Title: Runaway

Chapter 12: Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, Joss and people do. I'm just using them for entertainment.

Author's Note: I'm really sorry for not updating. I'd already written the chapter and sent it to my betas who responded really quickly but I couldn't get time to actually update.

Author's Note 2: Thank you again to everyone who reviewed, they asked some questions and made requests about what they'd like to see so I'm trying to put them in. Also Buffy was away for 4 years. I'm sorry about the change but it all works better like this.

Anyway, the biggest thank yous go to the people who responded to my beg for help.

Author's Note 3: After my notice in the last chapter I got lots of volunteers. The people I picked read this chapter for me and already noticed loads of little things I'd missed.

At the end of the meeting Buffy stumbled out of the library barely even aware of where she was going. The same words were repeating in her head like a mantra.

Anna Cunningham. The Vampire Slayer.

She slammed through another set of double doors, down another corridor and when she finally made it outside Buffy stopped. She sank onto a low wall, the energy that had fueled her rush through the school having suddenly vanished.

"God," she whispered, running a hand over her face and through her hair. She'd known things would be different, but this . . .

"Hey." Buffy looked up and saw Willow standing at the top of the stairs. "Is this a private thing or can anyone join?"

Buffy waved a hand towards the patch of wall next to her. "Feel free."

For long moments the two girls, young women now, sat on the warm wall, each lost in their own thoughts.

Finally Willow spoke. "I think I need to do a lot more explaining."

The blonde laughed. "Yeah. I really think you do. 'Cause right now I'm really drawing blanks."

Willow felt incredibly guilty. She couldn't believe she'd just let Buffy meet Anna without telling her. She'd been so swept up in her best friend's return that she'd forgotten minor details. Like a new Slayer being called.

"Okay. The story's not all that short, but I guess you really need to know, so here it is.

"After you left things got really complicated. Kendra was dead, Giles was badly injured from Angelus, Xander had a broken arm, I had concussion and there was no sign of you, Angelus, Spike or Drusilla. To make it even more complicated the Sunnydale police wanted someone behind bars. Unfortunately their chief suspect had disappeared into thin air.

But eventually things started to cool down. When the police arrested this guy he told them that he'd killed Kendra, probably to get leniency for his other crimes. So they had their bad guy, but you still hadn't shown up.

Your mom was really upset but still in denial about the whole Slayer thing. Somehow the Scoobies managed to stay on top of things, beat as many evils as we could. It was part way through senior year when I was locked in a room with Xander, this demon was going to kill us. For the first time Xander seemed to notice that I was a girl and we started kissing. When Oz and Cordelia came to rescue us we were making out on the bed."

Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "Bu, bu, but Oz!"

Willow looked thoroughly ashamed of herself. "I know, just keep listening, okay? When we got caught I realized something really important. I might have always wanted to go out with Xander, but when it happened it really wasn't worth the pain that it caused. I found out too late that I love Oz.

Cordelia was really upset as well, so when she found Anya, who was the vengeance demon of women scorned she jumped at the chance to make Xander's life miserable. It didn't work out as planned though, Anya lost all her powers, was made human, and was forced to come to Sunnydale High."

Buffy shuddered slightly. That really was awful!

"It wasn't long after that that Anna showed up in Sunnydale, saying that Giles was meant to be her Watcher. Giles had kept looking for you, but everyone was forced to accept that you were dead and to get on with their lives. Except me. I always clung onto some hope that you were still alive. And I was right.

The Prom was fantastic, Oz and I had made up and to everyone's shock Xander and Anya went together. Anna was pretty much part of the group. But then we found out that the Mayor was really bad demon person."

"Huh? Demon person?"

"Oh, he was planning for his Ascension when he'd become a really big, strong, snaky demon."

"Ah."

"It just so happened that his Ascension was at the same time as our graduation, which really made things complicated. In the end Anna had to blow up the school to kill him."

"Now I'm really confused. The school looks good, great even."

"Just listen and I'll get to that bit. After graduation Xander and Anya left to go on a road trip while the rest of us, including Cordelia started at the college. Everything was pretty much okay, there were no big bads, Xander and Anya came back, and this half demon named Doyle came to find us. It turns out that he was sent to help us because he gets visions from the Powers That Be. He's really useful, and Cordy's in love with him."

Quickly Buffy went over what little she'd seen of Doyle. Dark hair, not a great dress sense, and he didn't look rich. "This is getting weirder and weirder."

Willow grinned. "A couple of weeks after we met Doyle he got a vision telling us to go to the mansion. When we got there we found Angel. He was naked, and, really not in good shape. He was really thin, his body was covered in cuts and things and he was like an animal. He couldn't remember anything, couldn't talk, wasn't even human. After what you told me about Acathla I started to think that maybe . . . maybe he'd been in Hell."

