
"I present to you the duLac cross."
Spike looked down at the golden cross in front of him.
"Gee your token of peace is pretty. Should I touch it and burn my hand off?"
"It is to help you with your problems. It will help cure Drusilla."
Spike regarded the cross with some interest. He nodded.
"It'll do, now what do you want for it."
"It is a token of my good faith, but if you want to reciprocate then I know of a favor that I can ask of you.
"What is that?" Spike asked skeptically.
"There is a girl who has entered town. A blonde haired innocent looking girl. She can fight our kind, and she wins often. She is a force to be reckoned with."
"I met her," Spike said blandly. Internally he was very interested in the fact that the child seemed to be a bit put off by her. She had quite an effect on everyone.
The Anointed One nodded, "She is like that."
"So what do you want me to do about this girl? Dance with her?"
The child shook head, "Kill her."
Spike looked at him with skepticism. There was something that the boy was holding back. This was too easy.
"Do you want to tell me something to be prepared, cause you're kind of holding back," Spike said coldly.
The child though for a little bit, "She's a Slayer, raised from the dead. Be cautious."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "Thanks man. I'm going to take the cross and go now."
As he left he smiled a sinister smile. He felt a little better.
***
Buffy ran her hands through her hair, "Giles what do we do?"
Giles looked at her as he nibbled at the end of his glasses.
"I need to know what happens now," Giles said as lack of anything else to say.
"I told you. They'll translate it and then they will figure out that they need Angel. Finding him will delay it a few days, but in the end they have the key. Damn I was all happy that things were going so smoothly."
Buffy looked into the living room where Dawn was sleeping on the lap of Oz. She wanted to let herself feel less confident, but she couldn't. She had to protect Dawn.
"I think I need to meet with a certain vampire a little early. I think he'll understand. We've never been good at keeping appointments."
PS I love everyone who has posted a little note. It is the best feeling to know you're liking this. Just one question - Is it moving too slow? Chapters too short? I'd just like to know.
****
Buffy got up early. It was kind of a natural thing seeing as she was used to getting Dawn off to school. Of course now Dawn was out of school and she didn't need to get up, but she did anyway.
She was rewarded. After starting a pot of coffee, Dawn walked in.
"Hey sleepyhead, can I interest you in pancakes?" Buffy said cheerfully.
Dawn raised an eyebrow, "I don't know. I have the feeling that you aren't the best cook."
"Well how about waffles then?" Buffy said biting her lip, "I know Giles has a machine. We got it for him at his birthday. Wait that was five years ago. Do you think he still has it?"
Dawn shrugged, "Let's find out."
The girls scurried around the kitchen. Buffy was pleasantly surprised to find that in addition to taking in a slayer border he had also begun to stock the panty. Alas there was no waffle iron.
"That stinks," Buffy said, "How about eggs and bacon."
Dawn smiled, "How about I make it for you."
Buffy relinquished breakfast duty and sat sipping her coffee as Dawn began to cook the eggs and bacon.
Dawn caught her staring at her, "So do I remind you much of her?"
Buffy examined her coffee for a second trying to figure out what to stay to that.
"Dawn you are her. I bet you shoplifted a lot around fourteen."
Dawn reddened, "A lot of kids did."
"It doesn't really need explaining, I just know that you are her."
Dawn shrugged, "Well I know that you like your eggs over light, but I messed up so you will have to enjoy them fried."
Buffy smiled.
"So is this going to work?" Dawn asked suddenly, "I mean I have almost forgotten what it is like to have any sort of stamina. I just want to know if you can fix this."
Buffy saw the wide eyes so filled with a hop that she had to go and hug the girl.
"I will make you better I promise. I'm Super Buffy. I know all."
Dawn looked back down at the pan, "For so long Giles and Oz searched for a cure. They looked and it was like every little hope hurt worse when it didn't come true. I would just like to wake up one day and be able to stay up all day long."
Buffy nodded, gaining insight into the scope of what she had taken on "You will. You have my word."
At that moment the kitchen door was thrown open.
"Hello my two favorite slayers," Xander said good naturedly.
Willow bounded in behind him.
"I've got good news! I have found a spell that can intensify the powers of the cross!"
Buffy pushed away her coffee, "Don't need that anymore. I've just got a dose of Willow adrenaline."
Willow continued talking very quickly, "With this spell it will make it impossible for any vampire to hold the cross even with gloves. Oooh, and I have the things for the de-invite spell."
