"So, she's what, Buff, your new Watcher?" Pike asked Buffy late that night
as the young couple patrolled the streets.
So far, Buffy and Pike had come across two vampires and one particularly stupid zombie, whose head Pike had bashed in with his baseball bat. Interestingly, it was only one a.m., and Buffy and Pike had only been out since half-past midnight. The slayings had been done pretty quickly thus far, and Buffy was still pumping full of energy. Pike, on the other hand, seemed to not enjoy the slaying as much. To Buffy, it seemed like he just came on patrol with her because of her, not because he was doing something for a good cause. Ditto for the instance when Pike had run around slaying a couple of nights back. It seemed he only did because her cared for her. Buffy's guess was, if she ever died, Pike would probably skip town and become a beach bum somewhere rather than fight the good fight. Somewhere deep inside, that fact irked Buffy, but she couldn't blame him. After all, she would do the same if she could. But she had duties. She was the Slayer. 'Right,' Buffy thought, 'the not-by-choice Chosen One. If only suing the Powers That Be was possible.'
"Buffy?" Pike asked again. "What is she, babe? Like, your new Watcher or something?"
Buffy snapped to attention with the second question and immediately replied, "No. I really don't think so. I mean, she said she wasn't a Watcher anymore. Maybe it's just, you know, just a coincidence."
"Or maybe it's just fate. For all you know, the Council could just re- instate her and put you in her charge."
"Oh god, I hope not. She seems like such a bitch!"
"She can't be that bad."
"No, maybe she's not. But she does give me a wiggins, Pike. Something's wrong there, I can see that in just one meeting. Wonder what's gonna happen next."
"Hopefully not anything too bad, Buff."
"I'm thinking no, but then you never know. And....I kinda went all beasty- style on her, right? I declared war between me and her."
"With the principal of your new school?!" Pike exclaimed. "Buff, what were you thinking?!"
"That's exactly it, Pike! I so wasn't! I mean, I sensed a vibe and I went for it. It's kinda hard to just suddenly have to lead two lives, you know? For you it's easier, because, okay, no offense, but mechanic? So, you know, you socialize with cars. I have to walk around wondering if I have any disguised demons in my school!"
"You know," Pike started, slightly offended, "cars can be evil too. That book by Stephen King, Christine? The car is way evil there, Buff."
Buffy sighed. How could she explain that cars couldn't be demons? After all, demons had to embody some living thing, and a car...well, a car wasn't technically living. "Pike," she started carefully, "vehicular possession is only a thing of books and fantasy."
Pike smirked at Buffy when she said this. "Demonic cars a thing of fantasy? Buffy, look at you? You have a full-time job as a Vampire Slayer. You know, one girl, in all the world, Chosen to track down the vampires where they gather and stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers? With a cool catch phrase like that, how can you even say that other things are of fantasy? Coz, you know, vampires, and the killing of them? It's all a little too Van Helsing."
Buffy turned and poked Pike in the ribs playfully. "Okay, so like, I get what you mean by that....but vampires are way much more believable than demonic cars. Even Melrose Place is more believable than demonic cars!"
"Touché." Pike said, defeated. "So, umm, where to now Buff? There's no vamp activity here," he commented, looking around him.
"Yeah, you're right," Buffy admitted, massaging her lower abdomen, which was where she usually felt a cramp-like tingling when there were vampires nearby. There was, though, nothing but peace there. "There aren't any vampires here."
"So, now where to? We've only been patrolling for an hour or so."
"I'm thinking cemetery, and then swinging over by Hemery before we go back home."
"Works for me." Pike took Buffy's hand in his. Buffy intertwined her fingers with his happily, feeling safe because he was with her, even though she was the superhero. They walked on like that, patrolling, sharing fantasies, being in love. Buffy didn't want this to end.
***
While the two lovers stayed out, slaying and dreaming, Gretchen Skinner quietly sat in the expansive library of her Bel Air mansion. She had many books on the occult open in front of her, and she cross-referenced this piece of information with that while sipping on her imported tea.
It was late, she knew, but the former Watcher had much to do. It wasn't by pure coincidence that the current Chosen One had fallen into her own lap. No, it had to be more than that. It was much more than that. It was, in fact, pure fate.
Skinner smiled to herself, happier than she had been in a long time. Oh yes, she had the Slayer, and that too, a brand-new one. And she could tell that this one was barely even trained.
Everything was falling into place beautifully.
