Disclaimer in Chapter 1
*********
Buffy sat in the bus station staring at the wall. Her ticket to San Francisco was clutched tightly in one hand. Her mind was oddly calm now that she had made a decision. It was for the best.
When someone sat down beside her she didn't immediately register who it was. Then, she didn't realize that he was there for his own reasons. She only spoke to him when she saw he held a ticket for himself.
"I'm sorry I tried to kill you."
Duncan just nodded. "It's alright, they explained."
Buffy sat in silence, trying not to think of what "they" would say once they found out she was gone. "Guess we're both leaving town then."
Duncan just nodded again. Or Buffy assumed he did, she was busy keeping her mind occupied by counting tiles on the far wall.
Twenty minutes later Duncan shifted in his seat, "They found out about that prophecy."
Casual, oh so painfully casual, Buffy responded, "Oh?"
"The creature, some sort of lower hell spawn, is going to rise tonight outside the West-End Mini-Mall. Probably near the pet store."
"Oh." Buffy tried to think of another word to use, but the functional part of her brain seemed to have stopped working.
"I think they're going to go and try to stop it," Duncan's voice was flat and unemotional.
"They should have help."
"Guess that would be us."
"We are all there is."
"Anyway," Buffy said as they left the Station, "my bus left forty minutes ago."
*********
"Sunnydale Pets: We Love Your Creatures" was located at the far west end of the mini-mall. At half past eleven on a Tuesday, the entire complex was deserted. Buffy and Duncan arrived and immediately spread out, covering the parking lot and walkway, looking for any sign that all was not as it should be. They met up again in the handicapped parking zone in front of the store. Duncan shook his head, indicating that he'd seen nothing, Buffy's Spidey sense had come up empty as well. She was about to suggest that they had the wrong place, when the fire hydrant exploded.
They scrambled backwards, away from the store, taking cover behind a concrete planter. "Strategic Retreat" as Xander usually called it. Where once the fire hydrant had stood, there was now a forty foot column of water. With a head and arms. The water thing roared and lashed an impossibly long arm of water towards the corner of the building, shattering glass and concrete. Buffy looked over at Duncan, who had his sword out and was clearly assessing the creature.
"I don't think that sword is going to do much good."
"Do you have a better idea?" he asked, pointing at the thing.
"Ask it nicely to go home?"
She grinned at his look of disgust, but was spared a verbal retort, because then the thing noticed their existence. And decided to do it's best to end it.
*******
It was Willow who found them later, sitting side-by-side in the wreckage of what had once been a rather large mini-mall. She was trailed by Giles and Xander, both armed to the teeth, and looking slightly disappointed that the fight was over without them. Buffy was exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open, and was sitting upright only because she was leaning against Duncan's shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Willow sounded anguished, so Buffy managed to mumble out an affirmative. She felt like she had been run through a forty foot waterspout. Oh wait, she had.
So Buffy sat there, feeling rather immovable, while Duncan filled them in on what had happened. Buffy ignored the story and the rabbit that was currently sniffing her left boot. Apparently the animals were enjoying their new-found freedom. Duncan's tale wound to an end, and someone suggested getting out of there before the police showed up. The comment was met with general laughter, but provided the impetus needed. Minutes later Buffy was firmly ensconced in the back seat of Giles' car, wedged between Willow and Xander, who wasn't complaining about the wet state of her clothes. In a brief moment of clarity, Buffy felt perfectly safe and content. How could she ever have even thought of leaving such friends?
Duncan was talking animatedly to Giles, hands gesturing, explaining something. And Buffy smiled sleepily when she heard him tell Giles he was going to stay around for a bit, and he'd have to make sure to leave them his address when he left. This was good, having friends, people who held on to you, when things weren't going so good. So, Buffy Summers, Slayer Extraordinaire, scrunched down further in her seat, and drifted off to sleep, knowing they would look out for her while she rested, because they always did.
*****
Alright people, this is pretty much the end. I need to do some minor editing, and cuz I'm posting this far to late, I know I'll need to tweak the last chapter. But that really isn't my main goal right now. So now I can go work on other stuff, cuz I promised myself no more than one unfinished fic posted at a time.
Drop by my LJ (linked as my website) or review and let me know what you think. I have tough skin!
Toodles.