"Would you like breakfast first?" Buffy asked dryly.
Xander looked over at her looking very tired, "She's been up all night finding these things. I had to keep her at home until seven. It is like a child at Christmas."
Buffy smiled and poured him a cup of coffee, "Thank you."
Willow pouted, "I just get all giddy when there is a plan a-brewing."
"Well the brew needs some time to stew," Buffy said shaking her head at her poor poem, "I think we can have breakfast."
Buffy turned to look at Dawn.
"So missy I want to hear the story behind you and Oz, what id going on there?"
Willow giggled and Dawn turned beet red.
***
"So this is wonderful," Spike said pacing and smoking, "I have one woman who doesn't make a bleeding word of sense who is depending on me not to die. I also have a little chit who makes too much sense who wants to kill me."
Dalton looked up at him in confusion.
"Who is this other woman."
Spike glared down at him, "She's a tiny little hellion, who appears out of nowhere throws me around then leaves with some smart remark. No one has been able to tell me who the hell she is or why she's here. It's like she is here to be a pain in my…" Spike looked at Dalton, "What do you care. You are here to translate."
Dalton looked up hesitantly, "I think we're missing something. This doesn't make sense."
Spike inhaled his cigarette, "Well what are we missing?"
"I don't know," Dalton said ducking, waiting for a blow to come, one that never did.
Dalton looked up and in the doorway was one of the Anointed One's minions.
"The Anointed One wants to see you."
Spike glared at the minion. He hated Sunnydale. He hated this town.
"I'll be there later."
The minion grabbed Spike, "No you will see him now."
"Are you tripping," Spike said looking at him in amazement, "Do you understand the hierarchy. You are a peon. I am a master. You don't touch me."
Spike threw the minion.
"You don't give me orders."
The minion stood up, "Well I answer to a higher power. You will come and see the Anointed One."
"Bleeding town and their women and children," Spike muttered.
***
"Okay incantation time," Willow said going to the cupboard where they decided to store the cross until they could figure out exactly what to do with it.
She opened the cupboard.
"Giles," Willow said in a strained voice.
Giles turned to look into the cupboard.
It was empty.
***
"You called," Spike said with complete contempt.
The child tilted his head and peered at Spike through almond eyes.
"I feel as if there is a rift between the two of us."
Spike rolled his eyes, "I don't know if I would say that."
I hate you, Spike thought pleasantly.
"The fact remains that we are family. I would like to offer you a token of good faith."
The child motioned to one of his minions. The minion came forward with a cloth covered parcel.
"I present to you the duLac cross."
Spike looked down at the golden cross in front of him.
"Gee your token of peace is pretty. Should I touch it and burn my hand off?"
"It is to help you with your problems. It will help cure Drusilla."
Spike regarded the cross with some interest. He nodded.
"It'll do, now what do you want for it."
"It is a token of my good faith, but if you want to reciprocate then I know of a favor that I can ask of you.
"What is that?" Spike asked skeptically.
"There is a girl who has entered town. A blonde haired innocent looking girl. She can fight our kind, and she wins often. She is a force to be reckoned with."
"I met her," Spike said blandly. Internally he was very interested in the fact that the child seemed to be a bit put off by her. She had quite an effect on everyone.
The Anointed One nodded, "She is like that."
"So what do you want me to do about this girl? Dance with her?"
The child shook head, "Kill her."
Spike looked at him with skepticism. There was something that the boy was holding back. This was too easy.
"Do you want to tell me something to be prepared, cause you're kind of holding back," Spike said coldly.
The child though for a little bit, "She's a Slayer, raised from the dead. Be cautious."
Spike raised an eyebrow, "Thanks man. I'm going to take the cross and go now."
As he left he smiled a sinister smile. He felt a little better.
***
Buffy ran her hands through her hair, "Giles what do we do?"
Giles looked at her as he nibbled at the end of his glasses.
"I need to know what happens now," Giles said as lack of anything else to say.
"I told you. They'll translate it and then they will figure out that they need Angel. Finding him will delay it a few days, but in the end they have the key. Damn I was all happy that things were going so smoothly."
Buffy looked into the living room where Dawn was sleeping on the lap of Oz. She wanted to let herself feel less confident, but she couldn't. She had to protect Dawn.
"I think I need to meet with a certain vampire a little early. I think he'll understand. We've never been good at keeping appointments."