e-mail: Slaya@rock.com
disclaimer: Joss an co own this. Everything, except the character of Cassie wich is a figment from my imagination but it has grounds in the BTVS world created by Joss.
NOTE: Chapter four cooming soon.
The things we leave behind-chapter three-Meet Red
By Slaya
Cassie followed him thru the damp old doors that were threatening to fall down any time now.
She was suprised by what she saw.
The crypt was large and it had rooms under the earth. Candle light was lightening it up.
She caught a glimpse of a red reflection from somewhere.
It was Willows hair. Cassie steped up to her.
«You must be Willow.»
Willow lifts her head and sees Cassie. She lightens up a bit. Her heart gets all mushy and squisy.
This was a new slayer in front of her. A slayer that she ll get to protect and train. Along with Spike. An this one s gonna live a long, long time.
She was sure of it.
It can t happen again. She can t die.
«You can call me Red.»-she says smiling at her.
Cassie felt kinda reliefed because of the smile. She felt like she was in good loving caring hands. Willow reminded her on warm things, momies kisses and hugs.
She wasn t afraid anymore.
«Why don t you tell her about the dream?»-Spike said.
«What dream?»
«My dream about the last slayer. He said that her name was Buffy.»
«Yes.»-Red replied with a tear in her eye-«Yes. Her name was Buffy.
What was the dream about?»
«She jumped of a big tower and saved the world. Again. I felt it like it wasn t the first time she has done that. And I saw you, him and some other people.»
«That s completley natural, to have dreams like that. You are a gifted slayer.»
Silence.
«What can you tell me about her?»
«A whole lot.»-Spiek replied-«Red, do you know that she kissed me that time when Glory thought that I was the key. She was acting like the Buffybot. And she kissed me.»
«Spike don t let it take over again.»-Willow said-«You re a wreck.»
«You re bloody right. And I ll be damned if Cassie ends up like her.»-he said storming out of the room, out of the crypt, into the night with no visible reason to get that upset. He was blowing up on every little thing without a warning.
Cassie now felt uncomfortable, like she was doomed to live in this girl s shadow caus these people had strong atachments to her.
«Sit down Cassie. Don t worry about this. He was in love with her. It s natural that he freaks out sometimes. But believe me, he ll be there when you ll need him.
You can count on him. Okay?»
«Okay.»
«If you want I can tell you about Buffy.»
«Well I just want to know how to be a slayer and how to stay alive. And yes, I wanna hear about her.»
«Well she wasn t an ordinary slayer. She was called when she was fifteen just like you and she had no previous training just like you.
She killed a lot of vampires in her time. Got biten a few times, actually two times, stoped the world end atleast seven times. I lost track.
Defeated a hellbitch hellgod from hell. Sacrifised all that she had.
Love, life and even her death. It coudn t be a normal death in her old days. It had to be then and there.»
«I saw it.»-Cassie whispered-«She was so beautiful.»
«Yeah I know.
The strangest thing is that I can see pieces of her in you.
You must be tired. You had to fight a vamp, right?»
«Aha.»
«Sorry about that but we had to it.
Training begins tomorow morning after we leave town.»
«Leave town?»
«Yes….
Go.
Go and sleep.»-she shows her a bed in the corner.
Cassie goes quietly.
Her tears melting on the pillow.
Willow turns out the candles with one movement of a finger. Cassie missed that.
No biggy.
Red s gonna take good care for her magicians capability. Pretty soon, she ll be able to do that.
She steped out. Locked the door. And went on searching for Spike.
She found him lieing on the ground. Helpless and confused.
He senced her.
«What now Red?»-he asked.
«You re making a big mistake.»
He just looked at her with eyes wide open.
«How could you let a vamp on her? She doesn t even understand what it means to be a slayer! What are you trying to do? Kill her!»-she went all out on the anger.
«Offcourse bloody not. I m trying to keep her alive.
Look, you just take care for the spells, and teaching her how to do them or whatever, I ll take care of the rest.»
«That wasn t the deal.
We both need to take care of her.»
«And that s excatly what we re gonna do.»
They toke a brake for a moment.
«I m sorry Red. But I don t wanna see that dear girl killed.»-Spike apologized.
«I don t want that either.
And please don t act so emotional when she asks about Buffy. You look weak then. You are. And I am also…..when it comes to Buffy. But we have to bare in mind that we need to be strong for Cassie now and let her think that we re strong, stronger than we really are.»
«That s a good point there Red.»
«I m gonna take her to Sunnydale tomorow morning. When are you cooming?»
«I ll be off as soon as night falls.»
«Good. You re gonna give her her first lesson.»
«Me?!?»
«Yes you.»
«Why?»
«Because I said so. I have a plan.»-she wickedly smiled for the first time since Buffy died and Tara went away with Xander, Anya and Dawn, far away from Sunnyhell.
She turns around. Goes back to the crypt.
«This is really gonna be a wild ride», she thought to herself, «I won t be okay with everything that Spike does. But in the end it really should be okay. I think that Cassie has it better with us as her watchers. A vampire and a witch.
It gives her better chances.»
«Did Buffy had thoose chances?»-a unknown question apears out of nowhere making Willow to force herself not to cry or fall down.
She needs to be strong now. For Cassie.
**************************************************************************
Cassie was in the crypt. Sleeping.
She had another dream. And the voices of the past came back with a loud sound of horror.
She saw dark, almost black blood on her hand.
She saw Buffy with the first slayer in front of her.
«Death is your gift.»-she was saying.
«Death is my what?»-Buffy replied.
«Is death my gift also?»-Cassie interupted.
Buffy turned and looked at her. «So, you re the one that came after me. You look like you can handle it. Yeah. You ll be just fine.»
The first slayer said nogthing.
«Take care of Willow and Spike for me. I know they both are a wreck now. But I m okay. And they have to be okay. Caus you have to be okay.»
Cassie circles around the fire to the first slayer. Buffy looked at them.
She was there one second. And gone the next.
«What does this mean?»-Cassie asked the first slayer showing her her hands covered with black blood.
The slayer wiped them clean.
«You don t wanna know what it means.»
«Yes I do. Tell me.»
«It means that you have to watch your back caus if you don t, your hands will be covered in blood. And you ll like it.
Death isn t your gift. Death is your friend.»
With these words in mind Cassie snaped out of it. She woke up. She was in a moving car. And the sun was in the sky way up high.
Red was driving.
«Where are we going?»
«Home. To your new home.»
«And where exactly is that?»
«Dear ol Sunnyhell, California.»
«And what when we get there?»
«We stop some major evil. And do some major evil. Um….just to the evil ones. Not to, you know….good guys. An.. .an. ..and we re gonna have some fun»-she blinks at Cassie-«We ll manage, don t worry. Everything s gonna be just fine.»