The Chosen One: Chapter 2
by Lisette
Legalese: See Chapter 1 for disclaimers and ratings.
Two Months Later
"Sometimes, I really hate patrol," Buffy grumbled as she eyed a young couple happily walking together outside the cemetery gates. Sighing, she turned her eyes and once more regarded the moonlit graveyard, tombstones - a million different shapes and sizes - poking up from the hard ground in all angles and directions. "Then again, welcome to my life," she sighed as she dipped beneath one low-hanging branch that was nothing more than a skeleton that awaited the life-giving force of Spring to arrive.
But patrol was a necessary part of her life - or so Giles had really been preaching the last few months. Still, with friends like hers, at least she wasn't alone... usually. Tonight was an exception, what with everyone studying for mid-terms and her boyfriend - no, her fianc working late. How any of the other Slayers had survived without the network of friends and family that she had was beyond her. She doubted that she could do the job without them - or at least do it without losing what really made up Buffy Summers.
"Slayer..."
Turning quickly, Buffy pulled a stake from its hiding place, her eyes peering into the dark shadows of the crypts and mausoleums. It was happening again, just as it had the last few months. She was being watched. It always started like this, her name being called so lightly that it whispered through the trees so that the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. To make it worse, none of the others ever heard it and she always had to question if it really was the wind. But like always, barely breathing Buffy stood like this, muscles taught, as the minutes ticked by without another sound. Even with enhanced Slayer senses like hers, she could never really tell if there really was anyone else out there. And in the end, she couldn't remain on-guard forever. Sighing, Buffy finally allowed herself to relax her posture as she gently brushed a stray wisp of hair from her face. "No one here but me and those who are truly going nowhere in life," she muttered, surprising herself as her voice seemed to shatter the night quiet.
"Buffy, glad I-" Xander cut off, breaking through some shrubbery beside his friend as she swiveled automatically towards him, stake on a collision course with his heart. "Whoa!" he cried out, stumbling backwards as she caught her hand just in time. "Whoa, whoa!" he repeated, eyes wide. "What are you trying to do? Skewer me?" he squeaked, his face white as Buffy's flushed red.
"Alexander Harris!" Buffy bit back, angrily resheathing her stake. "You should know better than to sneak up on me while I'm on patrol!!"
"I was not-" Xander cut off as his eyes grew wide. "I was able to sneak up on you?" he asked excitedly, obviously impressed with himself. Shaking his head, Xander began to dance around her, beaming with pride. "I, Xander Harris, snuck up on the Slayer, I snuck up on the Slayer, I-"
"I and everyone else in the city get the picture," Buffy cut in with a laugh, shaking her head quickly.
"Hey, that's something to be proud of!" he quickly protested. "Unless you're losing your touch," he added as his expression fell. "Then I didn't do anything special - it's all of those dumb wedding things that you and Willow always talk about now!" he quickly protested, jabbing a finger at Buffy.
Smiling, Buffy quickly pushed his hand aside. "Sorry, but not all of us like the idea of suddenly getting eloped in Vegas," she shot back, pointing at the thin gold band Xander was sporting.
Sniffing disdainfully, Xander shrugged casually. "The things you'll do for love," he said by way of explanation as Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of which, where's Anya? I thought that she was 'helping you study' tonight?" Buffy asked as she winked at her friend before bending down to retie a shoe.
"We were, until I got a frantic call from Willow-" he broke off as Buffy jumped to her feet, her eyes glittering dangerously.
"Is everything okay?"
"Whoa, slow down Danger Girl!" Xander cut in quickly, holding up both hands. "Everything's fine - great actually," he admitted with a wide grin. "Willow and Giles think that they may have found a way to close the Hellmouth - permanently."
"What?" Buffy asked in amazement, staring at her friend in awe. "But, I-"
"Ah, ah, ah," Xander cut in, waving a finger before her nose. "I am merely in fetch-Slayer mode. Info man be the G-man and we're supposed to meet him and everyone else at he and your mom's place..."
"Then let's get moving," Buffy interrupted as she turned on her heel and marched from the graveyard, Xander hot on her heels.
Two sets of eyes watched this from different hiding spots, two different agendas in mind. While one was ecstatic with what he had overheard, the other was furious - there would be hell to pay.
It was weird to be ringing the doorbell of her own house, but then again, ever since Giles had moved in it had seemed only right that he and her mom were given some degree of privacy. She didn't want to accidentally walk in on a repeat of the candy incident that caused her mom and Giles to be shagging on a cop car like a bunch of hormone crazed teens. Nope, she definitely didn't want to add that visual to her memory banks. Not even a moment later, the door was opened and bright light spilled onto the darkened front porch. "Hi Mom," Buffy greeted as she stepped past her mother and into the living room.
"Hi Mrs. Summers," Xander chirped as he bounced in behind.
