Buffy crept into her room quietly as to not wake the girls asleep on the floor. She simply pulled off her jeans and climbed under the covers in her tee shirt. Closing her eyes she waited for blessed sleep to come, usually a good night of patrol was all she needed for a good night's sleep. Well it used to be all she needed, from now on she supposed there would be no more patrol....She tossed and turned through the night her mind filled with thoughts of Faith and.....Angel.
"Just let her sleep." Amanda's soft voice was heard as the Potentials rose in the morning.
"Yeah, she was out late."
"And in a weird mood."
The others chimed in with comments of their own.
Buffy heard each of the girls filter out of the room and sat up in the bed with a sigh. Might as well get up and possibly grab the shower before anyone else did. She grabbed her clothes and started for the bathroom, the girls must have gone down for breakfast first
. Locking the door she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it, she realized how selfish it was to use all of the hot water in such a crowded house but this morning she felt like being selfish. She stood under the water letting it soak into her weary body, tonight, life as she knew it would be over. No more slayerness for her! Her mind suddenly screamed - just how selfish are you? This ritual will end it, the Frist Evil can be defeated now and you're upset about not being able to leap tall buildings anymore. She wiped at the hated tears springing in her eyes and turned off the water.
She dried off quickly and dressed, she needed to talk to Dawn alone, she deserved to be told before the others. Putting on her best "happy Buffy" face she went in search of her sister. "Dawn." She called to the dark haired girl in the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Dawn answered around a piece of toast.
"I need to talk to you." Buffy motioned for her to join her in the living room.
'What's wrong?" Dawn's eyes were big as she sat down, "Did you know Wesley was here?"
"Well, I'm not sure if anything is "wrong", I guess it depends on how you look at it. Wesley is here for a reason, he and Giles have found a way to defeat the First." Buffy began to furiously chew on the inside of her bottom lip.
"That's great!!" Dawn exclaimed, then noticed Buffy's quiet demeanor, "Wait.....what is it? You don't have to die do you?" Her bottom lip quivered.
Buffy reached out and ran her hand through Dawn's hair in a familiar comforting gesture, "No, I don't have to die. But....."
"There's always a but, isn't there?" Dawn replied with more seriousness then a sixteen year old should posess.
Buffy gave a short laugh, 'Yeah, there is always a 'but', Dawn for the First to be defeated I have to give up my slayer powers. Everything kind of went wonky when I came back and this is the only way, Faith will have to do the job this time, she's the next in the Slayer line."
"You..you won't be the Slayer anymore?" Dawn's mouth turned up in a smile as she pulled her sister into a tight hug, "I know it will be hard for you....but Buffy, we can be normal, I won't have to always worry that you aren't coming home at night anymore."
"So.....it's okay with you?" Buffy pulled away from her sister's hug.
"Yeah, it's okay with me. I don't have to worry about you and hey we get our house back!" Dawn grinned at Buffy, "You are okay with this right?"
"I will be." Buffy replied softly, "This could be all over tonight."
"Tomorrow we could just be two normal Sunnydale citizens." Dawn hugged Buffy again.
"Yeah." Buffy smiled at the younger girl, "You go on and finish breakfast, we'll gather the troops and break the news a little bit later."
Dawn bounced off to the kitchen as Buffy lay her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes.
"She seemed to take that well."
Spike's voice made Buffy open her eyes."You seem to be getting really good at that eavesdropping thing. Soul doesn't keep you from that particular 'wrong'?"
"Didn't hear all of it." Spike replied as he took the cushion next to her.
"Yes, she took it well. She's even happy, no worrying about me and we get to be 'normal Sunnydale citizens' in her words."
Spike bit his tongue to stop his first response of you won't be in Sunnydale for much longer instead he opted for "Not sure if you really want to be a normal Sunnydale citizen, pet. Most of them are pretty dim."
His words got the desired reaction as Buffy smiled.