Buffy closed her eyes. That's what she'd been afraid of.

The witch looked at her worriedly before carrying on. "We looked after him and slowly he started to get better, which was when Doyle got another vision. The Powers That Be said that for him to carry out his purpose he couldn't just be a creature of the night anymore, so they made him half human."

That got a huge smile out of the Slayer.

"The next few years were pretty boring, except that the high school got rebuilt by some rich benefactor. Then a few months ago Giles read this prophecy. We though it was just the usual end of the world thing but he was really freaked. The Watcher's Council sent more people to Sunnydale and we found out about the Initiative. Which was when the Hellmouth opened up again. This time we couldn't stop it from opening and all these demons started pouring out of it, big powerful things that started smashing up Sunnydale.

It took us a while but eventually we found a spell to close the Hellmouth, so that even if we had to deal with the demons we already had, at least there wouldn't be any more. The spell worked really well, but it had a bad side effect. Within a certain radius of the Hellmouth the spell just destroyed everything, apart from the school which was left in perfect condition. We don't know how many people died because of the spell, but it was the only way."

Willow looked like she was going to start crying so Buffy wrapped her arm around the witch's shoulder.

"I think that's pretty much everything."

"Wow, sounds like you had a really boring time while I was gone." First she smiled, then she giggled, and finally Willow just burst out laughing.

Buffy had found out that the gym had been turned into a proper training area for everyone to use, so now she was headed towards it to try and get some exercise. She wasn't going to be able to help if she was out of shape.

When she got there she got heard smacks and grunts. With a slight frown she peered through the door. There were some people working out, but in the center of the room was a circle of men from the Initiative. In the middle of the circle were two commandos sparring.

Buffy tapped Angel on the shoulder. His face lit up as he turned around.

"Hi, is it okay if I workout?"

"Sure, we're just training. With all the hostiles around we've got to be ready."

There's that damn word again. Hostiles.

"They're good aren't they?"

"What?"

Angel nodded towards the two men. "I said they're good."

Buffy wasn't too impressed but nodded. "Yeah, not bad."

"I wish I could be that good." The wistful tone in his voice didn't escape her. What? Angel could take those guys down blindfolded!

The match finished and the guy in charge looked at his paper. "Right. Next up, Woods and Angel."

Angel swallowed before moving into the middle.

When the fight began Buffy was gob smacked. First it looked like Angel might hold his own, but within a few moments he was flat on his back with soldier boy looming over.

"Next."

Angel took his place by Buffy again, face red with humiliation.

The Slayer was having a hard time taking it in. That couldn't have happened. It's impossible. She opened her mouth.

"You don't have to say anything. I know I was bad."

"You weren't that bad. You just need practice," she said finally.

"Sure. I just don't have the talent, I'll never be that good."

"Yes you will." Her voice was so firm that he looked up in surprise. "In fact, you're gonna be better. You're busy this week, right? So a week from tonight, after patrol when this place is empty, you're going to meet me here and I'm going to train you. Nope, no arguments! I'm gonna do this if it kills you."

Angel chuckled. "Yes, ma'am!"

After her talk with Angel Buffy decided to forget about the gym and go for a walk instead. This was all incredibly weird, but she knew that Angel had the talent to be a fantastic fighter, she'd seen him in action.

He must have just forgotten with the rest of his memories. For the second time since returning to Sunnydale she smacked straight into someone. Damn, I'm making a habit of this.

"Oi, watch it! You almost knocked me flat on me bloody arse, ya poof!" Buffy would know that English accent anywhere and a stake was in her hand within moments.

"Spike! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Slayer?! Cor, making a habit of this meeting thing aren't we?" he asked, lighting a cigarette.

"I might not have staked you last time, but I'm going to now." She stepped forward ready to plunge the stake into his heart but he jumped back, duster billowing.

"You can't do that."

"Yes I can, Spike. You're a vampire, I'm a Vampire Slayer. It's what I do."

"I got me a chip."

That got her for a moment. "A what?"

"A chip. From Captain Cardboard and his pals." Seeing her blank look he sighed. "The Initiative and their GI Joes?"

"And that means I can't stake you, how?"

"Spike's got a chip and he can't play with the other puppies anymore."

Buffy started laughing as his meaning got through. "Oh god, oh my god! You've been neutered! Ha, ha, you're just a care bear with fangs."

Spike stepped forward, his fist raised. "Now just wait a minute, you - Ah, ah, bloody hell!!" He stumbled back, clutching his head in agony and Buffy laughed harder as she put her stake away.

"It's okay, Spike, you don't need to worry. I don't stake chip heads."

~

And so ends yet another chapter. You'll probably be pleased to know that I finally have a plan in mind for this story, so expect future chapters to actually be going somewhere.