Title: The Changing of the Guard Series: A Way Out 1/7

Author: Written by memarkw, based an idea by Aristide.

E-mail: memarkw@yahoo.com

Spoilers: Some of the "past events" take place anytime
during the series, or may be happening in Season 7
according to entertainment articles.

Disclaimer: If you are reading this and think that these
characters are my own creation, you don't belong
here...it's all thanks to Lord Joss Whedon.

Rating: Mostly PG, although there are 3 or 4 swear words,
including one F-word, scattered about.

Special thanks to E James Burns, Bev, and MeB for catching
the little oopses...
_______________________________________________


1989, Somewhere in America

"Come with us!"

"No, it must be this way! Now go, child!" He pushed
her into the van and slammed the door behind her, at the
same time ducking, spinning and piercing the nonbeating
heart of the vampire that was right behind him.

Merrik watched the van as it sped away, then turned
back to the last two vampires. With moves rivaling any
slayer, past or present, he quickly finished
them. "Take care, my girl, take care," he whispered.
He picked up the slayer's bag and started walking in the
direction of home.

From the darkness, a glowing pair of emerald green
eyes followed his every step.

------------------------------------------------

FIFTEEN YEARS LATER

They sat on the porch swing, not really swinging,
just sort of swaying to and fro. The pair had been
through so much together. Buffy had almost lost her
friend. She didn't stop and think about the fact that her
friend had already lost her twice. But then again, if not
for her friends, the Slayer wouldn't be here now.

Buffy sighed and looked out across the street.
Things were slow. Not that she was complaining. She
liked having this time to catch up with Willow. The red
haired girl had just come back from England. She had
spent several months there, working with Giles.

After her journey into what they were now calling
"the dark side," she had returned to England with the
former watcher to learn how to control the magic that was
still within. She'd possessed so much darkness and such
great power. Giles was in contact with a coven which was
able to bind the darkness within her, to permanently
ensure that it could never again control her. Not even if
it was something she desired. The great power was another
story. She still possessed it, but it was totally under
control. The months with Giles tought her the things she
needed to know to possess the power safely. What Giles had
taught her was how to deal with the power without being
tempted to abuse it or go back to the evil side of it.

The lessons worked. For the first time since
discovering her ability, she was fully in total control.
Tara would have been proud.


"Yeah...she would have."

Buffy turned to Willow. "Would have what?"

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't reading you. It just kind of
came to me. Not exactly what you were thinking, more of
an idea of it. You thought that I would have pleased Tara
with what I have done since...well, you know."

"Kind of. I thought she would be proud of you."

"It's good to be home."

Buffy put her arm around her best friend. "It's good
to have you back. Are you sure you're going to be ok with
your old room?" She paused, giving Willow a moment to
reconsider. "I really don't mind switching with you."

"No, I'm ok. I know, that's where she died. The
other memories outweigh that, though. I still feel her in
there, you know?"

"Yeah. When it's really warm, I can walk into the
kitchen and feel my mom in there, taking cookies out of
the oven, telling me all about the show she just watched
on TV."

"Buffy?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is that van just sitting there?" She pointed to
the vehicle across the street, the one that Buffy had been
watching."

"Good question. I was just thinking things were slow
around here."

"Surely Jonathan and Andrew aren't back in town, up
to their old tricks. If they are, I'll..." She took a
deep breath and passed her hand in front of her face to
calm herself down. "If they are, I'll offer them lemonade
- after I spit in it." The thought of it made her smile.

The slayer chuckled. "No, it's not them. The last
time I heard from Jonathan, they were in San Francisco.
Something about Andrew not denying what he was. You know,
I kind of miss Jonathan. He wasn't such a bad guy."

The young witch looked at Buffy as though she had
lost her mind. Buffy realized what she had just said. "I
mean, except for the almost killing us all...causing the
end of the world...trying to drive me nuts...framing me
for murder - oh hell, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know."

Buffy stood up and stretched. "Well, time to see
what's up with whoever that is."

"Want me to come with?"

"Nah, I'll be right back."

"Be careful."

"Me? Willow, I'm shocked!"

"Yeah, yeah, and you wonder where Dawn gets it from.
I'll go start lunch."

As Buffy crossed the street, she started psyching
herself up for battle. She was just a little disappointed
when a woman opened the door of the old Chevy and jumped
out. The first thing Buffy noticed about the woman was
the way she carried herself- something about it reminded
her of Faith, almost like she was "five by five," on some
kind of quest. Not just her style or her clothes, but her
whole demeanor. The similarty ended there, though. She
appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties,
There was something about the look in her eyes. It
reminded Buffy of her mother- the look Joyce gave when she
was worried, but didn't want to let it show. The woman
tried to smile at Buffy, but didn't do a very good job
of it.

"Hi. I was just trying to figure out how to
introduce myself before your curiousity got to you. Guess
I was too late."

"Yeah, I guess you were. Who are you?"

"That's a long story. I got this letter in the mail
the other day. It belongs to you."

Buffy took the letter. It was dated almost nine
years earlier. She looked at the woman again. "Who are
you?"

"My name is Laura Warren. I need your help. The
letter explains it."

"I'm sure it does, but why don't you just tell me
what you need me for?"

"My daughter is missing. Only the Slayer can help me
find her."

Buffy was stunned. This Laura person knew who she
was, knew about the slayer. For something that was
supposed to be such a big secret, there sure were a lot of
people who knew her so-called secret identity. "How-"

Laura interrupted. "My daughter is a slayer, or will
be, just like you. Just like I once was."

"What? Look, whoever you are, there's NO way you
were EVER a slayer. If you were you'd be-"

"Dead?"

"Well, yeah..."

"I was, and I'm not."

Buffy stepped up to the woman. "The only way for a
slayer to stop slaying is to die."

"No, it's not. There's another way. That's why I
need your help."

Buffy couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Another way out of slaying and Giles had never told her?
It wasn't possible.

"Buffy, please, Merrik told me that I could count on
you."

"How do- did you know Merrik?"

"He was my watcher. He helped me get out of the
hands
of the Council."

Some gut feeling told Buffy to believe this woman.
She had a feeling that something big was about to be
unearthed. "Will!" she called out, "Set another place.
We have company."