"Your're right." She turned to him still smiling, "They really are."
"All in all I'm not surprised she's happy, I don't think you've ever realized just how hard it is for her, with Joyce gone and losing you once already, she really does worry." Spike leaned back against the cushion so that his face was even with hers, "You seem to be a bit better about all of this today."
"Do I have choice?" She shook her head, "Really after I got over the whole what does this mean to me thing, I realized what it means is that this whole nightmare will be over and everyone can be safe again. "
"Buffy, " Giles entered the room with Wesley, he nodded towards the vampire, "Spike."
Buffy sits straight up on the sofa.
"Rupert." Spike answers as he straightens up next to Buffy.
Wesley raised his eyebrows in disappoval at the sight of the vampire sitting so comfortably next to Buffy. Really, has Buffy never learned her lesson about being involved with a vampire? It ended so well for she and Angel both last time. He sighed inwardly, "Are you ready to tell everyone what's going to happen tonight?"
"If everyone is here, then yes. I've told Dawn already." Buffy answered softly.
"I believe they are all gathered in the kitchen, why don't I get everyone?" Giles offered.
"No, I'll do it." Buffy stands up and walks toward the kitchen.
When she was out of hearing range Spike spoke up, "So the Bit is excited she and Buffy get to be normal Sunnydale citizens now. When do you plan on telling her different? When you gonna tell her she has to leave?"
"It's really none of your concern." Wesley answers his tone sharp.
"Wesley." Giles shakes his head in warning as she watches Spike' s temper rising. They did not need a fight about this right now.
"It is damn well my business, I've been keeping an eye on Buffy and Lil Bit for awhile now. Want to make sure they are taken care of proper." Spike stood and began to pace the livingroom.
"Can we discuss this later?" Giles hushed the two men as Buffy entered the room a gaggle of Potentials behind her along with the Scoobies and Andrew.
"So what's the big deal?" Kennedy asked as she sat on the floor next to Willow.
Buffy stood up in front of the group."Well, it seems that Wesley and Giles have found the answer to our problem. With any luck by tomorrow night you'll each be going home - safe to your families."
"Go G-man and..Wesley." Xander grinned, "So what is it?"
"Yeah, what did you find?" Willow asked excitedly.
"I think Buffy should be the one to tell you." Giles put his hand on Buffy's shoulder in a fatherly fashion.
"Go ahead, Buffy." Dawn was sitting beside Spike on the couch barely containing her excitement.
"Well, it seems that.........." Buffy began to explain the whole ritual, "And Faith will arrive tonight we'll do the ritual she'll take down the First, with some help from Angel and Spike and it will be over."
"I told you it was because Buffy didnt' stay dead." Anya told Giles matter of factly.
"Very nice, Anya." Xander frowned at his ex fiance'.
"I'm just saying." Anya replied but was cut off with a glare from Giles and Willow.
"Anya's right in a way, I threw the balance off and that's why this ritual is so important. It's why Faith has to do this." Buffy tried to smile at the room full of people to assure them that it was okay.
The potential all chimed in with questions of their own.
"Who is Angel?"
"Faith is the slayer in jail right?"
"So you won't be the slayer at all anymore?"
"We get to go home?"
"Are we still potentials?"
Buffy turned to her former watchers, "I think that these two can answer your questions better then I can."
Giles nodded at her as she left the room towards the kitchen.
Wesley and Giles began to field the questions after Buffy left the room. Xander and Willow started to follow but Spike stood and placed his hand on Willow's shoulder, "Give her a bit of time, okay?" He pleaded softly.
Willow looked at Xander and he nodded his head in agreement. Their friend needed sometime to absorb everything alone.
Buffy stood in the kitchen alone staring into the backyard. It really was going to happen, before she had announced it to the girls it hadn't really seemed real. But now.....as she looked at the clock on the microwave she realized that in a few hours she would no longer be the Slayer. Even though she knew this had to be done, that it was the only way, part of her still rebelled at the idea, this was her fight and she felt like she was deserting it.