Smiling, Joyce waved the kids in and then counted heads in the living room. Anya and Xander on the couch, Oz and Willow on the loveseat, and Buffy alone in an armchair. "Is Riley working late again?" she asked her daughter with a knowing smile.
"Riley's idea of working late is nothing compared to Buffy's," Anya quickly cut in before Buffy could answer and then beamed at Xander before glaring at everyone else. "Why aren't they laughing? They're supposed to laugh!"
Sighing, Xander could only nod apologetically at the others. "We're working on that whole joke thing."
Shaking her head, Joyce took that as her cue. "I'll go get Rupert," she murmured as she hurried down the hall.
"No, Angel, I do not think that you should come; the situation does not warrant your intervention-"
"Giles, don't give me that crap," Angel's voice sighed through the phone. "You said so yourself that Buffy has felt as though she's being watched - the Watcher's Council is there in Sunnydale!"
"Maybe," Giles conceded, frowning as he paced back and forth, "but until we have proof you shouldn't come here. You said yourself that Cordelia hadn't had any visions-"
"But I need to protect her!"
"The Watcher's Council would never hurt Buffy," Giles quickly protested, frowning deeply.
As if the vampire could see his doubts, Angel quickly countered, "You can't say that for sure! I need to protect her-"
"She has Riley to protect her-"
"He can't protect her," came the bitter response. "Not as well as I can."
Sighing, Giles had no idea how to respond to such heartache. Deep down, Giles knew that Angel loved Buffy with a depth and passion he could never hope to understand, and it was because of that love that he stayed away. He knew that he couldn't give Buffy a future and that Riley could. No doubt, that thought tore him apart his every waking moment. "Yes, well you have a business to run, people that depend on you, and everything that goes along with that," Giles curtly responded. "Sunnydale and its Slayer will survive without you for now," he added, his voice softening. "And with this new spell, Sunnydale may even no longer need a Slayer-"
"Rupert?" Joyce asked as she stepped into the study, watching as his face flushed with... guilt?
"Well then," he quickly said into the phone. "It was good talking to you again! I will call if the situation changes," he added as he slammed down the phone before Angel could respond.
"Who was that?" Joyce asked suspiciously, watching as Giles cleaned his already clean glasses on a white handkerchief - a nervous habit that she recognized.
"Oh, just a colleague," Giles replied as he joined her at the door. "Is everyone here?"
Sighing, Joyce merely shook her head before leading him towards the living room. "Your audience awaits," she said sarcastically before stepping aside and sitting on the floor beside her daughter.
"So, what's up?" Buffy asked expectantly, her eyes shifting back and forth between Giles and Willow. Then she inwardly sighed as he slipped into what she now fondly called 'Professor Mode.'
"Well, it seems that Willow, don't ask me how, has stumbled across a spell that could, potentially, close the Hellmouth here in Sunnydale."
"I thought that the Hellmouth was already closed," Oz pointed out quietly, arching an eyebrow at the group.
"Well," Willow eagerly spoke up, her eyes shining, "the door to Hell is closed, but it's still there and puts off a sort of dark energy that attracts all of the bad stuff here to Sunnydale," she explained.
"And the door's in the old library, right?" Buffy asked, toying with the diamond that she wore on her finger.
"Right," Giles agreed as he took over once more. "And we think that this spell has the capability of.. well, sort of erasing that door so that Hell can never be accessed from here again-"
"And Sunnydale will no longer attract the bad stuff!" Willow added with a bright smile.
"So what you're telling us is that Sunnydale could... become normal?" Xander asked, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Like any other town in Southern California? That it could be a boring place to live for once? Where the graveyards aren't full and the world isn't about to end every five minutes?"
"Yep, and it may take only a few weeks or months of preparation, but I think that Giles and I can do it with Anya's help!" Willow clapped excitedly. "Isn't that wonderful?"
"No, that's boring!" Xander protested. "What are we going to do with ourselves?"
"Lead normal lives," Buffy answered quietly for everyone, a hush falling over the room. "Lead normal lives," she whispered once again as she stared down at the glittering diamond that sparkled on her finger.
"Longchamp here."
"Sir, this is Mark 14 checking in."
"Is the Slayer dead?"
"Not yet, Sir. I overheard some information that I thought you'd be interested in."
"Proceed."
"Mister Giles and the young witch, Willow Rosenberg, believe that they have found a spell to dispel the door to this Hellmouth in Sunnydale."
"Really? Now this is interesting."
"They said they would need time to study and prepare for it but plan to attempt the spell."
"Very well then. Miss Summers has had an extension on her life - for now. Continue to watch the situation closely and keep me posted."
"I will do that, Sir. Mark 14 out."
Sighing, Longchamp replaced the receiver. "Ah, these assassins - so melodramatic."
Growling softly, the demon slowly crept away from the house, having heard all that it needed to hear. "So, the Slayer thinks that she and her little friends can destroy our source of power?" it hissed, its eyes flaring with anger. "She shall have to think again, for we will not allow it. Of that I promise."