*********
Buffy sat in the bus station staring at the wall. Her ticket to San Francisco was clutched tightly in one hand. Her mind was oddly calm now that she had made a decision. It was for the best.
When someone sat down beside her she didn't immediately register who it was. Then, she didn't realize that he was there for his own reasons. She only spoke to him when she saw he held a ticket for himself.
"I'm sorry I tried to kill you."
Duncan just nodded. "It's alright, they explained."
Buffy sat in silence, trying not to think of what "they" would say once they found out she was gone. "Guess we're both leaving town then."
Duncan just nodded again. Or Buffy assumed he did, she was busy keeping her mind occupied by counting tiles on the far wall.
Twenty minutes later Duncan shifted in his seat, "They found out about that prophecy."
Casual, oh so painfully casual, Buffy responded, "Oh?"
"The creature, some sort of lower hell spawn, is going to rise tonight outside the West-End Mini-Mall. Probably near the pet store."
"Oh." Buffy tried to think of another word to use, but the functional part of her brain seemed to have stopped working.
"I think they're going to go and try to stop it," Duncan's voice was flat and unemotional.
"They should have help."
"Guess that would be us."
"We are all there is."
"Anyway," Buffy said as they left the Station, "my bus left forty minutes ago."
*********
"Sunnydale Pets: We Love Your Creatures" was located at the far west end of the mini-mall. At half past eleven on a Tuesday, the entire complex was deserted. Buffy and Duncan arrived and immediately spread out, covering the parking lot and walkway, looking for any sign that all was not as it should be. They met up again in the handicapped parking zone in front of the store. Duncan shook his head, indicating that he'd seen nothing, Buffy's Spidey sense had come up empty as well. She was about to suggest that they had the wrong place, when the fire hydrant exploded.
They scrambled backwards, away from the store, taking cover behind a concrete planter. "Strategic Retreat" as Xander usually called it. Where once the fire hydrant had stood, there was now a forty foot column of water. With a head and arms. The water thing roared and lashed an impossibly long arm of water towards the corner of the building, shattering glass and concrete. Buffy looked over at Duncan, who had his sword out and was clearly assessing the creature.
"I don't think that sword is going to do much good."
"Do you have a better idea?" he asked, pointing at the thing.
"Ask it nicely to go home?"
She grinned at his look of disgust, but was spared a verbal retort, because then the thing noticed their existence. And decided to do it's best to end it.
*******
It was Willow who found them later, sitting side-by-side in the wreckage of what had once been a rather large mini-mall. She was trailed by Giles and Xander, both armed to the teeth, and looking slightly disappointed that the fight was over without them. Buffy was exhausted, she could barely keep her eyes open, and was sitting upright only because she was leaning against Duncan's shoulder.
"Are you alright?" Willow sounded anguished, so Buffy managed to mumble out an affirmative. She felt like she had been run through a forty foot waterspout. Oh wait, she had.
So Buffy sat there, feeling rather immovable, while Duncan filled them in on what had happened. Buffy ignored the story and the rabbit that was currently sniffing her left boot. Apparently the animals were enjoying their new-found freedom. Duncan's tale wound to an end, and someone suggested getting out of there before the police showed up. The comment was met with general laughter, but provided the impetus needed. Minutes later Buffy was firmly ensconced in the back seat of Giles' car, wedged between Willow and Xander, who wasn't complaining about the wet state of her clothes. In a brief moment of clarity, Buffy felt perfectly safe and content. How could she ever have even thought of leaving such friends?
Duncan was talking animatedly to Giles, hands gesturing, explaining something. And Buffy smiled sleepily when she heard him tell Giles he was going to stay around for a bit, and he'd have to make sure to leave them his address when he left. This was good, having friends, people who held on to you, when things weren't going so good. So, Buffy Summers, Slayer Extraordinaire, scrunched down further in her seat, and drifted off to sleep, knowing they would look out for her while she rested, because they always did.
*****
Alright people, this is pretty much the end. I need to do some minor editing, and cuz I'm posting this far to late, I know I'll need to tweak the last chapter. But that really isn't my main goal right now. So now I can go work on other stuff, cuz I promised myself no more than one unfinished fic posted at a time.
Drop by my LJ (linked as my website) or review and let me know what you think. I have tough skin!
Toodles.