TBC
Angel and Faith arrive next!
"Just let her sleep." Amanda's soft voice was heard as the Potentials rose in the morning.
"Yeah, she was out late."
"And in a weird mood."
The others chimed in with comments of their own.
Buffy heard each of the girls filter out of the room and sat up in the bed with a sigh. Might as well get up and possibly grab the shower before anyone else did. She grabbed her clothes and started for the bathroom, the girls must have gone down for breakfast first
. Locking the door she turned the water on as hot as she could stand it, she realized how selfish it was to use all of the hot water in such a crowded house but this morning she felt like being selfish. She stood under the water letting it soak into her weary body, tonight, life as she knew it would be over. No more slayerness for her! Her mind suddenly screamed - just how selfish are you? This ritual will end it, the Frist Evil can be defeated now and you're upset about not being able to leap tall buildings anymore. She wiped at the hated tears springing in her eyes and turned off the water.
She dried off quickly and dressed, she needed to talk to Dawn alone, she deserved to be told before the others. Putting on her best "happy Buffy" face she went in search of her sister. "Dawn." She called to the dark haired girl in the kitchen.
"Yeah?" Dawn answered around a piece of toast.
"I need to talk to you." Buffy motioned for her to join her in the living room.
'What's wrong?" Dawn's eyes were big as she sat down, "Did you know Wesley was here?"
"Well, I'm not sure if anything is "wrong", I guess it depends on how you look at it. Wesley is here for a reason, he and Giles have found a way to defeat the First." Buffy began to furiously chew on the inside of her bottom lip.
"That's great!!" Dawn exclaimed, then noticed Buffy's quiet demeanor, "Wait.....what is it? You don't have to die do you?" Her bottom lip quivered.
Buffy reached out and ran her hand through Dawn's hair in a familiar comforting gesture, "No, I don't have to die. But....."
"There's always a but, isn't there?" Dawn replied with more seriousness then a sixteen year old should posess.
Buffy gave a short laugh, 'Yeah, there is always a 'but', Dawn for the First to be defeated I have to give up my slayer powers. Everything kind of went wonky when I came back and this is the only way, Faith will have to do the job this time, she's the next in the Slayer line."
"You..you won't be the Slayer anymore?" Dawn's mouth turned up in a smile as she pulled her sister into a tight hug, "I know it will be hard for you....but Buffy, we can be normal, I won't have to always worry that you aren't coming home at night anymore."
"So.....it's okay with you?" Buffy pulled away from her sister's hug.
"Yeah, it's okay with me. I don't have to worry about you and hey we get our house back!" Dawn grinned at Buffy, "You are okay with this right?"
"I will be." Buffy replied softly, "This could be all over tonight."
"Tomorrow we could just be two normal Sunnydale citizens." Dawn hugged Buffy again.
"Yeah." Buffy smiled at the younger girl, "You go on and finish breakfast, we'll gather the troops and break the news a little bit later."
Dawn bounced off to the kitchen as Buffy lay her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes.
"She seemed to take that well."
Spike's voice made Buffy open her eyes."You seem to be getting really good at that eavesdropping thing. Soul doesn't keep you from that particular 'wrong'?"
"Didn't hear all of it." Spike replied as he took the cushion next to her.
"Yes, she took it well. She's even happy, no worrying about me and we get to be 'normal Sunnydale citizens' in her words."
Spike bit his tongue to stop his first response of you won't be in Sunnydale for much longer instead he opted for "Not sure if you really want to be a normal Sunnydale citizen, pet. Most of them are pretty dim."
His words got the desired reaction as Buffy smiled.
"Your're right." She turned to him still smiling, "They really are."