Everything would soon be perfect, and would soon be just as they should be.
So far, Buffy and Pike had come across two vampires and one particularly stupid zombie, whose head Pike had bashed in with his baseball bat. Interestingly, it was only one a.m., and Buffy and Pike had only been out since half-past midnight. The slayings had been done pretty quickly thus far, and Buffy was still pumping full of energy. Pike, on the other hand, seemed to not enjoy the slaying as much. To Buffy, it seemed like he just came on patrol with her because of her, not because he was doing something for a good cause. Ditto for the instance when Pike had run around slaying a couple of nights back. It seemed he only did because her cared for her. Buffy's guess was, if she ever died, Pike would probably skip town and become a beach bum somewhere rather than fight the good fight. Somewhere deep inside, that fact irked Buffy, but she couldn't blame him. After all, she would do the same if she could. But she had duties. She was the Slayer. 'Right,' Buffy thought, 'the not-by-choice Chosen One. If only suing the Powers That Be was possible.'
"Buffy?" Pike asked again. "What is she, babe? Like, your new Watcher or something?"
Buffy snapped to attention with the second question and immediately replied, "No. I really don't think so. I mean, she said she wasn't a Watcher anymore. Maybe it's just, you know, just a coincidence."
"Or maybe it's just fate. For all you know, the Council could just re- instate her and put you in her charge."
"Oh god, I hope not. She seems like such a bitch!"
"She can't be that bad."
"No, maybe she's not. But she does give me a wiggins, Pike. Something's wrong there, I can see that in just one meeting. Wonder what's gonna happen next."
"Hopefully not anything too bad, Buff."
"I'm thinking no, but then you never know. And....I kinda went all beasty- style on her, right? I declared war between me and her."
"With the principal of your new school?!" Pike exclaimed. "Buff, what were you thinking?!"
"That's exactly it, Pike! I so wasn't! I mean, I sensed a vibe and I went for it. It's kinda hard to just suddenly have to lead two lives, you know? For you it's easier, because, okay, no offense, but mechanic? So, you know, you socialize with cars. I have to walk around wondering if I have any disguised demons in my school!"
"You know," Pike started, slightly offended, "cars can be evil too. That book by Stephen King, Christine? The car is way evil there, Buff."
Buffy sighed. How could she explain that cars couldn't be demons? After all, demons had to embody some living thing, and a car...well, a car wasn't technically living. "Pike," she started carefully, "vehicular possession is only a thing of books and fantasy."
Pike smirked at Buffy when she said this. "Demonic cars a thing of fantasy? Buffy, look at you? You have a full-time job as a Vampire Slayer. You know, one girl, in all the world, Chosen to track down the vampires where they gather and stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their numbers? With a cool catch phrase like that, how can you even say that other things are of fantasy? Coz, you know, vampires, and the killing of them? It's all a little too Van Helsing."
Buffy turned and poked Pike in the ribs playfully. "Okay, so like, I get what you mean by that....but vampires are way much more believable than demonic cars. Even Melrose Place is more believable than demonic cars!"
"Touché." Pike said, defeated. "So, umm, where to now Buff? There's no vamp activity here," he commented, looking around him.
"Yeah, you're right," Buffy admitted, massaging her lower abdomen, which was where she usually felt a cramp-like tingling when there were vampires nearby. There was, though, nothing but peace there. "There aren't any vampires here."
"So, now where to? We've only been patrolling for an hour or so."
"I'm thinking cemetery, and then swinging over by Hemery before we go back home."
"Works for me." Pike took Buffy's hand in his. Buffy intertwined her fingers with his happily, feeling safe because he was with her, even though she was the superhero. They walked on like that, patrolling, sharing fantasies, being in love. Buffy didn't want this to end.
***
While the two lovers stayed out, slaying and dreaming, Gretchen Skinner quietly sat in the expansive library of her Bel Air mansion. She had many books on the occult open in front of her, and she cross-referenced this piece of information with that while sipping on her imported tea.
It was late, she knew, but the former Watcher had much to do. It wasn't by pure coincidence that the current Chosen One had fallen into her own lap. No, it had to be more than that. It was much more than that. It was, in fact, pure fate.
Skinner smiled to herself, happier than she had been in a long time. Oh yes, she had the Slayer, and that too, a brand-new one. And she could tell that this one was barely even trained.
Everything was falling into place beautifully.
Everything would soon be perfect, and would soon be just as they should be.