"All in all I'm not surprised she's happy, I don't think you've ever realized just how hard it is for her, with Joyce gone and losing you once already, she really does worry." Spike leaned back against the cushion so that his face was even with hers, "You seem to be a bit better about all of this today."
"Do I have choice?" She shook her head, "Really after I got over the whole what does this mean to me thing, I realized what it means is that this whole nightmare will be over and everyone can be safe again. "
"Buffy, " Giles entered the room with Wesley, he nodded towards the vampire, "Spike."
Buffy sits straight up on the sofa.
"Rupert." Spike answers as he straightens up next to Buffy.
Wesley raised his eyebrows in disappoval at the sight of the vampire sitting so comfortably next to Buffy. Really, has Buffy never learned her lesson about being involved with a vampire? It ended so well for she and Angel both last time. He sighed inwardly, "Are you ready to tell everyone what's going to happen tonight?"
"If everyone is here, then yes. I've told Dawn already." Buffy answered softly.
"I believe they are all gathered in the kitchen, why don't I get everyone?" Giles offered.
"No, I'll do it." Buffy stands up and walks toward the kitchen.
When she was out of hearing range Spike spoke up, "So the Bit is excited she and Buffy get to be normal Sunnydale citizens now. When do you plan on telling her different? When you gonna tell her she has to leave?"
"It's really none of your concern." Wesley answers his tone sharp.
"Wesley." Giles shakes his head in warning as she watches Spike' s temper rising. They did not need a fight about this right now.
"It is damn well my business, I've been keeping an eye on Buffy and Lil Bit for awhile now. Want to make sure they are taken care of proper." Spike stood and began to pace the livingroom.
"Can we discuss this later?" Giles hushed the two men as Buffy entered the room a gaggle of Potentials behind her along with the Scoobies and Andrew.
"So what's the big deal?" Kennedy asked as she sat on the floor next to Willow.
Buffy stood up in front of the group."Well, it seems that Wesley and Giles have found the answer to our problem. With any luck by tomorrow night you'll each be going home - safe to your families."
"Go G-man and..Wesley." Xander grinned, "So what is it?"
"Yeah, what did you find?" Willow asked excitedly.
"I think Buffy should be the one to tell you." Giles put his hand on Buffy's shoulder in a fatherly fashion.
"Go ahead, Buffy." Dawn was sitting beside Spike on the couch barely containing her excitement.
"Well, it seems that.........." Buffy began to explain the whole ritual, "And Faith will arrive tonight we'll do the ritual she'll take down the First, with some help from Angel and Spike and it will be over."
"I told you it was because Buffy didnt' stay dead." Anya told Giles matter of factly.
"Very nice, Anya." Xander frowned at his ex fiance'.
"I'm just saying." Anya replied but was cut off with a glare from Giles and Willow.
"Anya's right in a way, I threw the balance off and that's why this ritual is so important. It's why Faith has to do this." Buffy tried to smile at the room full of people to assure them that it was okay.
The potential all chimed in with questions of their own.
"Who is Angel?"
"Faith is the slayer in jail right?"
"So you won't be the slayer at all anymore?"
"We get to go home?"
"Are we still potentials?"
Buffy turned to her former watchers, "I think that these two can answer your questions better then I can."
Giles nodded at her as she left the room towards the kitchen.
Wesley and Giles began to field the questions after Buffy left the room. Xander and Willow started to follow but Spike stood and placed his hand on Willow's shoulder, "Give her a bit of time, okay?" He pleaded softly.
Willow looked at Xander and he nodded his head in agreement. Their friend needed sometime to absorb everything alone.
Buffy stood in the kitchen alone staring into the backyard. It really was going to happen, before she had announced it to the girls it hadn't really seemed real. But now.....as she looked at the clock on the microwave she realized that in a few hours she would no longer be the Slayer. Even though she knew this had to be done, that it was the only way, part of her still rebelled at the idea, this was her fight and she felt like she was deserting it.
TBC
Angel and Faith arrive next!